Under the moonlight, the tiny figure swayed, and the primordial spirit returned to its body. The enormous creature slowly opened its eyes, retracting the nictitating membranes to reveal vertical pupils. It lowered its head, picked up the ginseng in its jaws, then tilted its head back.
Its throat muscles rippled as it swallowed the ginseng, leaves, dirt, and all. The leaves trembled beside its mouth before the last wilted scrap of green disappeared into its great maw. The taste of earth mingled with the medicinal fragrance accumulated over many years and slid down its throat.
Black Snake had guarded the Medicine Field for three days, occasionally visiting the mountain gully to drink but otherwise barely moving. No villagers approached again, not even a shadow testing the waters. Good. This was exactly the result it wanted.
With no threat remaining, there was no need to keep watch. Suddenly, it felt a little at loose ends.
Time to go to the Spirit Realm.
It would return to the familiar cliffside to cultivate, tend its herbs, fret, and concentrate on finding a way to break through its bottleneck and cultivate faster.
It was gathering spirit power to construct a passage when it suddenly stopped, inexplicably turning its head toward the Azure Cloud Monastery.
It flicked its tongue, carefully tasting the wind. It seemed to have caught something, yet perhaps nothing at all. An indescribable feeling rose from deep within.
It let the hazy image overhead dissipate.
Never mind. I'll go back and take a look.
Without hesitation, Black Snake immediately set off toward the Azure Cloud Monastery.
After slithering over two mountains, it lamented how slowly it moved without rain and mist. It had never felt this way before, but after learning to fly and tasting that weightless freedom, crawling along the ground