Before he knew it, another year had passed.
After emerging from seclusion, Li Ping summoned Meng Wanjun to ask about the latest news.
Meng Wanjun gleefully showed him the Earthrock Python she had hatched. It was an ugly little snake as thick as a chopstick, its entire body an earthy brown. Coiled in her white-jade palm, it flicked its forked tongue from time to time.
Li Ping turned his head away in disgust.
Of all animals, he hated snakes the most. The sight of them always made him uncomfortable, especially one this ugly.
"All right, all right, stop showing off. Put it away!" He waved a hand casually, motioning for Meng Wanjun to take the snake away.
Meng Wanjun snickered and tucked the Earthrock Python into her Spirit Beast Bag.
For now, she could not let the Earthrock Python roam freely in the courtyard, because the Earth Spirit Mouse lurked underground and the Desolate Fire Sparrow watched hungrily from the tree.
Of those two beasts, the Desolate Fire Sparrow was a natural predator of snake demon beasts. One moment of carelessness, and it might gobble the Earthrock Python up like a spicy snack.
With the Earth Spirit Mouse, the relationship was reversed.
Mouse demon beasts were food for snake demon beasts, but the Earthrock Python was still so small that the Earth Spirit Mouse might hunt it down for food instead.
Mouse demon beasts were omnivores, after all.
Even mortals had a saying: for half the year, snakes ate mice; for the other half, mice ate snakes.
"How's your cultivation coming along? If you still haven't broken through the next time I come out of seclusion, I'll feed this Earthrock Python to the Desolate Fire Sparrow!" Meng Wanjun's snickering had naturally not escaped Li Ping's notice, and he immediately made