Forested mountains and rivers lay wreathed in wisps of ethereal mist between heaven and earth.
Cities stood scattered across the world, each seemingly separated from the others by mountains, rivers, and vast stretches of land.
A giant snake carried a little boy on its back, swiftly slithering in one direction.
The giant snake looked exhausted yet resolute. Though extraordinary, it had no cultivation, and carrying the little boy day and night had gradually begun to tax its strength.
At some point, wounds had covered its body. Some had been scraped open by exposed rocks, while others had been left by human blades...
A giant snake entering the human world would naturally provoke people into striking it, pelting it, and chasing it away.
Though it had done its best to avoid places people frequented, it still could not avoid encountering groups of them.
At the sight of such a large snake, people would naturally grow frightened and strike it, pelt it, and chase it away.
Yet the giant snake seemed concerned only with pressing onward. It never harmed those who pursued and attacked it without knowing the truth...
The little boy on its back had long since slumped against it in utter exhaustion, his expression dazed.
"Big Snake, how much longer... until we find the Human Emperor?" the little boy asked weakly, lying on its back.
The great snake stopped moving and turned to look at the little boy behind it. Slowly, it used its tail to scrawl two words in the dirt:
Almost there.
Looking at those two words on the ground, the little boy showed a small trace of comfort.
"That's good. We have to hurry and tell the Human Emperor... there's a red mist killing people."
The great snake raised its head toward the distant horizon, which seemed