Humiliation? She Agreed

"How about a deal? I won't touch a hair on your head, and you let me leave."

"Otherwise, if we fight until the fish dies and the net breaks, you won't come out unscathed either!"

A contest between souls had never been a simple matter of victory or defeat.

One moment of carelessness, and one could wound the enemy a thousand points while suffering eight hundred in return.

But would Xiao Xuan take her threat seriously?

"You little snake, even at your peak, you didn't dare bare your fangs before me. Now that you're down to a remnant soul, you're still this arrogant!"

Xiao Xuan gave a cold snort, deeply displeased with this Ancient Heavenly Snake.

She ought to have fallen to her knees and bowed the moment she saw him.

"Open up your Soul Origin and submit to me, and I can spare your life!"

Xiao Xuan was not entirely unreasonable; he had at least offered her a way out.

Even if she could escape as a remnant soul, there was little room for her to survive on the present-day Dou Qi Continent.

In an era when heaven and earth themselves were declining, even rare species like the Ancient Heavenly Snake were helpless, and their reliance on heaven and earth and their bloodlines was too great.

Her strength would even plummet, leaving her far from the peak combat power she once possessed.

"How dare you insult me, Tian Ling! You're nothing but a junior. Do you really think your auntie can't fight?"

This Ancient Heavenly Snake was named Tian Ling. She too had been a renowned figure in the past, one no one on the Dou Qi Continent dared to look down on.

Provoked by Xiao Xuan like this, she naturally bristled at once.

In any case, she did not particularly want to live. She had spent so long in a muddled stupor.

She had originally sensed a suitable human prodigy, which was why she had awakened of her own accord and come to seize her body.

But she had not expected her luck to be this bad. Or just how great was this human prodigy's background, to have a Peak Dou Sheng following at her side?

Had it been any other Dou Sheng, Tian Ling believed she could have easily dealt with the trouble.

But a Peak Dou Sheng combined with an Emperor Realm Soul...

Tian Ling felt like cursing his mother.

This was no way to bully someone.

"Let's fight! The fish dies and the net breaks!"

Holding her anger in, Tian Ling was about to stake everything.

"Wait. It would be a pity for you to die like this. Since you can't accept submitting to me, I'll make a different demand."

"For now, take up residence within this little disciple of mine. Once her strength has reached a high level, I can help you return to your peak."

Xiao Xuan spoke slowly.

What snake-type magical beast could compare to an Ancient Heavenly Snake?

And one that had built her strength on a solid foundation and was certain to reach Peak Dou Sheng at that.

He was somewhat tempted!

Hearing this, Tian Ling's expression shifted between light and dark.

With another partner, she might have been able to feign compliance, but before an expert like Xiao Xuan...

It was not that she could not harbor ulterior motives, but Tian Ling feared she would end up scattered to the ashes afterward.

A human expert of his caliber probably had even deeper foundations and might even come from an Emperor Clan. Even a rare species like the Ancient Heavenly Snake would gain no advantage in bloodline over him.

Xiao?

There did seem to be an ancient Emperor Clan with that surname that had survived to this day.

Tian Ling's face darkened further.

"You wouldn't happen to come from an ancient Emperor Clan too, would you?" Tian Ling suddenly asked.

Xiao Xuan was somewhat surprised. "You have ties to an ancestor of my Xiao Clan? Which one? I might even know them."

He asked with interest. Whether they had ties or not, Xiao Xuan still would not hold back afterward.

"Damn it!"

Tian Ling cursed inwardly and fell silent again.

If it was the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils, then it might not be impossible to accept.

Humans regarded it only as a heaven-defying cheat physique, but the Ancient Heavenly Snake knew the truth.

If there was no other choice, this was also a path of retreat.

"Can't we sit down and talk things over? At worst, I, Tian Ling, will owe you a favor. Once my strength returns to its peak, you can call on me to do three things."

Tian Ling thought those terms were quite generous, at any rate.

In the present-day world, surely monsters like the one before her could not be everywhere!

Even if there were more Peak Dou Sheng, they would not number more than ten.

Tian Ling felt that she was still very useful.

Although she would still have to return to the body of a magical beast, Tian Ling had come to understand something.

Better to live on miserably than die a good death!

"Three things?" Xiao Xuan smiled disdainfully. If something really came up, would he need a half-baked amateur like her to step in?

Besides, was he really supposed to wait for someone with no background at all like her to cultivate back to Peak Dou Sheng?

Xiao Xuan figured that by then, he would probably have become a Dou Di and ascended.

"Not interested!"

Xiao Xuan replied lazily.

The longer this dragged on, the more advantageous it would be.

Her soul power could not last much longer.

Tian Ling naturally understood this as well, and her expression grew increasingly gloomy.

Seeing the situation grow increasingly difficult to control, Xiao Xuan was also making preparations in secret.

She was only a Heaven Realm Soul; he could destroy her with a turn of his hand!

"Fine! I agree."

Gritting her teeth, Tian Ling ultimately decided to play it safe. At worst, she could find another way later.

With a somewhat complicated look, Tian Ling glanced at the shrinking Qing Lin beside her and said fiercely, "You should be grateful you have a good disciple. If not for the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils, I would never agree."

"Send that little girl over here."

Tian Ling folded her arms and spoke with great hauteur.

"Master?"

Hearing that this involved her, Qing Lin looked at Xiao Xuan.

"Go on!"

Xiao Xuan was not particularly worried. He had already taken precautions; if Tian Ling could still stir up a storm, he should have been finished long ago.

"Yes!"

Qing Lin obediently walked toward Tian Ling, but remained on guard, keeping her distance.

"Humans will never know the true use of the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils. Swear on your Soul Origin that you won't reveal anything I tell you."

Tian Ling was very serious, though even more self-satisfied.

So what if he was incomparably powerful? How many of the secrets of heaven and earth could he know? At the same time, Tian Ling cast Xiao Xuan a provocative look.

"Master?" Qing Lin turned her little head again.

Xiao Xuan stroked his chin. In truth, he was also somewhat curious about what Tian Ling had said.

After all, normal human bloodline physiques directly enhanced cultivation or assisted in certain areas, but the Triple Jade-Green Snake Flower Pupils were different. They were very strange.

Even when Xiao Xuan first learned of them, aside from marveling at the wonders of creation, he had also been somewhat puzzled.

Could humans and magical beasts really be connected in such a way?

Unfortunately, there had been too few examples, so he had put it out of his mind as soon as he turned away.

Now that Tian Ling had brought it up, Xiao Xuan recalled his confusion at the time.

But that secret could only amount to so much.

Could it possibly help someone break through to Dou Di?

Xiao Xuan did not believe it.

If a physique truly had a miraculous effect on breaking through to Dou Di, word would have long since spread and thrown the world into chaos.

The ancient Emperor Clans could not possibly have left no information about it, either.

"Go on, Qing Lin. It's all right. A Soul Origin Oath is reasonable enough. Don't worry about her plotting anything." Xiao Xuan was very confident.

Soul Origin Oaths were rare and even harder to put to use, but Xiao Xuan was different.

With his Emperor Realm Soul surveying everything around him, what little tricks could escape his notice?

Even if it brought some minor hidden trouble, he could easily discover and eliminate it.

In the realm of souls, Xiao Xuan was far more than merely accomplished.

He's still acting so arrogantly in front of me?

Tian Ling was somewhat surprised. She licked her lips, becoming a few shades more alluring.

Perfect!