The massive serpent loomed before Li Qingyue, its sinuous body still coiled around the ancient tree like a monstrous vine. Its forked tongue flicked in and out, tasting the air, while its gleaming crimson eyes fixed upon her with a terrifying intensity. Those eyes—cold, ancient, and predatory—seemed to pierce through her flesh and look directly into her soul.
Qingyue dared not move.
Her body was frozen, not by any cultivation technique, but pure instinctual terror. Every fiber of her being screamed at her to flee, yet she clung tightly to the thick branch as if it were her lifeline. A sheen of cold sweat slicked her brow. Her heart thumped wildly in her chest, loud enough to echo in her ears.
Then the serpent spoke.
Its voice was slow and drawn out, each syllable slithering through the air like the glide of its own body.
"Ssssss... Tell me, little girl... what are you doing alone in thissss... forest?"
Qingyue gulped. Her throat was parched, tongue dry like sand. She forced herself to speak, schooling her expression and steadying her tone as much as she could.
"Great Immortal," she said, bowing her head low in respect, "I was looking for my uncle. We were separated earlier… I got lost. Then that warthog spirit beast attacked me. I was fortunate to encounter your exalted presence."
She wove her words with as much reverence as she could muster, hoping the serpent's pride would be appeased.
For a moment, silence. Then, a low chuckle—deep, echoing, and utterly terrifying—rumbled from the creature's throat.
"Great immortal... heheheheh... Haaaaahahahaha!" The snake's laughter slithered into her bones like ice water.
"Why do you think I am an immortal, little girl?"
Qingyue lowered her gaze, hiding the glint of fear in her eyes.
"I've heard that immortals are powerful. Since you killed that warthog beast with a single blow, I thought… only an immortal could do that."
The massive serpent narrowed its eyes. It slowly brought its head closer, stopping just a breath's distance away from her face. The sudden proximity made Qingyue flinch, but she didn't dare move an inch.
"Ssssss... Clever little mouth."
The serpent's tongue flicked out again, brushing lightly against her cheek as it hissed,
"But... something about you. You smell... different."
Qingyue's breath caught.
The snake's crystal-topped head moved even closer, until it was touching her forehead. The purple gem gleamed with a soft light. Its eyes closed, and for a moment, Qingyue felt a strange energy probing her body.
Panic surged within her.
Had it sensed the Moon Blades?
But then, just as suddenly, the serpent withdrew. It opened its eyes, and for a flicker of a second, confusion shone in them.
"Ssssss..." the creature hissed, displeased. Its voice was harsher now, laced with a tinge of frustration.
"What clan do you belong to?"
Qingyue hesitated. She had wanted to lie. But somehow, she knew—it would see through her falsehood in a heartbeat. The beast may have lost interest, but provoking it further could lead to her immediate death.
"I am Li Qingyue, Great Immortal. I hail from the Li Clan of the Northern Territories."
Another hiss.
"Li clan girl..." the snake said, its tone now emotionless, even bored.
"Tell me... why should I let you live?"
Qingyue clenched her fists around the bark of the tree branch, trying to steady her breathing. Her voice quivered despite her effort to sound brave.
"What good would my death do, Great Immortal? I am only a child. My mother… she must be worried sick."
It was a feeble excuse, and Qingyue knew it. She wasn't truly pleading—she was stalling. Praying. Anything to buy time. Anything to survive.
The serpent fell silent again.
Then, after what felt like an eternity, it hissed,
"I can let you live... but only on one... ssssimple condition."
It slithered closer still, and its enormous head leaned in beside her ear.
"There is... a golden nail... at the base of this tree. Use a sssstone to pry it free... and bring it to me. Do this... and I will let you go."
At first, Qingyue didn't understand.
But then her mind began to churn. The pieces clicked into place like falling stones.
So that's what this is.
A beast this powerful—stronger than Golden Core, maybe even above Nascent Soul—and yet, staying in the outer region of a forest where such powerful beings rarely roamed. She had wondered earlier how a creature of this level could remain in such an ordinary place. There was no benefit, no prey worth the hunt.
Unless… it wasn't here by choice.
It's sealed, she realized. That's why I couldn't sense any spiritual pressure from it. The sealing array must be suppressing its aura. And… the golden nail… that must be the seal's epicenter.
Her spine turned cold.
She had read about sealing arrays in the sect. A powerful formation used to imprison divine beasts or rogue cultivators. And every seal had an epicenter—a single point which, if damaged or removed, could weaken or even break the entire array.
He wants me to destroy the seal for him.
Her grip tightened on the branch. Her mind raced.
She had to make a choice. Fast.
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