Chapter 38 The Secrets of the Serpent King
Chapter 38 The Secrets of the Serpent King
Yin Langtou accepted the gem without hesitation. After examining it closely, she gasped in admiration.
“What a pure bloodstone. It’s beautiful! Thank you, Lei Xiang. I’ll take good care of it.”
Jin Langtou immediately protested.
“What do you mean take care of it? It was clearly given to both of us.”
I picked up another gem—an orpiment that looked like crystal jelly—and tossed it to Jin Langtou.
“What are you arguing for? This one is yours. I’m not sure what it’s used for. If nothing else, you could carve a seal with it.”
Jin Langtou’s eyes widened.
“What? Carve a seal from such high-quality orpiment? That would be a waste.”
He held the gem up carefully.
“This treasure has great value. It can prevent qi deviation and has a powerful calming effect. Its price is definitely far higher than a bloodstone.”
So that’s how orpiment works…
Trading two gems for that information isn’t a bad deal.
Yin Langtou pouted.
“No, let’s trade. I want the orpiment.”
Jin Langtou immediately pulled the gem away and shook his head stubbornly.
“No. I won’t trade.”
I laughed.
“What are you two arguing about? The gems will stay on your body anyway. It doesn’t matter who owns which one.”
Then I added teasingly.
“Or does the gem only work for one of you? Jin Langtou, you’re the man. Let Yin Langtou have it. Be gentlemanly.”
Yin Langtou grinned wickedly.
“Right!”
With a swift chop she knocked Jin Langtou’s hand aside, grabbed the orpiment, and stuffed the bloodstone into his hand instead.
She admired the gem with satisfaction.
The Lernaean Hydra had been watching with drooling mouths. He spoke dazedly.
“Hey… Lei Xiang… you’re giving away such expensive gems so easily. Don’t you know their value?”
I glanced at him and smiled faintly.
“Value? Of course I do.”
“But the Wolf God will be traveling with me from now on. If I want their help, I need to invest a little.”
“Besides, how could the value of gems compare to the value of friendship? Isn’t that right, Wolf God?”
Jin Langtou and Yin Langtou looked moved.
Yin Langtou lowered her head and murmured softly, “Yes… nothing is more valuable than friendship.”
The Hydra looked awkwardly at me.
“Then… aren’t we friends too? You said earlier we wouldn’t know each other if we hadn’t fought.”
He rubbed his palms together expectantly.
Yin Langtou snorted.
“Hydra, do you have no shame? Now you want someone else’s treasure.”
All nine heads of the Hydra turned red.
“What do you know?” he roared. “I can buy it!”
Jin Langtou laughed mockingly.
“Buy it? With the wealth of your famously poor Sasi Territory? What could you offer in exchange?”
“Every gem here is worth at least a million gold coins. Do you even have that much money?”
The Hydra shouted,
“I do! …Well… not exactly.”
His posture immediately wilted like a deflated balloon.
These two really are rivals.
When we were alone everything was fine, but the moment they meet, neither will back down.
I smiled slightly and spoke to him.
“Brother Hydra, it’s not that I’m unwilling to share. But these gems are still useful to me.”
“I still have many things to accomplish, and I will likely gain many comrades in the future.”
“If I want my companions to grow stronger, I need to keep these gems to give them later.”
“Besides, you face no danger here, so they would serve little purpose for you.”
“So I cannot give them away, and I cannot sell them either. Please forgive me.”
The Hydra fell silent.
I had made a reasonable argument.
Yin Langtou teased him again.
“What’s wrong? You wanted treasure without effort?”
“If you keep lounging around lazily, your body will rust. Compared to the last time I saw you, you haven’t improved much.”
“You aren’t even close friends with Lei Xiang. Even if you were, he wouldn’t give you such precious treasures.”
The Hydra’s heads trembled with rage.
“Shut your mouth!”
“Do you have any idea how useful those gems are to me?”
“If I had just one of them, I could—”
He stopped abruptly.
It was obvious how important the gems were to him.
Even when he had faced death earlier, he had not spoken to the Wolf God with such agitation.
Jin Langtou glared at Yin Langtou and stopped her from continuing. She snorted but said nothing more.
I suddenly felt ashamed.
Was I really planning to lure both the Wolf God and the honest Hydra away from the mountains just to serve my own plans?
I sighed quietly.
Perhaps I can succeed even without the Hydra’s help.
I turned to him.
“Hydra, don’t be angry. I don’t want to see you quarrel over a few stones.”
“How about this. If you can give me a convincing reason, I will choose one gem from these and give it to you.”
The Hydra’s eyes brightened.
He rushed forward and grabbed my shoulders.
“Really?”
I nodded.
“I won’t force you to leave here to help me. If the gems are truly important to you, I’ll give you one.”
All eighteen of the Hydra’s eyes blinked in gratitude.
“They are more than useful.”
“There’s no reason to hide it any longer. Not even the Wolf God knows this.”
“Wolf God and I cultivate in completely different ways. Although they are weaker than me, they have one advantage—they can cultivate like humans and continuously increase their power.”
“But I cannot. I must rely on external assistance.”
Jin Langtou asked curiously,
“External assistance? I’ve never seen anyone help you train.”
The Hydra gave a bitter smile.
“You actually have.”
“Do you remember what I liked doing most in the forest?”
Jin Langtou and Yin Langtou answered together.
“Eating.”
The Hydra walked slowly toward the balcony and rested his hands on the jade railing.
“Yes. Eating.”
“I must eat more than twenty times what you eat.”
“Do you think that’s just for my appetite?”
“No.”
“It’s because I cannot stimulate my internal energy circulation naturally. I must rely on external energy.”
“You eat to provide your bodies with nutrition.”
“But for me, when I consume food I generate enormous heat energy.”
“I use that heat energy to stimulate the power within my body and trigger my cultivation.”
He turned back toward us.
“Wolf God, have you ever eaten ten Mayuk tribesmen in a single day?”
“Do you know what that feels like?”
“I have done it.”
“I could barely move afterward. I hardly dared breathe.”
“Compared to you, my cultivation is a hundred times more painful.”
“To maintain the activity of my energy, I spend one third of my time just eating.”
“That’s why I have my subordinates bring me bearmen every day.”
“Disgusting, isn’t it?”
“But this is the cultivation method passed down by my ancestors. If I want the Lernaean Hydra lineage to continue, I have no other choice.”
His nine heads twisted together painfully.
It was clear he despised the very thing we had assumed he loved.
Yin Langtou asked,
“Then what do the gems have to do with it? Can they provide the energy you need?”
The Hydra looked surprised.
“You’re smarter than I expected.”
“If I consume just one of those gems, I can cultivate like a normal beastman.”
“I would no longer need to eat so much.”
I suddenly understood.
“So the energy emitted by the gems stimulates the energy inside your body, allowing you to cultivate without relying on heat energy from food. Is that correct?”
The Hydra nodded pitifully.
I smiled gently and pointed to the gems on the table.
“Then for the sake of every beastman who might otherwise be eaten by a Hydra…”
“And for the continuation of the Lernaean Hydra lineage…”
“Choose one gem, my friend.”
The Hydra immediately threw his arms around me.
All nine heads wrapped around my neck.
He nearly suffocated me with excitement.
I could feel the joy radiating from him.
If every gem could buy a sincere friend like this, it would be worth it.
Even if he never helped me in the future, he would never harm me.
I struggled slightly.
“Choose quickly… before you strangle me.”
The Hydra finally released me and crouched beside the table, examining the gems carefully.
Seeing how happy he was filled my heart with warmth.
The Wolf God stepped beside me.
Jin Langtou transmitted his voice.
“Lei Xiang… are you really giving him a gem for free?”
I nodded.
“Yes. Look how happy he is.”
“If he is your friend, then he is my friend.”
“I obtained these gems without paying anything anyway. Why not give him one?”
“It might even stop him from eating other beastmen in the future. Consider it a good deed.”
Jin Langtou studied my eyes carefully.
My gaze was clear.
There was no greed or calculation in it.
“What?” I asked. “Do you think I would deceive your friend?”
Jin Langtou shook his head.
“Thank you, Lei Xiang.”
“You are the best beastman I have ever met.”
I chuckled.
“Then help me a little more in the future.”
Yin Langtou shouted impatiently,
“Hydra! Have you finished choosing yet? Stop nitpicking.”
“We still have things to do.”
The Hydra glared at her before picking up a blue diamond.
“Can I take this one?”
“Of course,” I said. “Will it help your cultivation?”
“Yes. Its energy is extremely pure. It suits me best.”
“Thank you, Lei Xiang.”
“You’re welcome, my friend. But I do have one request.”
The Hydra laughed happily.
“You mean the Beast God Religion, right?”
“Don’t worry. Leave it to me.”
“There’s no real Beast God anyway.”
“Besides, it’s time I helped develop Sasi Territory.”
“I won’t let Yuna monopolize all the good things.”
“You can rest here tonight. Wolf God, you’re exhausted. Leave tomorrow.”
“I’ll handle everything as soon as possible.”
I nodded.
“Then thank you, Brother Hydra.”
The Hydra carefully held the diamond.
“No need for thanks.”
“Compared with such a precious gem, that request is nothing.”
“Rest here. I’ll have food brought shortly.”
He was impulsive but straightforward.
If he promised something, he would do it.
Looks like the diamond worked well as a catalyst.
That night the Wolf God and I remained in the Hydra’s palace to train.
The Hydra had already ordered his subordinates not to trouble any beastmen passing through the territory.
At the same time he publicly announced himself as an Oracle of the Beast God.
Within the Naga tribe, the Lernaean Hydra held absolute authority.
If he spoke, it was law.
No one dared oppose him.
To the snake race, he was the Sage. Whatever he did must be right.
This… is probably what people call blind worship.
I had already gained the support of Sasi Territory. So far, I had successfully won over two large tribes for the Beast Emperor…
Early the next morning, the Lernaean Hydra excitedly woke me up.
“Lei Xiang, thank you! Thank you!”
His words puzzled me.
“What are you doing, Hydra? Why are you thanking me again? I haven’t done anything.”
The Hydra spoke excitedly.
“How could you say that? Look—look at my heads!”
I stared at him. The four heads that had been destroyed yesterday had already regenerated and looked lively and vigorous. The previously damaged heads had also returned to their original state.
I smiled.
“Congratulations. Has your power recovered as well?”
The Hydra shook his heads.
“My power hasn’t fully recovered yet, but now that my heads are restored, recovering my strength will be twice as fast.”
“You should know that my heads are the source of my power. Being able to restore them so quickly was entirely thanks to the gem you gave me. It’s incredible—absolutely incredible!”
“It feels as though it has become one with my body. My internal energy was stimulated and surged wildly. Compared to eating in the past, this method is far more powerful.”
“I believe it won’t be long before I reach the Zenith Realm.”
I asked curiously,
“Zenith? What’s that?”
“I’ll answer that.”
Jin Langtou had woken up from our conversation.
The Hydra smiled.
“You’re awake too. How is your recovery?”
Yin Langtou grumbled,
“You’re so noisy it would be strange if we didn’t wake up.”
“How could our powers recover so quickly? Although our meridians weren’t seriously damaged, we still need another day to fully recover.”
The Hydra said,
“That’s no problem. Stay here another day. You can leave tomorrow.”
I shook my head.
“Sorry, I can’t stay.”
“I’m worried about my escorts. I need to hurry back to meet them.”
“Besides, the Wolf God’s power can gradually recover during the journey.”
Then I turned back to them.
“Right, Wolf God—you still haven’t explained what the Zenith Realm is.”
As I mentioned my escorts, a strange uneasiness suddenly rose in my heart.
Jin Langtou glanced at the Hydra. After receiving his nod, he began explaining.
“The Zenith Realm isn’t an object—it’s a cultivation realm for ancient races like us.”
“We classify strength through realms. The usual order is: Beginner, Proficient, Small Achievement, Foundation, Fathom, Zenith, Heaven, Luminous, and Ash.”
“Yin Langtou and I are currently in the Foundation Realm, while this fellow is already in the Fathom Realm. He’s about to enter the Zenith Realm.”
“Each increase in realm greatly strengthens one’s power. But correspondingly, advancing even one realm becomes extremely difficult.”
Yin Langtou suddenly interrupted.
“When the Hydra reaches the Zenith Realm, even the two of us together might not be able to defeat him.”
She grinned mischievously.
“Lei Xiang, how about we eliminate him before he reaches it?”
Her playful tone made us laugh, while the Hydra pretended to look frightened.
I asked curiously,
“If someone reached the Ash Realm, how powerful would they become?”
The Wolf God and the Hydra looked at each other. Their expressions revealed deep longing.
The Hydra spoke dreamily.
“If I could reach that level, I could transform into a Nine-Headed Sacred Dragon.”
“That level would surpass even ordinary dragons. Even the Beast God might not be my match.”
Yin Langtou asked Jin Langtou,
“What would we look like if we reached that level?”
Jin Langtou gave a bitter smile.
“We’ve never been separated. If you don’t know, how would I know?”
The Hydra glared at me.
“Lei Xiang, do you know that the so-called Beast God of the beastmen was actually a Xun who cultivated to the Luminous Realm?”
“But that race is already extinct. Just imagine how powerful the Ash Realm must be.”
“At that level, one could probably rival the Mythical Beasts of the heavens.”
I was shocked.
So the Ash Realm is that powerful…
Does that mean I would need to cultivate the Fallen Angel form to six wings just to compete with them?
What I didn’t realize was that the six-winged Fallen Angel represented the realm of Lucifer, the Demon God and chief servant of Hades. That level was far beyond what ordinary Mythical Beasts could rival.
I laughed.
“Then congratulations, Hydra. Only two realms remain before you reach the level of the Beast God.”
“When that happens, I’ll introduce you to the Beast Emperor so you can become the new Beast God.”
The Hydra sighed deeply.
“You think it’s that easy?”
“Even though I’m considered a prodigy among Hydras, the Transcend Realm is probably my limit.”
“If I could even reach the Heaven Realm by stuffing myself with food, I would already be extremely satisfied.”
“That’s the highest level a Nine-Headed Hydra can achieve.”
He glanced at the Wolf God.
“But the Wolf God is even worse off. Their limit is the Zenith Realm.”
“They are one realm lower than me because their racial limit is one realm lower than mine.”
I was startled.
“Isn’t there any way to change that?”
The Hydra and the Wolf God shook their heads.
“Among our ancestors, fewer than five reached the Heaven Realm,” the Hydra said.
“But none could break through to the Luminous Realm afterward.”
“We’ve never heard of a method to surpass that barrier.”
Jin Langtou added,
“Our situation is worse. Only three of our ancestors reached the Zenith Realm, and that was when the Two-Headed Wolf race was at its peak.”
“For us to reach this level already counts as remarkable.”
“That’s why we don’t even know what would happen if we surpassed it.”
I sighed.
“So no ancient race can reach the Ash Realm?”
Jin Langtou shook his head.
“I don’t think so. Very few ancient races still exist. Among them, the Hydra and us are already considered prominent.”
The Hydra stared at the Wolf God, then at me.
“You’re wrong.”
“That race still exists.”
Yin Langtou was shocked.
“What do you mean? There’s actually a race capable of reaching that realm?”
The Hydra nodded slowly.
“The probability is extremely small, but it’s possible.”
“They represent the true upper limit of the Ash Realm.”
The Wolf God and I spoke simultaneously.
“What race?”
The Hydra replied solemnly,
“Dragons.”
“The kings of dragons.”
“Among the dragons living in the Dragon Empire, ordinary dragons cannot reach that level.”
“But the Dragon King is different.”
“It possesses a single bloodline inheritance like we do. Its potential can reach the Ash Realm.”
He sighed.
“Even if I reached the Ash Realm, I still wouldn’t be the Dragon King’s match.”
“After reaching that level, the Dragon King can ascend to the heavens and become the Divine Dragon of the era.”
“That is the position of a god.”
“At best, I could only become an inferior Divine Dragon.”
Jin Langtou laughed bitterly.
“You’re already fortunate.”
“At least you still have hope of advancing further. Unlike us.”
“Our parents reached the Zenith Realm at two hundred years old, but even when they died at five hundred forty-two, they never advanced beyond it.”
“I gave up hope long ago.”
I asked curiously,
“Are there really gods in heaven?”
The Hydra nodded.
“Of course.”
“My ancestors passed down stories about both the Realm of Gods and the Underworld.”
“They exist in different dimensions, while our world lies between them.”
“‘Ascending to heaven’ simply means reaching a level of power that allows one to break through the barriers between dimensions and travel to the Realm of Gods.”
The Realm of Gods… what kind of place would it be?
I felt a sense of anticipation.
“If we want to reach that state,” I said, “we must work hard and give everything we have. Perhaps someday we truly could achieve it.”
Yin Langtou laughed.
“You still have hope.”
“But you cultivate Dark Magic. After death you’ll go to the Underworld and become a Demon God.”
“There’s no chance you’ll enter the Realm of Gods.”
I shrugged casually.
“The Underworld doesn’t sound bad.”
“Maybe there are fewer rules there.”
“When the time comes, I’ll invite you as guests. How about that?”
Jin Langtou laughed.
“Then it’s settled. Don’t regret it later.”
“That won’t happen,” I replied.
“But we’re only daydreaming right now.”
“To reach those realms, we must first become the strongest beings on this continent.”
I stood up.
“Alright. Brother Hydra, take care.”
The Hydra looked reluctant.
“Why leave so quickly? Stay another day.”
I shook my head.
“There are still many things I must do.”
“But when I have time, I’ll return to visit you.”
“You must train hard and achieve your dream of becoming a Nine-Headed Divine Dragon.”
“I’m entrusting the snakemen tribe to you.”
“Later I’ll send people from the Beast God Religion to help Sasi develop agriculture and industry.”
“Support them. Don’t you want your territory to prosper as well?”
I stood and walked toward the exit.
“We’re leaving now. No need to escort us. I know the way out.”
The Hydra’s central venom head glowed faintly.
“Alright,” he said. “Have a safe journey.”
The Wolf God looked at the Hydra, clearly wanting to say something more. But I pulled them along and led them out of the palace.
Once we entered the tunnel, I asked,
“Didn’t you say we shouldn’t force him? Why were you about to do that?”
Jin Langtou sighed.
“We had just reconciled with him. Now we don’t want to leave.”
I smiled.
“Everyone has their own way of living.”
“You like exploring new things. The Hydra prefers stability.”
“I’ve already decided not to ask him to join us. Didn’t you notice?”
“Fate will bring us together again.”
Jin Langtou sighed.
“We’ve already left. What else is there to see?”
As we spoke, we had already exited the tunnel.
The lake around the spherical city was calm.
Under the rising sun, the water reflected dazzling waves like crystal.
I sighed helplessly.
“I forgot to ask Hydra for a boat. We can’t swim across such a distance.”
Yin Langtou laughed mysteriously.
“Who said we have to swim?”
“Did you forget wind magic?”
I was startled.
“You can fly using wind magic? The so-called flight spell only increases speed.”
Yin Langtou snorted.
“That’s because your training isn’t deep enough.”
“With the sixth-tier wind spell: Soaring Clouds, you can fly.”
Soaring Clouds…
I vaguely remembered it.
“Sister, you’re making things difficult for me. The highest level I can use is fifth tier, and that already drains all my magic.”
“I don’t even dare imagine casting sixth tier.”
Hearing me call her sister, Yin Langtou looked extremely pleased.
“You’re really foolish.”
“Just because you can’t use it doesn’t mean we can’t.”
“It’s not that I’m foolish,” I replied. “I know what you’re capable of.”
“But you haven’t fully recovered yet. Casting such a powerful spell would be exhausting.”
“And you’d have to carry me as well.”
Jin Langtou snorted proudly.
“It’s only sixth-tier magic. That distance won’t stop us.”
Just as our argument grew heated, a voice interrupted.
“Stop arguing.”
The Hydra appeared before us.
He now wore a large cloak covering his entire body.
“I knew your competitive spirit hadn’t changed, Wolf God.”
“In your current condition you definitely can’t cross my lake while carrying someone.”
Jin Langtou and Yin Langtou shouted together,
“You damn worm! Don’t underestimate us!”
The Hydra waved his hands.
“Alright, alright. I was wrong.”
“But since you came as guests, I should send you off properly as your host.”
“Let me take you to the other side.”
Jin Langtou nodded.
“Then we’ll trouble you again.”
“Thank you.”
The Lernaean Hydra smiled bitterly.
“Really, you two… let’s go.”
The green head began chanting.
“Oh mighty wind, hear my summons. Gather at my side and disrupt the Higgs field.”
I immediately recognized it as the incantation for the Soaring Clouds spell.
So this is the actual chant… I should try it myself sometime.
A gust of wind swept past us. The Hydra’s body slowly began to float.
Then his blue head spoke.
“Oh mighty water, heed my summons. Follow my command—freeze.”
This time I recognized it instantly. It was fourth-tier water magic—Freezing.
Blue light continuously streamed from the Hydra’s blue head. A thin sheet of ice immediately spread across the surface of the Spherical City Lake.
The Hydra grabbed my waist with one hand and the Wolf God with the other.
“Rise!”
Because of the Soaring Clouds spell, our bodies felt extremely light. As the Hydra pushed off, the three of us soared upward.
We repeatedly used the ice surface to gain momentum. The ice was extremely thin—each step shattered it—but it provided enough support for us to launch ourselves forward.
This guy really knows how to conserve energy.
After more than a dozen leaps and glides, we finally landed beneath a large tree on the opposite shore.
Jin Langtou looked dissatisfied.
“I thought you would carry us and fly straight here. I didn’t expect you to use this method. We could have done that too.”
The Hydra slapped Jin Langtou’s wolf head.
“Oh really? You can do everything, can’t you?”
“Don’t you realize I haven’t fully recovered yet? Where would I get the strength to carry three stone-weighted bodies?”
Jin Langtou opened his mouth to argue, but I stopped him.
“That’s enough.”
Then I turned to the Hydra.
“Hydra, thank you for escorting us.”
“The blue mountains never grow old, and the green waters flow forever. We will meet again someday.”
I pulled the Wolf God with me and prepared to leave.
Suddenly the Hydra stopped me.
“Um… Lei Xiang… I want to go with you.”
The Wolf God and I both froze.
Then excitement exploded across their faces.
“Really?” the three of us asked at the same time.
The Hydra puffed out his chest.
“Of course it’s true. I’ve already decided.”
“Yin Langtou was right—I can’t stay here forever.”
“Now that I no longer have to cultivate by stuffing myself with food, why not travel with you?”
“Perhaps it will even help my training.”
He looked directly at me.
“Besides, I think you’re someone I can trust. That’s why I want to see the world with you.”
“But I have two conditions.”
I smiled.
“Let’s hear them.”
The Hydra hesitated for a moment.
“First, give me a proper name. I don’t want to be called Hydra all the time.”
“And second… if there is an opportunity in the future…”
All nine heads turned red at the same time. He was clearly embarrassed.
“I hope you can help me find… a wife.”
Jin Langtou and Yin Langtou froze.
“A wife?”
The next moment they burst into laughter.
Yin Langtou clutched her stomach.
“So it’s mating season for you! Hahaha—I’m dying!”
I tried my best not to laugh.
“The first condition is easy. I can help you with that immediately.”
“But the second one…”
“I’ve never been a matchmaker. How am I supposed to help you with that?”
The Hydra glared at the Wolf God and said irritably,
“Do you think everyone is hermaphroditic like you two?”
“If I don’t find a wife, how am I supposed to continue the Lernaean Hydra lineage?”