Book 1: Chapter 25: Animal Spirit Servant, Snake Lady

Tengen Island:

Gu Hai and his group arrived not far away from the Innate Puzzle World’s entrance. After they crossed a mountain, they reached a vast valley in the middle.

The valley floor was a mist-covered region. Cultivators who came from various places stepped in there and vanished.

“That is the entrance. This is our first time here as well. I’ve heard that we can enter the Innate Puzzle World by entering the misty area,” Chen Tianshan said.

“Let’s go, then!” Gu Hai headed towards that misty region.

Chen Tianshan and Gao Xianzhi quickly followed. Song Qingshu moved last. At this moment, he showed a twisted expression on his face.

The First Song Sect Master had told Song Qingshu to kill Gu Hai. However, the scene of Gu Hai suddenly turning around lingered in his heart. For some reason, he felt fearful.

What are you afraid of? He is just an Innate Realm cultivator. How can I fear him? What a joke! Song Qingshu showed a ferocious expression as he suppressed the fear in his heart.

The group slowly entered the misty region.

As they walked, the group seemed to step out of the mist.

However, they no longer saw the mountain valley when they exited the mist.

There was no vegetation on Tengen Island. However, what greeted the four the moment they exited the mist was lush greenery.

“This is?” Gu Hai looked behind, feeling startled.

However, only mist met his gaze.

“According to Hall Master’s instructions, the mist is also the exit. It will last for at most one year. When the mist vanishes, the exit will be closed,” Chen Tianshan said.

Gu Hai nodded.

“What a horrifying aura of the heavenly might!” Song Qingshu looked up at the sky.

There was a small sun in the sky. However, Gu Hai sensed that this sun was different from the one outside. Perhaps this was a small star.

“Indeed, only Innate Realm cultivators can enter.” Chen Tianshan smiled bitterly.

“What are you feeling?” Gao Xianzhi asked out of curiosity.

Gu Hai also looked at the two. After all, Gu Hai and Gao Xianzhi did not feel any different.

“I feel an aura hovering over my head. We suppressed ourselves to peak Innate Realm. It seems like if we increase our cultivations by a little and exceed the Innate Realm, a destructive force will charge at us!” Chen Tianshan exclaimed.

“Oh?” Gu Hai said, his eyes lighting up.

Previously, Gu Hai had only heard about it. Now that he heard Chen Tianshan described this, he relaxed.

Countless cultivators had entered this independent world. In just this short while, at least ten other people entered. Gu Hai’s cultivation ranked at the very end; danger surrounded him. However, since everyone was limited to the Innate Realm, he was much more relaxed. Even though he was just at the Innate Realm’s first layer, the others would not be that much stronger than him. Furthermore, he cultivated physically.

Gu Hai showed a faint smile and said, “Nice place!”

“There seem to be many people there?” Chen Tianshan immediately felt stunned.

“Speak!” A shout suddenly came from a distance.

“If she doesn’t speak, kill her!”

“Humph! Death cannot wipe out the crimes of this demon. She caused my senior brother’s death!”

“If you still don’t say where the Century Lifespan Immortality Peach Tree is, we will kill you!”

Slap!

A large number of cultivators gathered in the distance. All the cultivators who just entered the independent world ran over. By now, several rings of cultivators—more than one hundred cultivators—surrounded someone there.

Large amounts of dried blood blotched the surroundings. Gu Hai even saw some broken limbs and tattered bodies in the bushes, presenting a sorry sight.

“A huge battle happened here?” Gao Xianshi said with raised eyebrows.

Chen Tianshan and Song Qingshu quickly went over to the crowd in the distance. However, Gu Hai did not rush over. Instead, he walked to a torn-off arm and carefully inspected it.

“Division Master, the battle that took place earlier must have been very intense. This is a torn-off arm? There are plenty more over there, even some buried corpses. These were not buried?” Gao Xianzhi followed behind Gu Hai, feeling curious.

“This torn-off arm was torn off three days ago,” Gu Hai said.

“Oh?” Gao Xianzhi entered deep thought as he looked at that torn-off arm.

Gao Xianzhi chose to follow Gu Han initially because he wanted to learn from Gu Han. Knowing how long an arm had been torn off fell under the expertise of coroners. Previously, he had not thought much of such knowledge. Only now did he suddenly discover that he had underestimated such knowledge. After this was over, he definitely had to study properly.

Gu Hai and Gao Xianzhi slowly made their way to the distant crowd.

Now, hundreds of people surrounded something. The scene looked very grand. This was Gu Hai’s first time seeing so many cultivators. When he approached, he heard the discussions of the people at the periphery of the group.

“I heard that when this independent world opened three days ago, all the experts rushed in the instant it opened. Unexpectedly, the natives were lying in wait here to prevent everyone from entering. The two sides fought and killed each other, showing a cruel sight. The natives all went crazy, killing with reckless abandonment. Most of them died; only a few escaped.”

“Most people already went farther in. Only a few people remained, as they had managed to capture ten natives. They wanted to force them to describe the terrain here and where the treasures are. However, the natives were stubborn, and most of them bit their tongues to commit suicide.”

“Bunch of crazy natives!”

“Fortunately, one survived. Unfortunately, she is just an animal spirit servant, so her status among the natives is low. However, she does not want to die, so we can only start with her.”

“The Century Lifespan Immortality Peach Tree! That is a lifespan plant. Just one Century Lifespan Immortality Peach can increase lifespan by one hundred years. If only I could get it!”

“That will depend on how long this animal spirit can hold out!”

The people at the edge of the group continued discussing, but Gu Hai frowned slightly.

“Stubborn to the death, biting their tongues to commit suicide? The Heavenly Go Pavilion disciples are quite unyielding,” Gao Xianzhi exclaimed.

Gu Hai nodded.

“I really don’t know! I really don’t know!” A young voice and sounds of crying came from within the crowd.

“You don’t know? How did you get here? Just bring us back! Do you want to end up like them?”

“You demon! Your people killed my senior brother. Even if I killed you ten times, it is not enough. Quickly speak. Unless you want me to kill you?”

“Humph! Stop acting pitiful, you demon. Why didn’t you look so pitiful when you were killing us earlier?”

The crowd assailed that animal spirit servant with harsh criticisms.

Gu Hai and Gao Xianzhi slowly pushed their way to the center of the crowd, gradually reaching the very front.

“This is?” Gu Hai appeared shocked.

Gu Hai saw a five-meter-long, black snake pinned to a stone wall by three swords. Blood spurted out from all over the snake’s body, showing torn skin and mangled flesh. However, the black snake’s head was that of a young girl about the age of seven or eight. A human head and a snake’s body?

Blood covered the snake lady. The crowd had beaten her face, covering it in countless bruises. At this moment, she vomited blood and cried as she looked at the cultivators holding whips, sabers, and swords.

All the cultivators ferociously stared at the snake lady. Their snarls contained a ruthless and tyrannical tone.

The snake lady seemed to be at her last gasp as she trembled, probably from excessive blood loss.

“Demon, speak, and we can let you go. Where is the Century Lifespan Immortality Peach Tree? This place is too big, and our cultivation is limited here. It would not be easy to find it within one year. As long as you tell us where it is, I’ll take charge and let you go!” said a red-clad man leading the group, smiling coldly.

The other cultivators did not stop that person. They only looked at that snake lady coldly.

Perhaps the earlier battle had been too intense and miserable. No one sympathized with the snake lady.

“I don’t know. I’m only an animal spirit servant. I’m only responsible for watching the herb fields every day! I really don’t know!” the snake lady said, crying.

“Herb field? Where is the herb field?” The red-clad man’s eyes immediately lit up.

“I don’t know. I don’t know. They brought me here. Before I arrived, they carried me in a large box. I don’t know what path they took. I also don’t know the way back. I beg you, please let me go!” the snake lady cried pitifully.

“You demon! How can you not know? I think you must be tired of living. Humph!” The red-clad cultivator glared and stabbed the snake lady with a sword.

Shank! 

“Ah!”

Another bloody hole appeared in the snake lady’s body as she cried out in agony.

“I really don’t know! Someone rescue me! Master! Master! Save me! Sob! Sob! Sob!” the snake lady cried in despair.

“Kill her!”

“Humph! If she still doesn’t speak, kill her!”

The surrounding cultivators clamored ferociously.

Some cultivators showed expressions of pity. However, no one stepped forward to stop this. The corpses on the ground already explained everything. This animal spirit was the enemy of all the outsiders. Anyone who pitied the enemies would be setting themselves against everyone.

“Humph! How stubborn! Demon, die for wasting our time!” the red-clad man shouted. As he spoke, he raised his sword, wanting to stab the snake lady’s head.

“No!” the snake lady roared in despair. However, the swords pinning her body to the stone wall held her immobile.

It looked like the sword would stab into the snake lady’s head; she was about to die.

Ding!

Suddenly, a stone shot over and hit the red-clad cultivator’s sword, changing the sword’s trajectory.

Clang! 

The sword stabbed into the stone wall by the snake lady’s head.

“Who is it?” Rage flared in the red-clad cultivator’s eyes.

Everyone looked in the direction the stone came from. It was Gu Hai who did it.

Aside from Gao Xianzhi, everyone around Gu Hai immediately moved aside, exposing him.

“That is enough. A few hundred people playing good cop/bad cop with a small girl, even wanting to kill her. Are you not embarrassed?” Gu Hai said coldly as he stepped forward.

Gao Xianzhi wanted to step forward with Gu Hai, but Gu Hai held his hand up to stop him.

“Who are you?” the red-clad cultivator demanded coldly.

At this moment, everyone looked at Gu Hai. Some felt curious, some felt disdainful, some sneered, and some felt embarrassed. Now, Gu Hai slowly walked to the center.

“This little girl already said earlier that she was just a servant. What can she know? Everyone here is a sect expert. Is there a need to keep holding on to her and not let her go? The Innate Puzzle World is so big; why doesn’t everyone continue to head in and ask someone else? Why waste time here?” Gu Hai continued moving forward as he spoke.

Song Qingshu and Chen Tianshan, who were in the crowd, stared with their eyes wide open. Chen Tianshan wanted to step forward, but Song Qingshu stopped him. Then, Song Qingshu narrowed his eyes as he watched Gu Hai.

“What are you? Why are you standing up for this demon? Are you seeking death?” the red-clad cultivator asked coldly as he tightly gripped his sword and pointed it at Gu Hai.

The snake lady stared at Gu Hai with anticipation in her eyes. “Senior, save me! Save me!”

“I’m going to save her. What’s wrong? You want to stop me?” Gu Hai retorted coldly.

“Who are you?” someone immediately shouted.

Clearly, the cultivators were venting their hatred on the snake lady. Now that someone stepped forward to stop this, they felt upset. The cultivators whose friends or family died here slowly turned their anger to Gu Hai, focusing their murderous intent on him.

“This humble one is Elite Hall’s Water Division Master. Does everyone want to set themselves against my Elite Hall?” Gu Hai suddenly said coldly.

“Elite Hall?” The expressions of the surrounding people immediately changed.

As Gu Hai guessed, everyone seemed to have heard of Elite Hall before. Many people suddenly frowned, and the earlier commotion calmed down significantly.

A large man with a Fu Manchu mustache in the crowd narrowed his eyes. This person’s subordinates, who were behind him, glared at Gu Hai, but the mustached man held his hand up and stopped his subordinates. Then, he quietly watched what was happening at the center.

[TL Note: A Fu Manchu mustache looks like this: https://beardoholic.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Fu-mancu-character.gif]

Gu Hai walked over to the red-clad cultivator slowly, showing a faint smile as he did so.

Now, the red-clad cultivator shrank back somewhat. However, his expression changed abruptly. He glared and said, “Humph! Who are you fooling? Elite Hall does not have a Water Division Master!”

“That’s right. I recall now. Of Elite Hall’s five divisions—metal, wood, water, first, and earth—the Water Division has been empty for twenty years already. How can there be a Water Division Master?” someone suddenly shouted.

“Brat! You dare lie to me?” The red-clad cultivator glared at Gu Hai, exuding killing intent and about to erupt in anger.

Roar!

Gu Hai promptly unleashed his Veritable Energy, and a ferocious aura spread out, along with a roar. Faint, purple, dragon-shaped Veritable Energy appeared over his body, immediately scattering the red-clad man’s killing intent.

“Huh?” The mustached man’s expression changed.

Countless cultivators in the surroundings goggled.

“The True Dragon Innate Cultivation Technique? He should not be lying then!”

“If anyone dares to cultivate the True Dragon Innate Cultivation Technique without permission, their entire clan will be killed. He spoke the truth! If he isn’t Elite Hall’s Water Division Master, he can’t possibly cultivate this cultivation technique!”

“Elite Hall?”

The crowd endlessly discussed this as they suppressed their angry glares.

Gu Hai walked slowly to the stone wall and looked at the snake lady pinned to it. A trace of unbearable pity flashed in his eyes.

Phish!

Gu Hai gently pulled out a sword.

“Ah!” The snake lady let out a startled, pained cry but suppressed it. Her tears flowed endlessly as she looked at Gu Hai in gratitude.

Everyone looked at Gu Hai. That arrogant, red-clad cultivator continued glaring at Gu Hai. He felt very upset at being embarrassed by Gu Hai earlier.

“That’s impossible. When I came here, Elite Hall still did not have a Water Division Master. At that time, the hall master was still on Nine-Five Island with my sect master. Who are you?” the red-clad cultivator asked coldly.

“Oh? It looks like you are from the same hometown. You are right. The hall master was at Nine-Five Island. I was only just installed as the Water Division Master. This humble one is Gu Hai. Do you know me?” Gu Hai continued pulling out the swords from the snake lady’s body, not turning to look at the red-clad cultivator.

“Gu Hai? You turned young again? That’s not right? Weren’t you overseeing the war between the Song Nation and the Chen Nation? Why are you here? Don’t tell me the Song Nation lost?” The red-clad cultivator’s expression changed.

Now, Gu Hai narrowed his eyes slightly as he turned his head to look at the red-clad cultivator.

“You recognize me? Who are you?” Gu Hai frowned heavily as he looked at the red-clad cultivator.

“Song Nation’s Pang Tianlong!” The red-clad cultivator looked at Gu Hai coldly.

“Imperial Tutor Pang’s son, Pang Tianlong? I heard that you reached the Innate Realm ten years ago and joined the First Song Sect?” Gu Hai said with narrowed eyes.

“Unexpectedly, a shriveled old man like you can reach the Innate Realm. You just broke through, right? Huh? Oh, by the way, how did you join Elite Hall? When I left, you only just took over the Chen Nation’s army. It has only been a few months. You…you? Could you have?” Pang Tianlong’s expression changed. 

Gu Hai ignored Pang Tianlong as he continued pulling out the swords from the snake lady’s body.

Phish!

After Gu Hai pulled out all the swords, the snake lady fell. Now, blood covered her, and she was significantly weakened. So, Gu Hai immediately caught her.

“What happened to the Song Nation? Gu Hai! What happened to the Song Nation?!” Pang Tianlong demanded while glaring.

“Song Qingshu, manage your disciple. He is too noisy!” Gu Hai shouted coldly after scanning the crowd.

In the crowd, Song Qingshu’s expression froze. Then, Pang Tianlong and many others immediately found Song Qingshu.

“Martial Uncle?” Pang Tianlong called out.

Song Qingshu looked at Pang Tianlong before looking back at Gu Hai. His expression changed slightly as he said, “Division Master, although he is a First Song Sect disciple, he is not my disciple, so I do not have the authority to manage him.”

“Oh?” Gu Hai looked at Song Qingshu with narrowed eyes.

“Martial Uncle, what happened to the Song Nation?” Pang Tianlong asked anxiously.

“The Song Nation is destroyed. As for your father, Gu Hai pressured him to death,” Song Qingshu said coldly while looking at Gu Hai.

“What?” Pang Tianlong immediately glared at Gu Hai.

Gu Hai looked at Song Qingshu and showed a cold smile.

“Gu Hai, you killed my father?” Rage spewed from Pang Tianlong’s eyes as he pointed at Gu Hai with his sword. It looked like he would charge over and chop Gu Hai up into ten thousand pieces at any moment.

“Song Qingshu, are you sure you are not going to manage him?” Gu Hai asked indifferently as he looked at Song Qingshu.

Song Qingshu remained silent for a while before finally nodding. “Division Master, please forgive me. I am now a part of Elite Hall, considered to have left the First Song Sect. Naturally, I hold no authority over him. As he is not my disciple, I did not have authority over him previously anyway. This is a personal grudge between Division Master and him, so I cannot make the decision here.”

“Alright.” Gu Hai nodded.

“Gu Hai, did you really pressure my father to death? Senior Brothers, help me take down Gu Hai! I want to tear his corpse to ten thousand pieces!” Pang Tianlong shouted.

A group of First Song Sect disciples immediately showed intentions to step forward from the crowd.

“Oh? By getting them to help you, do you mean the First Song Sect will relentlessly pit itself against Elite Hall?” Gu Hai asked coldly.

Gu Hai’s words carried a murderous intent as he looked at the First Song Sect disciples wanting to charge forward. Those First Song Sect disciples instantly froze, stopping with frowns. Then, they looked at Song Qingshu.

“What are you looking at Song Qingshu for? He does not have the authority to manage you. If you dare to take another step forward, it means that the First Song Sect is declaring war on my Elite Sect. Come if you want!” Gu Hai glared.

Gu Hai’s glare sent the First Song Sect disciples into a fluster; they stepped back involuntarily.

“You! You!” Pang Tianlong’s expression froze in a fit of helplessness.

After all, Pang Tianlong did not have the prestige to convince his senior brothers to fall out with Elite Hall.

“Humph! Gu Hai, so what if you are an Elite Hall division master? You only just advanced to the Innate Realm a few days ago. Die!” Pang Tianlong suddenly charged at Gu Hai, holding up his sword.

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