At an unnamed hill at the foot of Mount Hua.
The white serpent lay coiled motionless at the hill’s summit. There was no escape—it could only resign itself to fate. When faced with an unavoidable heavenly tribulation, the only choice was to fight with everything it had. Succeed, and the world would be nice. Fail, and death would be absolute—no respawns, no second chances.
Above, the dark clouds churned ominously, as if ready to unleash their fury at any moment.
Xu Ling glanced nervously at the sky. Even a low-level spirit beast’s tribulation was nothing to scoff at. The overwhelming heavenly might seemed to warn every cultivator who dared to defy the natural order.
Ants and rodents fled in droves, evacuating the storm’s epicenter. Birds and beasts had long since vanished without a trace.
A few tents had been set up near the hill, where Xu Ling and the other female disciples stayed, snacking on sweets and roasting meat as if on a spring outing. Yang Mu sat alone in meditation atop a tree, while the other male disciples either meditated elsewhere or wandered about. The foot of the mountain was still lively, especially along the road to Mount Hua, where a small secular-style town offered all manner of food, drink, and entertainment.
The anomaly in the sky had drawn attention…
A group of five or six cultivators, using light-footed techniques, arrived near the hill. They spotted the motionless white serpent at the summit—and the Pure Yang disciples nearby.
These men made their living capturing or hunting demonic beasts for cultivation resources. Their usual tactic was to seek out beasts undergoing tribulation and wait for an opportunity to scavenge the spoils.
“Senior Brother, that white serpent is rare. If we capture it after the tribulation, it’ll fetch a hefty price” one cultivator said eagerly.
A high-value catch meant generous commissions for all of them. Tribulation beasts were common, but a white serpent? Especially one with jade-like scales? That was a once-in-a-lifetime find.
“Strange. Why would a beast dare to undergo tribulation right under Mount Hua? If we hadn’t passed by, we’d have missed it. And what are those Pure Yang disciples doing here?”
“Could they be planning to snatch the beast for themselves?”
“Doesn’t seem like it.”
A young-looking cultivator in his twenties raised a hand to silence the discussion. His gaze lingered greedily on the serpent before shifting suspiciously to the Pure Yang disciples. After a moment’s thought, he approached Xu Ling’s group alone.
Yang Mu’s eyes snapped open. Without expression, he drifted down from the tree and positioned himself in front of Xu Ling.
Xu Ling and the other female disciples barely spared the newcomers a glance before ignoring them. Yang Mu could handle the negotiate (交涉). As for anyone daring to cause trouble here?
Unthinkable. Though technically at the mountain’s foot, this was still Pure Yang’s territory—and the sect’s standing in the cultivation world needed no explanation.
“Esteemed Pure Yang fellow cultivators, I am Zheng Yong, here to vanquish demons and uphold righteousness. Greetings to you all”
Zheng Yong was polite, his demeanor impeccable. Unfortunately, he was facing the perpetually icy Yang Mu, who responded with nothing but a look of undisguised disdain. This story is hosted at novelping . com.
The message was clear: Since when does Pure Yang need outsiders to handle demons in its own backyard?
“That serpent belongs to Pure Yang.”
Having spoken, Yang Mu closed his eyes again.
“Ah… I see. Might you consider transferring it to us? High-quality serpent hides are quite valuable—”
“Scram.”
Yang Mu’s single word dripped with arrogance.
Zheng Yong stiffened, a surge of anger rising in his chest.
(Since when did Pure Yang start raising demonic beasts? Is this brat lying to me? How dare a whelp like this look down on me! )
Dark thoughts simmered in his mind. In the ruthless cultivation world, those who weren’t ruthless didn’t survive.
Perhaps his murderous intent was too obvious. Yang Mu’s eyes snapped open, cold as a steel, the sword at his back humming faintly.
Zheng Yong shuddered and hastily suppressed his thoughts.
“My apologies for disturbing you. I’ll take my leave”
Before things escalated, Zheng Yong retreated. Whether he’d truly intended to act or was merely posturing, making a scene here was unwise. This was Mount Hua’s domain. If he provoked Pure Yang’s mighty figures, not even his backers could save him—they might be uprooted alongside him.
Returning to his companions, Zheng Yong seethed with resentment. Envy and hatred toward major sect disciples festered in his heart, though reason warned him against stirring trouble. The conflict within him was palpable.
“Boss, those Taoist pricks interfering?”
“Don’t ask. Let’s go”
From a distance, Yang Mu watched the group vanish, unsure whether to call them bold or foolish. To dare covet a beast raised by one of the Five Pure Yang Elders… It seemed the sect hadn’t shown its might to the world in too long.
Elsewhere, Zheng Yong led his group to an inn at the mountain’s foot. Pushing open a door, they found a handsome young man around twenty years old.
“Senior Brother Lin, the one undergoing tribulation is a white serpent, but… those Pure Yang bastards are guarding it, claiming it’s theirs. Just a bunch of kids, really. Senior Brother, why don’t we…” Zheng Yong drew a finger across his throat.
The young man, Lin, smirked disdainfully.
“You have a death wish?” This chapter was taken from g.com without permission.
“I… I’ll drop it.” Zheng Yong broke out in a cold sweat.
“Too scared? Tch. Why not act? If even you sensed they were weak, they must be low-level juniors. You want to kill them for pride; I want their cultivation manuals. Everyone knows Pure Yang’s techniques are the best in the world. They feed us fake manuals while hoarding the real secrets. No pain, no gain—if we want to strike it rich, we take risks. And our targets must be true inner disciples!”
Lin’s eyes gleamed with madness. Zheng Yong stared, realizing this man was even crazier than he was…
After plotting, the group headed straight for the unnamed hill.
Fortune favors the bold wasn’t wrong.
These cultivators had gone mad in their pursuit of power—for treasures, pills, techniques, they would stop at nothing.
To them, strength was morality. Only the living could possess anything; the dead lost it all.
Those who walked the cultivation path cherished life all the more—or perhaps, very few of them were truly sane.
Cultivation was, by nature, defying the heavens to seize a sliver of hope. This Lin was gambling for that sliver of destiny. Whether he succeeded or not, he would have no regrets.
But ambushing core disciples right under Pure Yang’s nose? That was… audacious. Perhaps he was counting on the audacity itself to shield him.
At the mountain gate, a high-level Pure Yang disciple sat motionless in meditation, a bird perched atop his head, preening its feathers. Suddenly, his eyes snapped open, gazing downhill. In a blur, he vanished, startling the bird into flight.
A sword-light streaked across the sky—a figure riding his blade through the air.
The hill.
The white serpent had remained still for three days. The black clouds above had darkened to ink, oppressive enough to suffocate. Now, after prolonged dormancy, the serpent awoke, sensing the tribulation’s imminent arrival.
Due to their unique physiology, snake eyes remain open even when they are asleep.
Xu Ling and the others had assumed the serpent was diligently cultivating, but the truth was far simpler: it had been napping.
A transparent membrane protected its eyes, shedding and regrowing with each molt. Snakes had no need to blink.
Raising its head, the serpent gazed at the sky.
Though its vision was poor, it could feel the gathering might. Faced with life or death, the beast’s primal ferocity surged forth—a vicious, bloodthirsty resolve.
If it couldn’t hide, it would charge forward. Even in death, it would let the heavens know: On this earth crawls a tiny, lowly, fearless serpent!
Xu Ling and Yang Mu turned toward it. For a fleeting moment, the gluttonous, knowledge-thieving white serpent was gone—replaced by a true beast of the wild.