The thousand snakes around him bowed to the red snake as if they were in the presence of a king. And seeing this, Liu Xing realized that the red snake was the ruler of these snakes. The red snake slithered across the bridge and soon arrived at the beginning of the bridge a few meters away from him, positioning itself as if it were guarding the passage.
Liu Xing prepared for a fight. However, suspecting that the red snake might be intelligent, Liu Xing clasped his hands and spoke.
"My name is Liu Xing. I'm a disciple from Purple Moon Sect. May I cross the bridge?"
After all, if that red snake did not attack him, he would not attack it either.
The snake's eyes widened in surprise. Then, it answered in fluent human language, its voice surprisingly melodious. "What a polite cultivator! In my long life, you're the only one who didn't attack instantly. You can call me Emerald Fang, and yes, you may cross the bridge."
Liu Xing's eyebrows rose. "You would let me pass that easily? Why?"
Emerald Fang glanced at the snakes surrounding Liu Xing. "Because you didn't kill any of my kin. If you haven't noticed, we're not normal beasts, but we're not too special either. We're underlings of Emerald Fox and ordered to hinder everyone from meeting it."
"That's the opposite of what you're doing here. Not only did no snake attack me, but you're also letting me cross the bridge."
The snake smiled, its forked tongue flicking out briefly. "Well, let's just say that we're not fond of our current master. The situation would be wildly different if you had attacked one of my kin, but since you did no harm, there's nothing we can do."
Liu Xing still found it suspicious but nodded nonetheless. Since he was allowed to cross the bridge, he would do so.
Emerald Fang slithered to the side, and Liu Xing walked onto the bridge. When he stepped onto the weathered planks, Liu Xing paused and turned, checking for any potential sneak attacks. But Emerald Fang only smiled, and the rest of the snakes remained still.
Liu Xing began walking again. Halfway across the bridge, he glanced back and saw Emerald Fang still watching. When he finally reached the other side, there was still no attack. Then, the snakes began to disperse, some tunneling into the ground while others slithered into the lush bushes nearby, as if returning home. The red snake kept its head up, still smiling.
Liu Xing turned and continued on his path. Before him stretched a narrow passage between two enormous rocks that seemed to have been split by a giant's blade. The rough stone walls towered above him, casting deep shadows across the path.
As he walked between the imposing rocks, Liu Xing pondered Emerald Fang and its kin. He knew they were underlings of something called Emerald Fox, which was likely the spirit beast guarding the Diamond Pills.
The red snake had spoken normally like a human, but its cultivation was low, only around Lock Opening realm second stage, which was something unheard of.
Gaining intelligence wasn't guaranteed for spirit beasts. Even if they became immortal, there was a chance they would remain creatures of instinct. Yet, most intelligent spirit beasts had high realms. This meant the red snake was either talented or concealing its strength. Since it said it didn't attack Liu Xing because he hadn't harmed its kin, Liu Xing thought perhaps it would gain strength if he had attacked.
"Restriction," Liu Xing muttered.
In this world, there were cultivators called saints. They possessed unparalleled strength, each like an enlightened monk with unfathomable power. Liu Xing had heard of six saints in the entire continent, but he only knew of one: Lin Fan, a loose cultivator highly regarded in the Purple Moon Sect, a master swordsman who lived for his craft.
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They said each saint was unique, and they avoided fights like a plague. But when they did fight, they were beyond their realm, displaying power that defied common understanding. Rumors about Lin Fan claimed that he couldn't point his sword at others. The other saints similarly had weird and seemingly ridiculous peculiarities, and from these peculiarities stemmed the idea of restriction—a way for saints to gain strength by limiting themselves.
But these were only rumors, and Liu Xing had never seen someone with a restriction. It might be nonsense, but what if it wasn't?
Liu Xing remembered how confident the snake had been. It was a spirit beast with low cultivation, yet it had spoken to Liu Xing as if he posed no threat.
"Am I overthinking?"
Deciding that he probably was, Liu Xing shook his head and refocused on his quest.
Soon, he passed the split rocks and arrived at a small clearing. In the center of the clearing sat a humanoid red fox, cross-legged as if in meditation. It wore a green cultivator robe and looked muscular, and Liu Xing suspected that if it stood, it would tower over him.
As Liu Xing approached, the fox opened one eye. Its gaze shone with contempt, as if seeing a maggot crawling before a king.
Liu Xing understood the fox's disdain. He was a cultivator at Lock Opening realm sixth stage, but the qi emanating from the fox was so dense and vast that Liu Xing felt he stood before an ocean of power. This was his first encounter with a being at Core Splitting realm. Though his heart raced, with Ethereal Pearl and the necklace that was similar to Red Wings of Stability, Liu Xing still believed he had a chance if they fought.
When Liu Xing was about ten meters from the fox, it opened both eyes.
"Who dares disturb me?" its voice boomed across the clearing, scattering nearby birds.
Liu Xing didn't answer. Instead, he looked past the fox to a tree covered entirely in moss—from its roots to its branches and leaves. In the center of this modest tree was a hole containing a glass box. Inside the box, Liu Xing saw five red pills the size of chocolate balls, each emitting a whitish hue as if reflecting moonlight. These were the Diamond Pills he sought.
The Diamond Pills were known for their great effects, and additional information had made them irresistible to Liu Xing:
Additional info 3: There are five Diamond Pills remaining. Disciples can claim they retrieved these pills as long as they give three to the sect.
This information blatantly suggested that Liu Xing could consume two of these pills, which had motivated his quest.
"I said, who dares disturb me?" the fox shouted, its piercing eyes locked on Liu Xing.
Liu Xing clasped his hands respectfully. "My name is Liu Xing, a disciple from the Purple Moon Sect."
The fox snorted. "A brat from Purple Moon Sect? Since you arrived here, that damned snake must finally be dead. Good. He was fucking annoying, and even in death, he still gives me trouble by letting you pass."
Liu Xing remained silent. Emerald Fang had let him pass, but he wouldn't reveal this to the Emerald Fox. This spirit beast was of a higher realm and possessed intelligence. Though Liu Xing believed he had a chance in a fight, he wouldn't act recklessly.
"What do you want here? To extract my beast core? Grind me into an elixir? Create a robe from my fur? Steal my treasures?" The fox's voice dripped with anger and contempt. Its eyes bulged, turning red as veins pulsed around them. It vibrated like a volcano about to erupt. "You humans are all the same. Despicable, cowardly, and weak. Yet you claim this world is yours! I'll do this world a favor by reaching the pinnacle and getting rid of all of you! You are foolish to come here. You are courting death!"
The fox's body began to grow, its muscles and fur writhing until the green robe ripped. Its snout elongated, fangs jutting out as saliva dripped from its mouth. In an instant, the fox transformed into a four-meter monster that looked like it could tear a giant boulder apart with its bare hands. The torn remains of its robe hung from its massive frame, revealing bulging muscles beneath its red fur.
Liu Xing felt every single hair on his body standing on end, his heart beating, and his brain trying to scream for him to run. Seems like this fox really hates humans, and seeing Liu Xing makes him want to rip him apart. But, Liu Xing would not back down here, although it is a spirit beast in the Core Splitting realm, it also did not feel too overwhelming. Most likely, this fox has recently advanced.
Liu Xing still thinks he can win this fight, and it's a chance for him to try to fight a cultivator with a higher realm than him, as long as he's cautious and fights smart, he can probably win.