Chapter 125: A Principled Snake

The morning sun pierced through the dawn, its rays filtering through the leaves to cast a gentle warmth upon the young man. He sat cross-legged beneath a willow tree, an intense chill radiating from his body. Every so often, he formed intricate hand seals, causing a thin layer of frost to crystallize upon the grass surrounding him.

Suddenly, his eyes snapped open, his dark pupils as deep and mysterious as the starry sky.

"Hum!"

The sound of a ringing blade echoed through the air as a sword shadow flickered beneath his feet. He surged upward, leaping forward like a bolt of white lightning.

"Crack!"

Perhaps due to a lack of control over his newfound speed, he collided directly with a small tree and tumbled to the ground.

"Hiss!"

A small snake, about a meter long, witnessed the scene. It let out a series of hissing sounds while rolling on the ground, a sight that was quite bizarre.

The youth climbed to his feet, brushed the dust from his clothes, and plucked a blade of grass from his hair.

"Look, you scoundrel snake," the young man said, "it was my first time performing the 'Sword Shadow Phantom Body.' I just haven't mastered the control yet, so there's no need for all that, is there?"

The youth was Lu Han, and the snake was the Evil Wind Beast, both of whom had been training here throughout the night.

"Hahaha... you're killing me!" The Evil Wind Beast rolled on the ground, its voice echoing in Lu Han’s mind.

Lu Han’s face flushed; he had indeed been a bit too excited after successfully achieving the initial stage of the "Sword Shadow Phantom Body." Looking at the beast on the ground, he didn't take offense, his heart filled with excitement instead.

Back at the Chaotic Soul Plains, Lu Han had witnessed a mysterious figure snatch away his food with such blinding speed that even Old Man Ling could barely track the movement. Although Old Man Ling’s soul power had diminished significantly, he could usually perceive most Earth King-level experts. The fact that even he had only caught a glimpse of a black shadow spoke volumes about the power of the "Sword Shadow Phantom Body."

That Lu Han had managed to achieve the basics of the technique in a single night was entirely due to his soul power. The first requirement of the "Sword Shadow Phantom Body" was the ability to condense a sword shadow using soul force. Ordinarily, one would need to reach the Profound Monarch realm to even attempt it. Fortunately, Lu Han possessed the diluted bloodline and inheritance of the Nether Crow. Even though his cultivation was only at the first level of the Innate Realm, his soul strength was comparable to that of a first or second-level Profound Monarch. This was the reason for his rapid progress.

"If a Mysterious-grade intermediate movement technique is this terrifying," Lu Han murmured to himself, "then what about Earth-grade, or even Heaven-grade ones?"

"Listen, kid," the Evil Wind Beast said, having coiled itself around Lu Han’s arm at some point, "I can’t say much for elsewhere, but in this Northern Yue territory, it is virtually impossible to find movement techniques above the Earth-grade."

"Why?" Lu Han asked.

"Why?" the Evil Wind Beast scoffed. "Movement techniques aren't as rare as soul-cultivation methods, but they aren't far off. Even in the era I came from, an age filled with powerful experts, Earth-grade movement techniques were a rarity. You're better off being a Demonic Beast like us—we have innate divine abilities. Why, back in the day, Master Evil Wind..." The beast began to recount its glorious history yet again.

"Stop!" Lu Han felt a headache coming on. The beast had been rambling all night about its past, and Lu Han couldn't stand it anymore.

He reached out his right hand and pinched the beast’s mouth shut. If he hadn't stopped it, the creature would likely have spent another hour on its tales of grandeur.

"Mmph... mmph..." The Evil Wind Beast thrashed its tail against Lu Han.

He let go.

"You Lu-surnamed brat, do you know this is animal abuse?" the Evil Wind Beast snarled. "I possess the dual bloodlines of the ancient Xiangliu and the Starry Evergreen Python. If it were anyone else, they would be worshipping me like a deity. Even your master, the Great Sage Nether Crow, never treated me this way! This is cruelty!"

*If I could, I'd crush you, you brat,* the beast thought to itself. *I'll bide my time, and one day I'll show you the true wrath of Master Evil Wind.*

Lu Han simply thought, *This rascal snake doesn't have a shred of the dignity of an ancient serpentine overlord,* and chose to ignore it.

"Hey, Lu-surnamed brat, go get some second-level Innate-grade demonic cores for Master Evil Wind."

Just as Lu Han sat down, the beast’s voice echoed in his mind again.

"Good grief, it never ends," Lu Han realized he wouldn't find peace for his meditation. "Why do you need demonic cores?"

"Since I signed the Evergreen Contract with you, I’m starting from scratch," the beast explained. "Demonic cores will help me cultivate quickly and recover my strength."

"If you want them, go hunt for them yourself," Lu Han replied.

"You're burning the bridge after crossing it!" the beast cried, feigning sorrow. "To think I, Master Evil Wind, signed that contract with you only to end up in such a pathetic state. How tragic!"

Lu Han quickly realized the truth: only second-level demonic beasts could produce cores. Given that the Evil Wind Beast was effectively starting over, it probably couldn't even defeat a first-level beast, let alone a second-level one.

With this thought, Lu Han smiled slyly.

"Hahaha..."

The Evil Wind Beast felt a chill from Lu Han’s gaze and immediately slithered off his arm onto the ground. "What are you planning?"

"You rascal snake, look at this," Lu Han said, pulling out a demonic core and waving it before the beast. He had encountered many second-level beasts on his way to the Gu Lin Basin, and naturally, he had collected their cores.

"A demonic core! Give it to me!" Seeing the core, the beast began to drool. It lunged at Lu Han’s hand, jaws wide, but given its current strength, Lu Han avoided it with ease.

Seeing its attempt fail, the beast’s small eyes darted around cunningly. "Lu Han, look, if I recover my strength, it will be a huge help to you. Soon, this entire Northern Yue territory could be yours," it said, eyes fixed greedily on the core.

"Tell you what," Lu Han chuckled. "It’s not impossible to give you this, but if you call me 'Big Brother Lu Han,' the core is yours."

He had originally wanted the beast to call him "Master," but since the Evergreen Contract already established him as the master, he decided not to be too harsh, considering the beast’s long history with the Great Sage. Calling him "Big Brother" was just a bit of fun.

"What! You want Master Evil Wind to call you Big Brother!" The beast’s eyes widened as if they might pop out. "I’ll have you know this is an insult! I am a snake of principle! I would rather die than—unless..." The beast paused. "Unless you give me two second-level Innate-grade demonic cores!"

Lu Han fell backward in shock. After a long moment, he stood up and brushed himself off. "A snake of principle, you say?"

He pulled another demonic core from his storage ring. The beast’s eyes lit up, and it prepared to charge.

"Wait." Lu Han held up a hand.

"Big... Big Brother Lu Han!" the beast grunted reluctantly.

"Good boy." Lu Han flicked his fingers, and the two cores flew out. The beast stood tall and swallowed them whole.

"Big Brother Lu Han, are there any more?"

"Hey, what happened to the snake of principle?" Lu Han sighed, clutching his forehead.