Combat Skill Fusion Card: Upon use, it allows two combat skills to evolve and merge, creating a more powerful technique.
"Ding!"
"Congratulations, you've leveled up! Gained four levels. Current Qi cultivation level: 42 (Early Nascent Soul Stage, 520/149520)."
"Ding!"
"System issued a new sign-in task. Please sign in at the Myriad Demon Snake Lair."
"Myriad Demon Snake Lair?"
Mu Chen didn't immediately use the Combat Skill Fusion Card. The new task required him to travel to the Myriad Demon Snake Lair, which meant he'd have to persuade Xiaobai to take him there. Xiaobai might not resist, but Xiaoqing's unwavering loyalty to the Snake Mother would certainly pose a challenge.
"What is this place?" Xiaoqing asked.
"There's a skeleton in the center. Let's check it out and see if there's a way out," Xiaobai suggested, her tone serious. The longer she stayed in this place, the more uncomfortable she felt.
The skeleton, over thirty meters tall, stretched across the chamber. Its long, serpentine form made it hard to discern its exact identity. Mu Chen, however, knew it belonged to the ancient Heavenly Court's ruler and the ancestor of the demon race—Donghuang Taiyi.
Legends from ancient times said Donghuang Taiyi vanished mysteriously, leading to chaos in the Heavenly Court. After the Lich War, humanity rose to dominance.
This was the only fragment of the tale passed down among humans.
Mu Chen never expected the ancient demon emperor to have met his end here.
The vast underground hall, built within a massive subterranean cavern, housed four towering statues—each a hundred meters tall—placed at the cardinal directions. Black iron chains extended from their hands, binding the central skeleton.
"What is this place?" Xiaoqing asked again.
"Judging by its structure, it's an underground demon-suppressing array," Mu Chen explained.
"Demon-suppressing array?" Xiaobai and Xiaoqing repeated, their faces growing grim. As snake demons, it made sense that they'd feel an innate fear upon entering this space.
"It seems to have been a Taoist temple. The above-ground structure was likely destroyed, hence the construction of the Buddha Tower we saw," Mu Chen said.
"I'll look for an exit. You two stay here," Xiaoqing said. She glanced at Xiaobai and Mu Chen holding hands, sighed, and walked off to explore.
Mu Chen and Xiaobai continued examining the hall.
Aside from the iron chains binding the skeleton, a massive golden blade, nearly a hundred meters long, pierced through the skeleton's abdomen. This blade was the weapon that had ended Donghuang Taiyi's life.
Even buried here for countless years, the golden blade still emanated an aura of unmatched brilliance.
As Xiaobai approached it, the blade glowed and sent her sliding back five meters.
"This is at least a sentient sword!" Mu Chen concluded. The blade's reaction to Xiaobai's approach was proof of its spiritual awareness.
But a sword capable of slaying the Heavenly Court's ruler couldn't simply be a sentient weapon.
"Xiaobai, step back to the edge. Let me see if I can subdue this sword," Mu Chen said.
Xiaobai nodded and moved toward the wall.
"Further back," Mu Chen instructed.
Obeying, Xiaobai retreated into the corridor they had entered through. Only then did Mu Chen rise into the air and focus his energy, attempting to pull the sword free.
He tried, but the sword didn't budge. A second attempt yielded the same result; aside from glowing brighter, the blade remained firmly in place.
"Ding!"
"System prompt: The Supreme Sword has its own spirit. Such treasures will not yield unless they accept you as their master."
"Is that so?" Mu Chen withdrew his energy, gazing at the sword thoughtfully. "You are called the Supreme Sword, yet here you lie, abandoned in darkness, your brilliance wasted. Join me. I will find you a worthy master and let you see the light of day again. If you refuse, I won't force you."
Seconds passed. Ten seconds. Fifteen. Finally, the blade began to shine with golden light.
"What's happening?" Xiaoqing asked as she returned from her search.
"Not good!" Mu Chen exclaimed.
Xiaoqing was too close. The golden light washed over her like a tidal wave, sending her flying into a wall.
It all happened in an instant.
Fortunately, the Supreme Sword hadn't deliberately targeted her, or Xiaoqing would have perished.
The golden light filled the hall before rapidly retracting. The massive blade, once towering at nearly a hundred meters, shrank into a three-foot-long golden sword.
"Xiaoqing!" Xiaobai cried, rushing out of the corridor to her sister's side.
Mu Chen descended beside Xiaoqing, placed a hand on her wrist, and used his soul power to assess her condition.
"Don't worry, she's only suffered minor injuries. She'll recover with some rest," Mu Chen assured Xiaobai.
"Thank you," Xiaobai said, taking out a handkerchief to clean the blood from Xiaoqing's lips. She then gently propped her sister against the wall.
"Mu Chen, did you get the sword?" Xiaobai asked.
"Yes." Mu Chen held up the blade.
The sword bore inscriptions:
"Heaven and Earth Profound Sect, Root of All Qi. Through countless eons, I refine my divine powers. Demons shall cower, monsters shall perish. I vanquish the wicked, body and soul alike."
Xiaobai read the words aloud, retreating several steps as the blade glowed again. Her eyes widened as past memories flooded her mind. At last, she remembered everything.
"Xiaobai?" Mu Chen asked, concerned.
"Mu Chen, are demons born only to be exterminated?" Xiaobai asked, her voice tinged with sorrow.
"Xiaobai, let me ask you: what makes a demon, and what makes a monster?" Mu Chen countered.
"What makes a demon? What makes a monster?" Xiaobai murmured, her confusion
deepening. She seemed trapped in an abyss, struggling to find meaning in her existence.
(End of Chapter)