Chapter 48: Mutation of the Little White Snake

“Report...”

At the Demon-Subjugation Camp, a scout dashed into the tent of Prince Luo Yi of Beiping, “Ten five-star blue-glowing demon spirits have appeared in the Three Thousand Mountains. Countless soldiers of the garrison have been killed or wounded.”

“What?”

Prince Luo Yi sprang to his feet in an instant.

The demon spirits were rampaging. Within the Three Thousand Mountains, not only could the nameplates not transmit messages, but they also failed to receive any information.

For over a month, only the garrison’s training squads had been sent out, yet none had returned.

Luo Yi, unaware of the cause, hastily dispatched scouts to investigate.

Who would have thought that the Three Thousand Mountains, chosen carefully as a place for the garrison squads to train, would now present such a crisis?

Wasn’t this a blow to morale even before the main army had set out?

If the Divine Emperor were to blame him, it wouldn’t just be a matter of punishing his incompetence; the entire Beiping Prince’s Mansion could suffer consequences, affecting future generations.

He quickly took out his nameplate to contact King Yue, Yang Xuangan, to discuss the matter seriously.

Yang Xuangan had been extremely busy these days.

More and more garrison soldiers were arriving at the Demon-Subjugation Camp. Part of the East and West Demon-Hunting Armies had already arrived, with others still on the way.

The troops hadn’t moved yet, but the supplies were being arranged in advance.

The more soldiers there were, the greater the demand for provisions.

However, recently the water levels of the Demon-Subjugation Abyss had surged again. After investigation by the Tai Shi Inspector, more demons had escaped.

The two venerable princes, the King of the Back Mountain and the King of Changping, led the East and West Demon-Hunting Armies in continuous pursuit and inspection.

But due to the demons’ interference, the supply boats had to slow down, and some were damaged.

Now, the Three Thousand Mountains of Changbai reported demon spirits causing chaos again.

This news was completely different from previous findings and diverged greatly.

Why had there been no trouble earlier, yet after Yuwen Chengdu arrived, strange incidents kept occurring?

Yang Xuangan was filled with doubt.

He immediately took out his nameplate to inquire of Ling Xuan.

The other garrison training squads’ nameplates could not receive any signals, but Ling Xuan’s was different—it was the Purple-Gold Medical Order.

The Purple-Gold Medical Order could transmit messages promptly anywhere within the vast territory of the Great Sui Divine Dynasty.

This was because the Purple-Gold Medical Order could harness the power of the national fortune dragon.

Halfway up Mount Changbai, Ling Xuan was at a loss.

For over a month, he had been absorbed in merging the Ten Dominant Overpowers, which was beginning to show results.

He had paid no attention at all to what was happening in the Three Thousand Mountains.

Moreover, in his current state, how could he possibly go investigate?

At this moment, he increasingly felt that his own strength alone was far from enough.

To truly succeed and establish merit, and to avoid being seen as a mere dilettante prince of Changping, he needed people—enough people—by his side.

Although the Divine Emperor had allowed him to establish the Lingyan Pavilion, its numbers were still insufficient. He didn’t even know how many people Sun Tianxin had recruited.

With a glance, he looked at Ye Ziyan. “Wife, help me out.”

“What for?”

Ye Ziyan had grown bold lately, her strength greatly improved. She had fully integrated the Ten Dominant Overpowers into the Changping Nine Forms, making it impossible for others to discern her progress.

“It’s time to test the results of this period,” Ling Xuan teased.

“Get lost!”

Annoyed, Ye Ziyan frowned.

She had advanced rapidly, yet Ling Xuan seemed unchanged, often lazy and carefree.

But little did she know, this was just the illusion cast by the Spirit Snake Coiling the Moon.

Though their soul imprints complemented each other, Ling Xuan was half-human, half-demon, and the red scales concealed much.

Even Ye Ziyan’s purple-glowing eyes could not see clearly through it.

“Wife, there are five-star blue-glowing demon spirits at the foot of the mountain, and quite a few of them,” Ling Xuan said deliberately. “Don’t you want to test your strength?”

“Really?”

Ye Ziyan’s interest was immediately piqued. “What will you do?”

“I’ll wait for your good news up here,” Ling Xuan grinned mischievously, pricking his finger to draw three drops of essence blood. “A month of fierce battles should be enough for you.”

“Remember, if you die, it has to be by my hand,” Ye Ziyan took the blood, “If I return and you’re still this weak, I won’t hesitate to teach you a lesson for grandpa’s sake.”

“Go on, don’t use grandpa to scare me,” Ling Xuan smirked. “When I come back, I’ll surprise you. Now, a kiss first.”

“Get lost!”

Without looking back, Ye Ziyan dashed down the mountain.

The demon spirits halfway up the mountain were at most three-star yellow-glowing, hardly a challenge for her. Otherwise, by now she would have broken through into the Qi Sea Realm given her progress.

But there was no choice—Ling Xuan’s strength was too weak, and his pathetic state was embarrassing to show.

Watching Ling Xuan move smoothly among the demon spirits, she knew he had improved, but still not to the level she desired.

When it came to their future endeavors, Ye Ziyan was almost frustrated by his lack of progress.

Still, if Ling Xuan could hold his own against these demon spirits, it was a sign of growth.

Charging toward the Three Thousand Mountains, she glanced back at Mount Changbai and reminded him, “Let loose and don’t hold back. Martial fusion requires challenge, not just dodging with agility.”

“Got it, got it,” Ling Xuan nodded repeatedly.

When it came to martial arts, Ye Ziyan’s talent was simply overwhelming, far beyond his reach.

But he wasn’t bad himself. He had only recently arrived in Ziyang Realm and had already reached this level.

In such a short time, how could he compare to them?

Though half-human, half-demon, his state was actually quite good.

The Taiji pattern rotated within him, with yin and yang energies flooding his meridians.

His muscles and bones were tougher than before. Even without using the summoned spirit snake Coiling the Moon, he could deliver devastating force.

Yet Ling Xuan could not understand why there was no sign of opening the Qi Sea.

With the black and white twin needles in hand, he charged at the demon spirits once more.

Yang Xuangan had told him to find the true form of the Mysterious Water Black Snake Soul as soon as possible.

The strange occurrences in the Three Thousand Mountains, with ten five-star blue-glowing demon spirits appearing, were likely linked to demon spirits controlled by Goguryeo.

After all, the Three Thousand Mountains bordered Goguryeo.

Choosing this place to train the garrison soldiers was actually intended to investigate Goguryeo and lure out the demon spirits.

Although the Mysterious Water Black Snake Soul was not the main target, through it, they could discover what kind of demon spirits Goguryeo was controlling.

A demon spirit so elusive that even the Tai Shi Inspector struggled to identify it could not be simple.

This was the real mission the Divine Emperor had entrusted to him.

Suddenly, the snake pattern on his left arm trembled, and a small white snake shot out.

Its yellow-glowing eyes snapped wide open.

Its triangular little head instantly swelled, and its body expanded.

The red tail coiled out a bead, which it tossed into the air.

With a howl, Ling Xuan nearly fell to the ground in shock.

It was no longer the usual hissing sound but a dragon’s roar.

Yet why was the voice so hoarse? It was nothing like the loud, clear roar told of in legends.

Ling Xuan leapt up instantly, “Little guy, have you really activated the White Chi bloodline?”