Serpent Ancestor
Chapter 518: Terrible rules

"You really aren't poisoned!"

Xue Yang spat out another mouthful of black blood. He had just used the Three Suns in the Sky technique, pushing himself to the limit.

However, Xu Hei wanting to kill him was nothing but a pipe dream. He still had a Dao Fruit he hadn't consumed, a treasure he had specifically prepared for this journey.

Once ingested, it would grant him the cultivation of a half-step Divine Transformation stage for a short period, allowing him to control the forces of heaven and earth and wield supreme laws. Even if he encountered the Insect Demon Xu Hei again, he was confident he could kill his opponent!

The price was that his cultivation would drop afterward, falling to the early Elemental Infant stage. But if he truly gained something in the Void Realm, it would be worth it.

"So it was you who poisoned me!"

Black Lotus struggled to sit up from the altar, slapped her chest, and spat out a large chunk of bloody viscera. The blackness on her face quickly faded, turning deathly pale.

She gently raised her hand, and a pitch-black lotus flew slowly toward Xu Hei, exuding a destructive aura.

One, two, three... countless black lotuses bloomed in the void.

Xu Hei remained unfazed, quickly retreating, and said, "I indeed am not poisoned, but I wasn't the one who poisoned you..."

"Because!"

At this point, Xu Hei paused, lightly tapping the Spirit Beast Ring on his hand with his fingertip, his eyes turning cold.

"To deal with you all, I don't need to use poison!"

As his words fell, countless dense flying insects flew out from Xu Hei's Spirit Beast Ring, each with sharp mandibles capable of devouring Spirit Stones and absorbing anything containing Spiritual Qi.

These insects had peculiar shapes, with wings like those of cicadas, resembling large flying white ants—Spirit-Eating Ants.

"Spirit-Eating Ants?"

"Insect Demon Xu Hei!"

Everyone was shocked.

Especially Xue Yang, who had already suspected Xu Hei's identity, but was still taken aback upon discovering he was the Insect Demon Xu Hei.

The Spirit-Eating Ants opened their mandibles, frantically sucking up the toxins in the air. Black Lotus formed a seal with her hand, and the splitting lotus immediately exploded, shooting out countless needles like a torrential rain, killing many Spirit-Eating Ants.

But there were too many of them, and soon thousands more Spirit-Eating Ants surged forward, devouring everything in their path, including the black lotuses and needles.

The swarm left nothing in its wake.

Xue Yang's face was extremely grim, holding a jade box in his hand, which contained the Dao Fruit he had prepared.

But even if he consumed the Dao Fruit and killed Xu Hei, would it mean anything?

"Xue Yang, do you think I need to use poison to deal with you?" Xu Hei questioned again.

Xue Yang had no rebuttal.

Xu Hei waved his hand, and the Spirit-Eating Ants bypassed Xue Yang, sweeping toward Black Lotus.

Black Lotus retreated hastily, a black treasure umbrella appearing in her palm. It opened up, and a black curtain formed around her, creating an eggshell-like shield.

The Spirit-Eating Ants swarmed the black curtain, attacking it with the sound of metal clashing, its hardness comparable to a star.

This was likely a defensive Magical Treasure made from meteorite fragments.

Xu Hei remained unfazed, once again touching the Spirit Beast Ring. A golden beetle mixed with the Spirit-Eating Ants flew toward the black curtain.

This golden beetle was the queen of the Spirit-Eating Ants, specialized in devouring Magical Treasures, especially fond of various metal substances.

This was the result of a half-Supreme Spirit Stone.

There were still a dozen or so eggs of the queen, but only one had hatched so far.

"Chirp!"

The golden beetle pierced the black curtain, creating a large gap, and the metal within began to dissolve at a terrifying speed, like melting wax, causing the entire treasure umbrella to disappear.

"Don't kill me, I didn't mean to offend you! Stop!" Black Lotus screamed.

"Too late!"

Xu Hei's eyes were indifferent. As the gap appeared, a large number of Spirit-Eating Ants swarmed in, rushing into the previously impenetrable eggshell, and screams immediately echoed from within.

With the loss of Spiritual Power, the black umbrella Magical Treasure also disintegrated, falling to the ground and shrinking to palm size.

Xu Hei flashed forward and picked up the umbrella.

Before long, Black Lotus's screams abruptly ceased, and the Spirit-Eating Ants surrounded her, piling up into a small mound.

Suddenly, amidst the swarm of Spirit-Eating Ants, Black Lotus's body emitted billowing black smoke, spreading at an incredible speed, releasing a potent toxin that even began to melt the bodies of the Spirit-Eating Ants.

The Spirit-Eating Ants themselves were not afraid of poison; toxins effective against humans might not work on insects.

But this poison could corrode all things, even metal.

In just a moment, hundreds of Spirit-Eating Ants were melted into a pool of blood.

Xu Hei's expression changed slightly, hurriedly retracting the Spirit-Eating Ants, but still, over a thousand were affected, with half dying on the spot, and the golden beetle was also half-corroded.

Xu Hei was heartbroken.

"So it was you who poisoned!"

At this moment, everyone finally realized that Black Lotus had been crying wolf.

She was the one who had poisoned them; she was the real culprit.

However, Black Lotus was also in a bad state, her body riddled with wounds from the bites, and most of her Spiritual Qi had been drained by the Spirit-Eating Ants. If not for being forced, she wouldn't have released her life-bound poison bead.

"So it was all your own doing." Xu Hei stared at her coldly.

Black Lotus gritted her teeth and said darkly, "How did you find out it was me?"

Xu Hei shook his head, "I didn't know it was you, but only you and Xue Yang had the intent to kill me, and I know Xue Yang; he's not skilled in poison techniques, so it had to be you!"

There was actually another reason.

Xue Yang had been attacked by insects once before, so he likely had a countermeasure against them. Xu Hei didn't want to push him too far.

To put it bluntly, it was a matter of strength.

If Xu Hei had been confident he could take down Xue Yang without injury, he would have acted without hesitation.

"Everyone, what are you waiting for? Let's join forces to kill this woman first!"

Xu Hei shouted coldly, glaring at Xue Yang.

Xue Yang wasn't stupid; he knew that if he didn't make a move, Xu Hei would definitely come after him.

He immediately stood up, waved his hand, and a blood-red sun hung overhead, transforming into a blood-red saber, which he grasped in his hand.

"Meteor Blade, slash!"

Xue Yang raised the saber high, like a falling star, slashing toward Black Lotus, cutting through a brilliant rainbow, even splitting the void.

Luo Bai formed a seal with his hand, sending countless specks of dust, invisible to the naked eye, flying toward Black Lotus. With a low shout, he commanded, "Explode!"

"Boom, boom, boom..."

The dust exploded, creating terrifying shockwaves that scattered the poison gas. Black Lotus's legs were blown off, and she was then struck on the head by Xue Yang's saber, causing her head to burst open.

Xu Hei also unleashed the Azure Dragon Immortal Spell, dispersing the poison gas and taking the opportunity to attack Black Lotus from a distance.

Han Te made no move, shrinking back like a dead dog, black blood trickling from his mouth, still poisoned.

Thus, under the combined assault of the three, half an incense stick later, Black Lotus was overwhelmed and beaten to death.

In truth, Xu Hei could have taken her down alone, but he was reluctant to sacrifice his insects and didn't want to reveal his trump card, a nearly fifth-grade flying sword.

Therefore, he chose to join forces.

Black Lotus died in extreme frustration, having failed to poison anyone, becoming the first casualty among the five-person team.

After Black Lotus's Elemental Infant was destroyed and her soul shattered by the Dragon Shatter Roar, the group finally stopped.

And they all tacitly refrained from destroying Black Lotus's body.

Xu Hei said nothing, stepping forward to toss her body into the central groove.

"Swish!"

Streams of fresh blood flowed from her body, the groove pulsated, channeling the blood into the altar's veins until it all turned blood-red.

A brand-new portal opened in the center of the altar, leading to the next location.

Gazing at the rising portal, everyone fell silent.

"So it really is like this, you have to sacrifice someone to enter the next place," Xue Yang thought to himself.

"The first stage is like this, so will the next stage be the same?" Luo Bai pondered deeply.

Xu Hei also stared at the portal, silent for a long time.

The Void Realm.

Truly a place that devours people.

No one immediately stepped into the next stage; having just experienced a fierce battle and still being poisoned, they wouldn't make any moves until they were fully recovered.

Moreover, everyone had a premonition.

From now on, they not only had to guard against external traps but also their teammates!

...

So far, five teams have passed the first stage.

Divine Puppet Sect.

Their team consisted of only three people: the strongest disciple Ji Shu, Elder Meng Shan, and the newly appointed deacon, Qin Xuanji.

As a puppet sect, they had many human puppets, but only the three of them were alive.

Everyone had long seen through the altar's secret: a living sacrifice was needed to pass.

So, who would be sacrificed?

The answer was obvious.

Qin Xuanji, despite his exceptional talent and being admitted to the Divine Puppet Sect under special circumstances, having achieved great feats on the outer battlefield within two years, still couldn't compare to the older generation.

The one to be sacrificed could only be him!

However, they still gave Qin Xuanji a chance to find a way to break the array.

Even though the chance was nearly zero.

"Give me time, I can definitely unravel this formation," Qin Xuanji said solemnly.

"Then I'll give you one hour. If you can't solve it, end it yourself," Ji Shu said calmly.

"Yes!"

Qin Xuanji immediately began his attempts.

He first used a captured Spirit Beast, releasing its blood, but it had no effect. The blood of a cultivator's corpse also proved useless.

After numerous attempts and failures.

Qin Xuanji realized that only a living person dying on the altar would work.

Elder Meng Shan sneered from the side, giving hope only to snatch it away. He had originally thought highly of Qin Xuanji, seeing him as a promising talent, but unfortunately, the rules here required a death.

He had to be sacrificed.

Qin Xuanji's breathing became rapid, a sense of despair welling up. He had only been cultivating for a short time, which was why he wasn't as strong. He had a bright future ahead, but to be buried here, how could he be reconciled?

Suddenly, Qin Xuanji's eyes flashed, and a terrifying plan formed in his mind.

In the blink of an eye, the hour was up.

"Time's up, you, end it yourself," Ji Shu looked at Qin Xuanji.

But Qin Xuanji stood like a wooden figure, motionless, his eyes devoid of any light.

"Hmm?"

Ji Shu frowned.

"Hmph, let me help you!"

Elder Meng Shan, impatient with the delay, flew forward, grabbed Qin Xuanji, and brought him to the groove, directly slitting his throat to bleed him.

However, not a single drop of blood appeared.

"What?" Meng Shan's face changed dramatically.

Qin Xuanji's body was cold, the cut resembling wood, with no blood, no flesh, not a living person at all.

He had turned into a puppet!

Not a drop of blood remained.

Meng Shan's Divine Sense probed inside, finding no trace of blood from inside out. Qin Xuanji had turned himself into a puppet!

When had he done this?

"Clap, clap, clap..."

Applause rang out.

Senior disciple Ji Shu clapped his hands, smiling, "Haha, so this is your method to break the array, not bad, not bad!"

Then, he turned his gaze to Meng Shan, a hint of a smile on his lips.

Meng Shan's face turned pale, his body trembling.

"Meng Shan, you know what to do, right?" Ji Shu said with a faint smile.

Qin Xuanji had become a puppet, with no blood left, so who else could be sacrificed?

Meng Shan's expression was terrified, and the next moment, a ruthless glint flashed in his eyes as he prepared to form a seal. But suddenly, a powerful Divine Sense invaded his sea of consciousness, like divine power descending, forcibly stripping him of control over his physical body.

"Master left me a divine talisman to suppress elders, just in case you harbored ill intentions, so we have to sacrifice you," Ji Shu said with a smile.

He manipulated Meng Shan to take out a small knife, slitting his wrist, letting a drop of blood flow into the groove.

The groove's suction force erupted, pulling Meng Shan in completely, his body gradually turning into blood.

Blood flowed through the altar, turning every blood channel bright red.

A portal opened from the altar.

The first stage was cleared.

Only then did a trace of color return to Qin Xuanji's empty eyes.

This was the method he had thought of, the only way to save his life, by losing his physical body and leaving only his Divine Sense.

He had gambled correctly!

But he felt no joy at surviving.

He was only thinking about what he would face next.

If he encountered a similar situation again, what would he do?

...

Similar scenes unfolded on various islands.

The team members were all familiar with each other, either fellow sect disciples or friends and family.

They had to choose one person to die to proceed to the next stage, testing not only strength but also human nature.

In a place where memories could be erased, any evidence of murder would no longer exist.

Once outside, no one would remember how the missing person died, and past friendships would seem like a joke, easily shattered.

"Once we leave, no one will remember what happened here, so don't have any psychological burden, just act, the loser dies!"

On one island, the members of the Nine-Headed Snake organization finally decided to let strength determine who would be sacrificed.

They had three members in the Void Realm: Nine-Headed Worm, Hai Teng, and Xiong Dabao.

They decided on a three-way battle, with the first to fall being the one to be sacrificed. The strong survive, the weak perish, an unchanging rule of nature.

These three demonic beasts decided to respect this natural rule.

...

...

(The recent chapters are all combined, with four thousand words per chapter, no different from two chapters, so they weren't split for continuity.)

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