“Successful deduction! Your Incarnation, the ‘Iron Scale Snake (White)’, has advanced to ‘Azure Scale Viper (Green)’, gaining the ‘Devour Poison’ talent.”
“Remaining Spiritual Essence: 13 points.”
“It succeeded… it actually took over a hundred years…”
Liu Sheng slowly came back to his senses, filled with a sigh of wonder.
A hundred years passed in a blink, youth a fleeting moment.
For a moment, he couldn’t distinguish if he was a human or a snake.
Fortunately, as the ink-brush characters flowed across the panel, that immersive, firsthand sensation completely peeled away…
He fully recovered.
At the same time, a thumb-thick stream of cool Qi appeared out of nowhere within his body!
It irrigated and permeated his skin, muscles, Essence realm, and internal organs, disappearing without a trace in the blink of an eye.
Huh?
Wait, that’s it?
After a century of deduction, enduring countless hardships, finally advancing to a Spirit Monster, and the talent it granted was just this?
Liu Sheng was bewildered, completely lost, and instinctively clicked on the 【Azure Scale Viper】 on his panel—
“【Azure Scale Viper (Green)】”
“【Introduction】”: A rare Iron Scale Snake variant, formed over a century by devouring tens of thousands of venomous snakes and over a thousand snake Spirit Monsters, undergoing ten molt and surviving the Yin Fire Tribulation, Awakening a trace of true Dragon blood.
It is several zhang long, covered in Azure Scales, with eyes red like flames, a Dragon pattern on its forehead, and it exhales a smoky miasma that corrodes bones and souls. The venom in its fangs is even more potent, melting metal and iron; even a Spirit Monster’s body will perish upon contact.
“【You have gained the Azure Scale Viper’s ‘Devour Poison’ talent.】”
“【The talent ‘Iron Scales’ has been upgraded to ‘Copper Skin Iron Bones’.】”
“【Devour Poison (Talent)】”: The Azure Scale Viper loves to consume poisonous substances. Each time it devours a poison, its scales become tougher, its Essence realm stronger, and its venom more potent, without end.
…
“So that’s how it is, refining scales and fangs by consuming poisons to enhance venom?”
Liu Sheng looked at the introduction on the panel, deep in thought.
So, how does this talent manifest when reflected onto my main body?
Could it be… I really have to find some poisons to eat?!
Hiss!
How perverse!
About half an hour later.
Liu Sheng carefully pinched a tiny bit of arsenic, hesitated repeatedly, then extended the tip of his tongue to touch it.
First bitter, then sweet, somewhat like licorice.
It melted instantly upon entering his mouth, dispersing into threads of warm breath that permeated his skin, flesh, Essence realm, and various internal organs…
Even his Qi and Blood increased by a trace!
Liu Sheng carefully experienced it for a while, feeling no discomfort, and his eyes lit up.
Good heavens, it actually works!
If it’s true, doesn’t that mean he can save money on buying precious medicines from now on?
Not so fast, let’s try again.
He took a breath, this time increasing the amount to about the size of his pinky finger.
Sweet…
His Qi and Blood grew stronger by several more traces.
Let’s have some more, this taste is actually quite good, especially in summer, it’s a bit like the herbal tea he drank in his previous life.
…
Just a bit more…
Huh, it’s all gone?
A pound of arsenic, eaten all at once?
Feeling a bit full…
Liu Sheng looked at the emptied medicine packet, a strange sense of fullness rising within him.
Can’t eat anymore.
At the same time—
The pound of arsenic he ingested, after being refined by the ‘Devour Poison’ talent, transformed into a surging hot current, rushing through his limbs and bones…
It tempered and strengthened every inch of his skin, flesh, Essence realm, bones, organs, blood, and marrow, finally converging into that trace of Qi and Blood.
Then, this trace of Qi and Blood, like an inflated balloon, expanded continuously from the thickness of a few strands of hair…
And it became exceptionally restless, like a loach, frantically darting through his body.
In an instant, his right shoulder would bulge, then his left abdomen would protrude, then his armpit would swell, as if a small mouse was scurrying beneath his skin.
Liu Sheng, enlightened, spread his legs and squatted, adopting the Black Tiger Stance, breathing three short and one long, envisioning a Black Tiger perched on a mountain ridge in his mind…
He held his hands as if grasping a heavy Saber, slowly performing the eight forms of the Rending Wind Saber.
Each move, though slow, carried a unique rhythm, gradually aligning with the chaotic Qi and Blood within his body…
Forming a certain synergy.
His consciousness delved down, gradually approaching, taming…
As time passed, the chaotic Qi and Blood gradually calmed down, moving with a certain regularity…
Until a certain moment, Liu Sheng heard a faint, gurgling sound in his ears.
He closed his eyes, yet he “saw” a wisp of mist, finger-thick, moving through his limbs and bones at his will…
Just like a wild horse fitted with reins, or a wild ox with a nose ring, obedient and well-behaved.
Controlling Qi and Blood, success.
Liu Sheng’s legs gave out, and he collapsed to the ground, sweating profusely as if he’d been pulled from water, his breathing ragged like a bellows.
He looked up at the sky; the sun was about to set…
He had been practicing for almost four hours, completely exhausted.
But everything was worth it.
He lay on the ground, recovering his strength, and called up his panel to check…
“【Name】”: Liu Sheng
“【Dao Fruit】”: Seventy-Two Transformations
“【Talents】”: Magpie Eyes, Heaven-Born Swordsman, Snake Form, Copper Skin Iron Bones, Devour Poison
“【Realm】”: Qi and Blood Realm (Minor Achievement)
“【Incarnations】”: Blade-tailed Finch (Spiritual Essence can be invested for deduction), Azure Scale Viper
“【Spiritual Essence】”: 13
…
His Realm had indeed improved!
He closed his eyes and felt it; indeed, his body’s “capacity” had expanded, allowing him to refine another Incarnation.
Regarding this, he already had a target in mind—
That Tiger Spirit on Black Wind Mountain!
Now that he was in the Qi and Blood Realm, he could refine the spiritual essence of Spirit Monster-level beings.
However, whether it would work still depended on the actual situation.
This successful deduction, in addition to the ‘Iron Scale Snake’ Incarnation advancing and becoming even more powerful, also brought a significant improvement to his main body’s Realm and strength…
With a thought, the Qi and Blood within him surged into his right hand.
In an instant, his muscles swelled, stretching his skin, his palm turned red, widened, and thickened like a cattail leaf fan, and his fingers became engorged and thick like carrots.
He casually grabbed at a nearby tree, the air whistling in his palm, and with a “crack”…
The bark exploded, wood chips flying.
A tree as thick as a man’s waist had a large chunk missing, sap splattering, emitting a rich, fresh scent of vegetation.
He looked down at his unblemished palm, and when he tapped his five fingers together, they actually made a crisp sound…
Like metal clashing!
He then pulled out a flying dagger and stabbed it with all his might at his chest…
“Clang!”
Sparks flew, the blade curled, and the dagger itself shattered into several pieces on the spot.
“With this Copper Skin Iron Bones, ordinary swords and sabers can’t even scratch me…”
Liu Sheng wiggled his five fingers; the shattered pieces of refined iron in his palm were like mud, constantly changing shape.
Molding iron like mud!
The corners of his mouth curled up, his mood joyful.
This time, the improvement was immense!
Even a first-Realm Perfection martial artist with a thousand jin of strength and capable of leaping three to five zhang…
Would not be his opponent.
And if he were to unleash the Azure Scale Viper Incarnation…
Three to five second-Realm Essence Tempering Martial Masters working together would still die!
After all, at the same Realm, martial artists are usually inferior to beasts.
What’s more, the Azure Scale Viper is among the most formidable existences even among Spirit Monsters.
In its variant stage, it could devour and kill over a thousand snake Spirit Monsters…
Now, it might even be able to exchange blows with some weaker third-Realm Viscera Martial Masters…?
Forget it, no need to take that risk. There’s no need to endure hardship, or fight above one’s rank.
It’s much more stable and satisfying to steadily use Realm to suppress others…
Anyway, I level up fast!
Next, it’s time to go back and deal with the tiger menace.
And the Tong Family, those scoundrels have been bullying our family for years…
It’s time to settle accounts completely!