Chapter 626 - 563: The Bizarre Profound Snake

Chapter 626: Chapter 563: The Bizarre Profound Snake

"Miss Qin, do you recognize any of these fellows?"

Chu Mu asked casually as his blade descended.

"I’m sure there are, but they probably wouldn’t recognize me now."

Qin Zhaoxue smiled faintly, her eyes scanning the surrounding Cultivators and Demon Beasts with keen interest.

Chu Mu raised an eyebrow. He gave Qin Zhaoxue a thoughtful look but didn’t press the matter.

His blade danced, and his focus returned to the piercing crimson mark on his wrist as he concentrated on nurturing the Scorpion Egg.

Just then, Chu Mu seemed to sense something. The movement of his blade paused, and his gaze shifted, instantly locking onto several streaks of Tunneling Light across the sky.

A Giant Eagle soared through the air, while two massive snakes—one black, one white—surged through the sea of sand.

Sword-light, frost, and a toxic mist...

Wielded by the three Demon Beasts, these three distinct powers left a trail of blood in their wake.

And now, the three Demon Beasts seemed to have noticed something as well. Their bestial eyes—some cold, others savage—turned toward Chu Mu one by one.

Chu Mu was no stranger to the Sword Feather Giant Eagle.

Years ago, upon exiting the East Lake Secret Realm, he had encountered this same eagle escorting a group of Vast Sea Cultivators.

As for the pure white Profound Snake, Mo Bai of the Profound Serpent Race—Chu Mu was, of course, even more familiar with him.

His trump-card Corpse Puppet, after all, had originated from him.

And as for the black snake that commanded the toxic mist...

It wasn’t hard to see that this black snake, the one wielding the toxic mist, was the leader of the three Demon Beasts.

Mo Bai and the Giant Eagle flanked it, acting as its guards.

A moment later, a voice transmission drifted over and echoed in Chu Mu’s ear.

"Well, well. I never expected to meet you here, Fellow Daoist."

"It seems you’re truly fated to cross paths with my race, Fellow Daoist Chu!"

"You have quite a few tricks up your sleeve, Fellow Daoist. I wonder what sort of treasure you’ll be delivering to me this time?"

"That Soldier Puppet you gave me all those years ago was a great help..."

Chu Mu chuckled, but the edge of his dancing blade took on an icy chill. A sharp aura gathered around him, ready to lock onto its target at any moment for a fatal Thunderous Strike!

But things were different now.

His Cultivation had advanced significantly, and his Great Sun True Flame had undergone another transformation. The depth of his power was far beyond what it used to be.

Moreover, they were in this Illusory World. No matter how real it felt, one fact remained undeniable.

The Demon Beasts had not entered with their powerful Demon Bodies, which they took such pride in. Instead, every Trial Taker was present only as a Divine Soul.

And his greatest specialty was... Soul Cutting!

As these thoughts raced through his mind, the smile on Chu Mu’s lips widened, growing ever... colder.

He was considering whether he should take this opportunity to eliminate this menace.

’And...’

Chu Mu glanced at the piercing crimson on his wrist. ’If Trial Takers fight and kill each other, what will happen to this "Scorpion Egg"?’

To Chu Mu’s surprise, despite his mocking words, Mo Bai only shot him a sullen glare. He offered no rebuttal, nor did he show any sign of anger or intent to attack.

The three Demon Beasts, like the other Trial Takers who had arrived, noticed the stone stele and proceeded to leave their names on it.

Sword Feather: Nurturing Scorpion Egg.

Mo Bai: Nurturing Scorpion Egg.

Ink Mist: Nurturing Scorpion Egg.

Beneath the densely packed script already on the stele, three new lines of mysterious writing appeared one by one as the Demon Beasts arrived.

After leaving their names on the stele, the three Demon Beasts didn’t exchange another word with Chu Mu, nor did they show any further signs of aggression.

Instead, they moved far away from Chu Mu’s position, found an empty spot, and began hunting Sand-tailed Scorpions.

Chu Mu frowned, clearly puzzled.

’These three Demon Beasts... have this much self-control?’

"That Profound Snake’s Divine Techniques are very strange."

Just then, a voice transmission from Qin Zhaoxue reached him.

Chu Mu’s eyes shifted. He looked toward the three Demon Beasts and slowly replied, "The jet-black Profound Snake?"

"Yes."

Qin Zhaoxue nodded. "I can’t sense any trace of his aura."

Chu Mu froze for a second, then quickly turned his gaze to the jet-black Profound Snake.

The toxic mist churned like a swamp, indiscriminately devouring any living creature that drew near.

At the same time, it clearly blocked all outside perception of what was within.

Using Divine Sense Perception, he could faintly detect a Profound Snake’s Divine Soul Aura moving within the mist. But upon closer inspection, that same Divine Soul Aura felt like an illusion, completely undetectable.

Clearly, the reason he hadn’t noticed anything unusual was that he’d been deceived by this disguised Divine Soul Aura.

’An illusion? A disguise?’

Chu Mu’s brow furrowed. Just then, as if sensing his scrutiny, a pair of vertical pupils the size of copper bells emerged from the churning toxic mist. Under the blazing sun, their eyes met.

The snake’s eyes were frigid, showing no trace of emotion. Yet, for some inexplicable reason, Chu Mu felt a sudden pang of dread wash over him.

’It was as if... this jet-black Profound Snake posed... an immense threat!’

Chu Mu narrowed his eyes, forcibly suppressing the sense of dread in his heart before slowly retracting his gaze.

His expression remained calm, but inside, his mind was in turmoil.

’Why would a mere Tier Three Middle Stage Profound Snake give me such a terrifying sense of dread?’

’A special bloodline?’

’Powerful Divine Techniques?’

’But the problem is, no matter how powerful it is, that can’t change the fact that this Profound Snake’s Cultivation is only at the Tier Three Middle Stage.’

’Even the most talented genius at the Tier Three Middle Stage shouldn’t pose such a terrifying threat to me, should they?’

Riddled with doubt and finding no answers, Chu Mu took one last deep look at the serpentine body disappearing back into the roiling toxic mist. The killing intent he’d felt earlier slowly subsided.

With such an anomaly present, what had once been a surefire kill was now fraught with uncertainty.

He had no need to risk a life-or-death battle he wasn’t sure he could win, not unless he was absolutely forced to.

"Once we enter Purifying Soul Mountain, we should do our best to avoid this snake. Something about it is very wrong."

Qin Zhaoxue sent another voice transmission, her tone now laced with distinct caution.

Chu Mu nodded in agreement but didn’t press for details. Under the Spiritual Radiance Blessing, his focus returned completely to nurturing the "Scorpion Egg."

As time went on, more Trial Takers continued to arrive at the base of Purifying Soul Mountain.

The once pristine white stone stele was now covered in dense, mysterious script.

The number of Trial Takers in this Desert Sea Heaven and Earth seemed to have surpassed everyone’s expectations.

Cultivators from All Over the World could be found here, and all sorts of powerful Demon Beasts, rarely seen before, were now everywhere...

...