The cultivator who had presented it—a Nascent Soul elder—stood awkwardly in place until the guards physically escorted him out of the palace.
"This next one is a Phoenix Veil Silk Robe, worn by the former Princess of the Burning Vine Kingdom!"
"Hmph. Too last-century."
More and more gifts were rejected. Some laughed in amusement; others watched in horror.
A few tried to bribe their way into her favor—like the merchant heir who arrived with five crates of rare treasures. She didn't even blink.
"I want the Shadow-Eyed Moon Serpent," her voice echoed over the hall.
A young cultivator from a sect bowed nervously. "Princess, I present to you this Cloud-Fanged Serpent. I hope—"
"Get out," she interrupted. "It's not what I asked for."
Guards tossed him out without another word.
Murmurs started to spread among the crowd. "She's really throwing tantrums today." "Who would've thought the serpent would be this hard to catch…" "Someone needs to slap some sense into her…"
Just then, a few rogue cultivators came forward and knelt respectfully. "Your Highness… we almost had it. But some rogue cultivator interfered."
"Rogue cultivator?" she asked sharply.
"Yes. He ambushed us before we could subdue the serpent."
Her brows furrowed. She didn't know who this rogue cultivator was—but she already didn't like him.
She stood abruptly while glaring at everyone.
"I'm leaving. You're all useless. Even Father didn't bring me the serpent."
The City Lord approached her. "Qing'er, be patient. The celebration isn't over."
"I don't care—" she turned around and began to walk away.
"WAIT!" A loud voice called from the entrance gate.
A silver-armored guard sprinted through the crowd while panting. "My Lord! My Lady! Someone has arrived… claiming they have brought the mythical Shadow-Eyed Moon Serpent!"
The entire throne room erupted with gasps and stunned silence.
Xuan Qing's eyes sparkled. "W-What!?"
Her mouth was agape with excitement as she dashed toward the front. "WHERE!? SHOW HIM IN NOW!"
Victor's boots crunched against the rocky floor as he rolled the boulder away from the hidden cavern. A gust of stale air brushed his face, carrying the lingering scent of damp earth, moss, and something distinctly serpentine. His breath slowed as he slinked forward like a shadow into the open ridge.
The sounds of movement echoed faintly—some of the serpentine beasts still slithered about but fortunately not as many as it would usually be.
He had picked the right moment to step out.
He crouched while holding his breath.
A thick-bodied spirit snake slid just ten feet away with its forked tongue flicking through the air, sensing… but not detecting.
Victor had slipped in between a tight spot and pressed his back against the stone until it passed.
Minutes ticked by as he crawled and maneuvered while ascending and climbing higher.
Finally he reached the massive hole he'd observed days before—the lair of the mythical Shadow-Eyed Moon Serpent.
The entrance was wide enough to fit a carriage. Damp. Moist. The walls of the tunnel were lined with a mucus-like substance and layered bits of shed skin, twinkling faintly like broken jade.
The interior descended sharply, spiraling down. Victor steadied himself and began his descent.
Deeper in, the air grew colder. He paused as he spotted the creature up ahead.
Coiled around itself, the mythical Shadow-Eyed Moon Serpent rested. Its silver scales shimmered faintly, and patches of its body gave off a subtle glow. Two majestic horns curved backwards from its head, and a crescent-shaped marking adorned its forehead.
Its eyes—shut for now—were unlike any Victor had ever seen. Even in sleep, the beast emanated pressure. This wasn't just some wild serpent.
Victor took a step forward.
A rock beneath his foot cracked.
In an instant, the serpent's eyes snapped open—deep pools of pure silver, with pupils shaped like slivers of crescent moons.
They locked onto Victor with primal fury.
Victor instantly activated Wind Dash, turning into a blur.
As the beast lunged, he jumped into the air and sent a Wind Gale strike crashing into its face.
<[ Wind Gale Has Been Activated ]>
The blow slammed its head into the wall of the cavern, sending tremors through the tunnel.
He charged forward, ready to follow up with Frost Bloom Palm—
A slab of stone dislodged from the ceiling and plummeted down. Victor cursed and leapt back, narrowly avoiding it.
The serpent hissed and emitted a burst of qi causing the air to vibrate as its eyes glowed brightly..
Suddenly, Victor's world began to spin. His eyes glazed as spiritual waves crashed into his mind.
<[ Player Has Fallen Into A Spiritual Attack ]>
The serpent wasn't attacking with fangs or claws now—this was an assault on his very soul.
His father's voice echoed in his mind with a sorrowful and hollow tone.
"You failed me… You let me die…"
Victor legs buckled dropped to his knees.
"N-No… I… I— I'm sorry... I didn't... mean t..."
The beast slammed its horn into his chest, piercing through him, lifting him off the ground and flinging him across the lair.
His body bounced and rolled until he hit the stone wall near the entrance.
Pain lanced through him.
Blood trailed from his mouth and a hole in his chest.
The serpent slithered toward him, ready to finish the job—until it spotted the sunlight from the outside near the exit where Victor's body had rolled to.
Its body retracted slightly. It didn't like the light.
Victor spat blood and pushed himself up. "You used my late father against me…" he whispered with a tone of fury.
His fists clenched, and his eyes burned. "I'm going to make you pay."
He darted forward, pushing through the pain. The serpent reared back, preparing another spiritual pulse—but Victor gathered all the qi he could muster.
Dragon Breathing Art – Ember Bloom.
He exhaled a gust of burning breath directly into its face.
The serpent shrieked as the flames consumed its face and licked its eyes and mouth. It writhed in agony while trashing wildly and crashing into the walls.
He gripped its tail, activated Wind Dash, and began spinning.
With inhuman strength, he swung the massive serpent, slamming it from one side of the lair to the other, again and again, until cracks littered the chamber.
Dust and rocks rained down as the creature screamed in pain.