Chapter 36: An All-Over Sensation, Fulfillment After the Touch

When Hua Tian posed that question, her heart was pounding with anxiety and fear. When the answer came—"I suppose so"—a surge of joy blossomed within her. But the sudden change in the beautiful serpent’s demeanor caught him off guard; he nearly lost consciousness. For the first time, he faced an aura at full strength, struggling to breathe under its pressure. Watching her nonchalantly flick her tongue, he was stunned. She didn't exert any force on him; earlier, even from a distance on the deck, her presence had been terrifying. Now, she was close enough that he could feel her breath...

Forcing down his fear, Hua Tian tried to appear calm, though he had already forgotten why he’d come. Only after glancing at his quest did he recall: he’d simply accepted a mission—to seek out the strongest being in the Muxuan River and find a book said to be hidden in its lair.

"Looking for a book?" The Viper Empress was momentarily speechless. "You’re so weak, yet you dare come alone to seek the strongest here? If the Python Queen hadn’t said you helped her, if she weren’t present, do you know? I might have smashed your boat to pieces."

She glanced back at the Python Queen; out of respect for a fellow recognized by humans, she would allow it. Normally, she might let Hua Tian enter, but now there were great secrets within the cave.

She nodded her massive head and said to Hua Tian, "Fine, come with me." With that, she turned and slowly swam toward the cave.

What the young Water Viper Empress didn’t know was that the Python Queen herself had initially disagreed, but changed her mind only after noticing the weapon Hua Tian gripped in his hand—this surprised her greatly.

Hua Tian watched the two snakes gradually disappear from view and called out, "Hey, you two, slow down! Wait for me!"

He leapt from the prow, crossed the lookout tower, circled the deck, and hurried to the captain’s cabin. After a flurry of actions, he started the ship, cranked the power to maximum, and looked out: the lake stretched endlessly, a mirror of calm—no sign of the snakes. In a flash, he was bewildered.

He grabbed the ship’s telescope and pressed it to his right eye. Through the lens, he saw the distant water churning violently. He raised the telescope swiftly, his right eye fixed on the mirrored world ahead, left eye scanning the water nearby, never daring to be distracted.

Two hours later, his focus paid off; he finally saw the two ‘snakes’ coiled before a massive black hole. Within the cave, countless violet eyes glimmered. Suddenly, in his left-eye’s field of vision, innumerable snake heads appeared, gazing at him.

"Hiss... hiss..." He lowered the telescope but hadn’t even set it down when he sensed his ship sinking eighty meters—a shock. The ship was a hundred meters tall, yet it could submerge... Wait—something was on board. He looked down and saw ten water-bellied snakes, each at least a hundred meters long, glaring at him. Cold sweat poured down his back. Although their pressure wasn’t as overwhelming as that of the beautiful serpent, something felt off. Were they plotting something? Did they need to?

Suddenly, a distant "shhh-shhh" sounded, and all the surrounding water-bellied snakes retreated. Those on the ship paid no mind to killing him as they slithered away—most of them, anyway. The appearance of a human here had disappointed the local underlings. Upon hearing the Empress’s order to withdraw, uncertain of the situation, they simply stayed on board, thinking: if anyone dares harm the Empress, I’ll swallow this human whole.

As the snakes withdrew, only one remained on deck. The ship suddenly lurched upward, bouncing ten meters above the river before crashing back down with a thunderous splash. When calm returned, Hua Tian, who had toppled over, looked around at the chaotic cabin, staggered to his feet, and made his way back to the captain’s room. A glance at the ship’s bow showed that, since this wasn’t a transport vessel, all the fish caught along the way had vanished. Most absurdly, the area near the giant snake had been swallowed whole—boxes of fish gone without a trace. Looking out, he saw the water-bellied snakes fighting over the sudden abundance of delicacies floating on the river—likely grilled by Cute Sprite. If she saw this, would she faint in the restroom? Maybe he should call her to check...

Because the nearby snakes had all tasted Cute Sprite’s "culinary skills," they kept well clear of his boat. As he neared his destination, he dropped anchor.

Disembarking, he saw a massive snake head blocking the passage, mouth wide open, trying to eat grilled fish. Behind it, hundreds more water-bellied snakes crawled up, each carrying thousands of fresh, lively fish in their mouths. Their arrival prompted the giant snake to retreat. Hua Tian stepped onto the deck, gazing at the doomed fish. Suddenly, the giant snake said, "Hand over your grilled fish recipe and I’ll let you go."

Hua Tian was surprised to hear the giant snake speak—was she at full power as well?

"I’m not what you call ‘full-level,’" she replied coolly. "Are you giving it or not?"

He was stunned; wasn’t it said that if you met a wild creature who could speak human language, you’d best not provoke it? Was he about to be sent to the resurrection hall? He dared not refuse.

"Those weren’t grilled by me. Um, don’t be angry, let me ask someone first. Please, don’t smash the boat, just wait here." He turned to summon Cute Sprite. "Stop sleeping—get up and work, or we’ll lose the boat."

In an instant, Cute Sprite, clad in brilliant colors, appeared in midair above the fish. She looked down at the countless fish, thinking her master had prepared a surprise for her. Excited for the first time, she’d planned to feast after a nap—but when she saw the grill, her face darkened. Where had the fish gone? She followed the trail of snakes stealing grilled fish and spotted the giant, perplexed snake. As it slithered closer, sizing her up, it eyed her master and asked, "Are you trying to summon this furry thing to intimidate me? Don’t think I’ll spare you for that."

"She’s the one who grilled the fish. You can negotiate with her," said Hua Tian, resigned. Was he here to peddle delicacies to these beautiful water serpents?

A cluster of snakes stared at Cute Sprite, ready to bargain. She immediately understood: "I want seventy percent of the fish, or no deal." The snakes glared, hissing among themselves, until they settled on an even split. Hua Tian watched in awe as they crowded onto his boat to learn grilling from Cute Sprite.

Freed at last, Hua Tian took the small boat from the ship, tossed it into the river, and leapt in after it. The icy water jolted him awake as he swam for the boat, but was suddenly flung into the air—a giant snake had gently flicked him onto the boat, causing him to hit the bottom with such force his head nearly split open. "Please, great one, you really don’t need to help me—I’m terrified."

He rowed the boat ashore and, facing the two true overlords, pointed at the cave to ask if he could enter. Inside, he searched high and low, but found nothing. The two snakes squeezed in behind him, their massive breaths looming close. Turning around, he saw them both watching him.

"Does your quest have no hints? You could search forever like this. I’m not waiting all day," one said.

"Hints, yes! It said, ‘next to the egg.’"

Upon hearing this, the Viper Empress grew alert and suspicious—how did he know she’d laid eggs? But trusting the Python Queen, she said, "Over there," and slithered ahead of Hua Tian.

Watching the Viper Empress glance back anxiously every few steps, Hua Tian found it amusing. Was he here to steal her children? Why so nervous?

He saw hundreds of eggs, each a meter tall, and stepped forward.

"What are you doing? Didn’t you say it was nearby?" the Viper Empress snapped, seeing him head somewhere he shouldn’t.

"Yes, near the central egg, right?" he replied.

At that, she flicked her tongue, her enormous violet eyes reflecting his form, which suddenly split in two within their depths. Immediately, Hua Tian felt his life force draining, his skin peeling away, flesh vanishing—he panicked: "Wait, just kidding! I was joking!"

"I’ll give you one last chance. If you keep this up, I’ll have to throw you out."

He dared not speak further; if she really did expel him, the quest would fail in seven days. He quickly scanned the eggs and noticed one that looked markedly different. After some hesitation, he decided to take a chance.

"Beautiful Serpent Sister, don’t attack—I noticed one egg over there looks odd. Could it have been swapped by another creature?" He pointed to it.

The Viper Empress followed his gesture. Indeed, one egg was different—but so what? Maybe her child was just unique... No, why were all the others identical except this one? She rushed over to sniff it; it was a dead egg. Dead. Who? She coiled in rage, glaring around. Besides the Python Queen and the human, there was no one else.

Feeling uneasy, she circled her clutch, sniffing each egg; all were hers. As a first-time mother, she knew the exact count. She checked three or four times—none missing. Relieved, she threw out the dead egg.

Hua Tian picked it up, and instantly, the egg seemed to revive, spinning in midair, radiating all manner of colors before gently landing in his hands. A quick check of his quest showed one part completed.

The Viper Empress sniffed it again—no familiar scent, not hers.

"What’s going on? How did your quest know there’d be a strange egg here? Did your people plant it?"

"Beautiful Serpent Sister, I have no idea. If I had, wouldn’t you have caught me already? Your creatures were playing with me outside—I nearly died myself."

At that point, the Python Queen spoke. "It probably wasn’t him."

"Regardless, my children need extra protection. If anyone finds out something strange once slipped in, where would that leave me as a mother?"

"Has your quest finished? If so, get out."

"Not yet—there’s still more to find," Hua Tian said quickly, fearing she’d really expel him. He’d thought her presence would shield him as long as he didn’t go too far; she seemed unwilling to help further, as if letting him in was already a major favor.

"Annoying. Snakes, help him search. I must reinforce the nest."

In an instant, countless giant and ordinary pythons gathered around Hua Tian, watching him.

Seeing this, Hua Tian wondered what it would be like if these were his... "Well? Get searching! Don’t just stand there as if my subordinates belong to you!"

"Ah, right, right away..."

"Wait—find these three books and ten stones like this one. And, you—giant snake, crouch down, no, lie down—wait, I’m not insulting you, don’t attack..."

"Find everything for him," came the order.

About two hours later, Hua Tian looked at the two books and nine stones they’d found. Close enough; the quest was nearly done. He glanced back at the two great snakes. "I’m done. I’ll leave now—wait, that stone over there, yes, and this—ah! Oh my—"

As he backed away, narrating his actions, he spotted the last stone wedged in a crevice. He picked it up, turned to say goodbye, and his eyes widened. He saw a slip of paper clamped between two scales at the tip of the Viper Empress’s tail, with the words "Material Clue" clearly written. He stepped forward to take it, accidentally brushing against her. Already on the verge of a rampage, the Viper Empress, feeling a male human touch her tail, erupted and flung him out with a lash.

Beside the egg clutch was a high cliff, heavily guarded below, and Hua Tian’s boat floated directly ahead. He landed perfectly in the Muxuan River, and scrambling ashore, was met by a crowd of male serpents who returned the "Material Clue" slip he’d dropped. They showed him a note they’d just written in human script: "You’re a real man!" With his belongings returned, Hua Tian was speechless as they escorted him to the boat, while the male snakes below cheered his departure. Did they misunderstand something? Looking at the fourteen items in his pack, he was filled with mixed emotions.

The Viper Empress, having flung him away, was furious at being touched by a human. The Python Queen, however, had seen what happened and tried to explain it was just a mistake—he’d only been retrieving the paper caught in her scales. But the Viper Empress wouldn’t listen; as far as she was concerned, he’d touched her.

Ding ding ding!

Quest complete. Rewards: Supreme Mirage Skill, Calamity Venom Dragon Egg, ten Star Stones, Star Stone Crafting Manual, Material Clue.

Skill: Supreme Mirage Skill
Level: Sovereign. Contains all the knowledge and experience of myriad skills.

Pet: Calamity Venom Dragon Egg
Name: Unnamed
Level: Sovereign [Visible to owner; others see only "Void" level]
Skills: Tenfold Absolutes, Enhanced Strength/Speed/Defense/Flight, Possession, Calamity, Venom Attack

Item: Star Stone Skill Enhancement Stone [Single-use]
Level: None
Description: Grants 100% skill upgrade power; 25% chance to further increase skill percentage; 100% chance to unlearn and relearn skills, ignoring the eight-skill-slot limit, guaranteed success.
Skills: Unlimited, Upgrade, Unlearn

Equipment: Star Stone Crafting Manual
Quality: None
Required Materials: One pound of Xuan Iron, one Memory Stone, one drop of Mermaid’s Tear
Required Skill: Professional Crafter

Material Clue:
1. Memory Stone: Found in primordial trees of Starmark Forest, tender shoots.
2. Mermaid’s Tear: Exchangeable with a Memory Stone—may yield more if she’s ‘diligent’ (i.e., weeping); if not, she’s on the verge of tears—just make her cry, but at your own risk.
3. Xuan Iron: Up to luck, may be found while monster hunting, in caves or mines.

Item: Memory Stone
Level: None
Description: Witness to the rise and fall of civilizations.
Skill: Can make a mermaid shed tears of pain or emotion.

Item: Xuan Iron
Level: None
Description: Essential for crafting virtually all equipment.

Item: Mermaid’s Tear
Level: Rainbow
Description: Only shed at moments of heartbreak or death, or when a mermaid sees a Memory Stone and is moved by its contents. The amount varies; bring plenty of containers. If the Memory Stone is fake, run as far as you can.
Skill: Summon the Sea Overlord, Kui Jiao (Mermaids are its guardians).

Tenfold Absolutes: Calamity Venom Dragon exclusive active skill. Grants: Absolute Defense, Absolute Strength, Absolute Accuracy, Absolute Reduction, Absolute Light, Absolute Darkness, Absolute Control, Absolute Binding, Absolute Space, Absolute Time.

Enhanced Strength/Speed/Defense/Flight: Calamity Venom Dragon exclusive passive skill. Strength, speed, defense, flight, and endurance are enhanced; at full level, multiplied ten billion-fold.

Possession: Calamity Venom Dragon exclusive active skill. Possess its master, granting full flight and all active and passive abilities.

Calamity: Calamity Venom Dragon exclusive passive. Innate resistance to all elements—metal, wood, water, fire, earth, wind, thunder, rain, lightning, ice, flame, life, death, light, darkness, time, space—at 50%, increased to 75% after rebirth. Cannot be reduced.

Venom Attack: Passive. Each attack poisons the target. If the dragon is stronger, the target dies instantly; if not, death is certain within 100 seconds unless cured by a special antidote or by the dragon itself.

Absolute Defense: Ignores all attacks except Absolute Accuracy.

Absolute Strength: Nullifies the next Absolute Accuracy attack; the ultimate defense, vulnerable only to the supreme attack force.

Absolute Accuracy: Ignores all resistances, including Absolute Defense.

Absolute Reduction: Permanently reduces all defenses, nullifies defensive bonuses, stacks infinitely, resets upon target’s death.

Absolute Light: Infinitely increases burning damage over time.

Absolute Darkness: Infinitely increases fear, suppression, and control.

Absolute Control: Immune to burning and fear; attacks are reflected at double strength.

Absolute Binding: Controlled targets lose accuracy with every second.

Absolute Space: Creates a space to imprison all things.

Absolute Time: Grants control over life and death of imprisoned targets.

"...??? Looks like I’m invincible again."