~~~

To say Nine-Headed Snake God is gargantuan is an understatement.

Lin Jin is distantly aware of his Master standing beside him, but he only has eyes for Nine-Headed Snake God. It is larger than Eastern Port City, larger than even Poison Fang Canyon. It surpasses the tallest of mountains and the deepest oceans. Its eyes are pools of molten gold, and its shadow casts darkness upon the land. Nine heads and eighteen eyes move almost gently as they focus on Liu Jin as if the merest of those movements were not enough to reshape the landscape.

“Three years ago, you came before me, and I granted upon you my blessing.”

The voice echoes all around him. It comes from everywhere and nowhere. Liu Jin even hears it inside his head.

“Back then, I had no expectations of you. To think you would survive and come before me once more! Truly, once one lives long enough, no sight becomes impossible. A drop of rain will reach the ocean. A worm will become a dragon. A whelp in the Inner Realm will endure my poison!”

A chuckles echoes across the void.

“Rejoice, child. You shall receive my Inheritance.”

Inheritance.

Liu Jin asked his Master about it once or twice over the past three years. An Inheritance refers to a boon granted upon an individual by a Deity. However, the exact nature of the gift is something decided by the Deity.

There is no telling what Nine-Headed Snake God's Inheritance will be.

“Do try to remain sane. It would be such a pity if the one who passed my test were to lose his sanity so easily.”

Pain.

Liu Jin cannot speak. He cannot think. His mouth opens. Someone screams and screams. There is laughter. Who laughs? Liu Jin doesn't' know.

All he knows is pain.

It is not poison. Not like before. Liu Jin's dantian quiver and spasm, as if they are slowly being torn out of his body. It's not just them. All his meridians are on fire, ripped out one by one. Every acupoint in his body vibrates. His blood! It rushes through his body in new and torturous ways. Heat pours in like molten lava. Veins and arteries realign.

Cold comes next.

The burning heat fades, but not naturally so. It is replaced by a freezing cold instead. Liu Jin feels it spread to every part of his body, and with the cold, clarity slowly starts to come back. Sight returns to Liu Jin. He can see the void around him once more. He’s on his knees, panting. Drool drips down his mouth.

He is breathing.

His chest rises and falls as he looks up. Something has changed, yet Liu Jin does not know what. It is only when he looks down that it begins to dawn on him

Dragon Bone Needles.

His Dragon Bone Needles.

Before panic can set in, Liu Jin realizes that not having them inside his body has not caused him to lose control of the poison. In fact, he feels better than he has felt in a long time. His Qi flows smoothly through his meridians.

Because there is no poison anymore.

Liu Jin stares, open-mouthed. Nine-Headed Snake God’s poison, which has been his constant companion for the past three years, is nowhere to be found in his body. Liu Jin’s Qi is finally returning to his natural flow.

Liu Jin laughs. Joy rises within him. His throat hurts from all the screaming, yet his laughter does not stop.

For a moment, he almost forgets in whose presence he is in.

“Young one, you endured my test and survived. People of greater strength and skill than you tried and failed. In the end, it was you, a young whelp in the Inner Realm, who proved worthy of receiving my Inheritance. Dying one, be happy. You have a suitable successor.”

“This old man thanks you for your praise, Great Elder.”

Golden eyes grow closer to Liu Jin. It almost feels like they are right in front of him, yet Liu Jin knows Nine-Headed Snake God is an unimaginable distance away.

“Child, to you who has proved worthy of my Inheritance, I give you my veins. Your Qi and blood now flow through the Veins of Nine-Headed Snake God. You will soon see the benefits of such a boon.”

Something odd starts happening as Nine-Headed Snake God talks.

It is almost as if Nine-Headed Snake God is growing fainter.

“So, it has begun.”

“Great Elder?”

A chuckle echoes across the void.

“Do not look so surprised, child. From the beginning, I was nothing more than a shade left behind, so my Inheritance could be passed on. I do not live. Not truly. I merely remain until my duty is fulfilled. Now that it has been, there is no reason for me to linger.”

Even as it speaks, Nine-Headed Snake God’s form keeps growing fainter.

It is vanishing. Something as powerful as Nine-Headed Snake God is vanishing before his very eyes.

“Child, originally, I came from Amaranth. It may be that I still have family there. Should you keep proving yourself to be as unexpected as you have been so far, you may find yourself meeting them. In that event, do give that to them.”

Give that? Give what?

What is Nine-Headed Snake God talking about?

“Should you grow strong enough, you will realize where it is. Until such a time happens, do not die.”

Before Liu Jin can ask what Nine-Headed Snake God means, the massive creature vanishes completely, leaving them in the void. Liu Jin turns to his Master, but his words end up caught in his throat.

Something is wrong.

“Disciple, you may find it prudent to sit down. It seems to be starting sooner than I expected.”

Old Jiang’s words barely reach Liu Jin’s ears, yet he does as asked. It feels as if his body were being submerged into a deep ocean, yet something is rising within him.

It is not pain or poison or anything of the sort.

It is power.

For three years, Liu Jin has altered the flow of his Qi to remain alive. Now, his Qi flows as it once did before. No, it flows with even greater strength than before. The energy flows through his meridians at speed Liu Jin can barely control. The power is not just within him but outside as well. There is so much energy all around him, so much power entering his body.

Breathe.

Liu Jin’s Qi rages like a wild river. He needs to get himself under control, yet the flow of his Qi keeps speeding up. Nine-Headed Snake God’s Veins. They are on an entirely different level compared to his old meridians.

Breathe.

Power rises and rises. Nine-Headed Snake God’s Veins expand within Liu Jin. He instantly understands what is happening.

A Breakthrough.

His body, which has been stuck in the First Level of the Inner Realm for so long, finally leaves it. Mere moments after Nine-Headed Snake God vanishes, Liu Jin reaches the Second Level of the Inner Realm. Under any other circumstances, it would have been a joyous occasion for sure. Now, all it means is that Liu Jin has more energy to bring under control, and it is not over yet. Power keeps flowing into him. Nine-Headed Snake God’s Veins react once more.

Inner Realm, Third Level.

And again.

Inner Realm, Fourth Level.

If he cannot bring all this Qi under control, he might have survived Nine-Headed Snake God’s trial for nothing. Liu Jin closes his eyes, turning his attention inward, to the raging energies within him. Right now, he has no need for the outside. Not its sounds or sights or scents.

If he wants to walk out of here alive, he’s going to need to bring all this power under control.

Liu Jin does not know how much time passes. He shuts himself from the outside world. All he knows is the sound of his own breathing. With each breath, he quells the raging river inside him.

Ten breaths go by.

Ten hundred breaths go by.

Ten hundred thousand breaths go by.

Still, Liu Jin does not stop. He is certain multiple days have passed, yet he is not ready to go out of his trance. Not until he’s sure he understands what this new body of his is capable of. Not until the new energies inside him have been properly tamed.

Only once that is done, does Liu Jin dare to open his eyes.

“You certainly took your time, disciple.”

Hearing his Master’s voice after what feels like so long gives him comfort. Liu Jin smiles weakly as he sees Old Jiang sitting on the ground.

“Master, how long has it been?”

“Weeks.”

So much? Liu Jin does not dare imagine how people are taking his absence back in Eastern Port City.

“Do not worry about useless things,” his Master says, cutting through his thoughts. “From the beginning, it was known this would take quite a while. Those who matter already knew of this possibility.”

Those who matter? Liu Jin chuckles weakly as he stands up. Poor Su An. She must be worried.

“Here.”

Liu Jin blinks as Old Jiang tosses him something. His Dragon Bone Needles, Liu Jin sees them moving slowly through the air. His hand moves almost by accident, plucking each needle out of the air with ease.

“Those are the six needles that were inside you when you received Nine-Headed Snake God’s blessing. It seems you received an unexpected boon.”

The needles in his hand are indeed different from how they looked before. There is an odd bluish hue to them. They somehow feel more dangerous than before.

“Make sure to keep them with you, although I wouldn’t use them on a patient anytime soon.”

Liu Jin agrees. Something about the needles feels very dangerous now. As he stores them inside his robes, he finally takes the time to look at the area around him. His eyes widen as he does.

“Master, what is this?”

They are no longer surrounded by an endless black void. Instead, it is a cave. At least, that is what it should be. However, the area around them glows with energy, and the reason is easy to see.

Empyrean Crystal.

The cave is completely encrusted with Purple-Veined Empyrean Crystal as far as the eye can see. If the pendant Xiao Shuang received on her wedding is enough to buy Eastern Port City, then surely, the amount here must be enough to buy an entire kingdom.

Yet his Master does not look surprised.

“It is only to be expected. The shadow of Nine-Headed Snake God has been residing here for thousands of years. Even though Nine-Headed Snake God created an alternate space to reside in, this area still received Nine-Headed Snake God’s energy. This is the result. An interesting find to be sure, but I advise you to keep it a secret.”

“Master?”

“Such a large deposit of Empyrean Crystal is something that would bring insanity to the most reasonable minds,” Old Jiang tells him seriously. “The fewer people know about it, the better. Besides, it is not as if anyone else can come here for now.”

“For now?”

“Naturally. The poisonous aura of this place only existed due to Nine-Headed Snake God’s presence. Without it, it will eventually fade away. It might take a hundred years to vanish fully, but it eventually will.”

Liu Jin hums in thought.

If such a thing were to happen, would Poison Fang Canyon even be Poison Fang Canyon anymore? What of the Xiao Sect? Harvesting materials from Poison Fang Canyon is something they greatly benefit from. Without it, what will they do?

“Disciple, I can tell you are thinking too much. Stop it. I believe you have more urgent matters to focus on right now.”

Liu Jin blinks. There is an amused smile on his Master’s face.

“You’ll be pleased to know you’re still on time for that little spat of yours.”

The challenge.

Xiao Fang.

“I understand, Master. This disciple will focus on the future of Poison Fang Canyon later.”

Liu Jin clenches his hand into a fist.

Right now, there is a fight he does not feel like losing.

~~~