"Ma Zhou’s Divine Techniques come from the Ba Snake’s twin pupils, which are above the Fruit Level existence. The power of its eyes is not as simple as it seems. Furthermore, Ma Zhou has been soaking in the Snake Blood for seven or eight days, so his body has undergone a metamorphosis, not as simple as it appears. This old fellow has been hiding his skills, even fooling those Great Demons, making them think Ma Zhou is just an ordinary mortal." Thoughts flickered in Zhang Chen’s mind, and his eyes were full of brilliance: "This Ma Zhou is not simple!"
While Zhang Chen was pondering, Ma Zhou was sneakily observing his surroundings when his gaze suddenly shifted to where Zhang Chen was sitting. His eyes filled with disbelief. He rubbed his eyes vigorously to confirm he wasn’t mistaken, and a chill surged from his heel to the back of his brain.
He looked again at the Human Race Divine Spirits and Great Demons busy transporting the Divine Blood, all of whom didn’t see that a man was sitting in that empty space, as if the man simply didn’t exist. Ma Zhou couldn’t help but take a sharp breath.
Previously, everyone had fought to the death, their brains almost dashed out, yet no one had noticed that person’s existence?
Isn’t this enough to make one’s skin crawl?
Zhang Chen sensed Ma Zhou’s gaze and looked thoughtfully into Ma Zhou’s eyes: "Did this old guy find me? With the Ba Snake’s Pupil Technique, it’s not surprising he discovered me."
Zhang Chen wasn’t alarmed, and he even gave Ma Zhou a grin.
When Ma Zhou saw Zhang Chen’s smile, his heart skipped a beat, and he became even more panicked, a look of horror flashing in his eyes.
He looked at the busy crowd next to him and pulled one of the Divine Spirits aside, asking in a low voice: "Did you sense anything unusual?"
The Divine Spirit he tugged was the one who had previously wielded Thunderbolt Power. Upon hearing Ma Zhou’s question, an expression of surprise appeared in his eyes: "Unusual? What’s unusual?"
Seeing the other’s confused look, Ma Zhou tentatively said: "Didn’t you notice there’s always someone sitting next to this Great Snake watching our every move?"
Upon hearing this, the Divine Spirit was startled, and the other Divine Spirits moving the Divine Blood broke into a cold sweat: "Where is this person?"
The Divine Spirits looked around warily, their eyes filled with horror. Aside from those beasts and the Divine Spirits, as well as a Soul Emergence Xie Lingyun, there was no one else.
Ma Zhou watched as everyone’s gazes passed over where Zhang Chen was sitting but saw nothing, making him even more panicked with terror in his eyes.
Seeing the puzzled eyes of the Divine Spirits, Ma Zhou looked at Zhang Chen, who was smiling warmly at him. Faced with Zhang Chen’s gentle smile, Ma Zhou shuddered and then laughed it off: "I’m kidding! Just teasing you guys, look how scared you got."
Upon hearing Ma Zhou’s words, the group glanced at each other and turned back to their tasks with a huff, complaining: "You’re so boring, don’t you know scaring people can be deadly?"
"Exactly, you gave me such a fright, I thought we were facing some great horror!"
"You’re simply incorrigible!"
...
The Divine Spirits cursed at Ma Zhou but didn’t pursue it further. His displayed power was no less than theirs. Although Ma Zhou’s joke gave them a scare, there was nothing they could do.
Once he saw all eyes shift away from him, Ma Zhou dared to cast a wry smile towards Zhang Chen before quickly turning his head away, not daring to continue looking.
He had received the Ba Snake’s Divine Techniques and had a strange intuitive sense. That mysterious man was dangerous. On that man, he sensed a dangerous Qi Mechanism that neither the Great Demons nor Human Race Divine Spirits had ever imposed on him.
"Could that mysterious person be at the Yang God level?" Although Ma Zhou was curious, he no longer dared to look for fear of provoking Zhang Chen to make a move.
To him, Zhang Chen was much more dangerous than anyone else present.
While Ma Zhou’s mind was wandering, the Qi Mechanisms in the field fluctuated continuously. Below, people from the Martial World, the major clans, Inspection and Supervision Department experts, and the direct guards of Prince Pingbian’s Mansion all had surging Qi Blood, condensing Martial Dao Qi and Blood, with a scorching Qi Mechanism flowing around them.
Some had even started to grow scales, their bloodlines undergoing abnormal changes.
One Ba Snake had unknowingly fulfilled many people, creating numerous experts—truly akin to the fall of a whale giving rise to myriad creatures.
As time passed slowly, the field fell into an eerie silence. Everyone was silently absorbing the Creation from the Snake Blood. After a day and night, at dawn, someone glanced over and saw that the massive body of the Ba Snake had shrunk by another mile.
"This Great Snake’s body has shrunk again." Mr. Wuliu observed the reduced form of the Ba Snake with a hint of solemnity in his eyes.
"At this rate, in no more than three days, this Great Snake will disappear into Heaven and Earth. All its Essence, Qi, and Spirit, along with the Mysterious Energy, will disperse into Heaven and Earth. By then, those of fate across the world can use the Ba Snake’s fate to achieve their path." A Divine Spirit next to him spoke up.
"The Snake Skin of this Great Snake is truly a treasure. I wonder if it can be preserved. If we can make protective tools from the Snake Skin, it would undoubtedly be a supreme Divine Object." Xie Lingyun chimed in, stepping forward and suggesting: "Prince, no matter what, the Snake Skin cannot be let into the hands of the Demon Race. With our army here, we should slay the Demon Race here and offer this Snake Skin to the court."
Prince Pingbian gave Xie Lingyun a glance, gently stroking his beard, and said leisurely: "Of course, we cannot let those Great Demons take the Snake Skin. However, offering it to the court requires further discussion. This Snake Skin is in the Northern Land, belonging to my Prince Pingbian’s Mansion; there’s no reason to offer it to the court."
Prince Pingbian’s words made sense, as the Northern Land was his domain. Everything there belonged to his mansion, and they had the right to deal with all matters within their territory.
How could Xie Lingyun not understand this logic? Yet the Snake Scales of the Ba Snake were extraordinarily precious. If not offered to the court, who knew what kind of trouble might arise?
The earlier incident with the Tree of Life Coffin had already incited the rage of the court officials. If Prince Pingbian’s Mansion were to monopolize the Creation again, it’s likely the court would hold the Inspection and Supervision Department accountable, believing it to be incompetent.
Seeing that Prince Pingbian did not intend to offer it to the court, Xie Lingyun ceased to urge further, knowing such matters could only be resolved by her father.
Prince Pingbian looked at Xie Lingyun, a smile at the corner of his lips, and switched the topic: "Offering to the court is impossible, but if my little son marries Niece Xie, this Snake Skin could be the betrothal gift from my Prince Pingbian’s Mansion, given to your Inspection and Supervision Department. By then, how the department chooses to handle it is entirely up to you, without intervention from my mansion."
Xie Lingyun aimed for the Snake Skin, while Prince Pingbian had his designs on Xie Lingyun. If he could arrange a marriage with the Northern Land’s Inspection and Supervision Department, pulling Xie Xuan into the fold to gain Xie Xuan’s fifty thousand elite forces, he would truly be like a Flood Dragon going to sea, unrestrained. Then, the entire Northern Land would genuinely become his dominion, giving him leverage against the court.
Xie Lingyun frowned upon hearing Prince Pingbian’s offer, giving him a glance, before calmly saying: "A marriage is not for me to decide. Besides, with your noble status, Prince, I am just an ordinary official’s daughter, unworthy of becoming the lady of the mansion."
Prince Pingbian chuckled at this, continuing smoothly: "Whether suitable or not is up to me to decide, is it not?"