After packing everything up, he carefully placed the Energy Crystal, which still retained a trace of Spiritual Qi, close to his body, and used the bottle that contained special medicine for his missions to store some of the remaining Earth Core Milk from the pit for The Legend of the Desert Heroes.

He knelt before Xuan Xuanzi's body, bowing three times: "Senior, this blessed cave is a great place to rest eternally. Since you passed away here, I dare not move your body, disturbing your spirit. May you rest in peace. Luckily, this place is desolate and devoid of humans or animals. Having received your legacy, it is my duty to fulfill your wish. If I truly succeed in cultivation in the future, I will certainly bring Spiritual Qi into this world, restoring the Cultivation Realm to its glorious peak."

He paused and continued, "If I should have the chance to encounter a descendant of the Taiqing Sect, I will return the Taiqing Profound Talisman Chapter to its rightful owner. Please rest assured." After speaking, he kowtowed three more times. This was something he ought to do, for it was the legacy left by Xuan Xuanzi that enabled him to cultivate immortality and become one of the elite standing at the top of the Pyramid in this world.

He stood up, looking at the little snake by his side. With a slight smile, he said, "Little fellow, come with me."

Since awakening from its slumber, the small snake seemed to have gained increased intelligence. When Luo Chao spoke to it, it gently nodded its little head.

Luo Chao didn't know if there were any other animals in this world with the same spiritual intelligence as the little snake, but he was sure that, even if there were, there would definitely not be many.

He placed the little snake in the pocket of his jacket, its little head protruding outside. With a casual demeanor, he walked out of the cave.

Outside, he had a lot to attend to.

Liuhai City, Huaxia University.

"Finally back." Luo Chao let out a slow breath as he stood at the gate of Huaxia University. Looking at the vibrant, youthful faces, he felt a bit sentimental. Over the past few days, he had narrowly escaped death several times, experiencing extreme danger, akin to walking a tightrope over an abyss — experiences these students could never imagine.

He pushed open the dormitory door to find Du Xin, Fei Yuan, and Yang Wei watching a movie. Hearing the commotion, they all turned to look.

"Damn, where did you disappear to without a word and without calling? We were worried sick." Du Xin suddenly yelled and lunged forward, giving Luo Chao a heavy punch.

"Sorry, things happened too suddenly. I didn't have time to say goodbye when I left." Luo Chao laughed as he took the punch, not knowing what excuse had been used to cover his absence. So, he spoke vaguely.

"But you should have let us know at least. We had no idea which hospital you were having your surgery at and couldn't visit you." Yang Wei chimed in. Luo Chao was taken aback, a strange expression on his face, "Damn it, what kind of excuse did they use to say I went to the hospital?" Luo Chao thought angrily.

"Let the big brother take a look at your behind, see if it's all cleaned up. No need to be shy, nine out of ten men have hemorrhoids, it's nothing to be embarrassed about." The straightforward Fei Yuan spoke up, giving Luo Chao a hug.

Upon hearing this, Luo Chao's face turned green. Damn, of all excuses to use, why say I was hospitalized for hemorrhoids? Couldn't they have used 'family matters' or 'stomach pain'?

Why not say aliens invaded Earth and I went to fix Superman's suit? Why not say I was having a baby at home? Of all reasons, to use 'hemorrhoids', how disgraceful.

Stammering, he said, "Uh, well, it's all healed now, I've confirmed it myself several times." Resolving internally that he wouldn't spare Old Chen's treasured antiques next time if he didn't know how many eyes were on King Wei.

"Hey? What's that in your pocket? It's moving," Fei Yuan asked curiously. Perhaps the hug with Luo Chao made the little snake uncomfortable, as it squirmed in his pocket, poking its head out.

"Damn, what's that?" Fei Yuan was startled at the sudden sight of the snake, jumping three or four meters back, grabbing the bathroom door handle as if ready to run inside.

"Where did you get a snake? Get rid of it, don't let it near me." Fei Yuan, with his bear-like build, leaned against the wall trembling, his eyes wide, his voice high and shrill. No one would have guessed that such a seemingly robust man was so terrified of snakes.

"What species of snake is this? I've never seen it before; this color is quite rare." Yang Wei leaned close to Luo Chao's chest, gazing at the little snake like an old scholar. "Judging by its appearance, it shouldn't be poisonous; it can be kept in the dormitory." Yang Wei extended a finger, gently touching the little snake's head, which remained docile under his caress. Adjusting his glasses frame, he concluded, "A cute little fellow."

"I object, strongly object, to keeping a snake in the dormitory. Are you guys crazy? Xuan Tian, get rid of it immediately; this is a protected species, and you're breaking the law." Fei Yuan's screams became shrill, like a woman's, revealing his intense phobia of snakes.

"Boss, really? This drastically affects the image I have of you." The youngest in the dormitory, Du Xin, was especially surprised by Fei Yuan's reaction. Taking the little snake from Luo Chao's pocket, he stood before Fei Yuan: "Come on, boss, touch it. The texture's smooth like a woman's thigh, just try it."

Seeing Du Xin approach with the little snake, Fei Yuan looked as if he was about to cry. He opened the bathroom door and dashed inside, slamming it shut and locking it with force.

He shoved random items into the door crack, seemingly fearing the little snake might slither in to bite him.

Once assured the seal was airtight, he shouted from inside, "Stay away from me. Xuan Tian, if you don't get rid of it, I'll cut ties with you entirely."

Luo Chao and the other two exchanged looks and then burst into laughter. "Finally, we've found something the boss fears. If he dares mess with me again, I'll throw this little snake on him. Ah..." Du Xin shrieked and threw the snake to the ground. It turned out the little snake bit him. The little thing had become quite intelligent, biting Du Xin after hearing he intended to use it as a "weapon" to scare people.

"Help me, call an ambulance! I was bitten by a snake, I might be poisoned. Quick, I'm feeling dizzy, can't hold on, I'm dying..." Du Xin yelled, collapsing on the bed pretending to be dead. "Alright, you're not Tang Monk's Flesh. Nobody would want to take a bite. I already said this snake is non-poisonous; you can tell by its round head," Yang Wei said helplessly.

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