One of his master's wisdoms about eliminating cultivators was simple. Most cultivators did not like being insulted, underestimated, or offended. For a snake, baring his fangs at a cultivator was all three. It was hard to understand how hot-tempered cultivators were, considering their long lifespans and the patience required for cultivation.

"He was so polite, even when I stood defiantly before him," Emerald Fang added.

"A cultivator of that nature is rare. Was he an old cultivator?"

"No, he was young. I believe he is a disciple of the Purple Moon Sect. My previous assignment involved a fox named Emerald Fox, guarding five pills it intended to consume later. It appeared this disciple sought to acquire those pills."

Emerald Fox had been unpleasant, and that bothersome moss had also posed a threat, even to him. When Emerald Fang sensed their deaths, he couldn't suppress a happy chuckle. After all, despite his obedience, Emerald Fang, too, harbored resentment.

"A young, polite, and strong cultivator, I gather," his master chuckled. "He is indeed rare. Did you learn his name?"

"I did not, but I can check if you want."

"No need. If he is as polite as you describe, I will recognize him when we meet. And I will meet him if he is a talented genius. When that occurs, he will likely meet his end." His master chuckled, and Emerald Fang nodded in agreement.

Emerald Fang had dispatched hundreds of cultivators in a decade, but his master operated on a different scale entirely. His master's actions had eradicated two clans and a medium-sized sect, resulting in thousands of casualties, all without so much as a drop of blood staining his hands. It was incomprehensible to Emerald Fang, and he often wondered why this man didn't consider himself superior to everyone else.

"Alright, Emerald Fang. Our conversation has extended too long. I must return to work. The Verdant Mountains Sect is a demanding employer, and I will face punishment if I fail to meet my quota."

"Master, considering how advanced this cultivator society is, why do they still rely on manual labor? Surely, they could devise a formation for automated rice harvesting?"

"Well, I believe it stems from the simple notion that mortals are deemed inferior to cultivators, and manual labor is significantly cheaper than array formations." His master chuckled. "I will terminate the connection now. Take care, Emerald Fang, and I hope we can reunite soon. I miss you and your brothers."

Hearing his master's words, Emerald Fang smiled contentedly. "Yes, master."

His master severed the connection, and excitement surged through Emerald Fang's serpentine heart. To him and his brothers, their master's wish was an absolute command, but instead of treating them as mere tools, their master regarded them as family. Emerald Fang didn't dare think of himself as anything more than a servant, but the heart was fickle, always yearning for something more.

"Alright, I believe we need to be more diligent," Emerald Fang declared, and his kin voiced their agreement.

They needed to eliminate as many young and talented cultivators as possible, and he would pursue this goal even if the entire world opposed him. His master's wish was paramount, and since his master desired this world for himself, Emerald Fang and his brothers would ensure no one could impede his path. Everyone in this world should kneel before his master, treat him with politeness, offer him love, and serve him like an obedient slave.

"Are you all hungry?"

His kin conveyed their approval. While Emerald Fang, being a spirit beast, could fast for years, his kin were ordinary snakes and required sustenance periodically. Nevertheless, the pleasure of eating was something he never wanted to forgo, and even if he became an immortal and no longer needed sustenance, he would still wish to eat daily.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

"I heard there's a small village nearby. Let's pay them a visit and make them our meal."

As he spoke, he also issued a mental command to ensure his kin did not consume his preferred food. While some expressed disappointment, Emerald Fang remained firm. After all, babies and tender meat from children under five were his most coveted delicacy.

***

"And this is the last one!" Liu Xing shouted, picking the third Diamond Pill from a small river crab's pincer. The crab, tiny and mud-colored, moved aggressively toward Liu Xing with its pincers, as if he had just stolen candy from a child seeking retribution.

Liu Xing ignored the crab's attempts to pinch his calf and smiled as he caressed the third pill.

With this, he had finally succeeded in acquiring all the valuable treasures from Second Grey Cloud City. He hadn't obtained the Red Wings of Stability and had nearly died fighting two abnormally strong spirit beasts, but ultimately, he had harvested three beast cores and two treasures that would aid him in winning this competition and finally becoming an inner disciple.

Placing the last pill into his spatial bag, Liu Xing surveyed his surroundings. He stood beside a small, shallow river. It was so narrow he could step across it in a single stride, and the water was so cool and refreshing that Liu Xing couldn't resist washing his face and body.

"I miss my robe," Liu Xing muttered after cleaning himself.

Following his fight with the inverted triangle beast, he was half-naked. Since there were no more treasures of interest to him in this city, he needed to depart, but he could at least stop by a clothing shop to avoid traveling with his upper body exposed. Liu Xing decided to walk slowly alongside the small river. The crab that had tried to attack him relented and retreated into the clear water.

As he walked, he rotated his arms like windmills, attempting to stretch them. The battles with the fox and the moss had been exhausting. Even though he had absorbed the beast cores from the moss, and his qi was replenished, his body still felt stiff, as if he had awakened from an uncomfortable sleeping position. Liu Xing sensed this stiffness would soon dissipate, but he decided to proceed at a leisurely pace for the moment.

He retrieved his token from the spatial bag and checked his next destination. The next city he needed to visit remained within the Twelve Sun Empire. Liu Xing attempted to memorize the four most valuable treasures that could further enhance his strength, and after committing the information about these four treasures to memory, Liu Xing intended to return the token to his spatial bag but reconsidered.

Besides the list of treasures, there was a leaderboard that ranked disciples based on the number of treasures they had collected. He was curious whether the leaderboard was still empty.

Changing the interface, Liu Xing found himself looking at a simple list. The numbers descended from one to one hundred, with names occupying the top ten slots. The rest of the list, from eleven to one hundred, remained blank.

Seeing this, Liu Xing scanned the names on the list, and when he did not find his name, he stopped walking. His heart abruptly beat faster, and anxiety spread from his stomach throughout his body. There was no possibility he wasn't in the top ten. He already possessed the Flute of Serenity, Thunderstrike Gauntlets, Red Lotus Staff, Ethereal Pearl, and Diamond Pills. Not to mention, the Diamond Pills were guarded by a Core Splitting cultivator, an obstacle likely insurmountable for most outer disciples in the Lock Opening realm. There was simply no way Liu Xing wasn't in the top three, let alone absent from the top ten.

Liu Xing scanned the names one by one and quickly felt foolish for jumping to conclusions. Beside each disciple's name was the number of treasures they had obtained. The number one spot only listed two treasures, while the rest had only one.

It appeared this leaderboard didn't count treasures that hadn't been submitted to the sect yet, which was reasonable given that disciples could lose their treasures. Still, this leaderboard seemed rather pointless now, as these ten disciples had probably returned to the sect immediately after acquiring one or two treasures.

As Liu Xing resumed walking, he considered that it would be preferable if there was another leaderboard. One that displayed which disciples held the most treasures but had not yet returned to the sect. He knew there was a hidden wiki within this interface, so perhaps the leaderboard contained other interesting features as well.

Liu Xing directed his qi toward the interface, willing it to reveal its hidden functionalities. But even after a minute of effort, he did not access the leaderboard he desired. However, he could now access information about the treasures those ten disciples had submitted to the sect, and he realized they were all herbs.

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