181: Chapter 181 Green Snake is discriminated against by its own kind

"Maybe they just forgot about the Niangniang."

Elder Li said so.

"...Just, forgot?"

Xu Qing didn't remember his presence being that low lately.

"We set off in a few days."

"During this time, I'll share some insights on how to Cultivate with the Niangniang."

"Haven't you always wanted to learn the Decree Transformation Technique?"

Elder Li smiled just like the angel from their first meeting that year.

Sure enough, his granddaughter still hadn't forgotten him, her grandfather.

At the mountain peak.

The clouds and mist were ethereal, providing a view where all other mountains appeared small.

Beneath a sturdy pine, beside a rocky hill.

At the stone table and benches, Elder Li rose, smoothing his sleeves as he attended to the tea.

The fresh fragrance of the tea wafted through the air.

A bird, catching the scent, landed on the pine tree and began grooming its feathers with its beak.

"The so-called Decree Transformation Technique uses the three breaths of heaven and earth as its source to condense the decree..."

Elder Li spoke, slowly explaining.

The sounds of the Dao echoed.

Xu Qing listened intently with perked ears, immediately asking whenever there was something he didn't understand.

And Elder Li would patiently clear up Xu Qing's confusion.

"That is the Decree Transformation Technique."

"Although this technique is wondrous, it also has many restrictions."

"It has extremely high requirements for both the caster and the Spiritual Artifact being used."

"Transformation is divided into three Realms."

"Namely, the Beast Form Decree."

"The Half-Human Decree."

"And the Human Form Decree."

As Elder Li spoke, he summoned his twin blades.

The twin blades split into two and circled around Elder Li for a while.

"Decree, Transformation!"

Elder Li's hands formed seals as he softly uttered the decree.

The twin blades vibrated incessantly under the decree before transforming into two white cranes standing on one leg.

"This is the Beast Form."

After Elder Li finished speaking, his hand seals changed again.

The two cranes glowed with white light, their white feathers flowing as they transformed into two girls in white dresses.

However, their arms were still white wings, and their legs were crane feet.

"This is the Half-Human form."

The hand seals changed once more.

The twin blades completely transformed into human forms.

Xu Qing watched without blinking.

"Sister, that green snake keeps staring at us."

"Little sister, it's fine; it's just because we are as beautiful as our Master."

The twin blades didn't put on any airs despite being ranked twenty-seventh on the spirit artifact ranking list.

"Next, it's your turn to try."

Elder Li said to Xu Qing.

Xu Qing nodded and flipped his hand to take out the Xiliang Sword.

"Decree, let this sword transform!"

Xu Qing's hands formed seals as he lightly tapped the Xiliang Sword.

The latter vibrated for a moment but showed no reaction.

Xu Qing was not discouraged and began circulating his Demonic Qi again.

"Decree, I decree this sword to transform!"

Despite the consumption of Demonic Power, the Xiliang Sword still didn't react.

Elder Li, watching the show from the side, took a sip of tea and looked on leisurely.

The Decree Transformation Technique was not that easy to learn.

Moreover, this move was a Divine Ability prepared for a Nascent Soul Cultivator; with Xu Qing only having the Dao Cultivation of a Golden Core, wanting to successfully Cultivate it was even more difficult.

"I have taught you the Divine Ability."

"Whether you can learn it depends on your own Comprehension Ability."

And so, as Xu Qing practiced time and time again, time slowly slipped away.

It wasn't until they were about to head to the Hundred Treasures Court Assembly that Xu Qing finally succeeded once.

The Xiliang Sword, transformed into a green snake, rubbed its head against Xu Qing's palm, looking full of spirituality.

"I'm afraid I can only succeed once out of every ten attempts."

"And it's only the most basic Beast Form."

Xu Qing stroked xi liang's head and deactivated the Transformation.

The green snake returned to its sword form, floating by Xu Qing's side with its blade aura restrained.

"It's time to set off."

Elder Li's voice rang out.

Xu Qing nodded.

Then, the two of them tacitly followed one another, casting their Escape Lights and soaring into the sky.

"Wait a second, do you know where the Hundred Treasures Court Assembly is being held?"

After Flight for some distance, Xu Qing suddenly asked.

After all, he didn't have an invitation letter, and Elder Li's invitation letter was full of pleasantries without clearly marking the location of the event.

"...I thought you knew."

Xu Qing was stunned.

He didn't even have an invitation letter, how the hell would he know.

"Elder Li, I was following your lead."

"...I was following yours."

Now, both sides were feeling awkward.

"It's fine, I'll use the Thousand-Mile Sound Transmission technique to ask."

Elder Li waved his hand and spoke nonchalantly.

His hands formed seals.

There was a moment of silence.

"Hello, is this Master Li?"

"Mhm, mhm, it's been a long time. Have you eaten yet?"

"I just ate. I've left the Xuanyun Sect and wanted to ask you something."

"Where is this year's Hundred Treasures Court Assembly being held?"

"Oh, the Kunlun Mountains? Got it. Then I'll hang up now, see you."

"..."

Xu Qing, who was listening to Elder Li perform the Sound Transmission Art from the side, fell into deep thought.

This is called Sound Transmission?

This is way too damn down-to-earth.

It's completely different from the ethereal Immortal Qi he had imagined!

Give me back my fantasies!

"I've found out."

"It's at the Kunlun Mountains."

Elder Li turned back and gave a thumbs up, speaking proudly.

"Ahem, Elder Li, do you think I can learn this Thousand-Mile Sound Transmission technique?"

Xu Qing asked shamelessly.

"Once you reach that level of Dao Cultivation, you'll naturally know it."

"There's no need to learn it; it's just a basic Divine Ability."

Elder Li shook his head.

This green snake was simply too eager to learn.

He had already taught the Dharma Idol technique and the Decree Transformation Technique.

He had to keep a few unique, ace-in-the-hole Divine Abilities for himself to maintain his prestige.

The two of them flew all the way north.

The Kunlun Mountains.

Located at the northernmost tip of the Xia Dynasty, it was a high mountain range that served as the border between the Xia Dynasty and the northern Kui Clan.

Among the Three Great—now Four Great Immortal Herbs with Xu Qing's green snake wine—the Northern Kunlun Ice Mountain Snow Lotus came from the Kunlun Mountains.

Currently, atop the Kunlun Mountains.

The Xia Dynasty Artifact Refining Association had already prepared the venue.

Besides various Artifact Refining facilities, residences, and appraisal devices...

There were also arenas.

The arenas were very large, very hard, and protected by sturdy Formations.

The purpose was to allow those dissatisfied with the rankings to take their participating Spiritual Artifacts up there and have a fight.

Whoever won would be ranked higher.

Very reasonable.

After all, rankings were inherently subjective things.

Every year, people would fight to the death over them.

Although this Hundred Treasures Court Assembly also had sponsorships from the Imperial Court of the Monster Beast Mountain Range and the East Sea Dragon Court...

Yao Beast Artifact Refiners were, after all, quite rare.

So most of those gathered at the Kunlun Mountains right now were of the Human Race...

By this time, Xu Qing and Elder Li had already arrived at the Kunlun Mountains and descended from their Escape Lights.

"For this session, the Xia Dynasty Artifact Refining Association will provide Ice Soul Spirit Pills for free; participants may collect them at no cost."

"They're being quite generous, aren't they?"

Xu Qing couldn't help but say as he looked at the slogan on the stand.

Then he approached the stand.

Behind the stand stood two fox-demon girls with an air of fox-like charm, their fox tails displayed quite openly.

'Using fox-demon girls as service staff, this year's Artifact Refining Association really knows their audience,'

Xu Qing couldn't help but think.

"Are there any Ice Soul Spirit Pills left?"

The two fox girls looked up after hearing him and saw Xu Qing's snake tail.

Then they waved him off dismissively, not even looking Xu Qing in the eye.

"No more, they've all been handed out."

After saying that, they lowered their heads again; their service attitude was very poor.

Xu Qing didn't bother to argue and turned to leave.

At that moment, a Golden Core human Cultivator with no Yao Race features approached.

The two Fox Spirits immediately perked up their ears, wagged their tails, and began posing provocatively.

"My lord, here is the Ice Soul Spirit Pill."

"This is a Spirit Pill of superior quality, packed in a special mechanical box. You have to do this, and then that, to open it!"

The Fox Spirits crowded around the human Cultivator, looking as if they were practically throwing themselves at him as they gave him a hand-in-hand tutorial.

Xu Qing: ...?

Didn't you just say there were no more?

Aren't the Yao Race supposed to not lie to their own kind?