43: Chapter 43 The Crisis of the Green Snake

"So, so that's how it is."

After confirming it wasn't the ghost he feared most, Xu Qing breathed a sigh of relief.

In the future, he would have to learn a few skills targeting ghosts for self-defense.

This Cultivation World should have some.

As everyone knows, all fear stems from a lack of firepower.

"Lightning Tribulation?"

"That Lightning Tribulation just now was yours?"

"Do you have any sense of public morality? You undergo a tribulation without putting up a sign, warning that it's a high-lightning area and forbidding flying!"

Looking at his pitch-black scales, Xu Qing was incredibly angry.

He hadn't done anything, yet he was caught in the crossfire of this heaven and earth spiritual root's tribulation.

"How should I know why that Lightning Tribulation struck you?"

"Logically speaking, the Lightning Tribulation shouldn't mistake a heaven and earth spiritual root."

The Female Child muttered, sounding a bit uncertain herself.

This tribulation was indeed bizarre.

Xu Qing's heart tightened. A heaven and earth spiritual root Undergoing Tribulation...

The Resurrection Green Snake's flesh and blood were comparable to a living heaven and earth spiritual root; surely the Lightning Tribulation didn't mistake him because of that?

What kind of professional competence was this for a Lightning Tribulation? It's practically like a bank staff— can't say it.

"Anyway, you have to find a way to return a Lightning Tribulation to me."

The Female Child spread her hands and spoke.

"How am I supposed to return it? Ask the Heavens?"

"Does the Cultivation World's Heavenly Dao have a Lightning Tribulation complaint hotline?"

Xu Qing had no time to worry about this heaven and earth spiritual root.

Of course, he was slightly tempted by the heaven and earth spiritual root's body.

But he knew better than anyone.

Both humans and Yao were here for this thing. If he dared to lay a finger on it, he'd definitely never make it out of the Monster Beast Mountain Range alive.

Moreover, this Spiritual Root was only a Spiritual Manifestation; its main body was hidden somewhere unknown.

"What complaint what hotline?"

"This Tree Spirit doesn't care about those. Do you know how the Human Race and Yao Race locate a heaven and earth spiritual root?"

The Female Child wore an angelically cute smile, waiting for Xu Qing to ask.

Xu Qing ignored her completely and turned to slither away.

"You Silly Snake, you're so infuriating!"

"They locate them through the aura of the Lightning Tribulation."

"So, since you blocked the Lightning Tribulation for me... they should have located you by now."

Xu Qing's body jolted, and his scales almost stood on end.

In his current charred, black state, no one would even believe he was the Resurrection Green Snake.

If he were hunted down, he might be suppressed and killed before he even got a chance to surrender.

"The aura of the Lightning Tribulation!"

"Don't you have a method for Concealment? Are you just willing to be caught by humans or Yao Beasts?"

Xu Qing asked urgently.

"...Why should I resist?"

"In the wild, there's no Spiritual Water, the Spiritual Qi is thin, and the soil is barren."

"Sometimes there are even bugs crawling around."

"Whether I'm caught by humans or Yao Beasts, won't I be served with Spiritual Water and Spiritual Fertilizer? And someone will even help me catch the bugs."

"It's a paradise of ultimate bliss. I've long wanted to undergo the tribulation and transform into a heaven and earth spiritual root to enjoy myself."

This is bad, this is bad. This tree has already given up and started 'rotting'.

Do all heaven and earth spiritual roots think like this? No wonder wild ones are usually never seen.

He suspected the reason the information about the heaven and earth spiritual root leaked out was intentional on this tree's part.

"Is it the aura of the Lightning Tribulation that caused me to turn this color?"

Since his life was at stake, Xu Qing asked urgently.

"Yes, and no."

The Female Child shook her head back and forth, looking quite adorable.

"When I reach Perfection in the Great Dao in the future, I will slaughter all the riddlers in the world!"

Xu Qing was anxious.

Maybe in the next second, a group of burly men would burst into his home, and he'd be covered in 'burly men'—sweat.

"Please teach me, Senior Sister Tree."

The Tree Spirit panted with excitement. This was the first time since she was born that someone had called her that; it felt wonderful.

"Ahem, listen well, Snake Snake."

The Tree Spirit floated down onto Xu Qing's head and sat down with her legs tucked.

"Although you attracted the Lightning Tribulation, it wasn't triggered by you after all, and you aren't a heaven and earth spiritual root."

"Therefore, you have no way to absorb the Spiritual Root transformation power within it."

"This power and the aura of the Lightning Tribulation will accumulate in your body, tainting your spiritual power and flesh."

The Tree Spirit swung her feet on the snake's head, acting like an older sister.

"Then does Senior Sister Tree have a way to solve this?"

Xu Qing silently made a note in his mental ledger.

The Tree Spirit had been frolicking on his head for quite a while.

In the future, he would definitely hang her on a branch for three days.

—The Green Snake's Chronicles.

"You just need to transfer the Lightning Tribulation aura to me."

"However, you need to be near my main body to transfer it. During this time, I need to prepare, so I won't be able to contact you."

"It was already quite a strain for this Spiritual Manifestation to leave the main body this far."

"See you later. Once I'm ready, I'll find you. Take this fruit pit."

The Female Child flashed into the stone wall and vanished.

A jade-white fruit pit fell in front of Xu Qing.

"Hey, hey, hey! How long is 'a while'?!"

Xu Qing quickly shouted at the stone wall.

There was no response.

Xu Qing's face turned black... funny, it was already black.

The entire Monster Beast Mountain Range would be tracking him, and then hunting him down.

They wouldn't listen to his explanations.

And he had no way to actively contact the Tree Spirit to have her come out and clear his name.

"Aaaah, a desperate situation!"

"..."

After despairing for a moment, Xu Qing pulled himself together.

Because if he didn't, others would be coming to his home with blades.

His Concealment level had only recently reached lv3; the possibility of stopping the tracking wasn't very high.

At the same time, he couldn't leave the Monster Beast Mountain Range.

Once located, fleeing the Monster Beast Mountain Range would be useless.

Instead, he would lose the method to get rid of the Lightning Tribulation aura and completely become a turtle in a jar.

For now, he could only maneuver between the humans and the Yao Race in the Monster Beast Mountain Range, looking for opportunities and waiting for the Tree Spirit to finish her preparations to take away the Lightning Tribulation aura.

As for the combat power he currently possessed...

There was only himself, Silly Snake, and his cheap Junior Sister.

The icy woman could be counted too.

Since she'd been kidnapped back anyway, he naturally had to maximize the use of resources.

He'd have Silly Snake plant some Snake Venom in her, and only after everything was completely over would he remove it and grant her freedom.

How heartless.

What use did a green snake have for a heart? It wasn't even edible.

Xu Qing no longer had any choices left. The only thing he regretted now...

Was that he was an absolute idiot for flying so high to show off earlier.

The result was that his showing off got him struck by lightning.

He had clearly said before that as a snake, he couldn't fly high, couldn't fly high—he had to fly at low altitudes!

Then he turned around and ignored his own rule.

It was just like playing a certain game; after dying once, he'd swear not to play recklessly anymore.

But as soon as he saw an enemy with low health, he'd get impulsive, rush in, and then get ganged up on.

"Silly Snake, Junior Sister Sword."

"We're in trouble."

Xu Qing recounted the situation. Silly Snake probably didn't understand, and Xu Linger gave Xu Qing a look like she was looking at an idiot.

"Please remove the 'we'. You're the one in trouble, not me."

Seeing things were going south, Xu Linger wanted to slip away.

She even wanted to take Silly Snake with her. This Silly Snake was bullied every day; she couldn't stand to watch it anymore.

She couldn't let this green snake continue his path of destruction.

But Silly Snake flicked his tail and stood firmly behind Xu Qing.

The green snake had said not to run off with people he wasn't familiar with.

Xu Qing's heart felt warm. He decided to add some more 'seasoning' to Silly Snake's Frog—meaning spirit opening pills.

"Senior Sister Sword, you are my dearest friend, my brother in arms!"

Xu Qing couldn't let his star fighter leave like this.

"When there's trouble, it's 'Senior Sister Sword'; when there isn't, it's 'icy woman'. Green snake, I've seen through you."

"You have to pay more."

The star fighter spoke.

Xu Qing's heart felt warm again.

There is true sentiment in the world after all; Junior Sister Sword still loved him, staying behind despite the life-threatening danger.

It was just hard on him; he'd have to sell his body again.