Chapter 35: Blood Refining, Transformation of Dragon and Serpent

Night fell. Ji Ming crawled out through the crack in the door and made his way to a pile of mountain rocks. Climbing steadily upward, he lifted his head and drew in the moon’s spiritual radiance. The energy entered his body, soaking through his shell. He wondered, as he had many times before, when he might finally cultivate himself into a true spirit creature.

“Should I try gathering essence like I did in my previous life?” The thought came swiftly, but Ji Ming soon dismissed it. Gathering essence was not impossible, but the laws of the human world were strict, and such matters required careful consideration.

After his practice, his thoughts returned once more to the “Diagram of Unlocking Talismans.” If his memory served, Grandmaster Bo Ni at the old temple had mentioned that this diagram was the core of the Daoist examination for the mountain folk. If he could obtain that book of talisman diagrams, learn the Scorpion Heart Ritual unique to Panhu Great Mountain, and gain firsthand experience, then once he returned to human form, becoming a Daoist of Taiping Mountain would be twice as easy.

The Diagram of Unlocking Talismans was unlike anything he had learned before—it was the first step for mortals who sought the Dao in the later generations. Over these three days, cultivators had advanced along the great path, and a mature system had emerged. Talismans, rituals, pills, secret arts—all seemed to interlock in a mysterious cycle, and Ji Ming wondered what other discoveries the future might hold for him. Yet he looked forward to it.

“Hmm?” Suddenly, atop the rocks, Ji Ming closed his mouthparts, turned his head, and gazed into a certain patch of darkness. From within the grass, two streaks of crimson flickered and shifted, watching his every move.

“Serpent spirit!” Ji Ming thought. The same hostile serpent scent he’d detected on Yu Xiao came from the serpent spirit that had been cultivated for over a decade.

“Hiss~” “Sss~” Realizing Ji Ming had noticed them, the crimson shapes emitted two distinctly different hissing sounds.

When the clouds parted, revealing the cold moonlight, the two streaks of red finally emerged from the darkness: two crimson-scaled serpent heads sharing a single body. Under the moon, the heads rose high, their pure red scales gleaming like fragments of fiery jade embedded in their flesh.

The serpent’s body shifted, both heads pointed toward the path home. Ji Ming understood—they’d come because it was time for Yu Xiao to practice his “Colorful Cloud Venomous Hand.” Yu Xiao needed his cooperation for this secret cultivation.

Under the gaze of the twin-headed serpent, Ji Ming descended from the rocks and returned home. As one of the stronger, more cautious practitioners of the Left-Hand Path, being a centipede spirit had its advantages—but the drawbacks were equally apparent. The overwhelming urge for control that accompanied power was gradually destroying Ji Ming’s freedom.

He could understand. If he were in Yu Xiao’s position, having gained a centipede spirit with great potential, he would not want it out of his sight for a moment. As the master, Yu Xiao had the right to command every aspect of its existence—even its life.

This was one of the main reasons Ji Ming considered Lady Zhang as an alternative. Compared to Yu Xiao, Lady Zhang acted righteously, lacked the innate male drive for dominance, and possessed a childlike sincerity—making her easier to cooperate with and easier to manipulate. Her only drawback was her short time in the Dao; her resources, cultivation, and knowledge lagged far behind Yu Xiao. It would be years before she could nurture him properly.

Yet, obtaining Daoist books from her was much easier and safer than from Yu Xiao. This was why Ji Ming planned to offer her some benefits to gain her trust. As for revealing his previous life to deepen her loyalty, he wasn’t foolish enough to expose his greatest secret.

The old saying goes, “To live well, plan early.” In this fourth life, the cruelty of cultivation was beginning to show itself—especially within the Left-Hand Path. The carefree transcendence he had once enjoyed would have to wait.

Still, Ji Ming believed that composure would return soon. To reverse roles with Yu Xiao was not impossible. For now, Yu Xiao tolerated him and granted him freedom because the nurturance period was too short for him to command the centipede spirit as he wished—so he sought to win favor.

Under the moon, Yu Xiao sat cross-legged in the corridor with eyes closed. Above his head, three streams of energy rose one after another, marking the completion of the Three Flowers atop his crown.

“He’s here!” Without opening his eyes, Yu Xiao smiled at the serpent and centipede spirits. “Quick, I’ve just taken the Five Immortal Pill and infused myself with venom. Let it enter my flesh and aid my practice.”

The twin-headed serpent darted forward, pressing against Yu Xiao’s back. Its two mouths opened wide, left and right, each biting a shoulder and injecting venom.

Yu Xiao had long developed resistance to his serpent spirit’s venom. He turned his hands, channeling the poison along his arms and into his palms, where it gathered in the “Corpse Heart Spot.”

The second stage of the Colorful Cloud Venomous Hand involved swallowing the Five Immortal Pill and binding its five poisons within the palms. Over time, the secret art would manifest as a corpse heart spot in the palm.

But of the five immortal poisons, the scorpion and centipede venoms were hardest to obtain, making the pill rare. To hasten mastery, the practitioners of Panhu Great Mountain devised the method of injecting poison directly into the body.

The toxins were fierce, especially the five immortal variants. Even with secret arts to refine and neutralize the poison, ordinary people dared not attempt it. A single misstep, and the poison would invade the organs, leading to death and the destruction of the Dao, irreparable within three days.

Yet Yu Xiao dared—without a hint of hesitation. He was naturally capable of ruthless self-discipline, and even harsher when dealing with others.

Ji Ming shivered as he watched from the side. When Yu Xiao summoned him again, Ji Ming snapped to attention, shrank to a fraction of his size, and burrowed into Yu Xiao’s palm.

Yu Xiao held his hand before him, activating the secret art. Ji Ming remained still within the flesh, feeling his own poison being drawn out—one of his values as a centipede spirit was providing safe venom for practice.

After the cultivation session, Ji Ming received much vital energy in return. Yu Xiao stroked the iron-backed centipede through his skin and asked, “Good centipede, why don’t you drink the venomous blood in my palm? It’s your greatest supplement. Have you forgotten what I told you? Transforming strange poisons for your own use is worth a hundred times more than absorbing spiritual energy.”

Ji Ming abstained not out of unwillingness, but fear. He knew well that the key to raising the Five Immortal Spirits lay in blood refinement—especially the venomous blood in the palm. If a poisonous creature consumed it long enough, it would be perfectly obedient.

Yu Xiao noticed Ji Ming’s reluctance, but suspected only unfamiliarity. Ji Ming had grown up under his watchful eye, and no matter how hard Yu Xiao thought, he would never guess that the centipede spirit was born with innate wisdom.

In the days that followed, Yu Xiao continued instructing Lady Zhang, but only on the “Essence Flower” stage she’d managed to unlock herself. The later stages of energy and spirit flowers were untouched.

This was something Ji Ming admired in Yu Xiao. Though Lady Zhang was weak and new to the Dao, posing no threat, Yu Xiao still kept his guard.

During these days of instruction, Yu Xiao used Ji Ming’s venom for practice and prepared to invest more resources in him. He believed that the iron-backed centipede’s reluctance to drink palm blood was due to missing the optimal nurturing period in its youth. The solution: increase the feeding intensity for a successful blood refinement.

When Ji Ming learned of Yu Xiao’s grand plans, he was delighted but kept his composure, remaining as distant as ever. He knew… his reward had finally arrived.

Six months confined in the cauldron, enduring darkness; squeezed into the palm’s flesh, his poison drawn for practice; playing the fool, never revealing too much intelligence—all for this moment.

A true gentleman must possess the transformations of dragon and serpent—before rising as a dragon, he must humble himself among the weeds, biding his time, never resentful in defeat. When the moment comes, he soars ten thousand miles, roaming the heavens, proud but not rash.

Though Ji Ming’s heart surged, he acted more steady and cautious than ever.

Venom from the twin-headed serpent spirit, spirit poison preserved for years, serums from the Green-Blooded Witch and Toad Immortal, poisonous herbs bestowed by the sect, and countless rare toxins—all were fed to Ji Ming.

In just a few weeks, Yu Xiao had spent half his wealth on this feeding. Ji Ming molted several times after these meals. His stubborn insect body finally began to loosen and break down—the passage between his bones and tongue gradually cleared.

Now, Ji Ming could finally call himself a centipede spirit.

Compared to his previous life, even before he could take on human form, the spiritual energy in his body was much more solid—like one born with tenfold strength, while another managed only three.

As Ji Ming enjoyed these days of easy gains, Yu Xiao began to grow anxious. The centipede’s untrainable nature tested his patience, but the massive investment and Ji Ming’s apparent affection left him hopeful.

He felt as though he was being led on—strung along by a mere insect. Helpless, he could only endure, adapting to this centipede spirit that would not submit to blood refinement or forced control.

He sensed, vaguely, that something imperceptible in their relationship… had shifted.