Invincible Snake Emperor

Chapter 539: Chapter 526: Earth-Shattering Change

The air was thick with the scent of blood. Within this space, a man and a woman fell silent, each lost in their own thoughts.

Silence speaks louder than words; some things are best left unsaid.

Tu Xiao’an had already cast aside all distracting thoughts, focusing all his energy on absorbing the essence of ten thousand snakes from the Blood Pool.

His Snake King bloodline grew increasingly pure, and his physical constitution improved with each passing day.

The change was most obvious on his forehead, where the "King" mark grew increasingly radiant. The Snake Scales covering his body glistened, each one peerless, shining like the brightest stars in the sky and twinkling with brilliant light.

The Blood Pool continued to boil, bubbling violently. Gradually, the blood at the outer edges of the pool started turning into clear water, a sign that Tu Xiao’an had absorbed a significant portion of its essence.

Suddenly, a Mutation occurred in the Blood Pool. The bloody water began to surge violently. Tu Xiao’an was startled, and Luo Ziyun, pulled from her inner world, stared in amazement at the changes in the pool.

Something strange happened. A swirling mass of blood slowly began to take on a humanoid form.

Then, at a speed visible to the naked eye, the humanoid shape of blood began to solidify, transforming into the living image of a composed man in his prime. The man exuded a heroic, masculine aura. With sharp, sword-like brows and eyes as bright as stars, he had an imposing presence even without showing anger. His aura was immensely powerful.

The moment this man appeared, Tu Xiao’an’s heart skipped a beat, and his expression turned solemn. But Luo Ziyun cried out in delighted surprise, "Foster Father!"

Tears instantly streamed down her face.

’Foster Father?’ Tu Xiao’an was even more stunned. ’The man who materialized from the Blood Pool is Demon King Liu?’

’What the hell? What’s going on?’

The mysterious man’s upper body had fully materialized and looked identical to a real person, complete with flesh and blood. His lower half, however, remained submerged in the Blood Pool, making him look like a Water Ghost.

His imposing gaze swept coldly across the chamber, and the temperature seemed to drop instantly. It was an aura that inspired terror, making one unconsciously want to bow in submission and worship.

The man looked at Tu Xiao’an, then at Luo Ziyun, who was now weeping openly. In a rich, magnetic voice, he said, "Yan’Er, you’ve endured much hardship."

Luo Ziyun covered her mouth, crystalline tears rolling down her cheeks as she shook her head emphatically. "Foster Father, it was no hardship! It’s what I was supposed to do!"

"I am very pleased with this new Snake King you have found. In his hands, the Snake Race should not fare too poorly."

"It is all thanks to your wisdom, Foster Father. You used half of your Golden Core to nurture such a powerful Snake Species. The Snake Race will not fall into decline!" Luo Ziyun kept her tear-filled eyes fixed on the man, as if trying to brand his image into her mind, terrified he might vanish at any moment.

The man’s gaze finally settled on Tu Xiao’an. His eyes twinkled, as if he could see through all the illusions of the world. He said faintly, "He was not the one nurtured by my half Golden Core. But he is even more outstanding."

At these words, Luo Ziyun’s delicate frame trembled. She stared at Tu Xiao’an in the Blood Pool with disbelief, a look of utter bewilderment on her face.

Ignoring Luo Ziyun’s strange look, Tu Xiao’an kept his eyes fixed on the man who had materialized in the Blood Pool, trying to figure out what was really happening.

The man spoke with an air of nonchalance. "There’s no need to be nervous, young one. This King has long ceased to exist. This form you see is merely an echo, manifested from a single drop of my Essence Blood left in the Ten Thousand Blood Pool." He then continued, "This King has entered the Path of Reincarnation, a path of no return. The Snake Race is my only lingering concern. From now on, young one, the Snake Race is in your hands. And this King believes you will do a better job than I ever did."

Tu Xiao’an remained silent, simply nodding slightly. ’To be able to meet the one known as the most powerful Demon King in the Yaoling Mountain Range... I suppose I can count myself fortunate.’

’Just a single drop of Essence Blood can create such a phenomenon and project such an aura. There’s no doubt about it... one can only imagine how powerful Demon King Liu must have been in his prime.’

’He must have been incredibly powerful. Otherwise, he never would have reached the Rank Four of Ascension.’

’However, he walked the path of a Snake Becoming Dragon. After reaching Rank Three Peak, further progress became impossible. I, on the other hand, walk the path of Pure Snake Cultivation. Rank Three was never going to be my limit.’

"Young one, this manifestation from my Essence Blood will only last a few minutes. I can no longer contribute to the Snake Race, nor can I offer you any help. So please, accept this final drop of my Essence Blood left in the world. I trust it will be of some assistance to you."

"Foster Father, no!"

Luo Ziyun let out a sudden, sharp cry. She stood at the edge of the Blood Pool, her eyes filled with sorrow at the thought of parting.

"Foster Father, please, just stay and talk with Yan’Er a little longer!" Luo Ziyun knew that after this, she would never see this magnificent man again.

The man sighed wistfully. "Yan’Er, go and live your own life. You have already done more than enough for the Snake Race. You don’t owe me anything, and you certainly don’t owe the Snake Race anything."

"Foster Father... Foster Father... For these past five hundred years, Yan’Er has missed you so, so much."

Suddenly, she covered her face with her hands and sank to the ground, crouching. Her long eyelashes were laden with tears, as beautiful as a lotus blossom emerging from water. The tears flowed silently through the gaps between her fingers.

Her cry of "Foster Father, I’ve missed you so much" seemed to have been drawn, thread by painful thread, from the very depths of her soul. It spread throughout the blood-soaked chamber, weaving a tapestry of deep blue sorrow.

The father-daughter bond between a human and a snake was so pure and true it could move heaven and earth. It was in no way inferior to the love between any normal human father and daughter.

"Yan’Er... my Yan’Er... I also..." The man above the Blood Pool opened his mouth, but before he could finish, his entire form began to dissipate.

"Foster Father! Foster Father!" Seeing this, Luo Ziyun panicked, completely at a loss. In that moment, she was nothing more than a vulnerable woman in need of care.

Finally, the man was submerged once more in the bloody water, ceasing to exist. But in the next instant, a single, bewitching drop of Essence Blood, pulsing with power, floated up strangely from within the Ten Thousand Blood Pool.

In a flash, the drop of Essence Blood flared with brilliant light. WHOOSH...!

It streaked through the air. Tu Xiao’an was shocked as the drop of Essence Blood shot straight into the "King" mark on his forehead and vanished without a trace.

Tu Xiao’an was completely dumbfounded. He touched the "King" mark on his forehead. ’Looks like Demon King Liu decided to give me a huge gift.’

’His final drop of Essence Blood must contain immense power. If I absorb it, the benefits will surely be enormous.’

But suddenly...!

AAAAH...!

In an instant, the color drained from Tu Xiao’an’s face. He let out a bloodcurdling scream, a cry of such agony it felt as if his very insides were being torn apart.

’Pain... so much pain... It feels like my brain is splitting open!’

"Ding... An external enemy is invading. Attempting to seize the host’s body. Danger! Extreme danger!"

’What?!’

Hearing the system’s message, Tu Xiao’an couldn’t believe his ears. The words struck him like a bolt from the blue.

’Motherfucker... It seems I’ve been set up.’

Tu Xiao’an glanced out of the corner of his eye at the still-heartbroken Luo Ziyun. With no time for further thought, he slammed his eyes shut, turned his senses inward, and entered the world of his own soul.