"Martial Grandmaster Sixth Layer. Physical Strength: 630 flood dragons."
Yang Xiao smiled faintly as he assessed his newfound power.
After consuming the rest of the Greater Yang Spirit Fruits, the Heaven and Earth Origin Flame within him immediately surged to the level of a High-Tier Mid-stage Yellow Flame. Although he was still some way off from producing Origin Essence Qi a second time, it was no longer a distant prospect.
As a result, his cultivation had just managed to reach the Martial Grandmaster Sixth Layer.
And after refining the Original Purple Blood, the increase in his Physical Strength was even more terrifying, jumping by a full 330 flood dragons.
'Right now, I bet I could send a Tier Seven Martial Saint flying with a single, casual punch.'
If he used his full power, Yang Xiao was confident that the next time he encountered the Purple Blood Giant Bear Beast, he wouldn't be at a disadvantage. He could absolutely face it head-on and blast the damn thing to pieces.
'Next, it's time to head out and find the Inheritance Tower.'
It had been almost thirty days since he'd entered, which translated to three days in the outside world. He was approaching the ten-day limit Yang Tian had mentioned, leaving him only seven days. If Yang Xiao didn't pick up the pace, he was afraid he'd really be done for.
However, just as he was about to use his Void Observation Realm Spiritual Power to peer into the void and sense the outside world for the likely direction of the Inheritance Tower, his expression suddenly changed.
Immediately after, he raised his hand and snatched at the empty air.
A small, cyan snake, just over a foot long, was plucked from the void.
He had it by its vital point.
No matter how it struggled, it couldn't escape.
When he got a clear look at the little snake, Yang Xiao was taken aback. 'A Celestial Cyan Snake? A descendant of a Cyan Dragon and a Heaven-Swallowing Serpent?'
"You... How do you know?"
The moment the thought crossed his mind, a childish voice echoed within it.
At the same time, the little cyan snake in his hand actually stopped struggling.
Its pair of pale golden eyes looked at Yang Xiao with curiosity.
'As expected of a Celestial Cyan Snake, to possess such intelligence even as a juvenile.'
Yang Xiao praised it under his breath, but his expression immediately turned cold and severe. "Speak. What were you planning to do, hiding in the void like that?"
"I... I..."
The Celestial Cyan Snake stammered.
Its gaze was shifty and evasive.
Yang Xiao's expression turned colder.
The True Greater Yang Fire within him felt as if it would erupt at any moment.
"Wait, don't!"
The Celestial Cyan Snake immediately cried out.
"Then talk," Yang Xiao said.
"I, I... Alright, I'll tell you everything."
Seeing that Yang Xiao was losing his patience, the Celestial Cyan Snake threw caution to the wind and explained its purpose. "I didn't come here to offend you, sir! I came to get revenge on that big, stupid bear!"
At the mention of the Purple Blood Giant Bear Beast, the little snake's eyes filled with hatred.
Yang Xiao's expression shifted. "Oh? Interesting. Go on."
The Celestial Cyan Snake nodded its small head and began its story.
It turned out that it had originally lived with its parents on the 2nd Layer of the Northern Wilderness Sword Mansion. But one day, its playful mischief had offended an Overlord Level existence there.
This led to its parents being hunted down.
Fortunately, its parents were quite powerful.
Although they were no match for the Overlord Level being, they still managed to escape.
Using the Celestial Cyan Snake clan's innate ability to traverse the void, they fled to the 1st Layer.
Unexpectedly, however...
...not long after they arrived on the 1st Layer...
...the Little Celestial Cyan Snake's parents, already grievously wounded, were discovered by an overlord of the 1st Layer.
Another chase ensued.
It led them to the vicinity of this valley.
In the end...
...they were found by the Purple Blood Giant Bear Beast.
It slapped them to death on the spot.
Only the Little Celestial Cyan Snake, too weak and small to be noticed, managed to awaken its Talent Skill just in time. It slipped into the void and escaped the disaster.
After that, the Little Celestial Cyan Snake had been hiding in the shadows, waiting for an opportunity to ambush the Great Barbarian Bear. But with its meager strength, how was that ever going to be possible?
"Huh? Brother, where'd this little snake come from? It's pretty cute."
Yang Lin sidled over.
Yang Tian and the others had also noticed that Yang Xiao was out of his seclusion.
It was just that processing the corpse of the Purple Blood Giant Bear Beast was no easy task.
Removing its Inner Core and stripping its fur and tough hide were one thing.
That was just manual labor.
The four of them took turns at it.
It took them several hours, but they finally finished.
But refining its Essence Blood was another matter entirely.
That required skill.
Yang Tian was busy handling it by himself.
The others weren't idle, either.
They had cut off the four large bear paws and were roasting them.
A rich aroma filled the air.
Only Yang Lin was unoccupied, so when he saw Yang Xiao emerge, he ran over.
"You... why do you look just like him? You called him 'Brother,' are you two brothers? I think I sense the aura of a Qilin on you. Are you a Qilin in human form?"
Perhaps because Yang Lin had called it cute...
...the Celestial Cyan Snake was much friendlier to him than it had been to Yang Xiao.
It was also very curious.
And for some reason, Yang Lin...
...had taken an immediate liking to the little creature.
Upon hearing its questions in his mind...
...he replied smugly, "Of course I'm my brother's brother! See how much we look alike? As for being a Qilin... hehe, I'm not a full one yet, but I will be soon."
After saying that, he even transformed into his original form...
...to show off a bit.
The Little Celestial Cyan Snake stared, completely stunned.
It even grew envious. "You look like a real Qilin! Your bloodline must be very pure, right?"
"Of course it is! And let me tell you a secret..."
Seeing the two of them hitting it off like two peas in a pod...
...Yang Xiao felt a little exasperated.
And a bit of a headache.
Still, he could see that the Little Celestial Cyan Snake posed no real threat.
So he let it go.
Once released, the creature surprisingly didn't flee.
It just stayed there, listening to Yang Lin's boasting. This delighted Yang Lin, a natural show-off who loved to brag, to no end.
Ever since his rebirth, no one had ever looked at him with such an adoring expression.
What's more...
...for some reason...
...he had felt a sense of kinship the moment he saw the Little Celestial Cyan Snake.
So naturally, he was overjoyed.
Yang Xiao paid them no mind.
He closed his eyes...
...and began to carefully sense his surroundings.
His Spiritual Power had reached the Void Observation Realm, giving him a certain sensitivity to the void itself, allowing him to vaguely perceive existing things.
For instance, he had sensed the Purple Blood Giant Bear Beast from dozens of li away.
Yang Xiao hadn't needed a spiritual scan; he had found it just by sensing through the void.
Now, he was using this same method...
...to sense the presence of the Inheritance Tower.
However, as he scanned his surroundings, he detected numerous powerful Barbaric Beasts. Many were no weaker than the Purple Blood Giant Bear Beast, and there were even quite a few that were stronger.
But as for the Inheritance Tower...
...there was no sign of it.
Just as Yang Xiao was growing frustrated and planning to head out to investigate in person...
...the faint, timid voice of the Celestial Cyan Snake sounded in his mind.
"Um... actually... I know a place. It might have the Inheritance Tower you're looking for. And... there's a Desolate Divine Fruit Tree there, too."
As soon as it said this...
...Yang Xiao's eyes lit up.
He looked over at the snake.