Chapter 1: The New "Tale of the Snake Catcher"

In the wilds of Yongzhou, there exists a strange snake with a black body and white markings. Any plants or trees it touches wither and die, and it bites people without anyone able to stop it.

At this point, Liu Zongyuan put down his brush and sighed. He walked to the window and murmured, “The hardships of life, the cruelty of oppressive governance—it is fiercer than even this venomous snake! From the fourteenth year of the Tianbao era until now, the nation has decayed, and even strange snakes roam unchecked in the villages!”

In the fourteenth year of Tianbao, the Da Sheng Da Ming Xiao Emperor of the Zhi Dao era finally became incompetent. The King of Dongping raised a rebellion, and the once-glorious empire fell overnight. Although the rebellion was eventually suppressed, years of war followed. Warlords carved up the land, and the flourishing times of the past were never restored.

Since then, the land of China has been plagued by demons and spirits. Evil forces spread, and the court is dominated by treacherous officials and eunuchs. Men of ambition, like Liu Zongyuan, were often exiled to remote, impoverished areas, unable to fulfill their grand aspirations.

Just as Liu Zongyuan was lost in thought, a fierce black wind suddenly howled outside. A massive snake with black and white rings surged from the drainage ditch and rushed into the street. Wherever it passed, the grass and trees rapidly withered!

It was the very snake he had written about—extremely venomous!

However, this snake was enormous, over thirty feet long. With a sweep of its tail, houses collapsed, and when it opened its mouth, a toxic mist spread out.

The people on the street screamed in terror, fleeing for their lives without stopping.

At the street corner, a plump white pig was gnawing on cabbage. It didn’t have time to escape, and after inhaling just one breath of the poisonous mist, its legs kicked out, and it died instantly!

Suddenly, a ragged young boy dashed out from behind. He threw a punch, and the force of his fist was like a gust of wind, blowing the toxic mist away with a loud whoosh.

The giant snake was terrified and tried to flee, but the boy quickly chased it down. Left with no choice, the snake turned to fight, only to be kicked in the jaw by the boy.

The snake spun through the air, and the boy swiftly moved forward. Leaping into the air, his ten fingers danced, repeatedly striking the snake's spine.

A series of cracking sounds echoed, like firecrackers going off. Everywhere the boy’s fingers touched, the snake’s bones and muscles dislocated.

In just a few moments, the boy had struck from the snake's head to its tail, dislocating every bone in the snake’s body, leaving it paralyzed and unable to move!

The townspeople, seeing this, cheered loudly, shouting, “Xiao Ying! What skill!”

The boy’s name was Xu Ying. His limbs were long and slender, and his fingers were delicate and nimble, though his skin was tanned from years of working under the sun.

He was a renowned snake catcher from Lingling County in Yongzhou. Though only fourteen years old, he had mastered his craft.

Xu Ying grabbed the snake’s tail and was about to leave when Liu Zongyuan stepped out and called to him, asking, “Xu Ying, what do you catch snakes for?”

Xu Ying stopped, recognizing the magistrate of Yongzhou, Liu Zongyuan, and quickly saluted. “Master Liu, after the snake is rendered into wax, it can be used as medicine. It cures severe ailments, cramps, and sores, restores dead flesh, and kills parasites. The governor said that whoever catches these snakes would be exempt from taxes.”

Liu Zongyuan smiled and said, “That’s great!”

Xu Ying’s expression darkened. “My grandfather was a snake catcher. He died from catching snakes. My father was also a snake catcher, and he too died from catching snakes. I’ve been studying the art of snake catching with my father for six years now. I’m afraid that one day, I too will die because of this.”

Liu Zongyuan’s heart softened with compassion. He said, “I am good friends with the governor. I can ask him to exempt you from this duty and restore your taxes.”

At these words, the snake suddenly spoke with a human voice, saying, “Well said, Master Liu! Xu Ying, I have trained for many years. Let me go, and you can pay your taxes while I continue to cultivate my demon arts in the mountains!”

Liu Zongyuan was startled and cried out, “It’s a snake demon!”

The snake continued, “My grandfather was a snake demon, killed by snake catchers. My parents were also snake demons, and they too were killed by snake catchers. Now I am 120 years old, and I thought I could escape this fate and transform into a flood dragon to devour those scoundrels. But it seems I too will die at the hands of a snake catcher today…”

Xu Ying raised his hand and gently dislocated the snake’s jaw, silencing it.

Tears welled in Xu Ying’s eyes as he said, “Master Liu, I can survive by catching snakes. If my taxes are restored, I’ll starve in no time. Who would risk their life catching snake demons if they weren’t desperate?”

Dragging the snake demon behind him, he walked away, his heart heavy.

Liu Zongyuan couldn’t help but shed a tear, lamenting, “Who knows the poison of taxes? What poison could be worse than the venom of this snake? The snake may be deadly, but even deadlier are the cruel taxes and levies!”

Returning to his study, Liu Zongyuan picked up his brush and swiftly penned the famous essay, The Tale of the Snake Catcher.

Xu Ying dragged the snake demon home and threw it into a large vat. It was already late, and he didn’t have time to deliver the snake to the authorities, so he decided to wait until morning.

Xu Ying stoked the fire and cooked a simple meal before falling into a deep sleep.

The snake demon writhed in the vat, trying desperately to reconnect its dislocated bones. It struggled until midnight when suddenly the brutal tax collectors, like bandits, stormed into the village, smashing and looting, shouting for the villagers to pay their taxes.

Xu Ying was startled awake, lit a lamp, and checked the vat. Seeing that the snake demon was still there, he sighed in relief and went back to sleep.

The snake demon continued its efforts to reattach its bones, and after what seemed like an eternity, it finally fixed its jaw, just as Xu Ying stirred awake again.

The snake demon slumped in defeat.

Xu Ying, now fully dressed, glanced at the snake demon in the vat. The demon lay completely still, secretly thinking, "Once I reattach the bones in my skull, I’ll surprise him with a vicious bite and send him to meet his ancestors!"

Facing the morning sun, Xu Ying slowly inhaled and exhaled, silently practicing the Taiyi Breathing Technique.

With each breath, the sunlight on his face seemed to brighten in tandem with his inhalation. Tiny particles of light in the air became visible, disappearing into his body as he breathed. Deep within, a faint rumble, like thunder, rose from his dantian (energy center) to his throat and nasal cavity before gradually settling back down into his dantian.

In no time, steam-like mist began rising from Xu Ying's body as his temperature increased.

His abilities had not been taught by either his grandfather or father.

In fact, Xu Ying was not his father’s biological son. His grandfather had found him.

Both his father and grandfather carried the surname Jiang, while Xu Ying had the surname Xu. Seven years ago, a great fire engulfed Xu's household, and his grandfather had rescued him from the flames, bringing him to their current home.

Xu Ying’s memories of that fire were hazy, but he vaguely recalled a particular breathing technique—the very one he now practiced, Taiyi Breathing Technique.

In his spare time, Xu Ying had practiced this technique daily for the past seven years.

He didn’t know if this training would lead to anything significant, but it had become a routine part of his mornings, taking up little time.

At first, he had noticed only a minor improvement: his urine stream became straighter and more powerful, no longer splashing onto his shoes—a benefit he had once scoffed at.

“This technique is useless except for peeing farther,” Xu Ying had mocked himself.

But as he grew older and joined his father and grandfather on snake-hunting trips, he discovered the true potential of the Taiyi Breathing Technique when he killed his first large snake.

He had taught the technique to his father and grandfather, but they were too old to progress quickly. Sadly, both died during snake-hunting expeditions.

Now, Xu Ying was the last of his family.

Three years earlier, he had already pushed the Taiyi Breathing Technique to its peak. His energy flowed like rolling thunder.

Xu Ying sensed there was more to the path ahead, that his energy could still evolve—but he lacked the next stage of the technique.

Behind him, the snake demon peered out from the vat, terrified.

Xu Ying's ability to absorb the essence of the sun and refine his energy far surpassed the demon’s own speed. To the snake, it was as though Xu Ying was not merely absorbing the sun’s energy but devouring its very essence, like a monstrous creature devouring the secrets of the morning light.

“He’s practicing a demonic cultivation technique!” the snake demon thought, eyes wide in confusion. “Isn’t he human? How can he cultivate a technique meant for demons?”

As the sun rose higher, Xu Ying slowly ceased his breathing exercises, prompting the snake demon to quickly retract its head.

Once the sun reached its zenith, its fiery nature became unbearably hot. Training beyond this point would overheat one’s internal energy, risking spontaneous combustion!

Over-cultivating at this time could be fatal, unless one absorbed the lunar energy of a full moon night to counterbalance the accumulated fire within.

Xu Ying approached the vat, grasped the snake demon’s weak spot, and lifted it from the vat. His face calm, he said, "I'm not one to kill needlessly. I’ll ask, and you’ll answer. Refuse, and I’ll end your life. Understand?"

The snake demon nodded hurriedly.

Xu Ying placed it down and asked, "How did you become a demon?"

The snake demon, eager to comply, explained, "My grandfather was an ordinary venomous snake. One day, he accidentally wandered into the Qin Yan Cave, which collapsed halfway, revealing a scroll of scriptures and a gourd of elixirs. After consuming the elixirs, he gained intelligence, learning to speak and read. He began cultivating according to the scriptures, eventually becoming a demon. My grandfather passed the scriptures to my parents, who passed them on to me. It’s been a proper lineage, you see.”

Xu Ying nodded slightly. “Bring me the scriptures. I want to see them.”

The snake demon hesitated.

Xu Ying casually picked up a fist-sized stone by the well, squeezed it with his hand, and droplets of water dripped out. He then let go, and the stone crumbled into dust. In a calm tone, he said, "Are you stronger than this stone?"

The snake demon, not daring to resist, opened its mouth and spat out a scroll.

Xu Ying unfurled the scroll. It described a breathing technique called Great Sun Breathing Technique, along with a martial arts style called Elephant Strength Bull Demon Fist.

"You’re a snake—how can you practice the Elephant Strength Bull Demon Fist?" Xu Ying laughed, "That’s a martial art for ox or elephant demons, isn’t it?"

The snake demon’s lips twitched. "You practice a demon’s breathing technique yourself, don’t you?"

As Xu Ying examined the Great Sun Breathing Technique, he realized it was similar to his own Taiyi Breathing Technique, though noticeably slower at absorbing the sun’s essence.

The technique outlined the current stage they were both at, known as the Qi Gathering Stage.

Qi gathering involved absorbing the refined essence of sunlight, the tiny light particles, to strengthen the body and enhance one’s energy.

Xu Ying frowned. The Great Sun Breathing Technique, like his Taiyi Breathing Technique, ended abruptly after reaching the peak of Qi Gathering, with no instructions for the next stage.

“Do you sense there’s more beyond the Qi Gathering stage?” Xu Ying asked.

The snake demon cautiously replied, “After reaching the peak, I feel my energy surging, like it’s ready to break through something—but I don’t know what or where that barrier is.”

Xu Ying frowned again, stood, and fetched a basket.

He emptied the basket, scattering the scrolls across the ground.

The snake demon was astonished to see dozens of different breathing techniques!

Over the years, Xu Ying had captured not only snake demons but other types of creatures as well. Almost every demon within a radius of several dozen miles had been caught by him!

These creatures had all encountered various opportunities—some stumbled into ancient caves, others overheard scriptures etched into stone walls, or discovered hidden realms underwater—and thus cultivated into demons.

However, the techniques they acquired all had one thing in common: they only allowed cultivation up to the Qi Gathering Stage, with no follow-up methods!

Xu Ying’s own Taiyi Breathing Technique was the same. Although it helped him increase his energy and blood levels, he could clearly sense that there was more beyond, a path that was abruptly cut off, leaving only chaos and obscurity ahead, with no idea where to continue.

"Why do all these techniques end at the Qi Gathering Stage?" Xu Ying frowned and murmured to himself.

The snake demon, filled with indignation, blurted out, "I think someone is deliberately targeting us demons, destroying all our techniques beyond the Qi Gathering Stage! This has to be a conspiracy by the human race!"

Xu Ying shook his head. "If they had the power to destroy the later stages, why not just destroy everything? There’s clearly more to this mystery."

As he leafed through the Elephant Strength Bull Demon Fist manual, Xu Ying's expression shifted.

This martial art could be cultivated by anyone, not just ox or elephant demons. Any race could practice it. Of course, if a snake demon wanted to practice it, it would first have to transform into a human and grow limbs to do so properly.

The Elephant Strength Bull Demon Fist had a unique way of controlling energy and blood flow, allowing one’s power to surge explosively, multiplying in speed and strength, with the force of a mighty elephant. Hence the name "Elephant Strength."

As for the term "Bull Demon," it referred to the state of madness that practitioners would enter when executing the technique. The energy flowed so fast that it became difficult to stay rational, resulting in a berserk, frenzied state—thus the term "Bull Demon."

Additionally, when using this martial art, the practitioner’s body would rapidly swell, growing several inches taller in an instant!

Even the size of their hands and feet would increase!

Xu Ying grew interested. Previously, he had subdued demons using sheer brute force. He wasn’t particularly skilled in martial arts. But now that he had obtained the Elephant Strength Bull Demon Fist, his combat prowess was bound to increase dramatically!

Just then, the voices of villagers echoed from outside, calling, "Ah Ying, come out to pay respects to the gods!"

Xu Ying tucked the scrolls into his robes and lightly pinched the snake demon’s neck, saying, "I'll be back after the worship ceremony. If you’re still here, I’ll dry you out and hand you over. Also, don't harm anyone."

The snake demon felt its neck bone reconnect and was both surprised and overjoyed.

Xu Ying left the courtyard and walked to the ancestral hall in Jiangjiatian. The villagers wore pale, gaunt faces, their clothes tattered and worn. In stark contrast, the ancestral hall was opulent, lavishly decorated.

In each household, regardless of wealth, the villagers brought offerings. The rich brought cooked chickens and ducks, large incense sticks, while the poorer villagers offered fruits and rice, holding three sticks of incense each as they entered the hall one by one.

Those with absolutely nothing, like Xu Ying, arrived empty-handed.

Xu Ying followed the villagers into the hall. Inside, incense smoke curled upward, filling the air. Behind the incense burner stood a colossal wooden statue of a god, nearly ten feet tall, painted bright red, wearing a green robe, with a fierce, fanged face.

As the incense smoke swirled, it seeped into the nostrils of the wooden statue.

Suddenly, the statue's chest swelled as it took a deep breath, inhaling all the incense offerings of the villagers into its belly.

The wooden god statue gradually transformed into flesh and blood, stepping down from its shrine. It grabbed the chickens, ducks, and fruits offered by the villagers and devoured them. In its delight, it even stuffed incense sticks and candles into its mouth and chewed them up.

Today was the first day of the lunar month, the day of worship. In the villages surrounding Jiangjiatian—including Xu's Well, Yangzitang, Shuangji Bridge, and Shagou Bay—similar ceremonies were taking place.

God statues, whether made of wood, clay, bronze, or iron, were coming to life, transforming into flesh and blood to enjoy the incense and food offerings of the people.

In the great mountains and rivers near Lingling, at the mountain god temples and dragon king shrines, as well as in the city’s Chenghuang Temple, gods were awakening to partake in the sacrifices.

Not only in Lingling—throughout Yongzhou, all across Xiangnan, and even across the entire land of Shenzhou, incense burned in a myriad of places, and the statues that watched over villages, towns, cities, and prefectures all awoke to enjoy the people’s offerings, creating a scene of prosperity.

However, since the incompetent Zhidao Sage Emperor Da Mingxiao ascended the throne, the world had fallen into chaos. Warlords carved up the land, royal authority had collapsed, and the once-glorious scene of gods thriving in Shenzhou had slowly begun to decline.

"Xu Ying! Jiang Shu! Jiang Lu! You penniless wretches, coming here empty-handed without even offering incense to me!"

Inside Jiangjiatian’s ancestral hall, the god roared in fury, slamming the table. "I only ask for two meals a month, yet you provide so little food that I can’t even fill my belly! Do you want Jiangjiatian to suffer droughts and misfortune? Are you not afraid that I’ll bring disaster upon you?"