Chapter 694: Great Demon 57
Jin Yao’s heart tightened. "Did something happen in the lower realm?"
"Last time, you intercepted the Demon Clan’s fortune, which had been stolen by several major sects from the Ninth Heaven. Those sects won’t let the matter rest. The lower realm is also in turmoil, and as for those fellow demons Little Jinzi was on good terms with..."
Jin Yao paused. "The Ascension Stage Great Demons from her Demon Market have all come to the Ninth Heaven. The Cang Long from the Ten-Direction Great Mountain and the Nine-tailed Fox have also ascended."
"But that little brat Qing Ming is in charge of the Demon Market now. With Great Demons like Bai Ze and Peacock ascending, there aren’t many left who can hold the fort," the man in white at the head said flatly. "It hasn’t been easy for them lately."
Jin Yao paused again. "How about we send some resources to the Demon Market?"
"That’s not out of the question, but we can’t do it openly," the more lively one said with a frown. "After all, it’s part of our Golden Ring Clan’s assets. We can’t just watch it fall apart."
"How about this? We could give them some Cultivation Methods. No matter where you are, Cultivation Methods are always what’s in shortest supply."
Jin Yao thought for a moment and nodded. "I’ll ask Little Jinzi for her opinion later. Speaking of which, I can finally hold my head high! No one will call me Little Jinzi anymore. That nickname has finally changed owners!"
"The little one’s tribulation is also coming to an end," Jin Yuan, the first-generation Golden Ring Snake Emperor, said with a smile. "She really did form an Emperor’s Soul."
As soon as his voice fell, a giant, illusory Golden Ring Snake suddenly appeared above the real body of the Golden Ring Snake circling in the sky. At this moment, the Golden Ring Snake’s real body was no longer golden, but pure white, with only nine golden rings around its neck.
And as the last of the tribulation clouds dispersed, the Golden Ring Snake’s body, which had been a mangled and bloody mess from the strikes, rapidly healed. Its body also began to slowly change. The golden rings on its neck gradually faded, and soon all nine had completely disappeared.
At the same time, a crystal with a complex pattern slowly formed between the Golden Ring Snake’s brows. The crystal seemed to be only the size of a grain of rice, but just looking at it inexplicably made one feel unable to raise their head.
It wasn’t just the Golden Ring Snake Clan who saw the small crystal between the giant python’s brows. The onlooking members of the Demon Clan also saw it, and even the Immortal Monarchs who had come to observe the ceremony witnessed the scene.
For a moment, the Immortal Monarchs were all lost in their own thoughts. Looking at the Golden Ring Snake Clan now, they felt nothing but envy and jealousy.
’Don’t be fooled by the Golden Ring Snake Clan’s small population; their quality is truly top-notch. This little Golden Ring Snake who just advanced to Immortal Monarch has already formed an Emperor’s Soul. Even if she’s still a low-level Immortal Monarch, she must now be addressed as a Golden Ring Snake Emperor.’
The Clan Leader of the Bai Ze clan said with a smile, "Congratulations, Snake Emperor. The Golden Ring Snake Clan has produced another Golden Ring Snake Emperor."
Jin Yuan smiled reservedly. "The joy is mutual. It’s thanks to the child’s own efforts. To be frank, we as her elders are ashamed. This is the first time we’ve met her. We’ve been truly negligent."
Tan You had no idea that just by undergoing a tribulation she had attracted so many onlookers. She also didn’t know how many people’s greed and vigilance her Emperor’s Soul had drawn.
She joyfully did a roll in mid-air. Seeing Jin Yao and Bai Ze in the distance, Tan You didn’t delay any longer, transforming into her small snake form and heading straight for Jin Yao.
’Although I’m very happy to see Bai Ze, isn’t Jin Yao the powerful backer I’m supposed to be clinging to? Besides, there are four white-haired men standing next to him. Just looking at them, I can tell they’re the ancestors of my clan.’
So, upon reaching Jin Yao, Tan You quickly shifted into her human form and bowed low before the five ancestors. "Jin Huan greets the esteemed ancestors."
She wasn’t someone too proud to bend her back. Moreover, these were her own kin, so Tan You’s bow was exceptionally fluid.
Jin Yuan reached out and helped Tan You up. "You are now a Golden Ring Snake Emperor. To keep calling you Jin Huan is a bit too casual..."
Tan You paused, then smiled. "Is Ancestor bestowing a name upon me? If I don’t like how it sounds, I won’t take it."
Jin Yuan flicked Tan You’s forehead, his finger brushing past the Emperor’s Soul between her brows. "Your tribulation ended just as the morning sun began to rise. Why not take the name Zhao?"
"Zhao? Jin Zhao?" Tan You pondered for a moment. "I like this name very much. Thank you, Ancestor, for bestowing it."
’Come to think of it, this ancestor has pretty high expectations for me. Hoping I can shine eternally like the rising sun... he really has placed great hope in me.’
"Jin Zhao, it’s a bit of a mouthful. I’ll call you Little Zhao from now on." The more roguish Golden Ring Snake Emperor, Jin Zhen, smiled with particular friendliness. "I’m the third in rank. Just call me Third Uncle. Don’t call me Ancestor."
"Okay, Third Uncle, but can we not do Little Zhao?" Tan You’s eye twitched. "Jin Zhao, or Zhao Zhao, or Ahzhao are all fine. Just not Little Zhao."
’The moment I think of the name Little Zhao, I picture a certain gentle, tender-as-water character. I really can’t accept it.’
"Fine, Zhao Zhao it is." Jin Zhen was completely at ease. "Zhao Zhao, you’ve really amazed everyone. In all the Ninth Heaven, no one from any clan has ever formed an Emperor’s Soul right after becoming an Immortal Monarch."
"Emperor’s Soul?" Tan You was baffled; this was hitting a blind spot in her knowledge. ’My inherited memories... I just finished my tribulation and haven’t had a chance to go through them yet.’
Jin Zhen tapped the spot between Tan You’s brows, then pulled a mirror from behind his back as if by magic. "Here, isn’t it gorgeous!"
Tan You stared at the reflection in the mirror: a face with a head of white hair and a small, patterned sigil between the brows. After she stared for a few moments, the Emperor’s Soul sigil on her reflection’s brow slowly faded until she looked no different from an ordinary person.
Jin Zhen was curious. "Zhao Zhao, you just hid it like that? Back when I formed my Emperor’s Soul as an eighth-rank Immortal Monarch, I was smug about it for a good few hundred years and never wanted to hide it."
Tan You enlightened him. "It’s not good to always be in the spotlight. Lying low makes it easier to fish in troubled waters later. Besides, it just looks pretty. It probably doesn’t have any actual function... Why did you hit me?"
The one who hit her was none other than the Crown that had been perched firmly on her head ever since she obtained it. Just now, the Crown had fiercely jumped up and smashed down on Tan You’s head. Even with her tough hide, the blow made her see stars.
"You ignorant child!" a child’s voice, trying to sound ancient, rang out. "Do you have any idea how precious an Emperor’s Soul is? If you’re that ignorant, go back into seclusion and study!"
Tan You was stunned. "You can talk? I always thought you... Don’t hit me again! Who told you to be silent all this time? How was I supposed to know what an Emperor’s Soul is?"
The Crown twitched, but ultimately settled back down quietly on Tan You’s head. ’What could it do? This was the queen it had chosen for itself. All it could do was tearfully accept its lot and follow her down this path to the very end.’
Jin Yu, who was the second-ranked Golden Ring Snake Emperor, explained the Crown’s origin to Tan You. "This is the ultimate treasure of the Golden Ring Snake Clan. In all its history, you are only its second master."
"Then the first master... was it Ancestor Jin Yuan?" Tan You glanced at Jin Yuan, guessing cautiously.
Jin Yuan smiled. "It was me. How did you guess?"