Chapter 10
Chapter 10: Cross Bone Dissolved, First Human Words Formed—All Things in the World Can Become Sprites and Demons
In a dark, secluded cave.
Jiang Linxian channeled 30 years of refined Demonic Energy into a gentle, continuous stream, striking ceaselessly at the pale Cross Bone lodged in his throat.
With no Tribulation Lightning to aid him, this was pure internal cultivation—using willpower as the furnace, and yearning as the flame.
The process was slow and brutal.
Under the soaking of Demonic Energy, the Cross Bone gradually softened, releasing faint sounds of cracking.
The agony was like maggots gnawing at his bones, yet he remained absolutely still, every shred of his consciousness concentrated on the narrow space in his throat.
Beads of blood seeped between his scales, only to be evaporated by his body heat.
At last, in the moment when his Demonic Energy was nearly exhausted, the Cross Bone dissolved like melting ice. A sensation of warmth and ease suddenly arose.
With a voice both foreign and familiar, he opened his mouth and spoke his first word.
"……Light……"
A faint syllable, yet perfectly clear.
The cave returned to dead silence, only that single word drifting slowly downward through the darkness.
The shackle was broken at last.
Cross Bone dissolved; first human words formed.
After leaving Lanruo Temple, Jiang Linxian's first order of business was to find a place to refine and dissolve the Cross Bone.
"Finally able to speak. Hissing every single day was truly maddening."
Inside the cave, Jiang Linxian muttered to himself, his voice clear and melodious.
He knew he was currently in Guobei Prefecture, several distances away from Jing'an Prefecture.
So once he left the cave, he began making his way back.
But he avoided the main roads and chose only mountain paths where no one traveled—yet after half a day of walking, he realized he was lost.
Without a map, and having previously come to Lanruo Temple entirely in the dark, getting lost seemed perfectly natural.
A marshy stretch of forest somewhere in the mountains.
Just as Jiang Linxian was somewhat bewildered, trying to determine his direction, a very strange sound suddenly broke out from the empty woods.
"Ribbit ribbit, Snake Demon, where are you going?"
Jiang Linxian followed the sound and found that the one speaking was a red toad squatting in the marsh.
"You're the one talking?"
"Ribbit ribbit, Snake Demon, is there anyone else here besides me?"
The toad stared at Jiang Linxian with the look one gives a fool.
This was Jiang Linxian's first time encountering a demon out in the open, and for a moment he didn't even register it.
"Oh. Did you need something?"
The toad asked again.
"You still haven't answered my question. Ribbit ribbit."
"I don't know either." Jiang Linxian had no obligation to tell a toad his destination—and besides, this toad didn't look particularly bright.
"Ribbit ribbit." The toad thought for a moment and then said,
"Snake Demon, since you don't know where you're going, why not come with me?"
"?"
Jiang Linxian clearly couldn't make sense of this toad. Low intelligence was one thing, but now it was inviting him to come along?
Just as Jiang Linxian was about to refuse, the toad slowly spoke again—it turned out he hadn't finished his sentence.
"I'll take you to Seven Absolute Mountain to pledge allegiance to the Golden Butterfly King and enjoy wealth and glory."
Seven Absolute Mountain. The Golden Butterfly King?
He had never heard of the Golden Butterfly King, but Seven Absolute Mountain—Jiang Linxian felt he had heard it somewhere before. It seemed Lady White had mentioned it once in conversation with Little Green.
All things in the world can become Sprites and demons—grass, trees, even a single stone.
The difficulty simply varies.
Butterflies are inherently weak creatures. For one to become a Sprite and cultivate to such a level was genuinely rare.
Legend had it that Seven Absolute Mountain was home to 2 butterfly sprites. So this butterfly was called the Golden Butterfly King?
"For no reason at all, why would you take me to enjoy wealth and glory?"
"Ribbit ribbit, because I need a sidekick."
The toad wore an expression of supreme self-importance.
Jiang Linxian didn't even know what to say. Even Great Demons probably weren't as arrogant as this toad Sprite.
The toad grew a little impatient.
"Ribbit ribbit, Snake Demon, are you coming or not?"
"I'll go. But if there's no wealth and glory like Toad King said, don't blame me for leaving."
After careful deliberation, Jiang Linxian decided to follow this toad to Seven Absolute Mountain to have a look—and at the same time, to test a suspicion that had been forming in his mind.
The toad was clearly very pleased by the title "Toad King" that Jiang Linxian had used, and it puffed out its chest, reciting words it had clearly picked up from some wanderer of the Martial World:
"Ribbit ribbit, don't worry, Snake Demon! Follow this Toad King and I guarantee you'll eat well and live lavishly."
Jiang Linxian had assumed the toad would hop along, but this toad didn't take the ordinary path.
It walked upright on its 2 little toad legs, swaying from side to side as it went—a genuinely bizarre sight.
And so, Jiang Linxian set off following the toad.
One snake and one toad, traveling together.
Along the road to Seven Absolute Mountain, Jiang Linxian probed it with conversation several times. It turned out the toad had indeed become a Sprite simply by being a toad.
Its so-called great power amounted to barely 10 years of cultivation.
It had simply been bullying smaller creatures in this area that had no demon cultivation to speak of.
As for its intelligence—better left unsaid.
Not long ago, the Golden Butterfly King of Seven Absolute Mountain had suddenly issued a wide call, inviting all kinds of demons to gather at Seven Absolute Mountain and share in wealth and glory.
When Jiang Linxian asked what exactly this wealth and glory entailed, the toad Sprite said wealth and glory was wealth and glory.
Hearing that, Jiang Linxian understood—this Golden Butterfly King was simply luring minor demons like the toad Sprite into serving as underlings or cannon fodder.
Anyone with even a bit of ability and discernment would probably pay no attention.
The toad Sprite was exactly the sort that wasn't very bright—easily duped into heading up the mountain. As for the so-called wealth and glory, it was probably just guarding the gate.
Since Jiang Linxian was already going that way, he figured he'd follow the toad Sprite up to have a look all the same.
After several days and nights traveling together, they at last caught sight of Seven Absolute Mountain in the distance.
But when the toad Sprite saw the mountain's silhouette, it scratched its head and said in puzzlement,
"Ribbit ribbit, I remember Seven Absolute Mountain not looking like this before. Back then, there seemed to be a rainbow-colored peak—but now the peak is gone."
Jiang Linxian asked, "Are you sure?"
The toad Sprite looked carefully at the mountain once more before declaring with confidence,
"Of course! Ribbit ribbit. This Toad King has an excellent memory. The peak has changed, but I still remember the path—just follow me."
On a certain day, in a certain month, in a certain year.
The toad Sprite led a white serpent up Seven Absolute Mountain.