Battle Through the Heavens: Soul Travels Through Clouds and Mountains, Becoming a Winning Artist

Chapter 96 The Temptation of Grilled Squid

In the dead of winter, the snow was several feet deep, and the world was a blanket of white.

Only on the mountain cliffs, where snow melts and flowers bloom, and mountain streams murmur, does spring seem to arrive quietly. The giant python coiled above is as if cast in bronze and iron, and when the sunlight shines on it, it gleams with a chilling light.

Yun Congxin hid behind a tree, cautiously watching Qinglin ride his snake down the cliff as if on a spring outing. He then channeled his fighting spirit and shouted loudly, "Old Black, the trial has been over for almost three days! Aren't you going back yet?!"

The giant snake stopped flicking its tongue at the sun. It lowered its head and looked at the black dot on the top of the red python's head. It said helplessly, "Qing girl, wait a little longer. I can smell that fragrance again."

"What's that smell? There are only a few kinds of magical beasts in this forest, and you've tried them all, but none of them seem to suit your taste!" Qinglin said loudly. "We've received a message from the manor saying this area isn't safe. If you don't leave soon, I'm going back with Xiaohong! You can take the other disciples back with you then!"

"Wait a minute, Qing'er." The giant python's voice sounded like that of an old man doting on his grandchildren, completely at odds with its imposing and domineering physique. "Wait a little longer, it must be in this forest. Perhaps it's not the scent of wild magical beasts, but rather some chef researching a new dish?"

"Whose chef ventured into these deep mountains to research new dishes..." Qinglin muttered. "If you're really craving something good, why don't you go back to the Heavenly Serpent Palace and have the head chef prepare something nice for you?"

"Forget it, I was tired of their cooking thirty years ago. They call themselves chefs? They can't even come up with a new dish in a year..." the black python said helplessly. "Good girl, please wait for me for three more days, okay? Just three days. If I still can't find it after three days, we'll go back to the manor immediately."

"Then it's settled, we have to go back home in three days no matter what, okay?"

Not far away, Yun Congxin, hiding in the snow on a tree, blinked, somewhat incredulous.

"...This snake even has a sense of smell?" Yun Congxin thought to himself. "It seems there's a secret in this forest. There's even some delicious food that can attract Dou Huang level experts. Should I go look for it too?"

He never imagined that it was the aroma of the grilled squid that attracted the giant black snake.

It wasn't that Yun Congxin lacked confidence; rather, in his mind, grilled squid was just an ordinary street food—tasty but nothing special. To say it could make a Dou Huang powerhouse drool was something Yun Congxin simply couldn't believe...

In addition, Yun Congxin also remembered that the Heavenly Serpent Mansion sent someone to inform Qinglin and the other person that this area was not safe.

A magical beast comparable to a six-star Dou Huang could basically roam freely in the Northwest Continent. With such a being keeping order, how could the Heavenly Serpent Palace still consider this place unsafe? Could it be that some other force has secretly come here to cause trouble?

Yun Congxin thought for a moment and decided that he should not show himself yet, so he quietly disappeared from the treetops and returned with a full load of Soul-Snatching Squid Tentacles.

Inside the cave, Liu Fuyao was exercising. Although she was wrapped up like a little potato, she was still diligently practicing her dance steps.

It looks like a roly-poly toy...

"What's going on here?" Yun Congxin returned to the cave and saw Liu Fuyao dancing like a big-headed doll. He was stunned for a moment and asked.

Liu Fuyao's pretty face was flushed, and she was panting heavily, sweat plastering her hair to her forehead. She looked at Yun Congxin with bright eyes, her smile radiant: "I've been eating a bit too much lately, I need to exercise more or I'll get fat..."

"Oh, oh..." Yun Congxin nodded, then whispered in Liu Fuyao's ear, "Let Master touch you, is it plump in the right places?"

"Ugh, you're being indecent, there are other people here..." Liu Fuyao slapped away Yun Congxin's lewd hand that was on her waist and said shyly.

"Ahem..." Yun Congxin then remembered Elder Qing, who was diligently cultivating by the campfire. He looked up at him and then said in a low voice, "Then we'll see after we get past this forest."

After saying that, he pulled Liu Fuyao to sit down by the campfire, chatting idly while waiting for Elder Qing to finish his cultivation.

"Instead of relying on exercise to lose weight, you should cultivate your battle qi more. Battle qi can also help you lose weight and strengthen your body, so that there won't be any excess fat on your waist," Yun Congxin teased in a low voice. "I've already prepared excellent cultivation techniques for you, just waiting for you to condense your qi vortex and become a battle master..."

"Does battle qi really have so many effects?" Liu Fuyao nestled in Yun Congxin's arms and asked softly.

"Of course! Take Elder Qing for example, he's so old and hasn't developed a single wrinkle. He's been indulging in barbecue these past few days, eating more than the two of us combined, and he hasn't gained an inch of weight..." Yun Congxin suddenly stopped and changed the subject, "That's the power of internal energy! It nourishes the spirit, preserves youth, and keeps you young forever. So, even if it's just to keep this pretty face, we still have to work hard at cultivation..."

Having said that, he chuckled dryly and turned to Elder Qing, who had just emerged from his cultivation state, saying, "Was it all right, Elder Qing?"

Elder Qing seemed not to have heard Yun Congxin secretly using her as an example. She nodded and said, "Thanks to Mr. Yun, she should recover in a little longer..."

Seeing Elder Qing smiling faintly, Yun Congxin thought to himself, "That was close! If my soul power hadn't suddenly detected a fluctuation in Elder Qing's battle aura, I probably would have been caught off guard..."

Immediately, his expression turned serious, and he recounted what he had just witnessed to Elder Qing.

After listening quietly, Elder Qing pondered for a moment and said, "Mr. Yun should have encountered Elder Baiya, an outer sect elder of the Heavenly Serpent Mansion. He is mainly responsible for the selection and training of disciples in the Heavenly Serpent Mansion. Judging from the timing, Elder Hei's team should be here for this year's disciple selection."

The black snake, whose real name is White Fang, is even called Elder Black by some people. The people of the Heavenly Serpent Palace are pretty easygoing...

"However, this year's selection is just a formality. Qing Lin has the Jade Serpent Three-Flower Pupil and a Dou Zun-level teacher personally training her. All the other disciples combined are no match for her."

"As for the threat they mentioned, I really didn't expect it to be from any particular force." Elder Qing frowned slightly. "Although this place is not within the territory of the Heavenly Serpent Mansion, there are no other forces nearby either. None of the forces qualified to cause trouble for the Heavenly Serpent Mansion are around here."

Yun Congxin chuckled: "So, it seems the Heavenly Serpent Palace is in trouble?"

Elder Qing thought for a moment and said confidently, "It's not really a big problem. It's most likely that Qing Lin's information has been leaked. Someone couldn't sit still and wanted to nip her in the bud."

"Heh, do you think the geniuses nurtured by my Heavenly Serpent Palace are so easy to kill? No matter which force dares to provoke us, they'll suffer the consequences!"