The Ancestor of All Demons

Shi Feiyang had not yet obtained any cultivation techniques that would allow him to transform into a human form. In the Shushan World, demons couldn't simply transform after obtaining mana; they had to cultivate bit by bit. Lady Bao Xiang of the Heavenly Fox at Yellow Mountain was an example, as she was a special fox spirit. Additionally, Jin Xunu from the Purple Cloud Palace in the South Sea was another example. In the future, should the opportunity arise, Shi Feiyang planned to visit him in the South Sea to learn how he achieved his transformation.

Shi Feiyang remembered that beneath Dongting Mountain, there was a copy of Inner View Primordial Sect, written and left specifically for his pet apes by the green-haired True Master Liu Laogen. This book contained unique cultivation techniques for becoming an Immortal, specifically targeting transformation into human form.

However, firstly, this document was clearly intended by Master Liu only for his beloved pets, and secondly, Shi Feiyang, as a black dragon, would undoubtedly draw the attention of sword immortals from various sects, both virtuous and evil, should he travel from Zhejiang to Jiangsu. Most likely, they would seek to kill him either to protect the populace from potential harm or to harvest his body for profits. Apart from his two inner cores, his dragon bones, tendons, blood, and marrow could be used in medicine, alchemy, or even to craft magical treasures. If nothing else, the dragon liver was considered a delicacy much loved by immortals.

For the time being, he could only remain discreetly in Dinghu Peak, focusing on his cultivation. First, he needed to master the several Daoist books he possessed, primarily cultivating the Twenty-Eight True Scripture and the Three-Seven Scripture to strengthen and match the True Yin and Yang Qi within his cores, thereby enhancing his Primordial Qi and continuously increasing his Dao power.

He focused mainly on Wei Fengniang's Heavenly Mountain Swordsmanship, supplemented by the sword techniques from the Heavenly Book Supplement.

He then applied spells, alchemy, array patterns, and so forth, all primarily sourced from the Heavenly Book Supplement, with Wei Fengniang's Heavenly Mountain Sect techniques and Western Demon Cult Techniques as auxiliary practices.

Besides his own cultivation, he did not forget about the two patches of Immortal Herbs in his cave. Daily, he used his inner cores to release True Sun Fire, infusing both the Queen Mother Grass and Immortal Mushrooms with a stream of Dan Qi to aid their cultivation. Queen Mother Grass, cultivated by Mo Zhui, had deepened in Dao Level day by day. Finally, the Immortal Mushrooms had also achieved enlightenment and transformed into a small humanoid, escaping from its original form.

This particular Immortal Mushroom had three thousand years of Dao cultivation. Initially nurtured meticulously by Queen Mother Grass, it would have transformed into human form much earlier had it not frequently shielded Queen Mother Grass from disasters caused by humans or other beings mistaking it for food. Despite such setbacks, it was very close to achieving its transformation, and now with Shi Feiyang's daily infusions of Dan Qi, it had finally attained true enlightenment.

The Queen Mother Grass, capable of reviving the dead, appeared jet-black and toxic despite its delicate and refined features.

In contrast, the Immortal Mushrooms were entirely emerald green. Above the ground, they resembled a large, black Ganoderma, but beneath the soil, they were tender green. Once transformed into human form, they looked as though they were carved from jade, unbearably adorable.

Standing side by side, anyone with sight would recognize Immortal Mushrooms as the real Immortal herbs and the Queen Mother Grass as poisonous grass.

The character of the small humanoid into which the Immortal Mushrooms had transformed was also quite naive. Nourished daily by Shi Feiyang's Dan Qi and viewing Shi Feiyang as a father figure post-emergence, he affectionately referred to Mo Zhui as his brother. Even when Mo Zhui teased him, he never got irritated and simply responded with a silly smile.

Shi Feiyang had named him Mo Xiang, as the little fellow indeed emitted a fragrance, whereas Mo Zhui bore a cool, orchid-like gentle fragrance — subtle yet refreshing. Mo Xiang, however, emitted a warm scent that made one feel lazy, reluctant to move, sleepy with prolonged exposure, and might even induce a deep sleep if inhaled for too long…

Some days later, the Red-Scaled Strange Snake came seeking him out again.

The snake was quite tactful. It visited Shi Feiyang shortly after he had undergone tribulation, showing off its cultivation progress and bringing along many Spiritual Medicines, including a thousand-year-old Yellow Ginseng, a rare treasure.

Shi Feiyang agreed to take him under his wing, teaching him spells and advising him to seek help from Shi Feiyang should he face difficulties in the future. He also assigned tasks to the snake, instructing it to find useful medicinal herbs for him.

The Red Snake was full of spiritual energy, not only advancing rapidly in its cultivation but also perfectly completing every task Shi Feiyang assigned, whether it involved searching for herbs or capturing poisonous insects, always exceeding expectations.

On this particular day, the Red Snake returned to Dinghu Peak, accompanied by a large turtle.

The turtle, entirely black as ink, had a shell larger than three eight-immortal tables put together. With such a bulky body, climbing the thousand Zhang high Dinghu Peak would be impossible. The Red Snake exhaled red Dan Qi, while the turtle exhaled black Dan Qi. The mixing of their breaths formed a toxic cloud that lifted them up to Dinghu Peak.

The Red Snake told Shi Feiyang that the Xuan Turtle was his good friend and mate, hoping it could also become Shi Feiyang's disciple.

Looking at the large black turtle, Shi Feiyang was somewhat displeased that the Red Snake had brought the turtle without prior notice and asked, "Did you teach it the cultivation technique I taught you?"

The Red Snake quickly denied, "The technique the King taught me, I haven't fully grasped it myself, let alone received permission to recklessly pass it on. I only brought him because our relationship is extraordinarily deep..."

It turned out that the Red Snake and Xuan Turtle had known each other for over three hundred years. Each year, when the Xuanwu Seven Stars were directly overhead, they would meet and resonate together. The turtle and snake's harmonious connection inevitably triggered a response, drawing down the essence energy from the celestial Xuanwu Seven Stars into their Dan Qi, greatly enhancing their strength.

Hearing this, Shi Feiyang became instantly interested, recalling the original text where the union of turtle and snake could affect even a cultivator's primordial spirit with its dispersed energy, which was truly something magical.

He told the Red Snake, "If you recklessly taught him the technique, it would actually harm him. The technique I gave you was specifically improvised based on your situation. You, being of the snake kind, have fire nature, which is why I taught you how to extract True Yin from fire. This Xuan Turtle, on the other hand, is the exact opposite of you. If she practices your technique, not only would it be less effective, it could shorten her lifespan over time. She needs to learn a technique that cultivates True Yang from water!"

He agreed to accept the Xuan Turtle as his disciple and also imparted a suited cultivation method to her.

The turtle and snake were overjoyed, knelt side by side on the rock, bowing their heads to the ground in deep gratitude.

With little brothers to command, Shi Feiyang found his tasks much easier, assured of a steady supply of various medicinal materials, and he could even send them to gather information and understand the outside world's dynamics.

Days passed, and soon, the Jiangnan region entered the plum rain season.

The sky was constantly cloaked in clouds, and between the mountains and rivers spread a light gray mist, with rain everywhere.

Shi Feiyang floated on the water surface, letting the fine raindrops hit his newfound shiny scales, with his forelegs grabbing the Peak Rock to gaze outside, watching the swirling clouds, the mountains lush as jade, watching Alchemy Creek winding gracefully, "When the persistent rain cascades, hiding the moon for sequent months, when the angry winds roar and the muddy waves crash empty, when the daylight stars hide their glare, and mountains cloak their form, trade halts, masts topple and keels break, as dusk deepens dimly, tigers roar and apes cry..."

He recited from Fan Zhongyan's Yueyang Tower, though not a perfect fit, but the cold, moist weather indeed pleased him, irresistibly making him reminisce about something to express his emotion.

Feeling refreshed in spirit but suddenly finding the lake's mouth confining and cramped, limiting his enjoyment, he leapt from the peak, diving into the Alchemy Creek below.