The Ancestor of All Demons

Shi Feiyang flew above the Queen Mother Grass and called out softly, "Come out! Let's talk!"

A little creature emerged from the clump of green grass and Black Ganoderma. It was only about a foot tall, pitch-black all over, with only two emerald green leaves on its shoulders, resembling a shawl. It looked up warily and began to speak and gesture at Shi Feiyang, making "yiyiya" sounds.

Though one was a dragon and the other was a plant, both being of different species and unable to speak the same language, they were still able to roughly understand each other's intentions. By combining the sound patterns they each made, they quickly managed to establish a simple means of communication.

This little creature was the Queen Mother Grass, and the Red-Scaled Strange Snake with a single horn was its Guardian Beast, having accompanied it for more than three hundred years.

It said that if Shi Feiyang didn't eat it and could protect it, it would be willing to live in mutual benefit with Shi Feiyang. Its saliva possessed divine effects, capable of reviving the dead and healing any wounds, no matter how severe, even bringing creatures back to life.

Shi Feiyang had no intention of eating it, for although it would increase his powers greatly in a short time, it would be akin to killing the goose that laid the golden eggs. Such a valuable Queen Mother Grass was a divine treasure hard to find in this world, fostering it beside him and achieving mutual growth was the proper path.

Seeing Shi Feiyang nod in agreement, the Queen Mother Grass sighed in relief. This Black Dragon was the most powerful creature it had ever seen in its life. If it were to employ force, it would have to make a quick escape underground immediately. Although it could flee, its roots and leaves would remain behind, unable to escape, and it would need to find another place to take root again—at the expense of losing a thousand years of Dao cultivation.

Through its preliminary observations, it determined that the Black Dragon was reasonable, which was very good. Replacing the Red-Scaled Strange Snake to become its new Guardian Beast was like gaining a strong backer, which would reduce many misfortunes in the future.

Shi Feiyang said, "This place isn't safe for you. I have a dwelling at the peak of Dinghu Peak, and I want to transplant your roots and leaves over there."

The Queen Mother Grass pointed to the corpse of the Poisonous Snake in the distance, "It has protected me for over three hundred years. Now that I am leaving, I cannot abandon it like this. Just give me a moment."

It walked with short legs, moving almost without touching the ground with its escaping light, and quickly arrived at the snake corpse.

The Red-Scaled Strange Snake had been cut into three pieces by the White Light Sword. It first went to the headpiece, mumbling a few times in its small mouth, turning its saliva into a milky white mist and spraying it on the severed surface, then doing the same to the corresponding cut end of the middle section.

Shi Feiyang knew it was trying to save the Red Snake, but didn't help or hinder, simply watching from above to see how it would proceed.

The Queen Mother Grass then ran to the snake's head, spraying a mist into its nostrils.

In less than five seconds, the eyes of the Red Snake suddenly opened. Seeing the Queen Mother Grass, it knew it was being saved and immediately tried to move its body, jumping like a fish out of water, towards its body, joining the severed parts together. After the time it took to brew a pot of tea, the two parts reattached. The snake then wriggled, and when the Queen Mother Grass sprayed the mist over the tail's cut end, the two ends joined, and it quickly healed completely...

Shi Feiyang was amazed at the miraculous scene, feeling fortunate beyond surprise that he had stumbled upon a treasure this time!

In his memory, within Shu Mountain, there were only two or three kinds of Spiritual Medicine capable of reattaching severed limbs. The most famous were the millennia-old Rejuvenation Grass from Wuding Island and the centuries-old Rejuvenation Grass from Purple Cloud Palace, along with the Bone Healing Golden Pill by Poison Dragon Venerable. He thought the Queen Mother Grass was just known for its resurrection abilities, at most reviving freshly deceased creatures. He hadn't expected it to be able to reattach the body of a creature that had been cut into three pieces – its effectiveness was even more incredible than the Xuduan Spirit Jade Paste refined by Xiankong Ancestor!

The Red-Scaled Strange Snake was over ten meters long. Its scales were as red as fire, with a horn on its head and even the air it expelled was red. After being saved by the Queen Mother Grass, aside from the temporary marks on the break, it looked completely normal, lively and jumping around.

The Red Snake swam up to Shi Feiyang, lowering its body to the ground with its head as a sign of respect and admiration, then hissed, indicating its wishes.

As it turns out, the snake was extremely admiring of the "True Dragon" and wanted to acknowledge Shi Feiyang as its master, hoping that Shi Feiyang would protect it and teach it some techniques for cultivation.

Shi Feiyang found the snake quite interesting. Although he could have dealt with Sikong Hu on his own, the snake had offered its help after all, a gesture he gratefully acknowledged: "Come find me on Dinghu Peak tomorrow, and we shall talk more."

The Red Snake saw some hope and was overjoyed, prostrating on the ground and kowtowing in thanks.

Shi Feiyang returned and cast a spell, lifting the earth several zhang around the Queen Mother Grass as the center. Apart from the Queen Mother Grass itself, a Black Ganoderma was also taken, both stored in the "Qiankun Box."

Back at Dinghu Peak, Shi Feiyang first lifted the lake water up by six zhang, creating a dry space at the bottom of the lake.

As a dragon, he could soak in water for a long time, but the Queen Mother Grass was not an aquatic plant. Although it was mature enough not to die from soaking, staying submerged for an extended period would cause it to lose some of its Dao Level.

The water here was so clear because there was a spring at the bottom of the lake which gushed ceaselessly day and night. Additionally, there was an outlet halfway up the cliff through which the excess water could flow into the outside Alchemy Creek, ensuring the water level remained constant and never overflowed.

Shi Feiyang first made a small pool at the spring source, then he used a spell to carve out thirty-six steps on the cliff. As the spring water gushed out, it would first fill the pool and then be lifted by the earth's energy to ascend the steps, up to the base of the Golden Seal, moistening the entire circling talisman along its scripted lines. After passing the talisman, the water would finally flow into the water above.

He planted the Queen Mother Grass and the Black Ganoderma together beside the pool. Green grass, black mushroom, with the sound of gurgling water—it was quite elegant.

The Queen Mother Grass avatara leapt off its main body and ran around the cave, quite pleased with its new environment.

It was safe enough at the bottom of the lake, nourished by clear spring water. The only regret was the lack of sunlight. The little figure told Shi Feiyang it would go out every day at noon to absorb sunlight.

Shi Feiyang emitted a Divine Fire Primordial Pill: "This Primordial Pill is refined from the essence of True Sun, emitting light and heat no different from the sun itself. I will refine this pill for two hours each day, and the True Sun Fire scattered will be enough for you. I'll also grant you a strand of Dan Qi to aid in your cultivation."

He directed the Primordial Pill to fly around the cave for several turns, drying off the damp rock walls. The little figure joyfully chased underneath the Fire Pill, running around with open arms, embracing the sunlight. This refined True Sun Fire was pure and clean, also containing True Yang Immortal Fire. One hour of this each day would increase its cultivation more than half a month of sunbathing!

Shi Feiyang injected a strand of Dan Qi into the little figure's body. Compared with the avatara, his mana was simply too strong. Just a thread-like strand filled the little figure completely, making it stagger drunkenly as it flew back to its own plant. It shook its body and disappeared into it to cultivate and assimilate.

After a short while, the avatara reappeared, full of vigor and cheer, hopping onto Shi Feiyang, with eyes brimming with closeness. It was extremely content with Shi Feiyang, its new "Guardian Beast"!

The dragon and the plant began to exchange stories again, the little figure sitting on his finger, slowly recounting its past.

It turned out the Queen Mother Grass wasn't of a thousand years of Dao, but of ten thousand. To be precise, it was just shy of ten thousand years old.

A plant like this was coveted by all other beings. Not to mention humans, both the virtuous and evil factions would harvest it upon sight, and various ghosts, demons, and Demon Spirits wouldn't let it be either.

To survive, it had come up with many strategies. One was to find Guardian Beasts.

After gaining the ability to control and transform, it would actively provoke Poisonous Snakes and Poison Insects, causing them to fight and devour each other. The last remaining "Gu King" would become its Guardian Beast.

During the process, it would help those who were willing to have a symbiotic relationship with it, eliminating those who wanted to eat it.

For nearly ten thousand years, its Guardian Beasts had come and gone, one after another. The longest-serving was a Three-legged Golden Toad, which accompanied it for over a thousand years, but one day, it left and never returned.