The Hidden Snake King, a beast of formidable power and cunning, had met its end, and its countless kin scattered like leaves in a gale.

Jiang Wang did not immediately descend to claim his spoils. Instead, his mind plunged into the depths of his Tongtian Palace, focusing on the small black snakes sealed within the ethereal sea of divine soul flowers.

The Hidden Snake King was indeed a troublesome foe, possessing not only impressive wisdom and strength but also command over countless serpentine soldiers, arrayed and charging at its whim. Its stealth was nigh on perfect, its speed blinding, its strength enough to uproot ancient trees, its venom potent, and its attacks capable of assailing the very divine soul. Had it not chosen to personally assassinate Qing Jiuye and been detected by Jiang Wang’s Red Makeup Mirror, it would surely have continued its rampage throughout the Senhai Source Realm.

Without Jiang Wang, Qing Qishu and his companions would have been nothing more than fodder. It was no wonder the Holy Clan had abandoned their ancient tradition of hunting snakes for so long.

With the Hidden Snake King’s demise, the black snakes swirling within Jiang Wang’s Tongtian Palace lost their guiding will. Their orderly assaults ceased, replaced by chaotic scattering, mirroring the bewilderment of their brethren outside.

A sudden thought struck Jiang Wang: could the Hidden Snake King’s control over its legions be solely through these black snakes? He had not witnessed any overt communication, yet the snake groups’ offensives were remarkably coordinated. The more he pondered, the more plausible it seemed.

Had he not possessed the timely divine soul dao technique to counter them, being devoured by these black snakes would have likely left him a mere husk, or worse, offered Jiang Nightmare an opportunity for usurpation. Given Jiang Nightmare’s knowledge, he would surely not have been at a loss against these creatures.

Conversely, understanding the workings of these black snakes could grant him a mastery over a branch of divine soul power. Compared to the dazzling displays of primal force dao techniques, divine soul arts were often more subtle and harder to defend against. With Jiang Nightmare residing within his Tongtian Palace, a master of this very path, Jiang Wang felt an increasing need to enhance his own divine soul techniques.

Before entering the Shenyin Land, Jiang Nightmare, though reluctant, had offered guidance. However, upon entering, he fell silent, a silence that persisted even after their departure. Jiang Wang couldn’t discern if this was a consequence of some external force or a calculated observation. His understanding of Jiang Nightmare was so limited, he was left to guess at his intentions.

After a moment of contemplation, Jiang Wang used the divine soul flame flowers to drive the black snakes away, ensuring they remained far from Mingzhu. The divine soul flower sea, he hoped, would offer some concealment. He resolved to delve into the research of these black snakes upon his return to the Shenyin Land, where he believed he could evade Jiang Nightmare’s scrutiny. Fortunately, the divine soul flower sea, based on the flame flower sea, consumed very little dao yuan once formed, requiring only a fraction of his attention to maintain, unless the flame flowers needed to be regenerated after an explosion. With his current divine soul power, sustaining it until his return to the Shenyin Land and then conducting his research presented no issue.

The events within his Tongtian Palace unfolded silently. To the others, Jiang Wang merely paused in the air for a moment before descending to the carcass of the Hidden Snake King.

“Alas,” he sighed, his heart aching as he gazed upon the dead beast. Drawing his sword, he began to skin it, his face a mask of profound regret.

He truly regretted it now. While he had attempted to restrain the Eight Sound Flame Sparrow, the explosion within the Hidden Snake King’s belly had been beyond precise control. The Hidden Snake King was thoroughly dead, but its most valuable asset, its hidden skin, was riddled with holes, a sight to behold in its wretchedness. Its other organs, like the snake gall, had long since been blasted into nothingness.

Such a massive Hidden Snake, its skin, if intact, could have yielded a dozen or more pieces of Hidden Cloth. The excess material could have been traded with the Holy Clan. But now…

Jiang Wang huffed and puffed, hacking at the hide for a good while, picking and choosing the best parts. In the end, he managed to salvage only two larger, intact pieces. They appeared just enough to fashion into a single garment – if Hidden Cloth could be sewn together with needle and thread. If there had been more, he wouldn’t have minded sharing, but with only these two perfect pieces, they were undeniably his. He had, after all, single-handedly slain the Hidden Snake King; the others had little grounds for complaint.

The potential quality of this Hidden Cloth filled Jiang Wang with anticipation. Beyond the skin, a pair of snake fangs and the snake tongue remained perfectly preserved – valuable acquisitions. The Hidden Snake King’s tongue, stiffened in death, could be directly fashioned into a sword. He wondered how it would compare to the soft snake-tongue sword he had acquired from the Snake Bone Face person. The two fangs could be transformed into daggers. In general, with such quality materials as a foundation, the final products were bound to be exceptional.

Jiang Wang collected everything, intending to hand them over to Lian Que once they left the Seven Star Valley.

Nearby, Qing Bazhi and the others, seasoned hunters all, naturally wouldn’t miss the opportunity to harvest their spoils. With small knives, they expertly peeled away the snake skins.

Qing Qishu, heavily wounded, remained surprisingly vital despite the combined effects of injuries and poison. He sat on the ground, his words a jumble of incoherent chatter. Among these individuals, only Su Qi stood stunned amidst the sea of snake carcasses, silent and unmoving.

Jiang Wang glanced at him but said nothing further. Compared to the Holy Clan warriors, who spent their lives hunting and battling the powerful wild beasts of the Senhai Source Realm, most cultivators participating in the Seven Star Tower were perhaps not lacking in skill, but their qualities as warriors were somewhat deficient.

Take Su Qi, assigned to standby and support, yet in his fury, he charged forward, transforming himself into the main force. And Wu Quji, tasked with analyzing the snake poison, yet poisoned himself into a stupor. Jiang Wang wasn’t sure how to properly evaluate them.

Of course, they each had their reasons. Su Qi’s emotional breakdown necessitated an outlet, while Wu Quji, out of good intentions, sought a more accurate assessment of the toxin by testing it on himself. But those truly seasoned in warfare understood that beyond victory and defeat, any reasons or excuses were ultimately meaningless. Frankly, Jiang Wang lacked confidence in facing Yan Xiao in a life-or-death battle with companions such as these.

While peeling the skin, Qing Bazhi casually inquired, “Why didn’t you bring your knife today?” As a Holy Clan warrior, he knew Qing Qishu not only excelled with a shield but also frequently carried a single knife. Knife and shield were the complete Qing Qishu.

Qing Qishu curled his lip, answering nonchalantly, “Practicing.” He carried it when he felt like it, and it was difficult to kill him anyway. Qing Bazhi didn’t dwell on it, giving a light tug that expertly stripped a complete Hidden Snake skin from the carcass, his movements swift and practiced.

In contrast, Qing Jiuye cast a silent glance at the still-recuperating Qing Qishu on the ground.

Jiang Wang, having finished collecting the Hidden Snake King’s spoils, walked over, exchanging a few casual words with Qing Qishu. He observed the rapid healing of his wounds, a truly enviable ability. However, this recovery and resilience likely came at the cost of some sensitivity. Qing Qishu’s inherent “dullness” stemmed from this; his perception of pain seemed significantly delayed compared to ordinary individuals.

For instance… he was only now beginning to wail. “Ah, pain to death, pain to death, pain to death…” This “dullness” was perhaps the limitation of his remarkable recovery. It also explained why, despite his skillful defense and the treasure that was the Qingmu Shield, he was frequently wounded amidst the Hidden Snake legions. Of course, compared to his near-undying body, this flaw was insignificant.

On the other side, Wu Quji, who had been dizzy at the outer ring for half the day, finally began to recover. His mind was clearing, though his tongue still felt thick: “I know… know… this… this… poison…” He was genuinely excited. He had finally gained a profound understanding of the Hidden Snake poison and had a grasp on how to formulate a corresponding antidote pill. He was useful!

Jiang Wang and the others were engrossed in processing the Hidden Snake skins, paying him no mind. Antidote pills… aside from himself, no one else needed to consume them.