Chapter 1427: Fortune

The Xiuzhe sneered, "The Dongyi people just had to concoct a lie, claiming I brought disaster upon the local populace, which is why Yi was sent to slay me. In reality, it was merely a conflict between two powers, and my side simply lost. Yet, they made it out as if I had lost my mind. I, a venerable totem of the Miao-Man, a demon god born of heaven and earth, am I truly that pathetic?!"

The group exchanged odd glances. It seemed what truly infuriated it was not its death, but being portrayed as a mere beast that caused trouble for humanity.

Yu Yanluo asked, somewhat surprised, "So, the legend that Yi slew you back then was an exaggeration, wasn't it? Did you manage to escape?"

The Xiuzhe's head reddened slightly. "Cough, cough. Yi was indeed formidable back then; I truly couldn't defeat him. And... I didn't manage to escape either; he cut me into several pieces."

It seemed a little ashamed at first, but then it became more at ease as it continued.

Zu An even vaguely sensed a hint of pride in its tone.

What the hell? Is it an honor to die by Yi's hand?

The Xiuzhe continued, "This mountain range beneath your feet, which the local people call Baling, is actually what became of my remains from back then."

The group was truly astonished this time. Earlier, they had noted how the mountains undulated and twisted, indeed resembling a snake. However, Zu An and the others had thoroughly examined the area and concluded the mountain was inanimate, so they hadn't considered it further.

They never imagined this mountain was truly the Xiuzhe, merely formed from its corpse.

To transform into a continuous mountain range from its corpse, how enormous must the Xiuzhe's body have been back then!

At this moment, Yu Yanluo looked at it worriedly. "Then what about you now...?"

The implied meaning was simple: if it was already dead, what state was it in now?

Zu An had also carefully examined it just now and found that although its appearance was fierce, it bore no dark or malevolent aura. Ever since cultivating the *Primordial Chaos Scripture* and learning to purify evil, he had become highly sensitive to such things.

But the Xiuzhe before them clearly didn't belong to that category.

The Xiuzhe sighed. "Back then, I failed in my duty, losing to Yi, which led to the defeat of the Miao-Man clan. Yet, they didn't blame me; instead, they wept bitterly and spontaneously built a Xiuzhe Temple in my memory. They offered sacrifices day and night, and the incense never ceased. Then, one day, I don't know when, I suddenly revived."

"Actually, it's not truly 'revival'. I don't even know what state this is," the Xiuzhe said, its expression clearly bewildered.

"The power of faith," Zu An said in a deep voice. All those novels and movies from his previous life hadn't been for naught. The power of human faith could manifest deities, and the Xiuzhe clearly belonged to this category. Because the local people truly believed in it, and even after its death, the incense offerings never ceased, it was 'revived' in its burial ground.

The Xiuzhe's eyes lit up. "As expected of the friend of a Nüwa descendant! This insight is truly admirable. So that's it, so that's it, ha ha ha, ha ha ha..."

At first, its laughter was excited, then it became tinged with sorrow, and finally, it was deeply moved. One could even see clear tear stains in its eyes.

The Xiuzhe walked to the window, looking out at the scattered islands in the vast Dongting Lake. "Back then, I merely saw that they treated me with respect and that their offerings always suited my taste. That's why I stayed here as this so-called guardian god. In truth, I used to inwardly mock them for being foolish, thinking I'd just drift away whenever I grew tired of staying. I never expected to be revived by the very people I used to mock."

Its expression was incredibly complex as it spoke, truly difficult to describe in words.

Yu Yanluo said softly, "These people love and revere you, and you, in turn, love them. If you truly didn't care about them as you claim, how could you have resolutely joined the fight when they clashed with the Dongyi, battling against someone like Yi, and even sacrificing your life?"

Zu An and the others nodded subtly. Given the Xiuzhe's power, had it not been for the Miao-Man people, it could have freely roamed the world. How then could it have been slain here by others?

The Xiuzhe seemed dazed. "I'm not as great as you say..."

As it spoke, its voice trailed off, and it was unclear what it was thinking.

"Oh, right," Zu An asked, puzzled. "We just saw you swallow an elephant in the lake; was that you? Since you're reborn through the power of faith, you shouldn't still have those predatory urges, should you?"

The Xiuzhe was momentarily stunned, then chuckled in surprise after hearing the details. "What you must have seen was a residual image from back then. This vast Dongting Lake is somewhat special, and since you are outsiders – especially with her Nüwa bloodline – it caused the environment to resonate and replay a scene from the past."

Only then did the group understand. No wonder Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue couldn't harm the great snake, no matter how they attacked it.

They had been deeply worried that the great snake was a spatial-type powerhouse, feeling immense anxiety. They never expected such an outcome.

"Oh, right," the Xiuzhe asked curiously, suddenly remembering something. "Why are you here?"

The group's expressions became a little awkward, but Yu Yanluo tactfully explained the reason for their journey to it.

"So that's it," the Xiuzhe chuckled softly. "This is easy. Since you are a Nüwa descendant, we are considered kin. I will guide you out in a moment. Back then, to protect the local people, I cast a spell over this vast Dongting Lake, making it indeed difficult for ordinary people to leave."

The group exchanged glances, surprised that the problem they had anticipated would be resolved in such a manner.

"Oh, right," Zu An suddenly recalled something and asked, "You just mentioned that the great battle back then was between you and the Dongyi people. Wasn't it with the Yan-Huang tribe?"

"The Yan-Huang tribe?" The Xiuzhe frowned. "They were mortal enemies back then. When did they form a single tribe? It was indeed the Dongyi people who fought against us back then. Those people worshiped phoenixes and profound birds." A thought stirred in Zu An's mind. Shun had previously said that the White Emperor lineage worshiped phoenixes. So it seemed the White Emperor lineage was connected to the Dongyi?

Yi's crimson bow was bestowed by Di Jun, and the task of slaying various fierce gods was assigned by Di Yao. Di Jun and Di Yao were both from the White Emperor lineage...

At this moment, the Xiuzhe looked at Yu Yanluo. "Since you are a Nüwa descendant, our encounter is fated. I see your cultivation is good, but you haven't fully unleashed the power of your bloodline. I will impart to you a set of 'Nine Dragon-Serpent Transformations' that will help you unlock your potential and more flexibly wield the power of the Holy Spirit Pearl in the future."

Yu Yanluo was somewhat surprised, but she also understood this was a great opportunity. Her pressure had been immense while spending time with Yan Xuehen and Yun Jianyue. "Then, thank you, senior," she said.

"The Nüwa clan was kind to me back then," the Xiuzhe said with a smile. "Consider this me settling a karmic debt." Then, its vertical pupils lit up, and a point of light slowly drifted towards Yu Yanluo, containing an ancient and profound Daoist essence.

Yun Jianyue came to Zu An's side and secretly transmitted, "Be careful of a deception."

Zu An nodded. After all, along the way, he had learned that these fierce gods were not only cruel and domineering but also highly deceptive.

He remained fully alert while secretly notifying Yu Yanluo.

"Don't worry, I can feel that it bears no ill will," Yu Yanluo said, giving him a reassuring look. She then closed her eyes and accepted the light.

Her body suddenly lit up; it was the light of the Holy Spirit Pearl.

Seeing that it had gained the Holy Spirit Pearl's recognition, Zu An breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed he had been overly nervous.

Since this Xiuzhe could earn the genuine affection of the local people and be reborn through the power of faith, how could it possibly be an evil god?

After imparting the 'Nine Dragon-Serpent Transformations', the Xiuzhe's form dimmed slightly. "Alas, my body is not what it used to be," it said. "I need to go into a period of slumber. Please, you may go now."

After speaking, its form flickered and it returned to the giant snake statue in the temple.

Yun Jianyue was immediately dumbfounded. "Didn't it just say it would lead us out? What do we do now?"

Yu Yanluo smiled faintly. "Sister Yun, it has already told me all the necessary information. I should be able to lead everyone out."

After speaking, she bowed towards the giant snake statue, then led the group out of the temple.

"Do you feel anything unusual?" Zu An asked, still a bit worried.

"No, I'm fine. This great snake is indeed a good person... uh, no, a good snake," Yu Yanluo replied. "He also warned us to be careful of the fierce beast Zaochi in the Field of Chouhua ahead."