Chapter 82 The Eldest Brother is Trying to Seize the Sect Leader Position

“I dragged it out,” Xiao Qidi explained. “I plan to see if it can be put to use. It’s such a big snake; it would be a waste not to make use of it.”

"Yes! We must make good use of it!" Ning Jinli gritted her teeth. "It almost ate us up, and it even ate all the wild boar meat we were going to use as provisions. We can't let it get away with this!"

Ning Jinli grew angrier the more she thought about it. She grabbed Xiao Qidi's hand and walked outside the cave, saying she would personally skin this beast alive.

So Xiao Qidi handed the grappling hook to her.

Ning Jinli gripped the hook claw, fumbled around for a while, and decided to start from the relatively softer part of the snake's belly.

This hook claw is indeed worthy of being used by experts of the Tian Shu Sect. Although it is not so handy as a knife, it is sharp and effective. Ning Jinli did not have to exert much effort to cut a gash in the snake's belly.

Splash—

A pile of something mixed with foul-smelling slime instantly flowed onto the ground.

The two covered their noses and poked at them with twigs.

Besides the wild boar meat that the giant snake ate last night, there were also some partially digested human remains.

Judging from the clothes on the wreckage, they belonged to those experts from the Tian Shu Sect.

And it was barely possible to discern that four people had entered the snake's belly, including the person Ning Jinli had encountered the first time she picked wild fruit.

As for the other four, the two speculated that they either fell into the river and drowned, or became food for other wild animals.

Ning Jinli originally intended to make jerky from snake meat, but after cutting open the snake's belly and seeing the human remains, she gave up the idea.

It's not just about feeling nauseous.

In a life-or-death situation where food is scarce, this is nothing.

The main reason is that the flesh of this giant snake is completely different from that of a normal snake. It is not only very tough, like rubber, but also has a pungent smell, making it unsuitable as food.

“Looks like the snakeskin is the only thing we can make do with,” Ning Jinli poked the snake’s back with her grappling hook, feeling like she was scraping against a piece of iron. “The scales on this thing’s back could be used as armor; it’s really tough.”

Xiao Qidi walked around the giant snake's corpse, a look of surprise and uncertainty on his face.

Ning Jinli asked, "What's wrong?"

Xiao Qidi said, "This does not seem to be an ordinary snake."

Ning Jinli laughed, "Seems? Isn't it obvious? No ordinary snake can grow that long. I'd guess it's about twenty meters long."

“No, what I mean is…” Xiao Qidi pointed to the snake’s head, “Look, it’s already starting to grow horns.”

Ning Jinli looked surprised and ran over to the snake's head to take a closer look.

Sure enough, there were two bulges above the giant snake's eyes, about half a meter long, with the ends already emerging from the skin.

Xiao Qidi immediately ran to the giant snake's belly and searched from head to tail, where he saw four claws that were vaguely taking shape hidden under the scales.

"Legend has it that in ancient times there was a kind of snake that could become a jiao (a type of dragon) after living for a thousand years, and a dragon after living for ten thousand years. This must be that kind of snake," Xiao Qidi said.

Ning Jinli's eyes widened. "There really are such animals?"

She had heard of the myth of a snake transforming into a dragon, but she never expected to see it with her own eyes.

Xiao Qidi nodded. "Indeed, there is one, but according to ancient records, this kind of snake disappeared thousands of years ago. It seems that the unique hidden environment of this place has allowed one to survive."

"So... Jiao and even dragons really exist?!" Ning Jinli was filled with shock.

"Judging from the condition of this snake, yes," Xiao Qidi said calmly. "However, perhaps there are none left in this world. This snake may even be the last one in the world that could transform into a dragon, but it is already dead."

Ning Jinli couldn't help but feel a little sorry for the snake; if it weren't for the need to save her own life, she really hoped it could have survived.

Xiao Qidi suddenly thought of something, quickly walked to the snake's head, forcefully pried open the giant snake's mouth, and then reached in to grope around.

"What are you looking for?" Ning Jinli asked curiously.

Xiao Qidi fumbled around for a while, then his eyes suddenly lit up. "Sure enough, I found it!"

He pulled hard and pried a black bead the size of a pigeon egg out of the giant snake's mouth.

"What's this?" Ning Jinli asked, leaning closer.

The black bead seemed to radiate light from the inside out and emitted a peculiar fragrance, completely different from the stench of the giant snake itself.

“This snake can transform into a dragon, which means it has already condensed its inner core,” Xiao Qidi said, holding the black bead in his hand and observing it through the sunlight. “This is its inner core. If it successfully transforms into a dragon, and after another ten thousand years it will transform into a dragon, then the inner core will be a dragon pearl.”

Ning Jinli was so shocked that her jaw almost dropped to the ground.

She finally understood that the myths and legends of China were not created out of thin air by the ancients.

“Here, eat it.” Xiao Qidi handed the giant snake’s inner core to Ning Jinli.

Ning Jinli's eyes widened. "You can eat this?!"

Xiao Qidi said, "Of course it can be eaten. Moreover, this inner core is the essence of heaven and earth accumulated by this snake over nearly a thousand years. It is something that can only be encountered by chance."

Ning Jinli knew that Xiao Qidi wouldn't cheat her, but she didn't understand why he didn't eat it himself.

Such a good thing is of course most suitable for Xiao Qidi.

"I don't want it, you eat it," Ning Jinli declined decisively. "It would be a waste for me to eat it, you have to eat it to make it effective."

Xiao Qidi shook his head. "No, I already have internal energy. If I take this, my internal energy will conflict with the energy it contains. If I'm lucky, I might be able to absorb it, but if I'm not careful, my meridians will burst. Only someone with no internal energy can safely take it."

"Ah, this..." Ning Jinli didn't understand martial arts or internal energy, but she was still reluctant to waste it. After thinking for a moment, she said, "Why don't we keep it for now? You can find a foolproof way to eat it later."

Xiao Qidi looked helpless. "I would like to, but look, once the giant snake died, its inner core turned gray. It won't be long before it loses its effectiveness."

Ning Jinli then noticed that the black bead was significantly dimmer than when it was first taken out, and the speed at which the light flowed was getting slower and slower.

"Eat quickly." Xiao Qidi pinched the inner core and placed it near Ning Jinli's mouth.

Ning Jinli had no choice but to open her mouth and gently bite down.

The moment I put it in my mouth, I felt a warm current.

Before she could even try to chew it, the giant snake's inner core dissolved completely.

It had no taste and left no residue; only a more noticeable warm current spread from her mouth throughout her body.

"By the way, what's the use of eating this?" Ning Jinli asked.

Xiao Qidi shook his head. "I don't know the specifics, but at least it can improve health and prolong life, so it shouldn't do any harm. You haven't felt any discomfort, have you?"

Ning Jinli was speechless.

So it turns out this guy isn't 100% sure whether there will be any problems after she eats the giant snake's inner core.

"I... don't feel uncomfortable anywhere," Ning Jinli carefully examined herself. "I feel warm all over, and the aches and pains from the past few days don't hurt anymore."

Xiao Qidi nodded, then asked her, "How did you kill the giant snake last night?"

Ning Jinli immediately told him about finding the revolver.

“This is it.” She pulled it out of her pants pocket.

Xiao Qidi exclaimed in amazement, "Such a small thing has such great power."

Ning Jinli revealed a smug look, "This is nothing. Compared to real modern firearms, it's nothing. If it weren't for the strict prohibition on private possession of firearms, I would have gotten you a whole bunch by now."

Xiao Qidi stared at the rough pistol in her hand. "With this, we can safely traverse the areas inhabited by wild beasts and find the legendary secret passage of the Tian Shu Sect."

The information about the secret passage was something Ning Jinli had heard from the dying Tian Shu Sect expert, and she had already told Xiao Qidi everything.

Whether it's true or not, the two couldn't tell.

“Sigh…” Ning Jinli sighed, “There are only six bullets in total. We fired five last night, and now we only have one left. If we don’t miss, it’s only enough to deal with one wild beast.”

Xiao Qidi pondered for a moment and said, "Do you think this might be the divine weapon that the Tian Shu Sect leader dropped here?"

Ning Jinli's expression was complicated. "I've considered this possibility, but... only by seeing the sect leader in person can I confirm it. If it really is hers, I need to find out why she has this kind of thing and where she got it from."

Xiao Qidi turned to look at the giant snake's corpse in front of him, pondered for a moment, and said, "I've thought of a way that might save us from being attacked by wild beasts."

Ning Jinli's eyes lit up. "What method?"

“That’s it.” Xiao Qidi pointed to the giant snake. “This snake is definitely the king of Falling Eagle Gorge. Wherever it goes, it can make any wild beast fear and avoid it. Even a corpse can become our talisman.”

“I know what you mean!” Ning Jinli said, “As long as we have its scent on us, we can scare away any wild beast, right?”

Xiao Qidi nodded, "That's right."

The two then set to work, taking the snake skin from the giant snake.

Although all the wild boar meat used as provisions is gone, it has turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as it has solved another important problem.

Ning Jinli hadn't dared to enter the woods for the past few days because she couldn't handle the wild beasts lurking inside.

It's obvious that if there are wild boars, there must also be other carnivores that prey on them, such as bears, tigers, and wolf packs.

It goes without saying how dangerous these top predators are.

Given Ning Jinli and Xiao Qidi's current situation, encountering them would be certain death.

Only a giant snake that is about to transform into a dragon can intimidate them.

The two spent most of the day using their grappling hooks to cut some tendons from the giant snake and peel off two large pieces of snake skin.

As darkness was approaching, Ning Jinli and Xiao Qidi could only hurry to pick some wild fruits to fill their stomachs. They returned to the cave, boiled some hot water to drink, and then sat by the fire to make protective gear with the materials they had.

The next day, Ning Jinli and Xiao Qidi divided the work.

Ning Jinli stayed in the cave to continue making protective gear, while Xiao Qidi went out hunting.

Because the giant snake's carcass was outside the cave, all the wild animals in the vicinity fled, and even the bushes where wild boars often roamed became quiet.

At noon, Xiao Qidi returned carrying several plump wild rabbits and pheasants.

The two had a hearty meal, and kept most of the roasted rabbit and pheasant meat as provisions.

Ning Jinli had already prepared protective gear and made two simple water bottles out of bamboo tubes. With some dry food now available, the two decided to begin their exploration.

The two first tied the previously processed wild boar hides to their torsos and limbs, then put on raincoats reinforced with snake tendons and snakeskins, carried pigskin bundles containing dry food around their waists, and hung bamboo water bottles on their heads. They looked quite presentable.

Ning Jinli and Xiao Qidi passed through the bushes near the cave and entered the dense forest.

at the same time.

On the main peak of Yuqi Mountain, undercurrents were swirling within the Tian Shu Sect.

After several days of secret preparation, Lu Xingfeng decided to make his move tonight to force the sect leader to step down.

Two days ago, he deliberately arranged for people to cause conflicts with several other sects in the martial arts world, so that Sect Leader Ye would have to send several influential managers to deal with the situation.

As a result, according to the old rules, Lu Xingfeng, the highly respected senior disciple of the sect, would have to temporarily take over the authority of those people, thus becoming someone who, apart from the sect leader, could freely mobilize the sect's disciples.

In the afternoon, while Sect Leader Ye was busy, Lu Xingfeng privately ordered dozens of his most skilled disciples to stand guard at various entrances and exits at the foot of the main peak, citing the unresolved conflict between the sects and the need to guard against attacks from other sects.

However, when issuing orders, the sect leader's token must be presented to prove that it is the sect leader's arrangement.

However, since this arrangement had been made in similar situations in the past, and this time it was Lu Xingfeng who came forward to give instructions, even though Lu Xingfeng did not produce the sect leader's token, the dozens of disciples who were the most skilled in martial arts within the sect did not suspect anything.

After successfully getting rid of these people, Lu Xingfeng sent his remaining dozen or so trusted members, each leading a hundred ordinary disciples of mediocre talent, to the four sacrificial altars on the main peak in the east, west, south, and north.

The four sacrificial altars have existed for an unknown period of time; even when the old sect leader was alive, he couldn't explain their historical origins.

Sacrificial ceremonies are usually only held on important days at the altar.

Today is not a special day, and the four hundred ordinary disciples all find it very strange.

But they were of low status and had no right to question it. When they heard that it was the senior brother who made the arrangement, they all obediently followed along.

By nightfall, after Sect Leader Ye had finished dealing with the decisions that had accumulated during her absence, Lu Xingfeng had completed his final preparations.

After eating something casually and planning to rest, Sect Leader Ye received another letter delivered by someone sent by Lu Xingfeng.

She opened the letter and saw that the contents were very simple.

He only said that he had a huge secret about the Tian Shu Sect to tell her and asked her to come to the sect's ancestral hall at midnight for a face-to-face meeting.

She was somewhat suspicious, but considering that it concerned the Tian Shu Sect, she decided to keep the appointment after careful consideration.

As midnight approached, Sect Leader Ye arrived at the ancestral hall alone.

Inside the ancestral hall, candles were lit, and Lu Xingfeng was kneeling before the ancestral tablets of past leaders, burning incense and bowing in worship.

"Senior Brother," Sect Leader Ye approached and asked, "Do you really have a great secret of the Tian Shu Sect to tell me, or are you just making up an excuse to trick me into coming here to see you?"

Lu Xingfeng placed the incense sticks into the incense burner, stood up, and turned back with a smile, "After ten years of brotherhood and sisterhood, don't you still trust me?"