Chapter 36: This Origin Core Must Be Secured!

"Now, answer me a question honestly!" Ming Xi demanded, looking down from her position as she planted a foot firmly on the tiger-skin chair, her gaze sharp and piercing.

"Whatever the question is, Boss, just ask! We will definitely answer you honestly!"

"…Is there a Snake King on this mountain?" Ming Xi asked, getting straight to the point.

If it weren't for the need to find the Snake King, she wouldn't have bothered with these bandits. However, they were familiar with the local terrain, and their knowledge would undoubtedly be a significant help in recovering her spiritual power.

But the moment the words left her lips, she saw undisguised panic wash over the bandits' faces, as if the very question had terrified them.

"Boss, you… why are you asking about that?"

"Mind your own business. Just tell me if there is one or not."

The bandits exchanged glances, their tongues seemingly tied. After a long moment of stunned silence, they finally replied, "…There is one, yes, but Boss, what are you planning to do?"

"What am I planning? To seize the Snake King's primordial essence, of course!"

What?!!

The group of bandits were so shocked that the expressions on their faces were beyond description, as if Ming Xi’s words were an act of rebellion against the heavens themselves!

"Uh… Boss, you don’t seem to know how such things as Snake Demons come to be, do you?"

"How would I not know? They cultivate, obviously!"

"No, no, no, that’s not it! Boss, you clearly don’t know. Could you please let us explain the true situation regarding the Snake King?"

"Cut the nonsense! Of course you should report it!" Ming Xi slammed her hand against the armrest of the tiger-skin chair, signaling them to continue.

"Then, Boss… do you know why the Orc tribe on the Xuanling Continent, despite looking just like ordinary humans, are called Orcs?"

Ming Xi paused, taken aback.

That’s right! That was a good question. Take the child's father, for instance—he looked so refined and handsome, indistinguishable from a normal human. He looked nothing like a beast. Why were they called the Orc tribe?

"Because the difference between these Orcs and normal humans isn't in their appearance, but in the beastly spiritual roots present in their lineage," the bandits explained. "These spiritual roots exist in their blood, granting them cultivation talent far superior to ordinary humans! But there is a fatal flaw… in cases of qi deviation, these spiritual roots cause them to experience atavism, turning them into demonic beasts!"

Turn back into demonic beasts?! Ming Xi’s eyes widened instantly. The Orc tribe could actually revert into demonic beasts under extreme circumstances?

How could such a bizarre thing be possible?

"…Moreover, the Imperial family of the Xuanling Continent has a brutal form of torture for Orcs who commit grave crimes—they use magic to induce atavism, forcing them back into their demonic beast forms!"

"However, Orcs subjected to this torture are naturally unwilling to perish, so they try to cultivate again. But after such a transformation, they cannot become divine beasts or humans; they can only become… the kind of 'demon' you mentioned."

And this… was the truth behind the Orc tribe.

Nothing in this world is perfect. While the Orc tribe enjoyed superior cultivation talent and a fate favored by the heavens due to their bloodline, they also had their extremes.

They could be reduced to creatures even worse than demonic beasts, never to rise again.

"So, Boss, there are no such things as demons in this world. The Snake King you seek is merely… merely an Orc who has been subjected to capital punishment!"

Hearing this, Ming Xi let out a long, heavy sigh. She suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of sorrow and sympathy.

They were already in such a miserable state, and here she was, planning to take their primordial essence? That was hardly professional ethics!

Wait! Hold on! That's not right!

Why was she sympathizing with him? If she didn't steal the essence, what would happen to her five hundred years of cultivation? How would she survive in the future?

Was she supposed to remain a useless waste on this Xuanling Continent forever?!

Therefore!

Even if this Snake King’s background was indeed pitiable, her own background as a fox demon was even more deserving of pity!

It was bad enough to translocate into such a useless body; on her first day, she was nearly paralyzed, her waist had barely recovered before her nose was almost broken, and no sooner had her nose healed than she encountered bandit robbers. She didn't even have the ability to protect her own son, nearly letting his eyes be gouged out!

So, this primordial essence—she, the fox demon, had to get her hands on it!

"Look, no matter how much you fear this Snake King, you have to follow my orders now. I must find a way to seize that essence. Do you have any objections?!"

W-what?!

The bandits’ jaws nearly hit the floor.

"Boss, have you lost your mind?!" they shouted in unison.

"You’re the ones who have lost your minds! If it weren't for the fact that I need the essence to recover my spiritual power, do you think I’d be here wasting my breath? What, am I here for a vacation?!"

"But… but Boss…"

"Don't give me any 'buts'! I hate it when people say 'but' to me! Now, I’m going to explain my plan. Listen carefully, do you understand!"