'That sound...'
Li Pingcan glanced at his elder brother, who was chatting animatedly with the talkative boatman while subtly probing for information about Dragon Spring Town's factions. Clearly, he hadn't heard those faint sighs.
Only Li Pingcan could hear them - undoubtedly triggered by the passive effect of [Animal Speech]. After maxing out this skill, he usually kept it deactivated to prevent mental interference, with automatic activation only occurring near powerful creatures.
'Could there really be a spirit snake?'
Li Pingcan wasn't certain. He had originally thought the White Lady was just a legend.
[Animal Speech] required a specific conversational target, and the distance was too great for a proper "connection" to form.
After some thought, he gazed at the lake's central island and activated [Animal Affinity] to sense the target's emotions.
[Name: White Snake]
[Mood: Melancholic, sorrowful and pained]
...It was truly the legendary spirit snake!
Li Pingcan's eyes widened as the island grew nearer, a wild idea forming in his mind. That watery spiritual energy might very well be connected to the white snake. With [Animal Speech], he could communicate directly and request some of that water essence!
"If the ancient legends are true, this white snake was revered by thousands and is no cruel beast - there's room for negotiation."
Just like Grandpa Peach Tree who protected Peach Blossom Village, any being celebrated in human folklore must be benevolent.
Were it truly a vicious serpent, the local immortals wouldn't have tolerated its presence. Most importantly, this White Lady seemed to be facing some serious difficulties.
...
"Scrunch."
The boat scraped against rocks as it docked, rocking slightly.
Li Pingfu leaped onto the rocks first with catlike grace, leaving the boat perfectly steady. The others lacked such refined control, causing the vessel to sway and create ripples.
Li Pingcan was last ashore, deliberately making extra waves. The moment his feet touched ground, he activated [Earth Pulse Sense] and immediately frowned.
This cave system had countless hollow tunnels winding through it like an enormous ant colony. Even the exposed sections above water were massive.
Unable to find the path, Li Pingfu asked a local for directions.
"Out-of-towners?" The Dragon Spring Town resident eyed Li Pingcan's divination moon cakes and offerings, his wariness melting into hospitality. "Here to worship the White Lady? Follow me."
As the guide enthusiastically recounted the Lady's kindness and miracles, they soon arrived at a spacious cavern.
"Here she is - the Lady."
Before them stood a stone carving of a coiled spirit snake with the upper body of a human woman, her face radiating serene compassion as she gazed upon the earth.
"So many people?"
Xie Xiaodao exclaimed in surprise. He'd thought this would be an ordinary outing, never expecting so many Dragon Spring Town residents worshiping the spirit snake, each praying to the White Lady.
Perhaps caught up in the atmosphere, he regretted not buying "divination moon cakes." With a sly glance at Li Yuan, he said: "Hey buddy, let me borrow yours."
"Didn't you hear the boatman? One per person!" Li Yuan glared, but their guide interjected:
"Sharing's fine. The White Lady is magnanimous - she wouldn't mind such trifles."
Hearing this, Li Yuan and Li Pingcan exchanged looks.
They'd been scammed!
Li Pingcan sighed. Why was trust between people so fragile?
"Haha! Suckers!" Xie Xiaodao made a grab for the cakes, but Li Yuan dodged. "Cut it out, my turn first."
After presenting offerings, Li Yuan began the divination ritual. Three tosses later, his expression turned solemn, caught between joy and sorrow.
Seeing this, Xie Xiaodao dropped his playful manner, clasping Li Yuan's shoulder: "Bro, I don't know what you asked, but when it comes to mystical matters, I only believe the good omens! Whatever the divination says, I hold one truth - man can conquer fate!"
........
"Big brother, I need to step away."
"Dangerous?" Li Pingfu had noticed his younger brother's unusual demeanor and asked quietly. He'd known for two years that Li Pingcan sought something in Dragon Spring Town - apparently there were new leads.
"Not dangerous." Li Pingcan shook his head, surveying the labyrinthine caves. The countless interconnected tunnels could easily disorient anyone without a guide.
"Go then. Don't worry - if anything happens, send Little Black to fetch me."
"Right."
The brothers clasped hands briefly, understanding passing wordlessly between them.
........
"Haaah..."
Li Pingcan took a deep breath as he stepped onto the damp ground, lighting [Glowshrooms] to illuminate his path deeper into the caves where the worshippers' noise soon faded.
The faint fungal glow revealed walls slick with algae and long green waterweeds from years of submersion. Testing [Thorn Whip] on the weeds, Li Pingcan found he could transform them into writhing brambles that crawled ahead of him.
Water dripped "plink-plonk" in the caverns, each drop icy against his neck. Yet an inexplicable pull continued guiding him forward.
The deeper he went, the more branches appeared - dark, narrow passages that would deter most. Li Pingcan proceeded with cautious determination.
After roughly two incense sticks' worth of time...
The winding path suddenly opened into a vast hollow chamber where, under the glowshroom light, two luminous green eyes the size of lanterns gleamed in the darkness.
The creature measured sixty feet long, its white scales slightly raised like sharp blades, secreting a thick mucus that smelled faintly sweet rather than fishy.
"Hssss..."
The white serpent slowly coiled its massive body, raising its head high as its forked tongue flicked out, staring down at the tiny human before it.
Compared to the serpent's bulk, Li Pingcan seemed insignificant.
"White Lady, I've finally met you."
Li Pingcan bowed respectfully, voice warm with pleasure. "It wasn't easy getting this audience."
He showed no trace of fear, his demeanor completely composed.
The white snake studied Li Pingcan with interest, tailtip twitching as it exhaled frosty breath with a hiss that translated in Li Pingcan's ears to a calm, sacred feminine voice:
"To hear my voice and behold my true form without fear - you are indeed no ordinary man."
Communication meant opportunity. Besides, seeking immortal fortune required risks - you couldn't become an ancestor deity by safely tending trees for three hundred years. Druids excelled at harmonizing with nature to utilize its resources, but their combat abilities were lacking.
Without cultivating immortality, one could never control their destiny. Misfortune might strike anytime - even the mightiest mortal dynasties never lasted five centuries.
This step had to be taken.
The white snake needed his help - there was room for negotiation!
Li Pingcan's gaze fell on the serpent's abdomen where a nail was deeply embedded, faint light pulsing whenever the snake moved.
"Remove this Spirit-Locking Nail for me, and I'll grant any request."
After enduring prolonged agony, the White Lady came straight to the point.
She hid nothing about the nail's origin: "This is an immortal's artifact with residual array inscriptions. No mortal could touch it, let alone remove it. Will you try?"
The White Lady clearly saw Li Pingcan wasn't an immortal cultivator. Though disappointed, a thread of hope remained - hope for a miracle.
"I'd like to try."
With [Animal Affinity] passively active, Li Pingcan clearly sensed the White Lady's emotional shifts from "delight" to "disappointment" then "hope," but detected no malice.
True to legend, this White Lady was tolerant, kind and gentle.
Even if he failed, such virtue probably meant no retaliation.
The weak had no choice but to proceed carefully, leveraging every advantage.
Mentally apologizing, Li Pingcan asked: "Might I inquire... does Your Ladyship possess a water spirit essence?"
"Making demands before even removing the nail?"
The White Lady's mood fluctuated with surprise - this boy had audacity! No wonder he dared explore these caves!