Xiao Man directly cleaned up the nine-headed serpent and threw it into the alchemy furnace. She added many spiritual plants and stewed a pot of fragrant serpent meat soup. To make it convenient for Zhu Qing and Huo Wu to eat, she set up a separate barrier. This way, Huo Wu and Zhu Qing could come out of the Tongtian Tower and cultivate with the help of the Ice Fire Spring.
"Mother, the nine-headed serpent soup is really delicious!" Huo Wu praised while eating.
"It's made by Master, how could it not be delicious? Master, give me another one, one is not enough to eat." Zhu Qing said excitedly while devouring the soup. Su Dan Novel Network
Old Qin held a bowl of serpent soup and looked at the ancient demonic beasts outside, who were frozen like logs. A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. These people had thought of eating Xiao Man to increase their cultivation, but Xiao Man had turned the tables and caught them to eat!
"There's an ancient Azure Bird outside. Its spiritual energy is very abundant. It's right behind you. Catch it and eat it," Old Qin whispered. "Azure Birds are very beneficial to Fire Phoenixes and help them grow."
Huo Wu nodded repeatedly at Xiao Man upon hearing this. "Yes, yes, Azure Birds are very beneficial!"
Xiao Man did not reply, merely picking her teeth with a toothpick. The ancient demonic beasts outside had roamed the Duan'e Mountain for tens of thousands of years. They had never seen such an arrogant human. They roared and demanded Xiao Man come out to die. However, Xiao Man remained unmoved, and they could not break through the barrier of the Ice Fire Spring.
Xiao Man appeared full and satisfied, lying on the ground with her eyes closed to rest. Zhu Qing slithered to the edge of the barrier and bared its fangs and claws at the ancient ferocious beasts outside, provoking them to continuously attack the barrier. However, the barrier was too strong, and they could not shake it in the slightest.
Suddenly, Xiao Man's figure flashed, and she instantly grabbed the ancient Azure Bird by the neck, pulling it into the barrier. Everything happened too quickly. By the time the other ferocious beasts reacted, the ancient Azure Bird had already been plucked and was being roasted over a fire!
The ferocious beasts were so frightened that they retreated one after another. They were all ancient and wise demonic beasts who had cultivated here because of the benefits of the Ice Fire Spring. Now, this outsider, a humanoid ferocious beast, not only occupied the Ice Fire Spring but was also hunting them for food!
"When you come out, we will tear you into a thousand pieces!" The ferocious beasts roared in fury, watching the Azure Bird go into Xiao Man's belly. What was even more hateful was that Xiao Man, after eating her fill, jumped into the Ice Fire Spring to cultivate, while the Fire Phoenix jumped into the Fire Spring, as it was conducive to its growth.
The Nine Netherworld Fire quietly lurked in the Ice Spring, absorbing its spiritual energy. Xiao Man sat in the center in meditation, and the spiritual energy of the Ice Fire Spring poured into her body, continuing to temper her physique.
"I'm so envious. I want to go down and cultivate too," Zhu Qing said enviously.
Old Qin rapped him on the head. "Fire Phoenixes are naturally fire-attributed. They are divine beasts of fire. The Fire Spring, while a forbidden place for other demonic beasts, is the best cultivation ground for it. Your Master has offended very powerful people. If it doesn't grow stronger, it might fall again."
"Old Qin, who exactly are Master's enemies?"
"Her enemies are not human," Old Qin said, looking up at the sky. If Xiao Man was truly Xuan Xin, then her enemies were unimaginably powerful. Two of the Four Great Sects had been eliminated. They were all descendants of ancient gods. Her divine spirit had shattered, and she had only recovered this much in ten thousand years. If she didn't cultivate diligently and was killed again this time, she might truly perish from the world.
"Could it be demonic beasts?"
"If they were demonic beasts, they wouldn't be so difficult to deal with," Old Qin said slowly. "I fear it's Heaven and Earth itself!"
News of a humanoid ferocious beast arriving at Duan'e Mountain, occupying the Ice Fire Spring, and hunting ancient demonic beasts quickly spread throughout the entire mountain range. Some curious demonic beasts came to investigate and found that the area around the Ice Fire Spring, where many demonic beasts should have been cultivating, was surprisingly deserted.
"What's going on? Why are there so few demonic beasts near the Ice Fire Spring?"
"They were eaten."
"Eaten?" The inquiring demonic beast looked disbelieving. "What demonic beast is so powerful that it dares to hunt and eat so many ancient demonic beasts?"
The other person pointed at the person cultivating in the Ice Fire Spring and said, "Look, it's that humanoid ferocious beast."
The inquiring demonic beast looked over and saw many bones piled up like a small mountain by the shore of the Ice Fire Spring, with a person sitting inside cultivating.
"My god, what demonic beast is so powerful that it can cultivate inside the Ice Fire Spring?" Saying that, it licked its lips, "Would eating her be very beneficial?"
The other person heard this, glanced at the speaking ferocious beast, and sneered, "Those who wanted to eat her are all lying inside. Look, the pile of bones is all of them who wanted to eat her, but in the end, they became her meal."
"Which demonic beasts were eaten?"
"Nine-headed serpent, Azure Bird, Flame Lion, Frost Leopard, Gale Wolf... one goes in, one gets eaten!"
"But there's a barrier, isn't there? How did they get in?"
"They were dragged in by that ferocious beast. Everyone originally thought that when she dragged them in, they could counterattack. But not a single one escaped being eaten. I advise you to stay away from this humanoid ferocious beast, or you won't even know how you died!"
Suddenly, a Fire Phoenix flew out of the Fire Spring, soaring into the sky, engulfed in flames. Its phoenix cry echoed through the land.
"This Fire Phoenix is about to reach maturity through Nirvana!" The ferocious beasts hiding nearby were extremely excited. So soon, it could reach maturity through Nirvana, which showed how much energy the Ice Fire Spring contained.
"Look quickly, the Ice Spring is also boiling," someone exclaimed. Indeed, the surface of the Ice Spring began to boil, and blue-violet flames covered the surface of the water, as if trying to evaporate the entire spring.
The Fire Phoenix that flew into the sky burned into ashes within the flames. After a moment, it was reborn from the ashes, spreading its wings and soaring. Its body was robust, almost filling the entire barrier. A moment later, the Fire Phoenix landed and transformed into a young woman standing on the shore.
"I've finally regained my human form!"
Zhu Qing stared at Huo Wu for a long time, his eyes wide with shock. "Huo Wu is a girl!"
"Kid, surprised, aren't you? You've been fighting and snatching food with her all this time, and now you regret it," Old Qin snorted. Now he knows she's a girl, what was he doing before?
"Then, if she snatches food from me next time, can I still hit her?" Zhu Qing asked Old Qin with confusion. "I don't hit women."
Old Qin's mouth twitched. After a moment, he looked at Zhu Qing with disappointment. "No wonder you've lived for tens of thousands of years and can't transform into human form. You're destined to be a snake your whole life!"
Zhu Qing was very confused. What was wrong with being a snake? Being a snake was very comfortable. Eat when you're full, sleep when you're full, and occasionally help Master gather some information. Life couldn't be better.
Huo Wu turned around, hands on her hips. "Zhu Qing, do I look good?"
Zhu Qing circled Huo Wu, thoughtfully nodding. "You look good, but you're a bit plump."