Chapter 1

A hot air balloon carrying a bright red banner soared into the sky, delivering enthusiastic congratulations to welcome Zhang Ji.

"Presented by Daoist Bai He and the disciples of the Daoist sect." Zhang Ji saw the signature at the end. He was surprised and pleased. He had expected a great battle upon emerging, and he had prepared to devour all enemies. He hadn't expected them to make such a move.

"It seems there are capable people among the surviving humans!"

Zhang Ji smiled, his scarlet vertical pupils scanning the mountains below. The enormous serpent shadow spiraled down through the sea of clouds, casting a vast darkness over the earth, like a moving storm cloud.

On a mountain peak:

Wu Yue and Zhao Mei watched in horror as the mysterious, enormous beast broke free from its seal in the sky. They had no idea how long its massive body was; it was simply as terrifying as a creature from ancient myths. They trembled in fear.

They couldn't identify the species.

It actually had five heads, each more ferocious than the last. It looked like a snake, yet also like a wolf, or some other unknown monster, with a pair of wings that blotted out the sky and two huge claws on its back, exuding arrogance and confidence.

The top-tier overlord Black Eagle, which the Black Wind Safe Zone had always considered a major threat, fled in terror upon seeing it, but it couldn't escape its doom and was swallowed whole.

"Too terrifying."

The two were trembling all over, their faces as white as snow. They admired their master's wisdom even more. To be enemies with such a giant, ferocious creature was suicide. Spirit-destroying bullets couldn't harm it at all. On the contrary, actively befriending it might be the only way to survive.

They hastily released the hot air balloon and turned to return to report.

But then, a shadow loomed overhead, plunging the entire mountain beneath them into darkness as if it had fallen into hell. The air was eerily cold, filled with an evil aura, and a fierce, bloody energy swept down like a tidal wave.

"Hello, hello, little friends! Did you send me those blessings?"

A gentle yet imposing voice rang out from above.

Wu Yue and Zhao Mei looked up in terror and saw a scene they would never forget. It was the first time they had seen Zhang Ji up close, and it was a glorious story they would boast about for the rest of their lives.

The massive figure hung upside down in the sky like a hook, its blood-colored wings spread wide. Four of its five heads were looking around curiously, while one snake head lowered, its scarlet, blood-lake eyes staring at them. It spoke in a human tongue.

"Don't be afraid, little friends. Let me introduce myself. My name is Zhang Ji. Everyone calls me the vicious king cobra, but I don't think I'm vicious at all. What do you think?"

Zhang Ji hovered in the void, smiling as he asked.

Wu Yue and Zhao Mei cursed inwardly upon hearing the introduction. *You say you're a king cobra? What kind of king cobra is like you? Apart from the body and the snake head, where else are you like a snake?*

*And you have snake claws? Do snakes have claws? Do snakes have wings? Do snakes have five heads?*

They swallowed hard in their excessive fear, their throats bobbing. Looking up at the behemoth before them, they realized their own figures weren't even as big as one of its scales. They even saw their own reflections in its scarlet, blood-lake eyes, so terrified and insignificant.

"Greetings, Senior! I am Wu Yue!" Wu Yue squeezed out a smile and bowed.

"I am Zhao Mei. We are both disciples of Daoist Bai He," Zhao Mei replied quickly. "Senior is right. You are not vicious at all, Senior, you..."

She racked her brains for words of praise. She wanted to say, "Senior is handsome and dashing, everyone loves you," but she suddenly remembered her master Daoist Bai He's teachings:

*Those who accomplish great things must do the opposite of what everyone else does. If everyone is going east, you must go west. If everyone is flattering, you must be honest. Only then can you avoid becoming mediocre.*

Zhang Ji looked at the two and asked with a smile, "I am what?"

Zhao Mei took a deep breath and told the truth, "Senior is too modest. You are not just not vicious, but the most vicious being under heaven."

"Although this junior hasn't seen too much bloodshed, I recognize the look of those who are addicted to killing. It's obvious that Senior is such a giant, ferocious evildoer, who has definitely killed countless beings and devoured hundreds of millions of lives. A sea of blood and mountains of bones must already lie behind you."

"I can clearly smell the bloody and evil aura on your body. I'm sure that all the beings who disobey you will come to no good end and will all become your food."

With that, she bowed deeply.

Her senior brother Wu Yue was stunned. He hadn't expected his junior sister to tell the giant brute in front of them the plain truth. He was so frightened that his face turned pale.

Unexpectedly,

The other party suddenly burst out laughing, all five heads laughing together, the sound like thunder shaking ten thousand miles of void. The mountains were collapsing, and rocks were tumbling down.

"Good, well said! This one likes honest little friends," Zhang Ji said with a hearty laugh, his white fangs as big as icebergs.

Zhao Mei and Wu Yue were terrified and quickly said, "Thank you for your praise, Senior. These are all the teachings of this junior's master, Daoist Bai He."

Zhang Ji said, "I can see that your master, Daoist Bai He, is an enlightened master, wise in his foolishness. Hmm, how about this? When you have time, please invite your master to my Snake King City as a guest. I will definitely welcome him with open arms."

As he spoke, a scarlet snake scale fell off his body in front of the two of them. It was a full eight hundred meters wide, as heavy as a mountain, flashing with metallic cold light, and filled with a cold baleful aura and an air of majesty.

"This is a token." After Zhang Ji finished speaking, he spread his wings and flew into the sky, plunging into the sea of clouds and mountains to hunt living creatures, devouring them wantonly. All the monsters and beasts that looked relatively large and fierce became his rations and evolution points.

The beasts fled in terror.

This dangerous mountain area, which had always been occupied by kings and demons, ushered in a catastrophe today. The air began to be filled with a bloody smell, and screams and howls were incessant.

On the mountain peak, Wu Yue and Zhao Mei looked at the tragedy in the mountains. Their faces were pale. They finally realized how terrifying and frightening the giant brute who claimed to be a king cobra was.

"It's hard to believe that we actually survived and were rewarded with a snake scale!"

"Thank you, Master! Thank you for your famous teachings! We are the luckiest cubs under Master's care!"

"Quick, let's carry the snake scale back to the safe zone."

The two hurriedly carried the snake scale down the mountain.

But the snake scale was as heavy as a great mountain, and they struggled to move. Fortunately, they encountered their old acquaintance Han Feng's exploration and treasure hunting team. They introduced the blood-colored mountain as the snake scale bestowed by the giant brute just now. Everyone was shocked and couldn't believe it. They worked together to carry the snake scale back to the Black Wind Safe Zone.

Black Wind Safe Zone.

Everyone was nervously paying attention to the giant brute that broke the seal in the sky. When they saw the other party finally reveal its huge body, everyone lost their voices and was shocked on the spot.

Then, when they saw the other party swallow the Black Eagle, which had oppressed them for many years, in one gulp, they trembled in even greater terror.

Black Hand Fist King and Grandmaster Yuan Kong and other grandmasters were shivering with cold. At this moment, they suddenly rejoiced that they had not fired the spirit-destroying bullets at the other party. Otherwise, not only would they not be able to harm the other party, but they would also invite a great disaster.

"Thanks to Daoist Bai He!"

"Daoist Bai He still has foresight."

The two were ashamed and admired Daoist Bai He's wise and far-sightedness, but they also expressed concern, "The other party is so ferocious, what should our Black Wind Safe Zone do?"

Daoist Bai He stroked his beard and smiled, "Don't worry, this poor Daoist has already made arrangements."

Everyone was curious, but Daoist Bai He waved his sleeves and leisurely picked up his teacup, smiling without saying a word, very mysterious.

~

Chapter 2

Afternoon.

The setting sun cast a golden glow on the Black Wind Safe Zone, as if shrouded in a layer of thin golden gauze.

The crowing of chickens and barking of dogs rang out, adding a bit of tranquility and leisure. The beast roars that usually echoed in the mountains outside were not heard today. The surrounding area was particularly quiet.

The guards on the battlements of the city wall stood in full array, their eyes nervously watching the mountains, but they did not see a single monster or beast invading the safe zone.

They were surprised and strange, but they saw a group of figures walking out of the mountains, carrying something as blood-colored as a mountain.

"Dumplings should be eaten hot?" The guard on the city gate shouted.

"A sister-in-law should look for a fat one!" Wu Yue shouted loudly under the city wall.

This was the password to prevent some monsters from mixing into the safe zone in human skin. It had happened before.

"It's our own people, open the city gate quickly." The guard on the city wall shouted loudly. A heavy sound that made people's teeth sore rang out, the city gate opened, and some soldiers helped carry the thing into the city.

Seeing the soldiers looking out nervously, Wu Yue smiled and said, "No need to worry, most likely there won't be any monsters or beasts attacking our safe zone in the future."

The soldiers didn't believe it and instead strengthened their vigilance.

Wu Yue looked speechless and carried the mountain-like snake scale with his junior sister Zhao Mei and Han Feng and others toward the safe zone. As they walked along the street, people curiously surrounded them, chattering.

"This looks like some kind of metal mountain. It should be a rare blood gold, definitely valuable."

"That's right, it can be used to make powerful weapons after smelting."

"It's probably a treasure that Han Feng and the others found."

After the Earth entered the great evolution civilization, everyone had seen many rare treasures, but it was the first time they had seen something as big as this. They all clicked their tongues in amazement.

Several grandmaster guardians came to inquire. Daoist Bai He walked the fastest, and a smile appeared on his face when he saw Wu Yue and the others.

"Good disciple, has everything been done?" He was more concerned about sending blessings to the giant brute today. This was related to whether the Black Wind Safe Zone could coexist peacefully with the other party in the future.

Black Hand Fist King and other grandmaster guardians surrounded the snake scale and looked at it. The more they looked at it, the more solemn their expressions became. Finally, they all changed their faces and whispered to each other, as if trying to identify the origin of this thing.

Wu Yue and Zhao Mei shouted "One, two, three" and together let go of the snake scale, making a loud "boom" sound, sinking into the ground tens of meters deep, the earth and dust soaring into the sky, the ground shaking, startling Daoist Bai He.

Wu Yue smiled and saluted, "Master, don't panic, this is a token given to you by that senior."

Black Hand Fist King and other grandmaster guardians were curious and leaned over to listen. Wu Yue looked at Daoist Bai He, and Daoist Bai He signaled that he could tell everyone.

Wu Yue and Zhao Mei immediately told in detail what they had done today.

Han Feng and others also interjected a few words, and the surrounding people exclaimed constantly.

Especially when they heard that Wu Yue and Zhao Mei had actually sent a banner to the other party, everyone was shocked.

Then they heard that the giant brute had communicated with them face to face, the tone was gentle and polite, claiming to be a king cobra, and this blood-colored mountain was not a metal mountain, but a snake scale given by the other party. Everyone was speechless again.

They didn't expect this giant brute to be a king cobra. They didn't know how it evolved. A snake scale was so big, subverting their imagination.

"Master, this snake scale is a token given to you by the king cobra. It praised you as an enlightened master, wise in your foolishness, so it invited you to its Snake King City as a guest and said that it would definitely welcome you with open arms."

Zhao Mei said with a proud smile something that shocked everyone.

Daoist Bai He trembled with excitement as he stroked his beard and said anxiously, "Did the other party really say that? Didn't it say something like your master, I, am profound and tastes better to eat?"

Zhao Mei and Wu Yue shook their heads in unison.

Daoist Bai He became excited in his heart. He had made the right move again. Thank you, Master, for being so powerful in heaven. This disciple has once again done the opposite and gained great benefits.

Black Hand Fist King and Grandmaster Yuan Kong felt incredible and worried, "This matter is strange. No matter what, the other party is a monster, not a human. Those who are not of our race must have different hearts. We must be on guard!"

The other grandmaster guardians also echoed.

Zhao Mei and Wu Yue guaranteed that the other party definitely had no bad intentions and said at the same time, "By the way, the king cobra also said, its name is... is Zhang Ji!"

"Zhang Ji?! Does a snake have a name? Such a common name, like a human name." Black Hand Fist King didn't believe it. An old man with white hair and crutches muttered, "My second uncle's name is Zhang Ji."

Everyone laughed, but he blushed and said, "It's true, I didn't lie to you."

"My name is Zhang De, my great-grandfather's name is Zhang Zhishan, my great-great-grandfather's name is Zhang Youfu. Back then, our lineage was in Hai City. My great-great-grandfather took my great-grandfather and my second uncle's family to Xichuan Town."

"We were planning to visit them at the time, but we didn't expect Xichuan Town to disappear."

Zhang De's face was bleak. That was sixty years ago, when he was only ten years old. Many things in his memory were already blurred, but he had a clear memory of his second uncle Zhang Ji.

Because his second uncle liked to eat chicken and often took him to eat chicken together.

At this moment, he said his family relationship, saying that he did have a second uncle named Zhang Ji, but no one believed him.

Several grandmaster guardians also smiled and shook their heads, saying that you are over seventy years old, the grass on your second uncle's grave must be more than three feet high, and your second uncle is a human, but this giant brute in front of you is a big snake that has lived for who knows how many years. It is impossible for them to be the same creature.

Zhang Fu pouted and didn't speak. He trembled and took out a wallet from his arms, flipped out a yellowed photo. In the photo, a boy of ten years old snuggled in the arms of a young man and ate a plate of roast chicken, with a satisfied smile on his face.

The young man was wearing a white shirt, with a handsome and sunny smile, just like Zhang Ji.

"Second uncle, if you were still alive, how good it would be, I would definitely make a plate of roast chicken for you to eat." Zhang Fu sighed, looking at the photo with his old, dim eyes. The two young men and women beside him glanced at the photo and turned their heads away with a helpless smile.

Grandpa is getting old and always misses the past, especially likes to talk about his second uncle. They couldn't persuade him.

Hundreds of thousands of people in Xichuan Town had already died, and the town had disappeared without a trace. Second uncle naturally couldn't escape.

"Grandpa, it's getting late, let's go back, we..." The two were talking when they heard a scream from the distant, towering watchtower.

"Guardians, grandmasters, come quickly, we saw Xichuan Town, Xichuan Town is back..."