Chapter 8: The Demon Snake
A chill ran down Flux's spine the moment he felt it.
Something dangerous stirred beneath the roots of a twisted tree ahead—its spiritual pressure oily and suffocating, like a heavy fog pressing against his chest. The faint hum of demonic qi tainted the air.
He barely had time to react.
BOOM!
The ground exploded as the demon snake erupted from the earth, a black blur of scales and malice. It launched upward with terrifying speed, jaws wide, fangs dripping venom thick enough to hiss through the air.
"Fast—!" Flux jerked back, qi surging to his legs as he kicked off his sword and ascended rapidly.
The serpent's bite missed by inches, and its venom struck the forest floor with a burning sizzle. Bark melted. Stones cracked. Even the air shimmered where the toxin landed.
High above, Flux steadied himself, eyes locked onto the beast.
Obsidian scales covered the serpent's thick body, each one etched with dark crimson lines pulsing with demonic qi. Its slitted eyes glowed a sickly gold, and its maw opened again—revealing blackened fangs longer than daggers.
"Foundation Establishment… second level at least," he muttered. "That venom's not just deadly—it's corrosive. Even my sword might not withstand a direct hit."
The serpent coiled around a thick tree trunk, shattering it as it lunged again.
Flux twisted midair, flipping backward, and slashed out a silver crescent of sword qi.
Clang!
It struck the snake's flank with a sharp crack, but only left a faint scratch. The scales gleamed, unmarred.
"Tch." Flux clicked his tongue. "It's like trying to slice through spirit-forged iron."
The snake hissed and retaliated—its massive tail slamming toward him like a hammer.
Flux barely dodged. The shockwave splintered the canopy and flattened the trees below. Leaves and splinters rained like shrapnel as the snake's roar echoed through the woods.
"All right," Flux muttered. "Let's try this."
He reached into his pouch and flung three glowing needles toward its face. Each shimmered with tightly condensed qi, a trick he'd refined over the past week during his cultivation sessions.
The serpent tried to shield its eyes, but one needle struck the edge of its left eye.
Ssskrreeee!
It shrieked, thrashing violently. Trees shattered beneath its weight. Birds scattered in panicked bursts.
Flux didn't hesitate.
"Now!"
He dove in, blade whistling. With a surge of qi, he struck at its exposed underbelly.
Shhhhk!
A scale cracked. Blood, dark and thick as tar, oozed out.
"Finally."
The serpent screamed, and then—its mouth opened, and a thick black mist poured out like smoke from a dying furnace.
Flux's eyes widened. "Poison fog!"
He flared qi around him, creating a barrier just in time. Below, the mist blanketed the forest floor like a creeping tide. Leaves wilted. Trees groaned. The ground turned black.
"If I breathe that in, I'm dead."
The serpent slithered through the mist with eerie grace, vanishing and reappearing like a shadow in fog.
Flux hovered high above, sweat trailing down his temple.
"This thing's smart," he muttered. "Can't fight it head-on… not unless…"
He glanced at his sword. The runes along its hilt flickered faintly, waiting. Ready.
His eyes sharpened.
"This ends now."
Flux steadied his breathing. Qi surged into his limbs, flooding his dantian and meridians with light. His foundation had grown firmer over the past week—smoother, denser. His breakthroughs had not been forced, but sharpened like a whetstone carving a finer edge.
The wind shifted around him. The runes along his blade burst to life, glowing like starlight.
He lifted the sword above his head.
"Sword Control Art—Piercing Gale!"
He descended like a comet, spinning with the force of a cyclone. A spiraling vortex of wind howled around him, amplifying his momentum.
The serpent struck upward, its mouth open wide.
SHHHUNK!
The blade plunged through its wounded eye and drove deep into the skull. The demonic snake flailed, letting out one final, thunderous scream that split the sky.
Then it collapsed.
The forest shook. Trees snapped. The air went still.
Flux landed beside the twitching corpse, panting hard. His robes were torn, streaked with blood. One sleeve was soaked through from a shallow gash at his ribs.
"That… was close."
The body still radiated lingering malevolence, like the embers of a dying curse.
Flux stepped forward, sword in hand. With practiced precision, he sliced into the beast's skull and retrieved a pulsing, deep red core. It throbbed in his hand, alive with demonic qi.
"This… could buy me many things for me," he whispered, slipping it into a jade container.
He set to work, harvesting the rest.
Fangs like knives. Thick venom sacs sealed in jade bottles. Armor-like scales still glimmering with spiritual resistance.
By the time he finished, the sky was already darkening.
"Time to get out of here. That fog's not going anywhere soon."
He jumped onto his flying sword and rose into the sky. The wind tugged at his hair and robes, stained red with blood.
---
The flight back was slower.
Each movement sent a dull throb through his side. He pressed a hand to his wound, lips tight.
"Clipped by debris," he muttered. "Could've been worse."
Below, the forest was unnaturally quiet. The poison fog still curled through the trees like smoke. Every animal that hadn't fled was dead—or hiding in fear
Eventually, his cave came into view. Nestled between mossy stones and covered in creeping vines, it welcomed him like a safe haven. He landed gently and staggered off his sword, clutching his side.
The moment he landed, he staggered to the fire pit and dropped to his knees. The familiar scent of dried herbs and smoke wrapped around him like a blanket.
"I'm alive," he whispered.
He pulled out a small satchel of healing herbs and crushed them into paste. Lifting his robe, he revealed a purpling bruise and smeared the mixture over it, gritting his teeth.
The pain faded slightly. He wrapped the wound tightly in clean cloth and leaned back against the wall.
"That snake… If I'd hesitated even a second…"
He fell silent, staring up at the uneven stone ceiling. The fight replayed in his mind.
After, he pulled out the demon core again and stared at it.
It glowed faintly, humming with dark energy.
"Yellow Leaf Pavilion will pay a fortune," he murmured. "And I need every coin."
One by one, he laid out the serpent's remains. Every scale. Every fang. Every vial of venom. Precious loot, harvested through blood and danger.
He lit the fire with a small spark of qi and set a skewer over it—meat from a steel-tusk boar he'd slain two nights before.
The serpent's flesh, steeped in swamp poisons and corrupted qi, was far too toxic for consumption. Even with refining pills, he wouldn't risk it.
As the scent of roasted boar filled the cave, Flux leaned back, arms folded, watching the flames dance.
"That fight…" he muttered. "Too close. I need more defensive talismans.
He rotated the skewer slowly.
"I'm getting stronger. But this world doesn't wait. One mistake, and it's over."
When the meat finished, he ate in silence. The warmth soothed his body.
Qi from the demon flesh sank into his bones, slowly mending what his herbs could not.
Afterward, he crossed his legs and entered meditation.
He breathed deep, drawing spiritual energy into his core. The flow came smoother now—cleaner, more stable. The barrier between minor stages had softened.
Hours passed.
The first light of dawn streamed into the cave mouth when he opened his eyes. He stood slowly, no longer wincing.
"I can feel it… my qi's denser. Steadier. My control's improved. My dantian's expanded."
His fingers brushed the surface of his sword as a quiet smile tugged at his lips.
"I've broken through," he said softly.
"Foundation Establishment, second level."