The third settlement was formed by the Pan family.

The Pan family was a prominent clan in the northern front of Qiulu, guarded by an Elder at the mid-stage of Condensing Essence.

When Yang Linghu arrived with his large group of Loose cultivators, he entered alone.

The Pan family’s leader was a female cultivator named Pan Yin.

At the third level of Gathering Qi, she practiced dual water-wood techniques and carried several spiritual treasures.

Excluding Yang Linghu, her combat strength ranked among the top three within the hidden treasure grounds.

Pan Yin proved clear-minded. The two individuals engaged in a brief exchange of probing words during their meeting.

After confirming Yang Linghu possessed enough strength for negotiations, her manner turned respectful.

She personally agreed with Yang Linghu’s approach.

The initial coordinated hunt against the monster had actually been her initiative.

Unfortunately, the leaders of the other two families had been too impulsive – after driving back the creature once, they’d grown arrogant from their momentary victory, refusing further cooperation with the Pan family to focus on treasure hunting instead.

“Friend Zhang speaks sense. The Pan family will join this endeavor.”

“Thank you for your support, Friend Pan. With your family’s participation, success becomes possible. I express gratitude on behalf of all Loose cultivators.”

Yang Linghu operated under the alias Zhang Chen, claiming to be a Loose cultivator from the Mobei region.

With the Pan family’s inclusion, wandering Loose cultivators finally gained proper shelter, converging toward the three settlements.

Yang Linghu’s strategy was straightforward: unite cultivators to make hunting difficult for the monster’s avatars.

Deprived of flesh and blood, the main monster’s advancement would stall.

It would face starvation or be forced to emerge personally.

Either outcome favored human cultivators.

Hoping to test this plan, Yang Linghu and Pan Yin visited the remaining two major settlements.

As anticipated, both groups refused alliance.

“Ridiculous! My clan needs help from trash Loose cultivators?”

“That defeated weakling? If the monster dares return, I’ll slay it myself!”

Both families maintained arrogant stances, disdaining Loose cultivators and dismissing the monster as insignificant.

Yang Linghu didn’t waste further arguments.

If they saw no urgency, they could seek their own fortune.

Within two days, the plan’s effects manifested.

Finding no prey in the wilds, monster avatars risked approaching settlement outskirts.

Prepared human cultivators slaughtered them all.

After repeated failures, the main monster grew desperate, launching a massive assault on Jin Qiang’s settlement.

Yang Linghu rushed to reinforce them. His presence helped swiftly repel the avatar horde.

“Senior Zhang truly has unmatched power!”

“Thank you, Senior Zhang, for finding us shelter!”

“We owe you our lives!”

The Loose cultivators thanked Yang Linghu deeply, their hearts filled with respect.

As fellow Loose cultivators, they knew how selfish their kind could be.

Though Yang Linghu’s combat strength let him survive the hidden treasure alone, he still protected everyone.

A Loose cultivator like him was rarer than phoenix feathers.

In a hidden cave within the Black Snake Secret Treasure…

“Damn it! Why can’t I find anyone?”

“Why would Loose cultivators enter the settlement? Don’t they want the treasures?”

“Where did this fierce martial cultivator come from? I’ve never seen him before!”

The snake person’s main body coiled in the cave, surrounded by half-formed clones.

After getting injured during the last hunt, it avoided risks.

It sent clones to hunt, dragging prey back to feed its main body.

It had planned to exploit the cultivators’ infighting.

But Yang Linghu ruined everything.

By now, it hadn’t eaten for two full days. The hunger gnawed at its mind.

Worse still, its body neared its breaking point.

“No flesh… I need fresh flesh… My body…”

Scales cascaded down as it brushed its arm.

This snake person was once Dou Hong, a human Loose cultivator.

With poor talent, he’d barely reached the first level of Gathering Qi by age forty.

Twenty years earlier, he’d explored the Black Snake Secret Treasure with a friend.

Through chance, they found its greatest treasure – the “Black Snake Swallows Clouds”.

This Condensing Essence-level method taught dragon transformation techniques.

Overjoyed, Dou Hong chose murder over sharing.

He killed his friend to keep the method for himself.

He abandoned his old cultivation methods to practice this new art.

But he’d underestimated its demands.

The “Black Snake Swallows Clouds” strengthened the body to rival extraordinary beasts.

It required monstrous vitality. After three days, Dou Hong nearly died from energy drain.

Only by eating his friend’s corpse did he survive.

After that, he fell unconscious. When he finally awoke, the opening period of the hidden treasure had already ended.

Trapped within the hidden treasure, he resorted to hunting black snakes and cultivating through their flesh.

Over time, he abandoned proper methods for quicker progress. Instead of refining the flesh, he recklessly crammed raw meat into his body.

After a few years, his body mutated.

Snake-like scales covered his skin, and he required constant consumption of flesh to sustain himself.

Without it, he’d degenerate into lifeless mush like during the cave’s initial opening.

He endured the first Ten Years with black snake meat.

But during the second decade, the serpent flesh lost its potency – only human cultivators could sustain him now.

This desperation birthed the hidden treasure’s massive assault.

“No more waiting! Only days remain!”

Dou Hong hardened his resolve and recalled all avatars.

Tiny snake people crawled through tunnels into his waiting jaws.

After devouring every clone, he attained the fifth level of Gathering Qi.

“Enough strength. My avatars scouted two weakly defended cultivator settlements – we strike there.”

He slithered through a secondary exit, advancing under darkness toward the targets.

In the hidden treasure’s eastern region, Xiaoyao Sect’s settlement blazed with light.

Cultivators drank and cheered, celebrating yesterday’s discovery of an ancient cave filled with treasures.

“Why empty seats here?”

“Senior brother, junior disciples remain on watch outside.”

“Nonsense! Summon them inside – one guard suffices.”

The messenger found the settlement entrance unmanned. Venturing further, he spotted a figure beneath a tree.

“Junior brother! Wake from your nap!”

He shook the slumped form. The head detached and thudded to the ground.

“Gh-gh-”

Crack.

Wine-induced haze vanished as immense force crushed his face. A brutal twist severed his head like his comrade’s.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep