The moment the Three-headed Evil Snake stood atop the Snake Palace, its reception was completely different. The snakes of the Snake Race voiced no objections; instead, they roared a welcome as loud as a tsunami, their excitement palpable.
Everyone knew the new Lord Snake King had a snake for a Battle Companion, and a particularly noble one at that—a Three-headed Snake.
Now, as the Three-headed Evil Snake stood at the pinnacle of the Snake Palace, its Evil Qi radiating outwards, even Elder Snake couldn’t utter a single word of protest. On the contrary, his face was filled with relief.
The Snake Race gaining another King Snake was, naturally, a joyous occasion for all.
Besides, this snake was of superb quality and immense power. Before even reaching Rank 3, the serpentine aura it exuded was already stronger than some Snake Demon Spirits. Its potential was simply unrivaled.
To put it bluntly, this was a powerful Snake Species that could one day contend for the throne of the Snake King.
A member of the Snake Race undergoing a tribulation at the pinnacle of the Snake Palace—now *this* was how things were supposed to be. The Peacock may have been noble and the cat domineering, but what did they have to do with the Snake Race?
It had felt as if the dignity of the Snake Race was being trampled, their home usurped by outsiders.
Of course, had they not been the Snake King’s Battle Companions, the swarms of snakes would have attacked them long ago.
But they were all one family now, and the Three-headed Evil Snake had no shortage of supporters.
As the only Snake Species Tu Xiao’an had personally nurtured, the Three-headed Evil Snake carried the bloodline of the Ancient Nine-headed Serpent. The moment the signs of its Celestial Tribulation appeared, they were as terrifying as a raging tempest.
It was just that by now, everyone had grown a bit numb watching Celestial Tribulations.
This was the third one...!
When had Celestial Tribulations become such a casual spectacle? When had it become so easy for Cultivated Creatures to undergo a tribulation, starting one whenever they pleased?
This series of Celestial Tribulations not only shook She Mountain but had long since alarmed all the races on the surrounding peaks.
They all watched in shock. A tribulation in a race’s territory meant that a new Rank Three Demon Spirit was about to emerge. That was a tremendous stroke of good fortune; one more Demon Spirit could elevate a race’s entire status.
Yet it was often a struggle for a race to produce even one Cultivated Creature capable of undergoing a tribulation in a century. So what in the world was going on with the Snake Race? One tribulation after another—did they think this was a movie marathon? What’s more, they were all major tribulations, and the most infuriating part was that each one had been passed perfectly.
Many races watched, disheartened. They all knew the Snake Race was poised for a resurgence, but you couldn’t just use Celestial Tribulations as celebratory fireworks.
This was flaunting one’s good fortune on a whole other level.
The signs of the Celestial Tribulation overhead continued to intensify. After just a moment, an incomparably powerful pressure from the heavens and earth once again descended, blanketing everything. The swarms of snakes trembled once more.
"Heavens, it’s a forty-two-fold tribulation!"
Countless onlookers were left dumbfounded, staring in utter shock at the Evil Snake with its three swaying heads.
It was actually facing a forty-two-fold tribulation, even more outrageous than the previous two Super level Creatures.
A forty-two-fold Celestial Tribulation was something said to be reserved only for those at the Demon King Level.
It meant the creature possessed the potential to become a Demon King. The most famous example was the White Demon King, who had faced a forty-eight-fold Celestial Tribulation.
Down below, Tu Xiao’an saw twenty-one Tribulation Cloud Flowers and twenty-one Extraterrestrial Meteorites manifest and was as happy as a child.
The stronger the Celestial Tribulation, the more terrifying his Three-headed Evil Snake proved to be.
In comparison, it was clear the Evil Snake’s potential was even more monstrous than that of the Azure Owl and Golden Pupils.
This was the true main event of the day.
Countless Snake Species gazed in adoration at the Evil Snake on the pinnacle of the Snake Palace. Its posture, its aura, its ferociously proud demeanor—it was the very model of the Snake Race.
Worthy of being the Lord Snake King’s Battle Companion. You would be hard-pressed to find another snake in the entire history of the Snake Race that could compare to it.
The Emperor Snake, Li You, was perhaps one.
Many were astonished by the Evil Snake’s stunning display, but anyone who knew of its origins would understand.
This Evil Snake was the first Snake Species in history to be nurtured in a human womb. Its father was the Ancient Ba Snake, which commanded the Water Element Attribute Ability. It was practically born with a silver spoon in its mouth.
Furthermore, it underwent a Mutation from a bolt of Tu Xiao’an’s Thunder right after its birth, becoming a Super Class, mutated and evolved Snake Species.
Later, Tu Xiao’an even bestowed upon it the bloodline of the Ancient Nine-headed Serpent. In other words, this one Evil Snake possessed the bloodlines of two different Ancient Exotic Snakes.
The thought alone was terrifying.
To Tu Xiao’an, the appearance of a forty-two-fold Celestial Tribulation was only to be expected. He was the only one who truly understood just how monstrous his Evil Snake was.
It was in no way inferior to the Mutated Bloodsucker Snake that had been nurtured from half of Demon King Liu’s Golden Core.
And so, another earth-shattering Celestial Tribulation began to descend, filling the world with a terrifying, apocalyptic pressure.
The Three-headed Evil Snake transformed into a Giant Snake dozens of yards long, its three enormous Snake Heads swaying high among the clouds as it confronted the Celestial Thunder and Celestial Fire.
Its features were ferocious, like an Ancient Fierce Beast, and a brutally violent serpentine aura sprayed wantonly across the vast land.
The Snake Heads swayed, a horrifying sight. It swallowed thunder and fire, one after another, a display of terrifying power.
Numb. Every creature watching had gone numb. No matter how terrifying the celestial phenomena became, no matter how earth-shattering the bolts of Celestial Thunder and gouts of Celestial Fire were, they all vanished into three bloody maws.
The forty-two-fold Celestial Tribulation was over in less than an hour, almost as if it were child’s play. The final barrage—four bolts of Celestial Thunder and four gouts of Celestial Fire striking simultaneously—failed to annihilate the massive Evil Snake.
And so, as the countless snakes of She Mountain prostrated themselves in worship, the Three-headed Evil Snake successfully completed its tribulation.
The most frightening part was what happened after. Upon completing its tribulation, the Evil Snake underwent another Mutation. It was no longer the Three-headed Evil Snake, but the Five-headed Evil Snake.
There, at the pinnacle of the Snake Palace, it roared to the heavens and forcibly sprouted two more Snake Heads.
"Ding... Congratulations to the host. Your Super Class, mutated and evolved Five-headed Snake has successfully completed its tribulation. Now Level 33, it is a true King Snake of its lineage."
With five heads on its incomparably massive body, it now exuded a serpentine aura so powerful that even Snake Demon Spirits could not withstand it.
If not for Tu Xiao’an’s presence, the Five-headed Snake, having completed its tribulation, could have ascended the throne and become a Pseudo Snake King, even if it couldn’t be crowned the true king.
Even so, the snake’s stunning performance sent the countless snakes of the Snake Race into a frenzy of worship, and they let out a deafening, tsunami-like hiss.
The half-human, half-snake Elder Snake was too excited to speak. The Snake Race had produced another super Snake Species, its combat strength likely on par with a Pseudo Demon King.
This was a true King Snake through and through. Its potential was limitless; five Snake Heads were not its final form.
The tides had turned. All three of Tu Xiao’an’s Super Battle Pets had successfully completed their tribulations, stunning the world.
Three major tribulations, all passed. Such a feat was unprecedented in the entire history of the Yaoling Mountain Range.
After its successful tribulation, the newly-evolved Evil Snake did not choose to undergo Demon Transformation immediately. Instead, it shrank down and obediently returned to Tu Xiao’an. There was no pride or complacency, for it knew that no matter how outstanding it became, it was nothing before its master.
Tu Xiao’an looked excitedly at the Evil Snake with its five swaying heads. He’d never expected its bloodline to awaken so suddenly after the tribulation, causing it to sprout two more heads at once.
It now possessed an aura that inspired awe without any hint of anger. The snake didn’t have to do a thing; its mere presence was enough to fill one with dread.
By the time it grew nine Snake Heads, it would likely be an existence at the Rank Three Peak.
For Tu Xiao’an, this was a triple blessing, but it could just as well be a quadruple one.
’Hehe, Heaven and Earth Law, it looks like I’ll have to trouble you a little longer,’ he thought. ’Your king has one more Battle Companion that needs to undergo its tribulation.’
Tu Xiao’an then turned his gaze to the towering tree beside him. "Charlie, it’s your turn. Go on. Your master is waiting for you to finish your tribulation so we can celebrate."
Hearing this, the Tree Spirit’s leaves rustled and fell. It felt as though it was being forced into a corner, since it was the only one left.
"Get up there! What are you still standing around for?"
"Master, even if you have no sympathy for me, at least spare a thought for the heavens. The old man has had a rough day sending down three Celestial Tribulations already. How about I go tomorrow?" the Tree Spirit said weakly.
"Get your butt up there, now! We’re doing this in one go, understand? After today, we’ll give the heavens a day off."
It was an impossibly arrogant thing to say.
The Tree Spirit gave a bitter smile. "Master, how about I just do it in this clearing up ahead? I, Charlie, am a bit afraid of heights."
Forcing a towering tree to undergo a tribulation atop the Snake Palace, hundreds of meters in the air, was just too much.
"Charlie, my boy, you can’t lose momentum! Look at the other three—they all faced their tribulations atop the Snake Palace, looking all majestic. You can’t chicken out now. Besides, if you don’t do it from up high, how are you supposed to look cool?"
The key was that Tu Xiao’an wanted all the races and Demons of the Yaoling Mountain Range to get a good look at how domineering and mighty he, the Snake King, truly was.
His Battle Companions were undergoing tribulations one after another—were they not impressed? And all three had been major tribulations, while many kings of other lineages only ever faced minor or medium Celestial Tribulations.
"Master, I can’t get up there! I’m a tree, I can’t fly or jump. Please don’t make things difficult for me," Charlie pleaded.
Saddled with a master who would force it to undergo a tribulation—and insist it do so from a great height—Charlie could only curse its own rotten luck.
It really didn’t want to be compared to those three monsters. Couldn’t it just keep a low profile?
People should be modest, and trees, by their very nature, *have* to be modest. Why was it being forced to show off?
’This timid tree sure whines a lot. What a pain.’
A wicked grin flashed across his handsome face as he delivered a powerful kick through the air toward the towering tree. "Off you go!"
"No... Master, you can’t do this to me...!"
The Tree Spirit went flying like an autumn leaf in the wind. Under the gazes of countless Snake Pupils, it landed squarely atop the Snake Palace, where it teetered precariously, nearly toppling off the edge.
A sacred Lily fell from the Tree Spirit as it flew through the air. With sharp eyes and quick hands, Tu Xiao’an snatched it. He chuckled, "I almost forgot about you. How have you been getting along with my dear Charlie these past two days? Should I arrange an engagement for you two?"
The Lily trembled all over and wailed in a human voice, "I’m begging you, please don’t make this Fairy stay with that detestable tree anymore! I’m so sick of it I could die! Just give me a quick death instead, I don’t want to live anymore!"
Tu Xiao’an was speechless. "..."
"Don’t you dare look down on my Charlie. He’s a very promising tree. In the future, he’s guaranteed to become a Deep Mountain Great Demon."
"Master! I’ll call you Master, all right? Just let your servant stay by your side and attend to you!"
The great Baihua Fairy, reduced to calling herself a servant. One could only imagine how much the Tree Spirit’s torment had broken her.
"What did my Charlie do to you to make you so defiant?"
Then, Tu Xiao’an saw the sacred Lily begin to shed crystalline dewdrops, looking aggrieved, as if it had been... defiled.
"Alright, you’re the one who asked. You can stay by my side and serve me, then."
A cunning smile spread across Tu Xiao’an’s handsome face.