Chapter 116: The Heavenly Serpent

This activation of his ability to foresee the future was purely a precautionary measure. Ever since he learned of the existence of the Heavenly Serpent from the minister of Ghost Island Continent, Gu Sha had decided to take another glimpse into the future. However, because this precognitive ability had a time limit, he had waited until he reached this location to use it, avoiding any potential delays caused by unforeseen events along the way.

Following a surge of energy, a memory of the next ten days appeared in Gu Sha's mind. In this vision, he entered an alternate dimension. Just as he had seen in the previous future glimpse, the small world remained silent, its towering mountains concealing a wealth of resources: exotic flora, fragments of source stones, and even ancient manuscripts containing secret cultivation techniques. Gu Sha, however, did not touch any of these; he focused solely on searching for the Heavenly Serpent.

Although it was called a "small world," it was actually comparable in size to an average small city. Gu Sha wandered through it for five days before finally stumbling upon an abandoned altar. After spending a long time tinkering outside the structure, he discovered a passageway. As he ventured deeper, the path widened until, some four or five hundred meters underground, his field of vision suddenly opened up.

Inside were archaic structures built entirely of giant stones and timber. Beyond these buildings lay a fiery red realm—a massive subterranean world. Molten lava flowed slowly, occasionally releasing giant bubbles that rose to the surface. Rocks floated in the air, serving as platforms, while below lay an ocean of fire. With soft popping sounds, the lava would burst, sending jets of searing magma shooting into the air like brilliant, crimson fireworks. It was a world entirely composed of lava, and Gu Sha felt minuscule standing within it.

He quickly activated his heightened perception to explore. Just then, the calm sea of magma began to churn as if a violent storm were brewing. With a deafening explosion, countless sprays of scorching lava erupted. Amidst the flying molten rock, a massive, mysterious creature lunged from the depths. It was a bizarre entity formed of solidified magma, shaped somewhat like a snake, but with eight heads and eight tails sharing a single body.

Gu Sha’s pupils constricted. He immediately guessed that this must be the legendary god of Ghost Island Continent, the Heavenly Serpent, matching its mythological description perfectly.

"Hiss..." The Heavenly Serpent flicked its tongues, causing the lava lake to become violently agitated. Columns of fire erupted toward the sky, creating a spectacular scene. The giant serpent emitted a series of sounds in an unknown language.

Gu Sha frowned slightly. "Idiot, can you speak human?"

"Roar!" With a thunderous bellow, the Heavenly Serpent’s eight heads loomed over Gu Sha in a encircling formation, and it actually spoke in a human voice: "You are a descendant of the detestable Nine Provinces!"

The term "Nine Provinces" was not unfamiliar to Gu Sha; as a high school student, he had studied history and knew that Dragon Continent was referred to as the Nine Provinces in ancient times. However, judging by the serpent’s tone, it seemed to harbor a deep hatred for the Dragon Continent.

Gu Sha said in a deep voice, "Listen, you moron, I have some questions for you..."

"All people of the Nine Provinces deserve to die!" The Heavenly Serpent had no interest in talking; it immediately launched an attack. Its eight massive tails swung out with force, sending a wave of searing lava crashing toward Gu Sha like a violent tidal wave.

Gu Sha drew his blade and engaged. Not daring to underestimate this legendary creature, he went all out from the start. Unleashing the full power of a Sixth-Rank War King, his blade cast a terrifying shadow dozens of meters long. As it exploded, the entire underground world trembled, scattering energy in every direction.

However, in the next moment, something happened that left Gu Sha stunned: the seemingly ferocious Heavenly Serpent was sliced apart, five of its heads severed by that single strike. The serpent, now with only three heads remaining, crashed into the lava, its eyes filled with disbelief and terror. "You... you are a returned cultivator..."

The voice cut off abruptly, and the Heavenly Serpent dissipated. A black, lifeless corpse of the eight-headed, eight-tailed serpent floated up from the lava. Gu Sha was dumbfounded. He flew over and fished the body out of the magma. "This thing is pathetic!"

Gu Sha used his Tang blade to dissect the remains, but found no beast core, as this creature had been cultivated through practice rather than being a mutated beast infected by a virus. Judging by the traces within its body, Gu Sha deduced that when this Heavenly Serpent died in the ancient era, it had likely only been at the level of an Eighth or Ninth-Rank War King.

The creature he had just fought was merely its soul. It seemed the serpent, sensing its lifespan coming to an end in ancient times, had used a special method to strip its soul away. Being only a soul projection, its power was greatly diminished, and after all these years of depletion, it possessed less than a tenth of its former strength. Gu Sha estimated that the soul entity he had fought had barely reached the power of a First-Rank War King.

For the following days in the vision, Gu Sha spent his time scavenging for resources until the memory ended.

Back in the laboratory, Gu Sha’s expression was quite vivid as he finished absorbing the ten-day memory. "I accidentally killed it... didn't get any answers. I was too careless!"

Gu Sha chuckled, then immediately slashed through the door of the secret chamber, revealing a spatial rift hidden inside. Unlike the alternate dimensions in the Heavenly Origin Realm, this one belonged to Earth itself, making it easy to establish a stable portal. Once the Ghost Island Continent had discovered this world and acknowledged the Heavenly Serpent as their ancestor, they had simply built a passage to it.

Gu Sha swiftly entered the portal. An instant later, he appeared within the small world. Wasting no time, he followed his memory directly to the altar where the Heavenly Serpent was hidden, easily navigated the secret passage, and emerged into the fiery world of lava.

"Heavenly Serpent, get out here!" Gu Sha shouted.

The soul of the Heavenly Serpent appeared just as it had in the vision, striking a dramatic pose as the surrounding lava roared and churned, appearing both powerful and terrifying.

The serpent roared, "A disgusting person from the Nine Provinces! Go to hell..."

"Screw you!" Gu Sha reached out, his powerful runic energy erupting. He instantly bound the soul entity, dragged it out of the lava ocean, and slammed it onto the shore.

The Heavenly Serpent: "??"