Starting as a Snake: Defying Heaven with Invincibility

```

"This... this is the fire control technique of an alchemist!" Su Ya exclaimed, her face pale.

Ignoring the shocked Su Ya, Xiao Long began to use the Nine-Dragon Fire Control Method to refine pills.

Without any hand gestures, he purely manipulated the spiritual qi, throwing a large amount of medicinal ingredients into the furnace simultaneously. Surrounded by nine fire dragons, the ingredients slowly dissolved, separated, and fused... Whether it was the fire control technique or the intricate details, it was the highest level Su Ya had ever witnessed.

Su Ya glanced at the Black Spine Snake in front of her, feeling as if her worldview had been overturned.

A demon beast that could speak human language, refine third-grade pills, and control humans with its soul.

She even suspected that the soul of some ancient monster had attached itself to this snake.

The pill refining proceeded methodically, and after half a day, the fragrance of the pill filled the air as a superior Soul-Reviving Pill was successfully produced.

"A top-grade third-grade pill, perfectly refined, and it's an extremely rare soul-repairing Soul-Reviving Pill!"

Su Ya was already numb.

Among all types of pills, those that aid the soul are the rarest and most precious, and they are extremely difficult to refine.

It is said that when the Tianfeng Pill King helped Liao Huoyun refine the Soul Cultivation Pill, it took twenty furnaces of materials to produce just three Soul Cultivation Pills, and they barely reached the level of third-grade pills!

The combined effect of those three Soul Cultivation Pills probably couldn't compare to this one Soul-Reviving Pill.

"Miss Su, my abilities are beyond your imagination. Return to your Qianlong Bank. If I need anything, I'll let you know. Perhaps one day, when I'm in a good mood, I'll remove the Soul Devouring Seed for you."

"Yes!" Su Ya's eyes lit up, and she quickly bowed respectfully.

"Go back."

"This humble girl takes her leave." Su Ya left the room.

After witnessing Xiao Long's abilities, Su Ya no longer hoped for anyone to save her. She could only hope that one day this great figure would be in a good mood and spare her.

At the same time, she silently mourned for the Fire Cloud Sect. Being resented by such a monster, even a one-star sect would suffer greatly.

At night, Fire Cloud City was brightly lit. Su Ya returned to Qianlong Bank in a daze. Wan Jianfeng hurriedly approached and asked, "What happened?"

Su Ya sat in a chair, her face pale. She glanced at him and shook her head, "President, from now on, we shouldn't target Lord Xiao."

"Why?"

Wan Jianfeng pressed on.

Su Ya remained silent, not revealing a single detail of what she had seen today, because she knew that if she did anything against Xiao Long, the Soul Devouring Seed would immediately activate and burn her to ashes.

This novel is available on ".

Seeing Su Ya's silence, Wan Jianfeng coldly said, "In that case, after the auction, I'll have no choice but to send you to Master Gu Yun."

Su Ya bit her red lips, tears welling up in her eyes.

…………@@novelbin@@

With the promotion by Qianlong Bank, the entire Fire Cloud City and its surrounding towns were informed of the Fire Cloud Auction's early schedule.

The Fire Cloud Auction was a grand event in Fire Cloud City, held annually, usually at the end of the year, though occasionally moved forward or backward. Despite bearing the name "Fire Cloud," it was actually entirely managed by Qianlong Bank, and its scale was second only to the Capital's Qianlong Auction.

For a time, major forces from around Fire Cloud City flocked to the event. Sects like Ask Sword Sect, Lotus Sect, and Herb Sect, among other smaller sects, poured in like a tide, filling all the inns in Fire Cloud City within a day.

Every Fire Cloud Auction would feature innate spiritual treasures. Obtaining one could lead to a meteoric rise, propelling a sect into the ranks of a one-star sect. Not participating was simply not an option.

Some ascetic cultivators simply slept in taverns or perched in trees, unfazed by the elements.

"Sorry! Our inn's highest-grade rooms are all booked." The innkeeper clasped his hands apologetically towards a group of fierce-looking men.

"Booked? You have one stick of incense to vacate a highest-grade room for us, or we'll flatten this inn!" The leader of the group pounded the table angrily.

The innkeeper frowned slightly, clenched his fist, and immediately, mysterious runic patterns appeared on the floor.

"Flatten my Tianlong Inn? Let's see if you have the guts!" The innkeeper was also angry.

"A seventh-level killing array!"

The group of men gasped. A seventh-level killing array would instantly kill anyone below the fourth level of the Qi Condensing Realm.

"Members of the Earth Fiend Sect, please leave."

The men gritted their teeth and exchanged glances, but none dared to face the seventh-level killing array, so they left in embarrassment.

The innkeeper sneered disdainfully. At this juncture, all sorts of obscure small sects were flocking to Fire Cloud City. Besides the Fire Cloud Sect, only three secondary sects caught his eye: Ask Sword Sect, Lotus Sect, and Herb Sect.

The leaders of Ask Sword Sect and Lotus Sect were at the tenth level of the Qi Condensing Realm, ready to step into the Prenatal Realm and ascend to a one-star sect at any moment. The leader of Herb Sect was a second-grade alchemist, holding a high status, second only to Innate Experts.

If these three sects came, he might consider evicting a guest or two to curry favor with them. As for other sects, they were better off forgotten.

"Innkeeper, give us a highest-grade room."

At this moment, a young, arrogant voice rang out.

"Sorry, the highest-grade rooms are already..." The innkeeper was about to finish when he saw the newcomers and swallowed his words.

Three people approached: a man, a woman, and an elderly man with silver hair. All three wore long robes with Fire Cloud patterns, indicating their affiliation with the Fire Cloud Sect.

The young man was handsome, but his eyes gleamed with wickedness. His face was pale, and his breath was weak, clearly due to unstable foundations and excessive indulgence. Yet, given his status, no one in Fire Cloud City dared to offend him.

He was Liao Qingfeng, the son of Liao Huoyun, the leader of the Fire Cloud Sect.

"Young Master Liao!" The innkeeper was so frightened he could barely stand.

"Stop dawdling and arrange a highest-grade room for me!" Liao Qingfeng ordered.

Being scolded by a young man like this, the innkeeper's face turned red with embarrassment. "Young Master Liao, the highest-grade rooms are full. The guests inside are..."

"Slap!"

Before he could finish, Liao Qingfeng slapped him, knocking the innkeeper to the ground.

Liao Qingfeng, at the first level of the Qi Condensing Realm, though his strength was built on pills and his foundation was unstable, was not someone a mere Body Refining Realm innkeeper could withstand. With a single slap, he shattered the innkeeper's teeth, causing blood to flow.

"Hmph! An innkeeper dares to oppose the young master? Courting death!" the beautiful girl beside him sneered.

"Young Master, should we kill this ant?" The silver-haired elder behind him stepped forward.

This man was a steward of the Fire Cloud Sect, at the fifth level of the Qi Condensing Realm, responsible for Liao Qingfeng's safety.

Liao Qingfeng waved his hand dismissively, "Forget it. Steward Liu is just senile. After all, he's the innkeeper of the best inn in Fire Cloud City. We should give him some face."

"Young Master is truly magnanimous!" The silver-haired elder and the beautiful girl both praised in unison, as if sparing a life was a great mercy.

```