Chapter 119: The Celestial Seal

Although the Serpent King was initially reluctant to accept Zhou Tian’s gift, after he revealed two other magical treasures before her, she ultimately accepted the Ten Thousand Serpents Basin.

For a demonic beast like the Serpent King, who dealt with serpent tribes daily, the Ten Thousand Serpents Basin held irresistible allure. Possessing it meant she could cultivate a vast number of loyal and powerful subordinates. Not only would she no longer fear betrayal, but the strength of her serpentine followers would also be greatly enhanced by the basin’s power.

Her initial refusal stemmed from a fear that accepting the basin would reveal Zhou Tian’s trump card against their enemies. No matter how tempting the gift, she could not accept it out of concern for his strategic advantage.

But upon realizing Zhou Tian possessed other treasures—especially the Yunluo Celestial Armor, a defensive artifact even she found formidable—her worries about Zhou Tian’s hand were allayed. Naturally, she could no longer refuse the treasure that had so captivated her.

Zhou Tian’s decision to gift the Ten Thousand Serpents Basin was truly motivated by his earlier reasoning. Given its power, it was something of a burden for him now. Seeing how much the Serpent King had helped him without any sign of gratitude, he found this an apt token of thanks.

Yet, Zhou Tian’s inner thoughts remained a mystery to all but himself—and certainly not to the Serpent King. After accepting the basin and hearing Zhou Tian’s explanation, she suddenly transformed from her serpentine form into a human one. To Zhou Tian’s surprise, she embraced him tightly.

“My dear, you have been so good to me. Since you’ve already given me a token of betrothal, I shall accept your courtship. From this day forth, you are officially my mate. Should anyone dare bully you, you need only call on me for revenge. Also...” Her cheeks flushed slightly before she continued, “You’re about to face those territories soon. Though you have many treasures, there’s no guarantee you’ll return safely. For the sake of your legacy, I insist on mating with you now—to bear you offspring.” With that, the Serpent King, now in human form, attempted to dominate Zhou Tian.

Startled by her boldness, Zhou Tian stood frozen for a long moment. As she moved to act, he finally recovered his wits.

“Wait, you—hold on!” He hurriedly shook her off, cheeks flushed as he stared at her. “What exactly do you want?”

“To mate!”

“Don’t just say that so casually!” Zhou Tian retorted loudly. Recalling her previous behavior, he calmed himself and sighed. “We haven’t known each other that long. I don’t think we’re ready for that step yet. If I ever truly fall for you, then we can discuss it. But for now, it’s too soon.”

“Too soon? I don’t think so!” She blinked innocently, looking at him with wide eyes. “You’ve already given me a token of betrothal. According to my mother, when a male snake gives me such a token and I accept it, that means we can mate!”

“What kind of mother is that?” Zhou Tian was dumbfounded, unable to find words to judge such a parent.

Shaking off the thoughts, Zhou Tian explained, “The Ten Thousand Serpents Basin is just a gift, not a token of betrothal. So you don’t need to rush into that. Can’t we just keep things as they were before?”

“No,” she answered simply.

“...”

Despite Zhou Tian’s insistence, the Serpent King did not engage in anything intimate with him that night. After an entire night of her clinging to him, they left her territory early the next morning.

Although the Serpent King had been pressured by many Beast Kings and ended up with an agreement unfavorable to Zhou Tian, her presence was not without benefit. Firstly, with her around, the Beast Kings likely wouldn’t try to cheat in Zhou Tian’s territorial confrontations. Secondly, through her efforts, the battleground was moved from the capital city to a remote clearing, minimizing damage to the capital.

The other Beast Kings probably agreed because they didn’t expect Zhou Tian to win. As long as he died, whether the capital was destroyed or not no longer mattered—they just wanted to impose harsh terms on him.

When all the demonic beasts believed Zhou Tian was doomed, he reappeared under the Serpent King’s guidance before the assembled beasts.

“Serpent King, you’re late,” sneered one Beast King as he eyed the approaching pair. “Hurry up and start! This duel will be over quickly.”

“Yes, I think so too.” None believed Zhou Tian could stand against tens of thousands of beasts. All nodded in agreement.

What the Beast Kings failed to notice was that Zhou Tian and the Serpent King also nodded several times at that moment. Of course, they did so for very different reasons. The Beast Kings’ inattentiveness cost them an opportunity to avoid losses.

Ignoring the hostile gazes, Zhou Tian leapt forward and called out to his opponents, “Come at me together!”

“What a cocky bastard.”

“This fool is playing it cool even with death approaching.”

“I’m about ready to tear him apart.”

...

Hearing this, the beasts opposing him grumbled in discontent. Yet, because the Beast Kings remained silent, none dared strike first.

“Serpent King, your mate is quite arrogant! A single snake so calm facing so many beasts. Maybe he knows he’s doomed and doesn’t care!”

“Seems you only care for this mate. If he dies just like that, won’t you be heartbroken?”

“Although you’re a snake, I don’t mind becoming your mate. What do you say, Serpent King? After all, your mate is almost dead, isn’t he?”

...

The Beast Kings volleyed insults at the Serpent King. Initially, she seemed to ignore them, but their words grew ever more offensive. Eventually, she lost her temper.

“You bunch of fools, keep this up and I’ll slaughter you!”

“What did you say?”

“We usually give you some respect because you’re female, but don’t think we’re afraid! Want to fight? Come on! Let’s see if one snake can beat several beasts.”

“Enough, stop arguing!” Just as a fight seemed imminent, a certain Beast King frowned and roared, silencing the others.

“Out of respect for the Ape King, we’ll let you go today. But if there’s a next time, don’t blame us for being rude.” Upon hearing this, the others reluctantly ceased and dispersed.

Watching this, the Serpent King sneered. In the past, she might have feared facing so many alone, but after receiving the Ten Thousand Serpents Basin from Zhou Tian, her confidence soared. If the Beast Kings didn’t act, fine; but if they did, she wouldn’t hesitate to fight.

Thanks to the Ape King’s intervention, the Beast Kings quieted, and by his command, the battle between Zhou Tian and the territorial beasts officially began.

Without hesitation, Zhou Tian faced his numerous enemies. Even with the protection of the Yunluo Celestial Armor, he dared not be careless. Life was precious; he dared not underestimate his foes. At the very start, he revealed his greatest trump card.

“Fantián Seal, an innate treasure, valued at three million spiritual energy.”

This was the real reason Zhou Tian gave the Ten Thousand Serpents Basin to the Serpent King.

With his current wealth, positioned at the edge of the demonic forest, Zhou Tian was buying up everything he could. Though he had few high-level demon cores, he amassed thousands of low-level ones daily. Even if each held only a small amount of spiritual energy, the sheer volume pushed his spiritual energy to a new height.

Unsatisfied with his attack power, once he reached three million spiritual energy, Zhou Tian immediately purchased the Fantián Seal, a treasure he had coveted for a long time.

Compared to the Ten Thousand Serpents Basin, the Fantián Seal’s offensive power was unmatched. Though not the absolute best, and despite Zhou Tian’s inability to fully unleash its strength, its destructive force remained terrifying.

The Fantián Seal was forged by the sage Yuanshi Tianzun himself, using half a mountain from the legendary Buzhou Mountain—a celestial pillar of the primordial world, so vast it might rival the size of Zhou Tian’s entire realm.

Though Zhou Tian could not fully tap its might, the power it displayed stunned all living beings, including himself.

In an instant, after Zhou Tian cast the Fantián Seal into the air and activated it with his magic, it expanded rapidly into a mountain-sized form. At his command, the seal crashed down. The beasts neither fled nor understood what had just happened before their demise.

“Boom!” When all was said and done, the Beast Kings finally realized the devastation.

In a flash, the enormous mountain-sized Fantián Seal shrank back to a grain of rice and slipped into Zhou Tian’s ear.

By the time he stored the seal, the battle was over. Except for a massive pit nearly ten meters deep and thousands of meters long and wide where the beasts had stood, it was as if nothing had occurred.

“How... how is this possible?” After a long pause, the surviving beasts cried out in terror.

Except for a few Beast Kings, even those lucky enough to survive the attack lost the will to resist Zhou Tian further. They dared not face him directly and fled like beaten dogs.

“This... this is just too much!” Several Beast Kings chuckled nervously, their eyes now filled with fear.

Indeed, these Beast Kings were top-tier fighters, most nearing the Saint rank. Their strength had long given the beasts confidence, so they had believed few threats existed outside the forest’s perimeter.

But Zhou Tian’s display changed everything.

No one needed firsthand experience; the destruction wrought by the Fantián Seal made the Beast Kings admit they could not withstand such a strike. If hit, all would be reduced to minced flesh.

While the Beast Kings feared Zhou Tian—and the Fantián Seal’s devastating power—Zhou Tian himself remained motionless, for reasons unknown. Thus, both sides stood locked in a tense stalemate.

The Serpent King was the first to react. Given her relationship with Zhou Tian, she was the only beast present unafraid of his attack. Though startled by the Fantián Seal’s might, she approached him without fear.

“Zhou Tian, you’re incredible. No wonder you said this battle would be won. So you had such a trump card all along! Even a demigod couldn’t match that destructive power. Well done, truly worthy of being the mate I chose.” She patted him affectionately and curled around him naturally.

“As my mate, your performance today deserves a suitable reward. Come, give me a kiss!” She leaned in, bringing her serpent head close to his.

The Beast Kings watched dumbfounded as the Serpent King showed affection. Noticing their stares, she suddenly turned, scolding them, “We’re having our private moment. What are you idiots staring at? Get lost or I’ll have my mate kill you!”

The Beast Kings, unoffended by her harsh words, exchanged grateful glances and quietly retreated to their territories.

Only after they departed did the Serpent King finally relax.

“What’s going on? You just now were so formidable. How did you suddenly become like this?”

Blushing and slightly embarrassed, Zhou Tian explained, “It was an accident. I didn’t expect the treasure to consume so much energy. Since it was my first time controlling it, that attack drained my energy completely. Luckily, you reacted quickly. If those beasts discovered my state, it would be trouble.”

“You’re pushing yourself too hard. Next time be careful, or they won’t be fooled again.” She rolled her eyes and prepared to help him back.

Unexpectedly, just as they prepared to leave, a beast that had already withdrawn suddenly emerged from the shadows.

Greedily eyeing Zhou Tian, the beast—known as the Ape King and feared even by the Beast Kings—fixed his gaze on Zhou Tian for a long moment before speaking.

“So, I’ve heard quite a few remarkable things now. Who would have thought that the mighty snake was just a paper tiger? Hand over the treasure you used to attack those beasts, and I’ll let you go. Otherwise, this will be your grave!”