Longevity Martial Arts: I have a Mysterious Water Snake Avatar

This trip for resume-padding experience, Hong Yuan had no intention of playing the part of a villain, one who would be preyed upon or act tyrannically. He simply wanted to safely get through this experience and then return to the Sect to continue accumulating power.

In Yong State, it was not yet his turn to run rampant.

If the Demonic Beast Avatar's Ten Thousand Heavy Water Divine Power, which had been augmented by the Flood Dragon, could be transferred over, then with three near-saint level attacks, I'm sure I could live carefree in Yong State as well, Hong Yuan mused, his eyes narrowing.

The Daxuan Dynasty was located in the Central Region of the Divine State, while the Zero Desolate Sea Area was in the Endless Sea Area. The distance between the two was almost infinitely far, so Hong Yuan hardly ever thought about his human body and Demonic Body meeting during the mortal phase. Perhaps only when each had become a saintly being would there be a possibility of reunion.

As Hong Yuan was pondering, Guan Lan knocked on his door once again.

"Is Hong here?" Guan Lan asked.

A hint of helplessness flashed in Hong Yuan's eyes. Since their parting at the lecture platform, this Guan Lan, for some unknown reason, insisted on becoming acquainted with him. The issue was that Guan Lan, as the top ranker of this Sect's grand competition, was incredibly conspicuous. Moreover, if they became allies, Hong Yuan had no confidence in manipulating him. But Guan Lan had already come knocking more than three times; continuing this way might make it even more difficult to resolve the situation.

What is this? Is being too excellent also a sin? Hong Yuan muttered to himself.

Hong Yuan climbed out from under his bed, cleaned himself up, changed his clothes, arranged his attire, put away his second-order Guardian Array, and then emotionlessly opened the door.

"Hong, it's so good to see you! I'm Guan Lan. I would like to exchange some insights with you on Luck Tao and Wisdom Tao," Guan Lan said excitedly upon seeing Hong Yuan.

Aside from the True Disciples, the only other disciples who had grasped the profound meaning of Luck Tao and Wisdom Tao from what the Elder of Tianji Pavilion had taught were Hong Yuan and himself. However, Guan Lan was worlds apart in status and realm from those True Disciples. Even if he wanted to exchange insights with them, he would only end up making a fool of himself.

"Exchange insights on Luck Tao and Wisdom Tao? You're mistaken. I was just scribbling on paper back then, killing time. Don't come looking for me anymore; I don't know you," Hong Yuan said, locking his door. He then pushed Guan Lan aside and headed towards the dining hall.

"Huh?!" Guan Lan was stunned by this explanation. But he quickly started to chase after Hong Yuan. Guan Lan didn't believe that Hong Yuan would dare to doodle nonsense in front of the Elder of Tianji Pavilion.

"Hong, wait for me!"

Hearing this, Hong Yuan's pace quickened considerably. Consequently, Hong Yuan and Guan Lan hurried along, one chasing the other, running circles within the flying ship. My Virtual Library Empire (M V L E M P Y R) appreciates your readership at the source.

When Chen Zhen and his sister Chen Qingdai came out of the dining hall, they spotted Hong Yuan and Guan Lan. Chen Zhen paid no attention to Hong Yuan, instead looking towards Guan Lan.

"Sister, didn't you say I was neglecting my duties? I made friends with Guan Lan a few days ago. Guan Lan is the top ranker of this Sect's grand competition," Chen Zhen said, turning to Chen Qingdai.

Under Chen Qingdai's expectant gaze, Chen Zhen confidently waved at Guan Lan. "Hey, Guan Lan, how have you been lately!"

Guan Lan glanced at Chen Zhen, paid him no heed, and continued to chase Hong Yuan. "Hong Yuan, wait for me!"

SNAP.

Feeling Guan Lan's disregard for him and enthusiasm for Hong Yuan, Chen Zhen felt as if a Medusa Demon Beast had petrified him with a Divine Power.

I can't compare to Hong Yuan in Guan Lan's eyes?! Chen Zhen was dumbfounded. He had been busy these past few days maintaining their friendship, catering to Guan Lan's preferences, and avoiding his dislikes. Yet Hong Yuan was clearly an idler who didn't strive for improvement. Looking at it from any angle, he, Chen Zhen, should have more value as an ally than Hong Yuan.

"Stop overthinking. The path of Martial Arts is long. While it's good to have allies, in the end, you must rely on yourself," Chen Qingdai said, gently stroking her younger brother Chen Zhen's head to console him.

She continued, "Besides, that Hong Yuan is not to be underestimated. Just from the rhythm of his steps when he moves, he's already far beyond an ordinary person."

"Okay," Chen Zhen said, looking very dejected. Even with his elder sister's comfort, this strong sense of defeat was hard to dispel. He felt as though he had been busy doing nothing all this time.

In the dining hall, Hong Yuan was speechless looking at the disciple sitting opposite him—the one who had ranked first in the Sect competition.

"Senior Brother Guan Lan, I didn't even make it into the top three hundred in this Sect competition. Why do you insist on exchanging Luck Tao and Wisdom Tao insights with me?" Hong Yuan asked. He set down his bowl and chopsticks, his expression helpless and utterly bewildered as he looked at Guan Lan.

"Hehe." Guan Lan didn't say much, merely repeating his request to exchange Luck Tao and Wisdom Tao insights with Hong Yuan.

At that moment, Guan Lan was dressed in a blue Daoist robe, a smile on his face, sitting still across from Hong Yuan. His hair was styled in a Tai Chi topknot, a simple adornment that made him resemble a Daoist priest. Compared to Hong Yuan's burly, blacksmith-like physique, he seemed much thinner.

Faced with such a persistent fellow, Hong Yuan found the situation tricky.

After pondering for a moment, Hong Yuan asked Guan Lan, "How many Energy Stones do you have?"

"I still have twenty thousand Energy Stones on me," Guan Lan replied seriously.

Hong Yuan was utterly baffled by Guan Lan. With that many Energy Stones, you could attend several Dao lectures. Why come to me? It's like pestering the top student for their notes after class just for reassurance...

Two hours later, Hong Yuan left the dining hall with ten thousand newly acquired Energy Stones, heading back to his room. Attending a Dao lecture had cost five thousand Energy Stones, while explaining his insights had earned him ten thousand. He had actually made a profit!

Guan Lan, who remained seated, repeatedly studied the characters on the white paper, murmuring to himself as if he had gained some understanding.

「Two days later.」

Hong Yuan felt that the latent potential of his Demonic Beast Avatar was almost uncontrollable. It was ready to break through the seal at any moment, pushing him into the Bloodline Dream Realm and forcing his transformation into an Ice Armor Python.

Inside the Mysterious Water Snake's cave, Hong Yuan took a deep breath. He looked gravely at the medium-sized Tao Enlightenment Stone, the small Tao Enlightenment Stone, and other treasures like Moon Qiong Paste.

So be it. It seems I'll have to drain the pond to catch the fish. Fortunes are made to be lost and regained; there's no need to be so timid and indecisive, Hong Yuan sighed lightly.

Aside from a few Purple Smoke Fruits, he threw all the cultivation resources he had accumulated over many days beneath the Tao Enlightenment Stones to help him rapidly comprehend the Ten Thousand Heavy Water Divine Power. This was actually a significant loss because Hong Yuan was merely harnessing the rich Essence Qi within those precious materials, without benefiting from their specific effects—a complete waste of such treasures! But the situation was urgent; having any choice at all was good enough, so he couldn't afford to be picky.

「Five days later.」

Both the medium-sized and small Tao Enlightenment Stones crumbled into dust, dissipating without a trace. Hong Yuan's private treasury was almost empty. If not for his strong restraint, he might have even tapped into the main treasury's riches. At this moment, Hong Yuan had forcibly advanced his Ten Thousand Heavy Water Divine Power to the fifth level!

I'm not suppressing it anymore. Every moment feels like carrying an ice mountain on my back; it's too much for this snake. Besides, I've used up all my resources. If I still can't defeat that towering python after all this, then there's nothing more to say, Hong Yuan thought, his python eyes narrowing. He then swallowed those few foundation-establishing treasures, the Purple Smoke Fruits, fell into a deep slumber, and entered the Bloodline Dream Realm.

The final battle of the Mysterious Water Snake was about to begin!