Serpent Ancestor
Chapter 580: Neighbor's visit

Xu Hei remained expressionless as he stared coldly at Shi Feng, "What do you mean? Is this how you intend to test me?"

Shi Feng's face stiffened. He had meticulously prepared this Five Elemental Furnace for the new envoy, and yet it was dismissed so easily. Just how high were his standards?

However, Shi Feng quickly plastered on a smile and said, "Envoy, you misunderstand. That's not what I meant. These five have admired you for a long time and wish to follow you willingly..."

Before he could finish speaking, Xu Hei's palm ignited with a flame, reducing the scroll in his hand to ashes.

"In the future, make your own decisions. If you come to me, this is what you'll get. Remember that!" Xu Hei's voice was icy and commanding.

Shi Feng's body trembled. He didn't know how he had offended the envoy to warrant such a reaction. Even the five individuals he had painstakingly prepared were not given a second glance.

Yet, he maintained his smile, keeping up appearances, "Of course, Envoy. If you need anything, feel free to command me."

Xu Hei ignored him and turned to leave.

As long as he handed in these two storage bags, his tasks for the year would be complete. It was surprisingly easy.

In truth, Xu Hei had many tasks left undone, but since they weren't explicitly required, he avoided them whenever possible. He had no intention of investing too much energy into this.

Shi Feng couldn't fathom Xu Hei's thoughts. In all his years as City Lord, he had never encountered such an odd person.

The five female cultivators collectively breathed a sigh of relief. They knew all too well the fate that awaited them if they were used.

Having their cultivation drained and perishing would be a release. Encountering a twisted demonic cultivator would be a fate worse than death.

"Heh, Five Elemental Furnace? Since the envoy won't accept it, why not give it to me, City Lord Shi?"

Suddenly, a cold laugh echoed from afar.

A middle-aged cultivator appeared in a flash, descending from a flying boat, his eyes greedily fixed on the five female cultivators.

The flying boat beneath him was the same as Xu Hei's, a mark of a core disciple.

"Master Shen!" Shi Feng's face changed dramatically.

This man was none other than Shen Shaopeng, the envoy from the neighboring Tian Bei City, holding the same status as Xu Hei, both core disciples.

Shen Shaopeng had reached the late Elemental Infant stage three hundred years ago, reportedly before he turned thirty, a testament to his extraordinary talent. Yet, he had been stuck at this stage for three centuries.

According to the rules of the Divine Puppet Sect, if one remained at the late Elemental Infant stage past five hundred years without breaking through, they would be demoted from core disciple to inner elder, with their resources halved and forbidden from using Supreme Spirit Stones.

Thus, Shen Shaopeng was doing everything in his power to break through before reaching five hundred.

He had intended to visit the new neighbor and happened to witness the recent scene.

"City Lord Shi, don't misunderstand. Since Junior Brother Xu won't accept them, I'll step in and hand them over to him. I'm sure Junior Brother Xu will give me some face."

Shen Shaopeng's smile was bright, his demeanor gentle.

But Shi Feng knew better. Shen Shaopeng was far from gentle; countless had perished by his hand.

As for his claim of "handing them over," Shi Feng was sure it was a lie. If he dared to hand them over, it would be like throwing a meat bun to a dog—gone forever.

The five women were all pale, their bodies trembling, involuntarily stepping back.

"Master Shen, it's not that I won't give them to you, but these five were sent by Elder Night. I dare not hand them over lightly," Shi Feng said with a bitter smile.

He directly invoked Night Owl as a shield.

"Elder Night, a Divine Transformation cultivator, wouldn't concern himself with such trivial matters. How about I ask him personally if this is true?" Shen Shaopeng continued to smile.

Shi Feng's heart sank, sensing trouble.

He had been seen through at a glance.

Sweat trickled down his forehead, his heart pounding. After a moment of hesitation, he could only curse his bad luck. Though he was at the Great Perfection of the Elemental Infant stage, he was no match for a core disciple. If they wanted him dead, it would be a matter of moments.

Reluctantly, Shi Feng prepared to comply.

But just then, Shen Shaopeng suddenly changed his tone, laughing, "Haha, I'm just joking with you. Look how scared you are. Do you think I'm someone who would seize things by force? If you don't want to, I won't insist."

Shi Feng was puzzled. Why did Shen Shaopeng suddenly change his mind?

The next second, he saw Xu Hei standing silently behind them, having appeared without a sound.

Shen Shaopeng feigned surprise as he looked at Xu Hei, "Oh, Junior Brother Xu, you're back?"

Xu Hei stood in the void, quietly observing him.

"Haha, I almost forgot! Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Shen Shaopeng, the envoy of Tian Bei City, like you, a core disciple of the Divine Puppet Sect," Shen Shaopeng said with a cupped fist.

Tian Bei City and Tian Nan City, as their names suggest, were neighbors, one to the north and the other to the south.

"Does Senior Brother Shen have business here?" Xu Hei asked calmly.

"Not really. Junior Brother Xu is new here, so as a neighbor, I thought I'd pay a visit. This is a little token from Tian Bei City."

Shen Shaopeng handed over a golden storage ring, sending it through the air to Xu Hei.

His gesture was flawless, leaving no room for criticism.

Xu Hei did not accept it, instead using the Gravity Technique to send it back, "I don't accept rewards without effort. If Senior Brother Shen has no pressing matters, please leave. Also, I prefer peace and quiet, so please don't visit in the future."

Shen Shaopeng frowned slightly at these words but then smiled, "So that's the kind of person Junior Brother Xu is. Haha, I'll take my leave!"

With that, he departed on his flying boat without looking back.

Xu Hei watched Shen Shaopeng leave and asked, "Who is this person? Give me all the information you have on him, as detailed as possible."

Shi Feng dared not delay, quickly recounting Shen Shaopeng's life experiences.

However, Shi Feng refrained from speaking ill of Shen Shaopeng. He had realized that Xu Hei was unreliable. If he said too much and it reached Shen Shaopeng's ears, causing displeasure and trouble, who could he turn to?

Shi Feng had lived long enough to have a keen eye for people.

"...Master Shen is meticulous and powerful. It's best not to provoke him easily. If you can befriend him, do so," Shi Feng concluded.

Xu Hei listened from start to finish, feeling that Shi Feng was withholding a lot of information.

"Release these five," Xu Hei said, staring at Shi Feng.

"What?"

Shi Feng thought he had misheard, but as Xu Hei's gaze grew more severe, he moved to release the seals on the five female cultivators.

He couldn't fathom Xu Hei's intentions. Why release a perfectly good furnace? Was there something wrong with his head? Unless Xu Hei had other plans.

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