Bckness again.

  Fucking fantastic.

  "Really?" I mentally scream at whatever cosmic entity handles reincarnation. "THREE TIMES IN A ROW? Are you shitting me right now?"

  The void presses in on all sides. No sight. No sound except my own thoughts. At least the crushing existential dread feels familiar at this point. Like an old friend. A terrible, unwelcome friend who keeps showing up uninvited to parties.

  But wait—something's different this time. I can... feel. Not in the abstract tree-sense of roots stretching through soil or the rock-sense of just existing. No, I can actually feel a body. A single limb, to be precise.

  "Progress!" I think triumphantly. "One limb is infinitely better than no limbs! Unless I'm a hopping penis or something equally traumatic. Please don't let me be a hopping penis."

  I thrash experimentally, wiggling what feels like a long, flexible appendage. My entire body seems to be this single limb. Snake? Worm? Sentient noodle? Whatever I am, I'm enclosed in a tight space. The custrophobia is immediate and intense.

  "I refuse to spend another century immobile," I decide, ramming myself against the darkness.

  To my surprise, the darkness cracks. Literally CRACKS with a sound like... eggshell?

  "Oh shit, am I an egg? No, wait—I'm IN an egg!"

  Hope surges through me. This is a situation I can work with! I redouble my efforts, thrashing with renewed vigor. My body—whatever it is—sms repeatedly against the shell until finally...

  CRACK!

  Light floods in, blinding me temporarily. I blink rapidly as my vision adjusts, pushing through the broken shell into the world beyond.

  The first thing I see is... more eggs. Dozens of them, clustered together in what appears to be a nest. I look down at myself and nearly ugh with relief.

  I'm a snake. A tiny, newly-hatched snake with glistening scales that shift between green and bck depending on how the light hits them.

  "Not human, but honestly? After being a rock and a tree, this is a MASSIVE upgrade," I muse, experimentally flicking my forked tongue.

  The sensory input is immediate and overwhelming. Smells, tastes, vibrations—all flood into my consciousness through this specialized organ. It's extraordinary how much information I can gather with a single flick.

  I take stock of my situation. I'm the first to hatch among what appears to be my clutch of siblings. The other eggs remain intact, gently pulsing with the movements of the serpents within. The nest is situated in a small hollow beneath a fallen log, sheltered but not underground.

  Immediately, I try to sense my Energy Core—the beast equivalent of a human cultivator's dantian. Nothing. Not even a hint of spiritual energy. I'm just a regur, mundane snake. For now.

  "Disappointing, but fixable," I decide. "First step: survive. Second step: cultivate. Third step: become the most badass serpent this world has ever seen."

  A rumbling sensation interrupts my pnning. It takes me a moment to recognize it as hunger—profound, all-consuming hunger. Newly hatched and already starving. The joys of biology.

  I flick my tongue again, tasting the air. The eggs around me suddenly seem... appetizing.

  "Well now," I think, eyeing my unhatched siblings. "This presents an interesting moral dilemma."

  I consider the situation for approximately three seconds before lunging at the nearest egg.

  "Sorry, brother or sister," I think as I crack the shell with my tiny fangs. "But it's a snake-eat-snake world out there. If you'd hatched first, you'd do the same."

  The contents of the egg—a partially developed snake embryo—slide down my throat with surprising ease. My body knows what to do even if my mind is still adjusting to this new existence. The meal is satisfyingly rich, packed with nutrients designed to fuel growth.

  "Mmm, fratricidal scrambled eggs. Just like mom used to make. Well, not MY mom. Snake mom."

  Speaking of which, where is mother snake? Logically, she should return to check on her clutch. Many snake species abandon their eggs, but some stay to protect them. I have no idea what kind of snake I am, so it's a coin toss.

  I decide to hedge my bets. If mama snake returns and finds half her babies missing, she might not be thrilled. On the other hand, if I leave some of these nutrient-rich eggs uneaten and she never returns, I'm missing out on valuable resources.

  "A compromise, then," I decide. "I'll eat most of them but leave a few intact. Survival first, family bonding second."

  Over the next few hours, I systematically work my way through most of the clutch, leaving only three eggs untouched. With each meal, I feel stronger, my tiny body growing incrementally. It's a bizarre sensation, feeling yourself stretch from the inside out.

  "This is significantly more efficient than human growth," I observe. "No awkward puberty, no voice cracking, no random erections during math css. Just eat and expand. Snake life has its perks."

  By nightfall, I've nearly doubled in size—still tiny by adult snake standards but impressively rge for a newborn. The remaining eggs pulse occasionally, my surviving siblings still not ready to face the world. Perhaps they sense the fate that befell the others.

  "I'll be a great big brother," I promise them silently. "I'll teach you all about cultivation, how to hunt, how to avoid being stepped on by random cultivators... everything a growing snake needs to know."

  Night falls, and mother snake still hasn't appeared. I curl up among the remaining eggs, partly for warmth and partly to protect my remaining siblings/potential future meals depending on how hungry I get tomorrow.

  As I drift off to sleep, I try once more to sense any spiritual energy within myself or the surrounding area. There's nothing substantial—just the faintest whisper of power in the air, barely perceptible even to my sensitive snake-senses.

  "This is going to be a long, slow climb back to godhood," I sigh mentally. "But at least I can move this time."

  -----------

  Three days pass. Mother snake never returns. The remaining eggs hatch, revealing three siblings who immediately try to eat each other before I intervene.

  "Cool it, mini-mes," I hiss at them, using my now-considerably-rger body to separate the squabbling newborns. "There's plenty of bugs and small frogs to go around. No need for cannibalism when external food sources exist."

  They don't understand me, of course. They're just regur snakes without human souls or divine emperor memories. Their tiny eyes regard me with nothing but instinctual wariness and hunger.

  I end up herding them like the world's unlikeliest shepherd, guiding them toward tiny insects and teaching them to hunt by example. It's oddly satisfying, this impromptu family I've created for myself. None of them try to eat me, probably because I'm significantly rger after my initial egg feast.

  "I shall name you One, Two, and Three," I decide, watching them awkwardly chase down a beetle. "Creative, I know. Let's see which of you earns a proper name by surviving longer than a week."

  By the end of the first week, only Two remains. One disappeared during the night (probably eaten by something), and I found Three dead after attempting to consume a toad that was apparently poisonous.

  "Then there was one," I sigh, looking at Two, who has managed to grow almost as rge as me despite starting days ter. "You're a survivor, Two. I respect that. I'm upgrading your name to 'Duo.'"

  Duo, unsurprisingly, does not respond to her new name. I've determined she's female based on her size and patterning, though snake gender identification isn't exactly my specialty.

  Together, Duo and I establish a routine. We hunt during the day, bask in sunlight to regute our body temperature, and return to the nest at night. It's a simple but effective existence. With each meal, I focus intently on the process of digestion, trying to manually direct the conversion of food into energy.

  "This is how cultivation begins," I expin to Duo as we lie curled together after consuming a particurly juicy frog. "You have to be conscious of every aspect of your body's functioning. Energy conversion, circution, storage. Most beasts do it instinctively, but the truly powerful do it deliberately."

  Duo flicks her tongue and closes her eyes, completely ignoring my wisdom. Kids these days.

  Despite her ck of interest in my cultivation lectures, Duo proves to be an excellent hunting partner. She's faster than I am, often flushing prey in my direction. We develop an unspoken system—she startles the prey, I deliver the killing strike, we both eat.

  "We're like a well-oiled serpentine machine," I tell her proudly after a successful mouse hunt. "If we ever develop telepathy, we could take this show on the road."

  Week two brings significant progress in my cultivation attempts. While digesting a particurly energy-rich field mouse, I finally sense something—a tiny spark in what would be my lower abdomen if snakes had clearly defined abdomens. It's microscopic, barely detectable even when I focus all my awareness on it, but it's there: the beginning of an Energy Core.

  "YES!" I mentally shout, so excited that I accidentally constrict Duo, who hisses in protest. "Sorry, roomie. Just celebrating my first step back toward godhood."

  The spark is pathetically small, but it's a start. From here, I need to nurture it, feed it both physical and spiritual energy until it grows strong enough to sustain cultivation techniques.

  The problem is, this area is spiritually barren. The ambient energy is so faint it's like trying to get drunk by smelling a wine cork. I need a location with richer spiritual energy if I want to make any real progress.

  "We need to relocate, Duo," I announce the next morning. "This neighborhood's energy value is dropping faster than real estate during an apocalypse."

  Duo, predictably, has no opinion on our relocation pns.

  I spend the day exploring the surrounding area, venturing farther from the nest than ever before. My improved senses allow me to detect subtle variations in the spiritual energy of different locations. Most of the forest is equally barren, but there's a slight increase in ambient energy toward the north.

  "North it is," I decide. "Pack your bags, Duo. We're moving to greener, more spiritually enriched pastures."

  Our journey begins the next morning. I'm not sure how to communicate "we're moving" to a snake with zero concept of geography, so I simply start slithering northward and hope she follows. To my surprise, she does, maintaining a consistent distance behind me as if she's recognized me as the leader of our two-snake expedition.

  "Good girl," I hiss approvingly. "You've got survival instincts. Stick with me, kid. I'll make you the second-most-powerful snake in this forest."

  The journey is arduous for creatures as small as us. Every fallen leaf is a mountain, every shallow puddle an ocean. Predators lurk everywhere—birds overhead, rger reptiles on the ground. We travel primarily at dawn and dusk, hiding during the most dangerous hours.

  Three days into our journey, disaster strikes.

  We're crossing a sun-dappled clearing when a shadow passes overhead. I freeze instinctively, but Duo—impulsive, enthusiastic Duo—continues slithering forward.

  "STOP!" I hiss urgently, but it's too te.

  The hawk descends with breathtaking speed, talons extended. Duo tries to flee, her small body writhing desperately, but the bird of prey is too quick. Razor-sharp talons close around her midsection, and suddenly she's airborne, her tiny form dangling as the hawk gains altitude.

  "NO!" I surge forward uselessly, watching as my only companion is carried away. "DUO!"

  For a brief, insane moment, I consider trying to follow, as if a snake could possibly track a flying bird. Reality quickly reasserts itself. Duo is gone. I'm alone again.

  "Shit," I hiss, a very un-snakelike sentiment that perfectly captures my feelings. "Progress lost. Back to solo mode."

  I allow myself a moment of silence for my fallen companion before continuing northward. Sentimentality is a luxury I can't afford in this form. Survival comes first.

  "I'll remember you, Duo," I promise the empty air. "When I'm the Divine Snake Emperor, I'll name a consteltion after you. Or at least a really nice rock."

  -----------

  Days turn into weeks, and weeks into months. I continue growing, shedding my skin periodically as I outgrow it. Each shed feels like a personal victory, a tangible marker of progress.

  My Energy Core grows as well, though far more slowly than I'd like. By the three-month mark, it's evolved from a spark to a small, steady fme. I can actually feel it now without intense concentration, a warmth in my center that pulses with my heartbeat.

  I've settled in a new territory, a section of forest near a small stream. The spiritual energy here is marginally better than my birthpce—not rich by any means, but sufficient to sustain slow growth. The hunting is good, with an abundance of frogs, mice, and insects to choose from.

  My cultivation follows a simple but effective routine:

  Hunt and eat.Bask in the sun while digesting, focusing on energy conversion.Direct the converted energy to my Core.Repeat.It's tedious but effective. I estimate I've reached the equivalent of the first or second step of Spirit Gathering Stage—the very beginning of the cultivation path. At this rate, I'll reach godhood in approximately... seventy hundred thousand years.

  "Unacceptable," I decide after calcuting my progress rate. "I need a shortcut. A cultivation resource, a better location, or ideally, both."

  The solution presents itself unexpectedly during a routine hunting excursion. I'm tracking a particurly plump frog when I sense something new—a pulse of spiritual energy that doesn't come from me or the ambient environment. It's coming from the prey itself.

  I freeze, focusing all my senses on the frog. It looks ordinary—green, warty, bug-eyed—but as I flick my tongue, I can taste something different about it. This isn't a normal frog. It's a Spirit Frog, a creature that has naturally absorbed spiritual energy from its environment.

  "Jackpot," I think, immediately shifting from casual hunter to dedicated predator.

  The Spirit Frog senses my intent and leaps away with surprising speed. Ordinary frogs are quick, but this one moves like it's been taking performance-enhancing drugs. I give chase, pushing my serpentine body to its limits.

  The pursuit takes me deeper into the forest, past my usual hunting grounds. The Spirit Frog leads me on a merry chase, always just beyond reach but never quite escaping my senses. It's almost like it's deliberately leading me somewhere...

  "This better not be a trap," I hiss suspiciously as I slither after it. "If I get eaten because I chased the magical glowing frog, I'm going to be seriously annoyed with myself."

  After what feels like hours, the frog leads me to a small clearing. In the center stands a stone—nothing remarkable, just a moss-covered rock about twice my current length. The Spirit Frog hops directly onto the stone and then, bizarrely, seems to melt into it, disappearing completely.

  "What the actual fuck?" I approach cautiously, tongue flicking rapidly to analyze the situation.

  The stone pulses with spiritual energy—subtle but unmistakable. Now that I'm closer, I can see faint patterns etched into its surface, partially obscured by moss. They resemble meridian channels, the pathways that cultivators use to circute energy through their bodies.

  "A cultivation treasure," I realize with excitement. "A minor one, clearly, but still useful!"

  I slither up onto the stone, half-expecting to be transported to another dimension or transformed into something else. Nothing so dramatic happens. Instead, I feel a gentle warmth begin to seep into my body where it contacts the stone.

  The sensation is incredible. Instead of having to boriously convert food into energy, the stone is directly feeding spiritual energy into me, pure and refined. It's like comparing a gourmet meal to raw ingredients—both contain the same basic nutrients, but one requires significantly less processing.

  "This changes everything," I think gleefully, stretching out to maximize contact with the stone's surface.

  I settle in, allowing the stone's energy to flow into me. It's not overwhelming—more like a steady trickle than a flood—but it's consistent and pure. My Energy Core responds immediately, absorbing the incoming power and expanding fractionally.

  Time loses meaning as I bask in this unexpected bounty. The sun rises and sets, but I remain fixed on the stone, dedicated to absorption. Hunger becomes a distant concern—the stone's energy sustains me in ways food never could.

  Days pass. Perhaps weeks. My body begins to change, not just growing rger but developing subtle differences. My scales become more vibrant, shifting from green-bck to a deep emerald with iridescent highlights. My eyes sharpen, picking up details I never noticed before. Most importantly, my Energy Core expands steadily, its fme burning brighter with each passing day.

  Occasionally, I rouse myself to hunt, more out of habit than necessity. The stone's energy is sufficient for cultivation, but my physical body still requires physical sustenance. I discover that the entire area around the stone hosts unusual creatures—not just Spirit Frogs but Spirit Mice, Spirit Insects, even a Spirit Bird that I watch warily from a safe distance, remembering Duo's fate.

  "This pce is a minor spiritual oasis," I realize as I observe the thriving ecosystem. "Nothing impressive enough to attract human cultivators, but perfect for a starting snake."

  I make the stone my permanent residence, establishing a territory around it that other creatures respect. Even the rger predators seem to avoid the clearing, as if recognizing it as cimed.

  My cultivation accelerates dramatically. Within two months of finding the stone, I complete Spirit Gathering Stage, all nine steps mastered with surprising ease. I begin working on Qi Refinement, learning to transform the gathered spiritual energy into the more versatile force known as Qi.

  The process is challenging but fascinating. Each successful refinement brings a rush of power and crity. My consciousness expands, my perception of the world grows more nuanced. I can now sense spiritual fluctuations at much greater distances, taste the elemental affinities in the air with my forked tongue.

  "This is more like it," I think as I successfully refine another batch of energy into pure Qi. "At this rate, I might reach a respectable cultivation level before another century passes."

  Then, abruptly, everything changes.

  It's a day like any other. I'm basking on my stone, digesting both a plump Spirit Mouse and the test infusion of spiritual energy, when a tremor passes through the ground. At first, I think it's just a minor earthquake, but then it comes again, rhythmic and regur.

  Footsteps. Human footsteps.

  I freeze mid-digestion, my entire body tensing as I taste the air. Two distinct scents – human sweat, medicinal herbs, and something else... cultivation energy. Strong cultivation energy.

  "Well, well, well," I think, slithering to the edge of my stone. "Delivery service has arrived. And here I thought I'd have to go hunting for better prey."

  I position myself behind a clump of moss, watching as they enter my clearing. A boy and a girl, both dressed in identical light blue robes with silver trim – sect uniforms if I've ever seen one. Young, probably around sixteen or seventeen in human years. The boy's tall and nky with a perpetually worried expression, while the girl's petite with a face that practically screams "I'm better than you and know it."

  From their casual stance and rexed qi fluctuations, they clearly have no idea they've wandered into a predator's territory. Rookie mistake.

  I extend my spiritual senses, probing their cultivation bases with practiced precision. Both are in Qi Refinement Stage – the boy at the fourth step, the girl slightly ahead at the fifth. Impressive for humans their age, but ughably weak compared to my previous life's power.

  Still, compared to me, a newly minted Qi Refinement snake? They're walking cultivation resources.

  The girl flicks a strand of hair from her face. "Senior Brother Wei, we should turn back soon. Master Feng will notice we're missing from evening meditation."

  "Just a little further, Junior Sister Lin," the boy replies, scanning the clearing with interest. "The spirit herbs should be blooming around here, and I promised to bring some back for the alchemy disciples."

  I suppress the snake equivalent of a chuckle. They have no idea they're standing mere feet from a cultivation stone that's far more valuable than whatever herbs they're seeking.

  "What a coincidence," I muse, tasting their qi on my tongue. "I was just thinking about expanding my diet beyond rodents and amphibians."

  Junior Sister Lin sighs dramatically. "We've been searching for hours. I told you we should have brought the sect map."

  "And admit to Senior Brother Chen that I forgot the path? I'd never hear the end of it!" Wei protests, moving deeper into the clearing.

  As they bicker, I assess my options. Two moderately powerful cultivation bases, ripe for the taking. My Gluttony ability is practically salivating at the prospect of absorbing all that refined qi. But I need to be smart about this—they're significantly stronger than me in raw power.

  Fortunately, I have advantages they don't. First, I'm a snake with specialized venom gnds that I've been infusing with spiritual energy for months. Second, I've spent centuries as a combat cultivator in my previous life, while these two are clearly the schorly type.

  Most importantly, I have the element of... wait, the girl is looking directly at me. Shit.

  "Senior Brother Wei," she says sharply, pointing in my direction. "There's a spirit beast hiding behind that rock."

  Wei squints. "Where? I don't see anyth—WHAT THE—"

  No time for subtlety now. I unch myself from the stone, channeling qi into my fangs to enhance my venom's potency. I aim for the girl—she's stronger and therefore more nutritious—but the boy moves with surprising speed, pushing her aside and catching my strike on his forearm.

  My fangs sink deep into his flesh. I purr with satisfaction.

  "AHHHHHHH!" Wei screams, shaking his arm frantically. "GET IT OFF! GET IT OFF!"

  I hold tight, pumping every drop of my specialized venom into his system. It's a beautiful concoction, if I do say so myself—part neurotoxin for paralysis, part hemotoxin for breaking down tissue, and part spiritually-enhanced qi-blocker to prevent them from accessing their cultivation.

  The girl recovers quickly, drawing a short sword from her waist. "Hold still, Senior Brother!"

  With a precise ssh, she aims for my body—but I'm already in motion. I release the boy and twist mid-air, using his filing arm as a springboard to unch myself at her face.

  She jerks backward, but not quickly enough. My fangs graze her cheek, depositing just enough venom to matter. Not a killing dose, but enough to slow her down.

  "SNAKE DEMON!" she shrieks, stumbling backward. Her hand flies to her cheek, eyes widening as she feels the wound. "Poison! Senior Brother, it's poisonous!"

  Wei colpses to his knees, his arm already swelling to twice its normal size. The venom works faster than even I expected—the benefits of spiritual enhancement.

  "Run..." he gasps, his words slurring as the paralytic takes effect. "Get... help..."

  "I'm not leaving you!" Junior Sister Lin decres dramatically, which is both touching and incredibly stupid from a survival standpoint.

  I nd gracefully on the forest floor, sizing up my prey. The boy is effectively neutralized, twitching uselessly as my venom spreads through his system. The girl is still standing but swaying slightly, the toxin from her facial wound beginning to circute.

  "This is almost too easy," I hiss, circling them. "And here I thought sect disciples would put up more of a fight."

  Of course, they can't understand me. To them, I'm just a particurly aggressive snake. If only they knew they were being hunted by a reincarnated Divine Emperor with a grudge against mortality and a serious hunger for qi.

  The girl makes a valiant attempt to form a defensive stance, but her movements are already growing sluggish. She attempts to form a hand seal, likely for some kind of defensive technique, but her fingers tremble and fail to connect properly.

  "S-Spirit... Barrier... Shield," she stammers, producing nothing more than a feeble wisp of qi that dissipates like smoke.

  I strike again, quicker than her cultivation-enhanced eyes can follow. This time I wrap around her ankle and sink my fangs deep into her calf. She screams, sshing wildly with her sword, but her coordination is shot. The bde embeds itself in the dirt next to my body.

  "Two for two," I think smugly, releasing her leg and retreating to assess my handiwork.

  Both cultivators are now immobilized, the poison working through their systems with ruthless efficiency. The boy lies face-down in the grass, occasionally twitching. The girl remains upright but barely, leaning heavily on her sword like a cane.

  "Senior... Brother..." she gasps, tears streaming down her face. "Can't... move..."

  "Junior... Sister..." Wei manages to turn his head, his eyes wide with horror. "I'm... sorry..."

  It's all very touching and tragic. I'd almost feel bad if I hadn't spent a century as a goddamn tree, followed by months as a struggling snake. A divine emperor has to eat, and these two walked right into my territory.

  I slither closer, considering my next move. I'm hungry—ravenously hungry—but also tactical. Two cultivation bases to absorb means I need to pn this carefully for maximum benefit.

  "Eenie, meenie, miney... you," I decide, approaching the boy first. "Ladies deserve to be savored. Gentlemen, on the other hand, make excellent appetizers."

  Junior Sister Lin has finally colpsed, lying on her side with her sword just out of reach. She watches in horror as I approach her companion.

  "No... please..." she whimpers, unable to even raise a hand to help him.

  I ignore her pleas, positioning myself near Wei's face so he can get a good look at what's about to eat him. His eyes widen with terror, pupils dited from both fear and poison.

  "I'm... not... afraid..." he lies, his voice barely audible.

  "That's the spirit," I hiss appreciatively. "Die with dignity, kid."

  Then I strike, but not with my fangs. Instead, I activate my Gluttony ability, pressing my head against his chest and beginning the absorption process. Unlike my previous life where the ability was refined and controlled, this crude version requires direct contact and works more slowly—but the results are the same.

  Wei's eyes bulge as he feels his energy being forcibly extracted. A golden glow surrounds the point where my body touches his, qi visibly flowing from him into me. The sensation is EXQUISITE—pure, refined human cultivation energy flooding into my system like the world's most potent spirit wine.

  "Oh YEAH," I mentally crow as the power surges through me. "That's the good stuff!"

  The boy's cultivation base colpses rapidly, his carefully built foundation crumbling under my assault. I can literally taste the different aspects of his qi—hints of metal and water elements, likely matching his innate affinities. It's like a gourmet meal after months of fast food.

  Junior Sister Lin finds enough strength to scream as she watches her companion being drained. "MONSTER! D-DEMON SNAKE!"

  I pause momentarily, looking over at her. "Technically, I'm neither a monster nor a demon. Just a very hungry former divine emperor who got screwed by the reincarnation lottery. But points for enthusiasm."

  Of course, she doesn't understand me, which is probably for the best. Expining my backstory would really ruin the whole "terrifying predator" vibe I've got going on.

  I return my attention to Wei, who has now stopped moving entirely. His qi is almost completely drained, but his physical body remains intact. That won't do at all. Waste not, want not.

  With methodical precision, I begin to consume him physically, starting with his arm—the one that took my initial strike. My jaws unhinge in that disturbing way that snakes are known for, stretching to accommodate my meal. It's messy business, especially since I'm still retively small compared to an adult human, but determination goes a long way.

  Blood spatters across the moss as I tear through flesh and bone, my digestive enzymes working overtime to break down the tissue. It's not a quick process, nor a clean one. Junior Sister Lin's screams take on a hysterical quality as she watches her fellow disciple being devoured limb by limb.

  "Stop! STOP!" she sobs, managing to drag herself a few inches away before colpsing again. "Help! SOMEONE HELP!"

  "No one can hear you," I think, pausing between bites to absorb another chunk of Wei's remaining qi. "We're miles from your sect, and the poison will ensure you're dead long before anyone thinks to look for you."

  The absorption of both qi and physical matter creates an interesting feedback loop. As I consume Wei's body, I grow rger. As I drain his qi, my spiritual core expands. It's a beautiful system of conversion—tragedy into power, death into strength.

  By the time I finish with the boy, I've grown from my original size—perhaps three feet long—to nearly twice that length. My scales gleam with enhanced spiritual energy, and my core pulses with newly acquired power. Nothing remains of Senior Brother Wei except bloodstains and torn blue fabric.

  I turn my attention to Junior Sister Lin, who has managed to drag herself almost to the edge of the clearing in her desperate attempt to escape. Admirable, but futile. The poison has spread throughout her system, and she colpses face-first into the dirt as I approach.

  "Your turn, Junior Sister," I hiss, slithering alongside her prone form. "Though I think I'll savor you a bit differently."

  She manages to roll onto her back, staring up at me with terror-filled eyes. "D-demon," she whispers. "I... curse you..."

  "Get in line," I retort, amused by her defiance. "There's a waiting list for cursing me that stretches across three realms and several lifetimes."

  With my significantly increased size, I'm now able to wrap around her entire body, constrictor-style. I squeeze just enough to restrict her breathing without cutting it off entirely—I want her alive for the absorption process. Unlike with Wei, I don't pn to eat her physically just yet. Her qi is more refined, more potent. Better to drain it completely before dealing with the messiness of physical consumption.

  "This might tingle a bit," I warn unnecessarily as I activate Gluttony again, pressing my head against her chest directly above her dantian.

  The golden glow returns, brighter this time as her fifth-stage qi flows into me. It's richer, more concentrated than Wei's had been—like comparing fine wine to table wine. I can taste the differences immediately. Where his qi had elements of metal and water, hers burns with fire and wind, creating an intoxicating spiritual cocktail that makes my entire being shudder with pleasure.

  "Mmm, spicy," I think appreciatively. "The girl's got fire in her cultivation. Literally."

  Lin gasps as her energy drains away, her eyes rolling back in her head. The process is painless but disorienting—I know from watching previous victims in my former life. It feels like extreme exhaustion combined with spiritual vertigo, like your soul is being gently but firmly pulled from your body.

  "Stop..." she whispers, tears streaming from the corners of her eyes. "Please..."

  "Sorry, kid," I reply, genuinely feeling a twinge of something like sympathy. "Divine Emperor's gotta eat. Circle of cultivation life and all that."

  I continue the absorption, feeling my body changing as I process her energy. My scales shift from emerald to a deeper, more iridescent green with hints of gold and red—reflecting the fire element I'm absorbing from her. My fangs lengthen, and I can feel new venom sacs developing, enhanced by her spiritual energy.

  Most importantly, I feel myself advancing in cultivation. The sheer volume of refined qi I'm consuming is pushing me rapidly through the steps of Qi Refinement Stage. By the time I've drained half her energy, I've advanced from the first step to the fourth, matching what had been her companion's level.

  "At this rate, I'll surpass them both before dinner's done," I think smugly, continuing the absorption.

  Lin has stopped struggling, her body limp in my coils. She's still conscious but barely, her eyes unfocused as she stares at the canopy above. I can feel her heartbeat slowing as her qi depletes.

  Suddenly, a realization hits me. If there are two sect disciples here, there will be others looking for them eventually. This location, while perfect for my cultivation, is about to become significantly less private.

  "Time for a strategic retreat," I decide, releasing my constriction slightly but maintaining contact for continued absorption.

  I begin to drag Lin's body toward my stone, moving with surprising speed given my increased size. Her head lolls lifelessly as I pull her across the clearing, leaving a trail in the soft earth. By the time we reach the stone, she's on the verge of passing out completely.

  "Stay with me now," I hiss, adjusting my grip to maintain the qi drain. "We've got quality time ahead of us."

  Using my expanded body, I manage to partially lift her onto the stone, arranging her limp form beside me. The stone's energy pulses beneath us, creating a perfect cultivation environment for what I have pnned.

  "Here's the situation," I expin conversationally as I drain another portion of her qi. "Your sect buddies will come looking for you eventually. When they find your friend's blood but no bodies, they'll mount a search. Standard protocol."

  Lin's eyelids flutter weakly. She's hearing me but not understanding, which doesn't stop my monologue.

  "So I need to maximize my gains before company arrives. That means intensive cultivation while I digest your friend and absorb your energy. Two-for-one special, limited time only."

  I coil more comfortably around her, creating what must look like a bizarre tableau—a massive emerald snake with golden highlights wrapped around a half-conscious girl on a moss-covered stone. If any passing cultivator saw us, they'd probably think it was some kind of bizarre cultivation technique or demonic ritual.

  Well, they wouldn't be entirely wrong.

  "The good news for you," I continue, "is that unlike your friend, I'm keeping you alive for now. The bad news is... well, everything else about this situation, I suppose."

  With Lin secured, I turn my attention inward, focusing on processing the massive influx of energy I've consumed. My core is practically bursting with unrefined power, like a balloon filled beyond capacity. If I don't convert it properly, I risk qi deviation or worse.

  I settle into a cultivation rhythm, circuting the stolen energy through my serpentine meridians, refining and integrating it into my own system. It's delicate work, especially since snake cultivation pathways differ from human ones. Thankfully, I have centuries of experience adapting cultivation techniques to new circumstances.

  As I cultivate, I keep a portion of my awareness on Lin. She's unconscious now, which is probably merciful. Her cultivation base is nearly depleted, but I've left her enough life force to survive—for the time being. She's my emergency ration, after all.

  Hours pass as I work through the energy, converting raw qi into refined power. My body continues to change, growing even longer and thicker. By midnight, I've reached nearly twelve feet in length—an extraordinary size for a snake that was barely three feet long this morning.

  My scales now glow faintly in the darkness, illuminating the clearing with subtle emerald light. Patterns have formed along my length, reminiscent of ancient cultivation scripts. My consciousness has expanded as well, growing sharper and more refined with each step of advancement.

  "This is more like it," I think smugly, admiring my transformed body. "From garden snake to python in one day. At this rate, I'll be dragon-sized by next week."

  Lin stirs weakly beside me, her eyes fluttering open. The poison has worn off enough for her to regain some motor control, though she's far too weak to escape.

  "W-where..." she croaks, her voice barely audible.

  "Still in the clearing where you and your friend made the unfortunate decision to trespass," I reply, knowing she can't understand me but enjoying the conversation anyway. "Though I doubt you recognize it from this angle."

  She tries to move, then freezes as she feels my coils tightening waringly around her.

  "Senior Brother Wei?" she whispers, looking around frantically. "Where is..."

  Her gaze falls on the bloodstained grass where I consumed her companion, and comprehension dawns in her eyes. She makes a choking sound, somewhere between a gasp and a sob.

  "You... ate him," she manages, her voice breaking. "You're... not just a snake."

  I lift my head, bringing it level with her face. "Perceptive little cultivator, aren't you? No, I'm not 'just' a snake. I'm a former Divine Emperor who's had a really terrible run of luck with reincarnation tely. And you, my dear, are helping me get back on track."

  Of course, all she hears is hissing, but something in my posture or gaze must communicate my sentience because her eyes widen further.

  "You... understand me?" she whispers, her voice trembling.

  I nod my serpentine head deliberately, enjoying how her already pale face drains to the color of curdled milk. Watching humans realize they're dealing with something that thinks is always entertaining. Their brains practically short-circuit trying to reconcile "mindless animal" with "oh shit, this thing is plotting."

  Lin's eyes dart around frantically, nding on the bloodstained patch of grass where her companion met his nutritious end. Her body tenses, preparing for some desperate escape attempt that I can tell is coming from a mile away.

  "I wouldn't," I hiss, tightening my coils around her midsection just enough to remind her of her predicament. The pressure forces a small gasp from her lips.

  She freezes, then does something I didn't expect. Instead of screaming or crying or continuing her feeble struggles, she schools her expression into something almost... calcuting.

  "Spirit beast," she says, her voice steadier now despite the fear-sweat beading on her forehead. "If you can understand me, perhaps we can... reach an arrangement."

  I lift my head higher, tilting it inquisitively. Well, well, well. Little Miss Jade Beauty is trying to bargain for her life. How utterly predictable and yet still somehow entertaining.

  "I'm... I'm not without value," she continues, correctly interpreting my posture as interest. "My sect, the Azure Cloud Sect, has many disciples stronger than me. Many with more potent cultivation bases than mine."

  I immediately wrap more of my length around her body, spiraling up from her legs to her torso. My new size makes it easy to encircle her completely, squeezing just enough to communicate: Keep talking, this is getting interesting.

  She gasps at the constriction but continues, words tumbling out faster now. "I could... I could bring them to you. Lure them here. Stronger cultivators, with more refined qi. Better than mine."

  I bring my face close to hers, my forked tongue flicking out to taste the desperation in her sweat. She flinches but holds my gaze, which takes more courage than I would have credited her with.

  "My Master, he's at the peak of Foundation Establishment. His energy would be... would be a feast compared to mine. And Senior Brother Chen, he's the sect prodigy, already halfway through Body Refinement despite being only twenty."

  Oh, this is RICH. Not even five minutes into bargaining for her life and she's already offering up her Master and senior disciples as sacrificial mbs. The betrayal is so predictable it's almost disappointing. Almost, but not quite, because watching humans throw each other under the cosmic bus never really gets old.

  I loosen my coils slightly, giving her the impression she's making progress. Her eyes light up with desperate hope.

  "I know their schedules, their habits. I know when they come to gather herbs in this forest. I could... I could make sure they come alone. One by one."

  Just to mess with her, I tighten my grip again, making her squeak in arm.

  "Wait! Please! I'm valuable! I can help you!"

  I rex once more, pying this little game of squeeze-and-release like the world's most terrifying stress ball. Her breathing comes in shallow gasps, partly from fear and partly from my constriction.

  "Please... if you can understand me... give me some sign that we have a deal?"

  I consider my options. On one hand, eating her right now would complete my matched set of Azure Cloud disciples and provide a decent power boost. On the other hand, the prospect of having a human cultivator unwittingly serve as my procurement specialist for premium qi-rich meals is too delicious to pass up.

  Plus, I'm curious to see just how far she'll go to save her own skin. The moral flexibility of cultivators never ceases to amaze me, even after centuries of watching them backstab each other for the slightest advantage.

  I flex my newly enhanced muscles and slowly begin to slither around her more thoroughly. With my increased size, I can easily wrap multiple coils around her limbs and torso. I take my time, enjoying the way she tenses with each new spiral of my body.

  My smooth scales slide against the silky material of her sect robes, creating a subtle rasp that fills the clearing. I'm deliberately invasive, winding around her thighs, across her stomach, between her breasts. It's partly intimidation and partly... well, let's call it curiosity. I may be a snake, but I still have the consciousness of a man who once had a harem that would make a sultan weep with envy.

  "W-what are you doing?" Lin whispers as I slide beneath the colr of her robe, my cool scales making direct contact with the warm skin of her neck.

  If I had shoulders, I'd shrug. Since I don't, I just continue my serpentine exploration. My tail finds its way beneath the hem of her outer robe, slithering along her ankle and upward. I have to admit, she has an excellent cultivation physique—toned but still feminine, with that seemingly contradictory combination of softness and strength that female cultivators develop.

  It's a shame I'm currently a snake, because in my Emperor days, she would have made an excellent addition to the harem. Not top-tier, perhaps, but definitely worthy of a spot in the third or fourth pace. Good breeding stock for cultivation prodigies.

  As my body continues its winding path across hers, I notice her confusion growing. She can't decide if I'm preparing to eat her or... something else. The uncertainty has her frozen in pce, afraid to provoke me either way.

  "Does this... does this mean we have a deal?" she asks tentatively as my head comes to rest near her face again. "You'll spare me if I bring you others?"

  I stare at her for a long moment, then deliberately turn my attention to the ground beside the stone. Using the tip of my tail—which is now thick and muscur thanks to my rapid growth—I begin to scratch at the dirt.

  Her eyes widen as she watches me etch crude characters into the earth. My calligraphy is atrocious given the limitations of writing with a tail tip, but it's legible enough.

  TREASURES FIRST.

  Lin blinks rapidly, clearly stunned by this concrete evidence of my intelligence. "You... you can write. You're not just a spirit beast, are you? You're something more."

  I scratch the earth again.

  TREASURES. NOW.

  She swallows hard. "You want... my possessions? But I don't have much—"

  I tighten my coils abruptly, cutting off her protest. Her face reddens as she struggles to breathe, and I rex just enough to let her gasp in air.

  "Alright! Alright!" she wheezes. "Whatever I have is yours!"

  With trembling hands, she reaches into her robe, struggling against my coils to access her storage pouch. I loosen my grip just enough to allow the movement, watching her carefully to ensure she doesn't try anything stupid like pulling out a hidden weapon.

  She produces a small satin pouch embroidered with cloud patterns—typical sect design, zero originality. With shaking fingers, she upends it on the stone beside us.

  The contents are indeed meager. A handful of low-grade spirit stones—maybe fifteen or twenty. A jade identification tablet marked with the Azure Cloud Sect emblem. A few silver coins. A sachet of what smells like medicinal powder. And a small jade bottle that likely contains pills of some kind.

  "This... this is everything I have," she says, her voice small. "I'm only an outer disciple. We don't receive many resources."

  I eye the pathetic collection with what I hope transtes as serpentine disdain. In my former life, I would wipe my ass with treasures more valuable than this. But beggars can't be choosers, and snake-beggars especially can't be picky.

  I slither toward the spirit stones first, coiling around them. Using a cultivation technique I've been developing, I open my jaws and consume the stones one by one. Instead of digesting them physically, I extract the spiritual energy directly, absorbing it into my system while the physical shell of each stone dissolves into powder.

  Lin watches with fascinated horror as I devour her cultivation resources. The energy from the spirit stones is weak but pure, adding to my rapidly expanding power base. I can feel myself inching closer to the fifth step of Qi Refinement, maybe even approaching the sixth.

  After finishing the spirit stones, I turn my attention back to her. But then I notice something else—a bulge beneath Wei's bloodied robes where they lie discarded on the grass.

  I slither over and use my snout to nudge aside the fabric, revealing another storage pouch—this one rger and made of finer material. Senior Brother had been holding out on his Junior Sister, it seems.

  I grab the pouch with my jaws and return to our stone, dropping it in front of Lin. Then I scratch another message in the dirt.

  OPEN IT.

  She hesitates, gncing between the pouch and me. "That's... that's Senior Brother Wei's private storage. I shouldn't—"

  I cut her off with a threatening hiss, raising my upper body to tower over her.

  "—but under the circumstances, I'm sure he wouldn't mind," she finishes hastily, reaching for the pouch.

  Her fingers tremble as she unties the drawstring and empties the contents beside her own meager possessions. The difference is immediately apparent.

  Wei had been considerably better equipped. A small jade box containing at least fifty mid-grade spirit stones. Three jade bottles of pills. A scroll sealed with wax. A dagger with minor spiritual inscriptions. And most interestingly, a crude map that appears to show various spiritual resource locations in the forest.

  "I didn't know he had all this," Lin murmurs, her eyes lingering on the spirit stones with naked greed.

  I notice her fingers inching toward the pile and quickly interpose my body between her and the treasures. My message is clear: These are mine now.

  With the same technique I used before, I consume the mid-grade spirit stones, absorbing their energy while discarding the physical remnants. The power boost is substantial—these stones contain at least three times the energy of Lin's low-grade ones.

  As I feed, I consider my options. The original pn was to eat both disciples, absorb their cultivation bases, and move on before their sect came looking. But Lin's proposal has merit. Why hunt when I can have the prey delivered straight to me?

  After finishing the spirit stones, I scratch out a new message in the dirt.

  THE REST IS YOURS. BRING MORE CULTIVATORS.

  Her eyes widen, darting between the message and the remaining treasures. "You... you're letting me live? And giving me these?"

  I nod my serpentine head.

  "And in exchange, I bring you... other disciples? From my sect?"

  Another nod.

  "When? How many?"

  I consider for a moment, then scratch out:

  ONE PER MONTH. ALONE. STRONGER.

  "One per month," she repeats slowly, her mind visibly working through the implications. "And you'll... you'll let me keep whatever treasures they have?"

  I nod again. It's a fair arrangement from my perspective. I get a steady supply of cultivation bases to devour, and she gets to line her pockets with whatever material wealth they carry. Everyone wins. Well, except for the unfortunate monthly sacrifices, but that's just details.

  She's quiet for a long moment, and I can practically see the moral calculus happening behind her eyes. Betray her sect mates to certain death, or die herself right now.

  It's not really a choice at all.

  "I accept," she says finally, her voice steadier than I would have expected. "One disciple per month. I'll make sure they come alone."

  I flick my tongue, tasting the air around her. There's fear, yes, but also something else—a cold, calcuting acceptance. It seems Junior Sister Lin isn't quite as innocent as her doe eyes and delicate features might suggest.

  I scratch one more message.

  START WITH CHEN.

  Her lips curl into what might almost be a smile. "Senior Brother Chen? But he's... the sect's most favored disciple."

  My stare is unwavering.

  She ducks her head in acknowledgment. "As you wish. Senior Brother Chen will be your first... meal."

  I detect a note of satisfaction in her voice that suggests there might be some sect politics at py here. Interesting. Perhaps Chen has slighted her in the past, or perhaps she simply resents his favored status. Either way, her willingness to throw him to the proverbial (and literal) snake speaks volumes about the cutthroat nature of cultivation sects.

  Some things never change, no matter the realm or era.

  I unwind my coils from her body gradually, releasing her from my grip. She remains perfectly still, clearly afraid that any sudden movement might change my mind. Smart girl.

  LEAVE NOW. ONE MONTH. CHEN.

  She nods rapidly, gathering the remaining treasures—Wei's pills, dagger, and scroll—and tucking them into her own pouch. "One month," she agrees. "I'll bring him at the full moon. Alone."

  I watch as she shakily gets to her feet, wincing at what must be intense pins and needles after being constricted for so long. Her robes are disheveled, her hair a mess, and there's dirt and blood smeared across her once-pristine sect uniform. She looks like she's been through hell, which isn't far from the truth.

  "I'll... I need to prepare a story," she murmurs, half to herself. "About what happened to Senior Brother Wei. A beast attack, perhaps. Or bandits."

  I hiss softly in amusement. She's already plotting her cover story. This one will go far in the cultivation world, assuming she doesn't end up as someone else's stepping stone.

  She takes a few unsteady steps away from the stone, then pauses to look back at me. "What... what are you? Really?"

  I consider writing something appropriately mysterious and terrifying, but decide against it. The less she knows, the better. Let her imagination fill in the bnks—humans are generally excellent at terrifying themselves with possibilities.

  Instead, I simply stare at her until she lowers her gaze submissively.

  "I'll return with Senior Brother Chen at the full moon," she promises, backing away slowly. "You have my word."

  With that, she turns and flees, her footsteps unsteady at first but growing more confident as she puts distance between us. I watch until she disappears into the trees, her blue robes vanishing among the foliage.

  Once she's gone, I allow myself a moment of smug satisfaction. This arrangement has exceeded my expectations. Not only have I advanced significantly in cultivation from consuming Wei and part of Lin's energy, but I've also secured a future food supply without having to hunt for it.

  Divine Emperor Shin, back in business. Sort of. In a much smaller, slimier package than before, but progress is progress.

  I settle back onto my stone, basking in the combined warmth of the sun and my newly expanded Energy Core. The spiritual energy from the consumed spirit stones continues to circute through my system, refining and strengthening my foundation.

  "This is way better than being a tree," I muse, stretching my considerable length across the warm surface. "Mobility, power, and now a delivery service for premium cultivation bases. Things are finally looking up."

  My thoughts turn to Lin and her ready betrayal of her sect mates. The cultivation world hasn't changed a bit since my time as Emperor—still the same backstabbing, resource-hoarding, dog-eat-dog environment it's always been. It's almost comforting in its predictability.

  I wonder briefly if she'll actually return with Chen as promised, or if she'll flee to another province to escape our arrangement. It's a risk, but not a significant one. If she disappears, I'll simply return to hunting on my own. And if she betrays me by bringing reinforcements instead of a solo sacrifice... well, that would just mean a bigger meal, albeit with more effort required.

  As the sun begins to set, I coil myself comfortably on my stone and focus inward, directing my attention to my rapidly evolving cultivation base. The influx of energy needs to be properly integrated, refined, and distributed throughout my system.

  "Foundation first, women and wine ter," I remind myself, settling into a meditation posture—or as close to one as a snake can manage. "One step at a time back to the divine."

  With that, I close my eyes and begin the painstaking work of rebuilding my cultivation from the ground up. Again.

  The world can wait. I've got qi to refine.