The Demonic Venerable’s Resolve

“You’re only just realizing this now? I’ve known for ages.”

“Look at how shocked you are. This isn’t exactly a rare occurrence.”

Her elder brother smiled faintly. “Resources are scarce in the demon realm. When winter arrives and food becomes tight, many species will devour their young to ensure their own survival.”

“She merely gave birth to us to use as sustenance to get through the harsh winter.”

Her brother then asked, “Sixth Sister, who do you think will be next? Me, or you?”

Xiyue didn’t answer him then; she simply swatted his hand away and fled.

****

Before the mother snake needed to feed again, the ice and snow melted, and Xiyue was spared.

She became even more diligent in her cultivation, practicing day and night without cease.

The scorching heat gave way to bitter cold once more. In a remarkably short time, Xiyue’s cultivation advanced rapidly, transforming her from a young child barely 1.3 meters tall into a maiden of twelve or thirteen.

During another grueling winter, when the mother snake required sustenance, her elder brother joined forces with Xiyue. Together, they slaughtered the very mother snake that had given birth to them.

The cave floor was drenched in blood. The mother snake’s body was colossal, and her brother, his face devoid of expression, sliced it open to retrieve its inner core. He then asked Xiyue, languidly, “Do you want half?”

Xiyue regarded him with cold eyes. It was clear he wasn’t genuinely asking; he simply tossed the inner core into his mouth.

“With so little food, this mother snake, fat and robust as she is, should be enough to feed us for quite some time.”

“If you want to eat it, eat it yourself,” Xiyue said flatly.

She spoke as she began to walk out.

Behind her, her brother threw his head back and laughed. Addressing Xiyue’s retreating back, he called out, “My apologies, little sister, but once you step out of this snake cave today, I won’t show you any mercy when we meet again.”

Xiyue did not look back. Blood from the mother snake still clung to her face, which she disgustedly wiped away. Without a word, she departed with cold indifference.

From that day forward, Xiyue completely lost contact with her brothers and sisters.

What followed were millennia of arduous cultivation.

It was a world governed by the law of the jungle, a brutal process akin to raising venomous insects in a jar. Xiyue never slackened, and through a combination of diligent effort and serendipitous encounters, she endured until her heavenly tribulation. She was extraordinarily fortunate to overcome this immense hurdle.

A mere snake, one that had once wallowed in mud, had actually survived its heavenly tribulation and transformed into a Flood Dragon.

The dragons of this world had long since fallen into decline. Now, only the retired and vanished Old Heavenly Monarch remained, alongside the current Heavenly Monarch Weili.

Within the demon realm, no other demon could contend with her. Xiyue had become the Demonic Venerable.

Though she was arrogant and proud, she never once neglected her cultivation.

As for her elder brother, later rumors reached her ears. He had followed the path of their mother snake, indulging in pleasure, cohabiting with other female snakes, and treating the eggs they bore as food and a means to advance his cultivation. Such a path, however, was destined to be a dead end.

Ultimately, her brother died at the hands of his own offspring, mirroring the fate of the mother snake she had once killed, whose flesh she had eaten, and whose inner core she had swallowed.

Upon hearing this, Xiyue felt nothing but revulsion.

Long before, ever since she first gained self-awareness, she had resolved that she would never have children in this life, nor would she allow those disgusting males to touch her.

She had then immersed herself in cultivation once more, continuing to do so until the present day.

She harbored no lust for pleasure. To her, Su Xiaoxiao was merely a novel plaything, a tool to alleviate her desires.

Her oversight lay in not considering that merfolk could become pregnant, which was why the situation had now spiraled into something beyond her control.

Fortunately, the demonic seed within Su Xiaoxiao’s womb had not yet fully formed or been born. There was still time to intervene.

A surge of indefinable fury ignited within Xiyue. She turned to Gu Yan, asking, “Is there a way to get rid of it?”

Gu Yan didn’t immediately grasp the meaning of her words. “Ah?”

“I asked if there’s a way to get rid of the child in her belly,” Xiyue repeated with grave seriousness. “I have no need for such a thing as an heir.”

Gu Yan had never imagined Xiyue could be so ruthless. Under Xiyue’s intense questioning, she truthfully replied, “There is a way, but Su Xiaoxiao’s constitution is too weak. A hasty miscarriage now could result in both mother and child perishing.”

Seeing Xiyue’s resolute intent, Gu Yan could only sigh for Su Xiaoxiao. “If Your Honor still wishes to preserve the little fish’s life, then perhaps wait a while. Once her body recovers somewhat, we can then make further plans.”