The rage that gripped Luo Zhen was not fiery; it was cold, deep, and crushing, like the pressure at the bottom of the ocean.
Before him lay Ah Bao, his most loyal subordinate. The leopard demon had been reduced to a broken, drifting husk, his body riddled with savage wounds that leaked vitality into the dark waters of Black Water Lake. The culprits—a gang of five massive Black Fish demons—circled their prey with the arrogance of predators who believed they were untouchable.
Luo Zhen didn't speak. He didn't posture. He simply decided that they would cease to exist.
With a thought, the water around his hand shimmered. The Thunder Cloud Saber materialized from his Black Gold Ring, its weight familiar and lethal. He gripped the hilt, channeling his fury into the steel, and slashed outward in a single, fluid motion.
Thrum.
The water didn't just part; it vaporized. A twenty-meter crescent of blue electric energy tore through the current, illuminating the murky depths with a blinding flash. It carried the roar of a submerged thunderstorm, slamming into the five Black Fish demons before they could even turn their bulbous eyes toward the threat.
There was a muffled, wet explosion.
In less than a heartbeat, the five boss-level demons were obliterated. Their scales, flesh, and bones disintegrated under the voltage and force, leaving behind nothing but a drifting mist of crimson blood.
The surrounding lesser demons—the minions of the Black Fish—froze. Their primitive minds struggled to process the shift in the food chain. One moment, they were the hunters; the next, their leaders had been reduced to particulate matter. They stared, slack-jawed and trembling, paralyzed by the sudden appearance of this apex predator.
Luo Zhen didn't give them time to flee.
He swung the saber again. This time, the blade energy spiraled outward like a majestic underwater tornado, a vortex of cutting force that swept through the gathered minions. It was a massacre executed with the precision of a surgeon and the brutality of a natural disaster. Within a second, the water was thick with the copper scent of blood and the detritus of carnage.
Silence returned to the deep, broken only by the settling of sediment.
Luo Zhen flicked his powerful snake tail, propelling himself instantly to Ah Bao's side. The sight was worse up close. Ah Bao was comatose, his breathing shallow and thread-like. The life force was draining out of him faster than his body could knit itself back together. He was seconds away from true death.
Luo Zhen didn't panic. He sheathed the saber and looked at his own arm.
He possessed the Azure Jade Spirit Body, a constitution that teemed with aggressive, vibrant life force. His blood was not merely biological fluid; it was Top-Grade Spirit Blood, a panacea far more potent than any pill available in the limited inventory of the System Store.
He raised the Thunder Cloud Saber again and, without a flicker of hesitation, sliced deep into his own forearm.
Sizzle.
The skin parted, and a stream of glowing, ruby-red blood erupted into the water. Luo Zhen quickly lowered his arm, guiding the precious fluid into Ah Bao's slack mouth.
The effect was instantaneous. As the spirit blood entered the leopard demon's system, a soft, azure luminescence began to radiate from beneath his skin. The terrifying gashes across his chest began to granulate and seal, knitting together at a speed visible to the naked eye.
But Luo Zhen's own body was too efficient. Before enough blood could be transferred, his own wound closed, the skin smoothing over as if it had never been touched.
"Stubborn physiology," Luo Zhen muttered.
He slashed his arm again. More blood flowed. Then the wound healed. He slashed a third time.
He repeated this process seven or eight times, turning his own arm into a ruin and then a masterpiece of regeneration, over and over, until Ah Bao had swallowed roughly a bowl's worth of the glowing essence.
It was enough. Ah Bao was now cocooned in a vibrant green light. His breathing deepened, the jagged rhythm smoothing into a steady pulse. The last of the external wounds vanished, leaving behind fresh, unblemished fur.
Ah Bao's eyelids fluttered, and he groaned, the sound vibrating through the water.
"Where... where am I?" Ah Bao murmured, his eyes unfocused. "I'm not dead?"
"No," Luo Zhen said, his voice calm. "You're not dead."
Ah Bao blinked, his vision clearing. He looked at the figure floating before him—the imposing silhouette, the aura of raw power. Panic surged through him. He scrambled backward, kicking up silt, putting five meters of distance between them.
"Wait! You... you're a Demon General?!" Ah Bao stammered, his instincts screaming danger.
Luo Zhen watched him with a faint, amused smile. "Ah, Bao. Look closely. You don't recognize your own master?"
"Master?" Ah Bao squinted, tilting his head. "Who are you? Your aura... it feels like the Young Master's, but it's so much terrifying..."
Luo Zhen chuckled. He didn't explain. Instead, he let his energy unfurl.
His body twisted, the human guise melting away as his true form expanded. Bones cracked and lengthened, skin hardened into armor, and within moments, a massive serpent hovered in the gloom. He was a magnificent, terrifying creature—scales the color of deep jade, each one rimmed with power, looking like precious shells embedded in living muscle. On his forehead, a lightning sigil pulsed with latent energy.
This was the Thunder Calamity Snake.
The pressure in the water spiked. This was the crushing gravity of a true Demon General, a being that had cultivated a Demon Core and transcended the limits of ordinary beasts.
"I have evolved again," Luo Zhen boomed, his voice resonating directly in Ah Bao's skull. "I have formed my Core. I am now a General of these waters. Now, tell me, Ah Bao—do I still look like a stranger?"
Ah Bao trembled, but this time it wasn't from fear. It was awe. He swam forward, overcoming his instinctual terror of the predator before him.
"Young Master! It really is you!" Ah Bao choked out, tears mixing with the lake water. "You came back! And you... You've changed so much. You're a General now!"
Luo Zhen shifted back to his hybrid form—half-human, half-snake—and smiled. "Don't cry, Ah Bao. As long as I am here, no one in Black Water Lake will ever dare to touch a hair on your head again."
He swept his hand through the water, a gesture of absolute dominion.
"Yes! I knew it!" Ah Bao wiped his face. "I told them all! I knew you would return as a King!" He turned to the scattering of small demons who had been hiding in the coral and reeds, watching the scene unfold. "Get over here! All of you! Come pay respects to our Young Master!"
The lesser demons didn't need to be told twice. They had been watching with bated breath. They had seen the lightning slash. They had seen the transformation. To them, Luo Zhen wasn't just a powerful demon; he was a winning lottery ticket.
In the brutal hierarchy of the Black Water Lake, protection was currency. Having a Demon General as a boss meant they were no longer bottom-feeders. It meant survival. It meant power.
They swarmed forward, bowing and prostrating themselves in the silt.
"Greetings, Young Master!"
"Long live the Young Master!"
"We can walk sideways through the lake now! We're untouchable!"
The chatter was deafening, a cacophony of excitement. One bold little demon swam closer to Luo Zhen, his eyes wide with greed and hope.
"Young Master," the demon squeaked nervously. "The Black Water Lake has always been divided among three Generals—the Salamander, the Green Frog, and the Squid. They own everything. Now that you are a General... surely you will claim a territory too?"
The water went quiet. Every eye turned to Luo Zhen.
This was the crux of the matter. If Luo Zhen claimed territory, he would need an army. If he needed an army, these lowly demons would be the founding members. They would get resources, status, and the best cuts of meat. They would ascend.
Luo Zhen looked at their hopeful faces. He didn't just want a slice of the pie.
"I will not just carve out a territory," Luo Zhen announced, his voice carrying the weight of a decree. "I intend to be the strongest existence in this lake."
He looked toward the dark horizon of the deep water.
"Whether it is General Green Frog or General Squid, they will bow to me. If they refuse, I will kill them. There is only room for one Overlord in Black Water Lake. And you are looking at him."
The declaration sent a wave of euphoria through the gathered demons, but Ah Bao remained serious. The adrenaline of the rescue was fading, replaced by the cold logic of survival.
"Young Master," Ah Bao whispered, swimming close. "It is good to be ambitious, but you must be careful. You cannot expose your identity recklessly."
Luo Zhen raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And why is that?"
"General Salamander," Ah Bao said, the name dripping with dread. "Have you forgotten? He was the one who drove you out. He allied with the Frog and the Squid to put a bounty on your head. They have wanted you dead for years."
Luo Zhen's expression darkened. A cold smirk played on his lips.
"Forgotten? How could I forget?"
He subconsciously twitched the end of his tail. "The Salamander used his Blood Sword to sever my tail. He hunted me like a dog and forced me into exile. I remember every moment of it."
Luo Zhen's eyes flashed with a dangerous light. "I didn't come back just to rule, Ah Bao. I came back to hunt."
Ah Bao looked terrified. "Young Master, please think this through! You have just formed your Core. You are at the Early Stage. General Salamander has been a General for decades; he is solidly in the Mid-Stage. His foundation is deep. And he has allies. If you attack him, you fight all three. You'll be besieged!"
Luo Zhen laughed. It was a low, rumbling sound that vibrated in his chest.
"Ah Bao, stop measuring me by the standards of ordinary demons." He patted the leopard demon's shoulder. "Let them come. Let all three come. They are nothing to me."
He turned away, facing the direction of the Salamander's garrison.
"We move now," Luo Zhen commanded. "Target: General Salamander. Today, the lizard dies."
An hour later, the water grew colder as they entered the Salamander's domain. The terrain here was rocky and jagged, a fortress of natural stone.
"Salamander! Get your ass out here!"
Luo Zhen's voice was a sonic boom, rolling through the underwater canyons, shaking dust from the crevices.
Moments later, a swarm of armed demons emerged from the caves, led by a massive, grotesque figure. General Salamander was imposing, his skin rugged and scarred, but as he looked at Luo Zhen, his expression was one of genuine confusion.
He sensed the killing intent rolling off Luo Zhen, thick and suffocating, but he didn't recognize the face.
"Do I know you, pal?" General Salamander asked, narrowing his eyes. "We aren't friends, and I don't owe you money. Why are you banging on my door?"
"Not friends?" Luo Zhen smiled, revealing teeth that were too sharp to be human. "Do you recall your bastard son? The Iron-Armored Mad Crocodile?"
The Salamander froze. "The Iron-Armored Crocodile? How do you know about him? Who are you?"
"Since your memory is failing, let me help you," Luo Zhen said, his voice dropping an octave. "Your son tried to eat me. I killed him. In return, you chased me across the lake. You used your Blood Sword to cut off my tail and drove me into the wasteland."
Luo Zhen stepped forward, the pressure around him boiling. "Ring any bells, Salamander?"
The color drained from the Salamander's face. He stared at Luo Zhen, connecting the dots.
"You... you're that Rotten Snake?" he gasped.
"People keep calling me that," Luo Zhen shrugged.
"Impossible!" The Salamander's eyes bulged. "You were a worm! A refugee! How could you cultivate to the Demon General level so quickly? It hasn't been that long!"
To the Salamander, this was a nightmare. Cultivation took centuries. To jump from the Sky Profound realm to forming a Demon Core in such a short span was unheard of. It defied the laws of nature.
Luo Zhen didn't bother explaining. He flicked his wrist, and the Thunder Cloud Saber appeared, shimmering with blue lightning.
"General Salamander," Luo Zhen said, holding the blade loosely. "I'm feeling generous. I'll let you have the first move. Bring out that Blood Sword of yours. Don't hold back."
The Salamander's face turned a violent shade of purple. "Bring out my sword? Bring out what sword?!" he screamed, his humiliation exploding. "My only magic tool was melted into slag by your accursed Beast Fire years ago!"
Luo Zhen paused. Then, he threw his head back and laughed.
"Years? It's been years, and you haven't replaced it?" Luo Zhen mocked. "What kind of General are you?"
"You think magic tools grow on kelp?!" the Salamander roared, defensive and embarrassed. "I can't refine them, and nobody is selling them in this backwater lake! You think I want to be unarmed?"
Luo Zhen wiped a tear of mirth from his eye. "Fine. Since you're poor, I'll give you a handicap."
He spread his arms wide, the saber hanging loosely in his right hand.
"I will give you ten minutes. For ten minutes, you can attack me with everything you have. I will not dodge. I will not block. I will not strike back."
The Salamander went still. The insult was palpable.
"You arrogant snake," he hissed. "You think because I lack a sword I can't kill you? You think you're invincible?"
"Show me," Luo Zhen said.
"Die!"
General Salamander didn't hesitate. He unleashed a torrent of spells. Water blades, concussive blasts, energy bombs—he threw the entire arsenal of a Mid-Stage Demon General at Luo Zhen.
The water churned violently. The seabed cracked. Luo Zhen disappeared inside a chaotic sphere of explosions and magical turbulence.
The barrage was relentless. The Salamander poured his rage and fear into every strike, draining his energy reserves to the dregs.
Ten minutes later, the bombardment stopped.
The Salamander stood panting, his chest heaving, his qi depleted. He stared at the cloud of silt and debris where Luo Zhen had been standing.
"Stupid snake," he wheezed, a triumphant grin stretching his wide mouth. "Didn't fight back... arrogance is a slow death..."
The silt began to clear. A soft azure light pierced the gloom.
The Salamander's smile faltered.
Luo Zhen stood exactly where he had been ten minutes ago. He was encased in a faint, egg-shaped barrier of green light—the defensive aura of the Azure Jade Spirit Body. As the dust settled, Luo Zhen brushed a speck of dirt from his shoulder. He was completely unharmed. Not a scratch.
"How..." The Salamander stepped back, his legs shaking. "Mid-Stage attacks... for ten minutes... how are you not dead?"
The onlookers—Ah Bao, the minions, the Salamander's own troops—were petrified. They had just witnessed the impossible. Luo Zhen hadn't just survived; he had trivialized the Salamander's power.
"You've been a big fish in a small pond for too long," Luo Zhen said softly. "You have no idea how high the sky is or how deep the earth goes."
His Azure Jade Spirit Body could withstand the thunder tribulations of the heavens. The desperate flailing of a washed-up General was nothing more than a gentle massage.
The Salamander looked into Luo Zhen's eyes and saw his own death.
He didn't scream. He didn't beg. He turned and fled, kicking up a plume of water as he bolted for the deep trenches.
"Young Master! He's running!" Ah Bao shouted.
Luo Zhen didn't move his feet. He simply raised the Thunder Cloud Saber.
"Running?" Luo Zhen murmured. "There is nowhere to run."
He swung the blade.
A single arc of condensed lightning, twenty meters long and razor-sharp, detached from the saber. It tore through the water, faster than sound, faster than thought. It caught the fleeing Salamander in the open water.
There was a wet crunch.
General Salamander didn't even have time to regret his life choices. The blade energy dismantled him, turning the tyrant of Black Water Lake into a drifting cloud of shredded meat and bone.
Luo Zhen lowered his sword. The water was quiet again.
The reign of the Salamander was over. The era of the Snake had begun.