Serpent Ancestor

Wang Zhen was about to say something when Xu Hei stopped him.

Staring at the electric eel, Xu Hei said, "Fine, I'll go with you."

Getting into a conflict with the Enforcement Hall was very unwise, especially with this electric eel. Xu Hei had a feeling of familiarity about him. The eel was surrounded by electric light, ready to strike, like a tightly wound string, as if he would act immediately if Xu Hei dared to resist.

Someone was recording the enforcement process nearby. If Xu Hei refused to be arrested, the other party would have every reason to take action. Xu Hei didn't want to get beaten up for nothing.

Seeing Xu Hei compromise, a barely noticeable disappointment flashed in the electric eel's eyes. He nodded and said, "Tie him up!"

"Yes!"

An octopus flew out a tentacle-made rope, tying Xu Hei up tightly, then carried him on its back, heading towards the Enforcement Hall.

Before leaving, the purple electric eel glanced at Wang Zhen and said, "Elder Wang, were you just accepting a bribe?"

"Fing hell! You’re really pushing it, aren’t you? Say one more word and you’ll never set foot in the Treasure Pavilion again!"

Wang Zhen's tentacles danced wildly, spewing thick smoke from his mouth, glaring angrily.

The purple electric eel smiled slightly, "Elder Wang, don't get excited, I was just joking."

"The suspect has been captured, let's move out!"

The trio from the Enforcement Hall dragged Xu Hei back the way they came.

...

The Enforcement Hall was located within the Whale lineage.

This was a place for imprisoning prisoners, and the environment was naturally not good. At a glance, it was gloomy, ghostly winds swirling, bones scattered everywhere, as if many had died here.

Along the way, Xu Hei was jostled back and forth, while the purple electric eel beside him remained tense, its aura faintly locking onto Xu Hei, ready to strike.

If Xu Hei made any sudden moves, it would act with thunderous force.

Naturally, Xu Hei didn't give him any chance, behaving obediently all the way, leaving nothing to be used against him.

"This kid really knows how to keep his cool," the electric eel said, his expression dark.

By now, Xu Hei had remembered why this electric eel seemed familiar.

We are ", find us on google.

He looked a bit like Lei Man, skewered and roasted.

"Could they be relatives, and that's why he's targeting me?" Xu Hei's eyes flickered, a suspicion forming in his mind.

Before long, they entered a waterless prison, and Xu Hei was brought to a cell.

The cell was enclosed on all sides, dark and lightless, with only a cramped space to fit in.

"When will the interrogation begin?" Xu Hei asked.

"The interrogation requires a process, we have to wait for the victim to arrive. Until then, you'll stay here."

Without further ado, the purple electric eel threw Xu Hei into the cell and activated a formation.

Then, he left directly.

The starfish that had been recording looked at Xu Hei with a hint of pity, then followed him out.

Only Xu Hei and the snake remained.

The air was filled with a musty smell.

The cell was so small that Xu Hei had to curl up into a circle and shrink his body to fit in. The environment was appallingly bad.

There was no telling how long he'd be kept here. If they left him hanging, wouldn't he be stuck here indefinitely?

"Let's refine the Black Tortoise Shield first."

Xu Hei first inserted spirit stones around him, setting up a shielding formation, then took out the Black Tortoise Shield and began refining it.

...

Outside the prison.

The starfish put away the recording jade slip and asked, "Captain Lei, do you have a grudge against that Xu Hei?"

She wasn't a fool; she had seen Lei Guang's behavior along the way, clearly targeting Xu Hei on purpose.

"I don't know him at all, what grudge could there be? A Xing, some things shouldn't be said carelessly," Lei Guang said sternly.

A Xing fell silent.

Lei Guang turned and left directly.

The one-eyed squid, however, patted her shoulder and said meaningfully, "A Xing, just follow the captain's lead, don't ask why."

"Watch more, think more, understand?"

After saying a few heartfelt words, the squid swam to the prison door, opened a crack, and sprayed a large amount of ink through the gap.

The ink was highly toxic. Although it couldn't kill Xu Hei, it was nauseating, and the smell alone was unbearable, making it impossible to cultivate peacefully.

The starfish was dumbfounded.

Inside the prison, Xu Hei saw through the formation that thick black mist was pouring in through the door gap, filling the air with a nauseating stench.

He didn't know what it was, but it was definitely meant to disgust him.

Xu Hei quickly inserted spirit stones, constructing a top-tier third-level defensive formation to block everything outside. This back-and-forth cost him at least fifty thousand spirit stones.

"All these expenses will be accounted for, and I'll make you pay back a hundredfold!" Xu Hei's face was grim.

...

Late at night, at the Treasure Pavilion.

Just before closing, a figure arrived, moving as fast as lightning, darting into the Treasure Pavilion and heading straight for the third floor, unnoticed by anyone.

Moments later, the figure stopped on the third floor, revealing a black-and-white form.

Upon closer inspection, it was the shrunken Elder Tiger Whale.

Elder Tiger Whale came to the front of the Enlightenment Tea, looking at the empty counter, his pupils contracted, and he exclaimed, "It's gone?!"

He looked around, confirming there was no trace of the Enlightenment Tea; it had already been exchanged.

The Enlightenment Tea was meant as compensation for Xu Hei.

Xu Hei was the biggest hero of this mission, having thwarted the Soul Refining Demon Lord's plan, yet he wanted to keep a low profile, giving all the credit to White Tooth.

As the only one aware of this, Elder Tiger Whale couldn't just ignore it.

He had always been fair and just to his disciples, ensuring no meritorious person suffered, but he couldn't report it. So, he thought of personally gifting Xu Hei a grand present, which was also an investment!

The most suitable reward was the Enlightenment Tea on the third floor of the Treasure Pavilion.

But now it was gone!

"Who on earth exchanged it?"

Elder Tiger Whale was helpless, his gaze sweeping over the other treasures, none of which were suitable for Xu Hei. Even if they were usable, they would easily attract attention.

With no other choice, he had only one option left, and the thought pained him.

...

And so, two days passed in a flash.

Xu Hei had refined about half of the Black Tortoise Shield, gaining preliminary control.

Although the true essence consumption was enormous, its defensive effect was the strongest Xu Hei had ever seen. Additionally, it had a counterattack effect.

The magical treasures he had were at most quasi-fourth-level, like the Water Thunder Wings and the Ten Thousand Poison Gourd after absorbing heavy oil, which were fine against the Core Formation stage but useless against the Elemental Infant stage.

But this Black Tortoise Shield was a genuine fourth-level low-grade magical treasure!

The ink outside never ceased, occasionally spraying some inside. For an ordinary person, it would have been unbearable long ago. Xu Hei had to replenish the formation with another twenty thousand spirit stones.

He didn't know how long they planned to keep him locked up.

But according to Xu Hei's estimation, they'd drag it out as long as possible.

"If that's the case, then let them keep me here. Let's see what Elder Tiger Whale will do when the month is up," Xu Hei thought with a cold smile.

He took out spirit stones again, breaking them apart to carve formation patterns, then took out the Enlightenment Tea.

The Enlightenment Tea required extremely rare Enlightenment Tea leaves to brew, making it a non-renewable strategic resource, only available for exchange once a year, greatly enhancing comprehension in a short time.

It could be consumed regardless of cultivation level, with no harm or toxicity.

Xu Hei took a deep breath, focused his mind, and drank the tea in one go.