“I heard there’s a giant snake in the back mountain, at least over ten meters long!” one person said.

“Is that true?” another asked.

“This news has already spread—don’t you know? They say it was accidentally discovered last night by a couple sneaking around for a tryst.”

William Bolton frowned slightly, listening carefully, but that student was just repeating rumors and didn’t know much. After a few sentences, the topic shifted.

A snake over ten meters long—William Bolton had seen quite a few, but those were all demons who had cultivated to a high level.

The school should be a place full of yang energy, so how could a demon appear here? Or is it just an ordinary giant snake? But then why hadn’t he noticed anything during his sword practice these past few days?

Chapter 007: Demon

William Bolton felt it was necessary to check things out personally.

Arriving at the back mountain, he wandered around for a while, finally stopping beside a patch of grass pressed flat to the ground. He bent down, deep in thought.

A faint demonic aura! There were indeed traces left by a demon.

Yesterday, when he came here to practice swordsmanship, there hadn’t been any traces. Could it be that the demon only arrived last night?

It had been more than two months since the Myriad Swords Formation was destroyed. William Bolton himself had already reincarnated by possessing this physical vessel. If those demons had made a comeback, it wouldn’t be impossible.

After a careful inspection, aside from some lingering demonic aura, there were no other traces. And the aura was very faint. According to William Bolton’s estimation, this demon wasn’t very powerful.

An uncontrollable thought surged up. William Bolton turned and left the back mountain.

That day, he didn’t practice swordsmanship. Instead, he wandered around the general market and the medicinal herb market a few times. In the evening, before it got dark, he arrived early at the back mountain, hiding in a large tree, holding his breath and keeping silent.

The moon slowly rose, shining down on the earth. The moonlight was like water, pouring down. In the back mountain, only some insects chirped from time to time. A gentle breeze rustled the trees.

William Bolton was waiting. Since the demon had appeared once, it would surely appear a second time.

When reincarnating and seeking a physical vessel, not everyone could be as lucky as himself, finding a body with excellent potential. Some demons might seek to possess animal bodies, which wasn’t surprising—after all, many demons’ true forms were animals, and only after arduous cultivation did they transform into human form.

According to William Bolton’s deduction, the giant snake was real. As for whether it had cultivated on its own or was forcibly possessed by a demon, that was something William Bolton couldn’t know.

No matter which it was, it couldn’t possibly live peacefully among humans and cultivate undisturbed. It would have to find a secluded place, away from prying eyes, to continue its cultivation. And this back mountain was an excellent place for that.

Slowly, night deepened. The noise in the school faded into silence. The dormitories everywhere had turned off their lights. The students, tired from a busy day, had settled down and fallen asleep. William Bolton, however, remained quietly hidden in the tree, motionless, only his bright eyes occasionally scanning the surroundings vigilantly, watching for any movement.

Sss... A slow, slithering sound came from the right. William Bolton’s expression sharpened, and he suppressed his aura even further.

It’s finally here! Accompanied by a faint demonic aura, two emerald-green lanterns slowly appeared in William Bolton’s line of sight.

By the moonlight, William Bolton finally saw the newcomer clearly. It was indeed a giant snake, its whole body pitch black, with a huge triangular head, constantly flicking its tongue. As its body swayed, it slowly slithered this way. The two emerald lanterns were, of course, the snake’s eyes.

The giant snake was very cautious, moving extremely slowly. After every short distance, it would stop to sense its surroundings.

Very good, marvelous. With just one look, William Bolton could tell that this snake’s body had cultivated for at least a hundred years.

As for the consciousness within this body, William Bolton had a rough guess: it was likely that some demon had devoured the original snake’s spirit and forcibly taken over this vessel. Otherwise, with a snake’s intelligence alone, it couldn’t possibly be so vigilant.

This was truly a fine vessel, especially for a demon whose true form was a snake. To gain over a hundred years of cultivation for free—even if the snake’s own cultivation wasn’t that great—it was still far better than starting over from scratch.

Ever since the giant snake appeared, the air in the area seemed to be filled with a faint fishy smell.

The snake’s apparent destination was the spot where William Bolton usually practiced swordsmanship. The weeds there had all been cleared by William Bolton, leaving a spacious area, and the large tree beside it was exactly where William Bolton was hiding.

Just as William Bolton expected, after the snake reached the open area, it turned its triangular head to look around. After confirming it was safe, it coiled its body into a heap, raised its head high, and faced the moon in the sky, remaining motionless.

William Bolton didn’t know the methods of demon cultivation, but he understood that what the snake was doing now was likely absorbing the essence of the moonlight to cultivate.

Sunlight is yang, moonlight is yin. For demons and spirits, moonlight is the best nourishment.