Invincible Dad-Chapter 774 I Feel Uneasy Holding It_1

The Seven-star Grass was ripe!

The Snake Demon looked on eagerly, wishing it could swallow the plant in a single bite. Yet, in the presence of Xu Lai, the ’Demon King Killer,’ it simply didn’t have the guts. Forcing down the desire in its heart, the Snake Demon buried its head in the ground once more, unwilling to take another glance.

"That’s not right." Xu Lai raised an eyebrow. "This Seven-star Grass... something’s off."

In the Immortal Domain, the leaves of a mature Seven-star Grass have irregular patterns and emit a faint luster, resembling distant stars in the sky—hence the name. But the plant before him had seven leaves with perfectly neat, beautiful crescent patterns.

"This is Seven Moon Grass!" Xu Lai inhaled sharply.

Seven-star Grass was quite common in the Immortal Domain, a Spirit Plant that was available in great abundance and was very cheap to purchase. Yet thirty epochs ago, a Spirit Plant appeared in the Immortal Domain with crescent-shaped leaves, strikingly similar to the Seven-star Grass.

At the time, an Alchemist accidentally discovered that while the Seven Moon Grass was not abundant in Spiritual Energy, it could cause other Spirit Plants to evolve on a fundamental level. In other words, it was the ’Marrow-Cleansing Elixir’ of the Spirit Plant realm.

A million-year-old Spirit Plant could be considered a Holy Medicine, but just a single drop of Seven Moon Grass juice could enhance its medicinal effects by a staggering seventy percent.

The news shook all the Holy Lands and ancient Tao Lineages, which then offered sky-high rewards in Spirit Stones for the Seven Moon Grass. Countless Cultivators from the Four Immortal Domains joined the search, causing this Spirit Plant to become extinct within a single epoch. Even so, only three stalks of Seven Moon Grass were ever found in the Immortal Domain during that time, which showed just how precious it was.

Even Xu Lai, who had only learned of its existence from ancient texts, had remained skeptical. To now witness it on Earth was truly unexpected.

Trouble, trouble. The Snake Demon’s heart pounded wildly. It didn’t raise its head, but it could hear the surprise in Xu Lai’s voice. It immediately knew the Spirit Plant before it was not as simple as it appeared. A wave of regret washed over it! If I had known, I should have swallowed it right away. Why did I have to wait for it to fully mature?

"Xu Lai, this herb..." Ruan Tang began to speak.

"We’re taking it."

"Of course! Senior, your power is as profound as creation itself. This Spirit Plant can only belong to you! As the old saying goes..."

This Snake Demon was surprisingly well-read. For five straight minutes, it showered Xu Lai with compliments, never repeating itself and citing various classics. It acted as if the world would end if Xu Lai didn’t take the ’Seven-star Grass’.

An earthworm-turned-snake was praising a human.

Nearby, several strangely shaped monsters kept nodding in agreement, like a troupe of comedians performing a routine. Ruan Tang pressed her forehead, a headache blooming from the incessant flattery.

Xu Lai’s calm gaze swept over them, and the eight Demonic Beasts instantly fell silent, sitting up straight... no, kneeling up straight.

"I’m not an evil person," Xu Lai said indifferently as he plucked the Seven Moon Grass. "I’ll trade you an elixir for this Spirit Plant. It can spare you three thousand years of hard cultivation."

An elixir floated in front of the Snake Demon, Qiu Ying.

Spare me three thousand years of hard cultivation? I’ve only cultivated for less than a thousand years in total. Doesn’t his hidden meaning imply he’s going to obliterate me, body and soul?

This man... he’s too vicious!

Qiu Ying looked up mournfully. "Senior, aren’t you being a little too cruel to us demons?"

"You think it’s too little?" Xu Lai was a reasonable person. He flicked his finger, and two more elixirs appeared. "Three elixirs. That’s a fair trade for a Seven Moon Grass."

Qiu Ying didn’t know what a Seven Moon Grass was. It stood up and looked at the Great Demons who had followed it loyally for so many years, then gave a tragic smile.

It’s just death, after all. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

Qiu Ying opened its mouth wide and swallowed one elixir, then laughed miserably. "One is enough! Senior, please don’t waste the other two. I only ask that you spare my few followers!"

"Great King!"

"Great King, we don’t want to live on in disgrace! We wish to live and die with you!"

"Great King, BOO HOO HOO..."

All seven Great Demons wept.

Xu Lai raised an eyebrow slightly. The Snake Demon’s request was strange, but it did save him two elixirs. He retrieved the remaining two and left the mountain peak with Ruan Tang.

On the way, Ruan Tang poked Xu Lai in the back with her slender finger and whispered, "Xu Lai, were those Poison Pills? We just took its treasure, and now we forced it to swallow a Poison Pill... isn’t that going too far?"

Xu Lai was speechless.

Those were Immortal Pills. Moreover, they were the gentlest kind, capable of allowing the Snake Demon to fully integrate their medicinal properties and enhance its bloodline. They contained the invaluable Essence Blood of a powerful member of the Dragon Race. The Holy Lands and ancient Tao Lineages, with legacies stretching back dozens of epochs, possessed elixirs for cleansing the marrow and reforming the sinews of their most outstanding disciples. But even their pills were no better than these.

He didn’t turn around, but he heard a dragon’s roar echo from the mountain range. The sound attracted the attention of the Dragon Spirits that were manifestations of Hua Country’s Dragon Veins, causing them to look over.

In the blink of an eye, Qiu Ying leaped and completed its Dragon Transformation. It had achieved a bloodline ascension, bypassing a thousand years of arduous cultivation to directly reach the peak of the Golden Core Realm.

"I... I’m not dead?"

The Snake Demon stared blankly at the snake gall within its body, which now emitted a pure golden light and Spiritual Energy. It suddenly realized something. Could it be... the pill I just swallowed... wasn’t a Poison Pill?

Thinking of how it had pushed the other two elixirs away, the Snake Demon gave its own face a fierce slap with its tail.

Why the hell did you have to act like some tragic hero! Even if it was poison, couldn’t you have just eaten all three?

It couldn’t help but cry out loud.

The seven Great Demons exchanged glances. Seeing their king hadn’t died from the pill, they began congratulating it in unison, all sharing the same thought.

Look at the Great King, he’s smiling so happily! He’s even crying tears of joy!

* * *

Xu Lai walked with Ruan Tang for a good while longer before the two returned to Haitang Court.

"I’m going to take a nap. I’m feeling a bit sleepy," Ruan Tang said with a yawn.

"Mm," Xu Lai nodded and headed straight for the back mountain.

He didn’t plan to use the Seven Moon Grass on any Holy Medicine or Spirit Plant. Instead, he intended to give it to Snowflower.

"Come out." Xu Lai stood by the pond’s edge, looking at the snow-white flower in the center of the water.

A light, ethereal voice responded, "Bai Xue is asleep."

"Oh," Xu Lai said, turning to leave. "I just picked a Seven Moon Grass. I was going to give it to someone, but it seems she doesn’t need it."

"Wait, wait!"

Bai Xue materialized in human form by the pond. In her white dress, she looked like a fairy, but her soft voice was laced with anxiety. She hurried to catch up to Xu Lai and asked expectantly, "Is it really Seven Moon Grass?"

Xu Lai snapped his fingers, and a Spirit Plant with seven leaves appeared. Bai Xue’s beautiful eyes instantly lit up.

She stared, fascinated. "It really is Seven Moon Grass... I thought it had long vanished from the Immortal Domain."

Xu Lai used his Spiritual Energy to pass the Seven Moon Grass to her.

Bai Xue didn’t accept it. She hesitated and said, "What does Daoist Qingfeng need me to do?"

"It’s a gift," Xu Lai said.

To concoct a poison pill once, Xu Lai had asked Bai Xue for some of her leaves. The act had damaged her foundation to a degree. Though there were vested interests involved, consuming the Seven Moon Grass would allow her to recover much faster.

"I wouldn’t feel right taking it without paying a price," she insisted.

Bai Xue suddenly held out her arm. "How about you eat one of my arms? A leg would work, too."

"..."