Chapter 32: An Unconventional Way to Unlock the Golden Finger

Alone, with no one else around, Zhang Kai unleashed his lightness skill. His speed was astonishing, his movements so nimble that his feet barely touched the ground, ensuring he would not trigger any mechanisms along the way. He pressed forward at a swift pace. After a short while, he halted abruptly.

He had come upon a pool of water.

The darkness within the cave was nothing to Zhang Kai, whose profound inner strength allowed him to perceive everything as clear as day—every detail lay bare before his eyes. The pool was not far ahead, square and neat, spanning five or six meters across, clearly man-made. Wisps of mist drifted above its surface. At the very center of the pool, a lotus flower bloomed in full splendor, strikingly beautiful.

But this was no ordinary place. In this sunless cavern, devoid of photosynthesis, only plants suited to shadowy climes could survive. For a lotus to bloom here was utterly impossible; if one did, it could only be extraordinary.

Upon closer inspection, Zhang Kai realized the lotus was indeed remarkable.

Its entire body was blue, its petals jade-like. He couldn’t name the species, but the spiritual energy permeating the cave was being drawn toward the lotus, as if absorbed by it. Clearly, this lotus was of a spiritual grade. With the revival of spiritual energy, the flower—suppressed for who knew how long—was awakening, gathering energy to nourish itself.

Moreover, Zhang Kai sensed something alien lurking within the pool. Whatever it was, the mere awareness of its presence sent a chill through him; it was certainly no ordinary creature.

After some thought, Zhang Kai ignored the lotus and turned away.

He had come here for the godly title; everything else was irrelevant. Once spiritual energy revived fully, there would be countless treasures to be had—no need to risk his life for this one. Movies and TV dramas promised even more and better things.

He continued deeper into the cave. Before long, he found himself facing a mausoleum.

A pavilion, a grand hall, jade bridges, covered corridors—it was like a miniature imperial palace, complete in every respect.

Closest to him was a gatehouse.

The gatehouse was two stories tall, with sweeping yellow tiles and flying eaves, its red walls inscribed with golden characters. The script was in small seal, and Zhang Kai guessed, half by deduction, that it spelled out “Changling Palace.”

Zhang Kai grinned.

It seemed his luck was holding; he had found the right place first.

But if there were traps outside, there would surely be more inside. He would need someone—or something—to blaze the trail ahead.

With this in mind, Zhang Kai took out a tablet computer from his backpack, followed by a USB drive.

He had only recently purchased them, mainly for storing movies and TV series. Knowing he would often be in places without a signal, he had wisely downloaded what he needed so entertainment (and the tools within) would always be at hand.

Over the past few days, he had downloaded a great many films and shows. Now, it was time to put them to use.

He powered on the tablet, plugged in the USB, and began scrolling through hundreds of carefully selected movies and dramas, pondering which might provide a suitable tool for his current predicament.

At last, Zhang Kai’s gaze settled on one film.

The movie: Anaconda.

The anaconda in that film was a monstrous, mutated giant—thick and powerful. Even Zhang Kai had to admit, compared to that beast, he fell short.

Such a creature, if unleashed in a frenzy, would be the perfect test subject for the traps ahead. Moreover, anacondas were mere animals and should not be unduly suppressed by this world’s laws, nor would they escape his control. With it clearing the way, he could proceed with confidence.

Without hesitation, Zhang Kai opened the movie, fast-forwarded to the scene where the giant anaconda appeared, and paused.

He reached his hand into the tablet and, with one swift motion, pulled the anaconda out. In the instant it emerged, he hurled it toward Changling Palace and struck it with a palm, channeling the mighty power of the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms—his hundred years of internal force surging into the beast.

In the next moment, the anaconda began to swell, transforming into a titanic serpent, dozens of meters long.

Before it hit the ground, the anaconda opened its maw and let out a piercing hiss. The inner energy of the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms was still churning within, driving it mad with agitation.

It had intended to hunt; instead, it found itself the target of an assault. The anaconda twisted in midair, crashing down and smashing apart an annex hall.

At that instant, a black mist spurted from the annex, landing on the anaconda with a sinister sizzle.

A trap within the annex had been triggered.

The black mist corroded the creature’s skin, eating away large swathes. Writhing in agony, the giant serpent thrashed about, its massive body rampaging and smashing everything in its path.

It destroyed a stone statue, and from beneath the statue, a volley of arrows shot forth, piercing the anaconda’s flesh.

Howling in pain, the beast twisted away, fleeing into a water feature inside the palace, evidently terrified and desperate to escape.

But the moment it entered the water, the anaconda became even more frenzied—its tail lashed madly, demolishing jade bridges, stone-paved floors, and various structures.

Soon, its rear half fell still, slumping lifelessly to the ground.

At that moment, from the palace pool came a loud splash as a massive head emerged.

This head was enormous, the size of a small car’s hood, and it too belonged to a snake.

But this was no ordinary serpent. Its flesh was gone, leaving only a gleaming white skeleton, its eye sockets burning with crimson light.

Now, the skull-headed serpent had bitten deep into the anaconda’s neck, the red glow in its eyes scanning coldly for any other intruders.

The anaconda died with its eyes open, unwilling.

From his hiding place atop the gatehouse, Zhang Kai witnessed the skeletal serpent and a phrase surfaced in his mind:

The Variant Serpent.

Legendary mount of the Lord of Changling Mountain.

This was precisely what the young man from the Bone Gate had sought.

It had to be—nothing else could possibly fit.

But for it to have been reduced to a skeleton and yet still move with such dreadful vitality—it was terrifying!

Zhang Kai clicked his tongue in silent awe.

Even with over a century’s worth of internal energy, he knew he stood no chance.

This was no false humility.

After all, it was a spiritual serpent, a creature of unknown years of cultivation. Even weakened by the laws of heaven and earth, this was a forbidden ground, and the serpent, now rid of the vulnerabilities of flesh, could wield even a fraction of its power and still be far beyond what mere internal energy could hope to match.

Damn, this world is far more perilous than I had imagined.

And to think, the old fortune-teller had said this was one of the safer places.

What terrors, then, must lie within the sanctuaries of other deities, in their self-contained paradises?

With this new understanding of forbidden grounds, Zhang Kai did not retreat.

The anaconda was only the vanguard.

He had many more powerful minions at his disposal.

To face off against the mountain god’s steed would be invaluable experience—an opportunity not to be missed.

He felt a thrill of anticipation.

Zhang Kai scrolled through his tablet again and found another film.

The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor.

A well-known tomb-raiding adventure series—he had enjoyed the first few, but never cared for this one. After all, how could the First Emperor of Qin be a three-headed dragon?

Absurd.

Even if the First Emperor were a dragon, it would be a dragon of the Celestial Empire. A three-headed dragon? How ugly! How could that possibly befit his majesty? It was a slander on the greatest emperor of all time.

But personal preferences aside, it was exactly what he needed now.

He skipped to the end, right as the First Emperor was about to transform, paused the film, and pulled the three-headed dragon out, hurling it forcefully toward the black serpent head.

Go, you... three-headed dragon.