Snake Cultivator

"What in the Immortal Realm is taking so long? It's been over two hours!" a man cursed as he paced back and forth.

"Relax, my son. Your wife should be giving birth soon. I sense more than one child in her womb, and the first childbirth is always the most excruciating. After all, something beautiful is always born through extreme pain. That beautiful thing is called life," an old man replied.

"Congratulations, my son. You are the father of a girl and two boys," an elderly woman smiled as she entered through the doors, watching the father-to-be pacing like he was walking on hot coals.

"Three?" the two men exclaimed in unison, rushing into the room. The old woman sighed as her husband and son hurried past her.

Inside, they saw blood-stained sheets beneath a pale, sweaty woman who had lost consciousness. The first man let out a breath of relief as he felt her breathing steady, knowing she would be alright. Turning their attention to the three crying babies, their eyes tightly shut, they saw them placed atop a smaller bed. The blood had been wiped from their bodies, though their hair was still too bloodied to tell its color.

"They are arranged in the order of their birth, from left to right. The girl came first, five minutes before the second child. The last one was born seven minutes after the second. We had to turn him in the womb because his head wasn’t positioned correctly. She lost a lot of blood and will need to remain bedridden longer than usual," the new grandmother explained with a smile. "Triplets. The Heavens are truly smiling on the Guo Clan. I had only sensed twins. What a wonderful little miracle."

"I finally join my brothers and sister in becoming a grandparent," the old man laughed. "The Guo Clan now has three more members in the main branch. What will you name them?"

"Perhaps mother can assess their potential?" the father asked.

"Strange. Very strange," the grandmother murmured after lifting her hand and releasing a gentle light over the babies, sending them into a peaceful sleep.

"They lack any attributes? Is there none they have the potential to learn?" the old man inquired.

"You old coot! You know that’s impossible to determine this early. A practitioner doesn’t gain affinity until they turn seven. I guarantee they’ll be able to become practitioners," the old woman snapped. "We’ll name them Guo Mei, Guo Lin, and Guo Yang."

As the men left, the grandmother stayed to tend to her daughter-in-law. She didn’t notice Guo Yang behaving unusually, already trying to open his eyes. Guo Yang had once been a giant, golden snake with jade eyes and sand-colored feathers. Within his chest, a neidan from his old body remained intact.

Memories of his past life flashed before him—visions of a massive serpent ruling over water and earth as a sovereign under the Heavens. Oceans couldn’t conceal prey from him. Mountains became his hunting grounds, instilling terror. By turning water into ice, even phoenixes couldn’t burn him like they had many other snake-like magical beasts.

He had crushed and shattered the bones and lungs of dragons while coiling around their bodies. Humans fled in fear of his poisonous jade mists, and now the baby boy felt the same dread the snake had faced at the threshold of ascension. After a thousand years, the serpent had been reborn as a human. At last, he had a fresh start, and he hoped his new life wouldn’t be as treacherous and dangerous as the last.

Maybe, in this life, he wouldn’t have to fear birds. He really, really hated birds.