Chapter 38: Chapter 38: Thermosense Control, Infiltration
Hoo~
Qin Tian raised his hand, a wisp of green smoke rising from his fingertips, the manifestation of the Qinglin Snake Poison vaporizing.
Not only that, but he could also release the snake poison through various means such as breathing and saliva.
However, compared to the Green Talent [Qinglin Snake Poison], Qin Tian valued another White Talent [Cold Blood] more.
It’s often said that snakes are cold-blooded animals, though this statement is somewhat misleading.
To be precise, snakes are poikilothermic animals.
Snakes lack a complete thermoregulation mechanism and cannot maintain a relatively stable body temperature like warm-blooded animals (such as birds and mammals).
When the external temperature rises, the snake’s body temperature also increases, accelerating its metabolism and enhancing its activity; conversely, when the temperature drops, its body temperature decreases, slowing down its metabolism and reducing its activity.
In terms of effects, being poikilothermic has both pros and cons.
However, once [Cold Blood] is upgraded, perhaps the downsides will no longer exist.
Additionally, part of the effect of [Cold Blood] allows the perception of heat sources.
Soon he will face an even stronger Snake-man, the Poisonous Snake-man, whose heat source perception is certainly more acute. If he cannot control his body temperature well, he is bound to be exposed prematurely.
Thinking of this, Qin Tian immediately invested 300 Evolution Points to upgrade the Talent [Cold Blood]
The white orb trembled slightly, and soon a touch of new green appeared within the orb, occupying the entire space.
[Name] Thermosense Control (Green)
[Type] Active Talent
[Introduction] You can autonomously adjust your body temperature to blend with the external environment, your aura significantly concealed, with an extremely keen perception of surrounding heat sources.
At this moment, Qin Tian felt his body change; he could easily control his blood flow, his pores contraction, and his body temperature rose and fell with his thoughts, allowing him to merge perfectly with the environment.
Not only that, but in his perception, everything was emitting heat, including the soil underfoot, the rocks, the vegetation, as if an additional infrared sensor was inside his body.
"I made the right bet."
Qin Tian’s eyes showed a hint of joy. With [Thermosense Control], he could regulate his body temperature, avoiding detection by the Poisonous Snake-man.
Moreover, [Thermosense Control] exceptionally complements another Talent [Shadowbone Physique],
[Shadowbone Physique] grants an aura concealing bonus, and [Thermosense Control] further enhances the aura concealing ability.
The cultivation technique he practiced, "Shadow Thunder Prison Technique," also focuses on the stealth characteristics of the Dark Element.
With multiple layers of enhancement, his aura almost leaks not a trace.
Unless a powerful Spiritual Power indiscriminately sweeps through, otherwise, he is like a walking phantom, even if close to others, he wouldn’t be discovered.
"Everything is ready."
Qin Tian re-entered the cave, blending into the darkness.
"Poisonous Snake-man, here I come."
...
The cave’s tunnels were winding and crooked, like the intestine of a sleeping Giant Beast, deep and seemingly endless, dark as thick ink, devouring all light.
Water on the cave walls slid down like tears, with dripping sounds echoing in the silence, adding more to the eeriness.
In one of the deep tunnels, strange rustling sounds could be faintly heard, like clothes rubbing, or perhaps scales shivering. Several Snake-men lazily wagged their tails, moving slowly.
The Snake-man at the front held a Luminous Pearl, faintly illuminating the dim environment.
"Boss, I’ve never understood, what use does Lord Egger have for capturing those humans?"
One of the Snake-men voiced a question that had been pent-up for days.
The Snake-man leader turned around to look at him, a hint of coldness and sharpness in his yellow snake pupils. The questioning Snake-man suddenly felt a chill through his body and quickly lowered his head, saying:
"Sorry, boss."
The Snake-man leader withdrew his gaze and said lightly:
"Don’t ask what you shouldn’t. Talk too much, and beware of being thrown into the Cave of Ten Thousand Snakes."
Hearing the name Cave of Ten Thousand Snakes, all the Snake-men present couldn’t help but shiver, a trace of fear appearing in their eyes.
"Continue the patrol."
The Snake-man leader captured the expressions of his subordinates, snorted coldly, and continued to lead the patrol.
However, he walked very slowly, like a human taking a leisurely post-meal stroll.
In his view, this cave was extremely hidden, accidentally discovered by a Snake-man, with no creatures able to infiltrate this place for a long time.
Thus, he gradually relaxed his vigilance, making daily patrols just a formality, going through the motions.
Shush shush~~
The snake scales scraped the ground, making a rustling sound.
As the Snake-man leader walked, he realized that the surroundings were getting quieter, with only his own sounds audible.
"What’s going on?"
The Snake-man leader turned around but found no one behind him.
Startled, he quickly tightened his grip on his steel saber, cautiously moving forward.
After turning a corner, the Snake-man leader halted, his yellow snake eyes suddenly contracting.
In the straight tunnel, the Snake-man guards lay on the ground, spaced apart, with a blood hole in the back of each head, thick fluid seeping out.
What terrified the Snake-man leader was that he had not noticed when the Snake-man guards behind him had died.
In an instant, a sense of immense fear enveloped him, the scales on his neck opening and closing slightly in fright, making faint scraping sounds.
"What are you looking for?"
An icy and unfamiliar voice sounded behind him, the Snake-man leader suddenly felt a chill down his spine, instinctively wanting to turn around.
Whoosh, a sharp object violently pierced into the back of his head, his body stiffened, then slowly collapsed to the ground.
"The fifty-sixth."
Qin Tian laid the Snake-man leader flat on the ground, took a cloth from the Spatial Bag, and wiped the stains off the Military Dagger, to avoid exposure due to the scent.
From the moment he entered the cave until now, he had killed 56 Snake-men, using the same method, silently appearing behind the Snake-men through Shadow Jump, then stabbing the Military Dagger into the back of the head.
His actions were quick and ruthless, the faint sounds he made overshadowed by the noise of snake scales scraping against the ground, thus encountering no obstruction throughout the process.
However, using Shadow Jump repeatedly made him feel somewhat fatigued.
The superpower consumes physical strength and spiritual power, though his physical strength is abundant, his spiritual training has just begun, and now there is a slight pain in his brain.
Fortunately, through powerful smell, hearing, and thermal perception, he finally found the target.
Qin Tian proceeded along the tunnel, making not a sound, like a ghost. Moments later, a light appeared ahead.
He cautiously approached it, holding his breath, his body temperature synchronized with the surrounding rock, seeming to merge with the mountains.
Ahead was a dead-end tunnel, he lay on the ground peering down.
At the confluence of several tunnels, a pool lay quietly. The pool, irregular and round, with ghostly black waters, like a deep mirror reflecting no light, yet exuded a piercing cold.
Beside the pool stood a tall Snake-man, its features leaning masculine, with hair a seductive purple, its scales glittering like diamonds.
Beside the Snake-man, there were two humans, one kneeling on the ground, another nailed to a cross, covered in blood, with a mutilated left hand half severed by a sharp blade.
Upon seeing their faces clearly, Qin Tian’s heart jolted,
it was actually them.