Hidden genius: Black belly snake

Tang Yue huffed and dragged a heavy deep brown carpet, every inch of it covered with silver and golden embroidery.

She pulled aside the entire stretch of the thick carpet and tossed it to one corner of her chamber, revealing the pristine white floor made of sparkling marble chunks.

"Ok. This is now done." She muttered.

Tang Yue dusted her slender hands and in one swift motion retrieved a thin, green, leaf shaped hairpin from her long black curls cascading bountifully until her hips.

She then unhesitatingly pricked her index fingertip with the sharp end of the hairpin.

She pressed the wound forcefully till it materialized a big drop of her dark red blood.

A slight wince escaped her lips even though her eyes shone brightly filled to the brim with anticipation and delight.

Tang Yue quickly dropped to the floor on her knees and started drawing the elemental contract runic map with her very own blood.

The runic map was nothing special.

It was just a bunch of random shapes thrown together and a few weird looking symbols, at least from her point of view.

She was merely recreating an image from the memory. She didn't yet understand any part of it.

"Master, can you please explain to me more about the art of runes?" Tang Yue curiously asked.

[Sure, little snake.]

"Waah!" Tang Yue was taken aback by the sudden generosity of the system.

Did it really just agree to genuinely help her?

But before she could fully digest that thought, the nasally robotic voice sounded again.

[And while I am at it, why don't I also teach you a few heaven grade alchemy recipes, epic-grade smithing recipes, and even the secret art of nurturing spirit herbs.]

Tang Yue was stunned. She opened and closed her mouth wordlessly comprehending the full implication of that sentence.

Was the senior really going to teach her all of these things?? Her eyes sparkled.

But then slowly black lines covered her forehead and her face darkened.

It took an entirety of 5 minutes for her to realize that the nasty old goat was simply messing with her.

Tang Yue hissed angrily and smacked herself on the head, with blood from her hand spraying all over her face.

Her blood smeared face, in fact, was a perfect depiction of how she was feeling right now.

Tang Yue sucked in a few deep breaths of air and calmed herself down before patiently focussing on the runic drawings again.

She had already added that old codger's name to her mental black parchment, right next to her step-mother's name, under the Tang Yue's star enemies list.

The old man might not be alive right now, but that wouldn't stop her from searching for his grave and spitting on it.

"Damn it." Tang Yue cursed and continued scribbling on the clean marble floor with the blood dripping from her finger.

After a while, her mind wandered again, and she sighed before asking the system another query.

"Master, how come I didn't get any feathers or wings from the fire twin-tailed birds?"

Tang Yue knew that she was going to regret this action but she simply had far too many doubts and confusing notions about the evolution process.

So she had no other choice but to brave her heart and ask the damned old man.

[Little dumb snake, why are you interested so much in the trivial details of the beast's body?]

[A bloodline is not equivalent to a body's or rather a vessel's characteristics. It is something far too deeper than that.]

[A bloodline contains the very essence of a being.]

[Besides, if you want wings that badly, I suggest you work hard and increase your level.]

[Our own bloodline has the potential to grant you two spectacular wings. You just have to unlock it.]

"A winged serpent?" Tang Yue stammered, with her eyes full of disbelief.

But then again, snakes being able to evolve was also once upon a time a mere old wife's tale.

If that was possible, then why not this?

She hadn't expected it, but the old man gave her a decent explanation for once.

Tang Yue silently nodded and finished the last parts of the rune drawing.

She was now almost ready to start the summoning ritual and bind with an elemental youngling.