Snake-Tooth Bead

The Snake-Tooth Bead is one of two supreme artifacts capable of protecting entrants to the Snake Tooth Corridor. It activates only inside that forbidden ground, forms a defensive layer against environmental dangers, and contains a finite reserve whose exhaustion can leave its bearer unable to escape. (Chapters 1247 and 1261–1270)

History

A rare corridor key

Snake-Tooth Beads and Thousand-Eyed Water Droplets are rare enough to drive the strongest Broken Tooth Mountain Range experts into competition. Supreme Vast Ancient owns one bead and later discovers a second; because he has already entered the corridor several times and wants more preparation, he uses the spare to bring Xue Ying on an expedition under his direction. (Chapters 1247 and 1260–1262)

Spending the reserve

Inside the corridor, Xue Ying's bead forms a black protective cover. Gales consume it gradually, while a dagger strike removes roughly one hundredth of the total energy at once and repeated clashes with strange birds consume more. Xue Ying learns to use stable nodes and inactive regions, where the reserve does not drain, and separates an unprotected avatar to study a safe location while the bead-bearing avatar continues exploring. (Chapters 1263–1268)

By the time Xue Ying gathers three desired treasures, more than half the energy has been consumed. He continues until only the last portion remains and intends to use as much of the reserve as possible. The brief does not show a recharge method, destruction of the physical bead, or custody after Chapter 1270. (Chapters 1269–1270)

Abilities and properties

• Conditional activation: The bead activates only after entering the Snake Tooth Corridor, a rule attributed to Yuan's control over the worlds formed from two Chaotic Origin corpses. (Chapter 1267)
• Environmental defense: Its energy protects against the entrance and exit maelstrom, corrosive gales, and dangers within realm fragments. The protection behaves like extraordinary armor but cannot be used offensively. (Chapters 1262 and 1264–1268)
• Finite reserve: Every hazardous exposure consumes energy; intense attacks accelerate the loss. If the reserve empties before the bearer exits, death in the corridor maelstrom is likely. (Chapters 1262, 1264–1265, and 1268–1270)
• Safe-zone conservation: Stable nodes and inactive areas consume no energy, permitting indefinite cultivation or observation while the bearer remains there. (Chapters 1263 and 1266)
• Access rather than invulnerability: The bead makes entry possible but does not make its holder unparalleled, remove the need for strategy, or protect an unshielded avatar. (Chapters 1265–1268)

Ownership and custody