Chapter 289: Chapter 287: It’s Over
Once Lu Beifeng took the Golden Healing Pill, Zhan Yang and the others grew even more grateful toward Jiang Chen. The man they had once scorned had suddenly, unexpectedly, become their team’s savior.
"Isn’t the Moyang Flower up there? I’ll go take a look. You all wait for me here."
Jiang Chen looked up at the rock wall, where bloodstains left by the Celestial Brown Ridge Python were still visible.
"Jiang Chen, that Celestial Brown Ridge Python isn’t dead yet. It’ll be dangerous if you go up. We should just give up on this mission."
Zhan Yang knew that with their strength alone, it was impossible to get the Moyang Flower.
Now that the Celestial Brown Ridge Python had returned to its cave, it was sure to be guarding the entrance.
It would be extremely dangerous for any of them to go up.
Even though Jiang Chen was strong, Zhan Yang really didn’t want him to risk his life again.
They could always find another way to get a Moyang Flower.
"That’s right. You don’t need to take this risk for us."
JinLing was the one who had invited Jiang Chen to join the team, and now her feelings were a tangled mess. ’This guy... he’s kept his true abilities completely hidden.’
He had almost completely fooled them.
The power he was now displaying left JinLing utterly stunned.
But more than anything, she felt a sense of gratitude toward Jiang Chen.
Her little leather skirt was scraped and torn, leaving her looking quite disheveled.
She spoke up now to dissuade Jiang Chen.
The entire Warring States Mercenary Corps had given up on obtaining the Moyang Flower.
Jiang Chen just shook his head.
"Since we’ve already come this far, how can we just give up?"
"It’s fine. Let me handle it."
"It’s not against the rules if I help you get the Moyang Flower, is it?"
He spoke as if joking, then wasted no time. With a sword in each hand, he expertly leveraged his way up the cliff face at high speed.
Zhan Yang and the others forced a wry smile.
"This is all thanks to Jiang Chen’s power alone. He’s saving us."
"If he helps us get the Moyang Flower, I don’t even know how I could thank him."
A reward? How much of a reward could possibly repay Jiang Chen?
Zhan Yang felt that no amount would be enough.
This was a debt of gratitude.
"Brother Yang, since Jiang Chen is so powerful, why don’t we try to recruit him into our Warring States Mercenary Corps?"
Niu Tuo suddenly proposed after Jiang Chen had gone.
He was truly eager for Jiang Chen to join them.
Zhan Yang was silent for a long time.
Finally, he shook his head. "He won’t agree."
"Besides, I can tell he’s no ordinary Martial Cultivator. What does our Warring States Mercenary Corps have to offer someone like him?"
He was very self-aware and had no real intention of asking.
He had looked down on Jiang Chen before, but now he understood that there was no reason for someone like Jiang Chen to be interested in their small Mercenary Team.
"Brother, why not give it a try?"
A glimmer shone in JinLing’s eyes.
She really wanted Jiang Chen to stay.
’He has such a unique charm.’
That was her thought as well.
She hoped Jiang Chen would stay.
Zhan Yang sighed. "Fine. When Jiang Chen comes back down, I’ll swallow my pride and give it a try."
"To be honest, I want him to join us too, even if it means he becomes the leader."
The other three were stunned.
They never thought the proud and arrogant Zhan Yang would hold Jiang Chen in such high regard.
Jiang Chen, now atop the cliff, was naturally unaware that the people below were plotting to recruit him into the Warring States Mercenary Corps.
He emerged onto a sizable platform at the top of the cliff.
Some grasses and shrubs grew on the platform.
The vegetation was in disarray, and following the path of destruction led his eyes to the faint outline of a cave entrance, obscured by green foliage.
The trail of trampled plants was clearly the path the Celestial Brown Ridge Python had taken to escape.
There was even a considerable amount of fresh blood on the foliage.
"Hmph!"
Jiang Chen let out a cold snort.
He lifted his feet and slowly made his way over.
When he reached the curtain of foliage, he peered cautiously through a gap but saw only darkness within. The Celestial Brown Ridge Python wasn’t lying in ambush just inside the entrance.
He relaxed slightly.
He stepped behind the curtain of plants.
"Huh, so this is the Moyang Flower."
Jiang Chen quickly spotted a flower growing in a dark corner behind the vegetation.
The flower had brown leaves, remarkably similar to the coloring of the Celestial Brown Ridge Python.
Nestled within the brown leaves was a tightly closed bud, just waiting to bloom.
The flower itself was yellow.
It hadn’t bloomed yet, but it showed signs that it would soon.
Jiang Chen naturally recognized the Moyang Flower.
As an Alchemist, there were almost no herbs or plants he didn’t know.
’It seems this Celestial Brown Ridge Python was guarding this spot, waiting for the Moyang Flower to bloom.’
’Moyang Flowers bloom once every five years.’
’If a Demon Beast consumes one, it can evolve.’
’The bloom only lasts for three days before withering.’
’And the Moyang Flower is one of the primary ingredients for refining a Spirit Feeding Pill.’
The Spirit Feeding Pill was a type of elixir used to nurture Demon Beasts.
Many powerful individuals, even some Martial Cultivators who were capable of raising Demon Beasts, would use Spirit Feeding Pills to help their beasts evolve.
Jiang Chen knew all of this.
He was naturally clear about the uses of the Moyang Flower.
It was likely that someone wanted the Moyang Flower to feed to a Demon Beast, helping it to evolve.
However, the Moyang Flower hadn’t bloomed yet, so it couldn’t be harvested.
This was also why the Celestial Brown Ridge Python hadn’t eaten it.
If the Moyang Flower were to fully bloom and be devoured by this Celestial Brown Ridge Python, the beast would advance to the Martial Master Fifth Heaven at the very least.
At that point, it would be even more difficult to defeat.
Gazing into the unfathomably deep cave, he knew the Celestial Brown Ridge Python had obviously fled inside to hide.
’Trying to snatch the Moyang Flower at the last second... how insidious.’
He knew the only reason the Celestial Brown Ridge Python hadn’t fled far away was because it still wanted to devour the flower.
Jiang Chen stood at the cave entrance for a moment and took a deep breath.
’In that case, I’ll just have to finish you off first.’
He walked slowly into the cave.
His pace was unhurried, his eyes gradually beginning to glow in the darkness.
Nothing inside the cave could escape his gaze.
With his Nine Heavens Spirit-Seizing Technique circulating, he could clearly perceive every stir and movement in his surroundings.
Thus, it would be exceedingly difficult for the Celestial Brown Ridge Python to ambush him.
Even if the situation became dire, Jiang Chen still had his ultimate trump card: the Soul-Breaking Poison.
He even had the Divine Wind Fan at the ready.
Jiang Chen would not let his guard down for a single moment.
TAP... TAP...
His rhythmic footsteps echoed through the cave.
They were filled with a steady rhythm.
Deep within the cave, the Celestial Brown Ridge Python was coiled in a corner, its eyes filled with a ferocious light.
It glared with fury as it watched Jiang Chen approach.
If it could curse, the Celestial Brown Ridge Python would be letting loose a torrent of profanities right now.
This damned human was bullying it far too much.
He’d chased it all the way back to its own lair and still wouldn’t leave it alone.
"Surrender, or die."
Having appeared in the deepest part of the cave at some unknown point, Jiang Chen looked at the coiled Celestial Brown Ridge Python and spoke slowly.
"I know you can understand me. If you want to live, submit to me."
"Otherwise, I will make sure you die here today, no matter what."
His words were utterly cold, like those of a merciless assassin.
The cave fell silent.
Then, a violent roar erupted.
After some time, the roaring ceased.
"The fighting’s over."
Below the cliff, Zhan Yang and the others looked up, their faces a mixture of shock and uncertainty.
They had heard a huge commotion just moments ago, but now, there was only silence.
No one knew what had happened.
