Chapter 376: Chapter 375: Giant Python
As they ventured deeper, it became eerily quiet, the only sound their own footsteps. The further in they went, the higher the grade of the Spirit Grass grew. By this point, they were already seeing third-grade and above.
Such perilous realms often held countless Heaven and Earth Treasures, but the key was staying alive to claim them.
"L-Liang," Huang Ting stammered, her hand trembling with excitement as she pointed to a distant tree. "That’s a fifth-grade Spirit Fruit, a Longevity Fruit... It’s worth a fortune!"
"It really is a Longevity Fruit! If I picked it and offered it to the Old Ancestor, my reward would be substantial!" Liang Yuantian was just as excited. In the outside world, a Longevity Fruit was priceless; you couldn’t get one for less than a million Jade Spirit Stones.
One could only imagine how precious a Longevity Fruit was to those whose lifespans were nearing their end.
"Shh! Don’t move!" Xu Fei urgently warned. "You can’t just take things in here. It’s easy to attract trouble!"
"What a coward. What Demon Beasts could possibly be here? We haven’t seen a single one. It’s completely quiet!" Liang Yuantian said coldly. "If you’re too scared to get it, then I’ll go myself!"
"Exactly. You’re all too timid. What Demon Beasts could be here? We’ve come so far without seeing a single one," Huang Ting said scornfully. "Liang, hurry up and pick it. Just ignore them!"
"Let me give you one last piece of advice. In a place like this, greed is a death sentence," Yi Tianyun said calmly.
"You call others greedy just because you’re incompetent and gutless. Opportunity is for the capable and courageous, not for cowards like you!" Liang Yuantian sneered.
"Y-You guys, really, don’t do anything rash! This is the Celestial Dragon Perilous Realm..."
Xu Fei’s pleas were useless. Liang Yuantian had already shot forward. A glint appeared in Yi Tianyun’s eyes, but he remained perfectly still, not uttering another word of warning. Xu Fei wanted to intercept him, but his cultivation was nowhere near as high as Liang Yuantian’s.
Liang Yuantian’s eyes were filled with nothing but the Longevity Fruit. Consumed by greed, he was deaf to any warnings. ’There hasn’t been any danger on the way here,’ he thought, ’so why not take the prize when it’s right in front of me?’
Just as he reached the tree and prepared to climb it to pick the Longevity Fruit, a black shadow shot out. Before he could react, it had swallowed the upper half of his body in a single gulp! When the others finally saw it clearly, they realized a Giant Python had swallowed Liang Yuantian, instantly consuming half of him. The suddenness of it all left Huang Ting and Xu Fei stunned. It was too abrupt. There had been nothing there, and then suddenly something had lunged out and eaten Liang Yuantian.
Liang Yuantian tried to struggle free, but his strength was no match for the Giant Python. Its jaws constricted violently. With a sickening CRUNCH, Liang Yuantian went still. Every bone in his body had been shattered; he was utterly dead.
The python then swallowed the rest of him, and he became a meal in its belly.
"AHHHH..." Huang Ting’s face drained of color as she let out a terrified scream. Xu Fei immediately clamped a hand over her mouth to silence her, worried she would attract more Demon Beasts.
This one Demon Beast alone was more than they could handle. It was at the fifth layer of the Spirit Pill Stage, powerful enough to completely crush them.
HISS...
Hearing Huang Ting’s scream, the Giant Python flicked its tongue at them, then lunged toward her. It moved as fast as lightning, appearing before them in the blink of an eye and snapping its jaws down on them.
Xu Fei’s face fell, his eyes filling with despair and defiance. Just as he was about to counterattack, a figure stepped in front of them, grabbed the massive snake’s body, and viciously slammed it onto the ground. He then raised his foot and stomped down hard on the python’s vital point. CRUNCH! It was instantly crushed into a pulp.
[Ding! Successfully killed Giant Python. Gained 40,000 Experience, 3,800 Madness Value, and 50 Sin Value. Obtained items: Antitoxic Pill, Giant Python Gallbladder.]
A Demon Beast at the fifth layer of the Spirit Pill Stage posed no challenge to him whatsoever; he had killed it with ease.
"S-So strong!" Xu Fei stared, dumbfounded, as he watched Yi Tianyun effortlessly kill the Giant Python.
But more than anything, he was overwhelmed with the relief of having survived. His back was drenched in a cold sweat, and he gripped his Longsword so tightly that sweat ran down the blade and dripped onto the ground.
"You... If you’re that powerful, why didn’t you save Liang!" Huang Ting demanded.
Yi Tianyun shot her a cold glare. Killing intent radiated from him, scaring her so badly that she stumbled back a few steps and collapsed weakly to the ground.
"What obligation do I have to save you? I already warned you. Even Xu warned you not to act rashly, but you wouldn’t listen. That being the case, I couldn’t be bothered to interfere. You were courting death, so who’s to blame but yourselves? What an idiot!" Yi Tianyun scoffed, simultaneously placing the Giant Python into his Storage Ring. ’It’s also a useful material,’ he thought. ’Can’t let it go to waste.’
"How... How could this happen...?" Huang Ting covered her face and began to weep. Who could have possibly expected a Giant Python to appear out of nowhere?
"This is the Celestial Dragon Perilous Realm, not some amusement park! Keep crying, and I’ll throw you out to the beasts myself!" Yi Tianyun frowned. ’Her wailing will attract other Demon Beasts. While I’m not worried, it’s a waste of time.’
"I..." Terrified, Huang Ting choked back her sobs and didn’t dare cry any longer. She certainly didn’t dare to meet Yi Tianyun’s gaze.
After shooting her one last cold glance, Yi Tianyun turned and walked toward the tree. Xu Fei quickly called out a warning, "Friend, be careful...!"
Yi Tianyun said nonchalantly, "In the Celestial Dragon Perilous Realm, wherever you find a Rare Spirit Fruit, there’s bound to be a Demon Beast guarding it. Those idiots didn’t even know that much, and yet they dared to enter. Now that I’ve dealt with it, there won’t be any more."
And sure enough, he walked over and easily picked the fruit without any issue. The Longevity Fruit was of no real use to him, but it was his spoil of war, and he had no intention of leaving it behind.
"Thank you for saving my life, Yi. I’d be dead if not for you," Xu Fei said, cupping his fists in gratitude. "I won’t take any payment for this trip. I’ll be sure to guide you to Coiling Dragon Cave!"
Yi Tianyun smiled. "It’s fine. You’ve been very responsible. What I promised you is yours. You warned them several times, and the path you led us on was safe. They were the ones who assumed there were no Demon Beasts..."
Xu Fei gave a wry smile. "Few people know about this route. I discovered it myself through trial and error. I never expected it to turn out this badly..."
"Alright, let’s keep moving," Yi Tianyun said, then looked at Huang Ting. "You can either go back the way you came, or you can come with us. Make your choice."
Huang Ting hesitated for a moment, then stood up. Her foot suddenly "slipped," and she "fell" toward Yi Tianyun. But he had already sidestepped, letting her sprawl onto the muddy ground.
"Oof..." she cried out in mock pain, looking up with a pitiable expression. "Yi, I’m so sorry. It was all my fault before. As long as you let me come with you, I’ll be at your beck and call. You can do... whatever you want with me..."
"Try that again, and believe me, I’ll slap you to death and throw your corpse to the Demon Beasts," Yi Tianyun said coldly. "You’re just disgusting me."
Huang Ting’s face went pale. She didn’t dare try to use her Charm again. She quickly scrambled to her feet and stood obediently to one side. A moment later, however, she was casting a flirtatious glance at Xu Fei. "Xu, I..."
"That’s enough. Stop being disgusting. If you want to live, go back the way you came! If you want to go to Coiling Dragon Cave, then follow quietly behind us. Make any more trouble, and forget Yi—I’ll throw you to the Demon Beasts myself!" Xu Fei wasn’t falling for her act either and was, in fact, disgusted by it.
Having been shot down twice, Huang Ting bit her lip. With her protector gone, she had no choice but to turn around and head back the way she came. Without someone strong to rely on, going any deeper with her level of cultivation would be suicide. When Liang Yuantian was around, she could at least get a share of the spoils. But now he was dead, and neither Yi nor Xu would give her the time of day, so leaving was her only option.
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