A Bountiful Harvest

"I actually killed a human cultivator in the Qi Condensation Realm!"

Shen Yi's face turned deathly pale. His hands trembled uncontrollably, and his eyes filled with terror as he stared at the corpse of Wang Minghui lying before him.

"Ugh—"

The overwhelming stench of blood hit him, and he could no longer hold it back; he crouched on the ground and retched repeatedly.

After a long while, Shen Yi finally felt better. Although his complexion remained unnatural, he was gradually coming to terms with it mentally.

The path of immortal cultivation was exactly like this: the strong preyed upon the weak. To not be bloodthirsty and to not kill wantonly—that was the final bottom line of Shen Yi's heart.

He then ordered the war beasts accompanying him to dig several large pits. Shen Yi buried each of them one by one, finding a small measure of solace in his heart.

"Is this... a Storage Bag?"

The Azure Stone Boar trotted over to Shen Yi with five Storage Bags in its mouth, looking at him as if asking for a reward.

Shen Yi took the bags and patted the boar's head in approval. The demonic beast, satisfied, signaled its underlings to keep watch in the surrounding area.

"This is Wang Si's Storage Bag. I didn't expect it to contain over a hundred spirit stones."

"This one belongs to Wang Minghui. There's quite a lot of stuff inside; a rough estimate puts the spirit stones at at least six or seven hundred, plus a dozen Qi Gathering Pills—these are pills that only those in the Qi Condensation Realm can use. There's also a Waist Token here. It seems he really was a member of the Qingxuan Sect."

Shen Yi weighed the Waist Token engraved with the characters "Qingxuan" in his hand, a flash of ferocity crossing his eyes before he crushed it into powder.

"Hmm? Inside this one is a Mid-grade Spirit Stone, worth a thousand Low-grade Spirit Stones, along with several pills for healing injuries. These are all good things!"

"As for these two bags, the items inside are merely ordinary, even a bit meager. I wonder which sect those disciples belonged to."

As for the final Storage Bag, a name was written on it in spiritual energy: Long Tao. He was a student at the Ninghai Immortal Academy where Shen Yi studied, and could be considered his fellow sect brother.

Shen Yi noted the name but did not open the bag to scavenge through it. He tucked it into his own Storage Bag, intending to return it to Long Tao's family once he returned to the academy and inquired about Long Tao's residence. It would be his final gesture of goodwill toward a fellow disciple.

After resting for a moment, Shen Yi stood up again. He needed to find the severely wounded Tier 2 demonic beast, the Golden Winged Eagle. Before leaving, he did not forget to cover up the traces of the battle.

At this moment, in the Qingxuan Sect Elder Hall.

Great Elder Wang Shangren's eyes were bloodshot, his heart filled with grief and indignation. His second son's Life Token had suddenly shattered, meaning he had passed away. Yet, this happened at the critical moment of his own Secluded Cultivation to break through, leaving no room for the slightest error.

"Mingxuan, Minghui is dead. Go and find out the cause immediately. If he was murdered, you must grind the culprit to dust!"

Wang Shangren was confident that with his eldest son Wang Mingxuan's strength at the seventh level of Qi Condensation, combined with the Wang Family Secret Technique, he could even contend with a cultivator who had just entered the Foundation Establishment stage.

"Hui'er, just watch. Once your father breaks through to the Golden Core Realm, I will surely avenge you!"

Shen Yi walked through the Yunluo Mountain Range, tracking the trail. With the help of his few demonic beasts, he finally found the tracks of the Golden Winged Eagle again.

Above a cliff, the Golden Winged Eagle fluttered up and down, letting out shrill cries from time to time, as if locked in a life-and-death struggle.

Shen Yi looked closely and discovered a large gray python lying on the cliff face, twisting and turning as it grappled with the Golden Winged Eagle.

"A Gray Striped Python, also a Tier 2 demonic beast!"

There had to be a reason for two Tier 2 demonic beasts to fight so desperately.

The Golden Winged Eagle was worthy of being a top-tier existence among Tier 2 demonic beasts; despite having a broken wing, it could still circle continuously in the air. With another high-pitched cry, it dove down, its sharp talons clawing fiercely into the python's body, sparks flying instantly.

The Gray Striped Python, stung by the pain, spat out a jet of snake venom that struck the golden feathers, producing bursts of white smoke.

"So strong!"

Shen Yi hid in a corner, gaining a deeper understanding of the demonic beasts before him. He asked himself: he could never withstand even a single strike from either of these beasts.

The battle grew increasingly intense, and the Gray Striped Python was gradually falling into a disadvantage, unable to hold its own.

"That's not right!" Shen Yi suddenly noticed that the Gray Striped Python never moved even half a step away from the cave, as if it were guarding something. Even if it meant being severely wounded, it refused to let the Golden Winged Eagle get any closer.

"What could possibly make two Tier 2 demonic beasts fight so desperately?"

"It's coming!"

Shen Yi's heart surged, his gaze fixed intently on the cave behind the Gray Striped Python's massive body.

The Golden Winged Eagle had reached its limit and decided to launch its final strike.

It hovered in the air, spread its golden wings, and its entire body of golden feathers shot toward the Gray Striped Python like sharp arrows.

The Gray Striped Python's eyes were grave; it dared not be the least bit negligent, burying its head into its coiled body and intending to rely on its scales to withstand the onslaught.

Little did it expect the Golden Winged Eagle to suddenly dive down, grab the python's body, and attempt to fly up and drop it.

What a brilliant feint!

The Gray Striped Python realized it had been tricked only after its body was fiercely clamped. It struggled desperately, trying to break free from the restraint.

It was in this split second of struggle that Shen Yi caught sight of the treasure in the cave: a green bead, containing vast vitality.

"Essence of Flora!"

Shen Yi couldn't help but gasp. This was a heaven-and-earth essence rarely seen in a hundred years. It could not only Cleanse Marrow and Wash Meridians but also Regenerate Bone and Grow Muscle; even a wisp of its aura could cause spiritual herbs to evolve.

Such a treasure was enough to tempt even a Golden Core Stage Expert!

"To encounter such a gift from heaven and not take it would be a waste of nature!"

Shen Yi took a deep breath, suppressing the tension and excitement in his heart.

"There is only one chance!"

Shen Yi was determined to snatch the prize from the jaws of death; the moment those two demonic beasts reached a stalemate would be his only opportunity to strike!

"Now!"

He channeled every ounce of his strength, lunging forward in a single stride to reach the two beasts. With a heavy shoulder-check, he snatched the Essence of Flora, then immediately leaped away, fleeing from the pair.

Everything happened too suddenly. By the time the two beasts regained their senses, Shen Yi was already a hundred meters away, plunging deep into the dense vegetation.

The Golden Winged Eagle was already at the end of its tether; unable to hold on any longer, it let out a mournful cry and plummeted down the cliffside.

The Gray Striped Python flicked its red tongue, its eyes burning with rage. It wanted to pursue Shen Yi, but sensing the presence of over a dozen other demonic beasts hidden within the foliage, it could only cast a hateful glare in that direction before slithering down toward the base of the cliff.

Shen Yi ran for half an hour before finally discovering a cave. Only after confirming there was no danger in the vicinity did he let out a long sigh of relief.

"This Falling Cloud Mountain Range is truly perilous."

Shen Yi panted heavily, grateful to have survived the ordeal. In just half an hour, he had been hunted by over a dozen demonic beasts.

Now that he was finally safe, Shen Yi took out the Essence of Flora and, just to be on the safe side, swallowed it whole.

As the Indestructible Scripture began to circulate, Shen Yi's body erupted with waves of radiance, filling the entire cave with a surge of vitality.

The battle beasts, which had been somewhat restless, fell into a deep slumber, enveloped by this power of life.

As for Shen Yi, he found himself immersed in a profound and mysterious sensation.