Bountiful Harvest

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

Shen Yi's face was pale, his hands trembling uncontrollably as he stared in horror at Wang Minghui's corpse lying before him.

"Urgh—"

The stench of blood washing over him finally broke his resolve, and he crouched on the ground, vomiting repeatedly.

After a long while, Shen Yi finally recovered somewhat. Though his expression was still unnatural, he had gradually adapted mentally.

The path of cultivation had always been like this—the weak were meat for the strong. To not thirst for killing, nor kill wantonly, was the last shred of conscience Shen Yi wished to preserve.

He then ordered the accompanying battle beasts to dig several large pits. Shen Yi buried the men one by one, gaining a small measure of comfort in his heart.

"These are... Storage Bags?"

The Azure Stone Boar carried five Storage Bags over to Shen Yi in its mouth, looking at him as if asking for credit.

Shen Yi took the bags and patted the boar's head in praise. The demonic beast, thoroughly satisfied, called its underlings to stand guard around the area.

"This is Wang Si's Storage Bag. I never expected it to contain no fewer than a hundred Spirit Stones."

"This one belongs to Wang Minghui. There are quite a few things inside. By a rough estimate, there are at least six or seven hundred Spirit Stones, along with over a dozen Qi Gathering Pills. Those are medicinal pills only cultivators in the Qi Condensation Realm can use. There's also a Waist Token here. It seems he truly was a disciple of the Qingxuan Sect."

Shen Yi weighed the Waist Token engraved with the two characters Qingxuan in his hand. A vicious gleam flashed through his eyes, and he crushed it to pieces in one grip.

"Hm? There's a Mid-grade Spirit Stone in here, worth a thousand Low-grade Spirit Stones, as well as several pills for healing injuries. All good things!"

"As for these two bags, the contents can only be called ordinary. They're rather shabby—I wonder which sect's disciples they belonged to."

As for the last Storage Bag, a name had been written upon it with spiritual power: Long Tao. He was a student of the Ninghai Immortal Academy, Shen Yi's fellow disciple.

Shen Yi remembered the name but did not open the bag to loot it. Instead, he placed it in his own Storage Bag. Once he returned to the Immortal Academy and learned where Long Tao lived, he would hand the bag over to his family. It was the last gesture of goodwill he could offer a fellow disciple.

After resting for a moment, Shen Yi rose again. He intended to find the heavily injured Tier 2 demonic beast, the Golden Winged Eagle. Before leaving, he did not forget to conceal the traces of battle here.

Meanwhile, in the Qingxuan Sect Elder Hall.

Great Elder Wang Shangren's eyes were split wide with fury, his heart filled with grief and indignation. His second son's Life Token had suddenly shattered, meaning he was already dead. Yet this had happened at the critical juncture of his secluded cultivation breakthrough, where not the slightest mistake could be tolerated.

"Mingxuan, Minghui is dead. Go investigate the cause at once. If someone harmed him, grind their bones to dust and scatter their ashes!"

Wang Shangren was confident that with his eldest son Wang Mingxuan's seventh level Qi Condensation Realm cultivation, coupled with the Wang Family Secret Technique, he could contend even against a cultivator who had only just entered Foundation Establishment.

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

Shen Yi walked through the Yunluo Mountain Range, pursuing his quarry all the way. With the help of several demonic beasts, he finally found traces of the Golden Winged Eagle again.

Above a cliff, the Golden Winged Eagle swooped and wheeled through the air, occasionally letting out harsh cries, as though fighting a desperate battle.

Shen Yi looked closely and discovered a massive gray python lying upon the cliff face. It twisted and darted about as it battled the Golden Winged Eagle.

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

If two Tier 2 demonic beasts were fighting so desperately, there had to be a reason.

The Golden Winged Eagle truly deserved its reputation as one of the strongest Tier 2 demonic beasts. Though one wing had been broken, it could still circle relentlessly through the air. With another piercing cry, it dove down, its talons clawing viciously into the python's body. Sparks burst forth in an instant.

The Gray Striped Python recoiled in pain and shot out a stream of snake venom, striking the golden feathers and raising plumes of white smoke.

"So powerful!"

Hiding in a corner, Shen Yi gained a deeper understanding of the demonic beasts before him. He asked himself honestly: he could not withstand even a single attack from either of these beasts head-on.

The battle grew more and more intense, and the Gray Striped Python gradually fell into a disadvantage, beginning to lose ground.

"Something's wrong!" Shen Yi suddenly realized that the Gray Striped Python had never moved more than half a step away from that cave. It seemed to be guarding something. Even at the cost of suffering grave injuries, it refused to let the Golden Winged Eagle approach in the slightest.

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

"Here it comes!"

Shen Yi's heart jolted, and his gaze locked onto the cave behind the Gray Striped Python's enormous body.

The Golden Winged Eagle had reached its limit and resolved to unleash its final strike.

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

A grave look filled the Gray Striped Python's eyes. It did not dare relax in the slightest, burying its head within its coiled body and intending to use its scales to withstand the attack.

Who could have expected the Golden Winged Eagle to suddenly dive down, seize the python's body, and prepare to fly it up before dropping it?

What a brilliant feint to attack in the east while striking in the west!

The Gray Striped Python realized it too late. Only when its body was clamped tightly in the eagle's talons did it understand that it had fallen into a trap. It immediately struggled desperately, trying to break free.

In that instant of struggle, Shen Yi clearly saw the treasure within the cave: a green pearl brimming with immense vitality.

"Essence of Flora!"

Shen Yi could not help crying out. This was a heavenly essence rarely seen once in a hundred years. Not only could it Cleanse Marrow and Wash Meridians, it could even Regenerate Bone and Grow Muscle. Just a wisp of its aura could cause spiritual herbs to evolve.

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

"To refuse what Heaven bestowed would be to squander nature's gifts!"

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

"There's only one chance!"

Shen Yi resolved to snatch food from the tiger's jaws. When the two demonic beasts were locked in a stalemate, that would be his only opportunity to act!

"Now!"

He gathered all his strength, dashed forward in one swift stride, rushed before the two demonic beasts, slammed forward with his shoulder, seized the Essence of Flora, then leaped away and fled from the two beasts.

Everything happened too suddenly. By the time the two demonic beasts came to their senses, Shen Yi had already escaped more than a hundred meters away, plunging headlong into the dense vegetation.

The Golden Winged Eagle had already been at the end of its strength. It finally could no longer hold on, let out a mournful cry, and fell beneath the cliff.

The Gray Striped Python flicked its crimson tongue, its eyes blazing with rage. It wanted to pursue Shen Yi, but it sensed more than ten demonic beast auras hidden among the vegetation. It could only cast that direction a hateful glance before slithering down beneath the cliff.

Shen Yi ran for half an hour before finally finding a cave. Only after confirming there was no danger nearby did he let out a long breath.

"This Falling Cloud Mountain Range is truly dangerous."

Shen Yi panted heavily, grateful to have survived the disaster. In just half an hour, he had encountered more than a dozen demonic beasts pursuing him.

Now that he was finally safe, Shen Yi took out the Essence of Flora. To guard against any mishap, he simply swallowed it in one gulp.

The Indestructible Scripture began to circulate, and waves of radiance blossomed from Shen Yi's body, filling the entire cave with vitality.

The battle beasts, originally somewhat restless, fell into slumber amidst this life-giving power.

As for Shen Yi, he had fallen into an even more profound and mysterious state.