Earth Core Fruit—Third Update

Ye Xiwen had not expected that a single palm strike from him would send the famously thick-skinned Arrow Pig Beast's flesh and blood flying everywhere. The seventh resounding strike of the Thunderclap Hand was truly formidable; the four-resounding Thunderclap Hand of the past simply could not be compared to the seventh.

"Roar!"

To everyone's surprise, the Arrow Pig Beast did not charge at him. Instead, it turned and fled. Although demon beasts were only about as intelligent as ordinary wild animals—and worlds apart from humans—in the face of life and death, they were instead more decisive than humans.

No one had expected the Arrow Pig Beast to choose to flee. The lower-ranked a demon beast was, the lower its intelligence, so this was all the more beyond their expectations.

Though the Arrow Pig Beast looked clumsy, it actually possessed agility that many people would never have imagined. Before long, its figure was about to vanish into the forest.

How could Ye Xiwen let it escape? He gathered all his strength, true qi bursting beneath his feet, and pushed his movement technique to its utmost limit. His figure was like a beguiling shadow flickering amid a sea of clouds. In merely a moment, he caught up with the Arrow Pig Beast.

Ye Xiwen followed the Arrow Pig Beast out of the woods and into an open clearing. On a cliff beside the clearing, a massive boulder jutted out. Upon it grew a plant three inches tall, its six green leaves cradling a crimson fruit that gave off a faint fruity fragrance.

A fifty-year-old Earth Core Fruit grew in spiritual soil where the yuan qi of heaven and earth gathered. Ye Xiwen recalled the records he had seen on this herb before. It was a main ingredient for refining a pill that increased one's cultivation. Generally speaking, a pill refined from a fifty-year-old Earth Core Fruit could increase one's cultivation by five years. It could be called exceedingly precious.

Ye Xiwen immediately understood why this Arrow Pig Beast had shown him such hostility from the start. It had probably mistaken him for someone who had come to fight over the Earth Core Fruit.

Humans were not the only ones who knew the value of heavenly treasures and earthly jewels. Though demon beasts were not highly intelligent, they understood as well. Once the Earth Core Fruit ripened fully, it would fall to the ground. This Arrow Pig Beast had clearly been waiting for a long time.

Ye Xiwen unleashed Cloud Trace Beguiling Shadow and caught up in an instant. Twisting his body in midair, he pressed down with one palm.

Bang!

Ye Xiwen drove the Thunderclap Hand to its utmost limit. Every palm strike was powerful and heavy. Even a Houtian Fourth Stage martial artist could contend against it, yet would still be severely injured by a single blow. Fortunately for the Arrow Pig Beast, its hide was thick and its flesh tough; it was far beyond what an ordinary Houtian Fourth Stage martial artist could compare with. Otherwise, Ye Xiwen would have long since slapped it to death alive.

Even so, Ye Xiwen's palm strike directly shattered the Arrow Pig Beast's spine.

"Roar!" The Arrow Pig Beast shrieked miserably. Its enormous body crashed to the ground and convulsed without end. How could Ye Xiwen let such an opportunity pass? Seizing the opening, he struck with another palm and directly smashed apart its skull. Blood mixed with brain matter splattered everywhere.

The Arrow Pig Beast wailed and breathed its last.

Ye Xiwen was somewhat incredulous. A Houtian Fifth Stage demon beast had actually been killed by three palm strikes from him. In the past, this would have been absolutely unimaginable. Demon beasts were generally much harder to deal with than martial artists of the same level, yet now it had not even been a match for three of his palms. This gave him confidence for the Sect Internal Competition more than a month from now.

Ye Xiwen did not stand on ceremony. He cut open the Arrow Pig Beast's massive body and dug out its Demon Core. Such a Demon Core was the essence of a demon beast's life and was exceedingly valuable. Though it was only a Houtian Fifth Stage Demon Core, it was worth at least twenty Low-Grade Spirit Stones.

It was precisely because Demon Cores were so valuable that every year, people went in an endless stream to hunt demon beasts. Yet many of them merely became demon beasts' rations and were buried in their stomachs.

However, Ye Xiwen had no intention of selling the Demon Core. If he handed it over to the sect, he could exchange it for sect contribution points. Such points might not be worth a single coin outside, but within the sect, they were immensely useful. They could be exchanged for excellent cultivation techniques, pills that increased one's cultivation, or even personal guidance from an elder. To Ye Xiwen, these were far more important than silver.

In this world where strength reigned supreme, only possessing great strength was fundamental. Everything else was but floating clouds!

Of course, the other parts of the Arrow Pig Beast could also be sold for a sum of money, but Ye Xiwen could not carry them with him, so he could only abandon them.

After putting away the Demon Core, Ye Xiwen immediately began climbing along the cliff. As his cultivation advanced, his physical condition had improved by leaps and bounds. Like an ape, he moved forward and back with ease.

Ye Xiwen quickly climbed onto the boulder on the cliff face. The Earth Core Fruit was right before him, trembling precariously in the wind as a wave of medicinal fragrance rushed into his nose.

Ye Xiwen immediately reached for the Earth Core Fruit. Though a fifty-year-old Earth Core Fruit did not have the best medicinal effects, for the current Ye Xiwen, it could not have been better. It could increase his cultivation by five years, and Ye Xiwen might even be able to push his cultivation directly to the Houtian Fourth Stage Peak.

Suddenly, movement came from above, and a foul wind blew straight into his face.

Ye Xiwen instinctively stamped his foot and barely avoided the vicious gust.

Focusing his eyes, Ye Xiwen saw a brilliantly colored giant python with its bloody maw wide open, its stench pervasive everywhere. Good heavens, this giant python was half a person wide and five or six meters long. It had already gained some cultivation.

It was said that every Spirit Herb had a strange beast guarding it. Ye Xiwen had originally thought it was the Arrow Pig Beast, so he had relaxed somewhat. Fortunately, he had not completely lowered his guard.

Otherwise, the giant python would have bitten off half his body in one mouthful.

This snake had clearly gained some cultivation. Since the Earth Core Fruit only grew in places rich in spiritual qi, after being nourished by spiritual qi for so long, this giant python had evidently transformed from an ordinary wild beast into a demon beast. It had even reached the Early Houtian Fifth Stage.

There was no spiritual qi to be sensed nearby anymore. It had clearly all been absorbed clean by this Earth Core Fruit.

"Hiss!" Seeing that its attack had failed, the Five-Colored Great Serpent immediately turned its head, opened its bloody maw, and bit toward Ye Xiwen.

The stench assaulted his nose. Ye Xiwen shifted his feet in rapid succession, using Cloud Trace Beguiling Shadow to directly evade the Five-Colored Great Serpent's lunge and bite. He spun around and struck out with one palm.

Thunderous Gale!

Ye Xiwen's palm strike was incomparably swift, viciously stamping onto the Five-Colored Great Serpent's body.

Bang!

A sound like clashing gold and iron rang out. The Five-Colored Great Serpent's multicolored scales were even harder than ordinary iron sheets.

Ye Xiwen's strength was immense. With one palm, he sent the Five-Colored Great Serpent sliding several meters sideways.

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