Serpent Mutation

"Yah yah~"

The two Iron-Arm Apes fled in a frenzy. Behind them, all the Iron-Arm Apes around the fissure had already fallen, while a Verdant Python whose body was over ten zhang long pursued them at incredible speed.

"Yah yah yah~~"

After a brief exchange, the two Iron-Arm Apes suddenly fled in opposite directions. One of them seemed to be trying to draw the Verdant Python's attention. It deliberately ran back toward it for a while before darting off in the direction against the wind.

"Roar~"

Unexpectedly, the Verdant Python did not chase the closer one. After its golden-cracked eyes glanced at what lay ahead of the ape running against the wind, it pursued the other Iron-Arm Ape, which had almost gotten away, at even greater speed.

"Yah~"

Although the Iron-Arm Ape did not know why it had been abandoned, it was naturally delighted to be spared. Crying, "Yah yah!" it prepared to escape in this direction.

Just as it leaped over a somewhat strange bonfire, a snow-white flash suddenly streaked beneath it with a clang.

"Yah~~"

A phantom crossed paths with it from behind. A white gleam sliced through its body, and the Iron-Arm Ape only had time to let out a cry before it split in two and fell to the ground.

"These Iron-Arm Apes really are hard to kill!"

Gu Sheng landed safely and took out a fiery-red ape hide to wipe the blood from his blade. He had just struck with all his strength, combining over ten thousand jin of force with a hidden ambush, and the Iron-Arm Ape had already been weakened by his poison. Even so, killing an ordinary Iron-Arm Ape had still been difficult.

"Pervert Tiger, what's wrong? Are you unhappy?"

Chu Xin, who looked as though she were wearing camouflage, emerged from the bushes and stood prettily before Gu Sheng, raising her little hand to greet him.

"It's nothing!"

Gu Sheng waved his hand. Chu Xin's strength was insufficient, and knowing too much would not help her. He was used to shouldering, considering, and resolving certain matters alone. However, after personally testing the Iron-Arm Ape's strength, he did feel more pressure.

Although he had already joined the ranks of the First-Rate Experts of the martial world, his combat power was probably no weaker than that of an Inner Force expert capable of exerting thirty thousand jin of force. Yet, if he faced an ordinary Iron-Arm Ape one-on-one, he still had no confidence that he could kill it without injury.

An attack force of one hundred thousand jin was something that not even every Earth Ranking expert among humans could achieve. But among the Iron-Arm Ape tribe, it was merely standard practice. Any adult Iron-Arm Ape could do it.

As the two spoke, the Verdant Python Azure Spirit had finished off the last Iron-Arm Ape. The two of them and the beast arrived before the Cinnabar Fruit sapling. Gu Sheng walked two steps forward to the mouth of the fissure. Waves of hot air surged out from within, and deep below, red light seemed to flicker faintly.

"It's so deep here. I wonder what's at the bottom?"

Chu Xin walked over to Gu Sheng, leaned forward, and took a look. Her little face was filled with curiosity.

"Pervert Tiger, it's still early anyway. Why don't we have Azure Spirit take us down for a look? Maybe we'll find some treasure!"

After spending so much time with Gu Sheng, the little girl had grown bolder. She had become somewhat wild, and she yearned for adventure and excitement.

"There might be a magma lake down there."

Gu Sheng narrowed his eyes and looked for a while. Then he turned around, plucked two Cinnabar Fruits, and took Chu Xin's little hand. "Let's go. Stop looking. There probably isn't anything down there. The Iron-Arm Apes have stayed here for so long. Even if there really was treasure, they probably took it long ago."

Gu Sheng had little interest in the secret beneath the fissure. In The Nine Cauldrons World, there were indeed many treasures within volcanic magma.

The Blackfire Spirit Fruit of Flame Mountain in Xuyang County and the Lie Yan Red Lotus of Flame Territory on the North Sea Continent could both greatly aid the divine realm and had a tremendous effect on breaking through from the acquired realm to the innate realm. The Lie Yan Red Lotus was especially remarkable. Basically, a single lotus seed could create an innate expert.

Iron Arm Ape Mountain had hot springs, and the medicinal effects of the fire-element Cinnabar Fruit resembled those of the Blackfire Spirit Root. Combined with this place, which resembled a fissure reaching the earth's core, all kinds of signs suggested that Iron Arm Ape Mountain might be an inactive volcano. This fissure could very well lead deep into the earth's core.

Cinnabar Fruits, such rare treasures, grew on the surface of Iron Arm Ape Mountain. The concentration of Spiritual Qi underground was even denser, so there might be even rarer treasures below. Yet Gu Sheng had no desire to investigate.

Gu Sheng understood clearly that ambition ought to be matched by corresponding strength. Whether it was the Blackfire Spirit Root or the Lie Yan Red Lotus, both grew within magma, where the temperature was terrifyingly high. Martial artists below the innate realm would be burned to death before they even got close.

Hot air constantly poured from this fissure. If it truly led straight to magma as he suspected, then even if there were treasures inside, they were not something he and Chu Xin could claim. Rather than allow greed to arise and risk their lives later, it was better to cut everything off at the source.

"Oh!"

Chu Xin pursed her little lips, suppressed her curiosity, and followed Gu Sheng away.

"Roar~"

When the Verdant Python saw the two "red apples" in Gu Sheng's hand, it became extremely excited. After affectionately rubbing against the two of them for a while, it used its tail to lift them onto its back, then carried them away in a swift breeze.

"Yah yah~"

An hour later, a patrolling Iron-Arm Ape discovered the disturbance. It shrieked "Yah yah" and frantically called over its companions.

At the foot of Iron Arm Ape Mountain, Gu Sheng climbed down from the back of the Verdant Python Azure Spirit. After this great creature had undergone the "Cinnabar Fruit baptism" for some time, it had shed its skin more than ten times in succession. Its body had grown a full size larger, and its strength had increased considerably. The lump on its head had grown larger and larger, and it seemed to have nearly reached the threshold of transforming from a python into a flood dragon.

After Gu Sheng climbed down, the Verdant Python's huge head immediately moved over. It lowered its head and gently rubbed against him affectionately, its great mouth slightly open as it hissed. It seemed to be saying, "Master! Master! Hurry and give me the Cinnabar Fruit!"

"Here you go. Why are you in such a hurry?"

Gu Sheng smiled and opened his hand. This huge fellow's appetite was truly extraordinary. During this time, Gu Sheng had taken it and Chu Xin along to raid four Iron-Arm Ape strongholds where Cinnabar Fruits grew, including today's raid. Counting the fruits from their first ambush as well, ten Cinnabar Fruits had gone into its stomach.

"Whoosh~"

The Verdant Python Azure Spirit flicked out its tongue, and one of the Cinnabar Fruits in Gu Sheng's hand vanished.

"Hiss hiss~ hiss hiss~"

The Verdant Python's golden-cracked pupils flickered brightly, then dimmed. Its body suddenly trembled, and its gaze grew strange. It abruptly hissed toward Gu Sheng again, as though it wanted to tell him something.

"Hmm~"

Gu Sheng lowered his head in confusion. One Cinnabar Fruit remained in his palm. Given the Verdant Python's usual appetite, eating two at once should have been no problem, but now...

Gu Sheng looked up. The Verdant Python's condition was becoming increasingly strange. The green scales covering its body seemed to glow from within, while the lump on its head rippled constantly, as though something were about to emerge.

"We're leaving first!"

Gu Sheng had formed a guess. He grabbed the bewildered Chu Xin beside him and quickly left the area.