Li Xuan and His Father's Death!

Chen Yan's eyes flashed, and his heart rate suddenly quickened.

The Red Light came from this Red-haired Ganoderma. The closer he got to it, the denser the Red Light within the Saint Breaking Realm became.

This was a Red-haired Ganoderma, whose value couldn't compare to Purple Hazel Mushrooms. Chen Yan had seen a villager pick one that was much smaller than this and sell it in town for ten thousand yuan.

How much could this one fetch?

After steadying himself, Chen Yan used his fire poker to dig away the dirt beside the Red-haired Ganoderma, pulling it out by the roots before placing it in his Backpack.

But as soon as Chen Yan picked the Red-haired Ganoderma, the Red Light within the Saint Breaking Realm instantly grew faint and soon disappeared.

Chen Yan's feelings were complicated. He hadn't found Chen Yuxu, but he had found Chen Yuxu's target.

Chen Yuxu probably hadn't come to the Inner Qingshan much. He definitely wouldn't dare venture too deep.

Chen Yan let out a breath. Luckily, it hadn't taken him long to find the Red-haired Ganoderma. He was sure he could move faster than Chen Yuxu.

At the same time.

"Dad, why don't we go back and pick those mushrooms?"

Li Xuan and his father, Li Ming, walked through the forest, each carrying a cleaver.

They were the Li family father and son, Chen Yan's neighbors.

Compared with Li Ming, who was over fifty, Li Xuan, who was only in his twenties, was clearly more afraid of this gloomy forest, shrouded in mystery.

It wasn't his first time here, but he was still scared every time.

At a glance, there might be no trace of wild beasts, but the shadowy foliage still gave him the chilling feeling of being watched.

Li Ming glanced at his son and sighed.

"Stick close to me. Don't go wandering off. The people of Green Mountain Town have lived beneath Qingshan for generations, and no one can get out. If we want to leave, we'll have to rely on this mountain."

Li Xuan glanced around and nodded quietly.

"Our Li Family was a poor household to begin with. It hasn't been easy getting this far."

As Li Ming spoke, Li Xuan slowly clenched his fists and said earnestly, "Dad, I'll Awaken Blood Qi!"

"Awaken Blood Qi, my ass. Anyone who can Awaken Blood Qi isn't an ordinary person!" Li Ming gave his son a sharp rebuke. "You're already twenty-five. There's basically no chance you'll Awaken Blood Qi. I wasted so many Red-haired Ganoderma on Medicinal Baths for you."

Li Xuan's eyes turned complicated.

"You've got no hope, but your son's about to be born. You'll still have to gather Red-haired Ganoderma for him. Start the Medicinal Baths early, and he'll have a better chance of Awakening Blood Qi."

Li Xuan sighed softly. His father was right.

But Qingshan was a man-eater.

They might only find a treasure once every six months.

Li Ming shook his head. They were taking risks because they were poor; otherwise, they wouldn't have to. His expression softened a little.

"I came to Qingshan yesterday morning. I found nothing on the way back, but I did see a huge Red-haired Ganoderma."

His words left Li Xuan frozen in place, his face suddenly flushing red.

"Dad, you...!"

Li Ming smiled.

"Yesterday morning, I came in alone, but on the way back, I ran into that idiot Chen Yuxu. We have our differences, but that doesn't mean we'd fight on the mountain.

"When I first saw him, I happened to catch sight of that Red-haired Ganoderma. It was huge!"

Li Ming gestured to show its size. It had been about as big as both his hands. Li Xuan swallowed, and even breathing began to feel difficult.

A shrewd look appeared in Li Ming's eyes.

"At the time, Chen Yuxu would've spotted the Ganoderma if he'd turned his head. With one that big, if we fought over it, one of us would've died and the other would've been injured.

"So I shouted, 'Wolf!' and dragged him down the mountain.

"I'd planned to come back yesterday afternoon, but then I ran into the Martial Division from the Town Martial Hall."

As Li Ming spoke, the smile at the corner of his mouth grew wider.

"That fool Chen Yuxu must've been genuinely scared. His Chen Family just wasn't destined to get rich."

"Dad, this..."

Beside him, Li Xuan was thrilled, his earlier worries swept away.

No wonder his dad had been so happy yesterday, even treating people to drinks. So that was why. That was why!

Li Ming looked at his son with satisfaction and smiled faintly.

"Still scared?"

"Not anymore, Dad. Hurry up and take me there."

Li Ming nodded, but the next moment, he suddenly froze and narrowed his eyes, looking down the mountain.

"Careful!" he growled. The hand gripping his cleaver began to tremble. Beside him, Li Xuan's face went pale, and he tensed up.

In the overlapping shadows of the trees behind them, a figure was racing toward them at incredible speed.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Like a leopard, the figure powerfully kicked off the crisscrossing tree trunks and raced over the mountainside.

Even Li Ming grew extremely tense. He hurriedly rummaged through his Backpack and pulled out a piece of dry dung, ready to smear it on his son's face.

"Chen Yan?"

Li Xuan was the first to speak, staring in shock and slight panic at the approaching figure.

"Y-you... how are you so fast?"

The newcomer was Chen Yuxu's son, Chen Yan. He stopped in front of Li Ming and his son, panting, a sheen of sweat on his forehead.

Just moments earlier, Chen Yan had sprinted over to them at a speed no ordinary person could manage.

Even Li Ming gaped. This was an uphill trail.

What had that kid from the Chen Family been eating?

Hadn't he just recovered?

As the Li family father and son wondered what was going on, Chen Yan frowned slightly, a trace of disappointment in his eyes.

"Excuse me, have you seen my dad?"

"N-no..." Li Ming was still stunned by the speed Chen Yan had just displayed. For the moment, he even forgot to treat Chen Yan with the aloofness of an elder.

"You haven't seen him..." Chen Yan pursed his lips, then walked straight past Li Xuan and headed up the mountain.

Li Ming's eyes suddenly narrowed. He called out, "Kid from the Chen Family, I think I saw someone over that way earlier. I don't know if it was your dad."

Chen Yan stopped and looked in the direction Li Ming was pointing. He studied Li Xuan's expression, but saw nothing amiss.

"Thanks."

Then he ran off in the direction Li Ming had indicated, and soon disappeared among the trees.

"He..." Li Xuan gaped, unable to believe it. "What kind of monster is he?"

Sweat beaded on Li Xuan's forehead. Usually, when he saw Chen Yan, he couldn't be bothered to even look at him.

But the speed Chen Yan had just displayed was downright bizarre.

The Li Family and Chen Family had been at odds for a long time. He and Chen Yan had clashed before, too.

"These villagers really aren't afraid of dying."

Outside Qingshan, a burly, two-meter-tall middle-aged man frowned at a large hole someone had cut in the electric fence. He spoke into the black walkie-talkie in his hand.

He wore a fitted black uniform and had short hair, with a faint stubble along his jaw. The words "Town Martial" were embroidered in gold on the epaulet over his right shoulder.

"Go deal with that Chen... Chen Yuxu's situation. His daughter has already gone to the Town Martial Hall.

"His daughter must be terrified and helpless after going through something like that..."

The burly man trailed off, then continued.

"I'll handle things here for you. You're not strong enough."

The tall uniformed man nodded and entered Qingshan through the hole someone had cut in the electric fence.

"How did that kid from the Chen Family end up here..." Li Ming muttered, watching the direction Chen Yan had gone. Then he laughed. "But... they're all fools."

He hadn't seen Chen Yuxu. He'd only realized that Chen Yan was headed toward the place where he'd found the Red-haired Ganoderma yesterday, so he'd quickly stopped him and pointed him in another direction.

Yesterday, he'd tricked the father. Today, he was tricking the son. It made him feel that life was full of such strange twists.

"Dad, the way you pointed him seemed to lead to Ghost Pit..." Li Xuan said hesitantly.

"Ghost Pit?" Li Ming's eyes narrowed. He studied the surroundings, then his expression turned strange. Turning around, he continued walking. "Remember, never go to Ghost Pit when you're out gathering on the mountain. It's dangerous there."

As Li Ming spoke, he suddenly felt a chill at the back of his neck. He rubbed it and looked behind him, but there was nothing there.

Something felt off. He couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching him.

"Uncle, I haven't gone far yet."

A cool voice rang out. Li Ming and his son froze, then looked to the right, following the sound.

Chen Yan, who had already left, was hanging one-handed from the trunk of a large tree, staring at them with cold eyes.

"You!"

Li Xuan's face instantly went pale. Chen Yan had clearly left just now. How had he suddenly appeared there again?

He must have heard their conversation.

"Uncle, if I went to Ghost Pit, I'd die, wouldn't I?"

Chen Yan let go with one hand and dropped to the ground. As he walked toward Li Ming and his son, his gaze turned cold.

"Kid from the Chen Family..." Li Ming gripped his cleaver, his eyes turning icy. "Get lost. I haven't seen your dad!"

With that, Li Ming pulled Li Xuan along and turned to walk away.

Chen Yan narrowed his eyes and followed closely, but Li Ming suddenly spun around and pointed his cleaver at Chen Yan.

"I said get lost! Didn't you hear me? I haven't seen your dad. I'll say it again!"

Li Ming would never let Chen Yan keep following them. The place where he had found the Red-haired Ganoderma was just ahead.

"Chen Yan, lives don't mean a thing on Qingshan. Don't push us!"

Li Xuan also pointed his cleaver at Chen Yan. Though his body was still trembling, his eyes had turned vicious.

Chen Yan stopped. The cold light in his eyes grew even sharper.

They were neighbors. Even if they didn't get along, they still saw each other every day.

But here, they had first sent him toward Ghost Pit, and now they were showing him murderous intent.

The more they insisted they hadn't seen Chen Yuxu, the less Chen Yan believed them.

Chen Yan clenched the stones in his hand. This concerned his father. He couldn't just let it go.

If he wanted Li Xuan and his father to tell the truth, he had to strike first and take them out of the fight.

His strength had grown greatly in the past few days. If he threw a stone with all his might, he might break someone's leg.

Chen Yan took aim at Li Ming's arm. Even if he missed, it didn't matter. He still had plenty of stones in his Backpack.

And just then, Chen Yan's eyes suddenly narrowed. His entire body froze.

"I said get lost! Didn't you hear me?"

Li Ming shouted again, menace filling his eyes.

"Get lost!"

His shout echoed through the forest, but Chen Yan turned and left without looking back.

"Coward!"

Li Ming sneered. His son, Li Xuan, also gave a contemptuous snort.

Just moments earlier, he'd thought Chen Yan was really going to fight them.

Li Ming was still sneering when he reached up to touch the top of his head. It felt as though a drop of liquid had fallen onto him.

He looked up, and his pupils suddenly contracted.

A massive Green Snake Head was staring down at him. Liquid dripped from its scarlet forked tongue...

"Ah!!!"

A bloodcurdling scream suddenly rang out ahead.

"Help me!!!"

It was Li Ming's voice. Along with his scream, a terrifying crash erupted, mixed with the sound of scraping.

Chen Yan fled down the mountain as if his life depended on it. He'd turned away just now because he'd seen the giant serpent.

What was that thing?

Chen Yan's face turned slightly pale. The giant serpent was thirty meters long, and its head was even bigger than an ox's.

A violent crash sounded behind Chen Yan. He whipped around.

A giant serpent covered in green scales slithered through the forest, smashing trees as it swung its body.

Its jaws held a mangled corpse. From the clothes, it was clearly Li Xuan. He was already dead.

In that instant, Chen Yan's eyes met the giant serpent's scarlet eyes.

What kind of snake eyes were those?

Scarlet and beautiful, like colored glass. Deep in their pupils lay a complex, ring-shaped pattern, and an ancient feeling rooted in its bloodline washed over him.

His Consciousness World suddenly began to shake.

In the endless dark universe, an unceasing torrent of yellow light surged in from nowhere, like a great river. The light gathered before the Saint Breaking Tree, but seemed to be blocked by an invisible barrier, forever stopping three inches away from it.

[Prompt: Formation energy absorption detected. The Saint Breaking Tree cannot absorb it. Upgrade the Saint Breaking Tree to level four.]