The Scavenger Squad!

Xiao Yang acted as though he had done nothing more than a trivial thing. Calmly, he walked over to the Whale King's corpse, crushed into a bloody pulp, and reached into the heap of mangled flesh. He pulled out a fist-sized crystal, crimson all over and radiating scorching heat.

A Star Core.

It was the essence of the Void Demon Whale's power. The Whale King in particular had spent years devouring fragments of stars containing the Laws of Fire. Its Star Core was a rare treasure for fire cultivators.

With a casual flick, Xiao Yang shook off the bloodstains, then tossed the Star Core to Ning Hongye like an ordinary rock.

"Here. This thing might help with your cultivation technique. You can chew on it as a snack when you're bored."

Ning Hongye caught the still-warm Star Core by reflex. Feeling the immense fire energy within it, she was filled with conflicting emotions.

She was proud of how powerful he was, but a trace of loss lingered in her heart.

It seemed she was becoming less and less useful to him.

Perhaps noticing her mood, Xiao Yang came to her side and gently ruffled her hair.

"Don't overthink it. This journey has only just begun. There'll be plenty of times when I need you to step in. For now, your most important task is to stay by my side and get stronger as quickly as you can. Understand?"

"Mm." Ning Hongye nodded softly, and the warmth in his words swept away her lingering sadness.

As the two of them talked, neither noticed that several pairs of eyes were fixed on them from behind the shadow of a massive meteorite tens of thousands of yards away. Their eyes were filled with even more terror than the Void Demon Whales had shown.