Inside Water Origin Cave.
Thunderous collisions rang out without end.
Flesh struck flesh, producing dull, booming thuds!
Fang Hong's muscles swelled all over his body, his arms like those of a demon as he madly clashed and fought with the Great Python.
Originally, it had only poked its head out.
But now that it was fighting Fang Hong, everyone finally saw the Great Python's entire body.
Its body was as thick as a washbasin, twisting and coiling.
Its gaping maw and its iron-whip-like tail, capable of blasting the air apart, attacked in turns.
From time to time, its body coiled around, trying to wrap Fang Hong up.
But Fang Hong was clearly more agile than it was and gave it no chance to coil around him and crush him.
For pythons, after all, their most dangerous attack was neither the sweep of their tails nor the bite of their jaws.
It was that terrifying constriction!
Looking at the Great Python's incomparably thick body, even though Fang Hong knew his physique had become immensely powerful—
he still did not dare rashly test the Great Python's constriction.
"Is this a battle at the Bone Refinement level?"
"It truly makes one yearn for it."
Not far away, Wu Pengjing watched the battle ahead with flashes of brilliance in his eyes, his gaze filled with excitement.
"Good, good, good! Mister Fang's strength is actually this formidable."
"With such strength, along with the token, he will surely be able to enter the Star River Sect."
"And with his promise, the prosperity of the Zhou Family is in sight! Hahaha!"
Zhou Chengyuan was likewise watching the battle ahead with a heart full of excitement.
As for Zhang Wenshan, who had come in Town Chief Zhang Wenbin's stead, his gaze toward Fang Hong carried a touch more profound meaning.
The subordinates behind them were all watching the battle ahead as well.
Whenever they saw a tense moment, they would cry out in alarm.
The reason they were like this was naturally because much of the fear in their hearts had dissipated.
Although their strength was not particularly great, they were martial artists.
They still possessed the most basic ability to judge the situation.
They had all seen that although the battle ahead was fierce, Fang Hong was actually the one holding the upper hand.
Watching exposed-bone wounds continuously appear across the Great Python's body, blood streaming without cease—
the fear in everyone's hearts steadily dwindled as well.
Because they all knew that if this continued—
this Great Python would soon die at Mister Fang's hands.
"Roar!!"
With a fierce roar, the Great Python's savage head suddenly twisted around.
It opened its gaping maw and viciously bit down at Fang Hong.
"You've got some nerve!!"
With a loud shout, Fang Hong's arms instantly swelled once more.
The muscles in his hands twisted and knotted madly as fierce, powerful inner force surged forth.
His palms abruptly rose high, his ten fingers curled as if he were gripping some invisible, heavy object.
Then, facing the Great Python's tearing jaws—
his hands clenched at empty air and smashed down with tremendous force!
Great Falling Monument Hand—Monument Shattering Form!!
Boom!!
His hands crashed heavily onto the Great Python's head.
Two soft pops rang out.
The Great Python's two snake eyes burst apart beneath that immense force.
Great streams of blood sprayed from the Great Python's mouth and its two ruptured eye sockets.
Under that terrifying strength, the Great Python's head faintly cracked apart, brain matter splattering everywhere.
Only then did its entire head slam heavily into the ground with a muffled bang.
"Done!"
Seeing the Great Python lying in a massive pool of blood, its life force completely gone, Fang Hong finally let out a breath.
"Mister Fang, are you all right?"
Seeing the battle end, Zhou Chengyuan and the others immediately ran over.
"All right, I've killed this Great Python. Hurry inside."
"I'd like to see what exactly this Great Python had been guarding all this time."
Fang Hong waved his hand, then stepped directly over the Great Python's corpse and headed deeper into the cave.
Before long, everyone reached the deepest part of the cave.
This place was slightly narrower than the area where Fang Hong had fought the Great Python.
It was roughly twenty to thirty square meters in size.
Above them hung an expanse of inverted stalactites.
On the ground below grew many precious medicinal herbs rarely seen in the world.
In the center stood a massive stalactite pillar, connecting the ceiling and floor.
However, the middle portion of this massive stalactite pillar had broken off.
Thus, half a stalactite pillar hung down from above, while a stalactite platform stood below.
Drops of liquid slowly trickled down the upper half of the stalactite pillar.
They fell into a small round depression at the center of the stalactite platform below.
At the edge of that stalactite platform grew several pale-blue ganoderma mushrooms.
"Water Origin Spirit Liquid!"
"Those are Water Spirit Ganoderma!!"
Upon seeing the liquid in the stone platform and those pale-blue ganoderma mushrooms, Zhou Chengyuan immediately cried out in wild delight.
Wu Pengjing and Zhang Wenshan wore expressions equally full of shock and ecstatic joy.
Yet Fang Hong's gaze was not fixed on those pale-blue ganoderma mushrooms.
"Water Origin Spirit Liquid..."
Fang Hong stared straight at the spirit liquid in the small hollow at the center of the stone platform, his eyes burning hot.
The instant he saw it—
Fang Hong could clearly feel his body's craving for it.
It was like a man who had thirsted for days in the desert suddenly catching sight of water.
It was a craving born from the depths of his heart.
By contrast, Fang Hong felt no such intense sensation toward those Water Spirit Ganoderma.
Feeling the powerful craving from his body, Fang Hong directly turned to look at Zhou Chengyuan and the others.
"As we agreed before, I want forty percent of the gains from this expedition."
"I don't care how you divide them, but I want all of the Water Origin Spirit Liquid!"
Fang Hong spoke directly.
Sensing the absolute certainty and determination in Fang Hong's words—
Zhou Chengyuan and the other two exchanged glances, then all nodded obediently.
"That's fine, but Mister Fang, could I have a larger share of the Water Spirit Ganoderma?"
"I can take less of the other precious medicinal herbs."
Zhou Chengyuan asked.
But before he could finish speaking, Wu Pengjing and Zhang Wenshan spoke in unison.
"Why should you get more Water Spirit Ganoderma?"
"We can also take less of the other precious herbs."
"You two!"
Hearing them, Zhou Chengyuan's face darkened slightly with anger.
"Patriarch Zhou, Water Spirit Ganoderma is a precious herb that can improve a person's innate talent and physique. Who doesn't need it? Why should you get more of it?"
Zhang Wenshan directly ignored the anger on Zhou Chengyuan's face as he spoke.
"That's right. Why should you take a larger share of such a precious herb?"
Hearing their words, Fang Hong raised an eyebrow.
He had not known that Water Spirit Ganoderma could actually improve a martial artist's innate talent and physique.
Logically speaking, he needed it greatly as well.
But with the Golden Finger, his need to improve his innate talent and physique was not particularly urgent.
Thus, he was more willing to trust his body's sensations.
Seeing the three of them turn their gazes toward him again, Fang Hong said directly:
"I don't care how you divide them. I can go without the Water Spirit Ganoderma; I only want the Water Origin Spirit Liquid."
"As long as my share isn't shorted."
"All right, collect everything first!"
Fang Hong said directly.
Hearing Fang Hong agree that the Water Spirit Ganoderma could be exchanged for other precious herbs, the three of them were all overjoyed.
Then, after hearing Fang Hong's words, they led their subordinates to swiftly gather the medicinal herbs.
Meanwhile, Fang Hong took many porcelain bottles from several people.
Then he collected all of the Water Origin Spirit Liquid.
In this expedition, when all was said and done, the three most precious gains were—
Water Origin Cave, Water Origin Spirit Liquid, and Water Spirit Ganoderma.
Of the three, Water Origin Cave itself was actually the most valuable.
After all, it was built upon a water vein node, where spiritual energy was extraordinarily abundant.
It was a rare and excellent place for cultivation.
Moreover, medicinal herbs could be planted here. As time passed, Water Origin Spirit Liquid could continue to be collected.
Only after that came the Water Origin Spirit Liquid and Water Spirit Ganoderma.
Water Origin Spirit Liquid could strengthen one's qi and blood, providing an extremely powerful boost to cultivation in Blood Replacement and the Organ Refinement Realm.
It could even remain useful for cultivation beyond the Organ Refinement Realm.
However, Fang Hong did not know any of this at the moment.
Water Spirit Ganoderma could likewise strengthen one's qi and blood.
But clearly, in everyone's eyes, its most important effect was its ability to improve a martial artist's innate talent and physique.
As for the other precious herbs and the Great Python's corpse outside, they were all secondary.
They could only be considered extras attached to those three.
Many hands made light work, and everyone quickly finished collecting everything.
Then they directly left the cave and returned to the large ship.
Perhaps because they had moved quickly enough, or perhaps because the people from the other factions had arrived too late—
by the time they returned to the ship, they had not encountered anyone from the other factions.
Thus, Zhou Chengyuan immediately ordered them to set sail and leave this place first.
Yet the fleet had only just started moving, and had traveled for less than ten minutes—
when two other equally imposing fleets intercepted them in the middle of the river.
Before you continue