Self-Contained Spiritual Treasure "Crimson Soul"

The Scaled Fear Crocodile was already at the end of its rope. Although the three of them had sustained injuries, they successfully took it down. They did not immediately extract the Demon Crystal, choosing instead to sit cross-legged to recover their Yuan Power.

Meanwhile, Long Jiuyyao's group, hidden behind an ancient tree, finally began their move. They first concealed their presence and crept forward; the three men were heavily injured and thus failed to notice anyone behind them.

Long Jiuyyao delivered a swift hand-blade strike, and the bald man leading the group collapsed instantly. Lan Xinhuang and the other girl followed suit, knocking out the remaining two in the next moment.

Long Jiuyyao used his Bone Sword to cut through the flesh at the Scaled Fear Crocodile's heart, extracting a fist-sized, diamond-shaped Demon Crystal. He then proceeded to butcher the entire beast carcass with bold, sweeping strokes, taking away the vast majority of the meat and leaving only a portion for them.

After all, they were of the same clan, and there was no need to be ruthless. The Demon Crystals the men had hunted were also found by Lan Xinhuang and the other girl. There were sixteen in total, but they did not take them all, leaving behind three.

Adding these to their own fourteen and the fourteen they had seized, they now possessed twenty-eight, which should be enough to rank among the best.

Having finished, the three of them did not linger; they fled immediately after obtaining their spoils. Long Jiuyyao was overjoyed; after all, who doesn't love getting something for nothing?

However, before leaving, he moved the three unconscious men to a relatively hidden spot to prevent their bodies from being scavenged by other passing beasts.

Since Long Jiuyyao's group had reached the depths, there was no need to return to their original shelter, so they planned to find a new, safe location to build another one.

Night was gradually climbing into the sky. The haze in the depths of the mountain range was already thick and persistent, and with the arrival of night, the roars of various beasts echoed all around, causing the danger level to soar.

Long Jiuyyao held his Bone Sword to clear the path, his brow glowing with a faint white light as strands of Spiritual Power spread forward to scout the way.

The two girls gripped Long Jiuyyao's sleeves tightly. The pitch-black surroundings made them feel a lingering fear. Eventually, Yuan Xin was no longer satisfied with just holding his sleeve and ended up clutching Long Jiuyyao's right arm tightly. Long Jiuyyao glanced at Yuan Xin with a helpless expression.

Lan Xinhuang was naturally proud; being able to hold Long Jiuyyao's sleeve was already a sign that she had set aside her arrogance. She would never hold his arm like Yuan Xin, though she found herself moving closer to him without realizing it.

It wasn't that Long Jiuyyao hadn't considered lighting a torch. While it would illuminate the surroundings and dispel the darkness, it would also expose their position. Knowing nothing about the distribution of beasts in the depths, if they were to attract a swarm, the cost would outweigh the benefits.

In the pitch-black night, Long Jiuyyao's use of Spiritual Power to probe the path ahead was far clearer than using his eyes. Although the haze in the depths had the effect of isolating Spiritual Power, for Long Jiuyyao, who had condensed his Natal Celestial Talisman, this effect was negligible and could almost be ignored.

Fortunately, the three of them were lucky; they did not encounter any signs of beasts along the way. They found a very hidden spot to light a fire, roast meat, and replenish their strength. The night passed as usual, with Long Jiuyyao keeping watch.

"Who is it! Which bastard ambushed me and stole the Demon Crystals we hunted?" A furious roar echoed for miles through the dark, silent depths of the mountain range.

A bald man's eyes were bloodshot as he stared at the empty spot where the beast carcass lay—the place where the Demon Crystals had been stored was now empty.

Thinking of how the three of them had risked injury to kill the Scaled Fear Crocodile, only to end up working for someone else, the bald man smashed a nearby rock several meters high.

"Brother Gu Lie, since it has already happened, why don't we go back and rest first? Only half the time for the Mountain Survival has passed. Those thieves certainly won't have gone far; we can search for them tomorrow," suggested the green-robed Su Qing.

Hearing this, the enraged Gu Lie gradually calmed down. Just as he prepared to carry the remaining beast carcass back, another person spoke up.

"Brother Lie, most of the Demon Crystals we hunted earlier are gone too," Wang Li said with a gloomy expression.

"What did you say!" Gu Lie turned abruptly, grabbing the man by the collar, red light flickering in his eyes.

Even Su Qing, who had just been offering advice, had his mouth twitch, his expression turning terrifyingly dark.

If it were just the single Demon Crystal from the Scaled Fear Crocodile, it would be fine—a minor loss that wouldn't decide the final outcome. But to have lost the majority of them? How could they accept this!

Gu Lie snatched the beast skin used to store the crystals. Only three lonely crystals remained, and the sight of them ignited a sliver of killing intent in the already furious Gu Lie.

Looking at the three remaining crystals, Gu Lie felt only mockery—naked, blatant mockery. They could have taken everything, yet they left three behind—one for each of them.

Long Jiuyyao had only thought that since they had hunted these with such great effort, he couldn't bear to take them all, so he left three. But Gu Lie and his companions would never think that way; they only found it an eyesore, a mockery.

"Hahaha!" Gu Lie laughed out of extreme anger, but in the end, he did not vent his rage as expected. Instead, he suppressed his aura and silently carried the remaining carcass and crystals back to their cave.

Behind him, Su Qing and Wang Li knew that he had developed a killing intent. Even if he wouldn't commit murder due to their shared clan status, he would certainly make those who committed this theft pay a heavy price.

At this moment, Long Jiuyyao, who was refining his Spiritual Power, had no idea that the three crystals he left behind would cause him significant trouble in the future.

Time hurried by; the night faded, and the day dawned.

Long Jiuyyao looked at the two girls still fast asleep. Today, they would truly explore the depths of this mountain range to seize Demon Crystals.

Long Jiuyyao looked at Lan Xinhuang, still in deep slumber, and the corners of his mouth lifted slightly without him realizing it—a change he hadn't even noticed himself.

He lightly scraped her pretty nose with his index finger. This action caused Lan Xinhuang's eyelashes to flutter slightly. Seeing this, Long Jiuyyao quickly withdrew his hand and turned to look at Yuan Xin, who was sleeping soundly nearby.

Long Jiuyyao pinched Yuan Xin's soft, pink cheek. Finally, under his interference, the two girls reluctantly got up to wash.

"We didn't come to the depths for a vacation. If you want to sleep in, you can sleep all you want after it's over," Long Jiuyyao said, ruffling Yuan Xin's messy hair.

The three had a simple breakfast and then headed north.

Time flew, and with only seven days left in the month, almost all the survivors had discovered each other's existence. However, no conflicts erupted over the Demon Crystals, a scene that appeared eerily harmonious.

In these mountain depths, nine teams had already surfaced and met one another. Though it was only a fleeting glance, two teams had yet to appear, including Long Jiuyyao's group and Liu Qing's group.

At this moment, everyone was searching for the final few beasts.

High above the mountain range, on a warship dozens of feet long, several Dragon Clan Deacons looked down at the scene below. The leader spoke: "Of those three hundred beasts, only the final five Creation Realm beasts remain, and the time for the survival challenge is almost up, isn't it?"

They were the Enforcers for this trial, responsible for maintaining order and protection. Of course, they would not appear unless there was a life-or-death crisis, and their appearance would signify the end for a particular team.

A White-robed Deacon beside him replied: "When those five peak Creation Realm beasts die, that will be the day this harmonious atmosphere is broken."

They were long used to this. For the Spirit Martial Art reward of the competition, they would inevitably fight to seize their opponents' Demon Crystals or protect their own from being taken.

If they weren't so old, they would have wanted to participate in this Mountain Survival themselves. After all, a Spirit Martial Art was not something common; possessing one could significantly boost one's overall strength.

"Roar!" A weak, low growl came from deeper within the mountains.

A man sat bathed in blood atop a beast as large as a small hill. From the beast's massive wound below, dark red blood flowed, staining the ground into an ocean of blood.

Clutching the bright red, rhombic Demon Crystal in his palm, the figure flickered, appearing instantly beside his teammates, whose clothes were likewise stained crimson.

"Sangshen, Diezhao, keep this Demon Crystal from the Crimson Earth Sword Ridge Dragon safe. Time is running out; it is time for us to make our move," Liu Qing said with a wild grin.

The two nodded, though their gazes remained fixed on the carcass of the Creation Realm beast, the Crimson Earth Sword Ridge Dragon. What drew their attention was the sword-like ridge on its back, etched with intricate secret patterns that were in no way inferior to a true Spirit Treasure.

The Crimson Earth Sword Ridge Dragon was a rare and formidable exotic beast capable of gestating its own Spirit Treasure. Even Liu Qing had been astonished when he first discovered it, for once it reached the Cycle Realm, the ridge on its back would be comparable to a Pure Origin Treasure.

Yet, after a pursuit lasting several days, the three of them had finally managed to slay it.

Liu Qing would naturally never let such a treasure slip through his fingers. Although the ridge currently possessed only the power of a High-grade Spirit Treasure, it was more than enough for him at present. Furthermore, it was a growth-type Spirit Treasure; as long as he had sufficient resources, it was only a matter of time before it became a Pure Origin Treasure.

As Liu Qing swung his weapon, the corpse of the Crimson Earth Sword Ridge Dragon was dismantled. Upon taking the ridge into his hand, a cool sensation surged forth, washing over the wounds on his body.

In no time at all, he had recovered by more than half. He rubbed his index finger over the hilt, where blurred bone runes carved out its name: "Crimson Soul."

Deep within the mountain range, one man and two women pressed forward. The haze had vanished, leaving the path ahead bright and clear, while a faint Black Radiance flickered upon the man's chest.

The man glanced down at his chest from time to time, but since the two women were walking ahead of him, they remained oblivious to his anomaly.