First Battle! One Kick to Kill!

"Hmph! So something was guarding it after all!"

Lu Ming let out a cold snort. Facing the sudden, ferocious assault, he did not meet it head-on. Instead, his figure flickered like a ghost, dodging the lethal constriction by a hair's breadth.

He hovered a short distance away, calmly sizing up the guardian beast.

"A Domain Lord-level seven Rock-Core Earth Dragon Python... a tough nut to crack, indeed."

Lu Ming narrowed his eyes.

A Domain Lord-level seven—if this were in the past, Lu Ming would not have hesitated for a second; he would have turned and fled!

But now...

"You shall be the first prey I slaughter after my breakthrough!"

The Rock-Core Earth Dragon Python seemed enraged by Lu Ming's effortless evasion. Its massive body arched violently, its rocky scales grinding together to produce a harsh, grating roar as it coiled up, preparing to launch an even more vicious attack.

However, Lu Ming no longer intended to give it the chance.

The moment the giant python began to coil, Lu Ming's figure suddenly blurred, leaving behind only a fading afterimage.

In the next second, he had appeared like a phantom directly beneath the python's relatively vulnerable underbelly!

His speed was absolute, as if he had teleported!

"Too slow."

Lu Ming's gaze was icy. His right leg swung up like a battle-axe, the muscles in his thigh bulging slightly. The terrifying power brought forth by his hundred-fold gene level erupted instantly, compressing the surrounding air so sharply that it emitted a piercing sonic boom!

BOOM!

He used no flashy combat techniques, only the purest, most savage physical strength!

A simple, direct side-kick slammed heavily into the hard rock armor of the Rock-Core Earth Dragon Python's belly!

BOOM!!!!!!!!!

A deafening, muffled roar erupted. A visible shockwave rippled outward in a ring, instantly flattening the ancient trees for several kilometers in every direction!

The Rock-Core Earth Dragon Python's massive body, over a hundred meters in diameter, was struck as if by a planet traveling at hyper-velocity. Its incredibly tough rock armor shattered into pieces the instant it made contact!

Before it could even let out a wail, its entire body was sent flying backward, transformed into a blurred streak of light at a speed many times faster than when it had lunged!

BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG—!

The giant python's body smashed through the air, creating a chain of sonic boom clouds. It flew across dozens of kilometers in an instant, finally crashing like a falling meteorite into the side of a towering mountain range in the distance!

RUMBLE—!!!

The earth shook and the mountains swayed!

The entire peak was snapped in half by the impact. The upper section of the mountain collapsed amidst a heaven-shaking roar, and countless tons of boulders tumbled down, kicking up a sky-filling cloud of dust that rose like a massive mushroom cloud.

A moment later, the dust slowly settled.

Within the ruins of the collapsed mountain, the Rock-Core Earth Dragon Python was mostly buried. The parts that remained visible were shattered, its hard, rocky body covered in spiderweb-like cracks. Its abdomen, in particular, had collapsed almost entirely, revealing the dim, lifeless core within.

Its massive body twitched slightly, its aura fading rapidly like a candle in the wind. It was barely breathing; clearly, its internal organs and origin core had been pulverized by Lu Ming's terrifying kick.

A Domain Lord-level seven beast, unable to withstand even a single strike from the newly broken-through Lu Ming!

Lu Ming hovered in mid-air, looking at the results of his handiwork with a satisfied expression.

"The power of a hundred-fold gene level... truly tyrannical."

He felt the origin energy still surging within him and was quite pleased with the effect of that kick.

And that was merely his physical strength; if he were to combine it with origin energy and law-based attacks, the power would likely be even more astonishing.

Having dealt with the guardian beast, Lu Ming turned his gaze back to the forest below, toward the source of that vast vitality.

He moved, descending toward the spot.

He landed deep within the forest, his feet sinking into the soft, thick layer of humus.

The closer he got to the center, the more refreshing the life force became; even the energy in the surrounding air grew gentle and brimming with vitality.

He pushed aside a giant fern leaf large enough to accommodate several carriages, and the scene before him suddenly opened up.

In the center of a clearing surrounded by ancient trees grew a peculiar giant tree.

The tree was a warm, jade-green color throughout. Its trunk was a hundred meters in diameter and stood about seven or eight hundred meters tall. Its branches twisted and stretched like coiling dragons, and its leaves were like the finest emeralds—crystal clear, with green halos seemingly flowing slowly through their veins.

Compared to the towering ancient trees nearby, which were thousands of meters tall, this tree's size might not have been the most prominent, but the vast, pure, and profound vitality it radiated—as if it contained the fundamental laws of life—made everything else look dim, like the moon in the night sky.

Lu Ming's gaze was instantly locked onto the few fruits hanging from the branches.

They were three fruits, each about the size of a fist, pulsing faintly as if they were hearts.

The surface of the fruits was shrouded in a hazy, seven-colored glow, and liquid life essence seemed to flow within them. Every faint pulse resonated with the cosmic origin energy of the surrounding space.

"Life Fruit Tree... it really is a Life Fruit Tree!"

Even with Lu Ming's current state of mind, he couldn't help but take a deep breath, his eyes erupting with irrepressible ecstasy!

A Life Fruit Tree!

An extremely rare treasure in the universe!

It is a spiritual root of heaven and earth that condenses the laws itself, and the Life Fruit it bears contains the purest energy of the life origin!

It offers immense benefits to both Domain Lords and World Lords!

Not only can it instantly heal severe injuries and replenish one's life origin, but it even assists in the comprehension of the Laws of Life!

A single mature Life Fruit is equivalent to a second life for a World Lord!

Its value even exceeds that of the Tier 5 force weapon he sold previously, the Crimson Flame Sky-Splitting Blade!

Yet here, there are not only three fruits nearing maturity, but the living body of the Life Fruit Tree itself!

This is a truly priceless treasure!

"Hahaha! Who would have thought that such a divine object would be nurtured within this secret realm!"

Lu Ming could not help but laugh out loud, his excitement beyond words.

For this exploration of the secret realm, this harvest alone was enough to make the trip worthwhile!

One could even say he had made a fortune!

He suppressed the urge to step forward and harvest them immediately, first cautiously scanning his surroundings with his spiritual power to confirm that, aside from the Rock-Core Earth Dragon Python that had already been dealt with, there were no other hidden dangers.

At the same time, he noticed that the glow on the surface of the three Life Fruits had not yet reached its peak, as if they were still a hair's breadth away from full maturity.

"No rush; their effects will be optimal only when they are fully ripe."

Lu Ming reined in his impatience and decided to wait here for a while.

He sat cross-legged not far from the Life Fruit Tree, remaining vigilant while sensing the dense aura of life, feeling that the circulation of his own force had become even smoother.

This sacrifice will certainly have an excellent offering now...

The main problem now is how to transplant this Life Fruit Tree.

Ordinary methods certainly won't work; the Life Fruit Tree is rooted extremely deep, and it has very high requirements for its environment.