"Hmph! So there really was something guarding it!"
Lu Ming snorted. Faced with the sudden, ferocious attack, he didn't meet it head-on. Instead, his figure flickered like a ghost, and he evaded the deadly coils by a hair's breadth.
He hovered some distance away, calmly sizing up the fierce beast guarding the place.
"A seventh-tier Domain Lord Level Rock-Core Earth Dragon Python... A tough one, to be sure."
Lu Ming narrowed his eyes.
A seventh-tier Domain Lord Level beast would have made Lu Ming turn and run without hesitation in the past!
But now...
"You'll be the first prey I kill after breaking through!"
The Rock-Core Earth Dragon Python seemed enraged that Lu Ming had so easily dodged its attack. Its enormous body arched sharply, its rocky scales scraping together with a piercing screech as it gathered strength for an even more devastating assault.
But Lu Ming had no intention of giving it the chance.
The instant the Giant Python gathered its strength, Lu Ming's figure blurred, leaving behind only an afterimage that slowly faded.
The next moment, he appeared like a ghost beneath the Giant Python's comparatively vulnerable belly!
His speed was so extreme that it seemed like teleportation!
"Too slow."
Lu Ming's eyes were icy. His right leg swung up like a battle axe, the muscles in it swelling slightly. The terrifying power granted by his Hundredfold Gene erupted in an instant, compressing the surrounding air so violently that it let out a sharp, explosive crack!
Boom!
He used no flashy combat technique, only the purest, most savage physical strength!
A simple, direct side kick slammed into the hard rocky armor on the Rock-Core Earth Dragon Python's belly!
BOOM!!!!!!!!!
An immensely deep boom erupted. A visible shock wave spread rapidly in a ring, flattening the ancient trees across several kilometers below!
The Rock-Core Earth Dragon Python's enormous body, more than a hundred meters in diameter, was struck head-on as if by a planet hurtling at unimaginable speed. Its incredibly tough rocky armor shattered piece by piece at the moment of impact!
Before it could even let out a cry, its entire body shot backward out of control like a blurred streak of light, moving several times faster than it had when it lunged at Lu Ming!
Bang, bang, bang, bang—!
The Giant Python's body repeatedly broke the sound barrier as it flew through the air, forming a series of sonic booms. It crossed dozens of kilometers in an instant before crashing like a meteor into the side of a towering mountain range in the distance!
Rumble—!!!
The earth shook and the mountains trembled!
The mountain was smashed in half, its upper section collapsing completely with a thunderous crash. Countless tons of boulders tumbled down, kicking up clouds of dust that rose like a giant mushroom cloud.
A moment later, the dust slowly cleared.
Amid the rubble of the collapsed mountain, most of the Rock-Core Earth Dragon Python's body was buried. The exposed portion was shattered, its hard rocky body covered in web-like cracks. Its belly had nearly caved in completely, exposing the dull core within.
Its enormous body twitched faintly. Its life force was fading like a candle in the wind, leaving it barely able to breathe. Its internal organs and Original Core had clearly been completely crushed by Lu Ming's terrifying kick.
A seventh-tier Domain Lord Level fierce beast couldn't even withstand a single move from Lu Ming after his breakthrough!
Lu Ming hovered in midair, looking at the result of his attack with a satisfied expression.
"The power of a Hundredfold Gene... It really is domineering."
Feeling the still-surging Origin Force within his body, he was quite pleased with the effect of that kick.
And that was only the power of his physical body. If he combined it with Origin Force and law attacks, the might would 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 immense life force.
He moved and descended toward it.
He landed deep in the forest, his feet sinking into the soft, thick layer of decaying leaves.
The closer he got to the center, the more refreshing the aura of life became. Even the energy in the surrounding air grew gentler and more vibrant.
He pushed aside the leaves of a giant fern, large enough for several carriages to pass through side by side, and the scene before him suddenly opened up.
At the center of a clearing embraced by ancient trees stood an unusual giant tree.
The entire tree was a warm jade green. Its trunk was a hundred meters in diameter, and it stood around seven or eight hundred meters tall. Its twisting branches stretched like coiling dragons, while its leaves were as translucent as the finest jade. Green light seemed to flow slowly through their veins.
Compared with the surrounding ancient trees, some of which towered thousands of meters high, this tree might not have been the largest. But the vast, pure vitality it exuded, as if it contained the Origin Law of life itself, shone like a bright moon in the night, making everything around it pale in comparison!
Lu Ming's gaze was instantly drawn to the few fruits hanging from its trunk.
There were three of them, each about the size of a fist and shaped like a heart, gently pulsing.
A hazy, multicolored glow enveloped their surfaces. Inside, liquid Life Essence seemed to flow slowly, and each faint pulse resonated with the Cosmic Force in the surrounding space.
"The Life Fruit Tree... It really is a Life Fruit Tree!"
Even with Lu Ming's composure, he couldn't help taking a deep breath. Uncontrollable delight blazed in his eyes!
The Life Fruit Tree!
An extremely rare treasure in the universe!
It was a natural spiritual root that gathered laws, and the Life Fruits it bore contained the purest Origin Energy of life!
They were of great benefit to both Domain Lords and World Lords!
They could not only instantly heal severe injuries and replenish one's life force, but also assist in comprehending the Law of Life!
A single ripe Life Fruit could serve as a World Lord's second life!
Its value even surpassed that of the Fifth-Order Force Weapon he had sold earlier, the Crimson Flame Sky-Splitting Blade!
And here, there were not only three fruits that were almost ripe, but also the living Life Fruit Tree itself!
That was the true priceless treasure!
"Hahaha! I never imagined that such a divine treasure would be growing in this secret realm!"
Lu Ming couldn't help laughing aloud, his excitement beyond words.
This one discovery alone made the entire exploration of the secret realm worthwhile!
He could even say he had struck it rich!
He suppressed the urge to rush over and pick the fruits, first carefully scanning the surroundings with his mental power to make sure there were no other hidden dangers besides the Rock-Core Earth Dragon Python he had already dealt with.
At the same time, he noticed that the multicolored glow on the three Life Fruits hadn't yet reached its peak. They seemed to need just a little more time to fully ripen.
"No rush. They'll have the best effect when they're fully ripe."
Lu Ming held back his impatience and decided to wait there for a while.
He sat cross-legged not far from the Life Fruit Tree, keeping watch while taking in its rich vitality. He felt the circulation of his Origin Force grow a little smoother.
"This time, I've got an excellent offering for the sacrifice..."
The main question now was how to transplant this Life Fruit Tree.
Ordinary methods definitely wouldn't work. The Life Fruit Tree's roots ran extremely deep, and it also had very demanding environmental requirements.