Red Sun Valley (Seeking Follow-up Reads, Monthly Votes)

Sharp, jagged stone spikes were still stuck to it!

That was exactly how it had sustained its injuries!

This strike had cost Li Yunjing three "Earth Spike Talismans" in total. The giant python's massive body had taken the hit squarely, ensuring not a shred of the talismans' power went to waste.

"Boom..."

With a deafening roar, the very earth seemed to tremble, and for a moment, countless birds in the forest were startled into flight.

The giant python's body slumped back onto the ground.

Although this creature possessed a sliver of intelligence and immense strength, it had not truly attained the Dao and was fundamentally incapable of flight.

The giant python thrashed in a frenzy, the blood beneath it pooling into a small puddle.

The great beast sensed the danger and instinctively sought to flee, to get as far away from this terrifying human as possible.

"Vile creature! You think you can come and go as you please?"

Li Yunjing sneered. With a flicker of his figure, he moved far faster than the python and engaged it in combat once more.

The python went mad, lunging repeatedly. Its massive body smashed through a patch of forest, leaving nothing but broken timber and chaos in its wake.

Yet as time passed and the sky began to brighten, the python's strength waned and its movements grew sluggish, until it finally collapsed to the ground, motionless.

"Good beast! I never imagined it would take so long to kill a single giant python!"

Once he was certain the python was thoroughly dead, Li Yunjing stepped forward and used his "Cold Star Sword" to pry the scales one by one from the flesh where they grew.

He had already witnessed the power of the python's "Copper Tendons and Iron Bones" during their earlier battle.

These scales provided its most formidable defense.

Such scales were undoubtedly top-tier materials for refining high-grade, or even supreme-grade, magical artifacts.

How could Li Yunjing possibly abandon such a monster?

It was a massive undertaking; Li Yunjing had completely underestimated the difficulty of dismantling the giant python.

It took him three full days to collect the thousand scales from the python's body and store them in his Storage Bag.

As for the python's tendons, meat, blood, gallbladder, eyes, fangs, and poison sac, Li Yunjing did not let them go to waste either. Finally, he looked at the picked-clean white bones, gritted his teeth, and broke them down to take the hardest sections.

The creature was simply too large.

If not for the four Storage Bags he had taken from Senior Brother Han and his companions, Li Yunjing would never have been able to carry it all.

At this point, only two and a half days remained before the mission deadline.

Li Yunjing had no choice but to pick up his pace and continue his journey.

"Red Sun Valley" was a scorching, sandy valley.

The entire valley lacked greenery and even water sources; the cultivators stationed there had to travel to nearby rivers to fetch drinking water.

As for spiritual plants, it was naturally impossible for them to grow in such a valley.

Therefore, the "Divine Firmament Dao Sect" was required to transport grain and spiritual plants to "Red Sun Valley" at regular intervals to supply the sect's stationed cultivators.

Why would such a barren valley attract the attention of the "Divine Firmament Dao Sect" and warrant a garrison?

It was because "Red Sun Valley" contained a comprehensive mineral vein.

Beyond producing spirit stones, the vein yielded precious resources like refined iron, red copper, Primordial Yang Stone, and Red Flame Soil.

These resources were excellent materials for refining magical artifacts, and there was even a chance of excavating rare materials capable of refining spiritual artifacts or Dharma treasures.

It was precisely because of this comprehensive, medium-sized mineral vein that the "Divine Firmament Dao Sect" specifically dispatched a team to guard and mine the area.

Of course, such a vein meant little to the "Divine Firmament Dao Sect."

The "Divine Firmament Dao Sect" was a hegemonic sect, not just within the Great Ming Dynasty, but across the entire Southern Heaven Continent.

They controlled countless spirit veins, and several massive mines were even overseen personally by Nascent Soul ancestors of the "Divine Firmament Dao Sect"—those were the true treasure lands.

The level of "Red Sun Valley" was quite low; it was said that only a few Foundation Establishment deacons were responsible for its operations, and not even a single Golden Core elder had ever visited.

With such a low-level configuration, it was no wonder they sent outer sect disciples to transport supplies, without even dispatching a sect flying boat or warship.

The remaining five hundred miles were not entirely desolate.

Once Li Yunjing left the mountainous region, he saw small villages scattered along the way.

Watching the curling wisps of cooking smoke, Li Yunjing felt a sense of admiration. A month ago, he had been a mere mortal; he had not expected that in just over a month, a deep chasm would already exist between him and these common folk.

Without disturbing the mortals in the villages, Li Yunjing kept his head down and pressed on.

This time, Li Yunjing did not slacken his pace. He traveled at full speed and finally arrived before the crimson valley on the morning of the sixth day.

The valley was shaped like the mouth of a gourd—narrow on the outside and wide on the inside. The entrance was deathly quiet, without a sound to be heard.

"Is anyone there? I am Li Yunjing, a handyman disciple of the 'Divine Firmament Dao Sect,' here by sect decree to deliver grain and provisions."

Standing outside the valley, Li Yunjing did not act rashly. This place was different from the relaxed atmosphere within the sect.

Such a vital location would be heavily guarded, and he certainly could not trespass.

Li Yunjing did not believe for a second that there wasn't a single guard on duty.

Disciples of the Divine Firmament Dao Sect could not be such a rabble.

Li Yunjing's shout echoed through the valley, carrying far into the distance.

Such a loud sound would surely be heard, so Li Yunjing simply stood at the entrance, waiting for someone from within the valley to respond.

"A chore disciple? How could a chore disciple have come here?"

In an instant, several questioning voices drifted out, and Li Yunjing felt seven or eight gazes scrutinizing him from the shadows.

Clearly, these were the personnel on duty guarding the valley entrance.

These people seemed very curious that a chore disciple could reach this place; their gazes were undisguised, sweeping over him several times before they finally withdrew.

By this time, two outer sect disciples dressed in blue Daoist robes had appeared at the entrance.

"Your identity token!"

One of the outer sect disciples asked coldly.

"Senior Brother, here is my identity token!"

Li Yunjing did not hesitate, handing his chore disciple token directly to the man.

"Hmm!"

After checking it over and over and finding no issues, the outer sect disciple's expression softened significantly.

He looked at Li Yunjing and asked, "Are you alone? Since when can chore disciples apply for grain transport missions?"

"Sigh! Of course, it wasn't just me, but we encountered danger along the way, and the four Senior Brothers all perished. At that critical moment, the four Senior Brothers, mindful of the sect's mission, handed the ten 'Hundred Treasure Pouches' to this humble one, repeatedly urging me to ensure the grain was delivered."

Li Yunjing let out a mournful sigh, his eyes reddening as if tears were about to fall.