Quite the Nerve

Jiang Lu pursed her lips. It looked painful~

If nothing unexpected happened, the Netherfang Python was about to get angry.

Sure enough, light flashed from its venomous fangs. Foul-smelling liquid dripped from its mouth onto the ground.

The corners of its mouth trembled, red light gleaming in its eyes. Its vertical pupils held back the fury about to erupt.

Tap—

The spirit plants on the ground rapidly withered.

What terrifying liquid!

One person and three beasts swallowed hard.

Then they exchanged glances and immediately attacked it. Even if they wanted to flee now, it was already too late!

Seeing its tail slowly wriggle to one side and coil around the tree trunk, Jiang Lu thought, This python has quite a few tricks up its sleeve!

Jiang Lu inwardly marveled.

Black mist surged around them. The Netherfang Python's tail slowly coiled around the tree trunk, its scales glinting with dark light. Seeing that its attention was on the two spirit beasts, Jiang Lu took the chance to circle behind it.

She stood sideways with her longsword in hand, her gaze fixed tightly on the vital spot seven inches below its head.

Scarlet flames burned over Chi Li's body, fireballs circling around her as she pounced at the python's head. Blazing fire swept toward its body.

The moisture around Cangchen condensed into frost, and ice blades viciously hacked toward the python's belly.

Seeing this, Jiang Lu leaped into the air, the blade in her hand glowing red as she attacked.

Three streaks of light shot toward it like meteors.

Clang~~~~

The blade scraped against the scales with a piercing screech.

Jiang Lu's hand trembled slightly, numbness shooting through her entire body.

She cursed under her breath.

She immediately flooded her limbs and bones with spiritual power, and only then did the tingling sensation ease considerably.

The Netherfang Python had been attacked, especially suffering from the burning pain on its back and the icy chill. It let out an enraged howl and whipped its tail.

In an instant—

Poisonous mist spread in all directions. Chi Li immediately took to the air, flicking her wings and raising a barrier that blocked the venomous saliva it spat out.

Cangchen curled his body and surged forward several steps, spewing a freezing stream of water from his mouth. Several cracking sounds rang out as half the python's scales froze over, restricting its movements.

It instantly stiffened, slowly turning its head. Its vicious gaze locked straight onto Chi Li.

Chi Li's feathers trembled under its stare, a chill rushing straight to her head.

Seizing the opening, Jiang Lu sprang up, driving her longsword into the python's vital spot.

This is bad—

She cried bitterly in her heart.

A thick layer of rippling light covered that vital spot. When the spirit sword struck it, the blade shattered with a crash.

Then a roar came hurtling toward Jiang Lu.

"Hiss-wuuu—"

The roar carried rippling light that spread in all directions, making the air tremble.

Caught off guard, Jiang Lu was assailed by the foul stench from the python's mouth and immediately retreated.

Then the artifact in her hand flashed, carrying flickering firelight and lightning as it struck toward the Netherfang Python's vital spot.

Clang—

A violent sound rang out. Then the air around them twisted slightly, and the glows of fire and ice blades receded.

The Netherfang Python writhed wildly in agony. Chi Li's blazing flames scorched its wound, while Cangchen's ice blades tore through its flesh. The three of them formed an encirclement, pinning it down tightly.

Seeing this, Jiang Lu sent the artifact in her hand toward its vital spot once more.

Blood erupted again, spraying onto the tree trunk and slowly flowing down through its cracks. The foul-smelling black blood soaked into the soil.

The giant python struggled for a moment before its body crashed heavily to the ground, shaking leaves from the branches.

Jiang Lu let out a breath. Hearing Cutie's call, she immediately headed for the Star-Violet Condensed Bloom behind it.

With a wave of her hand, the Star-Violet Condensed Bloom vanished from where it stood and entered her space.

It landed squarely on Lingxi.

Lingxi: ...

It turned its head and saw the purple glow on its body, its mind going blank for a moment.

Where had this spirit plant come from?

Oh—

Look at it, it had been knocked silly. The master must have given it to it!

Linglong's master was its master!

It immediately stood up and dragged the Star-Violet Condensed Bloom to an open patch of ground.

It possessed an extraordinary perception of spirit plants, so naturally it knew what attribute this spirit plant corresponded to and where it should be planted.

No one knew better than it did.

Jiang Lu looked at the Netherfang Python beneath her feet. The knife in her hand flashed as she viciously stabbed it into the python's head.

Then a purple crystal core appeared in her hand.

A third-rank giant python dreamed of transforming into a flood dragon? It was not impossible, but unfortunately, it had encountered her.

Jiang Lu kicked the giant python once and left with the three spirit beasts.

Not long after she left, rustling sounds rose from all around. Little snakes poked their heads out from the shadows, flicking their tongues as they slowly approached the Netherfang Python's corpse.

After confirming that it no longer had any breath left, they began to feed on it.

The giant python still contained spiritual power that had yet to disperse. Once these little snakes devoured it, the spiritual power within its body would swiftly fill theirs.

The little snakes soon devoured the Netherfang Python clean, leaving behind only a long skeleton before departing with red eyes gleaming.

Jiang Lu continued onward. She did not lack resources now, but she lacked experience.

As well as resources that needed to be handed over to the Medicine King Pavilion.

As her master's direct disciple—and the only one—the pressure on her could not be understated.

She had to submit quite a few pills every year. Now that she could refine second-rank pills, she needed to submit one thousand each year, and that was only because her cultivation was still at the Qi Refinement stage.

If her strength rose later on, the grade and quantity of pills she needed to submit would increase as well.

This was what they had to give back in exchange for the Medicine King Pavilion's cultivation.

Jiang Lu continued forward. If she could break through to Late Qi Refinement soon, then with her current spiritual sense, she could completely refine third-rank pills.

She would not need to submit so many third-rank pills.

But ever since entering the Qi Refinement Middle Stage, her strength had shown no signs of increasing. If she wanted to enter the Late Qi Refinement stage in a short time—

She had no confidence in it.

"Shh—"

A human voice suddenly came from the distance. Jiang Lu immediately stopped, patting the cloth pouch and telling the three little ones to keep quiet.

"Big Brother, are we really going to take this risk?"

A timid voice came over. Jiang Lu immediately darted behind a tree to hide.

"Of course. While no one has noticed us, we need to find it quickly. That way, the clan can tide itself over for a while."

Another voice came. Jiang Lu frowned slightly, then her expression relaxed. Could there be some unknown treasure?

She then followed behind the two of them.

Both were at the Early Qi Refinement stage, one at the Qi Refinement First Layer and the other at the Qi Refinement Second Layer.

They actually dared to come to the outskirts of the Illusory Forest. It was clear they were no ordinary people. Unless they had no other choice, they would never have come here.

As Jiang Lu watched them venture deeper and deeper, her brows drew tight. The aura here was far too cold and sinister. There had to be something extremely dangerous inside.

Looking at their faintly trembling bodies...

They really had some nerve.

She lightly wrapped herself in spiritual power, and only then did the chill not feel so biting.

Once they entered, Cutie suddenly became excited. If Jiang Lu had not stopped it, it would have wanted to leap straight out of the cloth pouch.

"Master, Cutie says there is a great fortune inside, something that can help raise our strength!"

Chi Li's voice was excited!

What they lacked now was something that could increase their strength!