"Zhilan flower..."
"Soul-confusing grass..."
"Huh? What's this? Whatever, I'll keep it for now. It looks pretty high-grade, and it's packed with energy."
It was another plain, unremarkable day, with Xiao Yu gathering medicinal herbs wherever he went.
During his days in the Magical Beast Mountain Range, he had gathered four or five fine specimens of medicinal herbs every day.
As a result, his original Storage Ring had been stuffed to the brim with herbs.
Fortunately, he had bought a few extra Storage Rings before leaving. Otherwise, he would have had nowhere to put all the herbs he found.
"Today's haul was pretty good. Time to head back."
Glancing at the sky, Xiao Yu decided to return. He had allotted just four hours a day to gathering herbs, and that time was nearly up. He needed to get back to cultivating.
"You love me~ I love you~ Mixue Ice Cream and Tea, sweet as can be~"
Humming a little tune, Xiao Yu strolled leisurely toward his camp.
As he walked, a scent suddenly caught his attention.
It was an exceptionally rich fragrance, strong but not pungent, with a hint of melons and fruit.
Xiao Yu sniffed and felt comfortable all over. Even the circulation of Dou Qi within him sped up a fraction. Surprised, he said, "What's giving off this scent? It actually has an effect like this!"
"Looks like another herb that benefits cultivation has ripened. I'll have to take a look. If it doesn't belong to anyone, I'll take it."
Following the fragrance, Xiao Yu began searching for its source. This had to be a natural treasure. Since he had stumbled across it today, he had to take a look, no matter what. If no magical beast was guarding it, he certainly wouldn't pass it up.
If a magical beast was guarding it, however, he would forget about it. He didn't particularly enjoy fighting over things. Besides, the beast had found it first and guarded it until it ripened. Stealing it would be going a little too far.
If anyone else learned what he was thinking, they would surely call him a fucking idiot. Natural treasures belonged to those capable of claiming them. That was the customary rule in a world where the strong devoured the weak.
As his mother would put it, someone like Xiao Yu wouldn't even get a warm mouthful if he went looking for shit to eat.
But Xiao Yu wouldn't care what others said. Perhaps his personality didn't suit a world where strength reigned supreme, but there was nothing to be done about that. He had been born this way.
Neither competing nor grabbing, with something of a tranquil, noninterfering spirit-that was Xiao Yu.
Soon, Xiao Yu reached the source of the fragrance. In a clearing, a vine stretched upward, with a reddish-yellow fruit hanging from it. The entire fruit glowed, and its translucent skin even revealed the vein-like channels inside, through which energy flowed back and forth.
"An Origin-Nourishing Fruit?!"
Xiao Yu's eyes lit up. He recognized this thing.
To identify the medicinal herbs he gathered in the Magical Beast Mountain Range, he had bought a large number of books on herb identification in Wutan City before entering. Over the past two months, he had been making time to read them.
He happened to have come across the Origin-Nourishing Fruit in those books.
The Origin-Nourishing Fruit was a medicinal ingredient that fortified the foundation and nourished vital essence. Consuming it could strengthen one's foundation, stabilize the dantian, bolster blood and vitality, nourish yin and replenish yang, and even beautify the complexion.
It was also a principal ingredient in refining the Origin-Nourishing Pill. Although he didn't have its pill formula, he had read about the pill's effects in a book.
The Origin-Nourishing Pill was a fourth-grade pill that fortified the foundation and nourished vital essence when consumed. Its residual medicinal properties could remain in the body, gradually strengthening one's constitution and slightly improving one's aptitude.
Most people valued its ability to improve cultivation aptitude, but what Xiao Yu cared about most was its effect of fortifying the foundation and nourishing vital essence.
Of course, that wasn't because he was deficient. What a joke-every morning, he woke with a pillar propping up the heavens, strong as hell. But who would mind being a little better in that department?
Looking around and seeing no magical beasts, Xiao Yu smiled. "Looks like I'm in luck today."
He then stepped forward to pick it. This ripe Origin-Nourishing Fruit would keep releasing its enticing fragrance. He didn't want extra branches sprouting from the matter, so he intended to grab it and leave.
Just as Xiao Yu's hand was about to touch the Origin-Nourishing Fruit, a sense of danger surged from deep within his soul.
In an instant, lightning erupted beneath Xiao Yu's feet. With a whoosh, he retreated more than ten meters.
Suddenly, a massive, scale-covered tail slammed down where Xiao Yu had just been standing.
"Hiss!"
A hiss rang out.
Xiao Yu focused his gaze and saw an enormous figure emerge behind the Origin-Nourishing Fruit-a crimson python some twenty meters long!
Xiao Yu frowned and began backing away.
"A Crimson Flame Python? I was wondering why no magical beast was guarding an herb like the Origin-Nourishing Fruit. Turns out you'd just stepped out."
Before entering the Magical Beast Mountain Range, Xiao Yu had bought some information about it in Qingshan Town, including details on various magical beasts.
The giant python before him was called a Crimson Flame Python. Crimson in color, it was a fire-attribute magical beast. Every five meters of growth represented another tier. Judging by this python's size, it had probably reached the fourth tier.
Truthfully, the Origin-Nourishing Fruit wasn't all that useful to him, nor was it something he absolutely needed. There was no reason to provoke a fourth-order magical beast over something he could take or leave.
"Brother Snake, I didn't know you were guarding this. I meant no offense. Since you found it first, I won't steal a snake's prized possession. Farewell."
Seeing that the Crimson Flame Python hadn't immediately charged, Xiao Yu slowly backed away. He held his right hand before his chest in a defensive posture and spoke slowly.
"Hiss!!!"
The Crimson Flame Python, motionless a moment before, suddenly lunged at Xiao Yu with its bloody maw wide open, its serpentine eyes filled with fury and bloodlust.
"You bastard!"
Xiao Yu hadn't expected the Crimson Flame Python to pull a move like that and was startled.
Well, then. A fourth-order magical beast had already awakened its intelligence. Though it couldn't speak human language, its intellect was on par with that of a ten-year-old human. It even knew how to launch a surprise attack.
Caught off guard by the Crimson Flame Python, Xiao Yu hurriedly channeled lightning attribute Dou Qi into both legs and shot backward with all his strength.
"Are you ever going to stop? How much longer are you going to chase me? We've already gone a kilometer! Aren't you afraid another magical beast will steal your Origin-Nourishing Fruit?!"
Having already run a thousand meters, Xiao Yu glanced back and found the Crimson Flame Python still pursuing him relentlessly. He shouted helplessly.
"I didn't know that thing was yours! Is this really necessary? Keep chasing me, and I won't be polite anymore!"
Seeing that he couldn't reason with it, Xiao Yu issued a threat.
But the Crimson Flame Python showed no intention of abandoning its pursuit upon hearing Xiao Yu's words. Instead, a vicious gleam flashed in its eyes, and it pressed even closer.
Negotiations had failed, and threats had failed too. Xiao Yu was getting angry. He hadn't even touched the Origin-Nourishing Fruit, hadn't known it belonged to anyone, and had sensibly backed off. What else did it want from him?
His expression turned fierce, and Xiao Yu spun around and charged toward the Crimson Flame Python.
"Do you really think I'm made of clay? I tried talking to you calmly, but you just had to force me to fight!"
Xiao Yu unleashed his full strength, wave after wave of Dou Qi bursting outward until the surrounding trees began to tremble.
He summoned the extreme-breaking ice flame and wrapped it around his right hand. The surrounding flowers and grass began to freeze as an aura both scorching and frigid spread outward.
Xiao Yu was truly furious. In the month or so since he had entered the Magical Beast Mountain Range, when had he ever suffered such treatment? Every magical beast he encountered had given him a wide berth. (They had all been third-tier magical beasts and tier 2 magical beasts.)
"Since you want to play, I'll play with you!"
He clenched his right fist, the extreme-breaking ice flame blazing brilliantly, and drove a punch toward the Crimson Flame Python with tremendous force.
The Crimson Flame Python hadn't expected the human who had been fleeing to suddenly wheel around and strike back. It, too, was caught off guard.
Boom!
With a tremendous crash, Xiao Yu's fist landed squarely on the Crimson Flame Python's lower jaw.
The immense impact and destructive force sent the entire Crimson Flame Python flying, its massive body hurtling more than a dozen meters away.
"Hiss!"
As the Crimson Flame Python hissed in pain, a burn appeared on its lower jaw, with shards of ice covering the area around the wound.
The Crimson Flame Python went berserk, its body thrashing wildly as it attacked Xiao Yu again. The bloodlust in its eyes was even stronger than before, as though it swore never to stop until Xiao Yu was dead!
A thick pillar of flame erupted from the python's mouth, mixed with extremely potent venom, and blasted toward Xiao Yu.
Xiao Yu watched the Crimson Flame Python coldly as it still tried to resist, his face utterly expressionless.
Ice-blue flames spread over Xiao Yu's entire body, while blue-silver lightning raged around him. Utter cold burst outward, turning the surrounding hundred meters into a world of ice and snow, filled with cold, scorching heat, and destruction.
Xiao Yu raised his right hand and pointed at the Crimson Flame Python. As the pillar of flame touched his right index finger, the cold struck.
The pillar of flame froze instantly, the ice spreading onward. Before the Crimson Flame Python could react, that absolute cold traveled along the flame it had spewed and spread throughout its body.
In an instant, the Crimson Flame Python became an ice sculpture. Even the pillar of flame was frozen, as though time itself had stopped.
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