Chapter 565: Tiger and Python

Chapter 565 -245: Tiger and Python

At the edge of a nearby battlefield of jagged rock, a bizarrely shaped plant caught Qin Fang’s eye.

It was a small tree, about three feet tall.

The small tree bore three dark red, fist-sized fruits shaped like hearts.

The dark red fruits’ surfaces were covered in scaly protrusions. They pulsed faintly at an incredibly slow rhythm, as if breathing in their sleep.

A dark red glow surged out with each pulse.

The faint scent of blood hung in the air.

“Is that… a Blood Evil Cloud Fruit?”

Qin Fang’s eyes widened in surprise.

…He was no longer the clueless novice he once was, completely ignorant of the Extraordinary World.

After so many years of reading in the Hundred Herbs Courtyard, he could now identify the vast majority of plants in the wild with a single glance.

And he had read about this very Treasure Plant in the archives of the Hundred Herbs Courtyard.

The fruit’s growth was often tied to places of slaughter, bloodshed, and malevolent energy.

It often appeared on the fringes of ancient battlefields, at the burial sites of fallen Great Demons, or in violent lands where beasts had fought and killed for years on end. Its roots would absorb the blood essence and baleful qi steeped in the soil, which would then condense into this strange, pulsating, heart-shaped fruit.

The medicinal properties of the fruit were incredibly potent. For a Martial Artist, it was miraculously effective for Refining the Body.

But for an Exotic Species, this fruit was even more precious.

…It was even miraculously effective for Exotic Species beyond the Extraordinary realm, capable of awakening their bloodlines and granting them a massive surge in power.

…No wonder these two ferocious Exotic Species were fighting to the death over it.

To them, this fruit was a true Treasure…

‘But isn’t this fruit supposed to grow near battlefields? It’s common in the Northern Border Land, for instance… So why did it show up in these godforsaken mountains?’

Qin Fang wondered, his brow furrowed.

Just then, a tiger’s roar echoed through the mountains. Qin Fang instinctively looked up to see that the fierce tiger, unable to contain its frenzy any longer, had pounced on the giant python.

This tiger had definitely surpassed the Extraordinary realm. A dense, blood-red energy, much like True Essence, erupted from its body—it was Demon Essence.

Its massive body blurred into a gust of foul wind, its great paws wreathed in crimson Demon Essence as it struck straight for the python’s vital point!

The giant python’s eyes were frigid. It made no move to dodge. Instead, its thick, coiled body sprang upward like a colossal steel whip, lashing out at the tiger’s waist with a piercing shriek that tore through the air!

In that instant, every scale on its body drew tight, glowing with a dark, metallic luster. It had clearly funneled all its power into this single attack.

A tactic aimed at mutual destruction!

The tiger went for the throat; the python went for the bones!

BOOM!!!

A violent crash and the sickening thud of flesh colliding rang out almost simultaneously, followed by the tiger’s pained roar and the python’s ragged, agonized hiss.

The tiger’s claws raked across the python’s neck, instantly tearing open several gruesome wounds deep enough to expose bone!

Foul-smelling snake blood gushed out.

Meanwhile, the python’s full-force strike landed solidly on the tiger’s flank. A series of sickening CRACKS echoed as bones shattered, and the tiger’s massive body was sent flying.

THUD! THUD! THUD!

It smashed through several large trees before crashing to the ground.

It struggled to get up, bloody foam mixed with chunks of viscera spilling from its mouth.

The giant python was in no better shape. Its neck was nearly torn in half, and blood poured out like a river. Its aura weakened rapidly, and its coiled body went slack…

Qin Fang blinked.

‘Do all Exotic Species fight this recklessly?’

To his amazement, dense Demon Essence began to rise from both Exotic Species. The giant tiger slowly struggled to its feet with a low growl… Its injuries were already showing signs of healing.

The bleeding from the giant python’s wounds had also visibly stanched.

The giant tiger struggled back to its feet, emerging from the trees it had crashed into. It began to circle, its eyes locked on the giant python, gathering power for another strike.

The python watched the tiger, its forked tongue flicking incessantly…

…The second round of their standoff had begun.

‘The Physique of an Exotic Species is truly formidable.’

Qin Fang raised an eyebrow.

…He was a good distance away, and his Cultivation was obviously far greater than the two beasts’. They hadn’t detected him at all.

Qin Fang considered this for a moment, then his eyes narrowed. With a thought, he activated the Deep Stream Returning Technique, and his aura vanished completely.

In the next instant, he moved like a flash of light, reappearing behind a large boulder near the Blood Evil Cloud Fruit.

The two battling Exotic Species were completely oblivious to his arrival. They were still locked in their standoff, Demon Essence flaring as they mended their wounds.

…Exotic Species truly had powerful Physiques and incredible regenerative abilities.

Qin Fang marveled inwardly. Then, with a flicker of thought, his Divine Sense surged forth through the Void Realm, and the Invisible Domain instantly enveloped the Blood Evil Cloud Fruit…

He kept his eyes on the two Exotic Species.

‘I’m not sure if others can perceive this Invisible Domain. These two are roughly equivalent to human True Essence Realm cultivators, and an Exotic Species’s Spiritual Sense is typically far superior to a human’s… This is a perfect chance to see if they notice.’

As it turned out, even as the Invisible Domain unfolded, the two beasts paid it no mind. They remained locked onto each other, searching for an opening.

Qin Fang raised an eyebrow. ‘Is their Cultivation too low to notice?’

‘Or is the Invisible Domain truly undetectable to anyone but me?’

He then focused his mind, preparing to draw the Cloud Fruit into the Void Realm. ‘I have no use for this thing, but it’ll be perfect for Xile.’

…Although the Blood Evil Cloud Fruit grew by absorbing baleful and blood qi, and even smelled metallic, its medicinal properties weren’t actually sinister. It was simply a massive boon for activating Demon Essence and awakening bloodlines.

It wouldn’t corrupt an Exotic Species’s mind with Blood Evil Qi…