Chapter 361 - 342: Mugging the Fierce Beast

Zhaang Ye’s flight speed was about the same as the Death Bees’. After Yangx Guyuan drew their attention, Zhaang Ye quickly shook off their pursuit.

After escaping the pursuit of the Death Bees, he landed and spent a full day finally refining the sliver of Innate True Qi inside him. In the time that followed, Zhaang Ye began searching with all his might for Essence Stones and various medicinal herbs.

The Little World was filled with flowers and lush green grass, and there was no shortage of Celestial and Earthly Treasures. Zhaang Ye’s Spiritual Power was comparable to that of a Peak of Martial Arts Ninth Layer master, allowing him to scan for medicinal herbs within a three-hundred-zhang radius. Thus, he was highly efficient at gathering spirit herbs. In just two days, he found several rather valuable medicinal herbs—a considerable harvest.

On the third day, Zhaang Ye suddenly felt a fluctuation in the Heaven and Earth Essence Qi up ahead, as if some Celestial or Earthly Treasure was emerging. His heart stirred. He executed his Body Technique and traveled two or three li, arriving at the shore of a small lake that was dozens of li wide. There, he saw two bucket-thick masses of vapor floating above the water’s surface. Pulses of energy radiated from within them.

’Hm? Are those Essence Stones?!’ Zhaang Ye was delighted. It was the first time he had found Essence Stones since entering this Little World. ’Judging by the vapor surrounding them, they must be quite large.’

WHOOSH!

Without a second thought, Zhaang Ye raised his hand slightly. A small tornado shot out, wrapping around the two Essence Stones. Just as he was retracting his hand to pull them back, the lake water began to churn violently. A massive serpent’s head erupted from the surface, its cavernous, blood-red maw snapping at him!

The giant serpent was over eight hundred zhang long, its head the size of a small hill. Its lunge seemed to blacken the sky and kicked up a furious gale within a hundred-zhang radius!

Zhaang Ye stared coldly at the Giant Python as the Dragon Elephant Power inside him erupted. A faint wave of Suppression radiated from him as he bellowed, "Insolence!"

The Ancient Dragon Power in Zhaang Ye’s body was the bane of all aquatic Fierce Beasts, and it held a particularly potent suppressive power over pythons. Back in the Python Marsh, Zhaang Ye had relied on this very Suppression from his Ancient Dragon Power to escape unharmed. Now, he released his Ancient Dragon Power again, hoping to subdue the Giant Python with it.

KRAA!

Sensing the Ancient Dragon Power emanating from Zhaang Ye, a flicker of fear showed in the Giant Python’s cold eyes. But it vanished in an instant. The beast shrieked, its body, hundreds of zhang long, suddenly launching into the air and sweeping violently toward Zhaang Ye!

’Hm?’ Zhaang Ye’s expression changed slightly. ’This Giant Python is over eight hundred zhang long and has power comparable to a master at the Peak of the Martial Arts Ninth Layer. My Ancient Dragon Power is formidable, but it’s not enough to suppress such a terrifying creature.’

’If I can’t subdue it with Ancient Dragon Power, then I’ll just have to fight.’ With a move as fast as lightning, Zhaang Ye stored the two Essence Stones in his Small Space. Then, in a sudden flash, he eerily weaved around the Giant Python’s attack and lunged toward it.

KRAA KRAA KRAA KRAA KRAA—

The Giant Python shrieked again and again, spitting out plumes of mist. The terrifying sound waves caused every stone within a three-li radius to crack and splinter. The mist it exhaled condensed into a nearly solid cloud, blocking Zhaang Ye’s path. He felt as if he had flown into a spiderweb; advancing even a single inch was incredibly difficult.

’What a terrifying Giant Python! Even a master at the Peak of the Martial Arts Ninth Layer probably couldn’t break free from this technique that turns mist into a cage. But it’s a shame for the python that I possess Ancient Dragon Power. When it comes to controlling Water Qi, who can possibly be better than me?’ A faint smile appeared on Zhaang Ye’s lips as he silently activated the Ancient Dragon Power within him.

As his Ancient Dragon Power circulated, Zhaang Ye’s body was abruptly shrouded in a faint mist, and he seemed to dissolve into it. With a few soft SWISHES, Zhaang Ye easily broke free of the Giant Python’s control. His figure shot through the clouds like the wind and landed right on the beast’s head!

KRAA!

The Giant Python never imagined that Zhaang Ye could so easily overcome its mist. Utterly astonished, it began to thrash its head wildly, trying to shake him off.

Zhaang Ye had lived in the Python Marsh for some time and, possessing Ancient Dragon Power, was very familiar with the attack patterns of giant pythons. Although this one reacted quickly, the moment Zhaang Ye’s feet landed on its head, he dug them firmly in between its scales. He was rooted to its head like a nail. No matter how violently the Giant Python thrashed its head, Zhaang Ye stood his ground, showing no sign of falling.

KRAA KRAA KRAA KRAA—

When the Giant Python realized it couldn’t shake Zhaang Ye off, it instantly sensed immense danger. It let out a great roar and abruptly spat a cloud of pitch-black vapor from its mouth.

The pitch-black vapor carried a nauseating stench that filled the air. The moment it left the Giant Python’s mouth, it spread through the void, enveloping even Zhaang Ye.

Python Venom Gas!

This pitch-black vapor was a breath of venomous gas the Giant Python had painstakingly cultivated. The beast had lived in the Little World for several thousand years and consumed countless poisonous things in that time. The toxins from its meals had accumulated within its body, slowly forming this pitch-black poisonous gas.

The corrosive power of this pitch-black gas was terrifying to the extreme; even stone and metal couldn’t withstand it. As for weaker Fierce Beasts, a single touch would cause their bodies to fester and rot away, leaving only a pile of white bones.

Zhaang Ye’s feet remained firmly planted on the Giant Python’s head as he released multiple layers of True Qi to shield himself from the pitch-black gas. But to his surprise, the venomous gas was actually able to corrode his True Qi. In terms of sheer corrosive power, this gas was even slightly more potent than the deathly aura cultivated by Fu Qingyun!

’This Giant Python really has some tricks up its sleeve. Even a master at the Peak of the Martial Arts Ninth Layer might not be able to handle it. A pity it ran into me. With my knowledge of pythons, no matter how formidable it is, it’s still doomed to die by my hand.’ Zhaang Ye smiled faintly, took a sudden deep breath, and brought both fists crashing down on the Giant Python’s head.

BOOM! BOOM!

The power behind Zhaang Ye’s fists was terrifying. The two blows landed like a pair of ten-thousand-jin boulders falling from the sky, smashing viciously onto the Giant Python’s head. Though the python’s scales were thick and its Defense Power was immense, it could not withstand Zhaang Ye’s assault. Under the force of the two punches, the creature’s body, hundreds of zhang long, plummeted from the sky!

PFFT! Struck by Zhaang Ye’s two fists, the Giant Python writhed in agony at the bottom of the lake. It thrashed about madly, churning the ten-li-wide lake into a tempest of monstrous waves that shot high into the air.

After struggling for a while, the Giant Python floated to the surface, belly-up and on its last breath. The force of Zhaang Ye’s two punches had penetrated deep into its brain; no matter how tenacious its Life Power, it couldn’t withstand such a blow.

After felling the Giant Python, Zhaang Ye was about to leave. But as he glanced at the lake below, a thought suddenly struck him. ’There are quite a few Essence Stones in this Little World, but they’ve all been collected by various Fierce Beasts. This Giant Python is hundreds of zhang long. Its lair must have some Essence Stones...’

At this thought, Zhaang Ye flew into the air, fixed his gaze on the Giant Python, and barked, "You definitely have more Essence Stones in your lair! Hand them over, and I’ll spare your life. Otherwise, I’ll finish you off!"

This Giant Python had lived for several thousand years and had already developed intelligence. After taking Zhaang Ye’s two punches and hearing his vicious threat, a look of terror appeared in its eyes. It nodded its head frantically and, with a soft WHOOSH, sank beneath the surface of the small lake.

Zhaang Ye waited quietly. After a long while, the Giant Python emerged from the lake’s depths. It swam obediently to Zhaang Ye’s side and opened its mouth.

Inside its mouth were dozens of Essence Stones. Most of them were Low-grade Essence Stones, but there were a few Mid-grade ones as well. Piled together, they billowed with a vapor so rich with Heaven and Earth Essence Qi that it was practically tangible.

Zhaang Ye couldn’t help but feel a surge of delight. He knew that some powerful Fierce Beasts liked to collect Essence Stones, but he never expected this Giant Python to have gathered so many. Each Essence Stone contained a trace of Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi. The total amount from these dozens of stones was enough for him to cultivate all the way to the Late-stage Martial Arts Ninth Layer.

After storing the Essence Stones in his Small Space, Zhaang Ye waved a dismissive hand at the Giant Python. "On account of these Essence Stones, I’ll spare your life. Be gone."

Hearing Zhaang Ye’s words, the Giant Python’s massive body slipped into the lake with a soft SPLOOSH, disappearing without a trace in the blink of an eye.

Obtaining dozens of Essence Stones from the Giant Python instantly sparked an idea in Zhaang Ye’s mind. ’The Heaven and Earth Essence Qi in this Little World is incredibly dense, and there’s a small Essence Ore deposit, which means there must be a lot of Essence Stones.

’Since this Giant Python collected so many Essence Stones, the other Fierce Beasts must have hoarded a fair number as well. For the rest of my time here, I might as well just rob them one by one and take their Essence Stones...’

He was a man of action. In the days that followed, Zhaang Ye simultaneously searched for medicinal herbs and sought out powerful Fierce Beasts to rob. His strength surpassed even that of a master at the Peak of the Martial Arts Ninth Layer, and the Ancient Dragon Power and Ancient Elephant Power within him had a suppressive effect on these beasts. In just over ten days, Zhaang Ye had robbed four or five Fierce Beasts.

Any Fierce Beast capable of dominating a territory in the Little World was a powerful existence. The weakest among them were equivalent to Late-stage Martial Arts Ninth Layer masters, while the strongest were even a cut above those at the Peak of the Martial Arts Ninth Layer. Having lived in the Little World for millennia, each of these beasts had collected a number of Essence Stones. Robbing them one by one, Zhaang Ye quickly amassed over two hundred Essence Stones.

While Zhaang Ye was frantically gathering Essence Stones, the other young experts in the Little World were doing the same. Zhaang Ye’s successive windfalls of Essence Stones soon attracted the attention of certain observant individuals... (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote with Recommendation Tickets and monthly passes. Your support is my greatest motivation.)