There were butterflies fluttering in the breeze and an abundance of peculiarly shaped flowers and plants in the colorful valley. Spirit plants rarely found elsewhere could be seen at every couple of steps.
"So, this area truly is filled with a high concentration of spiritual qi," Chu Liang remarked.
He realized that Lin Bei hadn't exaggerated. There were indeed treasures of nature all over this place. However, most of them were seedlings that needed a few hundred years to a thousand years to mature. The rest were dead, either from withering naturally or getting plucked.
"The treasure-guarding demonic beast here is an old ape that's very powerful, so be careful," Lin Bei warned prudently.
These treasures of nature were growing in a remote location, so demonic beasts would find them long before any cultivator could. Nevertheless, the demonic beasts often did not consume the spirit plants immediately because the plants hadn't matured yet or the demonic beasts were still waiting for the right moment to make a breakthrough in their cultivation.
During this interim period, the demonic beasts that found the treasures of nature first would attack any other demonic beast or human who found the treasures later. This was why such demonic beasts were referred to as treasure-guarding demonic beasts.
Nonetheless, it wasn't like those treasure-guarding demonic beasts had planted the spirit plants, and the spirit plants didn't need the demonic beasts' protection to mature. The treasure-guarding demonic beasts were basically like people who claimed "finders, keepers" after spotting money that someone else had dropped.
Money that had been dropped could be picked up straight away; they didn't need to be concerned about someone else chancing upon it and making the same claim. However, the matter at hand was regarding spirit plants that were still growing in the earth. How could someone claim ownership of it?
Chu Liang nodded. "Mm."
He activated his divine sense and spread it out, vigilantly keeping an eye on his surroundings.
When the Golden-Furred Hou entered this fragrant Valley of Spiritual Plants, it was immediately entranced. The Hou's big head turned to the left and right, sniffing intensely for something tasty to gobble up.
Chu Liang admonished the Hou, "Do not harm these immature spirit plants. You can eat whatever you like when we return to Mount Shu."
He was only thinking of taking away the Sword-Leaf Dark Sunflower.
"This was where I fell from. When I landed, I saw a Fiery Lingzhi right in front of me," Lin Bei said. Then he pointed to the right and added, "That Sword-Leaf Dark Sunflower should be over there."
Lin Bei then led Chu Liang a few steps in that direction. Up ahead was a boulder, and behind it was an eye-catching flower with long, narrow green leaves and stunning scarlet petals.
Facing the sunlight, the flowers' stamens and pistils glimmered with a golden light as if swallowing the sun's radiance.
"This is an indication that the Sword-Leaf Dark Sunflower has matured..."
Chu Liang's heart skipped a beat. He could gather enough ingredients to make two high-tier Golden Cores from this one spirit plant.
"The Sword-Leaf Dark Sunflower grows by absorbing the sun's energy. Additionally, the plant contains the spiritual qi of metal spirits. Whenever someone tries to pick the flower part of the plant, the plant's eight incredibly sharp sword-like leaves will close automatically," Chu Liang recited from memory the key points from his research on how to pick the flower.
He continued, "To pick this treasure of nature, a long object must first be used to trick the plant into closing its sword-like leaves. Then to acquire an intact Sword-Leaf Dark Sunflower, the entire plant has to be uprooted."
These treasures of nature were inedible plants that had defense mechanisms. Those who did not handle them properly might get hurt in the picking process. In the case of the Sword-Leaf Dark Sunflower, many people all throughout history had lost their hands when they recklessly tried to pick it.
Chu Liang continued walking forward and was about to reach that boulder. However, he suddenly heard a whoosh as a gust of wind blew down from overhead!
It's coming from above!
Chu Liang looked up and saw numerous vines hanging off the precipitous and barren mountain wall. Swinging down on one of those vines was a huge White Ape that was more than one zhang tall! And it was pouncing toward Chu Liang!
The White Ape had likely spotted Chu Liang and Lin Bei entering the area with the formidable Golden-Furred Hou quite a while back. It had held off on attacking, lying in wait for this opportune moment to launch a surprise attack.
Nevertheless, Chu Liang wasn't caught off guard; his vigilance paid off. Even when success was within his reach, he had not retracted his divine sense even in the slightest.
"Golden-Furred Hou!" Chu Liang yelled.
He stepped back and made a gesture, signaling for the Hou to attack.
Judging from the White Ape's aura, it was probably at the pinnacle of the fourth realm.
This extremely ferocious ape was approaching Chu Liang with a mighty momentum. It wouldn't be a good idea to face the ape alone.
Nevertheless, none of that bothered the Golden-Furred Hou. Even before Chu Liang called for it, the Hou had already noticed the incoming White Ape.
The Hou unleashed a fierce roar that shook the mountains and fields. It charged toward the ape, moving so swiftly that it appeared as a gust of golden wind!
Whaaam.
The white figure and the golden figure slammed against each other like two planets colliding! The dull sound of two massive bodies slamming against each other resounded through the area!
"Raaaaar!"
Unexpectedly, the Golden-Furred Hou was the one that was sent flying backward by the impact of the collision!
Boom!
The Hou crashed into the ground, plowing a deep ditch in the earth. The impact of the collision continued to push the Hou across the ground until a small hill of soil had formed, putting a stop to its momentum.
Fortunately, the Hou's greatest strength was its tough body. It wasn't injured at all. The Hou rolled back onto its feet, ready to attack again with an intense bloodthirst!
The White Ape calmly landed on top of the boulder opposite the Hou.
Despite being a demonic beast, the ape wore a short-sleeved shirt and shorts. It had a strong and muscular physique with arms that looked like young coiling dragons, making for a very intimidating appearance.
The ape took on a stance where it had one hand extending outward, with its palm facing the Golden-Furred Hou. After holding this pose for a while without anything happening, the ape took on a more relaxed posture.
"I don't know which sect you disciples are from, but this valley is my home. So, leave now!" the White Ape shouted.
"Senior, we currently require a Sword-Leaf Dark Sunflower. If you would be so kind as to let us have it, we will leave. We won't tell anyone else about the treasures of nature that are growing here," Chu Liang replied.
"Hmph." The White Ape flung his hand out dismissively. "Dream on."
Chu Liang pursed his lips.
"Just because we're being polite, you're truly treating these treasures of nature as vegetables you planted in your garden!" Lin Bei rebuked. "We're treating you with too much respect!"
Chu Liang nodded silently.
It was as though Lin Bei had taken the words right out of Chu Liang's mind.
"Raaaaaar!"
With a loud roar, the Golden-Furred Hou charged out once more, causing the earth to quake and the mountains to shake!
The old ape's gaze turned fierce. Taking on a fighting stance, the ape raised its hands and extended one hand as a fist, leaving the other open with the palm facing outward. Seeing the incoming Golden-Furred Hou, the ape pivoted, defending and attacking simultaneously.
Wham.
The massive Golden-Furred Hou was once again sent flying. It crashed onto the ground and rolled over three times before coming to a stop.
Chu Liang was astonished.
This White Ape could only be at the pinnacle of the fourth realm at most. Its cultivation level and skills should be worlds apart compared to those of a fifth-realm spirit beast, yet it had managed to withstand and counter the Golden-Furred Hou's charge. This was because the ape had fought using the leverage principle, redirecting the force of its opponent's attack to work in its favor.
Could the White Ape be a martial arts master?!
Nonetheless, the Golden-Furred Hou absolutely refused to admit defeat, especially since the White Ape's heavy punches hadn't actually caused any damage due to the Hou's strong defenses. The Hou turned over and got back on its feet, preparing to attack again!
The White Ape leaped up and dodged the Hou's charge. Then the ape launched a flying kick, smashing its foot into the Golden-Furred Hou's head with a whip-like motion!
Bam!
The Golden-Furred Hou was a terrifyingly powerful spirit beast, but the White Ape had been born as a demonic beast, so there was no doubt that it was incredibly strong as well. Chu Liang's Power of Ten Tigers couldn't even be compared to the White Ape's prowess.
Chu Liang and Lin Bei grimaced at the thunderous sound of the White Ape's foot smashing into the Hou's head. If they were dealt such a blow, their heads would probably explode on the spot.
The White Ape's speed and strength were inferior to that of the Golden-Furred Hou, but its martial arts skills far surpassed the combat ability of the Hou. When the two beasts collided earlier, the ape had held the upper hand!
However, the Golden-Furred Hou's body had amazing defensive qualities. The Hou turned over and got back on its feet again. It shook its head, totally unfazed by the heavy blow it had just received.
The Hou's heavy head weighed 500 jin[1], but at least 400 jin of that was its natural armor!
Wham! Wham! Wham!
The two beasts collided violently over and over more than ten times, causing an unending string of thunderous noises to echo through the valley. Their fight sent dust flying all over and destroyed countless plants. Luckily, none of those were precious spirit plants.
Both beasts emitted a terrifyingly intense murderous aura that rose toward the sky. This was a purely physical confrontation; it was primal and violent!
During the battle, the White Ape demonstrated many martial arts moves. It was a demonic beast, so it was expected that the ape would possess tremendous strength that could easily split rock and cut into a mountain. The surprising thing was that the ape's martial arts abilities were very unusual. It was executing martial arts techniques brilliantly and masterfully.
Chu Liang had no idea where a mere demonic beast could have learned master-level martial arts techniques.
Nevertheless, the Golden-Furred Hou was no pushover. Even after enduring so many punches and kicks, the Hou was still full of fighting spirit and even fiercer than before! It seemed like an indestructible guardian deity!
As the battle dragged on, the White Ape was the first to show signs of fatigue.
Noticing this, Chu Liang yelled, "Stop!"
Upon hearing Chu Liang's command, the Golden-Furred Hou stopped in its tracks and turned its huge head toward Chu Liang. "Raawr."
The White Ape took a step back, staring at Chu Liang with a dark expression. "What do you mean by this?"
Chu Liang stepped forward and said loudly, "I can tell that my mount can't do much to you and that you're incapable of injuring it as well. It would surely be disadvantageous to you if you were to continue with this fight."
The White Ape's gaze turned grave.
The ape couldn't help but concede that Chu Liang spoke the truth. Considering the high cultivation levels of the two beasts, it was a given that this battle wasn't something the two third-realm cultivators could take part in.
However, the two beasts would eventually become exhausted as the fight dragged on... and it appeared that the White Ape would be the first to do so.
At that point, Chu Liang's party of three would have a numerical advantage over the ape.
"Are you trying to threaten me?" the White Ape asked coldly, refusing to yield.
"No." Chu Liang shook his head with a small smile. "Since things have come to this, I'd like to suggest that we make a bet."
"A bet?"
"This Sword-Leaf Dark Sunflower sprouted from the earth here, so logically, it doesn't belong to either of us," Chu Liang said. "In that case, why don't we make a bet? Whoever manages to pick the flower barehanded today will own it. What do you say?"
1. Approx. 250kg or 500 pounds.1 jin is around half a kg/1 pound. ☜
There were butterflies fluttering in the breeze and an abundance of peculiarly shaped flowers and plants in the colorful valley. Spirit plants rarely found elsewhere could be seen at every couple of steps.
"So, this area truly is filled with a high concentration of spiritual qi," Chu Liang remarked.
He realized that Lin Bei hadn't exaggerated. There were indeed treasures of nature all over this place. However, most of them were seedlings that needed a few hundred years to a thousand years to mature. The rest were dead, either from withering naturally or getting plucked.
"The treasure-guarding demonic beast here is an old ape that's very powerful, so be careful," Lin Bei warned prudently.
These treasures of nature were growing in a remote location, so demonic beasts would find them long before any cultivator could. Nevertheless, the demonic beasts often did not consume the spirit plants immediately because the plants hadn't matured yet or the demonic beasts were still waiting for the right moment to make a breakthrough in their cultivation.
During this interim period, the demonic beasts that found the treasures of nature first would attack any other demonic beast or human who found the treasures later. This was why such demonic beasts were referred to as treasure-guarding demonic beasts.
Nonetheless, it wasn't like those treasure-guarding demonic beasts had planted the spirit plants, and the spirit plants didn't need the demonic beasts' protection to mature. The treasure-guarding demonic beasts were basically like people who claimed "finders, keepers" after spotting money that someone else had dropped.
Money that had been dropped could be picked up straight away; they didn't need to be concerned about someone else chancing upon it and making the same claim. However, the matter at hand was regarding spirit plants that were still growing in the earth. How could someone claim ownership of it?
Chu Liang nodded. "Mm."
He activated his divine sense and spread it out, vigilantly keeping an eye on his surroundings.
When the Golden-Furred Hou entered this fragrant Valley of Spiritual Plants, it was immediately entranced. The Hou's big head turned to the left and right, sniffing intensely for something tasty to gobble up.
Chu Liang admonished the Hou, "Do not harm these immature spirit plants. You can eat whatever you like when we return to Mount Shu."
He was only thinking of taking away the Sword-Leaf Dark Sunflower.
"This was where I fell from. When I landed, I saw a Fiery Lingzhi right in front of me," Lin Bei said. Then he pointed to the right and added, "That Sword-Leaf Dark Sunflower should be over there."
Lin Bei then led Chu Liang a few steps in that direction. Up ahead was a boulder, and behind it was an eye-catching flower with long, narrow green leaves and stunning scarlet petals.
Facing the sunlight, the flowers' stamens and pistils glimmered with a golden light as if swallowing the sun's radiance.
"This is an indication that the Sword-Leaf Dark Sunflower has matured..."
Chu Liang's heart skipped a beat. He could gather enough ingredients to make two high-tier Golden Cores from this one spirit plant.
"The Sword-Leaf Dark Sunflower grows by absorbing the sun's energy. Additionally, the plant contains the spiritual qi of metal spirits. Whenever someone tries to pick the flower part of the plant, the plant's eight incredibly sharp sword-like leaves will close automatically," Chu Liang recited from memory the key points from his research on how to pick the flower.
He continued, "To pick this treasure of nature, a long object must first be used to trick the plant into closing its sword-like leaves. Then to acquire an intact Sword-Leaf Dark Sunflower, the entire plant has to be uprooted."
These treasures of nature were inedible plants that had defense mechanisms. Those who did not handle them properly might get hurt in the picking process. In the case of the Sword-Leaf Dark Sunflower, many people all throughout history had lost their hands when they recklessly tried to pick it.
Chu Liang continued walking forward and was about to reach that boulder. However, he suddenly heard a whoosh as a gust of wind blew down from overhead!
It's coming from above!
Chu Liang looked up and saw numerous vines hanging off the precipitous and barren mountain wall. Swinging down on one of those vines was a huge White Ape that was more than one zhang tall! And it was pouncing toward Chu Liang!
The White Ape had likely spotted Chu Liang and Lin Bei entering the area with the formidable Golden-Furred Hou quite a while back. It had held off on attacking, lying in wait for this opportune moment to launch a surprise attack.
Nevertheless, Chu Liang wasn't caught off guard; his vigilance paid off. Even when success was within his reach, he had not retracted his divine sense even in the slightest.
"Golden-Furred Hou!" Chu Liang yelled.
He stepped back and made a gesture, signaling for the Hou to attack.
Judging from the White Ape's aura, it was probably at the pinnacle of the fourth realm.
This extremely ferocious ape was approaching Chu Liang with a mighty momentum. It wouldn't be a good idea to face the ape alone.
Nevertheless, none of that bothered the Golden-Furred Hou. Even before Chu Liang called for it, the Hou had already noticed the incoming White Ape.
The Hou unleashed a fierce roar that shook the mountains and fields. It charged toward the ape, moving so swiftly that it appeared as a gust of golden wind!
Whaaam.
The white figure and the golden figure slammed against each other like two planets colliding! The dull sound of two massive bodies slamming against each other resounded through the area!
"Raaaaar!"
Unexpectedly, the Golden-Furred Hou was the one that was sent flying backward by the impact of the collision!
Boom!
The Hou crashed into the ground, plowing a deep ditch in the earth. The impact of the collision continued to push the Hou across the ground until a small hill of soil had formed, putting a stop to its momentum.
Fortunately, the Hou's greatest strength was its tough body. It wasn't injured at all. The Hou rolled back onto its feet, ready to attack again with an intense bloodthirst!
The White Ape calmly landed on top of the boulder opposite the Hou.
Despite being a demonic beast, the ape wore a short-sleeved shirt and shorts. It had a strong and muscular physique with arms that looked like young coiling dragons, making for a very intimidating appearance.
The ape took on a stance where it had one hand extending outward, with its palm facing the Golden-Furred Hou. After holding this pose for a while without anything happening, the ape took on a more relaxed posture.
"I don't know which sect you disciples are from, but this valley is my home. So, leave now!" the White Ape shouted.
"Senior, we currently require a Sword-Leaf Dark Sunflower. If you would be so kind as to let us have it, we will leave. We won't tell anyone else about the treasures of nature that are growing here," Chu Liang replied.
"Hmph." The White Ape flung his hand out dismissively. "Dream on."
Chu Liang pursed his lips.
"Just because we're being polite, you're truly treating these treasures of nature as vegetables you planted in your garden!" Lin Bei rebuked. "We're treating you with too much respect!"
Chu Liang nodded silently.
It was as though Lin Bei had taken the words right out of Chu Liang's mind.
"Raaaaaar!"
With a loud roar, the Golden-Furred Hou charged out once more, causing the earth to quake and the mountains to shake!
The old ape's gaze turned fierce. Taking on a fighting stance, the ape raised its hands and extended one hand as a fist, leaving the other open with the palm facing outward. Seeing the incoming Golden-Furred Hou, the ape pivoted, defending and attacking simultaneously.
Wham.
The massive Golden-Furred Hou was once again sent flying. It crashed onto the ground and rolled over three times before coming to a stop.
Chu Liang was astonished.
This White Ape could only be at the pinnacle of the fourth realm at most. Its cultivation level and skills should be worlds apart compared to those of a fifth-realm spirit beast, yet it had managed to withstand and counter the Golden-Furred Hou's charge. This was because the ape had fought using the leverage principle, redirecting the force of its opponent's attack to work in its favor.
Could the White Ape be a martial arts master?!
Nonetheless, the Golden-Furred Hou absolutely refused to admit defeat, especially since the White Ape's heavy punches hadn't actually caused any damage due to the Hou's strong defenses. The Hou turned over and got back on its feet, preparing to attack again!
The White Ape leaped up and dodged the Hou's charge. Then the ape launched a flying kick, smashing its foot into the Golden-Furred Hou's head with a whip-like motion!
Bam!
The Golden-Furred Hou was a terrifyingly powerful spirit beast, but the White Ape had been born as a demonic beast, so there was no doubt that it was incredibly strong as well. Chu Liang's Power of Ten Tigers couldn't even be compared to the White Ape's prowess.
Chu Liang and Lin Bei grimaced at the thunderous sound of the White Ape's foot smashing into the Hou's head. If they were dealt such a blow, their heads would probably explode on the spot.
The White Ape's speed and strength were inferior to that of the Golden-Furred Hou, but its martial arts skills far surpassed the combat ability of the Hou. When the two beasts collided earlier, the ape had held the upper hand!
However, the Golden-Furred Hou's body had amazing defensive qualities. The Hou turned over and got back on its feet again. It shook its head, totally unfazed by the heavy blow it had just received.
The Hou's heavy head weighed 500 jin[1], but at least 400 jin of that was its natural armor!
Wham! Wham! Wham!
The two beasts collided violently over and over more than ten times, causing an unending string of thunderous noises to echo through the valley. Their fight sent dust flying all over and destroyed countless plants. Luckily, none of those were precious spirit plants.
Both beasts emitted a terrifyingly intense murderous aura that rose toward the sky. This was a purely physical confrontation; it was primal and violent!
During the battle, the White Ape demonstrated many martial arts moves. It was a demonic beast, so it was expected that the ape would possess tremendous strength that could easily split rock and cut into a mountain. The surprising thing was that the ape's martial arts abilities were very unusual. It was executing martial arts techniques brilliantly and masterfully.
Chu Liang had no idea where a mere demonic beast could have learned master-level martial arts techniques.
Nevertheless, the Golden-Furred Hou was no pushover. Even after enduring so many punches and kicks, the Hou was still full of fighting spirit and even fiercer than before! It seemed like an indestructible guardian deity!
As the battle dragged on, the White Ape was the first to show signs of fatigue.
Noticing this, Chu Liang yelled, "Stop!"
Upon hearing Chu Liang's command, the Golden-Furred Hou stopped in its tracks and turned its huge head toward Chu Liang. "Raawr."
The White Ape took a step back, staring at Chu Liang with a dark expression. "What do you mean by this?"
Chu Liang stepped forward and said loudly, "I can tell that my mount can't do much to you and that you're incapable of injuring it as well. It would surely be disadvantageous to you if you were to continue with this fight."
The White Ape's gaze turned grave.
The ape couldn't help but concede that Chu Liang spoke the truth. Considering the high cultivation levels of the two beasts, it was a given that this battle wasn't something the two third-realm cultivators could take part in.
However, the two beasts would eventually become exhausted as the fight dragged on... and it appeared that the White Ape would be the first to do so.
At that point, Chu Liang's party of three would have a numerical advantage over the ape.
"Are you trying to threaten me?" the White Ape asked coldly, refusing to yield.
"No." Chu Liang shook his head with a small smile. "Since things have come to this, I'd like to suggest that we make a bet."
"A bet?"
"This Sword-Leaf Dark Sunflower sprouted from the earth here, so logically, it doesn't belong to either of us," Chu Liang said. "In that case, why don't we make a bet? Whoever manages to pick the flower barehanded today will own it. What do you say?"
1. Approx. 250kg or 500 pounds.1 jin is around half a kg/1 pound. ☜
