The massive corpse of the Star Crystal Python lay across the center of the passage, its dark golden scales gleaming coldly under the illumination beads. The air was thick with the stench of blood and a strange metallic scent.
After killing this ferocious beast at the peak of the Dao Proving Realm, everyone's tense nerves finally relaxed, and their gazes fell on the corpse with a hint of eagerness—this was a treasure that could be used to refine Dao Proving Realm level magic artifacts and help cultivators break through to higher realms.
"How do we cut this snake?" Shi Meng scratched the back of his head and looked at Bai Feng. "We can't just chop it into pieces, can we?"
Bai Feng pondered for a moment, then glanced at everyone: "The Star Crystal Python's scales are the hardest, making them suitable for weapon crafting; its gallbladder is a primary ingredient for alchemy; its bones can be used to make body-tempering soup; and its blood can purify spiritual energy... Everyone, tell me, what do you each want?"
The guards started discussing amongst themselves, most wanting either scales or snake gallbladders—these were the most valuable and practical items.
Bai Feng looked at Xiao Chen: "Brother Xiao, you and Brother Shi have made the greatest contributions, so you can choose first."
Xiao Chen glanced at the corpse of the Star Crystal Python, then at Shi Tou who was swallowing hard, and laughed, "We just want the snake meat."
"What?"
Everyone was stunned, even Bai Yiluo's eyes widened in surprise.
Snake meat?
In the Xuanqiong Realm, cultivators who have reached the Mahayana stage can already absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to nourish themselves and rarely rely on food anymore, let alone the meat of ferocious beasts. Even if they were to eat it, they would choose the most quintessential parts. Who would want the meat of a whole snake?
Shi Meng was even more blunt: "Brother Xiao, are you crazy? The scales and gallbladder of this snake are the only valuable parts! What's the use of the meat? You can't use it to refine weapons or pills!"
Xiao Chen didn't explain, but simply said, "We both just love this."
Having followed Lin Zhou for so many years, he had long been conditioned to the habit of "not wasting good ingredients." Lin Zhou often said, "The physical body is the foundation of cultivation. Grains, food, and the flesh and blood of living beings are gifts from heaven and earth, so why deliberately discard them?"
The same applies to stones. Body cultivation inherently requires a massive amount of energy, and the flesh of ferocious beasts is more practical to him than any elixir.
Bai Feng was taken aback for a moment, then laughed and said, "Since Brother Xiao likes it, then the snake meat is yours. We'll divide the rest among ourselves."
Although he didn't understand, he didn't ask any more questions—everyone has their own habits, as long as it doesn't affect the allocation.
The group quickly agreed that the scales would go to the weapon refiners of the three major families; the snake gallbladders would be kept by Bai Yiluo and refined into pills to be distributed according to contributions; and the snake bones and blood would be distributed to the guards as a reward for their hard work.
The guards took out specially made knives and began to process the snake carcass. The scales were peeled off piece by piece, piled up like a small mountain; the gall bladder, as big as a fist, was carefully extracted, gleaming with a bright green luster; the snake bones were chopped into several pieces, from which golden blood seeped…
Xiao Chen and Shi Tou found a clean stone slab and piled the cut snake meat on it. Shi Tou stroked his chin and chuckled, "This meat looks so chewy. We'll grill it when we get back, add some sauce, and it'll be delicious!"
Xiao Chen shook his head helplessly; this guy never forgets to eat, no matter where he goes.
After dealing with the snake carcass, the group rested for a moment before continuing deeper into the area. After only a few steps, Bai Yiluo suddenly exclaimed "Eh!" and pointed to the rock wall on her left: "There seems to be a cave over there."
The group crowded around and saw a small opening in the rock wall, just big enough for one person to pass through. A soft golden light emanated from inside, and the energy fluctuations they had sensed earlier were coming from that opening.
"Let's go in and take a look!" Shi Meng was the first to go inside, and the others followed one after another.
The cave was not large, only a few dozen feet in size. In the center grew a small tree about ten feet tall, with a reddish-gold trunk and fist-sized fruits hanging among its branches and leaves.
The fruit is perfectly round, with a faint golden glow and fine lines flowing across its surface. The energy it emits is warm and mellow, and just one whiff of it makes one feel clear-headed.
"This is... the 'Barrier-Breaking Fruit'!" Bai Feng exclaimed in shock. "Ancient texts record that if a cultivator at the Dao Proving Realm consumes it, it can greatly increase their chances of breaking through to the Creation Realm!"
Everyone's breathing quickened instantly—no wonder the Star Crystal Python was guarding this place! This ferocious beast at the peak of the Dao Proving Realm had probably been eyeing these fruits for a long time, hoping to gamble with them when it failed to advance to the Creation Realm!
Their gaze fell upon the fruit trees, where more than thirty broken-barrier fruits hung on the branches, like more than thirty shimmering stars, tempting everyone present.
Almost instantly, everyone gripped their weapons tightly, their eyes warily scanning the people around them—treasures of this caliber were enough to shatter any cooperation, and fighting amongst themselves for them was all too common in the cultivation world.
Shi Meng placed his hand on the axe handle, Tang Ling's bell rang softly, Bai Feng's longsword trembled slightly, and the guards stood in a standoff, the atmosphere instantly dropping to freezing point.
"Don't move!"
Just then, Tang Ling suddenly spoke, her voice slightly hurried: "There are thirty-five fruits, enough to share!"
Everyone was taken aback, looked at the fruit tree, and counted carefully. Sure enough, there were thirty-five fruits.
Tang Ling took a deep breath, suppressing the heat in her heart: "Each of the three major families sent seven people, plus Brother Xiao and Brother Shi, making a total of twenty-three. But the Breakthrough Fruit is a spiritual treasure of heaven and earth, so it should be distributed according to the families, not according to the number of people."
She looked at Bai Feng and Shi Meng: "Ten each for the Bai family, the Shi family, and the Tang family. The remaining five are for Brother Xiao and Brother Shi—they made the greatest contribution in killing the Star Crystal Python, so you have no objections, right?"
Shi Meng frowned, wanting to say something, but was stopped by Tang Ling's gaze. He also understood that if a fight really broke out, let alone sharing the spoils, it was hard to say whether they could even get out alive. Tang Ling's suggestion was the safest option.
Bai Feng nodded: "I have no objection. Brother Xiao and Brother Shi should indeed take more."
Xiao Chen glanced at the Barrier-Breaking Fruit on the tree. The energy fluctuations of the fruit were indeed pure and would greatly benefit the breakthrough to the Dao Proving Realm, but he was only in the late stage of Tribulation Transcending and could not use it for the time being.
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