The outside world.
Wu Tao and Zhang Wan'er faced each other for half an hour.
Wu Tao looked at Zhang Wan'er. He was sure that Zhang Wan'er was indeed injured, but in terms of severity, his injuries were worse, and he almost couldn't hold on.
Slowly wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, Zhang Wan'er, standing hundreds of meters away, frowned slightly, and at the same time looked at Wu Tao, but felt no discomfort from him.
"There will be opportunities. In the future, junior sister will have to get along well with senior brother again. Goodbye, senior brother."
As she spoke, like a spider spitting silk, the white silk ribbon from her waist shot far into the dense forest, winding somewhere.
Then, Zhang Wan'er lightly tapped her feet, as if pulled by a giant force, and along the silk ribbon, she floated into the clouds like an immortal maiden, disappearing instantly into the distance.
Before leaving, Zhang Wan'er did not forget to look back, giggled, and said again, "Senior brother, we will definitely meet again in the future."
Hearing this, Wu Tao clasped his hands behind his back and quietly watched Zhang Wan'er elegantly depart. He did not move at all during the entire process, letting the strong wind blow through his black hair.
A moment later, Wu Tao, who had been acting like a mountain, unmoving and unfazed even if Mount Tai collapsed, suddenly tilted his ear and listened intently with a hint of anxiety. After confirming Zhang Wan'er was gone, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Relaxed, Wu Tao's body softened, and he almost collapsed.
...
Barely able to stand upright, Wu Tao took a step forward. This slight movement was like being pushed by someone off a cliff, and his entire being underwent a dramatic change.
First, Wu Tao suddenly hunched over, no longer maintaining his imposing demeanor. Then, the paleness on his face intensified, as if he had aged a decade in an instant.
"It was too much of a strain. Fortunately, I managed to put on an act." He tried to even out his breathing and stood there with a bitter smile. Suffering from severe internal injuries, the movement aggravated his condition, and he coughed up another mouthful of blood.
Wu Tao dared not linger. While his consciousness was still clear, he hurried away.
Along the way, he broke countless trees as he pressed on into the depths of the dense forest, heading towards a place rarely visited by humans.
Until he could no longer hold on and his consciousness began to blur, Wu Tao finally found an unoccupied cave.
Wu Tao stumbled into the cave. Before losing consciousness, he forced out the last wisp of spiritual energy from his body and used it to activate a low-grade Earth Wall Talisman.
With a rumbling sound, an earthen wall slowly rose, sealing the already small cave entrance. The cave instantly darkened.
...
Having done all this, Wu Tao finally relaxed completely, lying on the ground with his limbs spread out.
Although his body grew more uncomfortable with each breath, his mood was much calmer at this moment.
Wu Tao, having lost a large amount of vital blood, slowly fell asleep. In the dark and quiet cave, only the "thump-thump-thump" of his heartbeat could be heard. Beyond that, everything was silent.
...
Five days later.
Deep within the dark cave dwelling, a figure sat cross-legged, emitting a faint, golden light.
After a long while, Wu Tao retracted all the spiritual energy around him, ceasing the circulation of his cultivation technique. At this point, his hidden ailments had finally returned to normal.
Thinking back to the danger a few days ago, even Wu Tao, with his firm will, could not help but shudder.
He had narrowly escaped death, almost dying for real.
Fortunately, the gains this time were quite substantial. Otherwise, Wu Tao would have really felt like smashing his head against a wall.
Now that he had recovered to his normal state, it was time to truly claim his spoils.
Wu Tao excitedly took out a jade bottle from his storage bag, uncorked it, and inhaled the fragrance of the "Stone Stalactite Spirit Liquid," sighing that it had not been easy.
Subsequently, Wu Tao remained in seclusion in this cave for another ten days, adjusting his physical condition to its most perfect state before emerging.
...
The ring-shaped mountain range presented a very complex environment. There were forests, swamps, barren mountains, and countless bodies of water.
In the past few days, a figure could often be seen traversing this ring-shaped mountain range, killing one demon beast after another.
"My luck is truly terrible. I've been searching for so long and still haven't found the legendary Spirit Medicine Marsh."
The "Armor-Piercing Dragon Cone" smashed into the head of a demon beast, splashing blood. Wu Tao's expression was tinged with annoyance.
Ever since his body had largely recovered, Wu Tao had been searching for the legendary and very special Spirit Medicine Marsh, hoping to improve his aptitude and cultivation through it.
Spiritual herbs and medicines were the essence condensed from absorbing the vital energy of heaven and earth.
Theoretically, cultivators, by means of alchemy, could refine spiritual herbs and medicines into pills, which at most would further stimulate the spiritual energy within the herbs and medicines, allowing cultivators to break through existing bottlenecks by consuming the "medicinal power" of the pills.
...
But the Spirit Medicine Marsh was different.
The formation of a Spirit Medicine Marsh was extremely rare. It was formed when large quantities of spiritual herbs and medicines, not consumed by humans or demon beasts over many years, accumulated and decomposed under special environmental conditions.
Spirit Medicine Marshes were very rare and exceptionally precious in the cultivation world, and even high-level cultivators rarely encountered them.
...
Because the method of killing this demon beast was too violent, the strong smell of blood in the air attracted many demon beasts to investigate.
Wu Tao closed his eyes and used his powerful divine sense to perceive a relatively strong demonic aura within thirty meters. It should be a top-tier demon beast of the Qi Refining stage.
Swish!
With a leap, Wu Tao, using the power of his "Wind Riding Bluebird Boots," actually leaped into the air from nothing, gliding more than fifty to sixty meters like a great bird.
He pounced ferociously towards a towering tree.
*Puff!*
The towering tree was split in two by Wu Tao's punch, revealing a beast resembling a wolf and a tiger behind it.
A top-tier Qi Refining stage demon beast, a Tiger-Wolf Twin-Headed Beast!
Wu Tao's fists moved abruptly, his waist bent like a bow, his legs standing like a pine, accumulating power. Combined with the magic artifact "Armor-Piercing Dragon Cone," it transformed into a brilliant ten-zhang golden-yellow light, blasting forward with unparalleled might. Vaguely, the image of a dragon and tiger appeared behind him.
This Tiger-Wolf Twin-Headed Beast never expected Wu Tao's attack to be so decisive, so fast, and so fierce...
As the Tiger-Wolf Twin-Headed Beast began to move its body, its chest was struck by an iron fist.
Injured and bleeding, the Tiger-Wolf Twin-Headed Beast became extremely ferocious, its claws, suffused with earthy yellow and fiery red light, lunging towards Wu Tao's chest.
"You court death! Dragon Tiger Style - Dragon Tiger Sky Annihilation Strike!"
Wu Tao ignored its attack, poured spiritual energy into the "Armor-Piercing Dragon Cone," reversed his position, straightened his arms, and forcefully tore open the Tiger-Wolf Twin-Headed Beast's waist, while simultaneously attacking its two outstretched claws.
After battling Wu Tao for dozens of rounds, the powerful top-tier Qi Refining stage demon beast, the Tiger-Wolf Twin-Headed Beast, was caught in a fatal flaw by Wu Tao. A punch to its vital spot caused its body to soften, and it collapsed powerlessly to the ground, clearly beyond salvation.
...
After the Tiger-Wolf Twin-Headed Beast died, Wu Tao's gaze followed its fatal wound, and his eyes suddenly lit up. He said with pleasant surprise, "Fortune truly favors me. This Tiger-Wolf Twin-Headed Beast has two inner cores within its body."
With all his might, Wu Tao tore the carcass of the Tiger-Wolf Twin-Headed Beast in half. He reached in and retrieved one inner core, about the size of an egg, milky yellow in color. The other was slightly smaller and fiery red.
According to the Encyclopedia of Demon Beasts, the probability of a mutated twin-headed demon beast producing two inner cores was significantly higher than that of a normal twin-headed beast, and it was indeed true.
Each of these inner cores could sell for at least fifty to sixty spirit stones, totaling one hundred and thirty to one hundred and forty spirit stones.
Looking at the two inner cores in his hand, Wu Tao's mood improved considerably. While over a hundred spirit stones were not a fortune, it was the entire net worth of an ordinary Qi Refining stage disciple.
...
Even though Wu Tao often ventured out to seek treasures and fought with rogue cultivators and demonic cultivators, his wealth was far richer than that of ordinary outer disciples.
However, this gain of one hundred and thirty to one hundred and forty spirit stones made Wu Tao, whose cultivation resources were being "consumed" very rapidly, very happy.
He took out two jade boxes from his embrace, carefully placed the two inner cores inside, and then closed the lids to prevent the demonic energy and spiritual energy from leaking out.
Then, Wu Tao's gaze fell upon the remaining valuable parts of the Tiger-Wolf Twin-Headed Beast's carcass.
"Materials from a top-tier Qi Refining stage demon beast should sell for at least a few dozen spirit stones. I can't waste them."
"After all, I cultivate both body and law, and my consumption of cultivation resources is three times that of cultivators at the same stage. I am a typical bottomless pit."
Wu Tao muttered to himself as he squatted down to collect the materials from the Tiger-Wolf Twin-Headed Beast's carcass.
Anything of value, not the slightest bit could be missed in Wu Tao's eyes.
After all, even a mosquito's leg is still meat.
(New book is being updated, please collect, please vote for recommendation, please share, give more, thank you friends, your support is my motivation!)