177: Red Heart Mystic Fruit

Jiang Donghua stood on a rock slope, his gaze sweeping around, his expression gradually turning grim.

Just now, he clearly sensed the auras of several Dou Ling Level Magical Beasts, but before he could get close, those creatures fled frantically deeper into the mountain range as if they had seen a ghost.

“Damn it, they run faster than rabbits!”

He cursed, kicking and shattering a boulder beside him, sending fragments flying and dust billowing.

These Magical Beasts were all avoiding him!

Logically, Dou Ling Level Magical Beasts were considered overlords in the outer reaches of this mountain range, usually fierce and violent, pouncing on anyone they saw.

But today, it was as if they had collectively agreed, not even daring to show their faces, and just took off running.

“Am I that scary?”

Jiang Donghua looked down at the azure flames still lingering on his body, then felt the surging Cold Flame Flood Dragon Fire within him, and suddenly understood what the aura was!

The Cold Flame Flood Dragon Fire was already overbearing, and coupled with the killing intent and flame pressure remaining on him from just having slain the Water Lizard and Red Flame Giant Scorpion, it was enough for those sensitive Magical Beasts to detect danger in advance and simply run away.

“Tsk, a miscalculation.”

He had originally wanted to find a few more Dou Ling Magical Beasts to practice with and test the effects of the Cold Flame Flood Dragon Fire on enemies with different attributes.

But now, all the Magical Beasts in the outer area had been scared off; the remaining ones were either low-tier Magical Beasts too foolish to know their place, or cunning ones hiding extremely deep.

“Run? Can you run?”

Jiang Donghua sneered, a ruthless glint flashing in his eyes.

Since these Magical Beasts didn't dare to come find him, then he would actively hunt them down!

“Boom—!”

Flames erupted beneath his feet, and his figure shot forward like an arrow, directly charging towards the deepest part of the mountain range.

There, several even more powerful auras existed, even faintly carrying a sense of oppression.

Outer Academy of Jia Nan Academy, outer reaches of the mountain range.

Several young students in academy uniforms were gathered around a makeshift trap, looking strangely at the low-tier Magical Beast struggling inside.

A Wind Shadow Fox, which should have been cunning and cautious, was now as if scared out of its wits by something, frantically crashing into the beast-trapping formation they had set up.

“Strange, why are these Magical Beasts acting so crazy today?”

A short-haired young man scratched his head, full of confusion.

“Yeah, just now I saw an Iron Armored Rhinoceros; normally it would charge directly at people, but today it actually turned tail and ran, almost knocking itself over instead of me!”

Another female student patted her chest, saying with lingering fear.

“Did you guys feel it?”

In the team, a student with keen perception suddenly lowered his voice, his gaze vigilantly sweeping towards the depths of the mountain range.

“It seemed like an extremely terrifying aura just flashed by?”

Everyone heard this and began to recall.

Indeed, not long ago, they had vaguely sensed a strange fluctuation, a chilling coldness mixed with intense heat; although it was only for an instant, it instinctively made their hearts palpitate.

“Could it be that the Fourth-Tier Magical Beast overlords in the depths of the mountain range are fighting over territory?”

The short-haired young man guessed.

“Possibly!”

The female student nodded.

“I heard that some time ago, a Red Flame Giant Scorpion and an Ice Cold Python were fighting in the depths, causing all the low-tier Magical Beasts in the outer area to scatter.”

“But luckily, we’re only in the outer area; if we really encountered Magical Beasts of that level, I’m afraid we wouldn’t even have a chance to run.”

She paused, smiling somewhat thankfully,

“That blue flame, did you see it?”

Another student suddenly spoke, his eyes filled with shock.

Everyone fell silent for a moment, then shook their heads.

“Don’t talk nonsense, where would a blue flame come from? It’s probably a Dou Technique of some Fire Attribute Magical Beast.”

“You’re right, if an existence of that level really appeared in the outer area, we would have long been dead.”

The short-haired young man shrugged, no longer thinking about it, and turned to look at the Wind Shadow Fox, which had given up struggling in the trap, and grinned.

“Who cares, anyway, today’s harvest is good; this Wind Shadow Fox’s fur can be exchanged for quite a few contribution points!”

“Haha, you’re right! Let’s go, back to the Academy to turn in the mission!”

The group packed up their spoils of war and walked towards Jia Nan Academy, chatting and laughing.

What they didn’t know was that not long after they left.

“Boom—!”

A figure burning with azure flames streaked across the sky like a meteor, heading straight for the deepest part of the mountain range!

That was the true eye of the storm!

Jiang Donghua, searching rapidly, narrowed his eyes, his gaze locking onto the scarlet heart mystic spirit fruit on the mountainside.

“scarlet heart mystic spirit fruit?”

He murmured softly, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

As a Fourth-Grade Alchemist, he naturally recognized this fruit; this was a truly good item!

The scarlet heart mystic spirit fruit grows in places rich in Fire Attribute Dou Qi, blooming after thirty years and bearing fruit after another thirty years. When ripe, it is entirely scarlet-yellow, and its flesh contains extremely pure fire attribute energy.

Not to mention refining some powerful pills, even direct consumption has more than a fifty percent chance of allowing a Peak Dou Ling expert to directly enter the Dou Wang realm!

“A spirit medicine of this level, actually growing just like that here?”

Jiang Donghua frowned slightly, a sudden sense of alarm rising in his heart. Something was wrong!

The more precious the spirit medicine, the stronger the Magical Beast guarding it; this was common knowledge.

But around this scarlet heart mystic spirit fruit, there wasn’t even a shadow of a Magical Beast?

“Heh, do you really think I’m a fool?”

He sneered, not rushing forward, but instead his sharp gaze swept around, his soul perception quietly spreading out, inch by inch exploring every corner of the mountain ravine.

“Hiss...”

A subtle, almost imperceptible flicking sound of a snake’s tongue, almost blending into the rock crevices, was keenly caught by him.

Jiang Donghua’s eyes turned cold, his gaze slowly shifting to a “boulder” in the shadow of the mountain ravine.

That was not a rock at all, but a Mountain Coiling Rock Python!

This python was entirely grayish-brown, its scales almost integrated with the mountain rock, making it difficult to detect without a careful look.

Currently, it was coiled on the rock wall beneath the scarlet heart mystic spirit fruit, its cold snake eyes fixed on Jiang Donghua, its tongue flicking slightly, clearly having already regarded him as prey.

“Fourth-Tier Peak, no wonder.”

Jiang Donghua’s lips curled slightly, battle intent rising in his eyes.

“So you’re waiting for prey to come to you?”

Seeing its disguise exposed, the Mountain Coiling Rock Python no longer hid, its massive body slowly writhing, its scales rubbing together with a harsh rustling sound.

It opened its huge mouth, revealing menacing venomous fangs, and a faint earthy-yellow Dou Qi condensed deep in its throat.

That was its innate ability, Rock Poison Breath!

“Heh, finally willing to come out?”

Jiang Donghua clenched his hands, and azure flames instantly wrapped around them, the Cold Flame Flood Dragon Fire burning fiercely!

“Perfect, I’ll test you out; this scarlet heart mystic spirit fruit, I’m taking it!”

Jiang Donghua unleashed a fire blade, and the azure flames roared forth, but the Mountain Coiling Rock Python twisted its body, earthy-yellow Dou Qi surging on its grayish-brown scales, actually offsetting most of the Cold Flame Flood Dragon Fire’s power!

“Chh—!”

The flames collided with the rock armor, emitting a dull grinding sound, sparks flying, but it failed to directly tear through the defense as it had against the Water Lizard before!

“Hmm?”

Jiang Donghua frowned, retreating several steps, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.

This rock python’s defense was even more troublesome than he had imagined!

The Mountain Coiling Rock Python did not pursue, but remained coiled in place, its snake eyes coldly staring at him, earthy-yellow Dou Qi surging deep in its throat, seemingly brewing its next offensive.