Chapter 87: Fire Spirit Ear Acquired

In the deep valley, Zhou Yuan gazed at the "Fire Spirit Rice" swaying in the wind, his eyes burning with fervor. After a moment, he suppressed his surging emotions and quickly stepped forward.

From his Cosmos Bag, he took out a jade altar, roughly human height, on which were inscribed origin patterns for preserving Genesis Qi.

Then he took out a shovel, approached the Fire Spirit Rice, and carefully began to scoop all the surrounding soil into the jade altar. He moved gently, afraid of damaging its roots.

With Zhou Yuan's meticulous care, the soil around the Fire Spirit Rice was eventually cleared. He then cautiously removed the plant, placed it in the jade altar, and refilled it with the soil.

After completing these tasks, Zhou Yuan was drenched in sweat, feeling more exhausted than after his intense battle with Qi Hao.

Zhou Yuan stared at the Fire Spirit Rice in the jade altar. Its Fire Spirit Seeds were plump and emitted a faint glow. Although there was only one plant, it could be used to cultivate many more seeds.

However, it was said that cultivating this level of Genesis Food required special methods. The derived seeds had to be planted within a certain range of the original "Fire Spirit Rice"; if moved beyond this range, they would wither and die, preventing any harvest.

"Is this the Fire Spirit Rice?" Wei Qingqing and Su Youwei also gathered around, their beautiful eyes curiously fixed on the swaying, fiery-red plant in the jade altar.

Zhou Yuan nodded with a smile and said, "The General's Residence has rendered great service this time. When the Fire Spirit Rice matures, the General's Residence will certainly receive a share."

Wei Qingqing replied with a bright smile, "Then I'll thank Your Highness in advance. To tell you the truth, I've never eaten a fourth-grade Genesis Food before. I imagine the effects will be quite extraordinary."

Seeing Su Youwei also intently observing the Fire Spirit Rice, Zhou Yuan smiled and said, "Don't worry, you'll get a share too."

Su Youwei's pretty face flushed, and she quickly explained, "I—I was just curious about its taste. I don't covet it."

As they spoke, outside the valley, many eyes observed Zhou Yuan collecting the "Fire Spirit Rice," leading to an inevitable stir of unrest. Everyone knew the immense value of the Fire Spirit Rice; even if not used personally, selling it would fetch an unimaginable fortune. Ambitious factions from all sides would likely come forward, willing to risk everything to acquire it.

Consequently, some of the more powerful individuals began to stir, with Genesis Qi faintly rising around them.

At this moment, Zhou Yuan's group was at their weakest; if one could break in, they would surely seize the treasure and escape.

However, just as these thoughts surged in their minds, Yaoyao, standing on the hillside, swept her cool, beautiful gaze over them. With a flick of her slender hand, a scroll appeared in her grasp.

The scroll slowly unfurled, and a supremely intricate origin pattern suddenly emerged on its surface. Immediately, the Genesis Qi in the world seemed to be drawn in, converging frantically. Yaoyao flicked her hand, sending the scroll flying, and brilliant light burst forth.

Rumbling!

The origin pattern absorbed the world's Genesis Qi, transforming into a dark cloud. Within the cloud, thunder rumbled and lightning flickered erratically, exuding an immense sense of pressure.

Outside the valley, the various experts who had been contemplating action saw this scene, their faces immediately changing drastically as they cried out in horror, "A fourth-grade origin pattern?!"

That origin pattern had to be a fourth-grade one; otherwise, it wouldn't possess such astonishing pressure.

Gazes filled with dread turned towards the stunning girl in green atop the hill. No one had expected that this seemingly Genesis Qi-less girl could achieve such a terrifying mastery in origin patterns.

The dark cloud hovered above the valley, its thunderous roars directly deterring the various experts from making any move. They knew that if they took a single step, the thunder within the dark cloud, formed by the origin pattern, would surely strike them down.

Faced with such an assault, even Heavenly Gate realm experts would be struck down one by one.

In the depths of the valley, Zhou Yuan also noticed the commotion outside. He let out a cold snort, quickly placed the jade altar into his Cosmos Bag, and said, "Let's go, let's see the situation."

He was the first to shoot out, landing on a nearby hillside.

His gaze first went to Tun Tun's battlefield, as that was where the commotion was greatest.

However, a single glance startled him. At the crumbling cliff face, the originally massive Giant Python War Puppet was now only about ten meters long, with most of its body torn apart.

It was fortunate that it was a puppet and felt no pain; otherwise, it would have surely died from agony by now.

Tun Tun, on the other hand, was playing with the Giant Python War Puppet like a cat with a mouse, batting it around like a ball, constantly slamming it against the cliff face. The booming sounds were terrifying.

"Tun Tun is so scary!" Su Youwei exclaimed, watching the scene. Ordinarily, Tun Tun was lazy and adorable, but no one expected it to be so ferocious in battle mode.

Zhou Yuan's mouth twitched. Thinking about how he often shortchanged Tun Tun's food rations, he suddenly felt a little guilty. What if this little creature got angry one day, grew huge, and swatted him to death? Wouldn't that be a terrible injustice?

"It seems I can't skimp on its food anymore," Zhou Yuan mused.

By now, Tun Tun seemed bored with its game. Its beast claw tore down fiercely, wrapped in black light. With a ripping sound, the Giant Python War Puppet's head was torn open.

The Giant Python War Puppet finally collapsed. Tun Tun's massive claw pushed its head aside, revealing a head-sized crystal shimmering with light. Inside the crystal was a distinct phantom image of a giant python—its beast soul.

Tun Tun eyed the beast soul crystal, intending to swallow it whole.

Zhou Yuan, watching from the hillside, was instantly terrified out of his wits. He roared, "Spare its mouth!"

He shot forth, landing near Tun Tun.

Tun Tun was startled by Zhou Yuan's sudden roar, and the latter, seizing its moment of stunned confusion, quickly rushed to the beast soul crystal and snatched it into his Cosmos Bag.

This fourth-grade python-type beast soul was one of his objectives for entering the Black Abyss. Now that he had finally obtained it, he would be completely bewildered if Tun Tun ate it.

Otherwise, how much more time would it take him to find a second fourth-grade python-type Genesis Beast?

Tun Tun lowered its head and saw that the beast soul crystal had been taken by Zhou Yuan. It immediately became furious and roared at Zhou Yuan; this fellow dared to steal its food.

"One hundred plates of jerky!"

Faced with the enraged Tun Tun, Zhou Yuan immediately shouted.

Tun Tun's roar ceased, and its beast eyes seemed to twinkle with light. It calculated the quantity of one hundred plates of jerky, and finally nodded, signifying its agreement to the trade.

Zhou Yuan breathed a sigh of relief and contentedly patted Tun Tun's beast claw. With this fourth-grade python-type Genesis Beast soul in hand, he could finally cultivate the "Heaven-Piercing Mysterious Python Qi" from the first layer of the Ancestral Dragon Scripture.

As long as he succeeded in cultivating it, his combat strength would undoubtedly soar, making him virtually unrivaled among those in the Qi Nurturing realm.

When the battle between Tun Tun and the Giant Python War Puppet concluded, the entire situation completely collapsed. Qi Ling also discovered the brutal truth at this moment: Qi Hao had been slain by Zhou Yuan.

His eyes were bloodshot, but he decisively waved his hand and shouted, "Retreat!"

As his voice fell, a pungent mist erupted beneath their feet, and their figures rapidly vanished.

Zhou Yuan was indifferent to their escape. His gaze was fixed solely on the Black Poison King in the distant sky, who was being tightly entangled by Wei Canglan.

This Black Poison King was a scourge to their Great Zhou Dynasty, constantly encroaching on their borders, plundering, and killing. Over the years, countless citizens of the Great Zhou Dynasty had died by his hand.

This time was the best opportunity to eliminate him and restore peace to the Great Zhou Dynasty's borders.

A chill flashed in Zhou Yuan's eyes. He then patted Tun Tun's beast claw, pointed a finger at the Black Poison King, and slowly said, "Tun Tun, he's worth two hundred plates of jerky!"

Upon hearing this, Tun Tun's beast eyes instantly burst with dazzling light. It stared intently at the rapidly moving Black Poison King in the sky, as if seeing plates of jerky fluttering before its eyes.

Then, Tun Tun let out a skyward roar, stomped its beast claw, and transformed into a streak of fiery light, soaring into the sky.