Lingyun Peak, like a slumbering giant beast, lay across the center of the secret realm.

The closer one got, the more refined the Qi permeating the air became, almost turning into a tangible, thin mist.

The towering ancient trees grew increasingly sparse, replaced by black mountain rocks and tenacious, low-growing spiritual plants clinging to the crevices.

Chen Ping moved through this landscape, each step landing on a safe point previously scouted by his Divine Sense, silently and stealthily advancing toward the mountainside.

On the Black Earth within the Jade Pendant space, the two newly added Amethyst Flowers and one Sunfire Grass were growing well. Their leaves unfurled, radiating vigorous vitality.

Combined with his earlier harvests from the periphery and gains from slain cultivators, he now had twelve portions of the main ingredients for a Foundation Establishment Pill.

Among them were four Amethyst Flowers, four Sunfire Grasses, and those two True Essence Fruits that had been accelerated to maturity within the Jade Pendant space.

True Essence Fruits were precious; each one worth at least two portions of ordinary main ingredients.

Overall, he had just gathered enough main ingredients for one Foundation Establishment Pill.

Chen Ping’s caution did not relax because of his gains.

But sometimes, caution is not omnipotent.

Several days later, during an attempt to seize a spiritual herb, Chen Ping nearly lost his life.

Beside a steep mountain stream, he discovered an Amethyst Flower half-concealed by several jagged rocks. Guarding it was an “Ironclad Rhinoceros,” resembling a wild ox with a single horn on its head. Its aura was fierce and savage, having reached the peak of Tier 1.

Chen Ping did not confront it head-on. He patiently waited for the moment it turned to gnaw on moss on the rock wall. Two peak Tier 1 “Ice Spike Talismans” were silently activated, instantly freezing its hind legs!

Simultaneously, the “Water Divider” and “Metal Splitter” flying swords transformed into two streaks of cold light, precisely scissoring toward its vulnerable neck.

The Ironclad Rhinoceros let out a pained roar as its massive body crashed to the ground, blood dyeing the mountain stream red.

Chen Ping swiftly stepped forward, intending to pick the Amethyst Flower.

Logically speaking, he had already used his Divine Sense to probe all potential threats in the surroundings.

However, accidents often happen without reason.

Hiss—!

A sinister, cold, and terrifyingly pressurized fishy wind swept over without warning from the depths of the mountain stream!

Chen Ping’s scalp instantly prickled. His Divine Sense frantically signaled danger.

He jerked his head up to see a massive figure, thicker than a bucket, covered in dark cyan, ferocious scales, silently sliding out from the dark water pool at the bottom of the stream.

Its crimson vertical pupils coldly locked onto Chen Ping and the Ironclad Rhinoceros corpse at his feet.

Tier 2 Low-grade—Azure Scale Dragon Python!

The Dragon Python hiding in the deep pool had actually blocked Chen Ping’s detection, creating this lethal situation.

Without any hesitation, Chen Ping yanked the Amethyst Flower and stuffed it into his storage Jade Pendant, while his body violently retreated backward.

His left hand flicked upward, and two peak Tier 1 “Thick Earth Shield Talismans” instantly activated. Two solidified, earthen-yellow giant shields materialized out of thin air, blocking the path in front of him.

Almost at the moment the earth shields formed, the Dragon Python’s thick tail, carrying a shriek that tore through the air, swept toward him.

Boom!

Crack!

The two Thick Earth giant shields shattered upon impact. The residual force slammed fiercely into the protective spiritual light Chen Ping had hastily raised.

Pfft!

A sweet taste rose in Chen Ping’s throat. His body flew backward like a kite with its string cut, heavily crashing into the mountain wall behind him, causing loose stones to patter down.

The protective spiritual light flickered violently, nearly shattering.

The Dragon Python, having succeeded with one strike, raised its huge snake head, its crimson forked tongue flicking in and out. A flash of cruel mockery passed through its cold vertical pupils. Its massive body shot forward again like an arrow from a bowstring, skimming the ground.

Its speed far surpassed Chen Ping’s.

Escape!

He could only escape.

Suppressing the churning blood and Qi in his body, Chen Ping slapped the ground fiercely, propelling himself up. He pushed his speed to the limit, desperately fleeing for his life back the way he came.

At the same time, his right hand waved continuously like a phantom.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Talismans flew out behind him as if they cost nothing. Fire snakes roared, ice spikes thrust, golden needles fell like rain, wind blades sliced!

Attack Talismans of various attributes exploded wildly behind him, attempting to block the Dragon Python’s pursuit.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The Dragon Python’s massive body was slightly hindered by the explosions, leaving some scorch marks and frost on its dark cyan scale armor, but it couldn’t cause any substantial damage.

It let out an angry hiss. Its huge snake tail violently whipped the ground, using the force to accelerate, instantly closing the distance again.

The stench of its foul breath almost sprayed onto the back of Chen Ping’s neck.

“Damn it! Can’t shake it off!”

Chen Ping’s heart turned cold.

He had tried activating the “Aura Concealment Talisman” and the shielding power of the “Formless Mask,” but snakes tracked prey relying on heat sensing and scent locking. These concealment methods were almost ineffective against this Tier 2 Dragon Python.

The rate of talisman consumption was so fast it made his heart ache. Each one thrown felt like cutting flesh, but preserving his life was paramount.

He could only grit his teeth, continuously scattering talismans backward, while his brain worked frantically.

“That’s right! That ape!”

A scene suddenly flashed through Chen Ping’s mind.

On his way to the mountain stream, he had distantly sensed a valley filled with violent fire Qi. His Divine Sense had vaguely swept over a slumbering, crimson giant beast as large as a small hill.

Its aura was also Tier 2 Low-grade.

Divert the calamity eastward!

An extremely risky plan instantly took shape.

Chen Ping abruptly changed direction. He no longer fled in a straight line but instead raced in a zigzag pattern toward the location of the valley in his memory.

Simultaneously, he stopped evenly scattering talismans to block. Instead, he deliberately controlled the distance, letting the pursuing Dragon Python behind him see him, yet not allowing it to catch up immediately.

“Roar!!”

The Dragon Python was thoroughly enraged by this teasing, on-and-off pursuit. Its crimson vertical pupils seemed almost to drip blood, and its pursuit speed increased even further. Trees and rocks along the path were crushed like paper under its massive body.

Finally, that valley, permeated with the smell of sulfur and sparse in vegetation, appeared in his field of vision.

Chen Ping’s Divine Sense instantly locked onto the crimson figure, as large as a small hill, crouching in the shadow of a giant rock at the valley’s bottom—the Red Flame Giant Ape.

Its snores were like thunder, clearly still asleep.

Now was the time!

A fierce glint flashed in Chen Ping’s eyes. When he was still about a hundred zhang away from the giant ape, he suddenly stopped, turning around to face the closely pursuing Dragon Python.

He took a deep breath, the spiritual power within his body madly surging toward his right arm. A deep cyan talisman pinched between his fingertips instantly lit up with a piercing radiance—a Tier 2 Low-grade Golden Blade Talisman!

“Slash!”

Chen Ping let out a low shout, swinging his arm.

Hum!

A zhang-long, deep cyan giant blade of light tore through the air with a piercing shriek. It did not slash toward the Dragon Python, but instead, at an extremely tricky angle…

It fiercely slashed toward the ground behind the side of the giant rock where the ape was hiding, less than three chi from its massive body!

Boom!!!

A metallic clashing roar exploded in the valley. Broken rocks shot out like cannonballs in all directions. The violent shockwave of the blade Qi slammed fiercely into the Red Flame Giant Ape’s body.

“Roar!!!”

Awakened from its slumber, its back scraped hard by the residual blade Qi wave—although it didn’t pierce its thick fur, the intense pain and sudden attack instantly ignited the giant ape’s towering fury.

It sprang up from the ground violently. Its hill-like body was filled with explosive power. A pair of giant eyes burning with crimson flames instantly locked onto the direction from which the blade light had come.

Chen Ping’s figure had already swiftly dodged to the side, disappearing from sight. That Azure Scale Dragon Python, carrying a terrifying fishy wind as it pounced, was captured in its eyes.

“Roar!!!”

The Red Flame Giant Ape let out a heaven-shaking, earth-quaking roar. Its fists madly pounded its own robust chest, producing dull thuds.

It fiercely stomped the ground. Its massive body transformed into a crimson streak of light, carrying high temperatures, and brazenly charged toward the oncoming Azure Scale Dragon Python.

The two giant beasts collided fiercely like two moving mountains.

Boom!!!

The earth shook and the mountains trembled. Violent airwaves mixed with flames, fishy wind, and shattered scales and fur swept out in all directions.

Chen Ping had long since taken the opportunity to activate a “Divine Movement Talisman.” His speed skyrocketed to the extreme. Without looking back, he charged out of the valley. After a few leaps and bounds, he disappeared into the dense tree line.

Behind him, the earth-shaking roars and battle cries of the two Tier 2 demon beasts made the entire valley tremble.