This was a great tree, nearly four meters tall, its length almost rivaling that of the Grand Guan Dao, even at its maximum reach. It wasn't straight, though, but branched out into dozens of offshoots, tapering from thick at the base to slender at the tips, yet it possessed a strange, captivating beauty.

He Yiming couldn't fathom where this sensation originated; he had never imagined a tree could evoke such a feeling in him before. After observing it closely for a while, He Yiming noticed something else startling.

This tree had no roots below and no leaves above; both the main trunk and the branches were perfectly smooth and round. Although He Yiming couldn't discern the tree's origin, anything favored by Bao Zhu, something it endured great hardship and risked its life to retrieve, must possess immense utility—a supreme treasure, undoubtedly.

He placed a hand on one of the forked sections and attempted to infuse his True Qi into it. The next moment, his expression shifted drastically; recoiling as if scalded, he snatched his hand back instantly.

The branch of the great tree gave him a sensation akin to a black hole. The moment his True Qi entered, it was completely absorbed.

The branches acted like a greedy, insatiable vampire, drawing He Yiming’s True Qi inward ceaselessly. Had He Yiming not reacted with extreme speed to pull his hand away and retreat, he might have been drained dry into a husk to satisfy the tree’s endless need.

From then on, He Yiming regarded the tree with a touch of awe; its power was simply too immense. “Bao Zhu, what is this thing?” He Yiming asked casually.

Bao Zhu immediately scrambled and hopped across the tree trunk for a long time, making snorting noises, seemingly showing off something to He Yiming. But after its extended performance, He Yiming remained utterly confused and stated plainly, “Brother Bai, what is this little fellow saying?” “It’s likely seeking credit,” Bai Lingba replied calmly.

“Judging by its gestures, this item was taken from the lair of that entity upstairs.” He Yiming drew a sharp breath and instinctively glanced toward the summit of the peak. Though he knew rationally that the being couldn't possibly awaken yet, He Yiming couldn't help but feel a chill of fear.

He tilted his head to look at Bao Zhu; this little creature was truly audacious! Gently stroking Bao Zhu a few times, He Yiming spoke with gravity, “Bao Zhu, what you did was far too dangerous.” Bao Zhu grunted a few times, apparently trying to argue its case.

He Yiming waved his hand. “The power of the entity above is something neither you nor I can withstand.

If you steal its possessions and it discovers you, there will be no chance of survival. I know you love treasures, but some treasures can be taken, and some simply cannot be stolen without permission.

Do you understand?” Seeing He Yiming’s earnest expression, Bao Zhu finally nodded. Though whether it would honor that promise in the future remained anyone’s guess.

He Yiming turned back. “Brother Bai, do you know what this thing is?” Bai Lingba seemed to be pondering something, and after a moment, he said, “I cannot be certain, but it might be that object.” He Yiming was momentarily stunned, then overwhelmed with joy.

He knew Bai Lingba’s character well; if he wasn't reasonably sure, he would never speak carelessly. Bai Lingba turned around, and the back of his head transformed once again into a screen.

He Yiming focused his gaze, wondering what new surprise Bai Lingba would present this time. The image on the screen was that fiery red pattern, but now that He Yiming knew it was the head of the giant python, he found the resemblance striking the more he looked.

The pattern slowly shifted, the surrounding scenery and the black mist gradually receding until only the isolated head of the giant python remained. He Yiming marveled internally, wondering how Bai Lingba managed such a miraculous feat.

Then, the pattern on the screen slowly zoomed in. If at first this was a distant view where they could only discern the general outline without seeing specific parts, as the image continuously magnified, He Yiming could see every minute detail of the python’s head with astonishing clarity and perfection.

Slowly, He Yiming’s mouth fell open. He pointed at the screen before him, his finger trembling slightly, unable to speak.

Finally, the screen zoomed in close enough for him to see clearly. On the giant head of the great python, there were two protrusions.

From a distance, it was impossible to tell what they were, but upon closer inspection, He Yiming realized they were two great trees. He Yiming glanced down at the tree at his feet and compared it to the two on the screen.

To his shock, the resemblance was uncanny. He let out a long breath, nearly groaning, “Horns growing out of a snake’s head?

Damn it, what kind of snake is this?” He turned to look at Bao Zhu with an even deeper layer of admiration. To actually enter the creature’s lair and retrieve one of the horns growing from its head—and such a large piece at that… Under the heavens, perhaps only this little fellow could have accomplished such a feat.

Bai Lingba stated gravely, “I have inspected it. This horn shows signs of shedding.

It seems to be something the entity naturally shed, which it had placed in its nest but was taken by Bao Zhu.” He Yiming nodded silently. Bao Zhu, by its very nature, was drawn to all manner of treasures.

Having smelled the scent of the snake horn, it naturally couldn't resist claiming it. With a thought, He Yiming immediately said, “Brother Bai, we cannot keep this intact.

It must be stored away immediately.” Bai Lingba asked, “How do you plan to store it?” “Into the ring space, of course.” “That space cannot hold anything longer than two meters.” “That’s fine,” He Yiming declared firmly. “I can just chop it.” Saying that, he extended a hand.

Bai Lingba seemed to understand his intention and detached one of his arms, placing it into He Yiming’s grasp. Holding the arm, He Yiming gave it a slight shake, and it instantly transformed into the first segment of the Grand Guan Dao.

Its gleaming edge shimmered amidst the black mist with an almost blinding light. He Yiming brought the blade down, slicing deeply into the connection point between a fork and the main trunk.

However, even with the utmost sharpness of the Grand Guan Dao, he could not sever it in a single cut. His expression flickered several times, and finally, he steeled his resolve, raising the Grand Guan Dao high above his head.

The Thirty-Six Styles of Mountain Splitting unfolded under his hands like flowing water. With every strike, He Yiming poured in his full strength; the resulting whistling sound was even enough to make him feel a jolt of fear.

The hardness of this thing far exceeded his expectations. It took him a full two hours of continuous effort before he finished processing the entire object, cutting all the branches, including the main trunk, into lengths under two meters.

Although He Yiming knew this was somewhat wasteful, for the moment, how to conceal this illicit gain was his paramount concern. He was certain that if he paraded this object around openly and someone discovered it, he would face endless trouble later on.

Having completed the preparations, He Yiming opened the ring space and transferred the severed sections of the snake horn inside. After finishing these tasks, He Yiming looked up and saw Bao Zhu gazing longingly at his silver ring and the murky expanse of its spatial dimension, a look of keen expectation on its face.

He Yiming put on a stern face. “Little fellow, I know you acquired this, but its origins are too significant.

We cannot let even a whisper of it get out. Once we are out of here, I promise we will play to your heart’s content.” He made a solemn vow, though in his heart, he had already decided that upon leaving, he would give at most the smallest piece for Bao Zhu to play with; the rest of the snake horn would naturally belong to him.

As for its use, though unknown for now, even a fool could tell this item was invaluable, surely a top-tier treasure. Receiving He Yiming’s promise, Bao Zhu instantly became jubilant, shaking off its previous dejection.

Its small eyes began to dart about again. He Yiming, well aware of the little creature’s audacious nature, quickly warned, “Bao Zhu, if you dare venture into that thing’s lair again, I will absolutely skin you alive.” Bao Zhu paused, turning its face away in slight grievance, but He Yiming breathed a sigh of relief.

Judging by its reaction, it seemed to have given up the thought of further treasure hunting. He Yiming picked Bao Zhu up and held it close.

“Don’t be discouraged. Didn’t you find a treasure map?

When we have time, we’ll go check out the East Sea; perhaps we can find something even better.” Bao Zhu’s small eyes blinked, and its short snout wrinkled, creating a strange impression of smiling joy. This little creature was indeed extraordinarily intelligent.

Bai Lingba suddenly spoke, “I suggest we leave this place as soon as possible.” He Yiming was momentarily startled, recalling the two stolen items in his ring space, and wholeheartedly agreed. Just as he was about to assent, a glance caught sight of a jade vial, and his heart gave a significant lurch.

Within the dark expanse of the ring space, there was a remarkably conspicuous jade vial containing four pills, blazing red like fresh blood. These were the four Blood Coagulation Orbs that He Yiming had obtained.

He Yiming knew the exact purpose of these four elixirs. In truth, after successfully advancing to the Cauldron Peak realm, he had no immediate intention of attempting the Summit Gathering.

Although the ambient spiritual energy here was so rich, He Yiming knew it was unlikely for someone who had just reached the Cauldron Peak stage to immediately succeed in achieving Summit Gathering. Even He Yiming had never harbored such an extravagant hope.

But when his gaze fell upon this jade vial, his heart began to pound uncontrollably. He felt an intense, irresistible yearning.

Finally, as if possessed, he reached out one hand and retrieved the jade vial from the shadowy space! Ps: Will the Divine Weapon be capable of atomization?

Voting requested for June 1st; the more guaranteed monthly votes, the higher the possibility of atomization, hehe… Also, Bai He is still writing furiously and guarantees five chapters today. Today is June 1st.

In the morning, I have to accompany my child to the park (kindergarten), and in the evening, the whole family is going to the cinema. I won't be online on QQ today; please forgive Bai He for taking the time to watch a movie with his daughter during this annual Children's Day.

Thank you.