At a waterfall, the stone cliffs were precipitous, covered in moss, the water plunging down like a breach in the Heavenly River. The torrent crashed onto the rocks below, the spray arcing in the sunlight with seven-hued brilliance, quite beautiful.

Yet, beneath this cascade, several figures marred the scene: one, a Xijiaoguai monster, standing two zhang tall, its muscles bulging, entirely smooth without hair, its skin dark as ink, topped with a pair of black, curved horns. (As recorded in Records of Exotic Beasts: Three thousand li to the west, there is a hill, barren of flowers and grass, inhabited mostly by Xijiaoguai, their heads as large as oxen, feeding on human hearts… omitted).

Beside it was another monster, only two chi high, shaped like a lizard, entirely slick and green, covered in scales the size of a fingertip, thin as razor blades. Its claws were sharp, its eyes serpentine, a bright red tongue occasionally flickering from its mouth. Behind it trailed a long tail, the vertebrae studded with sharp spines—this was a Lülinxi (Green-Scaled Lizard).

The third was a python, over twenty meters long, incredibly thick, its scales a riot of iridescent color, clearly a highly venomous serpent. It writhed constantly, eyeing the Lülinxi with caution. Compared to the Xijiaoguai, the Lülinxi was its true nemesis; in many deserts and barren lands, lizards prey upon snakes.

Ye Chen lay concealed in the nearby jungle, smeared with a foul paste mixed from decaying leaves and mud, the stench masking his own scent. Through the gaps in the tall grass, he watched the three monsters, daring not to move a muscle. All three were evolved-type monsters: the Xijiaoshou possessed a Constitution level of 70, the Lülinxi was at 60, and the Poison Python at 55.

The Poison Python was physically the weakest, but its entire body was saturated with poison; one bite meant paralysis, if not death. This inherent danger afforded it the standing to confront both the Xijiaoshou and the Lülinxi.

“Hmm?” Ye Chen’s gaze suddenly shifted toward the waterfall behind the trio. Behind the falling torrent, a vine clung to the rock face. The vine was speckled with black spots and bore numerous blue fruits the size of grapes. These were fruits unknown in the previous age of peace, known as Cuixiangguo (Quenching Fragrance Fruit).

“It’s a Cuixiangguo!” Ye Chen couldn't help but feel a surge of pleasant surprise. Cuixiangguo was an exceedingly precious fruit with marvelous effects: it could refine the physical body, making it more refined, greatly increasing Constitution, and also boosting ‘Vital Force’ (Qili).

“I can’t believe there’s a Cuixiangguo here. In my past life, this fruit was super rare. It ranks in the top ten on the Qizhen Bang (Exotic Treasures List); once it appeared on the market, it was instantly snatched up. I only saw it once, otherwise, I wouldn't have recognized it.” Ye Chen mused inwardly, guessing much from the tense, ready-to-strike posture of the monsters.

“Though these monsters haven’t reached Level 100 Constitution, they possess rudimentary intelligence. They’ve clearly recognized the extraordinary nature of the Cuixiangguo and are fighting over it.” Ye Chen smiled internally, deciding not to strike immediately, waiting instead for the monsters to exhaust each other so he could reap the spoils.

Stumbling upon the Cuixiangguo was a completely unexpected bonus, making Ye Chen quite pleased.

After a period of stalemate, the Xijiaoshou could not hold back. It let out a low roar and charged at the Lülinxi. Its heavy body stomped the earth with resounding thuds, the footprints sinking deeply into the ground. Its massive bulk did not hinder its speed; with a short burst, it reached the Lülinxi, the two horns on its head lunging to gore the lizard head-on.

The Lülinxi shrieked, an ear-splitting sound like fingernails scraping glass. Its four claws were incredibly agile, darting quickly to the side, evading the fierce charge. It spun around and pursued the Xijiaoshou from behind.

The Xijiaoshou suddenly halted its momentum, kicking backward with its hooves, catching the Lülinxi squarely on the head. The lizard was thrown backward; several of its finger-long, sharp teeth fell out, and its lower jaw was knocked askew—this was a severe blow.

Ye Chen couldn't help but sigh internally. Attacking the Xijiaoshou from behind was not seeking death, it was suicide. Inexperienced fighters often avoided the sharp horns only to pursue from the rear, resulting in being kicked so hard their internal organs were shattered.

At this moment, the observing Poison Python also struck, slithering toward the Xijiaoshou's abdomen, instantly coiling around its body. Its tail whipped like a lash, striking the Xijiaoshou's hindquarters, leaving a bright red welt. Even with the Xijiaoshou's formidable defense, the area swelled and reddened. A strike from this tail on someone with Ye Chen's Constitution might shatter bones and rupture internal organs.

The Poison Python seemed to realize that if the Lülinxi died, facing the Xijiaoshou alone would be a dead end. In this dangerous moment, these two creatures, natural enemies, reached a consensus: they would attack the Xijiaoshou together.

There are no absolute enemies, only absolute interests. This saying seemed equally applicable in the animal kingdom.

“Roar!”

The Xijiaoshou bellowed, its body, five to six meters tall, rolling sideways onto the ground, instantly crushing the Poison Python beneath it. The Python shrieked in agony, trying to writhe free, but was pinned so tightly it couldn't move. The Xijiaoshou's front hoof struck down upon the Python’s head, leaving it dizzy and dazed.

By this time, the nearby Lülinxi had also rushed in, aiming its bite at the Xijiaoshou's head, clawing and striking—a pincer attack from two directions. The Xijiaoshou rolled its body, grinding the Python beneath it, shifting to the side to evade, then stood up and charged the Lülinxi, brutally trampling it, forcing the lizard to scurry and dodge everywhere.

Ye Chen observed for a moment and knew the Xijiaoshou would likely emerge victorious. The combined strength of the Lülinxi and the Poison Python was insufficient to kill the beast. This wasn't just about Constitution; it was also about intelligence. This Xishanshou (Mountain Beast, implied name for Xijiaoshou contextually) displayed markedly higher intelligence and was highly proficient in combat tactics.

Indeed, not long after, the Poison Python’s skull was stomped flat by a hoof, its body going limp, its tail twitching faintly on the ground—dead, yet not completely stiff. The Lülinxi's end was more gruesome: impaled squarely on the Xishanshou's long horn, it was lifted into the air, a bloody hole punched through its body; it was beyond saving.

However, the Xishanshou was also wounded. Its neck bore a bite mark from the venomous snake, the toxin entering its system, paralyzing half its body. If not treated promptly, it would eventually succumb to the poison. Furthermore, its abdomen showed several bloody gashes from the Lülinxi's claws.

Men die for wealth, birds die for food.

The Xishanshou staggered toward the shallow pool beneath the waterfall, intending to claim the cluster of Cuixiangguo. Ye Chen’s eyes narrowed. His figure moved in an instant, activating the Superman Gene within him, entering the Superman State. A pair of black antennae sprouted from his forehead, and his skin hardened like steel.

“En?” Upon entering the Superman State, relying on the hyper-sensitive feedback from his antennae, Ye Chen immediately detected two more snakes, each over twenty meters long, coiled together and hidden in the grass nearby. Their skin blended seamlessly with the surrounding landscape; one might walk right past them without realizing they were two massive pythons.

“Unexpectedly, there were two ‘orioles’ hiding here,” Ye Chen sneered inwardly, ignoring them. His figure moved, charging toward the Xishanshou. The terrifying speed shook the surrounding grass clumps apart. In a flash, he was behind the beast. His own Level 33 Constitution, amplified twentyfold, provided strength and physical integrity equivalent to Level 660.

One hand clamped onto the Xishanshou's tail.

Pull!

“Roooar~~~”

The Xishanshou struggled furiously, kicking backward with its hooves. Ye Chen gripped both hooves with his hands and hurled them backward. The beast’s massive body was flung uncontrollably backward, directly toward the hiding spot of the two venomous pythons.

Whoosh!

The two pythons were startled and quickly evaded.

Ye Chen coldly laughed, not bothering with the Cuixiangguo. Instead, he rushed toward the two pythons. A flash of light erupted in his hand, the silver ring transforming into a three-meter-long, blood-red battle saber.

Kill!

Schliff!

One python’s head was cleanly severed, the cut smooth and precise.

His figure blurred. The other python shrieked and tried to flee, but its speed appeared like a snail's crawl to Ye Chen. He covered the distance in one stride, and with a flash of the blade, this python's head was also sheared off. Then, he spun, landing next to the Xijiaoshou, reversing his grip on the saber and bringing it down toward its neck.

Thump.

A large head dropped onto the ground.

In the blink of an eye, the powerful monsters lay dead.

Ye Chen recalled the blood-red saber, his form blurring as if teleporting, arriving at the Cuixiangguo behind the waterfall. Due to his speed, not a single drop of water adhered to him.

The Cuixiangguo were entirely blue, dotted with many luminous points, resembling crystal spheres—extremely beautiful. This Cuixiangguo vine grew from a crack in the rock, bearing a total of 12 fruits.

Ye Chen was about to reach out for the vine, but a thought stopped him; he plucked only a single Cuixiangguo, leaving the root intact. If pulled out, the vine would die and could not be replanted.

It was only the third month; the Cuixiangguo were still small. The longer they grew, the stronger their power.

Holding the plucked fruit, Ye Chen moved, leaping three zhang backward. A flash of light appeared in his hand—an energy pistol. Bang, bang, bang… Several shots struck the waterfall’s rock face. Stones rained down, blasted into large pits.

Boom, boom, boom…

Debris rained down like gravel, but failed to harm the Cuixiangguo; instead, they piled up in front of it, forming a protective barrier, enclosing it. After all, the fruit wouldn't wither without sunlight.

Having accomplished this, Ye Chen still had three minutes left in his Superman State. He moved instantly, plunging into the jungle, vanishing without a trace.

Two minutes and thirty seconds later.

Boom, boom, boom…

A tremendous sound echoed. Ye Chen held aloft a monster three zhang tall. Its heart was pierced clean through by a single blow. On its belly lay a smaller Golden Scale Beast, shaped like a pangolin, with extremely sharp claws; its head had been split open.

Ye Chen brought these two corpses over swiftly, opened the spatial connection point, threw the two monsters inside, and then tossed the remains of the three Poison Pythons, the Lülinxi, and the Xishanshou into the vessel. He closed the connection point and rushed out of the forest expanse.