The items hadn't even been taken out, and both men froze, staring at each other. It was dark outside, something neither of them had paid much attention to, but the lamp inside the tent had been blazing and remained lit since they went out.

Now they could see each other clearly. Zhang Yang's face was a messy patchwork of dark and pale skin, and his clothes were reduced to mere rags, half a sleeve missing entirely.

Considering the fierce battle just fought, it was a miracle he still had any clothes on at all. Long Feng was in an even worse state: his hair stood on end as if he’d taken a severe electric shock, only half his shirt remained, his trousers were missing a leg, and a massive bruise bloomed across one side of his face.

"Haha!" They forced it down, but couldn't suppress the laughter completely, thankfully not loud enough to alert those outside. "Long Feng, go change first.

You look absolutely terrible like that!" Zhang Yang shook his head helplessly and began rummaging through his own supplies. His appearance was quite undignified; anyone seeing him tomorrow would have their jaws drop.

Long Feng nodded immediately and slipped out of Zhang Yang's tent, returning to his own. His movements were swift and still undetected by anyone outside.

With their level of power, concealing their tracks was virtually impossible to notice. Zhang Yang cleaned up and had just put on fresh clothes when Long Feng rushed back.

Aside from the swelling on his face, there was little to suggest he had just emerged from a massive fight. Long Feng usually paid meticulous attention to his appearance and carried many spare outfits.

Lightning was snoring soundly in its nearby sleeping bag, while Wuying watched Zhang Yang with wide, expectant eyes. Zhang Yang carefully retrieved the Saintess Flower.

It was a complete bloom, all its essence contained within the petals; it could be directly used to formulate medicine. Before compounding it, Zhang Yang intended to separate and preserve the flower properly.

"Chirp chirp!" Wuying called out again. This creature possessed high intelligence, but it was still childlike; seeing something delicious made it want it immediately.

Zhang Yang sighed, took a Thousand-Year Ginseng Pill from his bag, and tossed it over. The distinctive medicinal fragrance of the Thousand-Year Ginseng King instantly permeated the air.

Seeing Wuying snatch the pill and crunch it down in just a few bites made the muscles in Long Feng’s face twitch unnaturally. A Spirit Medicine!

And Zhang Yang had just handed it over to Wuying as if it were a mere candy. If the family elders were present, they would certainly lash out at Zhang Yang for such wastefulness.

However, the Spirit Medicine belonged to Zhang Yang; he could give it to whomever he pleased. Long Feng had no right to question it, though he couldn't help but feel a pang of regret.

In truth, Zhang Yang had felt a slight heartache when giving Wuying these Spirit Medicines before, as they were rare treasures. But ever since discovering Wuying's heaven-defying auxiliary function, Zhang Yang felt much better.

These medicines weren't consumed in vain; they could play a huge role at critical moments. Giving them to Wuying was not a total waste.

Zhang Yang vaguely understood that what Wuying consumed didn't just disappear; the medicinal effects it couldn't absorb remained stored within its body. When needed, Wuying could release them, essentially making its body a temporary storage vessel for Spirit Medicines.

Since it wasn't wasted, Zhang Yang naturally stopped feeling the sting. After finishing the Ginseng Pill, Wuying soon drifted off to sleep as well.

Placing the two little ones safely, Zhang Yang resumed organizing his spoils. He laid out the jade vial, the Golden Crown Python Gallbladder, and the fangs and scales of the Golden Crown Python.

Along with the Saintess Flower, these constituted their haul for the night. The harvest was unexpectedly abundant.

Even Zhang Yang hadn't anticipated obtaining so much. Putting the Saintess Flower aside for a moment—once compounded into a Spirit Medicine, it would be priceless.

Though it couldn't boost internal energy and wasn't particularly effective for healing, its unique properties were enough to drive any cultivator of internal energy mad. The Spirit Medicine derived from the Saintess Flower was something Zhang Yang needed to store carefully, only to be used when his own strength was considerable.

Beyond the Saintess Flower, the most valuable item was the Golden Crown Python’s essence blood. This half-vial of essence blood could also be compounded into Spirit Medicine—specifically, a top-grade one capable of directly enhancing internal energy, far more potent than the effects of the Thousand-Year Ginseng or the Immortal Fruit Elixir.

Zhang Yang had already recovered his peak strength, and with the Golden Crown Python essence blood, he was confident he could advance further in a short time. Increased strength meant enhanced self-preservation, and the number of people capable of threatening him would only dwindle.

As for the fangs and scales, Zhang Yang hadn't decided how to handle them yet. The Golden Crown Python's fangs could actually be forged into a short fang-sword.

Zhang Yang had long suffered from the lack of a suitable weapon; this was a significant disadvantage. A short fang-sword would definitely be far superior to his common short blades and could boost Zhang Yang's strength.

Unfortunately, the fangs were incredibly hard, and Zhang Yang lacked the proper tools, nor did he know how to forge a blade. So, they would have to be set aside until he encountered a skilled artisan later.

The scales were similar. The Golden Crown Python's scales were remarkably thin and soft, unlike the unsightly scales of other serpents.

These scales could be made into inner garments, offering the benefit of keeping one cool in summer and warm in winter. With such scales, he could fashion sets for Long Feng, one for himself, one for Mi Xue, and even small vests for Lightning and Wuying, which would offer some protection.

But again, Zhang Yang didn't know how to process the scales, so they too would wait for another day. The harvest was immense.

Looking at the items before him, Zhang Yang nodded with satisfaction. This near-death venture had, in the end, yielded results that did not disappoint.

The Saintess Flower could yield at least twenty Spirit Medicines, and the Golden Crown Python essence blood could produce at least a dozen more. This single night was equivalent to gaining over thirty Spirit Medicines.

Thirty-plus Spirit Medicines, all possessing unique functions—what more could Zhang Yang ask for? Long Feng stood quietly nearby.

These treasures were partly his reward. The suffering he endured tonight was immense; he had nearly died.

Without him, Zhang Yang would have found himself in peril several times. It was through their combined effort that they finally defeated the Golden Crown Python.

Yet, he said nothing, as if these items belonged solely to Zhang Yang. In truth, he viewed it that way too.

Zhang Yang killed the Golden Crown Python, and Wuying found the Saintess Flower; it had little to do with him. He had merely fulfilled his duty as a bodyguard, and in the end, Zhang Yang had saved him.

"Long Feng, you just consumed a Thousand-Year Ginseng Pill recently. Spend these next few days thoroughly absorbing its efficacy.

In a while, then take this Immortal Fruit Elixir!" Zhang Yang took out an Immortal Fruit Elixir from his person. Immortal Fruit Elixirs were dwindling, but with the replenishment of other Spirit Medicines this time, he could afford to be generous.

Moreover, the night’s events had bolstered Zhang Yang’s confidence. With Wuying around, he was certain they would find more treasures in the future.

Zhang Yang had witnessed Long Feng's hardship and effort, and with the system’s confirmation, he was never stingy with those loyal to him. "Immortal Fruit Elixir?" Long Feng looked curiously at the Spirit Medicine Zhang Yang offered.

He could distinguish its different medicinal aroma; this one seemed superior to the one he took during the fight. "Yes, this is a Spirit Medicine compounded mainly from the Three-Colored Fruit, which Lightning and I acquired by chance when we first met!" Zhang Yang smiled faintly and slowly recounted the story of how he first encountered Lightning.

This was the first time he had shared this with Long Feng; Long Feng had never known how Zhang Yang ended up with Lightning. Hearing that Zhang Yang was bitten on their first meeting shocked Long Feng, considering how formidable Lightning was—even Spirit Medicines wouldn't work without an antidote.

Learning that Lightning and the Black Iron Spider had both been severely injured, allowing Zhang Yang to reap the benefits, made Long Feng laugh. Poor Lightning, caught in the middle of a clam and a heron, lost the Three-Colored Fruit and became a captive.

When he heard that Zhang Yang had actually imprisoned Lightning for a time, Long Feng laughed even harder. Those days of confinement must have been tough for the little creature.

Both humans and Spirit Beasts prized freedom; nobody liked being locked up. After listening to Zhang Yang's entire tale, Long Feng’s smile widened.

He finally understood why Zhang Yang had two Spirit Beasts accompanying him. One he gained by an unexpected bond, and the other Lightning had helped capture for him.

It was pitiful for Wuying too—a dignified Treasure-Seeking Mouse being sold to a restaurant as if it were a common field mouse. He wondered if other Treasure-Seeking Mice would vomit blood from sheer embarrassment if they knew, feeling their family's reputation disgraced.

But their outcome was good; Zhang Yang was a decent person, someone worthy of following. "You gave me one before; with this one, that makes two," Long Feng said, holding the Immortal Fruit Elixir and looking up with a smile at Zhang Yang.

"Don't worry. There will be more in three years.

And you'll have a share of the Essence Blood Pills and Saintess Pills too!" Zhang Yang smiled gently. He understood Long Feng's meaning.

Long Feng had pledged to be his bodyguard for three years in exchange for one Spirit Medicine. Zhang Yang had already given him one, and now this second one was an advance on his payment.

Without the system's guidance, Zhang Yang might not have acted this way, but the system's confirmation of Long Feng’s loyalty allowed Zhang Yang to be completely open. At the very least, Zhang Yang never treated those loyal to him poorly.

Not to mention, this night’s haul was partly Long Feng’s contribution. Long~~ShuShu.Net He didn't utter the word 'thank you'; such formalities were unnecessary now.

He felt Zhang Yang's sincerity and recognized the goodwill extended to him. This alone was enough compensation; it hadn't been in vain to accompany Zhang Yang through life and death.

As dawn began to break, Long Feng returned to his own tent to meditate and cultivate. Much of the efficacy from the Ginseng Pill he had consumed was yet to be absorbed.

It was best to strike while the iron was hot, maximizing absorption now would minimize waste, and wasting Spirit Medicine was an absolutely shameful and detestable act. He already possessed internal energy and required no assistance to absorb Spirit Medicine.

Zhang Yang trusted him implicitly in this regard. After Long Feng left, Zhang Yang glanced back at the two sleeping creatures, then sat cross-legged himself to begin meditating.

He had felt it after Wuying bit him: his condition had been restored, reaching the peak of his previous life, and perhaps even surpassing it. He wasn't sure of the exact extent yet.

When his previous life ended, he had been close to the next breakthrough. Upon returning to the country, he had planned to dedicate several years to concentrated cultivation, aiming to achieve that breakthrough in one go.

(To be continued)RQ