If this spirit medicine in Zhang Yang’s hand had appeared earlier, it would have done everything possible to snatch it away; spirit medicine held an immense attraction for spirit beasts.

But now, nothing could capture its attention. It could forsake even the vital essence it had nurtured throughout its entire life, let alone a single spirit medicine.

The Spirit Ape let out a low growl, gently shaking its head.

Through the lightning, Zhang Yang understood its meaning: this spirit medicine was useless to it. It was tired, and it no longer wished to linger for a few more days. It only wanted to lie down quietly, provided Zhang Yang remembered his promise.

After saying this, it glanced again at Lightning and Shadowless.

In its eyes, there seemed to be a touch of relief.

With a few more low growls, the Spirit Ape closed its eyes and lay down directly in the large pit from before, remaining utterly still.

Moments later, Lightning and Shadowless both began to make soft cries; the two little ones simultaneously sensed the passing of the Spirit Ape’s life.

This solitary Spirit Ape, which had spent its entire life on the isolated island, had finally completed its life's journey.

Zhang Yang reached out, gently stroking the Spirit Ape’s head. Its vital aura was indeed gone; this spirit beast had simply passed away.

“Long Feng, let’s go bury it!”

Zhang Yang suddenly spoke, standing up to search for tools.

Long Feng looked at Zhang Yang, showing slight confusion, but ultimately nodded his head.

There were still many treasures on the Spirit Ape’s body—for instance, its pelt, superior even to the skin of the Golden Crown Python, making it far better suited for armor, not to mention the arm bones from the Spirit Ape’s long arms, and so on.

However, Zhang Yang said nothing, so he did not ask. Everything that had transpired was Zhang Yang’s doing; if Zhang Yang wished to forgo these things and bury them, he would not object.

Seeing Zhang Yang and the others beginning the burial, Li Wei, who had been hiding at a distance, cautiously hurried over.

Panic still clung to his face; everything that had just happened felt like a dream to him. When Zhang Yang was injured, his heart had nearly leaped into his throat, and when Zhang Yang severely wounded the Spirit Ape, he had secretly celebrated.

“Zhang Yang. How is it? What exactly happened just now?”

Li Wei approached, glancing cautiously at the partially buried Spirit Ape in the pit, then asked in a low voice.

“Nothing, Li Wei. Can I trust you?”

Zhang Yang turned his head, shook it slightly, and then suddenly asked another question.

This question caused Li Wei to freeze abruptly. Li Wei stared directly at Zhang Yang, his heart betraying him with a rapid beat.

He understood that Zhang Yang was intent on hiding a secret, otherwise he wouldn’t have addressed him in such a manner.

He was also acutely aware that if his answer failed to satisfy Zhang Yang, given Zhang Yang's strength, preventing him from ever leaving this valley would be effortlessly achievable. He wasn't so naive as to believe his pistol could threaten the man standing before him, capable of defeating a monster.

“Doctor Zhang, please rest assured. Whatever I saw or heard today, I will not speak of it to a single soul, not to anyone, by my very life I swear!”

Li Wei looked at Zhang Yang and spoke with gravity.

Zhang Yang merely nodded slightly. The way he spoke to Li Wei truly meant there was a secret he wished to keep concealed.

That secret was the resting place of the Spirit Ape.

Spirit beasts harbored countless treasures, and the Long-Armed Spirit Ape was no exception. However, since he had promised the Spirit Ape peace here, he would not allow others to disturb its tranquility.

Moreover, the most crucial treasure of the Spirit Ape—the one that benefited Zhang Yang the most—was already in their possession.

This was the vital essence the Spirit Ape had offered willingly. Such essence was the purest, making the compounding process incredibly smooth without any resistance, and the resulting spirit medicine would possess the highest efficacy, maximizing its effect. This was Zhang Yang’s greatest gain this time.

Looking at Li Wei, Zhang Yang quietly added, “Help us out, let’s bury it together!”

They lacked suitable tools and could only use the thicker, broken branches nearby, sharpening them to push and shovel the earth. This process was naturally slow, so Li Wei's assistance was welcome.

The three of them spent over half an hour filling the pit, allowing the Spirit Ape to rest peacefully beneath the soil.

Only then did Lightning hop over, handing the jade vial it held to Zhang Yang.

As he secured the vial and looked at Lightning, a layer of emotion deepened within Zhang Yang’s heart.

The world of spirit beasts was indeed incredibly pure. The reason the Spirit Ape willingly offered its vital essence was as spoils for Lightning, treating it as the prize for losing the battle. Its essence was of great benefit to other spirit beasts.

Vital essence offered voluntarily would certainly differ from the essence they obtained after killing the Golden Crown Python previously. Voluntarily offered essence carried the will of the owner, and upon consumption, the essence's effects would actively manifest. This was vastly different from other essence pills, which required one's own absorption.

As for the specific differences, Zhang Yang was unclear. This was his first encounter with a spirit beast voluntarily offering its essence. Even his ancestors had only heard tales; they had never witnessed such a thing, so they couldn't know the exact disparity.

“Squeak, squeak, squeak!”

Lightning cried out twice, its tone tinged with sorrow.

They had defeated the Long-Armed Spirit Ape, but this outcome was not what it had desired. It only wished for the Spirit Ape to concede, not to be killed. However, precisely because of this nuance, the Spirit Ape made the gesture of willingly offering its vital essence.

The Spirit Ape was fond of small spirit beasts like Lightning. Its final message to Zhang Yang was to treat Lightning well and not betray the loyalty Lightning held for him.

“Zhang Yang, damn it!”

Li Wei suddenly exclaimed, having not forgotten the primary objective of their excursion: finding the medicinal herb capable of saving Elder Qiao.

Now the herb was right before them, and the formidable monster blocking their path had been eliminated.

“I know. You wait here!”

Zhang Yang walked over and carefully excavated five stalks of Resurrection Grass, placing them all into a jade box. The jade box and the jade vial were items he had prepared beforehand. After defeating the Golden Crown Python previously, he anticipated further encounters with spiritual entities and had stocked up on related containers.

Five stalks of Resurrection Grass were almost negligible concerning the entire patch of vegetation here. Collecting such a small amount would not affect the growth of the other Resurrection Grass, which had likely thrived here for an unknown duration. Letting them continue to grow seemed appropriate, so the Spirit Ape could guard them underground eternally.

Furthermore, collecting too much Resurrection Grass offered no benefit to Zhang Yang. Resurrection Grass contained very little spiritual energy, and even stored in a jade box, the energy would gradually dissipate over time, rendering it useless after a few years. Five stalks were sufficient for his needs over the next few years.

He would allow the remainder to continue growing; if needed in the future, Zhang Yang could return to harvest more. He planned to seal the cave entrance when departing, preventing smaller creatures from entering and harming the Resurrection Grass. In this way, this location effectively became a reserve medicine storehouse for Zhang Yang whenever he required it.

After organizing everything, Zhang Yang moved to a corner nearby, retrieved two small cloth bundles, and opened them. The bundles carried a faint, decaying smell, clearly indicating they had been stored for a long time. After examining the contents, Zhang Yang nodded and carefully stowed the items away.

Half an hour later, the three emerged from the cave, leaving the valley. Li Wei felt an overwhelming sensation of being reborn. The experience he had just endured was extraordinarily stimulating and would remain unforgettable for the rest of his life.

He now understood why Zhang Yang was so formidable. Zhang Yang dared to claim he could solve issues that numerous domestic and international experts and doctors could not. It turned out Zhang Yang was a master, a hidden master dwelling in a major city.

It wasn't just him; Long Feng, who was by his side, and even the inconspicuous pet sable were equally terrifying. Like attracts like; Li Wei now fully grasped the situation. Perhaps even that unremarkable little mouse constantly following Zhang Yang could easily bring about his demise.

This speculation was somewhat exaggerated, but Shadowless could indeed kill him without difficulty. Shadowless had accumulated vast amounts of spirit medicine internally; a single bite, releasing just a small fraction of the spirit medicine’s energy, could cause Li Wei to die from over-saturation. Too much nourishing substance could be fatal, much like eating too much ginseng causes nosebleeds.

The helicopter was still waiting. Seeing them emerge, the people aboard the aircraft breathed a collective sigh of relief. Their time on the island had been excessively long, and with only two pilots on board, they had been debating whether to send someone out to look for them.

“Dr. Zhang, what happened to you?”

The pilot greeted Li Wei first, but upon seeing Zhang Yang, he paused in surprise and hastily inquired. Zhang Yang’s clothing was torn in several places, his face was somewhat soiled, and his arm was suspended and braced with a tree branch, clearly indicating he was injured.

“We just took a slight fall; Doctor Zhang was hurt. We spent some time treating it before coming out. It’s nothing; let’s go!”

Zhang Yang remained silent, but Li Wei quickly offered an explanation in a low voice. The pilot nodded, asking no further questions, and immediately piloted the helicopter upward.

The aircraft headed directly back to Shanghai. The Resurrection Grass had been found; their search objective was successfully completed. There was no need to linger on the sea, as Elder Qiao was waiting for their life-saving medicine.

At the military airfield in Shanghai, even while the helicopter was still airborne, Zhang Yang spotted several cars parked below, and they were all high-end vehicles. After returning to an area with signal coverage, Li Wei had already notified his family, passing on the excellent news about finding the item to save Elder Qiao. These were their relatives, specially there to meet them.

“Zhang Yang, you really found it?”

As Zhang Yang stepped off the plane, Gu Fang was the first to greet him, looking visibly excited. He couldn't help but be moved; his grandfather's existence held immense significance for their entire family. Zhang Yang was the one he had found, and if he succeeded in saving Elder Qiao’s life, Gu Fang would also be a primary contributor, surely reaping considerable benefits in the future.

“I did not fail your trust!”

Zhang Yang smiled faintly. Gu Fang first paused, then joyfully embraced Zhang Yang... Bonus Chapter, Chapter 85! (To be continued) RQ

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