Some were posing for pictures. Although the Leifeng Pagoda had not yet been rebuilt, the legend of Lady White Snake was deeply ingrained in people’s hearts, and many visitors to West Lake would come here for a look.

After parking the car, Long Feng, who had walked up the mountain, finally arrived here.

The last message Zhang Yang left him was to come here. Seeing the empty ruins and the sight of tourists enthusiastically discussing the two loud noises just now, Long Feng let out a wry, helpless smile.

Staff from the West Lake scenic area had arrived, recording the matter of the two dull thuds. The tourists who had heard the sound were recounting it vividly.

Especially the second sound; at that time, some tourists were already near the Leifeng Pagoda, and the sound seemed to come from right under their feet—they even felt the ground tremble.

“Secretary Liu, do you think there really is a Lady White Snake? Is she really about to come out?”

A young staff member from the scenic area asked an older colleague while recording the words of the tourists.

“If there really is a Lady White Snake, you’ll be the first one she eats!”

Secretary Liu glared, and the young man immediately stuck out his tongue and stopped talking.

Yet, in his heart, he was unconvinced, secretly thinking that even if there was a Lady White Snake, she wouldn't eat people; she would still be looking for her husband, Xu Xian.

Long Feng, standing nearby, heard every word they said.

This caused Long Feng to shake his head again. He didn’t believe in the legend of Lady White Snake; he knew clearly that those two sounds must be related to Zhang Yang, or rather, made by Zhang Yang himself.

It was a pity Zhang Yang wasn't here now; he couldn't ask for clarification, nor did he know where Zhang Yang was at the moment.

Reaching this spot, he had completely lost contact with Zhang Yang; even Zhang Yang’s phone was unreachable.

Little did he know, several hundred meters beneath his feet, Zhang Yang was slowly rising, dragging the utterly dead giant crab aside.

The Dragon Fruit was a treasure, but the giant crab was no less valuable. A spirit beast this powerful must possess Essence Blood.

The giant crab’s carapace was incredibly hard. Fortunately, it was already dead and its shell was damaged in multiple places. Zhang Yang used a piece of its own severed claw to slowly pry open its head, eventually locating the Essence Blood.

The Essence Blood of a fourth-tier spirit beast yielded far more potent Essence Blood Pills, which were of great help to Zhang Yang.

It was a pity that pills made from this Essence Blood could not be taken by anyone below the third layer of Inner Strength. Since this Essence Blood came from a killed spirit beast, it contained a significant amount of resentment from the creature’s final moments. If someone below the third layer consumed it, they would suffer a backlash from this resentment and fall into demonic deviation.

After filling three jade vials, Zhang Yang finally finished collecting the giant crab’s Essence Blood.

Luckily, he had brought some jade vials with him, otherwise, collecting this Essence Blood would have been difficult. Three vials of Essence Blood meant he could concoct several dozen more Essence Blood Pills—and they were pills derived from a fourth-tier spirit beast.

After collecting the Essence Blood, Zhang Yang stood up and went to Lightning and the others.

Lightning and Chasing Wind were both staring at the water surface, waiting for the White Jade Snake to appear. They all understood clearly that the white snake that fled earlier had definitely not left; it was surely watching them in secret.

Looking at the calm water, Zhang Yang also hesitated slightly.

The White Jade Snake could contend with the giant crab; its strength was imaginable. It took the combined efforts of the three of them—himself and the two beasts—and immense effort to finally take down the giant crab.

Thinking back, if the giant crab and the White Jade Snake had joined forces, the danger would have been squarely on them. Dealing with one was already this strenuous; dealing with two simultaneously was unthinkable.

It was fortunate these two spirit beasts did not unite, giving Zhang Yang the chance to handle them separately. Now that the giant crab was finished, Zhang Yang was considerably less worried about the remaining White Jade Snake.

Dealing with just one, he felt confident, especially with Shadow nearby, ensuring they could remain in peak condition at all times.

After waiting for more than ten minutes, the White Jade Snake still had not shown itself, causing Zhang Yang’s brow to twitch involuntarily.

Logically, now that the giant crab was dead, the White Jade Snake had one less competitor. Once they eliminated it, they could exclusively enjoy the Dragon Fruit. The fact that it hadn't emerged made Zhang Yang wonder if it had truly fled.

However, Zhang Yang wouldn't believe for a second that the White Jade Snake fled out of fear. Spirit beasts weren't that timid, especially a powerful fourth-tier one, and it was likely a spirit beast that had lived here all along.

If it had resided here, it would have watched the Dragon Fruit ripen, viewing this rare heavenly treasure as its exclusive domain, making it even less likely to stand by while Zhang Yang and his companions harvested it.

“Jee-jee-jee!”

Shadow suddenly cried out a few times, and Zhang Yang’s expression shifted sharply.

Shadow was pointing out something Zhang Yang had overlooked. They had arrived by diving underwater, and they would inevitably have to return the same way. This location was an underground cavern connected to the waterside; there was no other route in or out besides the water.

This was precisely what Shadow was indicating: What if the White Jade Snake was waiting for them in the water?

Lying in wait underwater to launch an attack when they tried to leave was certainly possible. Spirit beasts were highly intelligent, possessing wisdom not far beneath that of humans. The snake clearly knew where its advantages were maximized.

Underwater, its agility could be better utilized, whereas Zhang Yang and the others would struggle to deploy even half their combat strength in the water. If that happened, Zhang Yang and his group would face immense trouble.

“Squeak-squeak-squeak!”

Lightning also cried out, voicing the same concern. It could dive, but its combat effectiveness underwater was poor, not to mention the limitation on its poison mist, which it couldn't spew.

Even Chasing Wind, who had been elated after killing the giant crab, stood there looking crestfallen. Its speed was remarkable, but that was on land. Underwater, it had no solid footing, and its speed was restricted by over ninety-nine percent.

“Jee-jee-jee!”

Shadow chirped again, then jumped to the side of the lava pool, drooling as it stared at the Dragon Fruit inside.

Once ripe, the Dragon Fruit could be picked after a short wait, but not indefinitely. The time it took them to travel from the restaurant and the subsequent long battle meant this spiritual fruit should be harvested now.

Lightning and Chasing Wind remained vigilant, watching the water surface, while Zhang Yang approached Shadow.

Looking at the fruit in the pool, a thread of helplessness touched the corner of Zhang Yang’s mouth. This fruit was exceptional and very large. He was confident he could use it to concoct several different high-grade spiritual medicines.

Unfortunately, no matter how good the item was, it had to be taken out first. With the White Jade Snake lurking underwater, not only was taking the fruit uncertain, but whether they could even leave safely was an unknown.

“Jee-jee-jee!”

Shadow called out again, reminding Zhang Yang that it was time to pick the fruit.

The lava pool was not large. Zhang Yang glanced back one last time before walking over and carefully plucking the Dragon Fruit.

The fruit was as large as a small watermelon, still radiating warmth, feeling pleasantly warm in his hand.

The spiritual fruit, matured over six thousand years, was finally in Zhang Yang’s possession. Once the fruit was gone, the flower beneath it quickly withered and fell into the lava pool, vanishing from sight.

The surface of the lava pool became empty. If not for the fiery red fruit cradled in Zhang Yang’s arms, one wouldn't guess that such a long-matured treasure had once grown there.

Zhang Yang remained fully alert while picking the fruit, guarding against a sneak attack by the White Jade Snake.

Only after securing the fruit in his hand did Zhang Yang become completely certain that the White Jade Snake truly did not intend to fight them inside this cavern.

Zhang Yang had guessed correctly this time. The White Jade Snake was extremely clever. Seeing how the giant crab, an equal in strength, was battered to death by their combined assault, it knew its own outcome wouldn't be much better if it engaged. Even though Zhang Yang and the others had expended a great deal of internal energy, their combat power remained, and it was unwilling to take that risk.

If it went out to fight, whether it could retreat into the water safely was questionable.

By remaining in the water, along their inevitable exit route, it could maximize its advantage, and the depths were its domain, where its fighting prowess would be far greater.

At this moment, the White Jade Snake had decided to set an ambush for Zhang Yang underwater.

Clutching the hard-won treasure, Zhang Yang felt no joy. The treasure was large, but how to safely carry it out had become the most troublesome issue.

With the White Jade Snake blocking the path, leaving peacefully felt like a pipe dream.

Holding the fruit, Zhang Yang returned to the site of the giant crab’s corpse.

The giant crab’s carapace was the optimal material for forging shield-type divine weapons. Sadly, it had sustained significant damage during the fight, but the remaining parts were perfectly sufficient for crafting items like heart protectors.

Previously, because the White Jade Snake was still at large, Zhang Yang hadn't paid attention to these matters. Now that he confirmed the snake wouldn't emerge, he had to shift his focus here.

Zhang Yang had reviewed the Tang family’s forging methods several times.

The Tang family’s forging techniques were indeed difficult, demanding strict requirements in craftsmanship, skill, and internal energy. After learning the Tang family's methods, Zhang Yang had planned to personally forge several divine weapons.

Even common divine weapons would suffice. After the fall of the Tang family, individuals capable of forging divine weapons became exceedingly rare.

If not for the abundance of ancient divine weapons left behind, people today would likely be desperate for them.

Aside from the carapace, the giant crab’s large claws were also excellent. Although one claw was broken, one remained intact. Moreover, the fine fibers inside the claw could be fashioned into excellent hidden weapons; without precaution, even a fourth-tier expert could be ambushed and injured.

By forcibly wrenching off the large claw, Zhang Yang acquired a temporary weapon. It was likely this very claw that had managed to injure the White Jade Snake earlier.

This was the only advantage he possessed—facing the White Jade Snake, he wasn't limited to just using his fists as he was against the giant crab.

Deep within the giant crab’s body, Zhang Yang unexpectedly discovered a large mass of crab roe. Unfortunately, since the creature had died from poison, Zhang Yang dared not offer this roe, no matter how delicious, to Mi Xue and the others.

After sorting through everything and setting aside the useful materials, the fact that the White Jade Snake still hadn't appeared cast a heavy pall over Zhang Yang and the three spirit beasts. The thought of a powerful enemy lurking in the water, watching them, brought smiles to no one’s faces.

They could not leave without diving, but diving meant an inevitable enemy attack—this was their current predicament.

I sincerely apologize, I was out with friends again yesterday and owe another chapter. Little Yu will go write now; I promise four chapters tonight, and Little Yu will try to update as early as possible. (To be continued)RQ