The essence blood of a late-stage fourth-tier spirit beast was not only beneficial to Zhang Yang and his three young companions, Zhui Feng included, but also held some value even for Zhang Pinglu, who was at the Great Perfection stage.

Aside from the essence blood, there was also the venomous gall of the Golden Python.

This was the gall of a late-stage fourth-tier spirit beast, and its effect on Shan Dian (Lightning) was incalculable. As soon as the Golden Python died, Shan Dian rushed over, watching it with palpable eagerness.

Furthermore, the python's skin and fangs were excellent materials. These fangs, being quite large, could be used as the primary material alongside Dark Iron, combined with other auxiliary components, to forge a top-grade fang sword.

Once forged by a master craftsman, this fang sword would surely be a formidable weapon, perhaps even ranking among the Divine Weapon List if the forging skill proved exceptional.

Clutching the Cold Spring Sword, Zhang Yang climbed directly onto the head of the Golden Python.

The essence blood was all stored within its golden crown; Zhang Yang had known this for a long time.

He had emptied the jade bottles he carried; nowadays, he always brought numerous jade bottles containing various necessary spiritual medicines when venturing out.

With his current strength, he no longer needed to carry only a small amount of spiritual medicine. Even a Great Perfection expert might not be able to defeat him, and if he couldn't win, he could certainly escape, as Zhui Feng's speed was unmatched under the heavens.

Ten golden crowns yielded ten full bottles of essence blood for Zhang Yang.

One bottle per crown, this was vastly more than what he obtained from the Five-Crowned or Seven-Crowned Golden Pythons before. Zhang Yang noted that the amount of essence blood increased significantly once spirit beasts reached the fourth tier; two early-stage fourth-tier beasts yielded less essence blood than one late-stage fourth-tier beast.

It seemed, then, that hunting late-stage fourth-tier spirit beasts provided the most substantial harvest of essence blood.

He paused, then let out a self-mocking laugh.

Late-stage fourth-tier spirit beasts were terrifyingly powerful; even ordinary late-stage fourth-tier human cultivators were no match for them. Only those at the Great Perfection stage stood a chance.

However, Great Perfection experts were usually stationed to guard their families or sects and rarely had the time to hunt such beasts. Moreover, late-stage fourth-tier spirit beasts were rare, making them extremely difficult to locate.

Storing away the bottles of essence blood, Zhang Yang carefully retrieved the venomous gall from the Golden Python's throat. This gall was much larger than those from the previous two Golden Pythons—it was the size of a small melon.

Seeing the gall, Shan Dian immediately leaped forward impatiently.

This item was most crucial to it. For Shan Dian, such a venomous gall was even better than a spiritual medicine. Shan Dian specialized in poison; it was a true venomous beast.

It rushed forward but cast a glance back at Zhang Yang.

"No need to rush, it's yours!"

Zhang Yang smiled faintly. Neither he nor Zhui Feng could consume the gall; it would instantly poison them to death. As for Wuying, Zhang Yang wasn't sure if the little fellow could digest something so intensely toxic. In any case, eating it offered no benefit to him.

With Zhang Yang's permission, Shan Dian's small mouth opened, and in moments, the massive venomous gall was entirely consumed, not a speck left behind.

After eating, Shan Dian let out a satisfied burp and then collapsed, settling down comfortably.

Zhang Yang was experienced with this reaction and felt no alarm, letting Shan Dian rest peacefully while he began collecting the remaining parts.

The fangs and the python skin were stripped off and temporarily bound together with vine, placed on Zhui Feng’s back. Burdened with the massive skin, Zhui Feng was visibly uncomfortable, constantly shaking his body.

Unfortunately, this was Zhang Yang’s firm insistence. Even if Zhui Feng objected, he had no choice but to comply.

The python skin was invaluable. The hide of a Ten-Crowned Golden Python was incredibly tough; fashioned into a soft armor, it could withstand strikes from most ordinary divine weapons. If infused with internal energy, it might even block attacks from weapons on the Divine Weapon List.

Such a powerful defensive treasure certainly couldn't be discarded.

Truthfully, what Zhang Yang most desired was to craft some close-fitting soft armor for Mi Xue and Zhang Keqin. He no longer desperately needed such protective gear, but the newly cultivating Mi Xue certainly did. Such an item would, at the very least, ensure her safety.

This python-skin soft armor was said to be impervious to water, fire, blades, and spears.

After everything was packed away, Zhang Yang finally headed toward the cave. As he reached the entrance, he paused, then glanced back once more.

The two parrots had left so quickly, likely understanding what he was about to do next, and perhaps unable to bear watching.

Among spirit beasts, unless there was blood-deep enmity, seeing another spirit beast die usually evoked some sense of compassion. They were of the same kind; they did not wish for the same fate for themselves later on.

After a moment of hesitation, Zhang Yang walked back again.

He dumped the massive carcass of the Ten-Crowned Golden Python, along with the smaller Five-Crowned Golden Python from before, into the deep pit he had previously blasted open—an ideal burial site.

He excavated soil from elsewhere and slowly filled the pit, while Zhui Feng and the other two youngsters watched nearby, silent, yet each experiencing different emotions.

Regardless of their previous status, they all approved of Zhang Yang's actions. Even if they had been enemies before, they were dead now; all grievances were settled. A deceased spirit beast was still a spirit beast and deserved dignity; its remains should not be abandoned in the wilderness.

Not only them, but two small, emerald-green shadows reappeared near the cave entrance.

The two parrots watched Zhang Yang and silently nodded. Humans and spirit beasts were often mortal enemies; few could truly live together harmoniously. Most other humans, after killing a spirit beast, would only take what was useful and discard the rest carelessly. The beast's body would eventually be consumed by other animals. This was the sorrow of spirit beasts and a desecration of their dignity.

Few people like Zhang Yang, after a battle, would bury the remains of their vanquished foes. Unbeknownst to him, this small gesture had given the two parrots an entirely new, very favorable impression of him.

Burying the two Golden Pythons was strenuous work, but thankfully, Zhang Yang was not lacking in strength. Although he was alone, with the aid of his internal energy and the energy of Heaven and Earth, he quickly filled the pit and tamped down the soil firmly to prevent the rain from exposing the remains. This location, this grave, he was certain, would never be dug up by curious explorers again.

Finishing the task, it was already late at night, but Zhang Yang's spirits were high. He immediately walked toward the cave.

The interior of the cave was pitch black. An ordinary person would certainly not dare enter such a place at night, but Zhang Yang strode in, seemingly ignoring the darkness, continuing deeper.

"Human, can you see?"

The cave floor was uneven, containing several small stakes. In this complete darkness, Zhang Yang had skillfully navigated around these obstacles, prompting the parrots' question.

"It's manageable!"

Zhang Yang smiled slightly. His eyesight was good, but not good enough to see in the total absence of light. His ability to avoid obstacles came entirely from using the energy of Heaven and Earth to scout the surroundings. His body constantly emitted a faint layer of this energy, which provided him with information about the environment. However, it seemed the parrots could see, though how they managed it in this environment—where even Zhui Feng was essentially blind—Zhang Yang couldn't fathom.

Clap-clap-clap-clap!

A sudden noise erupted around him, followed by a burst of light. Numerous lamp sockets were set into the cave walls, and the oil lamps within them began to illuminate one by one.

The fact that these lamps lit themselves caused Zhang Yang a moment of surprise.

With the lamps lit, Zhang Yang could finally discern the layout of the cave. It was somewhat long and narrow, not immediately opening into a vast chamber; it seemed to continue for a great distance inside. Zhang Yang realized he was currently in what felt like a corridor leading inward toward the destination, with the oil lamps lining the walls providing illumination.

After a careful look, Zhang Yang froze again, his eyes widening.

"Qimen Dunjia?"

Zhang Yang exclaimed involuntarily. The layout of the cave walls subtly implied the pattern of Qimen Dunjia. This was not the derived Qimen formation style he had previously learned; this was the genuine, foundational Qimen Dunjia.

"Could it be that the parrots' master belongs to the Qimen Dunjia lineage?"

This thought suddenly struck Zhang Yang. The Qimen Dunjia lineage had vanished long ago. If that were true, it was understandable that Zhang Yang knew nothing of the parrots' master.

However, looking at the two parrots, Zhang Yang found it hard to believe these small creatures were spirit beasts that had lived for such an extended period. Even spirit beasts had lifespan limits. The Fox-tailed Martens, like Shan Dian, generally lived around three hundred years. If they evolved into higher tiers or reached the fourth tier, perhaps they could surpass five hundred years, but that was usually the limit. Zhang Yang wasn't entirely sure about Zhui Feng, but living for six or seven hundred years seemed plausible. As for Wuying, he had no idea; the Illusionary Rat had lived for over a thousand years, but Zhang Yang didn't know Wuying's exact age. Even a thousand-year-old Illusionary Rat would eventually exhaust its lifespan; the exact time was unknown, but eternal existence was impossible, defying the laws of nature.

Common parrots lived long lives for birds, perhaps only a few decades, seventy or eighty at most. He wondered how much lifespan transformation into a spirit beast granted. Still, Zhang Yang found it difficult to believe they had lived over a thousand years, as reaching the millennium mark made a spirit beast exceptionally rare.

"Human, you have sharp eyes to recognize Qimen Dunjia. My master possessed profound research in Qimen Dunjia, and he personally laid out this entire formation. What you gain from it depends entirely on your fortune!"

One parrot spoke, and the other immediately followed up: "Human, since you recognized the Qimen Dunjia, we shall give you a test. See if you can traverse this cave and reach the interior within one hour. If you succeed, we will bestow upon you a special gift!"

As the parrot finished speaking, both flew deeper into the cave, leaving Zhang Yang and his companions behind.

A test, and only one hour? Zhang Yang was still trying to process the situation when the lights suddenly dimmed. He soon realized the surrounding environment had subtly changed. Feeling the shifts around him, a wry smile touched the corner of Zhang Yang's mouth.

First update. Many friends from home proposed celebrating Xiao Yu's birthday yesterday, but Xiao Yu declined to accompany his family. They had already sent gifts, making Xiao Yu quite embarrassed. He needs to host a return feast today, so the next update will be later. However, no matter how late, there will be an update. Please forgive me, friends! RS