Well, it seems System really wants me dead this time, daring to steal a phoenix egg.
Looking at the phoenix egg lying quietly in the storage space, Xu Sui's thoughts were all over the place. He couldn't help but wonder if this counted as human trafficking. If the parents of this little phoenix came knocking at his door, how could he escape with his life intact?
Just as Xu Sui was pondering over these thoughts, the system immediately dispelled his concerns.
[The phoenix egg you picked up this time is a remnant from a fallen phoenix. It lived a solitary life, and the host doesn't need to worry about revenge.]
So, it wasn't theft this time; it was more like eating the offerings left at the grave of an old phoenix.
Xu Sui originally thought he understood the bottom line of his system, but System always managed to break through Xu Sui's cognitive limits.
"Xu Daoist friend, you contributed a lot in dealing with this wolf demon. You can choose the spoils first."
Zhang Jing's words brought Xu Sui's attention back to the present. Looking at the dead wolf demon in front of him, he removed a pair of fangs, considering them the most valuable parts.
Afterward, claws, eyeballs, fur, and flesh were all taken by others. A cultivator named Shi San used spirit stones to buy the remaining flesh of the wolf demon.
This was the cultivation method of body cultivators – nurturing the body with flesh and blood. Even if one reached the Foundation Establishment realm, constant consumption of food was required.
Although a peak-level body cultivator could eventually sustain themselves without external substances, the amount of spirit stones expended during this process could buy countless other items.
After the battle, everyone rested in place to replenish the spiritual energy consumed during the fight.
They had been in Yunmengze for seven days now, getting closer to the location of the Dragon Elephant Bodhi tree. Maintaining their best condition was crucial.
However, unlike others replenishing their spiritual energy, Xu Sui had been suppressing the spiritual energy in his dantian, delaying the breakthrough.
Before setting out, Xu Sui felt that he could vaguely break through to the mid-Foundation Establishment stage. However, doing so would expose the issue of his qualifications.
Practicing Qi for ten years barely reaching Foundation Establishment, and then breaking through a small realm in just one month? That was too suspicious.
Even if he wanted to break through, it had to happen during this commissioned mission. He could use the excuse of encountering an opportunity and finding a spiritual fruit to justify it. Then, he could proceed with the breakthrough.
Besides, breaking through a small realm in the early stages was not a significant event. Some geniuses could achieve it during battles. During these seven days, the system had also provided Xu Sui with some spiritual fruits, although most were ordinary herbs. However, there was one hundred-year-old vermilion fruit that, when consumed, could enhance cultivation.
If he encountered an emergency, Xu Sui could pretend to eat it, creating a situational breakthrough and surprising the enemy.
After half an hour, everyone finished their recovery and continued forward.
In the depths of Yunmengze, demons roamed freely. When one area's demon died, it quickly attracted others to vie for territory. As they delved deeper, such incidents became more frequent. Therefore, they couldn't linger for long. Zhang Jing even distributed stealth charms to hide their tracks.
Finally, after three hours, they reached their destination.
"We made it just in time."
Zhang Jing looked at the immature Dragon Elephant Bodhi tree in the distance, but it seemed to have grown a lot. If he calculated the time wrong, he would have wasted his wife's and soldiers' efforts.
Looking at the half-red-half-green Dragon Elephant Bodhi tree, Zhang Jing estimated that it would be ripe in about half an hour. He then began to assign tasks to everyone.
Then he began assigning tasks to everyone.
According to Zhang Jing's information, the guardian beasts around the Dragon Elephant Bodhi tree were a Black Scaled Poison Python, a Swift Spirit White Ape, and an Iron Feather Azure Hawk.
Shi Shan, the sturdy body cultivator, would entangle the Black Scaled Poison Python mainly to delay its movements. Zhang Jing would use a pill to boost his strength and quickly deal with the Swift Spirit White Ape. The rest would use techniques to restrain the Iron Feather Azure Hawk, preventing it from getting close to the battlefield.
After Zhang Jing killed the White Ape, he and Shi Shan would join forces to eliminate the Poison Python. If there was only the Azure Hawk left, it wouldn't pose much of a threat. If it behaved sensibly, it would recognize the difficulty and retreat; otherwise, they could easily kill it together.
No one had any objections to this arrangement.
Soon, three auras from the late Foundation Establishment stage approached the Dragon Elephant Bodhi tree.
Xu Sui, using his spiritual sense, looked at the three creatures:
One, lying on the ground, had scales reflecting white light, like ripples on a water surface.
One stood on a tree branch, upright like a human, holding a sharp sword, constantly scanning the surroundings to eliminate hidden risks.
One circled in the sky, overlooking everything with a majestic aura.
The information provided by Zhang Jing was correct. As the three demons gathered, the Dragon Elephant Bodhi tree became more conspicuous, showing signs of nearing maturity.
"Attack."
To prevent damage to the spiritual fruit during the battle, Zhang Jing immediately ordered the assault.
Xu Sui directed his sword towards the Iron Feather Azure Hawk in the sky, using the Heavenly Soaring Sword Technique in coordination with other cultivators' spells to restrict its movement, forcing it away from the Dragon Elephant Bodhi tree.
Since entering Yunmengze, Xu Sui had primarily used the Heavenly Soaring Sword Technique and hadn't utilized the thunder pool in his palm.
In the end, this trip to Yunmengze was just a temporary job. No matter how many spirit stones Zhang Jing gave him, it was worth spending them only if there was life to enjoy it.
Is a monthly salary of three thousand worth risking one's life?
It was almost like a joke.
Moreover, with some hidden cards that others were unaware of, he had a better chance in battles.
"Damn, it's actually a spiritual treasure."
A curse interrupted Xu Sui's thoughts. He separated a strand of divine sense towards the direction of the voice, discovering that Zhang Jing's clothes were now stained with blood, indicating he was in a disadvantageous position.
The Swift Spirit White Ape raised a sword with a cold and chilling intent, revealing that it was no ordinary creature.
This is bad.
Faced with this sudden change, Xu Sui didn't panic like the others. While using the Green Silk Sword to fend off attacks from the Iron Feather Azure Hawk, he assessed the situation.
In the original information, the Swift Spirit White Ape did not have a spiritual treasure flying sword.
This lack of information led to Zhang Jing's misjudgment. He stimulated his cultivation with pills, intending to quickly kill the White Ape within a short time. If he allowed the situation to develop without intervening, it could potentially be reversed.
"This seems like hiding and holding back is no longer an option."
Xu Sui took out a hundred-year vermilion fruit from the storage space and swallowed it in front of everyone.
During the days in Yunmengze, he often left for a while during breaks. The hundred-year vermilion fruit could easily be explained as something obtained during these times.
Simultaneously, with the vermilion fruit entering his abdomen, the previously stabilized spiritual energy became active again.
The realm that was originally on the verge of collapse, without Xu Sui's suppression, was directly broken through, successfully entering the mid-Foundation Establishment stage.