Before the situation between Ning Fan, Yun Qingyao, Shao Hong, and Bai Ran could be resolved, a mid-stage Profound Extreme Realm tiger Demon Beast suddenly emerged, adding another layer of danger to the cavern.

The situation became even more unpredictable.

The next moment.

Without a shred of hesitation, the tiger Demon Beast lunged straight toward the strange tree within the Spirit Vein. Its target was crystal clear-the fruit hanging from its branches.

Everyone's heart sank.

If those fruits ended up in the beast's jaws, it wouldn't matter how hard they fought among themselves afterward; they would never be able to force a mid-stage Profound Extreme Realm beast to spit out heavenly treasures.

The urgent priority was to seize the ripe fruits first.

"Junior Brothers,"

Ji Wuxi called out. "Let us set aside our grudges for now. We will deal with that tiger Demon Beast together first. As for the fruits on the strange tree, we shall split them evenly."

"..."

Ning Fan stared deeply at Ji Wuxi, weighing the honesty of his words. He did not find Ji Wuxi trustworthy in the slightest.

Yet, he had no other choice.

"Agreed."

Ning Fan replied. "We will cooperate to slay the beast first, and then we divide the heavenly treasures evenly."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Ning Fan and Ji Wuxi instantly abandoned their standoff. Flanking the tiger Demon Beast from the left and right, they closed in on it simultaneously.

"..."

Lin Jiao and Yun Qingyao exchanged a sharp glance, their eyes clashing in midair like flying sparks. The next moment, however, they too lunged toward the beast.

"Get out of the way!"

Ning Fan reached the tiger Demon Beast first. He threw a heavy punch forward, the black-gray silhouette of a serpent condensing over his knuckles.

"Roar-"

Blocked by Ning Fan, the tiger Demon Beast let out a furious roar. It bared its fangs and swiped its massive claws right at him.

"Boom!"

A single clash sent Ning Fan's body reeling. He staggered backward repeatedly, nearly losing his balance under the beast's immense, brutal strength.

Before the tiger Demon Beast could pursue him, Ji Wuxi struck from the flank. He unleashed his Heart-Destroying Thunder, sending terrifying bolts of lightning crashing down upon the beast. The electrical discharge turned its fur on end and caused its massive frame to stiffen for a fraction of a second.

That brief moment of paralysis was all they needed.

Lin Jiao, Yun Qingyao, Fang Qi, and He Min arrived right on time, surrounding the tiger Demon Beast completely. Even though the beast held a higher cultivation realm, two fists could not match four pairs of hands.

"Roar!"

"Roar!"

Shrill, agonized roars echoed through the cavern as the tiger Demon Beast, like a trapped animal, twisted and turned frantically within the encirclement.

Ning Fan seized a perfect opening.

He threw a punch straight into the beast's spine!

"Crack!"

A crisp snapping sound echoed. The tiger Demon Beast let out a pained wail as its spine fractured under the blow, causing its body to collapse to one side.

"Good opportunity!"

Shao Hong shouted. Even without his reminder, the others caught the opening and unleashed a barrage of attacks upon the beast.

"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"

A flurry of blows rained down.

Within moments, the tiger Demon Beast was reduced to a pulp. Its internal Demon Core lay completely exposed to their sight, yet not a single person looked at it.

A mid-stage Profound Extreme Realm Demon Core was only worth about four hundred Spirit Stones. In contrast, the fruits on that strange tree were likely priceless treasures!

"Go!"

Ning Fan and Ji Wuxi bolted toward the strange tree at the exact same time. They exchanged a glance as they ran-as expected, "splitting evenly" had merely been a convenient lie for temporary cooperation.

"Get out of my way!"

"The one who needs to get out of the way is you!"

"..."

Ning Fan and Ji Wuxi traded blows. Without employing specific martial techniques, Ji Wuxi could not suppress Ning Fan. However, if the two of them became entangled in a proper fight, the fruits on the tree would only end up in someone else's hands. Fang Qi and the others might be on Ji Wuxi's side, but if they managed to grab a priceless heavenly treasure, would Fang Qi truly hand it over willingly?

Not necessarily.

When it came to cultivators, personal profit always came first.

"..." Ji Wuxi glared at Ning Fan, chose to break off the exchange, and dashed straight toward the strange tree. Ning Fan had no desire to waste time either.

The two raced side by side, making a direct line for the tree.

"Come!"

Reaching the edge of the Spirit Vein, Ning Fan stamped his foot hard against the ground, leaping up toward the branches. Reaching out, he swept four fruits into his grasp.

Ji Wuxi likewise snatched four fruits.

Next came Lin Jiao and Yun Qingyao.

The fruits on the strange tree were scattered unevenly, some clustered close together and others spaced far apart. Ning Fan and Ji Wuxi had naturally picked the most optimal positions to grab the maximum amount possible.

By the time Lin Jiao and Yun Qingyao reached the tree, they could only secure two fruits each.

Then came Fang Qi and He Min.

The two of them could only claim one fruit each. At this point, only two fruits remained on the branches, while four people had yet to make a move.

Shao Hong, Bai Ran, and the other couple now had to fight over the final two fruits. Shao Hong and Bai Ran were no match for the opposing couple, and the last two fruits quickly fell into the hands of the latter pair.

As for why Ning Fan and Ji Wuxi had stopped after taking four fruits each?

It was not because they lacked greed.

It was because they simply could not take more.

The strange tree grew within the Spirit Vein itself. The Spirit Vein was a river of highly condensed Spiritual Qi, an environment consisting of a fluid slightly thicker than water.

It was also incredibly deep.

Without leveraging some other method or tool, it was impossible to leap out of the liquid a second time without any footing.

Still, Ji Wuxi and Ning Fan were satisfied with their haul.

Counting the fruits obtained by their respective companions, each side had secured six. Even though they did not know the exact identity of the fruits, the terrifying Spiritual Qi radiating from them proved they were far from Mortal Grade. Cultivating with them would undoubtedly yield immense benefits.

"Ning Fan, you still have a choice."

Ji Wuxi floated with his upper body above the liquid, his eyes flashing coldly as he addressed Ning Fan, enunciating every single word.

"Come over here."

"Let me and Jiao'er utilize your special constitution. Once we complete our dual cultivation, I will completely overlook everything that has happened before and after this."

"Otherwise..."

"You had better consider how exactly you plan to leave this Spirit Vein!"

"..."

The threat in Ji Wuxi's tone was blatant.

Faced with this ultimatum, Ning Fan's response was simple. Under Ji Wuxi's watchful eyes, he raised his clenched right fist and slowly extended his index finger in a dismissive gesture.

What a joke.

Inside this Spirit Vein, Ji Wuxi had no way of threatening him. As for what would happen once they left the Spirit Vein...

It remained to be seen who would be the one hunting whom!

"Stubborn fool!"

Ji Wuxi's face turned as dark as the bottom of a charcoal pot.

"Fine."

"Just you wait. I would love to see how you intend to escape this Spirit Vein!"

"..."

Ning Fan ignored Ji Wuxi entirely and turned his gaze toward Shao Hong.

"Senior Brother."

"The Thunder Roar Grass!"

Ning Fan had not forgotten his objective to secure the Thunder Roar Grass for Ye Honglian, and it was currently in Shao Hong's possession.

Shao Hong blinked in surprise.

The next second, he slipped his storage ring off his finger and tossed it straight to Ning Fan.

"Junior Brother Ning, take it yourself!"

There were quite a few items inside the storage ring, and finding the specific herb would take some time, so Shao Hong chose to hand the entire ring over.

"Catch."

Ning Fan caught the storage ring. After a brief moment of deliberation, he tossed one of the strange fruits back to Shao Hong. Trading a precious fruit from the strange tree for a blade of Thunder Roar Grass was undoubtedly a massive financial loss, but considering Shao Hong's previous assistance, Ning Fan felt he deserved the reward.

"Senior Brother Ji, I look forward to our next meeting."

Ning Fan gave Ji Wuxi one last deep look.

Then, grasping Yun Qingyao's hand, he dove headfirst into the depths of the Spirit Vein river, their figures vanishing from sight in an instant.

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