Outside the willow tree’s range of attack, the black panther’s eyes were bulging even as it remained crouching, a humanlike shock flashing over its face.

  It even used a front paw to rub its eyes.

  Excuse me……

  Isn’t there something wrong here?

  Why did the giant willow tree yield so easily?

  Back then, the tree’s branch had split the panther’s skin open when it peed beneath it, leaving it to question the meaning of its existence. But now, why was it cowed the instant he encountered a human?

  It had even broken its own branch to protect itself. How badly did that tree even want to live?

  What left the black panther even more confused was his bro, Jiang He. Not even rank-nine elites could scratch him if he wore his combat suit, let alone a tree. So why would he only ask for three willow branches?

  What could three willow branches do?

  Was he going to take them home to grow them?

  Even if the floral spirit had developed awareness and its branches could be grown separately, the branches would not mutate the same way. Wouldn’t it be better to cut the tree down and take both the Willow heart and the Origin Fluid?

  As for Jiang He?

  Delight showed on his face as he felt the abundant lifeforce within the three branches, and hence offered a fist-palm salute at the tree before turning to leave.

  The willow tree shook a bit then, seemingly out of slight relief.

  The star of calamity was finally leaving.

  And yet, Jiang He suddenly paused when he was just about to leave the tree’s range of attack, and asked in curiosity, “By the way, I heard that floral spirits develop something called Origin Fluid? Can I just ask…… is that thing tasty? And what’s the effect……”


  The willow tree shook violently, each of its branches looking as if they were about to descend at any moment. At the same time, Jiang He’s Dark Golden Combat Suit materialized at his thought, and he smiled, Dragon-Slaying Saber in hand. “No offense, but I’m just asking out of curiosity.”


  “You……

  “Are…… Too…… Much!”


  A choppy spiritual wave rang beside Jiang He’s ears.

  Jiang He, however, was not surprised—it made sense that the floral spirit which developed sentience and was equal to rank-nines could use spirit voice. Clenching his Dragon-Slaying Saber and causing sparks to shoot out amidst the dull crack of thunders, he grinned. “I only wanted to try something new. Of course, I would have to extract the fluid myself if you don’t wish to go through the trouble.”


  The tree became silent.

  It balanced the pros and cons, and eventually……

  It extended one of its crystalline branches in front of Jiang He.

  Understanding its intentions, Jiang He said, “Hold on for a bit, I’ll look for a container…… Big kitty, go back to the creek and get one of the oil buckets…… you don’t know what that is? It’s fine. Just ask Mu Wanqiu.”


  Despite its reluctance, the black panther was obedient and returned almost as soon as it left, holding a 10L sunflower seed oil bucket between its jaws and handing it to Jiang He.

  Jiang He bought the oil to marinade his barbecue; he did not expect that the bucket would be useful too.

  Opening the bucket lid, he poured the oil on the ground, smiling as he did so. “Actually, it’s not like you’re losing out. I bought the most expensive blending oil and it costs me over eighty bucks, in exchange for your Origin Fluid and your life.”


  If memory serves, the Origin Fluid from the rank-eight willow tree mentioned before at Warrior Home was partially auctioned off…… for a hundred thousand dollars per drop?

  “Hmmm……”


  “I wasn’t paying attention. Could it be two hundred thousand?”


  Jiang He muttered as he held the bucket in front of the willow branch, and cut off the branch with a twirl of his Dragon-Slaying Saber.

  Gush.

  The fragrant, transparent Origin Fluid streamed out of the cut.

  It was as abundant as water, although the streamed slowed considerably after half a bucket, eventually down to drips.

  Nonetheless, after filling most of the bucket, Jiang He quickly said out of sympathy towards the big tree, “Alright, that’s enough!”


  If he squeezed the willow tree dry here, where would he get more Origin Fluid?

  Still, Jiang He felt a little thirsty after sniffing the fragrant Origin Fluid, and could not help glugging it down.

  Consuming a third of the bucket with a single breath, Jiang He only burped and wiped his mouth in satisfaction then.

  “Tut, tut…… this Origin Fluid is definitely a hundred times tastier than other drinks like Pepsi of Jianlibao.” Jiang He praised, putting away the bucket as he walked away.

  Even as he felt the pure energy from in his belly, he could not resist charging his Strengthened Nine Yang Technique.

  Boom!

  His True Qi burst out instantly, his cultivation rapidly improving by leaps and bounds as his Nine Yang Technique circulated.

  Jiang He could actually feel it improve…… and of course, it was not just his cultivation!

  There was a reason why the Origin Fluid was so expensive.

  While one drop of Origin Fluid from the rank-eight willow tree was worth two hundred thousand dollars, the willow tree in front of Jiang He now was rank-nine…… its effect was even more divine!

  Jiang He’s qi and blood were swiftly strengthening—his tendons, bones and skins all rapidly enlarging while his muscular figure becoming even more pronounced. The sea of swords in his mind was quaking as it expanded, the radiance of the single luminous sword in the ocean of edges brightening even more.

  Suddenly……

  Oom!

  A soft hum.

  Jiang He’s aura became serene again, as if all recent developments were dreamt up.

  But in the next instant, an even greater aura burst out of his body. Behind him, the silhouettes of two great suns arose, followed by a third!

  Snikt!

  The luminous sword shot out from between Jiang He’s eyes, hovering in the air before landing in Jiang He’s hand.

  Jiang He looked dumbfounded.

  “I’ve reached the Third Tier of the Strengthened Nine Yang Technique??”


  “And my cultivation……”


  “Is now rank-seven, grandmaster?”


  Jiang He couldn’t help turning to his stats panel on the System.

  [Cultivation: Rank-seven pinnacle]

  It was not a dream. He has indeed ascended, not just in cultivation and technique. The ocean of swords in his mind had become much stabler as well, and even the luminous sword could now materialize.

  He relaxed his fingers, and the luminous sword returned inside his head.

  Jiang He withdrew his aura, still in disbelief as he murmured, “Could the System be wrong? Was it not said that rank-six martial artists would run into a tremendous obstacle when they try to reach rank-seven? Many martial artists were stuck in that face for years, decades or even a lifetime without making a breakthrough. Why would I ascend without feeling it?”


  Where was the bottleneck he was supposed to solve?

  Where was the obstacle he was supposed to run into?

  At least have me go through a symbolic five-day seclusion or whatnot, so that I could pretend I was making an effort to ascend!

  Indeed, not only did Jiang He not feel any delight from such an easy breakthrough, he even felt slight disappointment.

  Was there any purpose in such an ascension?

  There was neither hardship nor challenge in it…… he just could not feel the joys and charm of cultivation!”


  “Huh……”


  Breathing a long sigh, Jiang He murmured with a helpless look, “Forget it. It’s late now, I need to go back and sleep……”


  ***

  At the same time, an off-road vehicle was bounding towards Helan County from Western Xia.

  Back in Helan County, Pudgy Jiang had met the martial artist who captured the video of the explosion and questioned him in detail.

  The martial artist described what he saw, muttering, “There’s something else…… just a while ago, several martial artists left Mount Helan.”


  “They said that elites of the Sky Demon Cult had shown up in the mountains, and that some treasure would soon be born.”


  “Oh, right!”


  The martial artist added, “There seemed to be some super elite named Jiang He who fought the Sky Demon Cultists!”


  “What?!”


  Pudgy Jiang’s expression changed as he asked somberly. “Are you sure?”


  “Where are those martial artists who left Mount Helan?”


  “Find them immediately. I have to ask them something!”


  Pudgy Jiang immediately had a hunch once he heard ‘Jiang He’.…… Could Jiang He be the one who had caused the explosion?

  After all, Jiang He would blow things up wherever he went, and it made sense if he was the one who came to Mount Helan for his dose of explosions.

  The problem, however, was Pudgy Jiang’s theory about the violent explosion he saw in the footage.

  It was definitely caused by a nuclear warhead with an enormous yield, and its blast range would definitely exceed the firing range of the nuclear rocket launcher.

  “Perhaps……”


  “Could Jiang He had run into an elite he couldn’t beat, which was why after running here and knowing that he has nowhere to go, he detonated a nuclear warhead?”