"Brother Ye, what on earth happened here?"
Liu Ji and her companion were, after all, young women who had never witnessed such a scene. The ground was littered with the corpses of Spirit Beasts, a truly terrifying sight.
Shaking his head, Ye Gucheng's expression also grew grim. He said, "This is unusual. We should hurry, take these Spirit Beast corpses, and leave."
None of the three were fools. They knew exactly what these Spirit Beast corpses on the ground meant. If they took them, they could sell them for a very good price.
But just then, a terrifying, bloody Killing Intent suddenly emanated from the surroundings, instantly enveloping the three of them. Even Ye Gucheng's expression changed drastically, and his voice trembled as he said, "The three of us had no intention of offending you, Senior. Please, be the bigger person and don't hold this against us."
"No intention of offending? How shameless. You just said you were going to take the corpses on the ground. You call that 'no intention of offending'?"
Hiding behind a large tree, Long Ao had a mocking smile on his lips. Although his strength was not yet a match for Ye Gucheng's, the bloody Killing Intent emanating from the Blood-Drinking Mad Saber was enough to intimidate him.
Besides, these Spirit Beast corpses on the ground were quite valuable. He was not at all pleased with the idea of letting Ye Gucheng and his companions have them for free.
"Senior, I think you've misunderstood. I have no intention of touching these Spirit Beast corpses. Furthermore, I am a disciple of the Liuyun Sect."
'The Liuyun Sect?'
Hearing Ye Gucheng announce his affiliation, Long Ao was a little surprised. The Celestial Martial Continent was a land where Sects stood powerful and numerous. In the Celestial State, the Liuyun Sect was considered a moderately sized Sect, one that at least stood above Thundercloud City.
'No wonder Ye Gucheng reached the Celestial State's Hundred Battles Ranking at such a young age. So he has the Liuyun Sect backing him.'
"Are you trying to use the Liuyun Sect to pressure me?"
"Senior, I wouldn't dare. This matter is truly a misunderstanding, and we really had no intention of offending you. As an unparalleled expert, I don't think you would quibble with us, would you?"
'What a bootlicker,' Long Ao thought. He was well aware of his own strength. Even with the Blood-Drinking Mad Saber, he couldn't possibly defeat his opponent. He had only been bluffing, using the bloody Killing Intent from the Blood-Drinking Mad Saber to scare him.
"The death penalty can be avoided, but a living punishment is inescapable."
Hearing this, the expressions of Ye Gucheng and his companions changed once again.
"Brat, this old man can let you go, but you must eat the entire corpse of one of the Spirit Beasts."
Ah?
Liu Ji and her companion turned pale with fright. The very thought of Ye Gucheng eating a raw Spirit Beast corpse made them feel like vomiting. It was too disgusting.
Ye Gucheng's expression was unbelievably grim. He wasn't an idiot; he knew the other party was deliberately messing with him, but he was powerless to do anything about it. Who could he blame but himself for not being as strong? The person hadn't even shown their face, yet the aura they released was enough to make him feel completely unable to resist.
His fists were clenched tightly, the fury on his face representing his current mood—like a volcano on the verge of erupting. But in the end, he held it in.
"I hope you keep your word, Senior."
"Brother Ye, you..."
Waving his hand to dismiss them, Ye Gucheng walked with a cold gaze toward the many Spirit Beast corpses. The ground was strewn with them, lying in disarray. Ye Gucheng wasn't a fool; he naturally chose the smallest Spirit Beast corpse among them. Even so, it was still more than half as tall as a person.
CRUNCH. The moment he took the first bite, Ye Gucheng nearly threw up. However, he forced down the nausea in his heart and began to eat, bite by bite. A full six hours later, he had finally finished the entire Spirit Beast corpse.
After finishing the last bite, Ye Gucheng was so unsteady he could barely walk. He just managed to say, "Let's go," before Liu Ji and her companion supported him and slowly helped him away.
'Today, I made you eat a corpse. One year from now, I will defeat you personally with my own strength.'
Long Ao looked at the corpses on the ground, feeling a bit troubled. After all, they were enormous. He couldn't just carry them away, could he?
"Long Fu, can I put these corpses into the Dragon Seal Space for now?"
"No problem, Master."
Delighted, Long Ao placed all the corpses from the ground into the Dragon Seal Space, putting the Blood-Drinking Mad Saber in as well. His luck on this trip to the Thundercloud Forest had been pretty good. Not only had his Cultivation smoothly broken through to the Peak of Inner Strength Ninth Heaven, but he had also obtained the Blood-Drinking Mad Saber.
He had originally planned to stay in the Thundercloud Forest to continue his Cultivation, but after obtaining these corpses, Long Ao was suddenly eager to return to his family. He knew that over the past few months, the family had spent a lot of Gold Coins to prepare the Elixirs for his breakthrough. Although no one had said anything, he could clearly sense that the family had already done its best and even exceeded its limits.
If he sold the Spirit Beast corpses he had just obtained, he could definitely get a good price, which would be his way of contributing to the family.
「Red Fire Town, the Long Family estate.」
On the quiet training grounds, Long Li's gasp could be heard as he asked in disbelief, "Ao'Er, is all this your spoils from the trip to the Thundercloud Forest?"
Seeing his second uncle and grandfather so happy, Long Ao was also very pleased. He nodded and said, "I guess you could say that."
Long Haoshi's face was filled with pride and excitement. Having such a grandson was probably the proudest achievement of his life.
"Grandfather, Second Uncle, I know the family has spent a lot of Gold Coins on me recently."
Before Long Ao could finish, Long Haoshi said, "Ao'Er, the family will fully support you in your battle against Long Yulang a year from now. With these Spirit Beast corpses, we have more than enough Gold Coins to purchase a Spirit Gathering Pill. I will inform your father and have him buy one as soon as possible."
To an Inner Strength Tenth Heaven Martial Artist, a Spirit Gathering Pill was an indescribable treasure. This wasn't to say that an Inner Strength Tenth Heaven Martial Artist could definitely reach the Innate Realm with a Spirit Gathering Pill, but taking one would greatly increase the chances of breaking through to the Innate Realm.
Although the Spirit Gathering Pill was precious, its price was also exorbitant. It was easy to imagine that even with the Long Family's resources, they lacked the means to purchase even a single one.
"Father, this time I would like to take Ao'Er and a few other family disciples to Thundercloud City. It would be good for them to see the world. What do you think?"
"Mm, go make the arrangements. You will all set out for Thundercloud City in ten days. Remember, don't stir up trouble. And especially if you see people from the Thundercloud City Long Family, stay as far away as you can."
"Don't worry, Father. I know what to do."
Hearing that his second uncle was taking him to Thundercloud City, Long Ao was overjoyed. Not only were his parents stationed in Thundercloud City, but he also genuinely wanted to go out and see the world.