“Brother Chuan, how come you’re so good? Could you be a descendant from some Noble’s mansion?” Murong Wushuang lunged forward excitedly, tightly hugging the slab to his chest as if he was embracing an incomparably beautiful woman.

To him, a superior cultivation manual was ten times, a hundred times more precious than Blood-toad Wood, for it was a priceless treasure that could not be purchased with any amount of money.

With his talent, he would have reached the Divine Realm long ago if he had a superior cultivation manual. He would not have been delayed at Stage Seven Qi.

Ning Xiaochuan said, “I’m heading down the cliff to look for the Blood-toad Wood. Why don’t you stay here and cultivate using the manual?”

“No! I’ll follow you. Any place with natural treasures is certain to have unknown dangers as well. I’ll support you.” Murong Wushuang used his belt to secure the slab and carry it on his back, then made the first move in heading down the cliff.

He felt that he owed Ning Xiaochuan a massive favor. If he did not help Ning Xiaochuan obtain the Blood-toad Wood, he would not be able to live with himself.

Although he had swindled and cheated others, he was rather reliable and loyal to those who were worthy of his friendship!

Both of them had a Cultivation at Stage Seven Qi. They had formidable arm strength and their fingers were tough as steel. Thus, they were able to cut through rock and stone.

Scaling down the cliff was child’s play to them.

“Bang!”

In one strike, Ning Xiaochuan punched into the cliff. Half of his arm was inserted into the rock and he stabilized his body. His limbs were able to easily break through the cliff to create footholds. Step by step, he scaled down the cliff.

After climbing down for some time, a black miasmic fog drifted up from the bottom of the cliff.

“It’s poisonous. Quick, use your Qi to encase your body.” Ning Xiaochuan hurriedly circulated the blood in his body. Crimson Qi oozed from his pores and enveloped his body, blocking off the black miasma.

Murong Wushuang was closer to the bottom of the cliff and accidentally breathed in the miasma. He instantly felt his head spin and his body’s circulation was disrupted. He immediately used Qi to shroud his body.

“There’s actually miasma drifting between the mountains. The place below the cliff must be abnormal.” Ning Xiaochuan frowned slightly.

“Fear not! We both have a Cultivation of Stage Seven Qi. In Southpearl Mountain, we won’t be in too much danger.” Murong Wushuang was very confident.

He had come to Southpearl Mountain many times, and it was as familiar to him as his own backyard. Although he had not gone into the depths of a cliff like this, he imagined that it would not be too hazardous.

Ning Xiaochuan glanced down to the bottom and narrowed his eyes slightly. In delight, he said, “Look, there’s a blood-red glow in the mist below that seems to surround a tree. That should be the Blood-toad Wood.”

Murong Wushuang looked down as well. Indeed, he noticed a faint glow around a hundred meters below.

This glow seemed to encase a tree. Blood-red leaves grew on the tree and emitted this peculiar radiance.

The Blood-toad Tree was growing on the side of the cliff!

It stirred up waves of excitement in their hearts!

This was a priceless treasure.

“Squeak squeak!”

Not too far above, a crimson spider crawled out from a cave. It was as huge as a washbasin and had eight sharp claws.

Its claws pierced through the rocky cliff as if it was slicing through tofu.

This was a Fire Spider, a Grade Two Mystical Beast. It exuded a menacing aura.

Ning Xiaochuan and Murong Wushuang were startled and promptly condensed their Combat Qi, preparing to fight.

The minimum fighting power of a Grade Two Mystical Beast was comparable to a Stage Seven Qi monk. Some of the more ferocious Grade Two Mystical Beasts could even tear to shreds a martial artist with Stage Nine Qi.

They had encountered a Grade Two Mystical Beast on the side of the cliff. This was definitely a disaster.

The Fire Spider crawled upon the precipitous surface of the cliff as if it was walking on level ground. Its eyes, which were as large as fists, fixed steadily upon Ning Xiaochuan and Murong Wushuang.

“Boom!”

A ball of flames burst from its body and enveloped it. Its speed was unexpected and unparalleled. It scuttled towards Murong Wushuang with its sharp claws aimed at his head.

“Bang!”

Murong Wushuang was as nimble as a lively monkey on the cliff. His figure swiftly descended ten meters or so before he stopped.

Even so, the Fire Spider followed close behind, spitting out a burning thread of spider silk. This thread wrapped around Murong Wushuang’s neck and dangled him over the cliff.

“Cr*p! This Fire Spider definitely has the ability to kill Stage Eight Qi martial artists. Be careful…” Murong Wushuang’s hands shielded his neck and he attempted to break the spider silk. However, it was tougher than metal wire, and the flames on the silk burned his palms.

After the Fire Spider hung Murong Wushuang on the side of the cliff, it moved to attack Ning Xiaochuan. Like before, it spat out its spider silk that aimed for Ning Xiaochuan’s heart like a rocket.

Ning Xiaochuan leaped upwards from the cliff. Using his hand that was covered in Qi, he pinched the thread of burning spider silk, then abruptly dropped towards the bottom of the cliff.

He fell smoothly for thirty meters or so before the silk in his hand turned taunt and his body hung suspended in midair.

Thirty meters above him, the Fire Spider’s eight claws were pierced into the cliff. Its body was trembling ceaselessly. Just now, it had nearly been pulled down by the force of Ning Xiaochuan plummeting into the hundred-thousand-foot abyss.

Ning Xiaochuan had been testing his luck and was sweating nervously deep down. If the Fire Spider’s strength could not withstand the force of his fall, he and the Fire Spider both would have plummeted to their deaths.

Now, things were different. He had turned the tables. His hand tightly gripped the spider silk. If the Fire Spider dared to move a muscle, it would immediately fall into the hundred-thousand-foot abyss and be smashed to smithereens.

Ning Xiaochuan swung his body towards the cliff and used one foot to create a foothold in the rock.

Mystical Fortification condensed above his other arm and turned into a Qi Sword. This sword flew towards the Fire Spider.

“Swish!”

The Fire Spider was highly intelligent. When it saw the Qi Sword flying towards it, it loosened its eight claws and was immediately pulled towards the bottom of the cliff by Ning Xiaochuan.

Ning Xiaochuan released the spider silk, not wanting to be dragged down by the Fire Spider’s fall.

The problem was finally solved!

“Squeak!”

However, something unexpected happened.

Just as the Fire Spider was falling past Ning Xiaochuan’s head, it spat out a second thread of spider silk that wrapped around Ning Xiaochuan’s neck.

Ning Xiaochuan’s expression shifted immediately. He quickly circulated his Qi to protect his neck.

A Grade Two Mystical Beast did not have average intelligence, yet it was able to find a way to turn the tide in a split second.

The Fire Spider still made “squeaking noises”. It was incomparably furious. Its body landed on the cliff and it swiftly clambered up.

Just now, it had nearly died at the hands of a human.

Now, it was going to suck out the blood and brains of this human.

Ning Xiaochuan’s Cultivation was at Stage Seven Qi, and the Qi of his body was rather meager. After unleashing the Qi Sword once, he would need an hour before he could form a Qi Sword again.

The Fire Spider lunged forwards once more. Ning Xiaochuan could only fight against its slashing claws with his bare hands.

“Clang!”

“Clang!”

…

The Fire Spider had eight claws while Ning Xiaochuan only had two hands. Both of them battled furiously on the cliff’s side. Qi spilled out constantly, causing the rocks on the cliff to keep falling off.

“Boom!”

Under the pressure of this life-and-death situation, Ning Xiaochuan’s potential was stimulated. He instantly broke through the bottleneck and reached Stage Eight Qi.

In his body, his blood flow became significantly quicker, reaching five cycles in one minute.

As his blood coursed onwards, his pores were absorbing Heaven and Earth Qi wildly, collecting it in his Combat Atrium.

The Qi within his Combat Atrium tripled in volume. Like an ocean of Qi, it exuded intense Qi fluctuations.

Naturally, the Fire Spider sensed that Ning Xiaochuan’s Cultivation had progressed, and attacked even faster. It frantically lunged forward and opened its large, bloody mouth, trying to bite off Ning Xiaochuan’s head.

“You think you’ll have the chance? Go and die.”

With a wave of Ning Xiaochuan’s arm, the shadow of a Qi Sword flashed forward, splitting open the hard shell of the Fire Spider. Its body shattered into fragments and a torrent of corrosive, crimson blood splashed out.

Ning Xiaochuan heaved a deep sigh of relief. At last, he had killed this Grade Two Mystical Beast.

He touched his chest. There was a three-inch-long wound. The blood flowing from the wound had soaked through his clothes.

“That’s strange. Supposedly the Fire Spider’s claws should be venomous. Why do I show no signs of being poisoned?” Ning Xiaochuan used Qi to seal over the wound, then did not give it further thought. First, he had to rescue Murong Wushuang, who was still hanging over the cliff.

The spider silk had left a deep, red mark over Murong Wushuang’s neck. It had nearly snapped his neck.

Murong Wushuang could not stop panting as he stared at Ning Xiaochuan in astonishment. “Brother Chuan, you’ve broken through to Stage Eight Qi. Impressive, impressive.”

“We’ve killed the Fire Spider. There shouldn’t be much danger now. Head up the cliff and recuperate. I’ll go and get the Blood-toad Wood.” Ning Xiaochuan observed that Murong Wushuang’s injuries were rather serious and asked him to go up first.

Murong Wushuang did not protest and simply nodded. With that, he swiftly clambered up the cliff.

Ning Xiaochuan continued heading down the cliff and finally reached the top of the Blood-toad Wood. His nose detected a faint fragrance, which was an aroma unique to the Blood-toad Wood.

Ning Xiaochuan stared at the Blood-toad Wood and was endlessly moved.

This Blood-toad Tree must have grown for a millennium at least. It was as large as a millstone and was shaped like a massive toad crouching on the cliff. It was crimson all over and had a vague outline of claws, eyes, and mouth.

This was just the main trunk of the tree. Nine branches, each as thick as an arm, grew from the trunk. These were covered in blood-red leaves which had a delicate fragrance.

“This must be a few thousand pounds at least. And it’s a living Blood-toad Tree. It’s practically a priceless treasure.”

Ning Xiaochuan’s hand touched the trunk of the Blood-toad Wood and the Devil Sword in his heart immediately chirped in elation. A current flowed out from the sword, ready to absorb the vitality of the wood.

Ning Xiaochuan quickly withdrew his hand, cutting off the link between the Devil Sword and the Blood-toad Wood.

Although he also wished to use the Blood-toad Wood now to improve his Cultivation, if he allowed the Devil Sword to directly absorb the Blood-toad Wood, he would only obtain a tenth of the Blood-toad Wood’s potency.

Ning Xiaochuan had to use the Heart-nourishing Cauldron’s power to refine the Blood-toad Wood to fully absorb the potency of the Blood-toad Wood.

“I’ll excavate it before I slowly refine it. Such an enormous piece of Blood-toad Wood is enough for me to advance my Cultivation to the Divine Body Realm in a short time.”

Ning Xiaochuan took out his machete and started to carefully dig around the cliff. He wanted to excavate the Blood-toad Wood’s roots without damaging them as well. Perhaps he could bring it back and plant it in Begonia Manor.

A Mystical Wood tree could turn a barren piece of land into a spiritual ground for Martial Art Cultivation.