Chapter 48 - Golden Scaled Dragon Python

“Pfft pfft pfft!”

Chen Fan sprinted frantically, his injuries becoming unbearable at times, causing him to vomit blood.

Despite the pain, he refused to stop, pushing himself to the limit with each stride using Ghostly Shadow Steps.

After an hour of relentless running, Chen Fan found himself disoriented, unsure of his location. Surveying the surroundings, he spotted a discreet cave and sought refuge inside.

“Ugh, pfft!”

Chen Fan stumbled into the cave. It was so dark inside that he felt like he was entering an abyss. And all this while, he hadn’t stopped vomiting blood.

“How are you feeling, Xiaobai?”

He immediately sat on the ground, retrieved several Recovery Pills, and swallowed them, feeding some to Xiaobai as well. Concern filled his eyes as he noticed Xiaobai's weak breathing.

If it weren't for Xiaobai's surprise attack on Sun Wenshan, dealing him internal injuries, Chen Fan would have been doomed. Not only that, his fearless attacks afterward aggravated Sun Wenshan’s injuries, preventing him from giving chase.

Chen Fan knew he was currently no match for the fury of a Qi Grandmaster.

“Kiki.”

Xiaobai screeched weakly and closed his eyes. Soon after, he radiated a golden glow, which enveloped him like delicate silk threads, resembling a golden cocoon.

𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

A look of alarm crossed Chen Fan's face as he hurriedly touched the golden cocoon. He felt its warmth and noticed its rhythmic rise and fall as if it were breathing. However, the cocoon’s aura was rather weak, like someone on their deathbed.

Chen Fan could finally sigh in relief, now aware that Xiaobai wasn’t dead and seemed to be recuperating.

“Just wait, Sun Wenshan. I will personally slaughter you!” Icy killing intent emanated from his eyes, enveloping the surroundings and turning the cave into an icebox.

Time passed quickly, and two days went by in a flash.

“Phew.”

Chen Fan opened his eyes and exhaled a deep breath. His eyes gleamed like the sun.

His injuries had mostly healed and were no longer a cause for concern.

This was thanks to his tough physique and his insane recovery speed. Anyone else would have rested for ten days to half a month before they could even get out of bed.

Chen Fan glanced at the cocoon beside him, flashing, seemingly having fallen into a deep sleep.

Meanwhile, two figures were approaching this cave.

“Big Brother, there’s a cave here. Why don’t we recuperate our wounds there first?” suggested a muscular man with a crew cut, emitting an intense aura, pointing at the cave.

“Alright, we’ll find two more people when our injuries are healed. We must slay that Golden Scaled Dragon Python. It possesses a trace of a flood dragon’s bloodline—a valuable treasure for physique tempering and strengthening of tendons and bones. The python's skin and gallbladder are also valuable. We can sell them for nearly a thousand primeval stones.” The other speaker had a deep voice and a knife scar on his face.

However, a flashing light inside the cave suddenly caught their attention. Their eyes narrowed as they realized this golden light was following the breathing pattern.

“We’re fortunate, Big Brother. There’s actually treasure in this cave!” said the man with the crew cut in surprise.

Traces of joy also appeared in the scar-faced man’s cold eyes. He strode deeper in and said, “Come, we’ll go in and see what treasure it is.”

Upon entering, they immediately saw Chen Fan sitting on the ground. Their expressions changed, but when they sensed his cultivation, cold smiles showed on their faces.

Their gazes shifted to the cocoon with Xiaobai inside, greed oozing out of their eyes.

Though they had no idea what it was, the flickering golden light and its apparent vitality hinted at its value.

Even if it were just the cocoon of a demon beast, it would fetch them a good price.

Many people enjoyed raising demon beasts, as the young could be raised to love humans.

In their eyes, the cocoon was an unborn demon beast and that was worth more than a mature demon beast.

"Brat, I'll give you three breaths' time to make a choice," the scar-faced man said plainly, his tone condescending as he disregarded Chen Fan. "Option one: hand over your treasures, including that cocoon, to us brothers. Then, cripple your cultivation and crawl out of here. “Option two: be killed by me right here. Make your choice.

“Remember, I want you to crawl, not walk out of here. If you try walking out on your two feet, I’ll break your legs.”

Eyes filled with mockery, the man with the crew cut chimed in, “Didn’t you hear him? What are you doing, not moving? You want to die?”

Chen Fan raised his head, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. Without uttering a word, he swiftly moved his arm and launched a punch.

Rumble!

The space trembled, and the air filled with a deafening roar. A Vajra Seal, the size of a millstone, shot out, darting toward the two men.

“To dare attack me, you’re courting death! Army Wrecking Fist!”

The man with a crew cut shouted coldly as he stepped forward, unleashing his sixth-level cultivation. A fierce and icy wind surged from his fist.

However, the Army Wrecking Fist crumbled the instant it met the Vajra Seal.

The Vajra Seal forcefully pushed forward, crashing into the man. Several snapping sounds echoed as his tendons snapped and bones broke, sending him flying back like a lifeless sack. He crashed onto the ground, twitched a few times, and then stopped showing all signs of life.

“What?!”

The scar-faced man turned pale with fright when he watched this scene unfold.

The two were hunters, always wandering between the boundaries of life and death. Although they were only sixth-level martial artists, they were experts in that realm. The man with the crew cut was as strong as the scar-faced man, so he never expected his partner to be killed in an instant.

This scar-faced man was a sensible person. He knew this teenager’s cultivation was also at the sixth level, but he definitely wasn’t someone he could handle. This kind of person was a genius, capable of taking on several opponents like him.

He swiftly turned around, his primeval qi surging as he prepared to flee for his life.

Swoosh!

However, just as he moved, a violent wind swept over him. An arm shot toward him like an agile snake, grabbing his neck before he could react.

“Do-don’t kill me...” With his life hanging by a thread, the scar-faced man looked utterly terrified, desperately pleading for mercy.

Chen Fan looked at the scar-faced man coldly and asked, “Where is the Golden Scaled Dragon Python you spoke of?”

He had overheard their conversation from before clearly. His eyes instantly lit up when he heard the words “Golden Scaled Dragon Python.”

As the scar-faced man had said earlier, the Golden Scaled Dragon Python had a trace of a flood dragon’s bloodline. Its blood was precious and could be used to temper one’s physique.

Chen Fan was stuck in the Strength Refining realm. If he could use the Golden Scaled Dragon Python to temper his physique, there was a very high chance he could advance to the Bone Tempering realm.

With that, he wouldn’t be any weaker than eighth-level martial artists just by relying on his physical strength.