Chapter 34

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Deep within the cave, winding and twisting, Lin Xi finally arrived at the center of the grotto after a period of exploration. In the center of the grotto, stalactites hung from the ceiling, and a plant about a foot tall stood erect on the ground.

This plant was entirely golden, as if plated with gold. At its top, a fruit as red as fire emitted waves of light and heat, like a miniature sun.

Without much perception, Lin Xi could feel the vast, surging energy contained within the fruit.

"Hmm? There's another heavenly fruit here!"

Lin Xi was surprised. Next to this fruit, there was another identical heavenly fruit, also red, but it was much less impressive compared to the one in the center.

Lin Xi extended his hand to pluck the two plants. However, just as he was about to pull them out, he hesitated and immediately stopped.

"No, if I take both heavenly fruits, the elder from the Sunfire Sect and Wei Buping will definitely become suspicious."

After a moment of hesitation, Lin Xi finally left the less effective heavenly fruit behind.

If Wei Buping and the Sunfire Sect's Dragon Force Realm elder found out Lin Xi was here, the two of them working together would leave Lin Xi with no chance of escape.

Leaving the heavenly fruit behind, Lin Xi dragged Zhou Feng's body out and camouflaged it, making it look as if Zhou Feng had been accidentally killed by the python's body.

"Alright, let's go!"

Taking advantage of the chaos, Lin Xi immediately left the cave. As he was about to exit, a flash of inspiration crossed his mind, and he suddenly struck the python's vital point with a lightning-fast palm.

"Hisss!—"

The python writhed in intense pain. Lin Xi's strength wasn't enough to kill it, but the penetrating power of the internal martial arts was enough to make the python suffer excruciating pain.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The grotto shook violently as the python's body collided with it, and chunks of earth fell. Fortunately, Lin Xi was prepared and had already moved out of the way.

The Dragon Force Realm python's strength was already terrifying, and Lin Xi's strike at its vital point immediately sent it into a frenzy.

"Elder Li, be careful!"

The core disciples of the Five Thunder Sect shouted in alarm. The giant python, for some unknown reason, suddenly became twice as aggressive. It lunged forward without hesitation, biting into the chest of the Sunfire Sect's Dragon Force Realm elder.

"Ah!—"

Elder Li's blood spurted out as he screamed in pain. Although he had an indestructible body, the python's teeth were even sharper than divine weapons. They shattered his chest, and two large fangs injected venom into his body.

Even though Elder Li had taken antidote pills, he couldn't withstand the direct injection of venom and the massive amount of poison flooding his body. Half of his body immediately turned black and blue.

"You beast, I'll kill you!—"

Elder Li, in pain and losing his mind, struck the python's head with his palm, causing it to explode into a bloody mess. One of the python's eyes was crushed, and green fluid flowed out.

"Elder Li!"

Wei Buping shouted in alarm and immediately rushed over. But at that moment, the python, which had refused to withdraw its body, suddenly pulled it out with a whoosh and slammed it heavily onto Wei Buping.

Even though Wei Buping had an indestructible body, he couldn't withstand the attack from the Dragon Force Realm python. His chest bones cracked with a crunch, and he spat out a mouthful of blood, flying out like a broken kite.

"Elder!—"

The disciples shouted in alarm and rushed to catch Wei Buping. But at that moment, the python's massive body coiled and struck, crushing five or six Five Thunder Sect disciples into meat paste.

In the presence of a ninth-level beast capable of battling a dragon, disciples at the Iron Bone, Tough Skin, and Divine Travel stages were no match. A single strike from the python, with tens of thousands of pounds of force, crushed them into meat paste.

Lin Xi's single palm strike had driven the python into a frenzy, resulting in severe injuries to both Wei Buping and Elder Li, and the crushing of five or six disciples, causing heavy losses.

Dragons have a reverse scale, and touching it will anger them. Pythons don't have a reverse scale, but they have a vital point, and touching it will also enrage them.

Lin Xi was quite surprised to see that an unintentional action had led to such a result.

"Ha, good, both sides are injured."

Lin Xi felt an indescribable sense of satisfaction. This was definitely an unexpected gain.

"Ignore this for now, let's leave. I'll digest the heavenly fruit first."

Lin Xi's body flickered, and he immediately left.

"Roar!—"

In a rocky cave, a huge Storm Wind Bear roared and charged out upon seeing Lin Xi appear.

The Storm Wind Bear was a peak sixth-level beast, with thick skin and a strong resistance to attacks, even capable of withstanding the strikes of a seventh-level beast. However, this advantage was of little use against Lin Xi's internal martial arts.

"Meeting me is your bad luck."

A cold light flashed in Lin Xi's eyes, and in a few breaths, the Storm Wind Bear roared and fell heavily to the ground. A green beast core immediately fell into his hand.

In the distance, the angry roars of the Sunfire Sect elder and Wei Buping were clearly audible, but at this moment, Lin Xi had no intention of dealing with them.

Lin Xi took out the heavenly fruit, held it in his palm, and many thoughts raced through his mind. However, he quickly opened his mouth and swallowed it whole, skin and all.

According to Wei Buping, the heavenly fruit was more effective for beasts than for martial artists. However, since Lin Xi had no pets, it was better to consume it himself than to leave it for Wei Buping and the others.

The red fruit split open in his mouth, and streams of red juice flowed in, dissolving without the need to swallow, directly entering his stomach.

"So hot!"

After swallowing the heavenly fruit, Lin Xi felt as if he had swallowed a stream of lava, burning his insides. Waves of heat quickly spread to his skin, turning his body red like a branding iron, with wisps of white steam rising.

"The energy of this heavenly fruit far exceeds my current realm. I must absorb it quickly."

Lin Xi felt as if his brain was on fire, his vision turning red, and he could barely see. The vast energy of the heavenly fruit far exceeded his imagination.

Fortunately, Lin Xi had experience. Even though he was dizzy and hot all over, he didn't lose his mind. Almost immediately, he began to practice the "Eight Desolations Fist" to channel the energy.

The energy contained in the heavenly fruit was too vast and needed to be quickly dissipated using the "Eight Desolations Fist" to prevent internal burning and death.

At this moment, Lin Xi realized he had been careless. The python was clearly a Dragon Force Realm beast, and this heavenly fruit was prepared for itself. As a mere Divine Travel Realm expert, how could he digest it?

"Seeking wealth and honor involves risks, I'll take the chance!"

Lin Xi fully exerted the "Eight Desolations Fist," and streams of energy surged into his limbs and body like a thousand horses galloping.

In the past, when Lin Xi practiced the "Eight Desolations Fist," the increase in strength was like a small stream, not very noticeable. But this time, the increase in strength was very obvious, like a mighty river, rising steadily.

However, the burning sensation in his body did not decrease much. This heavenly fruit, which had grown for thousands or tens of thousands of years, contained vast energy. Even with the "Eight Desolations Fist," Lin Xi couldn't absorb it all, and a large amount of energy was stored in every cell of his body.

"Ah!—"

When the burning sensation in his body reached its peak, Lin Xi finally couldn't hold back and let out a hoarse roar. Time seemed to stop, becoming unbearably long.

In Lin Xi's perception, a lifetime might feel no longer than this moment.

"Boom!"

At this moment, Lin Xi's mind shook, and the Ten Thousand Emperors Map, which had disappeared, reappeared, emitting a cool aura that spread throughout his body. At the same time, a constraint in his body suddenly shattered.

"Seventh level of martial arts, Giant Spirit Realm!"

A wave of enlightenment rose in Lin Xi's mind. The burning sensation instantly subsided, and he felt an indescribable power in his body, as if he could shatter the sky with a wave of his hand and shake the earth with a step.

"Whoosh!"

Lin Xi took a deep breath, and his joints cracked. His entire body seemed to inflate, and in the blink of an eye, he transformed into a giant with immense strength, standing in the cave, with waves of power flowing through his body.

The seventh level of martial arts, the Giant Spirit Realm, brought a transformation in his body, allowing him to transform into a giant spirit with boundless strength.

"Boom!"

Lin Xi struck a punch into the air behind him, and instantly, a powerful vortex formed, causing half the cave to collapse, and the solid rocks were shattered into pieces.

"Giant Spirit, Giant Spirit... So this is it!"

Lin Xi felt the astonishing elasticity of his skin and had a sudden enlightenment. In just a moment, his body had undergone a tremendous transformation.

He originally had a strength of four thousand pounds, but after consuming the heavenly fruit, it directly increased to eight thousand pounds. This strength was still inferior to that of a Dragon Force Realm expert but was on par with experienced Vajra Realm experts like Wei Buping.

Not only that, but Lin Xi felt that his body, after being transformed by the heavenly fruit, had boundless potential. For ordinary people, a strength of eight thousand pounds might be the peak of the Vajra Realm, but for Lin Xi, it was just the standard of the seventh level, the Giant Spirit Realm.

In other words, at the same level, Lin Xi was several times stronger than other martial artists!

Lin Xi opened his eyes, and his gaze intensified. The burning sensation in his body had disappeared, and everything was calm. However, a new set of techniques had appeared in his mind.

This set of techniques was short and was transmitted to Lin Xi's mind by the Ten Thousand Emperors Map after he reached the Giant Spirit Realm. It was not a new cultivation method but a supplementary part of the "World Conquering Stance."

To be precise, it was a method of using the "World Conquering Stance," but due to Lin Xi's low cultivation, he had never been able to meet the minimum requirements for its use.

"Who would have thought... the World Conquering Stance could be used like this."

Lin Xi pondered the new method for a while and then suddenly reached out, grabbing the beast core of the Storm Wind Bear he had just obtained.

A mist rose, and the beast core rapidly shrank, its energy being directly absorbed by Lin Xi.

In just a few breaths, the fist-sized beast core disappeared.

Lin Xi's palm was empty, but a faint golden hue appeared in his skin.

"Whoosh!"

With a gust of wind, Lin Xi leaped out and quickly disappeared in the direction of the python.

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