Chapter 29

"Cooperation?"

Muchen was somewhat surprised as he looked at the burly man in front of him. The man had a square face and thick eyebrows, giving him a rugged appearance. What surprised Muchen the most was the faint spiritual energy fluctuation emanating from the man, indicating that he had already advanced to the Spirit Wheel Realm.

This adventure team is quite capable.

"Hehe, young brother, I am Lei Cheng, the captain of the Thunderbolt Team." The burly man extended his large hand and smiled.

"Student of the Northern Spirit Academy, Muchen."

Muchen smiled and shook hands with him, then calmly withdrew his hand. Lei Cheng's hand was extremely rough, with many calluses, suggesting he was very skilled with a blade.

"I'm just an ordinary student at the Northern Spirit Academy. I doubt I can be of much help, so let's skip the cooperation." Muchen shook his head. Although he didn't know what Lei Cheng meant by cooperation, he knew these adventure teams weren't too clean, with many grudges. Getting involved without a reason would only bring unnecessary trouble.

Seeing Muchen's refusal, Lei Cheng glanced around and whispered, "Young brother Muchen, to be honest, the reason I suddenly want to cooperate with you is because I saw the Spirit Breaking Pearl in your hand."

"Our Thunderbolt Team found a valley in the Northern Spirit Plain a few days ago and discovered some good things inside."

Muchen remained expressionless, smiling without a word.

Lei Cheng, seeing this, knew that the young man wasn't simple. Young people are usually proud and curious, but Muchen showed no interest in what he said, clearly having excellent self-control.

"In that valley, we found a mature Jade Spirit Tree." Lei Cheng, knowing that Muchen wouldn't act without a good reason, paused and spoke softly.

"Jade Spirit Tree?"

Muchen's eyes finally flickered as he looked at Lei Cheng. "Mature? Has it produced Jade Spirit Fruits?"

The Jade Spirit Tree is a rare treasure. The tree itself isn't very attractive, but the Jade Spirit Fruits it produces are filled with gentle spiritual energy, which is extremely beneficial for cultivators below the Divine Soul Realm.

Muchen was currently preparing to cultivate the second森罗死印 (Senluo Death Seal), but his strength was still weak, and his spiritual energy was insufficient. He needed external help, and the Jade Spirit Fruit could indeed solve his urgent need.

"Although we didn't get close, we observed that the Jade Spirit Tree is quite mature." Lei Cheng nodded.

"Is there a guardian spirit beast?" Muchen asked.

"Because of these beasts..." Lei Cheng chuckled. "There are at least a hundred Fire Spirit Apes in that valley, and the most troublesome is a Fire Spirit Ape King, which has reached the Intermediate Spirit Beast level, with strength around the mid-Spirit Wheel Realm, stronger than me."

"A hundred Fire Spirit Apes? A Fire Spirit Ape King?"

Muchen was taken aback. Although Fire Spirit Apes are low-level spirit beasts, some mature ones can reach the late-Lively Spirit Realm. With so many gathered, they would be very difficult to deal with, especially with a Fire Spirit Ape King...

"The Fire Spirit Ape King's strength isn't just the most troublesome part; it can command the other Fire Spirit Apes." Muchen said softly. Although Fire Spirit Apes are numerous, they are not very intelligent and can be dealt with individually. However, with the Fire Spirit Ape King's command, they become much more dangerous. The Fire Spirit Ape King has some intelligence, and even if it's not as cunning as humans, commanding over a hundred Fire Spirit Apes to charge together would likely shatter the Thunderbolt Team.

Lei Cheng looked at Muchen in surprise, clearly not expecting this young man to know so much about these spirit beasts, on par with their experienced hunters.

"Right, but you don't need to worry. We have methods to hypnotize some Fire Spirit Apes. The main challenge is the Fire Spirit Ape King. This time, I'm looking for cooperation with you, hoping we can work together. You can find an opportunity to use the Spirit Breaking Pearl to kill it."

"My Spirit Breaking Pearl can severely injure an Intermediate Spirit Beast, but killing it might be difficult." Muchen pondered.

"No problem. As long as the Fire Spirit Ape King is severely injured, our chances of success will be much higher." Lei Cheng smiled confidently. He was at the early-Spirit Wheel Realm, and although he couldn't defeat the Fire Spirit Ape King at full strength, he could likely injure it.

"Since that's the case..."

Muchen smiled slyly, like a little fox. "Let's discuss the reward, then? You should know that to accomplish this, I'll need to use at least one Spirit Breaking Pearl, which isn't cheap and sometimes can't be obtained even with money."

Lei Cheng chuckled. He no longer treated Muchen as a young man and had no intention of deceiving him. "Young brother, just name your price. If it's reasonable, I won't object."

Muchen pondered for a moment. "I want thirty percent of the Jade Spirit Fruits from the Jade Spirit Tree. This price shouldn't be too outrageous. I know the main force is your Thunderbolt Team, so the majority goes to you."

"You have a pretty dark heart." Lei Cheng grinned, but after some thought, he nodded. The price wasn't unreasonable, given that the majority still went to them.

"Let's do it."

"I also need to bring a few companions. Is that okay?" Muchen smiled. Although Lei Cheng seemed decent, it was better to be cautious and not go alone.

"Sure, but you know the strength of the Fire Spirit Apes. If they can't protect themselves, they'll just be a burden." Lei Cheng said.

Muchen nodded and turned to Tang Qian'er, Mo Ling, and the others, who didn't know what Muchen and Lei Cheng were discussing. However, the atmosphere seemed friendly, and they were glad there was no conflict.

"There's a dangerous but rewarding task ahead. I'm going to work with the Thunderbolt Team. If you're interested, you can come with me. The reward will be satisfactory, but there are two conditions: you must follow my orders, and you must be at the mid-Lively Spirit Realm. Who wants to go?" Muchen looked at Mo Ling and the others.

Mo Ling and the others were surprised. Muchen was actually going to cooperate with these people?

"I'll go." Tang Qian'er raised her delicate hand and smiled.

"I'll go too." Mo Ling thought for a moment and nodded. He was at the late-Lively Spirit Realm and met the conditions. He knew Muchen's judgment, and if Muchen said the reward was satisfactory, it would be.

Tan Qingshan was a bit disappointed but couldn't help it. He was only at the early-Lively Spirit Realm and would be a burden.

Jiang Li and Teng Yong exchanged glances, hesitated for a while, and then said, "We'll go too."

Three more mid-Lively Spirit Realm youths joined, making a total of eight people on Muchen's side. This was a decent lineup, and even if something unexpected happened, they would have some room to maneuver.

"Qingshan, take the others back to the camp and tell Teacher Mo that we're going on a mission with the Thunderbolt Team. Don't worry about us." Muchen looked at Tan Qingshan and smiled. His voice was loud enough for Lei Cheng and the others to hear clearly.

"This young man is even more cautious and experienced than us... When did the Northern Spirit Academy produce such a student?"

Lei Cheng shook his head. Muchen's words were clearly meant for them. If they dared to do anything, the Divine Soul Realm expert would ensure they couldn't escape the Northern Spirit Plain.

Tan Qingshan nodded and, seeing Muchen wave, left with the other students.

"Let's get going." Muchen turned to Lei Cheng and smiled.

"Sure, let's go."

Lei Cheng nodded, gestured to the Thunderbolt Team members, and led the way. The group quickly entered the dense forest and disappeared.

On the way, Muchen told Tang Qian'er, Mo Ling, and the others about the Jade Spirit Tree. When they heard "Jade Spirit Fruit," their eyes clearly lit up, knowing how beneficial it would be for them.

"Hehe, Muchen is really a good friend. He didn't forget us for such a good opportunity." Mo Ling said excitedly.

Jiang Li and Teng Yong's faces were slightly red. They hadn't treated Muchen well before, but now they owed him a favor, making them feel a bit uncomfortable.

"Think I'm letting you come for free? Follow my orders, and if anything goes wrong, your lives might be in danger." Muchen smiled.

"Don't worry, I'll follow your orders!" Mo Ling laughed, and even Jiang Li and Teng Yong nodded.

Muchen smiled and focused on the journey.

The group crossed through dense forests, encountering some spirit beasts along the way. However, before Muchen and the others could act, the Thunderbolt Team had already cleared them out. Their efficiency left Mo Ling and the others in awe, realizing the gap between them.

After about half an hour of rapid travel, the surroundings became increasingly desolate, with occasional roars of beasts. Even the Thunderbolt Team became more cautious.

The group of over ten people passed through the forest, and the view suddenly opened up. A stream flowed over the rocky ground, and on the other side, a small valley appeared, with sharp ape cries echoing from within.

Looking at the valley, Lei Cheng stopped and nodded to Muchen, indicating they had reached their destination.

The Jade Spirit Tree was in this valley.

(Update complete~

Everyone, do you still have recommendation tickets?)

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