Chapter 181: Tier 4 Treasure? Second-Rank Flying Snakes!

Chapter 181: Tier 4 Treasure? Second-Rank Flying Snakes!

Hundreds of meters away, Li Yuan gazed at the Soul Infusing Ancient Spirit Tree at the bottom of the canyon.

His heart raced with excitement, "All three fruits have already shown their silver glow, clearly entering the ripening stage, and they should be close to full maturity... According to the database, a normal Soul Infusing Ancient Spirit Tree only grows to a height of three to six meters, but this one is ten meters tall?"

The fruits of a three to six-meter-tall Soul Infusing Ancient Spirit Tree were considered Tier 3 treasures, with an astonishing value.

What tier treasure would a ten-meter-tall tree produce? Logically, it should only be more precious.

Could it be a Tier 4 treasure?

"Judging by its appearance, the fruits are already in their initial stage of maturity, and they can definitely be harvested, with only slightly reduced effectiveness." Li Yuan's eyes were fixed on the three fruits.

According to the records, a Soul Infusing Ancient Spirit Tree would only bear fruit two to three times in its lifetime, producing 2-4 fruits each time, and how it grew was always a mystery.

This was a rare and precious Heavenly Material and Treasure that couldn't be mass-produced.

Li Yuan had no idea how much a Soul Infusing Ancient Spirit Fruit was worth, as treasures of this level were extremely rare in the Seven Stars Human Civilization.

Most of them were privately traded and consumed.

Even if they were sold, they would only appear at high-end auctions, and the prices varied each time.

For a Tier 3 treasure of the same level, such as the Soul Infusing Nine-Leaf Grass, according to Li Yuan's research, the Xia Guo recently organized an auction where a single plant was sold for over 20 billion Blue Star Coins.

Three Soul Infusing Ancient Spirit Fruits would be worth at least several billion Blue Star Coins.

It was definitely a huge fortune!

"I must get my hands on it."

"Definitely," Li Yuan's heart raced, and various thoughts flashed through his mind.

"Whether it's for saving Uncle..."

"Or for my future cultivation, I'll need a vast amount of resources." Li Yuan thought to himself, "To a large extent, I can only rely on myself."

The resources of the entire Seven Stars Human Civilization were limited.

Even for exceptional geniuses, the cultivation support had its limits.

Take the Star Core Crystal provided by Kunlun Martial University and the S-rank contract from the Starfire Martial Palace, along with some Heavenly Materials and Treasures, these were already considered top-tier cultivation resources.

Adding them all up, the total value would hardly exceed 10 billion Blue Star Coins until Li Yuan graduated from university.

There was a fine line here.

After the Fish Spirit Tide incident in Jiangcheng, Li Yuan had exchanged ideas with Wan Qinghe and Fei Qian, and he roughly understood this point.

More precious treasures?

Except for some special renewable resources, most rare and precious treasures were insufficient even for the top powerhouses of the Seven Stars Human Civilization, so how could they easily bestow them upon young geniuses?

Want more? Then prove your strength and go out and fight for it yourself.

What the Seven Stars Human Civilization wanted was powerful warriors and geniuses who could gradually contribute to the entire civilization after becoming Essence Warriors.

Not those who, even after becoming advanced Essence Warriors or Ascendant Rank warriors, still wanted to take from the civilization without giving back.

Of course, if a super-powerful individual wished to spend the wealth they acquired through their adventures, even if it meant spending hundreds of billions or trillions of treasures on their children, no one could say anything.

But for resources directly granted by the civilization?

No matter how talented, there was only so much one could receive.

..."The Soul Infusing Ancient Spirit Tree is great, but there are two Second-Rank Flying Snakes nearby. How can I obtain it?" Li Yuan's gaze fell on the ground about a hundred meters away from the Soul Infusing Ancient Spirit Tree.

One on the left, and one on the right.

Two massive Flying Snakes, each over thirty meters long, were lying there.

Their sharp claws, wings, bodies, and scales were noticeably different from ordinary Flying Snakes.

Just from their appearance, it was clear that they were far more powerful than other Flying Snakes.

Most importantly, they had slightly raised horns on their foreheads, a distinctive feature of Second-Rank Flying Snakes.

"【Target lifeform, life tier approximately 21.3, Second-Rank lifeform, killing it will grant Spirit Nutrients】"

"【Target lifeform, life tier approximately 21.8...】" Li Yuan used Divine Palace Scanning to confirm the strength of the two Second-Rank Flying Snakes.

Both were Second-Rank, and neither had just broken through.

"Perhaps they have already consumed the Soul Infusing Ancient Spirit Fruit, and their souls have transformed, allowing them to achieve the unity of body and soul, and thus break through," Li Yuan thought to himself.

Due to their lower intelligence, beasts received very little inheritance, and the intelligence of First-Rank beasts was generally not high.

Therefore, if their bloodline wasn't strong enough, it would be dozens or even hundreds of times more difficult for a First-Rank beast to break through to the Second Rank compared to humans.

"Two Second-Rank Flying Snakes at level 21, if I fight them one-on-one, I have a good chance of winning." Li Yuan narrowed his eyes, "But the key issue is that if a full-scale battle erupts, there are thousands upon thousands of Flying Snakes here."

Li Yuan didn't care about individual First-Rank Flying Snakes, as he could easily kill them with a single spear strike.

But with their numbers and the addition of two powerful Second-Rank Flying Snakes, the situation was different.

Li Yuan's chances of victory were close to zero.

Moreover, the area Li Yuan had explored so far was only a small part of the Flying Serpent Valley, and it was hard to tell if there were more or even stronger Second-Rank Flying Snakes in the numerous caves.

"If I try to take it now, not only will I fail, but I'll also risk my life." Li Yuan thought silently, "Without my spear, I can only unleash less than half of my strength."

"I'll go back and think of another way."

Li Yuan slowly climbed up the vines and rocks, being careful not to make a sound.

Two Second-Rank Flying Snakes were just a few hundred meters away.

If he was exposed... Second-Rank Flying Snakes could fly, and there would be no escape.

Time passed.

Li Yuan didn't return the way he came but instead continued exploring along the cliffs on both sides, wanting to confirm if there were other Second-Rank aliens in the Flying Snake swarm.

This was crucial.

After more than six hours, Li Yuan finally avoided various dangers and returned to the starting point above the canyon without any major incidents... The sun still hung high in the sky.

"Snakes prefer cool and shaded places, whether on Blue Star or in the Star Realm, no wonder most Flying Snakes like to hide in the valley," Li Yuan muttered to himself.

He returned to the hidden spot on the cliff where his backpack and spear were stored.

Checking the 'Surveillance Clues' left around, he confirmed that no one or aliens had passed by during his absence.

He hid in a small cave.

"《Various Heavens Stars》 Essence Activation." Li Yuan closed his eyes and silently circulated his Star Vessel, drawing an endless stream of Origin Power into his body.

Restoring his physical fatigue.

After such a long period of exploration and spiritual power sensing, it was still an immense drain on Li Yuan's energy.

"First, I explored the cliffs on one side of the valley for about 8 kilometers. Aside from the two Second Stage Flying Snakes in the center of the valley, there are no other traces of Second Stage Flying Snakes." Li Yuan pondered, summarizing the findings of his reconnaissance.

"Second, the Lifeblood Essence Spirit Ginseng is mainly concentrated in the center of the canyon, with fewer and fewer plants towards the canyon's sides... The Soul Infusing Ancient Spirit Tree also grows in the center... The higher-ranked Flying Snakes and Second Stage Flying Snakes are all concentrated in the canyon's center." Li Yuan pondered, "Is this just a coincidence?"

Based on the available information, Li Yuan had a feeling that some kind of special change might have occurred in the central region of the Flying Snake Valley.

"This kind of comprehensive diagnosis is not my specialty. It must be done by experts through various data calculations." Li Yuan thought to himself, "My goal is to obtain the Soul Infusing Ancient Spirit Fruit."

This was Li Yuan's true pursuit.

However, there were two Second Stage Flying Snakes, plus countless First Stage Flying Snakes... How could he take them on?

"At the latest, in two days, Lord Xueshu and the Talan Clan's warriors will return." Li Yuan pondered.

If he wanted to stop Lord Xueshu from returning with his warriors, he would have to kill the Talan Clan warriors left behind, which would give him a chance to scare them off and prevent them from daring to return.

But this still didn't solve the critical problem—how to seize the treasure.

... After much contemplation.

"Three paths." Li Yuan had thought it through, "First, I could try to take it myself, but the chances of success are almost zero, and the risk of death is almost certain."

"Second, I could wait for Lord Xueshu to return with the Talan Clan warriors and let them fight the Flying Snake clan. There's a chance to be the fisherman who benefits, but there's also a possibility of gaining nothing, and it's equally dangerous."

"Third, I could report the situation here to the forward base and request reinforcements. This way, my harvest might be smaller, but it's safer and more stable." Li Yuan thought to himself.

Without further hesitation, Li Yuan took out his smart ring table and dialed the forward base's communication. He soon discovered... the signal was too weak.

"Damn." Li Yuan cursed under his breath and stood up, gripping his spear tightly as he flew out of the cave.

As soon as he emerged, Li Yuan suddenly stopped.

About a hundred meters away, two powerful Flying Snakes with bodies over twenty meters long were raising their huge heads and looking around. One of them had spotted Li Yuan.

"Roar~" This 18th Rank Flying Snake immediately erupted with a terrifying shriek, its voice piercing through the air and echoing for several kilometers.

In an instant—

"Roar~"

"Howl~"

The dense forest quickly filled with the rising and falling roars of the Flying Snakes.

Even the mist in the canyon echoed with a series of roars.

"Damn." Li Yuan gritted his teeth, not expecting that the two Flying Snakes were just beyond his sensing range.

And just as he exited the cave, they were staring right at it.

Whoosh!

Several Flying Snakes' wings vibrated, and their speed skyrocketed as they charged towards Li Yuan, as if filled with endless rage.

Boom!

Li Yuan didn't bother hiding. His legs exerted tremendous force, and his speed instantly surged to a terrifying level, quickly surpassing 70 meters per second. Two seconds later, he broke through 100 meters per second.

"Roar~"

The terrifying speed caused the air to vibrate, creating a loud sound. Along the way, some small trees were knocked over by the force.

Countless rocks flew in all directions.

... Li Yuan, at full speed, dodged several Flying Snakes in pursuit.

But immediately, more Flying Snakes blocked his path ahead, their massive bodies flailing as they pounced towards him.

"Die."

Li Yuan didn't hesitate and directly unleashed his power. Spear shadows connected, and strands of gun beams suddenly erupted.

Pfft~ Pfft~

Although Li Yuan's spearhead was small, the impact of its tip on the Flying Snakes' bodies was several times the speed of sound... like bullets hitting ordinary human bodies.

One spear strike to the head would cause it to explode.

If it struck their bodies, it would create a massive wound, even blasting them in half.

Not a single Flying Snake could stop Li Yuan's escape.

...

After killing dozens of Flying Snakes, both strong and weak, Li Yuan continued his escape. He didn't slow down until he had traveled over ten kilometers through the forest, and he no longer felt the pursuit of the Flying Snakes.

After escaping another five or six kilometers, he finally stopped and sat on a huge rock, silently adjusting his body's energy.

"Luckily, no Second Stage Flying Snakes appeared; otherwise, it would have been really troublesome." Li Yuan muttered.

He raised his arm, and the signal strengthened. He dialed the communication on the smart ring table again. This time, after nearly twenty seconds of waiting...

"Beep~" Li Yuan finally connected.

It was just a voice call, no video.

"Li Yuan, what's the matter?" Liu Jing's voice came through the communication, low and slightly subdued.

"Senior, I have basically scouted the Flying Snake Valley and now request support from the base." Li Yuan said solemnly.

This was the choice Li Yuan made.

If he waited for Lord Xueshu and the Talan Clan warriors to fight the Flying Snake clan, they might succeed, but the greater probability was failure, and it was extremely dangerous.

"Fortune and danger go hand in hand," Li Yuan silently recited.

An overly risky plan was not as good as a stable one.

Even if the harvest would be significantly reduced, it was better to be safe and stable. Staying alive was the top priority.

"Oh? What's the situation?" Liu Jing's voice seemed to carry a hint of surprise.

"After I arrived at the Flying Snake Valley..." Li Yuan quickly reported all the intelligence he had gathered.

He also sent a portion of the reconnaissance video.

There was nothing to hide.

Having decided to request support, Li Yuan chose to report everything he knew so that the forward base's higher-ups wouldn't misjudge the situation, which was the right choice.

"Two Second Stage Flying Snakes? The nearly mature Soul Infusing Ancient Spirit Fruit?" Liu Jing's voice carried a hint of surprise, seemingly shocked, "There's such a treasure in the Flying Snake Valley?"

"Yes, it's true." Li Yuan affirmed.

The other end of the communication fell silent for a long time.

"Li Yuan, I'll come as soon as possible." Liu Jing's voice sounded again, "Before I arrive, don't alert the enemy."

"Don't go against the Talan Clan either. Understand?"

"Understood."

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end