Chapter 41: Snatching Food from the Tiger's Mouth

He dashed two steps.

Li Mu finally saw the true form of this Heavenly Treasure.

He fixed his gaze and examined closely.

The crimson‑cloud purple herb stood about a foot tall, its leaves divided into three lobes, its whole body crystal‑clear as if carved from amethyst.

It appeared resplendently beautiful, exquisitely refined.

A reddish aura swirled around the spirit herb, giving it an extraordinary, otherworldly aura.

"Crimson‑cloud purple herb!"

Seeing this,

Li Mu's breathing became much more rapid than before, and his heart missed a beat and a half from excitement.

This is an extremely rare Heavenly Treasure!

In the Qian Kun Realm, this Heavenly Treasure is also ranked into nine grades from highest to lowest!

And the crimson‑cloud purple herb before him belongs to the third‑grade spirit medicine.

It is said to be able to revive the dead, flesh and bone!

After a cultivator ingests it, it can greatly boost one's cultivation!

No wonder.

That black‑scaled demon python would risk its own life to fight the Crimson Flame Giant Tiger!

If that crimson‑cloud purple herb were eaten by it, perhaps its cultivation would advance even further.

Li Mu's eyes flashed with an indescribable burning intensity!

A moment later,

He let out a long sigh and muttered softly, "This crimson‑cloud purple herb must be mine!"

In an instant, a few calculations formed in his mind.

However, the more valuable the treasure, the more one must stay calm.

If one acts rashly, greedy and reckless,

Li Mu would not only fail to obtain the herb, but might even lose his life in the tiger's jaws!

The Crimson Flame Giant Tiger is only wounded, not dead.

Moreover, it is a second‑rank Demon General at the pinnacle, a great demon!

If it makes a death‑bed counterattack, even I might end up dead here.

Caution steers the ship for ten thousand years!

At the critical moment, taking a steady approach is always correct.

After the Crimson Flame Giant Tiger rested crawling outside the cave for a quarter‑hour, it barely recovered, turned, and limped deeper into the cave.

"Now's the time!"

Seeing the opportunity, Li Mu leapt and sprinted toward the opposite cave entrance.

Of course!

Li Mu's target this time was not to charge into the cave to battle the Crimson Flame Giant Tiger to the death, but the corpse of the black‑scaled demon python left outside the entrance!

At the cave mouth, Li Mu hoisted the massive snake head with both hands and slung it onto his back.

A flash of electric light suddenly burst from his feet!

"Wind‑racing, lightning‑fast!"

The black‑scaled demon python's whole body was as hard as black iron and diamond, weighing tens of thousands of jin!

Fortunately, Li Mu had been practicing the Eight‑Nine Profound Skill, giving his mortal strength the power of a Demon General's ferocious beast; otherwise he couldn't have carried it.

At the same time,

The Crimson Flame Giant Tiger also sensed the disturbance outside the cave and suddenly turned around.

But when it turned, it saw that a Lao Liu had been lurking nearby.

It was just that it had been busy fighting the black‑scaled demon python and had no time to watch its surroundings.

When it regained its senses, Li Mu had already secured the prize!

Seeing this, the Crimson Flame Giant Tiger's anger flared instantly.

"Roar!"

A roar echoed through the mountain gorge.

However, the Crimson Flame Giant Tiger had just endured a fierce battle, its injuries too severe to pursue.

It could only watch helplessly as the 'Lao Liu' stole the black‑scaled demon python's corpse.

Snatching food from the tiger's mouth!

"Hahaha..."

"Huge profit!"

"This time it's truly a massive windfall!"

"When the sandpiper and the clam fight, the fisherman profits!"

Carrying the black‑scaled demon python's corpse on his back, Li Mu sprinted back into the dense forest, electric sparks crackling at his feet.

Only after running several miles did Li Mu turn back and gaze far down the mountain gorge.

Confirming that the Crimson Flame Giant Tiger had not pursued.

Li Mu then let his hanging heart settle back into his chest.

He understood.

Had it not been for the brutal clash between the black‑scaled demon python and the Crimson Flame Giant Tiger just now, he would never have obtained it so easily.

But even if I get it, that doesn't mean everything is truly fine.

The Crimson Flame Giant Tiger's terrifying self‑healing ability means its recovery is only a matter of time.

And Li Mu snatching food from its jaws is an even greater provocation for this King of Hundred Beasts.

It's basically hopping back and forth right on the Crimson Flame Giant Tiger's red line!

Once the Crimson Flame Giant Tiger recovers, it will surely chase Li Mu endlessly.

Therefore, the window of respite left for Li Mu is extremely brief.

It passes in an instant!

Li Mu rubs his chin, murmuring to himself: "Although the Crimson Flame Giant Tiger we met in the passage was merely an array's illusion, it shouldn't differ much from a real Crimson Flame Giant Tiger."

"If we look at it that way, at most it'll take about a day and a half for that Crimson Flame Giant Tiger to heal its wounds."

"Especially, with the Zhu Yun Zi Grass guarding it, its own recovery speed can only be faster than the time I have!"

"The actual time left for me isn't much…"

Time is pressing, and Li Mu can't afford to waste a single moment.

Not long after.

Carrying the corpse of a black‑scaled demon python all the way, Li Mu's steps are swift as wind; he soon reaches a mountain stream, brandishing his Vengeance Blade like a flash.

In no time, Li Mu digs a pit on the spot about ten meters deep.

Having completed the preliminary preparations, Li Mu begins to process the black‑scaled demon python's body.

The black‑scaled demon python, a second‑rank Demon General‑grade ferocious beast, is a treasure from head to toe.

Its scales are as hard as mysterious iron, and its skin is extremely supple, making excellent material for armor.

Li Mu also spent considerable effort, then used the Vengeance Blade along the muscle fibers to strip it cleanly.

After completing all this,

Li Mu extracts the demon python's snake gall!

The snake gall is the essence of serpentine demon beasts, containing an overwhelming, unbreakable celestial Qi.

In terms of medicinal effect, it is by no means inferior to a third‑rank Heavenly Treasure.

After a cultivator ingests it, it can nourish the organs and meridians, greatly benefiting the body.

However, this snake gall, though potent, rivals a third‑rank Heavenly Treasure!

But the only flaw is…

Sizzle, sizzle…

Using the tip of the blade to carefully extract the snake gall from the demon python's belly, the dripping venom immediately corrodes the incredibly hard granite beneath his feet, forming black holes.

Li Mu can't help falling into a long silence, remaining speechless.

As a great demon, the black‑scaled demon python's venom is truly fearsome!

Even a highly cultivated Real Person, without meticulous detoxification, would be poisoned, suffering severe backlash—lightly having their mind eroded by beastly nature, severely becoming neither human nor ghost.

"Hiss…"

"The black‑scaled demon python's venom is so domineering that it can corrode even such hard granite like this."

"What if I swallow it whole!"

"Qin Siwu, I won't believe I can't kill you!"

Li Mu gives a cold smile.

Then, pinching his nose, he takes three or two bites, crunching, and swallows the snake gall.

The snake gall enters his stomach.

Soon, the overwhelming, unbreakable fishy taste between his lips is sharp, bitter, and harsh on his throat.

It feels as if thousands of tiny knives are slashing his throat.

Moreover, his mouth is filled with astringent and sour flavors, making it hard to swallow.

Fortunately!

The snake gall isn't large—only about the size of an adult's fist—so he grits his teeth and endures it.

The snake gall is in his belly.

Li Mu feels a warm, spreading force.

Faintly,

It seems the Qi and blood and true Qi in his dantian, as if stimulated, begin to surge rapidly.

Even the Eight‑Nine Profound Skill shows a reaction!

The previously solid bottleneck now shows a clear loosening.

Li Mu is overjoyed.

The essence of cultivating the Eight‑Nine Profound Skill is to continuously open the internal star‑hole apertures, temper the flesh body, forge the sinews, and forge an imperishable golden body.

Ultimately, the flesh body becomes saint!

The reason Li Mu was stuck at the nine star‑hole apertures, unable to illuminate the tenth, lay in this.

It's because his flesh body hasn't advanced further, unable to break open the tenth star‑hole aperture!

Who would have thought!

The black‑scaled demon python's snake gall can even temper the flesh body!

Thinking of that,

Li Mu can't even bother to take the black‑scaled demon python's Demon Crystal; he immediately begins collecting its snake blood.

The so‑called imperishable golden body requires the refined essence blood of powerful demon beasts to become stronger!

The black‑scaled demon python's essence blood glitters with specks of dark‑golden light, its interior surging with an incomparably violent, terrifying power.

Using it to train the body, that couldn't be better!

If he relied only on himself, it would be hard to hunt down that black‑scaled demon python.

Now.

With this snake blood, Li Mu can greatly accelerate his cultivation of the Eight‑Nine Profound Art!

Combined with snake gall, taken internally and applied externally, Li Mu will surely be able to open the tenth Star Hole, and the Eight‑Nine Profound Art will make substantial progress!

The big pit Li Mu just dug, at a glance it was at least ten meters deep.

Li Mu was simply letting the black‑scaled demon python bleed; after a full half‑hour of bleeding, the snake blood finally filled the pit completely.

He stripped off his clothes and sat straight into it.

He gathered his mind, activated the Eight‑Nine Profound Art, and a faint golden sheen radiated outward from his entire body.

The snake blood contained a domineering, forceful energy that streamed through every pore on Li Mu's body, constantly nourishing his flesh.

Meanwhile, the snake gall inside his body emitted a warm, gentle power that perfectly merged with the domineering, ferocious snake‑blood energy.

In this process of hardness meeting softness, the two completely different forces fused together.

Li Mu felt as if his whole body were soaking in a hot spring, every pore relaxing and expanding!

It was sheer bliss everywhere, utterly comfortable!

Faintly, Li Mu could distinctly feel the warm current not only across his skin but also flowing smoothly into his skeletal meridians.

Li Mu closed his eyes and seemed to hear a faint crackling, peculiar sound emanating from within his body.

This vibrant, life‑filled force, like silent spring rain, quietly nourished Li Mu's muscles and bones, causing his flesh to transform bit by bit.

The golden light on Li Mu's body grew stronger as time passed!

Meanwhile, in the Xuan Yue Feng alchemy chamber.

"Song old man!"

"I can't stand it any longer!"

"I can't endure even a single moment now!"

"No matter what method you use, cure these strange ailments on me quickly!"

Qin Siwu paced back and forth in the room like a raging bull, his silver tooth nearly being crushed by his own bite!

Consider Qin Siwu, a dignified Outer Peak elder of Xuan Yue Feng, wherever he goes he exudes majesty and is revered by ten thousand people.

But now, he is merely dealing with a newly inducted Outer Peak disciple who keeps getting beaten.

Even Tai Sun was killed right before his eyes by Li Mu!

This scene made Qin Siwu almost go mad with anger!

Qin Siwu swears he will not become a man until he avenges this!

But...

Seeing Qin Siwu in a raging fury made Song Shuta, standing nearby, quite troubled.

Regarding the illness Qin Siwu suffered, Song Shuta, who has practiced medicine for a hundred years, has never even seen such a condition, let alone cured it.

But after seeing Qin Siwu's almost cannibalistic gaze, Song Shuta knew that if he didn't present a treatment plan today,

then Qin Siwu would probably have to stay in my pill workshop and not leave today!

Thinking of that.

Song Shuta rubbed his swollen temples and said,

"Old Qin!"

"If you put it that way, this illness does have a solution!"

With those words,

Qin Siwu's eyes instantly flashed with a hint of hope!