Chapter 31: Harvest

“Who is it?!”

Liu Xuande looked at the newcomer in surprise; once he recognized him, he exclaimed in disbelief: “Cang Shi-di? Did you save me?”

The newcomer was Cang Luo, who had thrown his long sword to intercept the three-tailed giant scorpion’s tail stinger and saved Liu Xuande.

One minute earlier, Cang Luo had killed the three-tailed giant scorpion with Thunderclap Palm and found an irregular green crystal, the size of a cow’s eye, inside its corpse.

Cang Luo suspected this was a demon core, but couldn’t confirm it, so he planned to return and ask Zang Feng.

Yet, while using satellite coordinates to locate Zang Feng and the others, he discovered they were locked in a desperate battle and immediately sprinted over to assist.

Cang Luo rushed toward them, just in time to see Liu Xuande on the brink of death—but he was still over ten meters away and couldn’t reach him in time.

In desperation, Cang Luo remembered his signature stone-throwing technique and prepared to hurl a stone at the three-tailed giant scorpion.

But as he glanced around, he couldn’t find a suitable stone; the situation was too urgent to hesitate, so he threw his iron sword instead.

For this throw, Cang Luo focused his attention with unprecedented intensity, predicting and aiming precisely at the scorpion’s tail stinger.

Whether by luck or skill, he hit it—and pulled Liu Xuande back from the gates of death.

“Mm.”

Cang Luo nodded casually, ignoring Liu Xuande’s stunned gaze; he was analyzing that single throw.

Was it pure luck—the dogshit fortune of a lucky strike—or was it truly his own ability?

Did he really possess a talent for throwing hidden weapons?

As Cang Luo pondered, Li Zhan suddenly stepped forward and shoved him hard, nearly knocking him over.

Li Zhan snarled: “It’s all your fault! You had to show off, ignored Zang Shi-xiong’s orders, and nearly got us killed!”

After speaking, Li Zhan, furious that Cang Luo hadn’t fallen, raised his fist to strike—but missed.

Li Zhan was half-disabled; Cang Luo was still at full strength—how could he possibly be hit?

Li Zhan, failing to land the blow, tried to strike again, but Zang Feng and Liu Xuande shouted to stop him.

“Stop!”

“Don’t!”

Liu Xuande grabbed Li Zhan, while Zang Feng said sternly: “This isn’t Cang Shi-di’s fault. I misjudged the three-tailed giant scorpion’s strength.”

As he spoke, Zang Feng picked up the iron sword and walked toward the dead scorpion, stabbing it in the back as if searching for something.

He continued: “This three-tailed giant scorpion is a leader-class Level One beast. Even all four of us together might not have been its match.”

“I used a secret technique to find an opening and kill it—but I never expected it to have a final burst of life and launch one last attack.”

Hearing Zang Feng’s explanation, Li Zhan immediately lowered his fist and scratched his head apologetically: “Cang Shi-xiong, I’m sorry!”

“It’s fine.”

Cang Luo wouldn’t hold a grudge against a fifteen-year-old brat; his thoughts were fixed on Zang Feng’s words: “secret technique.”

“Secret technique” sounded prestigious—he wondered how it differed from a cultivation art—but Zang Feng didn’t elaborate, so Cang Luo didn’t dare ask.

Seeing Cang Luo had forgiven him, Li Zhan asked curiously: “Cang Shi-xiong, what happened to the three-tailed giant scorpion chasing you?”

“I killed it,” Cang Luo said casually, as if crushing an ant.

“What?”

Liu Xuande and Li Zhan both stared in shock—they assumed even a weaker scorpion was beyond Cang Luo’s ability to handle alone.

After all, Cang Luo’s cultivation base was only Warrior Third Layer, the same as Li Zhan’s.

Their original plan was to eliminate their own scorpion, then rush to help Cang Luo.

Yet they nearly got wiped out—and Liu Xuande had been saved by Cang Luo.

At that moment, Li Zhan noticed three hook-shaped objects tied to Cang Luo’s body with vine ropes—the three-tailed giant scorpion’s tail stingers.

Only then did Liu Xuande and Li Zhan believe Cang Luo had truly killed the scorpion.

It was beyond their expectations, especially for Li Zhan, who had barely held out half a breath before being forced to retreat and heal.

Yet Cang Luo had slain one alone!

Was this even Warrior Third Layer? Li Zhan couldn’t comprehend it.

Li Zhan muttered: “Same Warrior Third Layer—why is the gap so huge? Cang Shi-xiong, did you cultivate some high-level art?”

“No,” Cang Luo smiled, refusing to explain, and pulled the green crystal from his pocket.

The green crystal emitted a faint aura of Yuan Qi—not weaker than a low-grade Yuan Stone.

Cang Luo asked: “Is this a demon core?”

“Correct.”

Zang Feng answered, holding his own green crystal—slightly larger than Cang Luo’s—just extracted from the leader scorpion’s corpse.

Zang Feng stepped before Cang Luo and stared deeply, recalling his master’s words and Cang Luo’s feat of slaying the scorpion alone.

Could there truly be something stronger than Wu Sheng within him?

Something that could propel him to Wu Ling Ninth Layer in record time?

“Zang Shi-xiong?” Cang Luo, unsettled by Zang Feng’s unblinking gaze, spoke up.

Zang Feng shook his head slightly, snapped back to reality, and extended the leader scorpion’s demon core toward Cang Luo.

Cang Luo frowned: “For me?”

Zang Feng nodded. Cang Luo quickly waved his hands: “I already have one—this was your kill. I didn’t lift a finger.”

Zang Feng, aware of Cang Luo’s hidden secret, ignored his protest and shoved the demon core into his hand, then turned to heal Liu Xuande.

Liu Xuande said earnestly: “Brother Cang, if not for you, I’d be dead. You must take this demon core.”

Li Zhan added: “Brother Cang, take it. Isn’t Old Liu’s life worth more than a Level One demon core?”

Zang Feng, bandaging Liu Xuande’s right arm, said: “Cang Luo, you need this more than we do. Don’t forget Chen Da.”

In the end, Zang Feng’s words convinced Cang Luo to accept the leader scorpion’s demon core.

After securing both demon cores, Cang Luo thanked them: “Thank you, everyone!”

Cang Luo’s sincere gratitude made Zang Feng and Liu and Li exchange a smile—they’d once been through this themselves.

Only through shared battle, through blood and sweat, through post-battle joy, could one become true brothers-in-arms.

Now, they accepted Cang Luo as a brother.

Brother—deeper than mere sect-mates.

“Beep! Beep!”

As the four felt a moment of kinship, unfamiliar beast cries echoed around them—they fell silent, alert.

If more beasts appeared now, they were finished: wounded, depleted of Yuan Qi.

Zang Feng finished bandaging Liu Xuande, burned their bloodied clothes to avoid attracting beasts, then said: “We’re in poor shape. Return to camp. Rest two days before coming back.”

“Mm,” Li Zhan nodded, helping Liu Xuande up and following Zang Feng.

After a few steps, Liu Xuande noticed Cang Luo hadn’t followed—he was still standing where he was—and asked: “Why isn’t Cang Shi-di coming? Is he injured?”

Zang Feng and Li Zhan stopped and turned back, their eyes urging him to move.

Cang Luo shook his head, hesitated, then declared firmly: “I’m not injured. I’m staying behind to continue training. You three go back.”

At Cang Luo’s words, Zang Feng’s brow furrowed, Liu Xuande opened his mouth but stayed silent, and Li Zhan looked bewildered.

They understood his eagerness to grow stronger—but this was reckless! A Warrior-level cultivator alone in the Beast Forest was extremely dangerous.

The sect strictly required at least three people to enter the Beast Forest for training.

Li Zhan urged again: “Cang Shi-xiong, being alone in the Beast Forest is deadly.”

“Beasts lurk in shadows; we’re exposed. You could be attacked at any moment. Wait until we’ve recovered and come together.”

Cang Luo shook his head, refusing Li Zhan’s kindness—he’d made up his mind.

While teamwork could kill beasts faster and gain more demon cores, it didn’t truly strengthen him—it contradicted his original purpose: fighting for survival.

Besides, if beasts were slain by group effort, the demon cores should be shared—could he really keep them all for himself?

He couldn’t do it. Even if they didn’t complain, he couldn’t accept it.

Cang Luo had resolved himself: “I’ve decided. I’m staying. I’ll return tomorrow—or the day after.”

Or perhaps never return... to Earth.

Liu and Li looked to Zang Feng, their leader. Zang Feng knew Cang Luo had hidden safeguards and no longer urged him. He said: “Since you’ve decided, we won’t argue.”

He paused, then added: “But remember—the greatest danger in the Beast Forest isn’t beasts, but men. Never trust any cultivator who tries to approach you.”

After speaking, Zang Feng pulled two yellow books from his robe and handed them to Cang Luo.

One was The Bestiary, listing beasts with detailed descriptions.

The other was The Hundred Herbs, detailing medicinal plants—what could be used externally, what could be refined into elixirs...

These books were Zang Feng’s cover for his vast knowledge—truthfully, they were passed down by his Wu Sheng master.

Cang Luo took the books, glanced at the covers, and tucked them into his robe, smiling: “Thank you, Zang Shi-xiong!”

Then Cang Luo parted from Zang Feng and the others—but he didn’t immediately seek beasts. Instead, he secretly followed them via satellite, guarding them from afar.

He feared they might be attacked in their current weakened state.

Fortunately, the journey was uneventful—not a single beast, not a single person.