Chapter 11: You, Stop!

On a deserted island, within a valley.

A massive python about ten zhang long, as thick as a water bucket, its body covered in emerald-green scales, fled wildly out of the valley; wherever it passed, the loose rocks it brushed against exploded.

The emerald python occasionally glanced back, its eyes filled with anger and fear.

All because someone was relentlessly pursuing it from behind.

It was a young man in blue robes, none other than Chen Zheng, who had come to the island from the great ship of the Treasure Hall.

Although the python's scales offered astonishing defense, under Chen Zheng's barrage of iron fists it was still riddled with wounds, many scales having fallen off.

Whoosh!

Chen Zheng stepped onto a massive boulder, bent his leg joints like a full‑moon bowstring, then launched himself; his body, like an arrow, surged dozens of zhang away, landing directly above the fleeing python's head.

Flying kick!

Crack!

The python's skull cracked from the kick, blood mingling with scales splattered, emitting a painful wail.

Its vitality was tenacious, still capable of fighting; it immediately rallied, whipping its massive tail like a whip toward the Chen Zheng who had just landed.

"Struggle is futile."

Chen Zheng's five fingers formed a dragon claw, sharp as steel, and with a reverse grab he pierced the python's tail scales, sinking into flesh, then swung it away.

Boom!

The whole python was lifted by his arm's force, hovering, flung outward, and slammed hard onto a nearby cliff.

Smoke and dust filled the sky, shards of stone scattering.

The python, together with a mass of debris, slid down the cliff, crashed heavily onto the ground, its body twisting a few times before falling silent.

"If I hunt a few more emerald water pythons like this, drain their blood to cultivate, I should be able to enter the Physical Body Eighth Layer of Divine Valor."

Chen Zheng clapped his hands, a smile appearing on his face.

Having been on this deserted island for just over two hours, he had already slain several formidable monsters.

The earlier few had already been drained of blood to cultivate the Nether King True Body, their desiccated corpses stored in a chaotic space.

This is far easier than hunting aquatic monsters at sea.

The ocean is vast, its depths unknown; even when a monster is spotted in the water, capture is extremely difficult.

Once a monster dives beneath the surface, locating it becomes a faint hope.

The Chen family's fishing fleet could previously catch monsters like evil sharks at sea because those beasts were weak; as soon as they broke the surface, Chen clan members bombarded them with harpoons and similar weapons, killing or maiming them.

Of course, the sea also harbors extremely powerful monsters that can easily destroy ships and kill crews; that's another matter.

Puff!

Chen Zheng took a few steps forward, retrieved the emerald water python's corpse from the rubble, his five fingers gripping its skull like steel nails, dragging it deeper into the valley.

Soon he arrived at the entrance of a cave about a person tall and entered.

Inside, the cave was pitch black, a hand could not see its fingers; it was the emerald water python's lair.

It could be said to have returned to its roots.

Chen Zheng began using its blood to cultivate the Nether King True Body.

Half a quarter‑hour later, the cultivation was complete.

His strength rose another notch, his eyes glittered, reaching the Physical Body Seventh Layer Peak.

"The monsters in this valley have been mostly slain; it's time to move elsewhere,"

When Chen Zheng first set foot on the island, he passed a hundred‑zhang‑high peak and heard beast roars echoing down, like thunder, making his eardrums ache.

At the time he lacked confidence to confront that unknown monster, so he diverted to this valley.

Now his strength has advanced, so he can go up the mountain to hunt.

As long as he slays the mountain's monsters, he will likely ascend, his power comparable to Tenfold. No hesitation.

Chen Zheng exited the cave, looked up at the sky, and hurried out of the valley.

At this moment, the myriad suns in the heavens had already set in the west; it was dusk.

Soon the sky would darken.

At this time, the monster hunters who had been busy all day would return to their ships, sell the day's monster corpses to Wang Guanshi, replenish food, recover stamina, rest for the night, and resume island hunting at first light tomorrow.

Chen Zheng, however, had no intention of boarding the ship to rest; at night the island has few hunters, making it even more suitable for his hunting.

His stamina and endurance far exceed that of ordinary people, and he needs no rest.

He also has no monster corpses to sell.

As for food, during his recent hunts he gathered a large stash of spirit pills and spirit fruits, all stored in the chaotic space, so he isn't worried about hunger.

"You Hu Han Gang are too much! We just want to return to the ship to rest and sell the monsters we caught to Wang Guanshi, yet you demand a toll. What's the logic?"

This novel you

"Hmph, the fists of our Hu Han Gang are bigger than yours, Hu Laoda is stronger than you, that's the reason!"

"Our Hu Laoda has already spoken: any monster hunter passing here, unless they are a Physical Body Tenfold warrior, must pay a toll; otherwise don't even think of boarding..."

When Chen Zheng left the valley and neared the foot of the peak where the beast roars were heard, he saw from afar a group of people on a plain quarrelling with each other.

One group, dressed in uniform black combat gear, each wielding the same standard greatsword, about ten in number, looked ferocious and were clearly not friendly—plainly a band of bandits.

Their leader, a dark‑skinned, robust man, exuded an immensely deep aura, as if ready to unleash primordial beast power; he must be a Physical Body Ninth Layer Peak warrior.

Another group, with over thirty people, formed a somewhat scattered formation, clearly not a single party.

They had various monster corpses placed beside them, righteous anger swelling, arguing with the sword‑wielding men blocking their path.

However, their tone was clearly not very forceful, seeming cautious toward the sword‑wielding men.

"Hu Han Gang? Collect tolls?"

Chen Zheng listened for a while, grasped the gist, and his eyes instantly showed a strange expression.

He thought it over carefully and realized that indeed such a gang exists among the demon‑hunters.

While on the ship he had roughly observed that the demon‑hunters who came to the Forty‑nine Islands numbered over three hundred in total.

Most of those demon‑hunters were at the Physical Body Eighth Rank or Ninth Rank.

Tenfold Divine Transformations were rare, with fewer than ten individuals, and Hu Laoda was one of them.

The other demon‑hunters usually formed squads of three to five, but Hu Laoda gathered more than thirty men around him, forming a fairly large force known as the Hu Han Gang.

Now the Hu Han Gang is actually blocking the essential passage to the Gathering Treasure Pavilion where ships dock, charging tolls to other demon‑hunters who wish to return to their ships for rest.

Setting up a toll without permission!

Truly overbearing.

This place isn't far from where ships dock at the Gathering Treasure Pavilion; isn't the Hu Han Gang afraid that Wang Guanshi will learn of this?

But this does not concern Chen Zheng.

He will not return to his ship to rest tonight; his target is only the unknown monster on the mountain.

He doesn't want to join the commotion, so he turns and walks up the mountain.

"Stop right there!"

Suddenly, among the hulking men of the Hu Han Gang, the leader—a black‑faced man—shouted toward Chen Zheng.

(End of Chapter)