The blood head, under the corrosion of the Black Blood Vine’s mucus, lost its flesh, turning into pus, and soon became a gleaming white skull...
However, that skull still had lingering blood threads and yellow-black pus...
At that moment, Duan Rong suddenly noticed another black vine wrapped around the skull, continually secreting black and yellow mucus, enveloping the skull...
In just a few breaths, that white bone was also dissolved by the mucus...
After the white bones vanished, the contents inside flowed out...
Duan Rong’s gaze suddenly flickered, as he saw that inside the milky substance were dense black spots, resembling white-pulp dragon fruit...
"Gu Worms!"
Those Gu Worms met the mucus of the Black Blood Vine, releasing wisps of gray smoke, and within the smoke, the Gu Worms awakened and began to wriggle...
But, these wriggling Gu Worms, upon contact with the ground covered in black-yellow mucus, emitted wisps of smoke and vanished instantly...
As Pan Yong’s skeleton was destroyed, Duan Rong suddenly noticed the remaining Black Blood Fruit on the Black Blood Vine began to emit a faint red glow...
"Is it mature?"
In fact, after those two Black Blood Fruits matured, this remaining one was on the brink of maturation as well.
However, later, after killing Chen Huna in a ritual, Shang Xiangyu left the mountain, one big event after another occurred, and Duan Rong had not come to feed it, so this Black Blood Fruit remained unripe.
At this time, Duan Rong was merely using the Black Blood Vine to completely destroy Pan Yong’s corpse. The Black Blood Vine could dissolve Pan Yong leaving no trace.
Yet unexpectedly, it also ripened the remaining Black Blood Fruit.
Glancing at the Black Blood Fruit, Duan Rong’s eyes glinted. This fruit was an auxiliary medicine for cultivating the Fifth Layer of the Fetal Concealment Scripture, now that it was ripe, he naturally wanted to pick it.
However, the Black Blood Vine was not yet saturated, and upon crossing its boundary, it would surely attack him.
Duan Rong grabbed the large burlap sack by his feet and walked out of the cave.
About a stick of incense later, he returned to the cave, his steps heavy, carrying a wild boar on his back and dragging a bulging burlap sack in his hand.
Duan Rong reached a spot not far from the edge of the black rock strata, and with a thud, he threw down the wild boar on his back.
He exhaled heavily, first retrieving poisonous insects from the burlap sack and scattering them around the two Black Blood Vines, then bent down and skinned the wild boar, tossing the blood-covered wild boar near the vines.
As the stench fermented, the boar’s carcass was whittled down to about a third before the Black Blood Vine finally stopped feeding.
Its vines no longer twisted around the bloody food and poisonous insects but hung naturally, no longer secreting black-yellow mucus.
Meanwhile, the original layer of mucus slowly seeped away...
Duan Rong’s eyes brightened, the time to harvest the Black Blood Fruit had arrived.
He stepped slowly into the area of black stratum.
He approached a distance, eyes wary of the vines nearby, confirming after a while that they did not react, Duan Rong cautiously advanced until reaching out to pluck the Black Blood Fruit.
At the moment of harvesting the Black Blood Fruit, Duan Rong moved swiftly, like a phantom, already standing outside the black stratum area with a few flickers.
With the Black Blood Fruit in his hand, Duan Rong’s gaze showed delight, yet the joy quickly faded as he had very important matters to attend to.
Duan Rong placed the Black Blood Fruit carefully in his sleeve and walked out of the cave, returning to the cliff side.
It was just past noon in the Zeb Hour, yet the skies remained dim and overcast, thick clouds looming.
Duan Rong locked the Black Blood Fruit inside the black iron cabinet within Shang Xiangyu’s stone chamber.
Then, glancing at the copper lock on the upper drawer, Duan Rong furrowed his brow, suddenly drawing the Minghong Saber, infusing it with True Qi, and with a single slash, struck the copper lock.
With a ding, the Minghong Saber paused, while the clasp of the copper lock on the black iron drawer had been severed.
Returning to its sheath, Duan Rong removed the broken lock, opened the drawer, and peered inside attentively.
Inside the black iron drawer lay a jade pendant, a waistband, a bottle of elixir, and the Star Disc, Shang Xiangyu’s Star Disc.
Duan Rong picked up the Star Disc, glanced at it, and tucked it into the pocket inside his lapel.
Next, Duan Rong looked at the bottle of elixir, knowing it contained three Ice Heart Pills.
These pills were prepared by Shang Xiangyu for himself to condense his Qi Vortex. However, since he cultivated the Nine Nether Great Treasure Technique, he had abandoned the path of condensing his vortex.
Though beneficial, Shang Xiangyu would never use these pills.
Duan Rong took the elixir, considering condensing Qi Vortex a far-off goal for himself. Yet, they were conducive elixirs, challenging to concoct.
Finally, Duan Rong eyed the jade pendant and waistband, his gaze flickered, clutching the jade pendant, he thought, "Read Artifact Spirit."
Immediately, a set of data appeared before Duan Rong.
After skimming through it, he thought, "Devour."
This jade pendant had accompanied Shang Xiangyu since his youth until he became a pharmacist and stopped wearing it.
As the data panel in front of him disintegrated, Duan Rong seized the waistband, rubbing it over the same way, devouring the Artifact Spirit.
Having completed this task, Duan Rong closed the drawer and entered the stone chamber outside.
He stood there, his gaze flickering, information in his mind racing, abruptly stepping towards an old wooden shelf in the corner, squatting down, and gripping the dusty Black Pottery Jar from below.