The great green snake and the demonic beast were locked in a fierce struggle, the beast biting down hard on the snake, which in turn coiled around the beast with all its might, tightening its grip.
Neither was willing to let go first.
Xiao Fei hid in the distance, not daring to breathe, lest he disturb their passionate embrace, nor did he have the inclination to rush in and play peacemaker.
The green snake and the demonic beast were entwined in a love that bound them, neither able to leave the other, relying on each other until the end of time.
They persisted from that afternoon until nightfall, and from nightfall until the next dawn.
Xiao Fei couldn't help but marvel at their enduring stamina.
This morning, as the sun climbed high, Xiao Fei observed for a long time. Seeing that the two had not moved for a considerable period, he cautiously approached.
He first picked up a stick and poked various parts of their bodies. Seeing no reaction, he then, holding his black saber, tiptoed closer to inspect.
It was then that he discovered that both were already dead, yet they refused to separate even in death, still tightly entwined.
Xiao Fei exerted considerable effort to separate the two corpses.
Both creatures were massive. The demonic beast resembled a large pangolin, weighing at least two to three thousand catties.
The great green snake, though appearing large, was not as heavy, weighing only a few hundred catties.
For Xiao Fei, who hadn't eaten meat in years, such an abundance of flesh was not to be wasted.
First, he peeled off the snake's skin. The skin was easy to remove; a circular cut around the neck and then a downward tear yielded a complete snake skin.
Next, he removed the internal organs, keeping only the snake gall, a rare medicinal ingredient that should fetch a good price.
After processing the snake's body, only a clean, white, and crystalline flesh remained.
When processing the demonic beast's corpse, Xiao Fei encountered some difficulty. The layer of scales on the beast's exterior was too hard for his black saber to cut.
After some thought, he tried to circulate the wisp of spiritual energy within him and channel it into the black saber.
The black saber immediately became even blacker and more profound.
He swung the black saber at the demonic beast again.
It was effective. The black saber finally cut through the beast's scales.
However, the beast's immense size and his own weak spiritual energy meant he had to rest several times before he finally managed to peel off a complete beast hide.
After removing all the beast's internal organs, he obtained over a thousand catties of meat.
Xiao Fei worked all day, cutting the obtained beast meat and snake meat into smaller pieces and hanging them out to dry in the sun.
In the evening, he built a large bonfire and continued to smoke the meat over the fire. This would further dehydrate it, and the smoking would also act as a preservative.
On the fire, a large earthenware pot bubbled away, emitting an enticing aroma. Inside, a large pot of snake meat was stewing.
Xiao Fei sat by the fire, gnawing on a large piece of snake meat with relish.
The snake meat tasted very similar to chicken, tender, fragrant, and delicious, with no hint of gaminess.
He took out a few hard, dry ration biscuits from his space, cut them into pieces, and threw them into the snake soup to soak, giving him a feeling akin to eating lamb soup with flatbread.
Furthermore, Xiao Fei discovered that the snake meat also contained some spiritual energy, more potent than that in the space-grown grains.
As for the demonic beast's meat, the spiritual energy was even more concentrated, at least several times that of the snake meat.
A short distance away, a large black bear, smelling the scent, prowled around. Seeing so much meat, it was eager to eat.
However, it dared not approach. Even the demonic beast had died there; would it be stewed along with it if it got too close?
Xiao Fei naturally noticed the black bear. Having witnessed its ferocity the previous day and having orchestrated the deaths of a green snake and a demonic beast, he felt a bit more confident facing the black bear.
Since cultivating the "Evergreen Technique," Xiao Fei's appetite had grown daily. He finished the entire pot of snake meat and several biscuits, leaving not a speck.
After the satisfying meal, he continued cultivating the "Evergreen Technique," refining all the spiritual energy produced by the snake meat and biscuits. The wisp of spiritual energy in his body increased slightly.
In the following days, Xiao Fei settled at the foot of Mount Qiyun.
As for the depths of Mount Qiyun, he absolutely dared not venture. The green snake and the demonic beast from the outer regions were already beyond his capabilities; the demonic beasts in the deeper parts of Mount Qiyun were bound to be even more formidable.
All the meat had been dried and stored in his space. The snake skin and beast hide, he didn't know how to process yet, so he also dried them and stored them in his space.
The demonic beast's scales were so tough that even a saber couldn't penetrate them; they should be of great use.
During this period, by consuming snake meat and beast meat daily, the spiritual energy within him gradually increased, with progress made each day.
The only thing that felt slightly unsatisfactory was that whenever he meditated to guide the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, those points of spiritual light seemed to have a grudge against him, stubbornly refusing to actively enter his body.
It was completely different from the "drawing in of energy" described in the "Evergreen Technique."
Each time, he had to forcefully capture it with his will. Although this felt quite satisfying, its efficiency was not high.
Fortunately, he now had the space-grown grains and the beast meat, both of which could supplement spiritual energy. The meager amount of spiritual energy captured through meditation had little impact.
One day, after finishing his cultivation, Xiao Fei entered his space.
The grains planted in his space were due for harvest. The ginseng seedling had already grown its second leaf.
On a small tree, over two feet tall, the green fruit had turned half green and half red, nearing ripeness.
He still had one of the three red fruits he had obtained last time. Today, he planned to eat it; if he waited longer, it might spoil.
After consuming one fruit, a warm current rose within him. He quickly circulated the "Evergreen Technique" to refine it.
He cultivated continuously for an entire night. The warm current in his abdomen was completely refined, and the wisp of spiritual energy in his meridians had grown into a substantial stream.
The next morning, as Xiao Fei was cultivating, his body suddenly trembled. The stream of spiritual energy in his meridians actually split into two smaller streams.
The two streams of spiritual energy moved freely through his meridians, sometimes merging, sometimes separating, and circulating to various parts.
According to the descriptions in the "Evergreen Technique," he had reached the second level.
With two streams of spiritual energy within his body, his strength greatly increased.
The "Evergreen Technique" also recorded four types of spells: Talisman Art, Light Body Technique, Great Strength Technique, and Fireball Technique.
Talisman Art required the possession of talismans, which he couldn't cultivate now.
He could, however, try the other three.
First was the Light Body Technique. This spell was not difficult; it involved channeling spiritual energy separately to both legs, combined with a special breathing method.
Xiao Fei attempted to cultivate according to the method in the "Evergreen Technique." In one day, he had mastered the spell.
Now, he ran like the wind through the forest, leaping three to four meters with a single bound.
Although he had seen professional athletes jump farther in his previous life, he was not an athlete, and normally could only jump a little over two meters.
Moreover, he could leap casually without specific preparation, whether sideways, vertically, backward, or even while somersaulting.
If he were to race the demonic beast again now, they would likely be evenly matched.
However, when he used the Light Body Technique, he could not maintain this state for too long, about twenty to thirty minutes, after which he would need to rest and recover his spiritual energy.
He attempted to cultivate the remaining Great Strength Technique and Fireball Technique, but both ended in failure.
The Great Strength Technique at least allowed him to grasp a hint of it; he believed he could master it with further cultivation.
As for the Fireball Technique, he was still far from it, not even finding the entrance.
The Fireball Technique required channeling spiritual energy to draw and condense runes. He strained himself until his face turned red but couldn't figure it out, so he had to give up for now.
With his greatly increased strength, Xiao Fei packed his belongings and prepared to descend the mountain.
So much time had passed; he assumed Zhu Yu would no longer be waiting at the bottom of the cliff.
Even if he were still there with his twenty-odd strong men guarding the cliff's base, Xiao Fei was confident that even if he couldn't win, he could definitely escape using the Light Body Technique.
After cultivating the Light Body Technique, descending the cliff became much easier.
When he reached the bottom of the cliff, the area was a mess, but there was not a single person in sight.
Without stopping, he went directly down Black Stone Mountain, heading towards Qingyang Town.
There was no need to return to the refugee camp; he planned to find his second sister immediately.
When he reached Qingyang Town, he was greatly alarmed.
From a distance, he saw several houses engulfed in flames, with many refugees moving in and out of the houses.
The town was filled with wails and shouts, constant arguments, and the sounds of breaking pottery and jars, making for a lively scene.
Xiao Fei grabbed a passing refugee.
"What's going on?"
The refugee initially wanted to curse, but upon seeing one of the tough guys from the refugee camp, he swallowed his words.
"A group of refugees came a few days ago and brought everyone to rob Qingyang Town."
"You've come at the perfect time. Hurry up and join the looting; if you're any later, you won't even get the broth."
Seeing others carrying armfuls of clothes and large bags of grain, the refugee felt immense anxiety.
Xiao Fei released the refugee. If he hadn't obtained his space before, he would have certainly participated in the looting. People had to survive.
When survival was at stake, moral codes and restrictions lost all their binding power.
Xiao Fei walked down the main street of Qingyang Town. As he passed the tailor shop where he had his clothes made,
He saw the slightly hunched tailor and her daughter lying on the ground, naked, with pools of cold, congealed blood beneath them.
More than a dozen refugees were standing in the blood, fighting over pieces of cloth.
Xiao Fei continued forward. The shops and houses he saw along the way had all been smashed open. From time to time, the cries of women and children could be heard from within.
These refugees, who had lived more humbly than dust in normal times, now unleashed all the malice in their hearts, each transforming into a demon.
Xiao Fei was not a saint; he couldn't manage everything. At this moment, he could only quicken his pace towards Renxin Hall.
He hoped that Doctor Huang and his family were safe.
In the entire Qingyang Town, the only one with whom he had some connection and who had shown him kindness was Doctor Huang, who had saved his life when he was severely injured and near death.