Just as Zhou Yan was about to put away the Quenching Spirit Grass, a roar, filled with a hint of familiarity, sounded again.
Zhou Yan looked up and gasped.
Not far away, the giant serpent he had just fought was somehow back on its feet. Its massive body was still riddled with countless wounds, but this time, the cuts weren't festering. Instead, they were healing at a visible rate.
Furthermore, the serpent's color began to fade, and in the blink of an eye, it returned to its original appearance.
"What a rapid recovery!"
This sight caused Zhou Yan's pupils to contract sharply.
The giant serpent was not dead. It was terrifying that it could survive such an ordeal. How tenacious was its life force?
Zhou Yan marveled internally. Truly a peak third-tier demonic beast; its regenerative ability alone was comparable to an early second-tier demonic beast.
At this moment, the Crimson Scale Python finally regained its senses. The savagery in its eyes slowly receded. It fixed its gaze on Zhou Yan, hissed, and then charged ferociously, lunging straight for him.
"Foolish!"
Zhou Yan let out a cold shout and unleashed a punch, striking the giant serpent's head directly.
"Bang!"
A dull thud echoed as the giant serpent was sent flying.
"Roar~~!"
The Crimson Scale Python let out another pained howl. This time, its injuries appeared even more severe. Blood gushed from the wound on its head, quickly dyeing the ground behind it red.
"Hmph!"
Zhou Yan snorted coldly. "Let's see how long it takes for you to recover from this."
As his words fell, he drew his saber and slashed out again.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
A series of dull impacts followed. Zhou Yan struck repeatedly, forcing the Crimson Scale Python to spit blood and retreat once more.
But this time, the Crimson Scale Python seemed unable to bear it any longer. It wailed, its body weakening again. In a short while, its corpse lay limply on the ground.
"This fellow was incredibly formidable. It truly lives up to being a peak third-tier demonic beast. If it were a second-tier beast, perhaps I wouldn't have been able to handle it. However, this Crimson Scale Python hadn't reached second-tier, making it somewhat weaker. Thus, despite its strength, I could still easily suppress it."
Zhou Yan muttered to himself, then proceeded to collect the Crimson Scale Python's corpse.
"Phew, I got lucky this time. Encountering a peak third-tier demonic beast, I wonder if there are any good things on it."
Zhou Yan thought, his gaze sweeping towards the emerald green vine, a flicker of heat in his eyes.
"Azure Water Vine, a third-grade spirit herb. It can enhance a martial artist's comprehension and soul. Unfortunately, such spirit herbs are extremely rare and virtually impossible to find on the open market. Unless one enters certain Spirit Spring Valleys, encountering it is difficult."
Zhou Yan mused internally.
He had initially intended to search within Spirit Spring Valleys, but the distance was immense, the journey perilous, and one could easily fall prey to demonic beasts if not careful. Thus, he had abandoned that idea.
Now, looking at the Azure Water Vine before him, a thought suddenly struck him. He desired this Azure Water Vine because its value was simply too high. After all, it was a third-grade spirit medicine!
"If I can refine this Azure Water Vine, it will undoubtedly boost my soul significantly, and my strength will advance by leaps and bounds. Perhaps then, I might even be able to contend with those second-tier demonic beasts!"
The thought sent a surge of excitement through Zhou Yan.
"Azure Water Vine, excellent. While precious, it would be too much of a waste not to collect some. This Azure Water Vine will be mine."
With his words, Zhou Yan's figure blurred as he sprinted towards the Azure Water Vine.
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
Zhou Yan ran rapidly, reaching the Azure Water Vine in the blink of an eye.
The Azure Water Vine was not large or thick, about half a meter in height, with abundant foliage. However, it was strangely devoid of leaves, appearing quite peculiar.
"Hmm?"
At this moment, Zhou Yan froze, his expression becoming extremely strange. He sensed an aura emanating from the Azure Water Vine that was remarkably similar to a human's. This feeling left Zhou Yan somewhat perplexed. Could this Azure Water Vine also be a demonic plant?
As the thought crossed his mind, a fiery glint appeared in his eyes.
Zhou Yan reached out, grasped the Azure Water Vine, and pulled it up. Instantly, the tiny cracks on the vine vanished, and a potent vitality surged from it.
"What a sweet fragrance."
Zhou Yan couldn't help but inhale deeply.
"It seems to be a spirit herb after all!"
Zhou Yan thought, then began to probe the Azure Water Vine with his True Qi.
He wanted to test if he could refine it.
As a result, he quickly discovered that the Azure Water Vine was indeed a spirit herb, but it was poisonous.
"What? Poisonous!"
Sensing this, Zhou Yan's eyes widened, and his expression turned extremely grim. He never imagined that this Azure Water Vine would be poisonous, and its toxicity was incredibly potent, far more fierce than any venomous substance he had encountered before.
This was something he had not anticipated at all.
"This poison is quite aggressive. If an ordinary human were poisoned, it would be difficult to resolve. However, for me, it's not that problematic."
With that, Zhou Yan gritted his teeth, bit his lip until it bled, and let a drop of crimson blood fall onto the Azure Water Vine.
"Sizzle~"
As the blood touched the Azure Water Vine, a faint purple mist rose from the emerald vine. This mist continuously seeped into Zhou Yan's mouth.
"Good! Such potent poison! It seems even more powerful than other deadly toxins!"
A smile spread across Zhou Yan's face. His heart was filled with immense excitement. This time, his efforts were not in vain. This poison was indeed extraordinary, and it seemed his gains were significant.
"No, if this continues, I can only slowly absorb this toxic fluid. Furthermore, the sheer volume of this toxic fluid is immense. I must quickly refine this poison, or it will take effect, and then it might be too late."
Zhou Yan was well aware that the toxicity contained within the Azure Water Vine was enormous. Without sufficient toxic fluid to absorb, this Azure Water Vine would be completely ruined.