"Poisonous? No way. Brother Cheng gave this to me." Jin Sanpang’s expression was simple and conflicted.

On one hand, he didn’t think Zhang Cheng would harm him. On the other, he trusted Mo Qi completely and believed Mo Qi wouldn’t lie to him.

Mo Qi felt a headache coming on. ’Trying to explain the complexities of human nature and greed to someone with the mind of a four- or five-year-old... isn’t that like playing a lute for a cow?’

"San Pang, no matter what, you can’t just eat things other people give you from now on, understand?" Mo Qi could only resort to giving a direct order to control Jin Sanpang’s behavior.

"Oh, okay, I get it." Jin Sanpang chuckled and tossed the roasted chicken aside. "Brother Mo’s food is just too delicious. After eating it, I can’t stomach anything else."

"Alright, enough with the flattery. Stick close to me and don’t wander off." Mo Qi didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. ’Maybe it’s true that fortune favors fools, for Jin Sanpang to have survived this long.’

"Okay." Jin Sanpang nodded repeatedly like an obedient child, following close behind Mo Qi, never leaving his side.

"Pig Emperor, is this the Earth-level Spiritual Ore?" Mo Qi asked.

The Pig Emperor nodded. "That’s right. We need to hurry. The good stuff is further down, and someone has already beaten us to it."

It was obvious without guessing that the ones who had arrived first were the group with the "Brother Cheng" Jin Sanpang had mentioned.

’The Wolf Fang Sect is truly ambitious. Not only are they openly targeting the Void Sect disciples who came for the competition, but they’ve also secretly sent people down here to harvest the first wave of treasures.’

’In that case, I’ll just have to be the oriole that preys on the mantis stalking the cicada.’

Under the Pig Emperor’s guidance, Mo Qi led Jin Sanpang, speeding down through the cavern passage.

The rock walls of the passage were densely studded with white crystals, and the surrounding Spiritual Energy grew thicker. With every breath, Mo Qi could feel his Cultivation advance a little.

’As expected of an Earth-level Spiritual Ore. The reserves of Spirit Stones are incredibly rich.’

Mo Qi wanted to stop and dig out the white crystals. After all, they were Spirit Stones, and high-grade ones at that.

But the Pig Emperor told him that deep within the Spiritual Ore, there weren’t just Top-grade Spirit Stones, but also even more precious Companion Spirit Medicines. That was the real prize.

Mo Qi could only suppress the temptation of the countless Spirit Stones around him and press onward toward the deepest part of the Spiritual Ore.

"Wow, so pretty! It’s like a beautiful starry sky."

Along the way, Jin Sanpang gaped, marveling endlessly at the glowing Spirit Stones on the ceiling.

Despite his bulky frame, he was surprisingly agile in the winding cavern, easily keeping up no matter how fast Mo Qi went.

"Shh, be quiet!" Mo Qi stopped abruptly, pressing a finger to his lips to signal Jin Sanpang to be silent.

Jin Sanpang immediately shut his mouth, retracted his aura, and even held his breath.

He widened his eyes, looking at Mo Qi obediently, awaiting his next instruction.

They had now reached the end of the cavern passage. Below the end was an enormous nest, from which an overwhelming purple light emanated.

Waves of rich, treasure-filled mist rose up and drifted out from the cavern opening.

A single whiff was enough to intoxicate the mind. A mysterious power flowed in and out of his flesh and blood, continuously refining his physical body.

The Creation Golden Body Technique began to operate on its own. Every pore on Mo Qi’s body opened wide, greedily absorbing the surrounding Spiritual Energy. His Seventh Turn Foundation Establishment of the Nine Transformations into Spirit was perfecting itself at a terrifying rate.

"This is the power of Spirit Marrow!" the Pig Emperor cried out in astonishment. "This Earth-level Spiritual Ore has the potential to advance to a Celestial-level Spiritual Ore, and it’s already in the process of transforming!"

"Quick, quick, quick! We have to get the Spirit Marrow!" the Pig Emperor urged, repeatedly slapping Mo Qi’s head with its two hooves.

Mo Qi pressed himself against the wall, carefully inching toward the opening, and clamped a hand down on the Pig Emperor.

"Not so fast. What exactly is Spirit Marrow?"

The Pig Emperor took a deep breath. "Spirit Marrow is a type of Energy Crystal Stone that is a level higher than Top-grade Spirit Stones. You could even call it the mother of Spirit Stones! Unlike ordinary Spirit Stones, which turn to a pile of sand once their Spiritual Energy is depleted, the Spiritual Energy within Spirit Marrow can regenerate!"

"Spirit Marrow is also the biggest difference between an Earth-level Spiritual Ore and a Celestial-level Spiritual Ore. It’s one of the most miraculous energy sources in the world—a priceless treasure!"

"Let me put it this way: with Spirit Marrow, you won’t have to worry about a lack of Cultivation Resources for a very long time. Plus, it has many other miraculous effects."

The more the Pig Emperor spoke, the more excited it became, spraying spittle all over Mo Qi’s face.

Mo Qi knew he had truly stumbled upon a treasure this time. Otherwise, the Pig Emperor wouldn’t be reacting like this.

He recalled that back at the bottom of the Wailing Abyss, even when faced with countless Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures that were thousands of years old, the Pig Emperor had remained nonchalant. Heaven only knew how precious this Spirit Marrow was.

Just then, voices drifted up from the nest inside the cavern.

"Boss Zhang Cheng, we’ve struck it rich this time! So many treasures."

"Yeah! As expected of an Earth-level Spiritual Ore, the amount of Top-grade Spirit Stones is incredible!"

"And these Companion Spirit Medicines... without an Ancient Volume to check against, I don’t recognize a single one. They’re all Level Six or higher Immortal Elixirs! If word of this gets out, the entire Mountain and Sea Empire will go crazy!"

"Huh? Boss Zhang Cheng, why aren’t you saying anything?"

A slightly deeper, calmer voice spoke up. "Look at that purple Crystal Stone in the very center. Don’t you think it’s even more alluring than the Top-grade Spirit Stones?"

"Who cares what it is? Let’s just pack it all up, take it back to the Sect, and hand it over to the Sect Leader. I’m sure he’ll know what it is." A Wolf Fang Sect disciple chuckled, subtly flattering Zhang Cheng, since the Wolf Fang Sect’s Sect Leader was his father.

"Boss Zhang Cheng, you’ve performed a great service this time. That pig surnamed Jin is dead for sure now. The position of the next Sect Leader is yours for the taking."

"Boss Zhang Cheng succeeding as Sect Leader is the will of the people, the hope of the masses!"

Hearing this, Zhang Cheng smiled knowingly. The great thorn in his side, Jin Sanpang, was finally gone. No one could challenge his position in the Wolf Fang Sect anymore.

Just as he was imagining his glorious future, outside the nest, Jin Sanpang—who had been holding his breath and not daring to move—suddenly had his expression change to one of embarrassment.

PFFFT~

A loud fart echoed through the empty cavern, sounding exceptionally jarring.

Mo Qi froze. Down in the nest, Zhang Cheng and the others froze as well.

"Who’s there?"

Zhang Cheng’s figure flashed, and he appeared at the entrance of the cavern passage. The others followed close behind.

Because Jin Sanpang’s build was so conspicuous, and because Mo Qi had retracted his aura and was pressed tightly against the wall, Zhang Cheng and his group only saw Jin Sanpang. They didn’t notice Mo Qi in the corner.

"What are you doing here? This is impossible!"

Everyone looked as if they had seen a ghost. They had clearly used a One-Way Teleportation Array to send Jin Sanpang into the middle of a Beast Tide. There was no way he could have returned.

Zhang Cheng’s face turned extremely ugly. He simply couldn’t figure out how Jin Sanpang had managed to survive again.

And how did he get back from the center of the Beast Tide?

Even if the Demon Beasts didn’t attack him, it should have taken him at least ten to fifteen days to run back from the heart of the array.

Jin Sanpang scratched his bald head and looked apologetically toward Mo Qi in the corner.

"I’m sorry, Brother Mo. I couldn’t hold it in."

Mo Qi gave a helpless, bitter smile. ’Well, so much for hiding.’