Chapter 2: An Encounter with an Immortal in the Cave, Yet Calamity Befalls Him

Just as Mo Fan was wondering whether he should turn tail and run, the two creatures suddenly turned their heads away at the same time, seemingly paying no attention to him, the third party.

“Have I been ignored?”

Mo Fan was stunned. He was delighted, yet deeply frustrated at the same time, and cursed inwardly, “You’re nothing but two long worms. What are you acting so high and mighty for?”

Since the two creatures did not regard him as a threat, Mo Fan no longer felt any urgency to flee. Instead, he stayed where he was, gazing at the fruits on the little tree and wondering whether he might be able to claim a share as well.

After all, there were three fruits on that little tree!

At the thought, he could not help sticking out his bright red tongue and licking his lips.

And so he waited for more than half a day.

During that time, the giant snake and the centipede repeatedly glared at each other, hissing furiously as though both possessed an intense desire to claim all three fruits for themselves.

Mo Fan was secretly delighted. Perhaps he could sit back and reap the rewards after they fought each other to exhaustion?

Just then, the fragrance of the three fruits grew increasingly rich. Mo Fan began drooling unconsciously, unable to resist their tempting aroma.

The silver snake had coiled itself into a mound as well, its head held high and saliva pooling in a puddle beneath its jaws. It looked even more pathetic than Mo Fan.

The red-backed centipede also arched its body. Though it was not as long as the silver snake, its dozens of legs spread wide like grasping claws, making it appear even more intimidating.

Its pair of enormous mandibles parted slightly, resembling two gigantic iron pincers. Under the faint light within the cavern, they gleamed with a dark sheen and looked razor-sharp. Droplets of saliva fell to the ground, sizzling loudly upon impact.

“What a monster. This centipede is probably on the verge of becoming a spirit, isn’t it? If its venomous bite catches me, wouldn’t it send me straight to the afterlife?”

Mo Fan watched with his heart in his throat, but he understood even better that wealth and glory were often found amid danger.

Although he had no idea what the fruit was, it was certainly no ordinary object. If he ate one, perhaps it might even allow him to evolve.

He had been in this world for half a year without seeing a single human, nor had he encountered any demons or monsters of the sort. Even so, he still held on to a faint sliver of hope.

“Hiss!”

At that moment, the silver snake suddenly let out a hiss and lunged toward one of the fruits, which had already turned red.

Slash!

But the red-backed centipede was faster. It immediately bit toward the silver snake’s exposed underbelly.

The silver snake’s body blurred as it twisted aside, evading the centipede’s attack. Its long tail lashed out and struck the centipede directly.

Bang!

With a dull thud, the red-backed centipede shuddered as the blow landed squarely. Yet it showed no sign of injury. Instead, it became even more ferocious.

Seeing the two giant creatures entangled in battle, Mo Fan was overjoyed. He began slowly edging toward the precious tree, muttering inwardly all the while:

“Don’t see me. Don’t see me…”

Whether his muttering had somehow worked or the snake and centipede were simply too absorbed in their fight, they truly failed to notice him approaching. Meanwhile, they battled farther and farther away, each seemingly determined to kill the other.

“Fortune really favors me!”

Mo Fan was ecstatic, though he cursed inwardly:

“As expected of two stupid bugs. They have nothing but the instincts of wild beasts and not the slightest bit of intelligence!”

This old master was going to profit from it all!

Before long, Mo Fan reached the foot of the precious tree.

The tree was not tall, standing only about half a man’s height. With a single leap, Mo Fan could easily reach the fruits above.

The closer he drew to the tree, the stronger the fragrance became. He had already drooled all over the ground and, without a second thought, sprang into the air with his mouth open, biting toward one of the fruits.

“Mine! They’re all mine!”

Mo Fan was delirious with joy. He was just about to sink his teeth into the fruit when a white blur suddenly arrived.

Bang!

With a light impact, Mo Fan’s entire body was knocked flat into a spread-eagle shape. A croak escaped his mouth as his frog body flew sideways and slammed into a stalagmite nearby.

“Croak! Croak!”

The collision sent Mo Fan rolling across the ground, and he croaked involuntarily. Inside, however, he groaned:

“That hurt like hell!”

“A mere toad actually dares dream of swallowing an innate spirit fruit? What a waste of heaven’s treasures!”

A cold, clear voice rang out from nearby. Mo Fan shook his dizzy head and looked over carefully.

At some point, a young woman dressed in white had appeared before the precious tree.

She was extraordinarily beautiful. With a casual wave of her hand, the three fruits hanging from the tree, now glowing a brilliant red, floated into the air and flew into her palm.

“I never expected a mineral vein to be hidden within the Demon Spirit Mountains, much less for three innate spirit fruits to have been born within it. This journey was truly worthwhile.”

The woman murmured to herself, a faint smile appearing on her exquisite face.

“A human?”

“I’m actually looking at a human!”

“So humans really do exist in this world. And she seems to possess extraordinary abilities—she made those three fruits fly into her hand. Could she be one of the legendary immortals?”

At the thought, Mo Fan’s heart blazed with excitement.

“If she really is an immortal, perhaps I can reveal my unusual intelligence before her, receive her guidance, and embark upon the path of cultivation?”

“At the very least, she ought to be able to take me back as a spirit pet, right?”

“That would still be far better than struggling alone in this place filled with insects and wild beasts!”

With that in mind, Mo Fan began hopping toward the woman, croaking repeatedly as though he were saying:

“Goddess, look at me! Look at me! I’m so extraordinary—take me with you! Teach me the immortal arts!”

“Hm?”

Mo Fan’s unusual behavior naturally drew the woman’s attention. A trace of curiosity appeared on her face as she said, “I never expected a mere toad to possess a hint of intelligence.”

“Croak! Croak!”

As if to prove her words, Mo Fan opened his mouth and croaked twice.

In his eyes, if he could follow this goddess and cultivate immortality, then even as a toad, he could become an immortal among toads.

“Not bad, not bad. One of the Five Poisons, with two other poisonous creatures nearby. Just right for refining a batch of Five-Poison Heavenly Spirit Pills.”

The more spiritual the toad appeared, the broader the smile on the woman’s face became.

But her words fell directly into Mo Fan’s ears and frightened him so badly that his entire body trembled.

Damn it all! This female demon wanted to capture him and refine him into medicine!

How could he possibly allow that?!

Mo Fan turned and fled.

But how could he escape from her grasp?

He suddenly felt an invisible force coil around his entire body. The next instant, his frog form floated into the air and flew backward.

Bang!

After a dizzying whirl, Mo Fan entered a cramped space.

It was pitch-black inside, and terror gripped his heart. He immediately tried to leap back out, but no matter how frantically he jumped, he could not escape. In the end, he could only collapse helplessly onto the ground.

Even so, he had no intention of resigning himself to his fate. He began plotting how he might escape that wicked woman’s clutches when the opportunity arose.

Mo Fan did not have to wait long. Two muffled impacts sounded in succession, followed by the hissing of a snake and a pungent, nauseating stench.

There was no need to ask. Mo Fan knew at once that it was that stupid snake and the enormous red-backed centipede.

Within the cramped space, Mo Fan relied on his keen hearing and sense of smell to keep evading the two giant creatures.

He had no idea how much time passed. Then, as the narrow space suddenly shook, voices from outside rang out.

“Master, you have returned?”

A childish voice sounded.

“Mm. This journey to the Demon Spirit Mountains yielded quite a harvest. I actually obtained the materials needed to refine the Five-Poison Heavenly Spirit Pill.”

The white-robed cultivator’s voice rang out, followed by another question:

“Have you cultivated diligently during the days I was away?”

“Rest assured, Master. Ling’er has been cultivating diligently the entire time!”

“Good. Remember, the path of cultivation is like rowing against the current: if you do not advance, you retreat. You must never become negligent.”

“Yes, Master!”

“Oh, that’s right. There are three of the Five Poisons in my spirit-beast pouch. Take my sect token later and go to the sect’s spirit-beast garden to fetch a scorpion and a gecko. Then refine a bowl of Five-Poison Heavenly Spirit Pill for me.”

“There are also three innate spirit fruits. Add them all into the pill.”

“Yes!”

“Besides that, this is a breathing technique I obtained after slaying a demonic cultivator during my travels. It may rely somewhat on clever shortcuts, but it can still be considered a superior method. Take it and study it alongside your current practice. It will greatly benefit your present cultivation in the Energy Refining realm.”

“Thank you, Master!”

The childish voice immediately became filled with excitement.

“That settles it. I’ll leave the pill refinement to you. I’m a little tired, so I’ll go sleep for a while.”