The Pastoral Life of a Cultivation Master

Chapter 2980 Crickets Behind
"Amo!" Ouyang Ruoxi was finally relieved to see Chen Mo return. She had been on tenterhooks the whole time. Although she knew Chen Mo's strength and that the First-Rank Reds should be safe, she still couldn't help but worry.

Chen Mo smiled slightly and said, "Yes, I'm back."

Then he looked at Qian Zhenghao sitting to the side and asked, "Has this guy had any other reaction since I left?"

“No, it’s always been like this. My aunt just asked him, and he doesn’t have any other discomfort. There’s no numbness or pain in the area where he was bitten on his leg, and the wound is healing,” Ouyang Ruoxi said.

"That's good." Chen Mo still had some doubts about the antidote effect of the Red Thread Fruit. After all, everything came from Qingxuan Zhenren's memories, but so many years had passed. Who knew if these Red Thread Fruits might have evolved or if the toxins might have become more potent? Therefore, everything still required experimentation.

Fortunately, Qian Zhenghao provided a good experiment. Everything performed exactly as he remembered, with no major deviations. Therefore, the snake gallbladders from the One-Line Red snakes in Chen Mo's hands could be given to Ouyang Ruoxi.

He had no problem consuming it, as he could treat any adverse reactions his body might have. He had various detoxifying pills and even some special antidotes on hand, so he wasn't too worried about the toxins from the First Line Red.

However, Ouyang Ruoxi and the others are different. What if they are poisoned after consuming snake gall? The consequences are beyond Chen Mo's control.

Therefore, after capturing Yixianhong, he did not immediately give Ouyang Ruoxi the snake gall, because he had this concern.

Everything was pretty much as he remembered, so Chen Mo could feel at ease giving the snake gall to Ouyang Ruoxi.

Immediately, Chen Mo walked over to Ouyang Nan and asked, "Aunt, it's still early, not even 2 PM yet. What should we do next?"

Ouyang Nan was also considering what to do next. After all, while the First Line Red poison was indeed toxic, Chen Mo had already found an antidote. Therefore, according to the expedition team's responsibility, continuing the exploration ahead was the right thing to do.

However, the road ahead is dangerous. Why would she disregard everyone's safety for the sake of an expedition?

So she decided to stop here for today and continue the adventure tomorrow. After all, she wasn't without a mission, just a slower pace. Besides, even if Qian Zhenghao was just there to observe and keep an eye on them, he wouldn't risk his life just to complete the mission, would he?

“We’ve spent a lot of time going back and forth today. How about we stop here, rest for a while, and then head back? As for the mission to scout ahead, we can continue tomorrow. What do you think?” Ouyang Nan asked.

Chen Mo naturally wouldn't object. He wasn't in a hurry anyway, and he had many things to do that evening, so this was good; it would give him more time. However, he was still concerned about the buzzing sound he heard in the woods. Should he go and investigate first, or wait until later that evening when he came to catch some red berries and then explore ahead?

Well, I'm in a hurry anyway, so I'll just go with Ouyang Nan's plan.

“Aunt, we can continue tomorrow, but we still need to let that guy say it out loud. Otherwise, it would be annoying if he talked about us behind our backs.” Chen Mo said, glancing at Qian Zhenghao and gesturing to Ouyang Nan.

Ouyang Nan nodded in agreement upon hearing Chen Mo's answer. So, she stepped forward and went to Qian Zhenghao's side to discuss the subsequent arrangements.

Of course, the implication was that they were looking out for Qian Zhenghao, since the guy had just been bitten and forced to become a test subject, which had dampened his spirits considerably.

Upon hearing Ouyang Nan's explanation, Qian Zhenghao nodded in agreement without hesitation. Thinking about his reaction after being bitten and poisoned, he realized he had humiliated himself greatly today, so he decided to wait until he recovered before continuing the mission tomorrow.

"Alright, let's rest here for a bit, then head back to the canyon and continue our exploration tomorrow," Ouyang Nan said, calling everyone over. After all, it was still early, and it would be awkward if they ran into Qian Ying's group on the way back.

Ouyang Ruoxi and Ouyang Nana naturally had no objections; whatever they said was fine.

Chen Mo then called Ouyang Ruoxi and the others aside, and behind Qian Zhenghao's back, quietly explained to them the effects of Yixianhong snake gall.

Immediately, Ouyang Nan and the other two widened their eyes in disbelief and asked in a low voice, "Really?"

Chen Mo nodded, indicating that it was true.

Then, he took out three red snake gallbladders, one for each of them, and gestured for them to eat them.

All three of them had their eyes light up; with such a treasure, how could they not enjoy it? They immediately took the snake gall and swallowed it.

"I will protect the three of you. You three should experience the effects carefully," Chen Mo said in a low voice. Then, he slightly moved his body, blocking Qian Zhenghao's view.

The group sat on a large rock, with Chen Mo's back to Qian Zhenghao, about twenty meters away. Any noise from them would be noticed by Qian Zhenghao, hence the way Chen Mo used his back to shield Qian Zhenghao's view.

Fortunately, Qian Zhenghao was resting with his eyes closed and didn't look at this side too much.

Before long, the three of them felt the effects of the snake gall breaking down in their bodies. It was so intense that they couldn't resist. Not only did their limbs and bones feel hot, but their energy also gradually increased.

Ouyang Nan had already reached the tenth level of the Acquired Realm, but she could never seem to take that final step. The threshold of the Innate Realm seemed like something elusive and intangible, leaving her feeling frustrated and helpless during her cultivation. Perhaps she felt her talent was mediocre, and therefore she couldn't break through to the Innate Realm, and that this was probably how she would be in this life.

But to her surprise, after consuming a snake gall bladder today, her stagnant inner energy began to slowly increase again, a truly delightful surprise. If this was the case, could it mean she had a chance to advance to the Innate Realm?
As long as one continues to improve, one will reach the bottleneck of the tenth level of the acquired realm, and will also be able to touch the threshold of the innate realm. It is not impossible to even step into the innate realm.

Suddenly, Ouyang Nan felt an urge to let out a long howl to vent his emotions.

Although Ouyang Nana wasn't as excited as Ouyang Nana, her cultivation at the ninth level of the Acquired Realm had still made a significant leap forward after consuming the snake gall, even faintly reaching the late stage of the ninth level. The effect of this one snake gall was practically equivalent to several years of her own cultivation.

Ouyang Ruoxi's improvement was even more remarkable. She had just entered the eighth level of the Acquired Realm, but after consuming a snake gall, her strength skyrocketed, directly reaching the mid-stage of the eighth level of the Acquired Realm. This was a much greater improvement than relying on her own cultivation.

In truth, these three were of relatively low strength and were also practicing body cultivation, so their improvement was naturally more significant. Unlike Chen Mo, whose inherent strength was already quite high, and as a cultivator, consuming snake gall not only increased his physical strength but also his spiritual consciousness. Therefore, the improvement was much smaller, although he could still feel his strength increasing, albeit very slowly.

The three women savored the boost to their strength until the effects gradually wore off. Then they opened their eyes and stared intently at Chen Mo. The light in their eyes was so intense it almost melted him.

"Amo! Is there any more? I want more?" Ouyang Ruoxi's voice was incredibly sweet, bordering on cloying, which made Chen Mo shudder. He had never heard Ouyang Ruoxi's voice so sweet before, and he was truly speechless.

Ouyang Nan and Ouyang Nana also had their eyes fixed on each other.

Chen Mo was momentarily at a loss and said in a low voice, "Snake gall should not be consumed in excess. It is only after you have adapted to the increased strength that you can consume it again. Otherwise, if your foundation is not stable, it is easy to force growth and cause discomfort to your body."

Although snake gallbladders have no negative effects, they should not be consumed in excess, especially by those with lower strength. If one's strength increases too quickly without a solid foundation, it can easily lead to an unstable base, which will not benefit future cultivation.

The three nodded in agreement, knowing that Chen Mo was telling the truth. However, the feeling of increased strength was simply too wonderful for anyone to resist.

"Don't worry, now that I know the effects of snake gall, I'll sneak over tonight and catch a lot of red snakes, then collect the gall. That way, I can take it without worry when I get back to the family," Chen Mo said.

The three of them, however, were rather impatient and said, "Why don't we go catch some snakes now?" Their own strength had improved so much that they were almost carried away.

Even Ouyang Ruoxi and Ouyang Nana are no longer afraid of the venomous snake. Previously, they felt disgusted and repulsed by the snake, its cold and slippery body making them feel uneasy when they held it. But now they are extremely eager to get their hands on it.

What's so cool or slippery about it? Nothing beats the exhilarating feeling of improving your strength.

Chen Mo shook his head again, then gestured to Qian Zhenghao behind him.

The three of them looked over and glanced at Qian Zhenghao.

Qian Zhenghao seemed to sense something, opened his eyes and turned to look over, while the three women immediately looked away and spoke to Chen Mo in a low voice again.

Seeing this scene, Qian Zhenghao felt inexplicably irritated. Although he had known from the beginning that joining this group would lead to exclusion and poor relationships with everyone, the fact that it was being done so openly naturally made him very unhappy.

However, he also noticed the three women's gazes, which seemed a bit off. What was going on? Were they talking about him? But why would they be talking about him?
Turning to his reflection on his behavior after being poisoned, he was immediately speechless. These three women were definitely talking behind his back. Damn it, you women, you weren't even poisoned, yet you still despise and talk behind my back like this, you're so damn annoying.

If any of you were poisoned, you might not perform as well as him!
I sincerely hope that next time, these three women will be bitten by poisonous snakes!

No, I should also include that guy. May all four of them get bitten by poisonous snakes!
Hmph! After I get bitten, I'll definitely see how you all behave.