Ascending from the mortal realm to become an immortal begins with taking charge of a grotto-heaven.

The group put in all their effort, unleashing all their spells and magical artifacts, repeatedly attacking the Azure Python.

Under the combined attack of the crowd, the Azure Python was covered in wounds, and the spilled python blood stained the surrounding ground dark red, emitting a pungent, fishy stench.

The attack on Qin Mu and his group also took a toll, but fortunately they did not suffer any obvious damage. They had also prepared pills, talismans and other aids beforehand, so they still maintained considerable combat strength.

Only a little over twenty breaths had passed when the aura emanating from the Azure Serpent weakened rapidly, and it ceased all struggling.

Upon seeing this, everyone couldn't help but reveal a hint of joy in their eyes.

After so much hard work, we are finally about to see the light of victory.

"We should be able to take it down."

Seeing this, Zhang Li breathed a slight sigh of relief and controlled the Heavenly Sun Sword to strike down again.

Qin Mu and Zhou Xuan followed closely behind, controlling their magical artifacts to descend one after another, finally leading the Azure Python to its doom.

With a mournful cry, its massive body crashed to the ground, and the aura emanating from it began to dissipate rapidly. At the same time, the Lesser Five Elements Formation finally gave way and collapsed.

"It's done."

Qin Mu let out a long breath.

Among everyone, he suffered the greatest loss in this battle, having used up most of his magical power.

As previously agreed, all the demon cores and other materials produced after the Azure Python was killed would belong to the Qin family. Zhang Li glanced at it and took a few steps back to create distance, clearly indicating that he would not step forward to compete for the demon beast materials.

After hesitating for a moment, Zhou Xuan also slowly retreated in another direction. Seeing that the two of them had taken the initiative to retreat, Qin Mu breathed a sigh of relief.

In the world of cultivation, no matter how deep the friendship or how good the agreement, it is so fragile in the face of actual interests. He had no doubt that as long as he showed any weakness, the two people in front of him would immediately abandon their previous agreement and turn to share the treasures of this Qi Refining Level 9 demon beast with him.

Qin Mu suppressed the turbulent thoughts in his heart, raised his hand to retrieve the damaged array flag and array plate, and said: "Brother Zhou, Fellow Daoist Zhang, please wait a moment. I will quickly finish collecting the materials for the python body and rest for a while before we enter the cave to retrieve the Marrow Cleansing Fruit. I will never break my promise to you two."

Zhang Li nodded, found a clean spot, took a Qi-restoring pill, and silently recovered his magical power. Zhou Xuan also made a move to find a rock far away from the python's corpse and sat down.

Seeing this, Qin Mu called over a group of Qin family members to help deal with the python's body, otherwise its value would be greatly reduced once the venom inside its body infected its flesh.

The Qin family members were quick and efficient. In less than half an hour, they had stripped and collected all the most valuable parts of the Azure Spirit Python, including its venom glands, scales, demon core, spine, and flesh. As for the bits of flesh and blood that were stained with venom and the remaining skeleton, they discarded them without hesitation.

After dealing with all the monster resources, Qin Mu led the group toward the deep pool and waterfall not far away.

As soon as they approached the waterfall, they smelled a faint, refreshing fragrance, delicate and pleasant. Just a whiff of it made them feel invigorated.

"This fragrance, there's no mistaking it, it's the scent of the Marrow Cleansing Fruit." Zhou Xuan's nostrils twitched slightly, a hint of fervor flashing in his eyes. His gaze pierced through the cascading waterfall, looking towards the dark cavern that was faintly visible behind him. "There's no time to lose, let's go in quickly."

After saying that, everyone cast a water-repelling spell and passed through the cascading waterfall together.

As soon as you step through the water curtain into the cave, you'll find it extremely spacious, with an unobstructed view of the scenery ahead.

A natural karst pool came into view, its water shimmering with a milky white hue, the bottom of which was not visible. A spiritual plant, its entire body emerald green and its veins flowing like golden threads, took root in the center of the pool. At its top were eight thumb-sized, crystal-clear fruits, emitting a refreshing fragrance—the very same Marrow Cleansing Fruit they had sought on this journey.

"The Marrow Cleansing Fruit..." Zhou Xuan's breathing quickened, his eyes burning with desire, and he subconsciously took a half-step forward.

Zhang Li's eyes flickered slightly, but he quickly suppressed his emotions and turned to look at Qin Mu.

Looking at the spirit tree laden with fruit in the center of the pond, Qin Mu's eyes revealed undisguised joy, but he remained calm and spoke in a deep voice: "Brother Zhou, please be patient. The fruit is right here, it can't escape. I will not go back on the rules we set before."

Zhou Xuan took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the agitation in his heart, and clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Brother Qin has been very considerate throughout the journey. How could I be such a treacherous person? Please!"

"I also believe in Fellow Daoist Qin, please." Zhang Li raised his hand in a gesture of respect.

Seeing this, Qin Mu slowly stepped forward and approached the Marrow Cleansing Fruit tree.

However, just as Qin Mu approached the pool, the previously calm and milky-white water suddenly surged violently. Before anyone could react, a wave several meters high burst open on the surface, and a huge python, similar in size to the Azure Spirit Python that had been killed earlier, emerged from the water. Its dark vertical pupils were filled with ferocity, and its massive jaws opened, revealing sharp fangs that gleamed with a ghostly green poisonous light. It went straight for Qin Mu, who was right in front of it, to bite him.

Suddenly, a yellow barrier appeared in front of Qin Mu without warning.

"Click—"

The yellow barrier that Qin Mu hastily erected shattered at the slightest touch. Qin Mu's face turned pale, and his body was violently thrown away by the aftershock of the giant python's impact, crashing heavily against the rock wall behind him. His fate was unknown.

The change came so suddenly that everyone present was shocked.

In the blink of an eye, the enormous python flung aside a spray of water and charged straight at the group, its thick, long tail sweeping across the air and slamming into them.

The Qin family members retreated in fright, frantically unleashing their magical weapons to bombard the python's scales. Scattered sparks landed on the python's scales, only causing a few tiny fireflies to fly up, leaving not even a shallow mark.

The moment the Azure Serpent appeared, Zhang Li reacted immediately. He no longer cared about the Marrow Cleansing Fruit; his life was more important. He quickly rushed towards the entrance of the cave.

However, he underestimated the speed of the Azure Serpent. Before he could escape the cave, a powerful gust of wind came from behind him.

Zhang Li had no time to dodge at this moment. He immediately activated the Vajra Talisman hidden in his sleeve, and a pale golden spiritual light instantly enveloped his entire body.

The next moment, the thick python tail slammed into Lingguang, and a loud bang shook him so much that his blood and qi surged. However, he also used this force to rush forward and burst out of the waterfall, falling straight into the deep pool outside the cave.

Zhang Li felt a sweet taste in his throat, and finally couldn't hold back, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

Deep within the cave, muffled impacts and piercing screams continued to echo intermittently, interspersed with the sickening sound of bones shattering, sending chills down one's spine.