Gluttons Can be Useful
The amethyst water chestnut python treated Xiaoshuai as an appetiser and continued hunting its main dish, Mu Yu.
“Xiaoshuai, I’ll back you up from outside.”
Mu Yu pulled over at a quagmire, alerting a group of scorching boars, Level Two fiend beasts that bolted the second they saw the python. The python leapt toward Mu and opened its jaws.
“I’d like to see you haughty after Xiaoshuai rips out your gallbladder.”
Mu Yu jumped off the python’s head to get behind the python. He didn’t land on it since its scales would puncture his feet. He, instead, cloned Shadow Splitter Sword and called spiritual energy in the environment to his swords. His swords unleashed a dragon’s howl. Shadow Splitter Sword transformed into a white dragon soaring to the sky. That was Celestial Sword Nine Summon’s fifth technique, Descending Dragon Howl, Phantasmal to Physical.
The white dragon startled the python at first. The python, nonetheless, quickly realised the dragon was only a phantom, thus charging at the dragon accompanying a hiss. The sword and python crashed, vanquishing the dragon. The spiritual energy dispersing swept the mud from the quagmire high. The blast sliced some of the scorching boars that didn’t escape in time.
The python took aim and swung its tail. Mu Yu tried repelling the swing to no avail, landing him in the quagmire, instead.
“Xiaoshuai, hurry up.”
Mu Yu quickly recovered the second he hit the mud, shaking the mud off using his spiritual energy. He needed to dial up the intensity. He had pills that’d give him a tentative boost. Worst case scenario, he had Nameless Swordsman’s sword spirit. But nevertheless, using them would leave him with issues afterwards, and he was bound to encounter more fierce enemies along the way.
Mu Yu assumed Xiaoshuai didn’t hear him since he didn’t receive a response. He created four Shadow Splitter Swords. He gave up on trying to collect the python’s venom. The last thing he needed to worry about venom with his knowledge.
Mu Yu executed Celestial Sword Nine Summon’s Seventh technique, Heaven’s Lightning Strike. Dao begets all life. Lightning controls a part. A lightning bolt shot down from above the quagmire. Fear flitted across the python’s eyes. It coiled itself to shield its head. Still, it convulsed when the lightning zapped it. It plummeted on the ground once it couldn’t hold up. Mu Yu charged after it with his second sword, whining to himself he should’ve zapped the bugger earlier instead of running around.
Mu Yu launched his sword from his hand. It appeared as light and harmless as a feather in his hand, yet zipped through the air violently once he released his hold. The force generated drove the python into the quagmire, kicking up filth.
“Xiaoshuai, you all right? Blow it up already!”
The python hissed and slithered its way out of the quagmire to square off with Mu Yu again. Both of them were wary of the other after their exchanges. What do they often say, wait for the enemy to move before making your move. Supposedly, that was supposed to be the wisest approach. Eventually, he python jerked and sprayed back qi beams from its mouth, breaking the stalemate.
“My hand almost slipped and blew me up, cough, cough. My fur is burnt. Why does it still look fine?!”
“That’s all the damage you did?” asked Mu Yu, before wondering, “Don’t tell me he has no cultivation!”
“What about its gallbladder? You eat it yet?”
“No. I’m still in its gut. This is one thick gut, I tell you. I’m cutting my way through at the moment.”
“Welp, I can’t depend on him to get the job done, then.”
The furious python tried to shake Xiaoshuai out to no avail. Instead, it amplified the discomfort. It redirected its fury at Mu Yu in the form of a tail swing.
“Whoever advocated the ‘wait for the enemy to move before making your move’ rubbish lied! This thing is coming at me when I didn’t do squat!” Mu Yu exclaimed as he took flight and swung his sword back.
The python coiled its tail on the ground and sprung vertically up at Mu Yu. Halfway up, it whimpered and crashed back into the ground. The python rolled around in agony.
“This is a massive gallbladder. Let’s give it a try.”
“Wait, you can’t bite straight into a snake’s gallbladd-.”
Crunch! Xiaoshuai said, “This is awfully bitter. Ugh… I need water to rinse my mouth. Blegh…”
“Hahahaha, that was ignorant for a glutton. You’re not supposed to chomp it. Cut it off from its body first. It’s a great health supplement, but it’s taste-bud terrorism, haha. I’m dying.”
The python flattened the lawn it rolled along, grunting and carrying on.
“Never again. Ptoo. Yuck.”
The python was still alive and kicking after Xiaoshuai took its gallbladder. In saying that, it was in a state of panic.
“I found its fiend spirit. Its fiend spirit is way better. I’ve got to give that a try.”
Crunch! The python juddered, straightening out and eyes as wide as they could go. It could survive without a gallbladder, but its fiend spirit was where its vital essence and cultivation…
Mu Yu dusted himself off and stored his sword away. He checked up on the python lying still on the ground. He gave its corpse a kick. “Come out. It’s dead. You waiting for it to give birth to you or something?”
Mu Yu couldn’t make out what Xiaoshuai said whilst chewing. Xiaoshuai went to the python’s mouth and crawled out between the gaps in its fangs. His fur was black, and he was covered in grime. He tried to hop onto Mu Yu; alas, Mu Yu knocked him away.
“Clean yourself off. Its bile will burn me.”
Xiaoshuai grumbled again as he went off to find a relatively clean pond and wash himself. He came back and questioned, “What are we going to do with it?”
“Its skin is a premium ingredient in alchemy. I bet it’s worth more than a version back at Third Heaven given its sheer size. All right, let’s get slicing, shall we?”
Mu Yu spent two hours cutting up the python. He couldn’t cut it from the outside, but he could cut into its flesh once he squeezed his blade underneath its scales.
“Fiend spirits sure taste delicious. Let’s go hunt a few more to eat.”
“I’m starting to think we’re walking nightmares to the fiend beasts of this heaven. If they dare to pick a fight with us, I’ll have you devour their fiend spirits,” said Mu Yu.
Interpretation of Mu Yu’s comment: “I can use him as bait. Then, he can attack them from the inside and outside. I call that a perfect strategy.”
The luxury of eating a tasty fiend spirit cancelled out the pain of trudging through fiend beasts’ guts. So accordingly, Xiaoshuai didn’t have any qualms with the strategy.
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