Chapter 22: Spiritual Item
More than half a month later, in the midsection of Serpent Valley, a lone figure was slowly making his way forward.
His hair was messy, his beard uneven, and his face was covered with a thick layer of grime—it was Zhou Ming, who had been in the wilderness for nearly a month.
Fortunately, the wilderness assault jacket he had spent ten thousand Alliance Coins on had proven its worth.
Otherwise, if anyone saw him now, they would probably think some wild man had come out looking for food.
However, compared to before, Zhou Ming’s eyes were much brighter now, carrying a faint, sharp glint.
As he advanced, all kinds of snakes in the surroundings slithered away, seemingly unwilling to provoke him.
The reason was not only the thirty-plus Ironthread Snakes around him waving their tails like banners but also the faint, special pressure that emanated from his Spiritual Power.
As the number of Ironthread Snakes he commanded increased, his hunting speed for other snake species had also grown drastically.
The Ironthread Snakes continuously devoured both venomous and non-venomous serpents alike.
Under the influence of all these factors, Zhou Ming’s Spiritual Power began to develop a suppressive pressure that specifically targeted serpentine creatures.
If described in gaming terms, Zhou Ming had successfully obtained the “Beginner Serpent Hunter Badge”: Spiritual Power +3, Intimidation toward serpentine creatures +10, with the badge effect being permanent.
Of course, acquiring this ability was only possible because Zhou Ming was a Beast Tamer who controlled Spiritual Power and because his beasts happened to be snakes.
It was not something that could be gained merely by killing serpentine creatures.
Although this special deterrent had no effect on Ferocious Beast–level serpents, it did allow Zhou Ming to move freely among mutated snake species—helping him avoid plenty of trouble.
With this unexpected suppressive aura, Zhou Ming could now search for Ironthread Snakes and hunt while freely exploring Serpent Valley for hidden precious medicinal herbs.
At this point, the number of Ironthread Snakes under his command had grown considerably.
Each time he retrieved them, his clothes would be crawling with the slithering creatures.
If this ever got out, Zhou Ming might remain single for life.
Just imagining dozens or even hundreds of tiny Ironthread Snakes wriggling and slithering inside his clothing—there were likely few women who could endure such a sight.
Thus, it was imperative to begin constructing a Beast Space to seal his beasts.
However, Zhou Ming lacked both the materials and the knowledge needed to open up a Beast Space within his Spiritual Sea.
He could only exchange for them through the Hunter Guild.
Yet, exchanging for these required Hunter Points.
Zhou Ming was currently collecting rare medicinal herbs because the Hunter Guild’s mission board listed several long-term bounty quests that purchased such herbs.
Increasing the number of Ironthread Snakes, improving his beasts’ strength, and obtaining enough points to exchange for the necessary materials and knowledge—this was Zhou Ming’s purpose in venturing out this time.
“Viper-Horn Venom Python!”
As Zhou Ming continued deeper toward the center of Serpent Valley, he spotted a Low-Rank Ferocious Beast coiled upon a rock where the dense forest did not reach—a Viper-Horn Venom Python.
Zhou Ming immediately suppressed his aura and crouched low.
This was his first time encountering a Ferocious Beast at such close range in the wild.
Previously, whenever he noticed traces of Ferocious Beasts, he would proactively avoid them, or else the ones he had seen were too far away—perhaps the Griffin he had met before had been the closest.
Upon seeing the Viper-Horn Venom Python, Zhou Ming immediately decided to retreat, unwilling to provoke such a creature.
He was quite familiar with this serpent-type Ferocious Beast.
The Viper-Horn Venom Python had originally been a common viper species on Blue Star.
After the appearance of Dimensional Rifts, for reasons unknown, this entire species had mutated into Low-Rank Ferocious Beasts.
Those that successfully mutated were renamed Viper-Horn Venom Pythons.
Their bodies grew nearly ten meters long, and aside from possessing the terrifying strength and constrictive power of pythons, they retained their fearsome corrosive venom.
Now, this venom was primarily used in a spraying attack—capable of dissolving the flesh of ordinary creatures.
Watching the Viper-Horn Venom Python bask lazily in the warm sunlight atop the rock, Zhou Ming knew it had not yet noticed him.
This was the best time to withdraw.
He gently lifted a foot and turned to leave—but his body suddenly froze, his raised right foot hovering midair.
“Snake Saliva Fruit.”
A small, emerald-green tree about a foot tall was growing from a crevice beneath the python.
Its delicate trunk swayed gently in the breeze, and on it hung three marble-sized, jade-like fruits—the Snake Saliva Fruits.
Gazing at the enchanting fruits before him, Zhou Ming couldn’t help but swallow.
“Should I take the risk?”
Wealth may cloud the mind, but treasures could seal one’s heart entirely.
Even someone as cautious as Zhou Ming found it hard to restrain himself.
After the Dimensional Rifts appeared on Blue Star, not only had living creatures mutated, but many mysterious treasures had also begun to emerge.
These treasures were like the heavenly materials and earthly treasures of myth—almost impossible to cultivate artificially, forming only under special environments.
Such treasures were known as Spiritual Items.
According to the Spiritual Items discovered so far and the records obtained from other races, the Blue Star Alliance had classified them into nine ranks.
Zhou Ming had once read about them in a book on the third floor of the library, but that book only covered ordinary First- to Third-Rank Spiritual Items.
Information on higher-ranked ones was absent—he guessed such knowledge was considered valuable and restricted, unlikely to be disclosed to ordinary people by the Qinshan Base.
The Snake Saliva Fruit he saw now was a Second-Rank Spiritual Item—but for serpentine creatures, it was comparable to a Third-Rank treasure.
If he could obtain the Snake Saliva Fruit before him, he could not guarantee the same for his other Ironthread Snakes, but Ironthread Snake No.
1 would definitely be able to evolve into a Ferocious Beast–level companion.
Even if it only reached the lowest rank among Ferocious Beasts, it would still represent a qualitative leap in Zhou Ming’s strength.
After hesitating for a long while, seeing the Viper-Horn Venom Python raise its head and survey its surroundings, Zhou Ming finally decided to retreat for now.
Judging from the state of the Snake Saliva Fruit, it would take at least another two or three days to ripen—enough time for him to prepare.
Quietly and carefully, Zhou Ming withdrew from the serpent’s territory and began formulating his plan to seize the fruit.
The plan was simple—find as many Ironthread Snakes as possible.
His Spiritual Sea already contained enough Spiritual Seeds.
As long as he could locate more Ironthread Snakes, his strength would naturally increase.
At this point, he no longer cared about their condition, strength, or quality.
He knew that dealing with the Viper-Horn Venom Python would inevitably cost him many Ironthread Snakes.
The ones he found now were meant to serve as cannon fodder—
—to deplete the python’s stamina and create an opportunity for Ironthread Snake No. 1 to strike.
Moreover, Ironthread Snake No. 1’s paralyzing venom was limited in quantity, so it would need the support of the other snakes’ toxins.
Over the next two days, Zhou Ming, relying on his familiarity with the Ironthread Snakes, captured them frantically—even injured ones were not spared.
Two days later—