Although he knew Nangong Bingyu was powerful, Di Yi Ye was still extremely shocked after seeing her effortlessly kill a late Tier 2 Fire Mane Rat. He then breathed a sigh of relief, knowing his life was saved.
As for Tong Wei, although his strength was a notch below Nangong Bingyu's, he could still weave through the Fire Mane Rat pack at this moment. He even killed more Fire Mane Rats, and even though most were Tier 1, it was enough to show his power.
With the two of them easily killing all the Fire Mane Rats, Di Yi Ye was naturally able to survive. With this in mind, he secretly made a decision: if he ever had the chance, he would repay Nangong Bingyu and Tong Wei for saving his life, though as a Star Chef, such an opportunity was slim.
After resolving the Tier 2 Fire Mane Rat, Nangong Bingyu collected the Exotic Beast Crystal Core and then moved towards another Fire Mane Rat. The one she chose was still a Tier 2 Exotic Beast, its realm even slightly higher than the previous one.
Using the same method, she used her ice attribute qi flow to ice seal the Fire Mane Rat, then condensed raindrops into an ice sword to kill it and extract the crystal core. Everything was done casually and effortlessly, which made Di Yi Ye, who was watching from the side, marvel and envy her.
"Easily obtaining two Tier 2 Exotic Beast Crystal Cores, Nangong Bingyu probably won't have to worry about sufficient supplies for a whole year," Di Yi Ye muttered to himself.
Exotic Beast Crystal Cores contain immense energy. After long periods of exploration, humans have learned to extract energy from crystal cores and have even developed various facilities powered by them, such as lighting tools, vehicles, and some specialized weapons. The higher the tier of the crystal core, the purer and more potent the contained energy, and thus the higher its value.
It is worth mentioning that crystal cores can automatically absorb cosmic energy. However, after leaving the beast's body and losing the deliberate guidance of spiritual power, their energy absorption speed is greatly reduced. Even so, a single Tier 2 crystal core is enough for an ordinary family to use for a long time. Of course, it can also be exchanged for many resources. It was precisely for this reason that Di Yi Ye sighed after shattering that crystal core.
While Di Yi Ye was contemplating these matters, Nangong Bingyu and Tong Wei's battle continued. The two were like wolves in a flock of sheep. At this rate, it would not take more than two minutes to eliminate all the Fire Mane Rats, which was much faster than Di Yi Ye's speed in killing those few Fire Mane Rats earlier.
Indeed, Nangong Bingyu and the others easily dealt with all the Fire Mane Rats, taking no more than two minutes.
It is worth noting that throughout the entire battle, Nangong Bingyu only killed three Fire Mane Rats, but they were all Tier 2 Exotic Beasts. This meant she obtained three Tier 2 Crystal Cores, whose value was higher than the crystal cores obtained by Tong Wei from killing over a dozen Fire Mane Rats, even though he also obtained one Tier 2 Crystal Core.
Despite the great harvest, Nangong Bingyu's pretty face remained like frost, showing no hint of joy. Tong Wei, on the other hand, was beaming. After killing the last Fire Mane Rat, he began to collect their corpses. Although the corpses were far less valuable than the crystal cores, they were still very useful. For example, they could be used as food, their fur could be made into clothing, and they could even be used as catalysts to trigger gene awakening, among other uses.
As for Nangong Bingyu, she did not even look at the Fire Mane Rat corpses, nor did she show any intention of collecting them. Suddenly, she looked into the distance, her smooth, jade-like brows furrowing slightly. A powerful aura was emanating from that direction, an aura so strong that even she, at her realm, felt a sense of pressure.
However, soon her beautiful eyes flickered with light, and a hidden fighting spirit emerged. This made Tong Wei, who was collecting the Fire Mane Rat corpses nearby, startle and then cautiously jump to the side. He let out low growls, as if ready to attack if she made even the slightest move.
But soon Tong Wei realized that the aura Nangong Bingyu was exuding was not directed at him, which made him slightly relieved. It was at this moment that he sensed the powerful aura and the low growls coming from afar, and he became excited.
"It's a Third Order Exotic Beast! This is the first one we've encountered in the past six months. What do you say, should we go and join the fun?"
Tong Wei asked excitedly, his tone full of anticipation, already eager to go.
Although there is only one Major Realm separating Third Order Exotic Beasts from Tier 2 Exotic Beasts, the difference in strength is enormous, almost like heaven and earth. If it were just him, Tong Wei would naturally have no 'ambitions' regarding it. However, with a powerful expert like Nangong Bingyu by his side, especially in an environment that was very conducive to her fighting, he naturally began to consider getting a piece of the pie.
Nangong Bingyu did not speak, but she answered with her actions—she headed directly towards the direction from which the powerful aura was coming.
Tong Wei's pale green eyes immediately lit up. He abandoned the Fire Mane Rat corpses beside him and followed her. At the same time, the fur on his body became denser than before, and his werewolf form became more apparent. It was clear that he was ready to fight at any moment.
As if sensing something unusual, or perhaps her keen intuition detected someone constantly watching her, Nangong Bingyu looked back and scanned her surroundings, even lingering her gaze on Di Yi Ye's 'corpse'. However, she found nothing out of the ordinary and could only dismiss it after a moment.
"Bing..."
Sensing Nangong Bingyu's biting chill, Tong Wei hurriedly changed his tone: "What's wrong? Is something amiss?"
"I feel like someone has been watching us, but perhaps I'm mistaken."
Nangong Bingyu said calmly, then without further ado, she quickened her pace.
"Someone is watching us?"
Slightly stunned, Tong Wei scanned behind him but found nothing. Soon, he put it out of his mind and sped up to catch up.
Di Yi Ye naturally saw Nangong Bingyu and Tong Wei looking back, and the surprise on the former's face. Being as intelligent as he was, he instantly understood what was happening. However, he hurriedly concealed his aura and stopped looking at them. Coupled with the 'charred remains' as cover, he successfully evaded their detection.
The reason he concealed his aura and hid from Nangong Bingyu and Tong Wei, his saviors, was that Di Yi Ye dared not take the risk. He had lost all combat power at this moment and could not guarantee that Nangong Bingyu and Tong Wei would not attack him. If they did, death would surely await him.
Such incidents were common nowadays, and Di Yi Ye understood this all too well. It wasn't due to his personality, but rather historical lessons that forced him to be cautious, as one must always guard against others.
"Nangong Bingyu's intuition is so sharp. If it weren't for the powerful exotic beast attracting her attention, she would have discovered I was still alive very quickly."
Di Yi Ye sighed, then his tone shifted. "Although I know they didn't do it intentionally, they still saved me. If I ever have the chance, I will definitely repay them!"
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