After killing the red snake lizard, Nian Lin immediately stood up. He knew the fight had caused a lot of disturbance, and it would not take long before other beasts in the area were drawn over by the smell of blood.
Even though his body was exhausted and he still had injuries on his shoulder, he didn't hesitate. He quickly gathered himself, grabbed the huge snake lizard corpse, and left the area at once.
He moved according to the route he had already planned in his mind, running through the forest for several minutes until he reached a water source he had marked earlier.
Only then did he stop.
He dropped the snake lizard's body beside the water and entered the shallow pond. The cold water washed away the blood on his skin and calmed his breathing slightly. Some of his smaller injuries had already begun to close on their own, but the deep wound on his shoulder from the snake lizard's claw was still open and painful.
He took out a small bottle from his pouch. Inside was a green medicinal paste mixed with faint spiritual energy.
He opened it and carefully applied it on the wound.
The moment it touched his skin, a sharp pain spread through his shoulder, but his expression didn't change. His eyes remained cold and focused.
After a while, he turned his gaze to the red snake lizard's corpse.
Its skin was extremely tough—far stronger than ordinary beasts. Even its flesh carried a strong trace of spiritual energy. If refined properly, it would be useful for cultivation.
A thought crossed his mind.
What if I eat it… what would it do to my body?
Without wasting more time, he stood up and took out his dagger.
He began dissecting the snake lizard carefully, separating the flesh, bones, and other useful parts. When he reached the poison gland, he paused.
It was empty.
Nian Lin frowned slightly. That shouldn't be the case.
Then he understood this snake lizard had likely evolved further, and the poison gland had already transformed or been absorbed elsewhere in its body. Afterall this is the leader of their group so it might be different.After clearing most of the materials from the snake lizard's body, Nian Lin's gaze finally fell on its head.
Earlier, he had already smashed the head with his dagger during the fight, so it was already in a broken state. At first glance, there seemed to be nothing valuable inside.
Still, he didn't ignore it.
Even in death, some beasts hide their true treasures in unexpected places.
Without hesitation, he raised After discovering the black orb inside the head of the spirit snake lizard, Nian Lin was shocked.
The orb was round and black. Thick spiritual energy continuously flowed from within it.
He had never seen such a thing before.
Nian Lin picked it up and observed it for a while. No matter how he looked at it, he could not determine what it was.
After thinking for a moment, he decided to keep it for now.
Just as he was about to put the black orb away—
A voice suddenly sounded behind him.
"Ah, thank you."
Nian Lin's body immediately stiffened.
His eyes became cold.
The dagger in his hand instantly appeared in front of him.
"Thank you for helping us kill the Snake Lizard King."
The voice sounded again.
This time, he finally saw the source of the voice.
A group of people was standing not far away.
His pupils contracted slightly.The instant Nian Lin turned, he quickly observed the situation behind him.
Seven to eight zhang away, seven people were moving toward him from different directions.
There were both men and women among them. They all wore deep-gray leather clothes that resembled battle garments. Leather pouches hung from their waists, and every one of them carried a weapon.
Three carried bows.
Two carried blades.
One carried a spear.
The last carried a gigantic axe.
They spread themselves apart instead of walking together. None of them exposed their backs to one another, as though they were constantly guarding against danger.
Nian Lin's eyes narrowed slightly.
This was not the behavior of ordinary travelers.
They were experienced hunters.
Among them was a beautiful young woman with long blonde hair. She wore a pair of gloves and walked alone in the center-most position. Her expression was calm as her gaze swept across the surroundings from time to time.
As for the person who had spoken earlier, he was a tall and muscular man.
His distance from Nian Lin was the closest.
The man's body was sturdy and powerful. A thick beard covered his face, while a vicious scar stretched across one side of it, making him appear even more ferocious.
At this moment, his gaze was fixed on Nian Lin.
A cruel light flashed in his eyes.
The corners of his mouth curled upward into a malicious smile.
Step.
Step.
Step.
He strode forward with large steps, paying no attention to the dismember corpse of the Snake Lizard King nearby.
His eyes never left Nian Lin.
The atmosphere immediately became tense.
Nian Lin silently tightened his grip on the dagger in his hand.
His spiritual energy had been greatly exhausted during the battle with the Snake Lizard King.
Although his expression remained calm, he had already become vigilant.