CHAPTER 374: CHAPTER 374: THE VENERABLE FAMILY BENEFITS FROM THE CLAM AND SNAIL’S STRUGGLE?

In the past, Hu Zhile, who always relied on her extraordinary sense of smell to navigate through challenges, was now completely at a loss.

She could identify all sorts of scents, even distinguishing the smell of damp soil when stones fell into the valley, but among the thousands of smells, she couldn’t detect the familiar scent of the Venerable Family.

"Do you think the Venerable Family could have... already left Wo Hu Mountain?" She trusted her judgment; if it’s not there, it’s not there, unless the Venerable Family is using a powerful magical treasure to conceal their scent beyond her capabilities, otherwise she would definitely sniff them out!

Wan Mingchuan was anxiously hopping from foot to foot, "We’re all here, why would Master leave first? It’s not like he’s avoiding..."

He stopped mid-sentence, lowered his voice and tugged on Bai Yunqi, "Brother Long, when that monster approached the peach tree, it was eerie. I really couldn’t see clearly; did he pick the peaches?"

"Earlier, the survivors said the monster took all the peaches," Yun Shu replied earnestly.

However, Bai Yunqi thought carefully and shook his head, "That’s not right. I only saw the monster shaking the tree trunk, then fiercely attacking the peach tree; in reality, he didn’t get any peaches!"

Xie Chenyuan nodded in agreement, "That’s right, I also saw peaches falling after shaking the tree and disappearing. The monster got furious and began to attack the peach tree. So... if the peaches didn’t drop to the ground and disappear, could it be someone else took them first?"

The peach tree was still there, the white unknown substance hadn’t dissipated yet, yet someone managed to sneak in and snatch the ’Immortal Peach’, and even he didn’t notice?!

He was completely stunned, his curiosity instantly piqued.

Could it be the Venerable Family — that Jiang Dao You?

Meanwhile, everyone in the courtyard fell silent, familiar with shaking the tree trunk and silently picking the fruit. Everyone knew about it!

After all, before summer arrived, the two cherry trees bore fruit every day, initially claimed by Bai Yunqi who shook it daily, later by Yun Mo who inherited it and shook it every morning...

The Venerable Family usually picked the fruit stealthily, everyone was used to it!

Doesn’t this match perfectly?

Bai Yunqi and Hu Zhile exchanged glances and looked at everyone else; except Yun Shu, everyone understood.

Probably, maybe, the mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the Venerable Family behind! The sandpiper and clam fighting, yet the Venerable Family gaining advantage!

The monster shook the tree, causing the Immortal Peach to fall but was cleverly taken by the hidden Venerable Family, hence his anger, venting all his fury on the peach tree!

"Should we retreat?" Yun Mo mumbled weakly, not hastening to fly, "That mountain seems like it’s really about to collapse."

Thinking about the potentially thrilling yet terrifying ordeal, Bai Yunqi gritted his teeth, stomped his foot, and snorted, "Retreat! Let’s first go to the market for some grub while waiting for the Venerable Family to find us."

A large number of cultivators who sensed something amiss started heading to the market, and the Bear Demon resolutely followed Bai Yunqi’s group also preparing to leave;

Xie Chenyuan wanted to see what would happen next, but worried this departure might mean never meeting Jiang Dao You again, leaving whether the Immortal Peach was stolen a mystery?

"Today, having met by chance, I’ll treat everyone; let’s wait for Jiang Dao You at the market together." Hesitating for a few moments, seeing the Demon Monk showing defeat signals without new tricks, Xie Chenyuan opted to leave with everyone first.

An esteemed Nascent Soul realm cultivator naturally doesn’t fear phenomena like earthquakes, but unable to clone himself to manage multiples facets, he reluctantly chose to wait for Jiang Dao You.

The shop owners and aides at the market, if alive, all tried heading to Wo Hu Mountain to seize the Immortal Peach; now returning empty-handed, many severely injured or dead, the market was bustling with an influx of cultivators.

The Bear Demon seized the chance to show off quickly, leading his group to the inn he resides in.

The inn’s Culinary Master was a slow elderly woman, knowing her cultivation wasn’t high, average innate ability rendered no chance for the peach seizure, she long agreed with the shopkeeper to stay behind in the shop.

On returning to the inn, sure enough, she remained there; the Bear Demon eagerly invited her to chef, inviting the group to relax and chat while waiting in the inn’s hall.

Meanwhile, Jiang Yuan battled on, realizing the mountain’s violent tremors signaled potential collapse, itching to fight quickly and escape.

Yet the Demon Monk, appearing delicate, proved to have an astoundingly tough ’health bar’.

"Dao You! Dao You! Please heed my words!" Guang Hui, feeling cornered, couldn’t flee or fight effectively; despite years of collection, clad in Cloud Cover Armor, couldn’t withstand continual assaults.

With blood at the corners of his mouth, mobilizing his dwindling strength, witnessing cultivators fleeing as stones crumbled, left only the monster and minions on vast Wo Hu Mountain.

Guang Hui sensed an opportunity, yelled, "There’s no one else here; please Dao You grant me a chance; I’m willing to offer my treasures accumulated over millennia!"

"Heh, if I directly kill you, aren’t they mine anyway?" Jiang Yuan wouldn’t fall for it, now leveraging his Vast Mountains and Rivers to disrupt spell casting; once paused, the old man would flee, where would treasure hunt then?

Moreover, he hadn’t refined enough lifespan yet; miss this chance, never another like it.

"My treasures aren’t on me; they reside in my cave!" Guang Hui, teeth gritted, maintained Dharma Golden Body attacks, attempting distraction, "Wo Hu Mountain’s collapsing; if buried underground..."

"Not a worry, I possess treasure-seeking ability, no need for concern there." Jiang Yuan, groggy yet confident, thought, "Earth Mirror Book’s skills aren’t for mere eaters? Forget buried, truly a treasure even in earth’s core, Little White could retrieve it for me!"

Unable to foresee the other’s steadfastness, the Demon Monk spat blood, squeezing out a seemingly irresistible secret, "I—I know how to cultivate Immortal Peach Trees! Once consumed thirty-nine Immortal Peaches, owning thirty-nine pits; spare me and I’ll plant a whole orchard for you!"

With health nearing zero, Jiang Yuan grabbed him, intensely burning, absorbing lifespan, "Where are the pits?"

"C-cave..." Guang Hui thought his scheme succeeded, soon planting peaches, potentially forming alliance, seeking feng shui spots for cultivation.

Survive today, the chance to rise again remains!

Jiang Yuan eyed the thinning ’threads’, time-stretching, "How many pits wasted? Successfully grown Immortal Peach Trees? Any experience?

"For two millennia, this Immortal Peach Tree I’ve cared for! Feng shui locations are pivotal, we could plant one here and explore the world seeking others..."

Before the ’big pie’ was complete, Guang Hui’s body trembled, as though something snapped inside.

"M-my lifespan..." Finally comprehending, gaze dropped to rapidly aging, drying hands, watching frozen time slip past on his person.

Jiang Yuan pat his stomach satisfied, "Mmm, your lifespan was quite filling. Rest assured, I’ll find treasures myself and cultivate Nine Nether Peach Tree. Evading death two millennia, your karmic debt’s due!"

A Yu Hu warrior mercilessly pierced Guang Hui, stretching out his skeletal hands, unable to utter a word before disintegrating into ash swept by wind, leaving glowing treasures auto-collected into the Storage Bag.