### Chapter 69: The Pond's Opportunity (Six)
"The python!"
Lin Yi's heart jolted. He stared, eyes wide with disbelief—then狂喜 exploded across his face, his body trembling uncontrollably.
The four sects had killed the python! And in its final moments, it had lunged here, driven by fury at the theft of its treasure. It never got to see the Seven-leaf Mist Lotus, felled by the artifact explosions.
"Dammit! Fortune's smiling on me!" Lin Yi danced with joy, nearly cackling.
"The demon core! I need the core!" He pulled out his sword, slashing at the spot between the python's eyes. Blood sprayed as the irregular, bloodied core was exposed.
Lin Yi lunged, snatching it and shoving it into his storage bag. No time to admire it—the four sects' cultivators were nearby. The python was a goldmine; he had to loot fast.
Next, his gaze locked on the two bulbous growths on its head.
"Future dragon horns… the most precious part!" Lin Yi's mouth watered, swallowing hard as he stared at them.
He focused, guiding the *Kuang Wang* sword to slice one growth open. A crack appeared, revealing white cartilage wrapped in glittering fluid. Before it could spill, Lin Yi leaned in, sucking it down in seconds. His expression screamed greed—if time allowed, he'd have licked every drop. He repeated the process with the other growth, draining its fluid too.
In the blink of an eye, the python's most valuable parts—the core and the horn fluid—were his. Elder Zhao and the others, who'd fought tooth and nail, even sacrificing artifacts, had unwittingly handed him a jackpot.
"Skin! Eyes! Fangs! All treasures—I'll take them all!" But as he fantasized about stripping the corpse, his chest suddenly roiled. The fluid he'd swallowed erupted violently inside him.
Pain lanced through him, his face paling. "Dammit! This fluid's spiritual energy is疯狂 (wild)! It's just a Fifth-order beast—why's this so intense?" he cursed.
Panic replaced greed. He dropped his looting, sitting cross-legged to cycle the *Eternal Life Art*, absorbing the overwhelming energy. Every organ, every meridian screamed in agony.
Lucky his Meridian Refinement was 80% complete; weaker meridians would have burst.
His cultivation soared: Fifth Level Peak… Sixth Level… Sixth Level Peak…
*Boom!* His body jolted—he'd hit Seventh Level Qi Refinement. Yet the energy showed no sign of weakening.
Fear gripped him. Rushing to Eighth or Ninth Level might make him explode. Immortality was his goal; dying here was unthinkable.
He switched to the *Five Spirits Technique*'s Third Transformation, channeling the energy into tempering his meridians. His cultivation stabilized at Seventh Level, but the pain intensified—meridians felt ready to shatter.
Half an incense stick's time passed. Half the energy was spent, and his Meridian Refinement reached 90%.
Outside, the four sects' cultivators, slowed by underwater turbulence and漩涡 s, finally arrived. They said nothing, diving straight for the python's corpse—no time for words when treasure was at stake.
Hands grabbed for the skin, the most prized material for defensive artifacts. A few smarter disciples targeted the lower half, avoiding the scramble.
By the time they stripped the upper body, someone blasted the cave entrance with an artifact. Rock crumbled, exposing the cave—and Lin Yi.
"Lin Yi!" Elder Zhao gasped.
"Lin Yi!" Elder Chen echoed.
"Lin Yi!" Dianxuan disciples stared, shocked.
So did the others—staring at the gash between the python's eyes, the sliced horn growths. Fury followed shock. They'd paid dearly to kill the python, only for him to steal the spoils.
Dianxuan disciples hid their envy; this could make Lin Yi a sect giant. Better to befriend him. Even Elders Zhao and Chen nodded approvingly.
Lin Yi, though still in pain, smiled, chatting amiably—playing the part of the fortunate comrade.
The other sects fumed, muttering insults.
"Lucky bastard! Got all the luck!"
"Hmph! Without us, he'd be dead. Now he's soaring in cultivation!"
Before more complaints spilled, Elder Zhao's cold voice cut through: "Dianxuan disciples earn their fortune. We agreed—finders keepers. Blame your own bad luck."
"But he did nothing!" a Xuandong disciple snapped.
"Nothing?" Elder Chen roared. "He fought the python alone before we arrived! Think you could've survived that? You'd be dead meat!"
"Bastard,不服 (disagree)? Come抢 (steal) it! The core's in my bag. Try taking it—if you dare. Otherwise, shut up. I 鄙视 (despise) you!" Lin Yi shouted, pointing at the Xuandong disciple, arrogance dripping from his voice.