With their bond, Su Wen quickly understood.
This ancient tree was called Dragon Beard Wood. Mature ones could reach a thousand meters, but only one in a hundred bore a Dragon Beard Fruit. They'd just happened to be on such a tree.
And because of Xuan Zi, the beast guarding the fruit—a twenty-thousand-year Nether Python—had been temporarily scared off, only moving to a nearby tree to watch anxiously.
Gale had seized the moment to snatch the fruit.
The Nether Python coiled below, spitting its tongue, both nervous and unwilling to lose its treasure.
Xuan Zi lounged nearby, watching Su Wen, curious.
Would Su Wen keep the fruit after a righteous speech? Or return it to the python, which would be a bit silly?
Su Wen calmly dusted off, glanced at the hopeful Gale, then at the sullen python.
The stats were impressive:
[Nether Python]
Cultivation: 31,723 years
Attribute: Dark
Potential: 4
Evaluation: A variant of the Green Spirit Python. Potential is capped, but in a tribe averaging a thousand years, it's a miracle...
"Did you say thank you?"
The air froze.
The python stared at Su Wen, dumbfounded.
Xuan Zi nearly fell off the tree.
"I asked, did you say thank you?"
Seeing no reply, Su Wen turned to Xuan Zi: "Elder, please beat it up until it says thank you..."
Nether Python: "..."
"Hahaha, alright, I like your style! Since when does a measly ten-thousand-year beast dare show off before me? If it were a hundred-thousand-year one, it'd be hiding. People forget I'm no pushover," Xuan Zi grinned.
He squeezed the air and froze the thirty-meter python in place, terror flickering in its eyes. It tried to flee but was held tight.
In a flash, both vanished, clearly to avoid alerting the Shrek team.
Su Wen turned to Gale.
The little guy's eyes sparkled.
"You want to be the forest's boss? Beat up whoever you want?" Su Wen asked, surprised. "Give it a few decades, kid. With your size, they'd eat you in one bite."
Gale looked disappointed.
But Su Wen opened the panel, delighted—base stats had reached 0.22; he'd just gained a level instantly. That's faster than training!
But Gale shattered his illusion:
"The second one's effect is lower? And after eating one, you need time to digest or risk bursting?"
Su Wen nodded.
But this meant a pet could also feed back power to its master. With limits, but still, it was like two people training at once!
Gale's mouth was stained with juice, holding out the Dragon Beard Fruit. It was plump, fragrant, and tempting.
[Dragon Beard Fruit]
A soul beast-exclusive treasure filled with natural energy. Eating it can cause bloodline mutation, but spoils in three days and is dangerous to humans (may cause death).
Clearly, Gale had already eaten one, and snagged a second—no wonder the python had lost it!
Gale scratched his head sheepishly.
"You ate two?!" Su Wen's mouth twitched.
"Next time, leave one for your master," Su Wen raised a brow.
No wonder the stats jumped twice—once by 0.07, once by 0.02.
Gale nodded.
Just then—
A limp snake landed before Su Wen.
Then Xuan Zi appeared, picking his teeth, "Beat it up for you. Up to you what happens next."
"It didn't say thank you?" Su Wen glanced at the dejected python. "Then beat it again, until it does."
Gale: "..."
Nether Python: "..."
Xuan Zi flexed his shoulders and reached for the python.
"Wait!" Su Wen suddenly said, "It can't talk?"
"Who told you it could?" Xuan Zi asked blankly.
"Aren't most ten-thousand-year beasts able to speak? This one's over thirty thousand..."
"Not all can speak. This type only gains speech at a hundred thousand years," Xuan Zi explained.
"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Su Wen's mouth twitched.
"I thought you just wanted it beaten..." Xuan Zi shrugged.
Nether Python: "Hiss..." (Damn...)
"Ahaha," Su Wen scratched his head awkwardly.
The python's resentful stare could burn holes.
"Fine," Su Wen tossed it the Dragon Beard Fruit. Humans couldn't use it, and Gale had already had two. Better to give it back than waste it.
"Hiss~"
The python glanced at Su Wen, hesitated, then darted away with the fruit, energetic as ever.
Xuan Zi: "..."
Good grief, acting now?
"But I'm surprised. I thought you'd have me kill it," Xuan Zi said, chewing his chicken leg.
"I have my principles," Su Wen replied.
"Principles are good..."
Xuan Zi pulled out a wine gourd, but found it empty.
"No more wine?"
He peered inside, "Even food's running low. These local beasts are either tough or mushy—how's a man to live..."
Suddenly, he had an idea, glancing at the meditating Su Wen.
"Got it!"
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