"It tried to escape, so I chased it for seven days and seven nights, exhausting it completely..."
"After cornering it in that valley, it could no longer continue to run away."
Lingyue Fairy, who was quietly listening to Xu Taiping's story, appeared calm on the surface, but the shock in her heart was no less intense than when she had witnessed her master slaying a dragon with one hand.
"His perseverance far surpasses that of ordinary people, and his patience rivals that of a demon hunter. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed that this was a boy who had just turned eleven."
In Lingyue Fairy's original plan, after Xu Taiping mastered the Ice Breath Technique she taught him, he would have the strength to fight the demon tiger and, with the help of the Green Bamboo Residence's barrier, could hold out for a while. By then, she would have awakened and could assist him in slaying the demon tiger.
She never expected that Xu Taiping could defeat the demon tiger on his own.
Although some of the disciples contributed to the victory, it was important to note that this demon tiger was not just a simple demon lord-level beast but a ferocious beast with the bloodline of the朔风虎 (Suo Feng Hu) and possessed the朔风妖珠 (Suo Feng Demon Pearl).
Surprised, Lingyue Fairy's gaze gradually fell on the various wounds on Xu Taiping's body.
Although Xu Taiping, now at the Open Gate realm, had a recovery rate far beyond that of ordinary people, the wounds, large and small, with blood scabs, still made a shocking impression.
Lingyue Fairy felt a sudden pang of emotion in her nose.
"Xiao Taiping, was it hard for you?"
She touched the wound on Xu Taiping's face and asked with a sense of nostalgia.
Xu Taiping shook his head with unwavering determination.
"Very good, you did very well, better than I expected. I didn't misjudge you."
Lingyue Fairy nodded firmly, just as Xu Taiping's resolve to cultivate was as firm as a rock.
At that moment, she had also made up her mind to join forces with this young boy to return to the cultivation world.
"Sister, look, this is the Suo Feng Pearl."
Xu Taiping happily handed the demon pearl to Lingyue Fairy.
Although he hadn't yet examined the things in the demon tiger's mouth, he was certain that the Suo Feng Pearl was his greatest gain from slaying the tiger.
"This Suo Feng Pearl... is actually a demon pearl formed within the body of the ferocious Suo Feng Hu. The malevolent aura it contains is too strong and is not suitable for human cultivators to use. Keeping it for a long time is more harmful than beneficial."
Lingyue Fairy hesitated for a moment but ultimately told Xu Taiping the truth.
Xu Taiping couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed.
"But you don't need to be too disappointed. Although it is currently useless, if you use the Suo Feng Pearl as nourishment for the Earth Fruit, it might produce a decent weapon."
Lingyue Fairy smiled and comforted Xu Taiping.
"The Suo Feng Pearl can be used as nourishment for the Earth Fruit?"
Xu Taiping was somewhat surprised.
"The Earth Fruit undergoes twelve transformations. Each time it burns the seeds, it changes. After the second transformation, it can absorb the demon energy from demon beasts and their demon pearls to nurture the fruit."
"Burning the seeds... Right!"
Mentioning the burning of seeds, Xu Taiping suddenly remembered something. He immediately turned to the tiger's head, lifted it, and poured out a pile of merit coins and other valuables.
"The demon tiger has at least three thousand merit coins, enough to buy a True Fire Talisman."
Xu Taiping picked up a handful of merit coins and looked excitedly at Lingyue Fairy.
Among the treasures in the demon tiger's mouth, the main items were gold and silver, and the merit coins were not many. In addition, Xu Taiping also saw cultivation manuals, magical artifacts, and talismans.
"Yes, with the True Fire Talisman, we can burn the seeds and make the Earth Fruit undergo its second transformation."
Lingyue Fairy's eyes also showed a glimmer of hope.
There was one thing she didn't tell Xu Taiping: after the Earth Fruit's second transformation, she could use its power to advance her divine soul, allowing her to use her human body to perform magical techniques and spells.
At that time, if she encountered a demon beast like the tiger again, she would be able to crush it.
The reason she didn't tell Xu Taiping was that she was worried he might rely too much on her, which could have a negative impact on his future cultivation.
"Taiping, come, before we exchange for the True Fire Talisman, let's inventory the treasures the demon tiger had. We might find something useful for your cultivation."
Lingyue Fairy's soul projection floated beside the pile of treasures and pointed excitedly.
"Six hundred taels of gold, one thousand three hundred taels of silver, two thousand three hundred merit coins, three cultivation manuals, six magical artifacts, eight talismans, one set of armor made from the hide of a fire rhinoceros, and two demon pearls besides the Suo Feng Pearl."
After organizing all the items from the demon tiger's mouth, Lingyue Fairy scanned them one by one, her eyes showing a hint of disappointment.
To her, the most valuable items were the demon pearls.
"There is also a map marking the location of a three-hundred-year-old Fire Lingzhi."
Xu Taiping handed a beast skin map to Lingyue Fairy.
Unlike Lingyue Fairy, who had seen many great things, Xu Taiping had never seen so much gold and silver, let alone magical artifacts and talismans worth over a thousand merit coins each.
"This Fire Lingzhi was probably left by the demon tiger for its own advancement."
Lingyue Fairy took the beast skin map and glanced at it.
The map was very simple, only roughly outlining a few terrains and the approximate location of the three-hundred-year-old Fire Lingzhi. It was likely drawn by the demon tiger itself.
"This location seems to be the valley where I caught up with it. Could it have been running there to get the Fire Lingzhi?"
Xu Taiping couldn't help but feel a bit fearful.
If he hadn't caught up with it or had been a step late, and the demon tiger had obtained the Fire Lingzhi, the outcome would have been very different.
"Is this Fire Lingzhi useful to me?"
Xu Taiping asked with wide, curious eyes.
"For you, its medicinal power is too strong. Taking it would not only be unhelpful but harmful. However..."
Lingyue Fairy first shook her head and then frowned, hesitating whether to mention it.
Xu Taiping pressed for an answer.
"However, it can also be used as nourishment for the Earth Fruit. If we have good luck, it might produce a treasure that can speed up your cultivation."
Seeing the curiosity in Xu Taiping's eyes, Lingyue Fairy decided to tell him the truth.
"But the problem is, a Fire Lingzhi over three hundred years old is often guarded by a fire python. If we don't know how to avoid the fire python, it would be very dangerous to pick it."
Before Xu Taiping could start feeling excited, Lingyue Fairy added this caution.