On the icefield, the team from Wangyue Zhai pressed forward against the wind and snow.
The man in the lead was tall and burly, with a giant saber on his back that was wide and thick, said to weigh a ton!
Another man was much thinner, shivering in the harsh, cold wind and snow.
"Jun Qing, go to the back and take shelter."
The thin man gritted his teeth and said, "No, I must be the first to see the Overlord Tree!"
Jun Qing was the head chef of Wangyue Zhai and the planner of this expedition.
Looking at Jun Qing's bruised and purple face, and then at the sky, the saber-wielding man announced that they would set up camp.
Similar to the method used by the camel train, they dug deep pits in the ground and covered them with shelters.
After a bowl of hot soup, Jun Qing's complexion improved considerably.
"Mr. Hengxing, do you think we'll succeed this time? I heard that the Icefield Dragon that inhabits this place has reached adulthood, with a Capture Level of at least 45!"
Hengxing, putting down the giant saber on his back, found a comfortable position.
"Although I'm no match for the Icefield Dragon, I can hold it off for a moment. But what you promised me..."
"Don't worry, as long as I can get the Overlord Tree Ham, I'll be your partner!"
Hengxing's face lit up with joy.
It was known that in the partnership between Gourmet Hunters and chefs, the Gourmet Hunters often benefited more.
Chefs, on the other hand, had more options, such as becoming head chefs in hotels, running their own restaurants, or, like the Soul of Soup, joining an organization.
As a more desperate Gourmet Hunter, one's posture when looking for a partner would be very humble.
And Jun Qing, as the head chef of Wangyue Zhai, was naturally impeccable in his culinary skills, so Hengxing could be said to have struck a great bargain.
Just as Hengxing was feeling happy, a guard beside him stepped forward.
"Mr. Hengxing, we just received news from your brother..."
"Heh, that kid. I heard he's been working for the Four Great Salt Merchants lately, making quite a bit of money."
Hengxing continued, "Go on, what is he showing off about this time?"
The guard hesitated, and Hengxing instinctively felt something was wrong...
"If you have something to say, spit it out!"
"The news is from the Northern Region's First Medical University. It's said that your brother encountered a fierce bandit named Haru while transporting salt essence. After a fierce battle, he was defeated and seriously injured!"
"What!!!"
The guard quickly added, "He's currently receiving treatment. Although he hasn't woken up, his life is no longer in danger!"
"Damn it!!!"
Blade energy surged!!!
The newly constructed pit was instantly destroyed!
The rampaging blade energy carved deep trenches in the ground!
"Haru! I'll take your dog life!"
Jun Qing beside him was instantly engulfed in cold air and quickly comforted him, "Mr. Hengxing, calm down. As long as you help me obtain the Overlord Tree Ham, I have the confidence to help you break through your current barrier!"
Hengxing panted heavily, his emotions slowly calming down.
Jun Qing, however, began to worry. Would partnering with someone like this be a good choice?
...
Underground cavern.
Zhang Wei walked for a long time along the winding underground river.
The dampness condensed and dripped from the stalactites.
Zhang Wei extended a finger, caught a drop precisely, and then put it in his mouth.
"The saltiness has increased significantly. This area is indeed rich in salt minerals."
"Judging by the taste, I must have arrived."
Various algae and plants grew around, all of which could be used to extract salt.
However, they did not have a collection level and did not pique the interest of the Treasury.
[Discovered Collectible Ingredient]
[Salt Deposit Wall]
[Mineral Vein Depth: 12.45 kilometers]
[Description: The largest salt deposit wall in the Ice Hell Plains, existing as the base of the mountain range. It is rich in extremely precious mineral salt essence, a rare resource essential for most cuisines.]
"The largest in the Ice Hell Plains? Twelve kilometers deep, that's enough for a long time of mining."
"If this thing were to be tunneled through, it would probably trigger more severe geological disasters."
The last time they tunneled through a salt deposit wall, it caused a significant earthquake, and even several parts of the great glacier collapsed.
Xi Feng urgently assembled a construction team and reinforced the Century Ice Pillar from scratch.
Fist energy impacted the salt deposit wall, and a large amount of mineral slag splashed out.
To Zhang Wei's surprise, the incredibly sturdy salt deposit wall had the roots of some plant growing within it.
After Zhang Wei blasted open the salt deposit wall, they dangled down from above.
"Rooted in rock? Such a strange plant. And..."
"My Spiral Fist energy can pierce through tens of meters of salt deposit wall, but this root seems unharmed."
The hardness of the salt deposit wall was already equivalent to tungsten steel, while this plant exceeded the scientific limits of the Blue Star.
Zhang Wei stepped forward and grabbed a root.
He pulled it with all his might.
"Hmm?"
It didn't budge.
It was as if the other end of the root was connected to the entire mountain range.
"A root as thick as a finger, yet it's this strong."
The strength in his palm kept increasing. In his past life, he could have pulled a train with ease.
Yet, this root was as stubborn as ever, showing no signs of deforming or breaking.
"Good stuff!"
In his time here, Zhang Wei had never seen material of such strength.
If parts of it could be used as ropes, clothes, or armor, he wouldn't have to fight half-naked every time.
Zhang Wei moved vertically upwards, punching again and again.
Ordinary rocks and soil could not withstand Zhang Wei's Spiral Fist energy. After only a dozen punches, Zhang Wei had carved out a tunnel leading to the surface!
He leaped up, using the tunnel wall for leverage, and the hundreds of meters of depth felt like nothing.
As soon as he emerged from the deep pit, Zhang Wei was enveloped in a massive shadow, accompanied by waves of meat aroma.
"This... it's huge!"
Before Zhang Wei stood a towering giant tree, with a trunk about twenty people's embrace in circumference. The trunk pierced the sky, and a single leaf would be large enough to be a bed for Zhang Wei.
What surprised Zhang Wei the most was that the fruit growing on the trunk was shaped like dried, cured ham.
Normally, such a product would have no scent, but Zhang Wei could clearly smell the aroma of cured meat.
[Discovered Collectible Ingredient, Overlord Tree Ham]
[Capture Level: 55]
[Tree Age: 440 years]
[Annual Fruit Yield: 220]
[Description: The Overlord Tree prefers to grow in areas with extremely high salt content, with well-developed roots that consume a large amount of salt daily. The initial fruit is fresh ham, and as time passes, the salt content gradually increases and moisture is removed, becoming one of the most premium cured hams.
To obtain sufficient salt, the Overlord Tree's roots are extremely developed and are also its toughest part, often used as building material.]
This was the highest-level ingredient Zhang Wei had encountered so far, and also the largest and most exaggerated plant.
"According to the description, the initial fruit is fresh ham, and the truly exquisite product is the mature cured ham."
Zhang Wei looked up. The tree was covered with fruits, almost all of which were fresh ham. No wonder the meat aroma was so strong.
If it were fully cured, the aroma would be entirely contained within.
He rapidly climbed up the trunk...
*Sizzle~*
*Sizzle~*
*Sizzle~*
"Something's here!"