Tuoba Tao and the others eventually gave up searching for Li Xiaotian. They set off, for the center of this ancient forest held a Great Dao Tree, and the formation protecting it was about to be broken. They needed to reach it before the formation shattered, lest they miss this heaven-defying opportunity.
However, they were also deeply unwilling to concede. Each of them harbored a burning rage within, for failing to find Li Xiaotian meant they had lost face, a humiliation that festered in their hearts.
But no matter how reluctant they were, they had to swallow their pride, for Li Xiaotian had vanished.
Though they occasionally searched their surroundings along the way, it was to no avail. This time, even with the Sunbird's divine eyes, Li Xiaotian remained unfound.
This led the Sunbird to doubt itself, wondering if its divine sight had malfunctioned.
Meanwhile, Li Xiaotian remained hidden within Yang Chen's Great Dao space. Each time he saw Gu Kun, Tuoba Tao, and the others grow furious from their inability to find him, his heart was filled with a triumphant glee.
“Halt! Something is wrong ahead!”
Suddenly, the Sunbird, circling high above, descended among the group. Its thoughts resonated, and a scene appeared in each of their minds.
In the direction they were advancing, there was a cliff enveloped in mist of various colors. Vaguely, within the mist, two colossal figures could be discerned.
Even from their silhouettes alone, these two figures were vastly larger than Gu Kun, the largest among them.
“It’s a Kui Serpent!” someone exclaimed, their voice filled with shock.
Kui Serpents were extremely rare creatures in the void universe. Their most potent innate abilities were their immense size and terrifying defensive power, nearly on par with the Indestructible Physique.
Moreover, the strength of these creatures was often formidable. Due to their scarcity, even their juvenile forms were already at the Heavenly level, and adults were considered invincible.
Of course, such powerful beings were also prey in the void universe. Legends claimed that Kui Serpents were once ordinary snakes that mutated after devouring treasures.
And those treasures could only be discovered and nurtured by snakes.
Therefore, upon discovering the trace of a Kui Serpent in the void universe, powerful individuals would strike to hunt them, often reaping unimaginable rewards.
Whether it was the Kui Serpent's carcass or the treasures they guarded, they were all priceless.
“There are two Kui Serpents, a male and a female, their strength at the sixth stage of invincibility. Hiss! These two are probably the next greatest opportunities after those five heaven-defying fortunes in this world,” Tuoba Tao whispered, stunned by the Kui Serpents’ strength. Simultaneously, his eyes gleamed with excitement; the stronger these Kui Serpents were, the more extraordinary the treasures they guarded.
“No, look closely. There’s a juvenile figure inside. These two Kui Serpents have produced offspring,” someone added.
“A scent is emanating from that mist, one that makes even me feel a stir, my blood boiling,” the Sunbird chimed in, its tone excited. Its statement undoubtedly confirmed that the treasures guarded by these two Kui Serpents were exceptionally heaven-defying.
“What should we do? Take a detour or…?” someone asked.
“Heh heh, let’s press on. They’re just two low-intelligence beasts. With so many of us, should we be afraid of them?” Gu Kun sneered, his eyes flashing with greed. He was tempted.
If they could hunt these two Kui Serpents, all their previous losses could be recouped.
Soon, Tuoba Tao and the others continued their advance. Although the Kui Serpents were powerful, as Gu Kun had said, their intelligence was too low. It seemed that no matter how strong they became, their intelligence remained at the level of ordinary animals.
This might be a balance set by the universe’s rules; Kui Serpents gained power but had to pay the price of incomplete intelligence.
Thus, everyone was tempted and continued forward. As their gaze fell upon the patch of colorful mist, all of them gasped, their eyes filled with excitement.
Within the mist, two massive figures coiled, one on the ground, the other in the air. Their size was so immense that Gu Kun appeared like a child in their presence.
But this was not the focus of their excitement. The key point was that between the two Kui Serpents, there was a small tree, about a person’s height, bearing nine fruits of different colors.
Furthermore, beside the small tree, a juvenile Kui Serpent, a thousand feet long, was coiling and crawling around it.
The mist enveloping the area was emanating from that very small tree.
“What divine tree is this? Its fruits must possess heaven-defying effects. Perhaps a single one could help one achieve the Indestructible Physique!” someone whispered excitedly, their eyes brimming with anticipation.
“We are fated to meet. Heaven is looking out for us. These nine fruits belong to us,” Gu Kun declared, his heart surging. He sensed that any one of these nine fruits was far more heaven-defying than the sacred fruit he had lost.
“We cannot force our way through. These two beasts are too powerful. Even if we joined forces, we might not be able to defeat them. Moreover, if they harbor resentment, they will hunt us relentlessly, to the death,” Tuoba Tao spoke, his excitement tempered by a sudden calm.
“Perhaps we can devise a plan to lure one away. The rest of us can then attack the remaining one and snatch the exotic fruits. They have offspring, so the one left behind will surely not unleash its full power.”
Someone proposed this plan. While they themselves couldn't kill both Kui Serpents, they could use a stratagem to steal the exotic fruits.
As for being hunted by the Kui Serpents, truthfully, as long as they could escape to the location of the Great Dao Tree, even if they didn't act, other powerful individuals who discovered these Kui Serpents would hunt them.
“That is feasible, but we must be cautious. The eight of us, being the strongest, will split into two groups to deal with these two Kui Serpents. The others will seize this opportunity to snatch the exotic fruits,” Tuoba Tao said.
Immediately, Tuoba Tao and the others began to act. They first familiarized themselves with the environment, then prepared to set a trap to lure the Kui Serpents.
This was because they did not want to waste time; they desired to seize the exotic fruits protected by the Kui Serpents while also ensuring they did not miss the opportunity at the Great Dao Tree.
“The eight of us will take one fruit each. The last fruit and that juvenile Kui Serpent will go to your Blazing Sun World,” Gu Kun stated. Although he wished to hoard them all, he knew his own strength and decided to clarify the distribution beforehand to prevent conflicts over spoils.
Soon, Tuoba Tao and the others had everything prepared and were ready to strike.
Li Xiaotian, meanwhile, watched this scene intently, a cold sneer in his eyes. These people were preparing to snatch food from the tiger’s mouth, and he intended to intercept them, as a small act of revenge for their earlier ambush.
He adjusted his state, preparing to latch onto this group. He decided to find another Great Dao space of a low-level invincible being to hide in after making his move, as he was unsure if he could escape the wrath of these individuals after intercepting them.
However, if he were to disappear again this time, they would surely notice. Therefore, his pressure was even greater than theirs.