C9 Spirit Beast Heart!

In the captain's eyes, Qiao Mao's palm seemed to loom larger and larger. It was too late for the captain to evade, leaving him defenseless.

When Qiao Mao's palm struck, the captain's head burst open, spilling blood and brain matter that stained Qiao Mao's hand.

Qiao Mao didn't dwell on the gruesome scene. He quickly distanced himself from the captain. He was pleasantly surprised at how effortlessly he had taken down the formidable Mortality Transcending Level Five Heaven captain.

Yet, in the dead of night, out in the desolate wilderness, the captain had not anticipated falling victim to such a resolute assassin. Consequently, his eyes remained wide open in death, reflecting his unyielding spirit and fury.

"Qiao Mao!"

Two Mortality Transcending Level Four Heaven warriors cried out in unison. Qiao Mao had slain Qin Dian during the day and was now being pursued by the Qin family. How could he possibly show up here at this hour?

"You killed my brother, Qin Dian, and you have the audacity to ambush us!" Qin Jin seethed. His eyes were ice-cold as he glared at Qiao Mao.

Qin Jin also recognized that Qiao Mao was after his Spirit Flame, which only fueled his rage.

Relieved upon seeing the captain's body, Qiao Mao exhaled deeply. With the Level Five Heaven expert eliminated, dealing with the remaining three would be significantly easier.

"Qin Dian deserved it," Qiao Mao retorted with a cold huff. Remembering how Qin Dian had intended to crush Qiao Shuang under a carriage, anger flared within him.

Qin Jin was no saint either. In Qiao Mao's past life, after becoming a Spirit Flame Master, Qin Jin's arrogance knew no bounds as he oppressed others.

Qin Jin's rise to Spirit Flame Master had bolstered the Qin family's power and hastened the downfall of the Qiao family. He was also the instigator behind subsequent events. It was only natural that he was a prime target on Qiao Mao's hit list.

"You're the one who's going to die!" Qin Jin shouted in rage. He lunged at Qiao Mao, while the other two guards sprang into action, ready to encircle and eliminate Qiao Mao.

A glint of cold light flashed in Qiao Mao's eyes as he charged at the two guards. Though they were both at Mortality Transcending Level Four Heaven, like Qin Jin, they were somewhat weaker in strength.

"Go to hell!"

Qiao Mao launched a flurry of attacks with incredible speed. At Mortality Transcending Level Two Heaven, he engaged the guards in direct combat. Unleashing the Wind Thunder Hand, he swiftly killed one guard.

Despite being outmatched in rank, Qiao Mao's past life combat experience allowed him to quickly dispatch the second guard.

Qin Jin watched in fury as his two guards, whom the Qin family had heavily invested in, were slain by Qiao Mao, along with the previously fallen Mortality Transcending Level Five Heaven experts.

"Barbarian Elephant Ground Shaking."

"Barbarian Elephant Flying."

Qin Jin executed two major skills from the Barbarian Elephant Spell. The massive shockwave surged towards Qiao Mao, who, anticipating Qin Jin's power, had already retreated.

"Wind Thunder Hand."

Qiao Mao evaded Qin Jin's assault and stomped the ground forcefully. He then struck Qin Jin's shoulder with a swift palm movement, shattering it.

Facing a Mortality Transcending Level Five Heaven expert head-on, Qiao Mao's victory was uncertain. His previous life's battle experience couldn't bridge the gap in strength. However, in his skirmish with Qin Jin, Qiao Mao moved with lethal precision.

Continuing his onslaught, Qiao Mao struck Qin Jin once more. Severely wounded, Qin Jin ultimately fell to Qiao Mao's relentless attacks.

With a detached gaze, Qiao Mao surveyed the four lifeless bodies before pursuing the Fire Cloud Snake.

During his battle, the Fire Cloud Snake had fled, gravely injured. Now, teetering on the brink of death, it was swiftly located by Qiao Mao.

Qiao Mao drew a knife and sliced open the Fire Cloud Snake's belly, revealing a thumb-sized red crystal radiating intense heat. This was the Fire Cloud Snake's Spirit Flame Kindling.

As long as he merged the Spirit Flame Kindling with his body, Qiao Mao would be on his way to becoming a Spirit Flame Master. He could then craft the Jade Spirit Pill to heal the hidden ailments in Zhang Yu's legs.

Having secured the Spirit Flame Kindling, Qiao Mao set to work skinning the Fire Cloud Snake. Despite the creature's lack of formidable strength, its hide was exceedingly valuable. He planned to combine the skin with various metals to create a piece of soft armor. Wearing this armor would protect him from harm, even if he faced the fierce onslaught of a Mortality Transcending Level Six Heaven warrior.

"This Fire Cloud Snake is dead, yet it still radiates Spiritual Energy. Could it possess the heart of a Spirit Beast?" Qiao Mao pondered.

As he sliced through the snake's hide, Qiao Mao noticed lingering Spiritual Energy within the carcass of the Fire Cloud Snake. He swiftly continued his work and soon uncovered a heart reeking of blood. His eyes sparkled with excitement, and with a smile, he remarked, "I never imagined this Fire Cloud Snake would not only nurture a fire seed but also a Spirit Beast Heart."

The birth of a fire seed within a Demonic Beast was an exceedingly rare occurrence, making the existence of Spirit Flame Masters quite scarce. Even more uncommon was a Demonic Beast that could produce a Spirit Beast Heart. Qiao Mao felt incredibly fortunate; the Fire Cloud Snake had been harboring both a fire seed and a Spirit Beast Heart.

The Spirit Beast Heart was a treasure beyond even the Amethyst Chalcedony. Consuming it would instantly elevate his cultivation level by one realm, free of any adverse effects.

Without hesitation, Qiao Mao devoured the heart, his mouth awash with the taste of fresh blood. Almost immediately, his internal energy surged, and he broke through to Mortality Transcending Level Three Heaven, purging his body of impurities in the process.

Advancing two realms in a single day was beyond belief. Even Qiao Mao, who had lived for more than two centuries in his past life, was taken aback by the delightful surprise.

"Now, I'm confident that I could take down a Mortality Transcending Level Five Heaven expert in combat," Qiao Mao said, his smile tinged with a newfound assurance.

In his past life, Qiao Mao possessed the cultivation level of the Celestial River Stage. Now, as he embarked on the path of cultivation once more, he had no concerns about instability due to rapid breakthroughs. After solidifying his Mortality Transcending Level Three Heaven cultivation, he returned to the site where Qin Jin and his companions had met their demise. He began to examine their bodies.

Just as Qiao Mao anticipated, he discovered an Ice Purity Pill and a Fire Storage Bead on Qin Jin's body.

"He actually managed to collect all these components necessary for refining the fire seed," Qiao Mao noted with a flicker of excitement in his eyes.

To become a Spirit Flame Master, he needed the Fire Storage Bead to contain the fire seed. Although the bead he found wasn't of the highest quality, it perfectly addressed Qiao Mao's immediate need.

The Ice Purity Pill, a Grade Nine pill, was capable of neutralizing high temperatures. It was an essential Spirit Pill for transforming Spirit Flame Kindling into the prowess of a Spirit Flame Master.