Mu Chen looked at the man with a slight surprise. He had a square face, sparse eyebrows, and an irritable demeanor, but what truly surprised Mu Chen was the fluctuation of his spiritual energy – he had already reached the Spirit Wheel Stage.
The combat strength of this exploration team was quite impressive.
"Hahaha, little brother, I am Captain Violent Thunder, Lei Cheng." The man laughed as he introduced himself, extending a hand.
"Disciple of the Northern Spiritual Academy, Mu Chen." Mu Chen smiled, shook his hand briefly, and then withdrew his hand, his expression unchanged. Lei Cheng's hand was rough, covered in calluses, indicating his proficiency with a saber.
"I am just an ordinary disciple of the Northern Spiritual Academy. I'm afraid I wouldn't be much help. Cooperation? Let's forget about it." Mu Chen shook his head. Although he didn't know what Lei Cheng wanted to cooperate on, he knew that exploration teams were not benevolent sorts. Getting involved haphazardly, without good reason, would likely lead to endless trouble.
Seeing Mu Chen's refusal, Lei Cheng glanced around, then lowered his voice and said: "Little brother Mu Chen, to be frank, the sudden request for your cooperation is because I saw you possess a Spirit Breaking Pearl."
"Our Violent Thunder team found a mountain valley in the Northern Spiritual Realm these past two days, and there are some interesting things inside."
Mu Chen's expression remained calm, a smile on his face.
Lei Cheng observed him, realizing this young man was not simple. Typically, youths were quite curious, but Mu Chen showed no interest upon hearing him speak, clearly demonstrating excellent control over his emotions.
"In that mountain valley, we found a Jade Spirit Tree that has already borne fruit." Lei Cheng knew Mu Chen wouldn't act without seeing the benefits, so he pondered for a moment before speaking softly.
"A Jade Spirit Tree?" Mu Chen's eyes finally flickered slightly as he looked at Lei Cheng: "Borne fruit? Jade Spirit Fruits?"
The Jade Spirit Tree was a relatively rare heavenly treasure. While its trunk held no great appeal, its fruits were filled with gentle spiritual energy, making them very beneficial for cultivators below the Divine Soul Stage.
Currently, Mu Chen wanted to cultivate the second black seal, but his spiritual energy was still low, so he would have to rely on external objects to achieve it. These Jade Spirit Fruits happened to be exactly what he could use.
"Although we haven't gotten close, we've scouted it out. That Jade Spirit Tree has quite a lot of fruit." Lei Cheng nodded and said.
"Are there spirit beasts guarding it?" Mu Chen asked.
"Yes, it's precisely because of those beasts." "In the mountain valley, there are at least 100 Fire Spirit Apes, but the most troublesome thing is that among them, there's a Fire Spirit Ape King. Its strength has reached the mid-tier of spirit beasts, roughly mid-stage Spirit Wheel Stage, even stronger than me."
"100 Fire Spirit Apes? A Fire Spirit Ape King?" Mu Chen was stunned. Although Fire Spirit Apes were low-tier spirit beasts, some adult ones could reach the late-phase Spirit Movement Stage. Such a large number gathered in one place would be far from easy to deal with, and on top of that, there was an Ape King.
"The Fire Spirit Ape King is not only difficult to deal with, but its ability to command and lead the pack of Fire Spirit Apes is also quite outstanding." Mu Chen said softly. Although there were many Fire Spirit Apes, they didn't possess high intelligence. A disorganized group wouldn't be too difficult to handle, but it would be different if a Fire Spirit Ape King was commanding them. It already possessed a certain level of intelligence. Even if it wasn't cunning or sly, if it commanded 100 Fire Spirit Apes to form a formation and attack together, the Violent Thunder Squad would likely be torn to shreds upon encounter.
Lei Cheng looked at Mu Chen in surprise. He hadn't expected this young man to possess knowledge of spirit beasts comparable to experienced spirit beast hunters like himself.
"Yeah, but don't worry, we have a way to incapacitate some of the Fire Spirit Apes, so we can deal with them for now. But as for that Fire Spirit Ape King, with your cooperation, little brother, we'll join forces when the time comes and find an opportunity to use the Spirit-Shattering Pearl to blow it to death."
"My Spirit-Shattering Pearl can severely wound a mid-tier spirit beast, but killing it outright might be a bit difficult."
Mu Chen said, deep in thought.
"It's fine, if we can just severely wound it, that'll be enough. Our chances of success will be much greater."
Lei Cheng smiled confidently. After all, he possessed the strength of an initial-stage Spirit Wheel Realm cultivator. While he couldn't defeat the Fire Spirit Ape King at its peak, once it was severely wounded, it would be anyone's guess who would come out on top.
"If that's the case..."
Mu Chen smiled, his grin as sly as a little fox.
"...Perhaps we should discuss the remuneration a bit? You see, to complete this mission, I'll at least use up one Spirit-Shattering Pearl. This item, of course, isn't cheap, and you might not even be able to get one with money alone."
Lei Cheng's face twisted. He hadn't expected the kid to be so proactive, so he no longer had any intention of trying to trick the youth.
"Little brother, name your price. If it seems reasonable, I naturally won't object."
Mu Chen thought for a moment, then said, "I'll take three portions of the Jade Spirit Fruit. This division isn't excessive; I know the main force is the Thunderclap Squad, so the larger share will go to you."
"You're quite the schemer, aren't you?"
Lei Cheng smirked. Still, this division was fair, with the majority going to them.
"Let's do it that way then."
"I'll also need to bring a few teammates along. That's not a problem, is it?"
Mu Chen said with a smile. Although their exchange had been brief, Lei Cheng had shown himself to be not a bad person. However, one couldn't afford to be completely unguarded around others, and going with them alone wouldn't be wise.
"That's fine, but you know the strength of the Fire Spirit Apes. If they can't protect themselves, they'll only get in the way."
Lei Cheng replied curtly.
Mu Chen nodded, then turned back. His friends didn't know what Mu Chen had discussed with Lei Cheng, but seeing the amicable atmosphere, they were just glad there wouldn't be any more fighting.
"The next matter is a bit dangerous, but the rewards are substantial. I want to go with the Thunderclap Squad to undertake a mission. If any of you are interested, you can come along. The remuneration will satisfy everyone. However, there are two conditions you must follow: first, you must completely obey my orders; second, you must possess the strength of a mid-stage Spirit Movement Realm cultivator. Does anyone want to come?"
Mu Chen looked at his friends and said slowly.
Mo Ling and the others raised their eyebrows in surprise. Mu Chen was actually cooperating with these people?
"I'll go."
Tang Tian'er stepped forward, raising her hand with a smile.
"I'll go too."
Mo Ling thought for a moment, then nodded. He possessed the strength of a late-stage Spirit Movement Realm cultivator, making him very suitable. He trusted Mu Chen's judgment; if that guy said the remuneration was generous, then it must be true.
Tan Qingshan felt a bit regretful, but there was nothing he could do. His strength was only at the initial-stage Spirit Movement Realm, and going along would only cause trouble.
Jiang Li and Teng Yong exchanged glances, hesitated for a moment, then gritted their teeth and stepped forward.
"We'll go too."
Afterward, three more individuals with mid-stage Spirit Movement Realm strength joined. Mu Chen's team now totaled eight people, and their combat power wasn't bad. If any unforeseen circumstances arose, their chances of survival would be quite high.
"Qingshan, lead the others back to the camp first. Tell Master Mo that we're going with the Thunderclap Squad to undertake a mission, and tell him not to worry."
Mu Chen instructed Tan Qingshan, his voice not low, ensuring that Lei Cheng and his group could hear him clearly.
– This kid is even more seasoned than us. Where did the Northern Spiritual Academy dig him up?
Lei Cheng clicked his tongue and shook his head lightly. The kid's words were obviously intentional. If anything were to happen to them, that Spirit Stage expert would absolutely ensure the Blazing Thunder Squad couldn't escape the Northern Spiritual Realm.
Tan Qingshan nodded, waved at Mu Chen, then led the others and turned to leave.
– Let's go too.
Mu Chen turned to Lei Cheng with a smile and said.
– Alright, let's go.
Lei Cheng nodded, waved his hand to summon the members of the Blazing Thunder Squad, led the way, and the group quickly delved deep into the dense mountain forest, swiftly disappearing from view.
As they moved, Mu Chen explained the matter of the Jade Spirit Tree to his teammates. As soon as they heard "Jade Spirit Fruit," their eyes lit up, obviously knowing its uses well.
– Heh heh, Mu Chen still has such integrity, not forgetting us for such a good thing.
Mo Ling said excitedly.
Jiang Li and Teng Yong, who were beside him, blushed slightly. Their previous attitudes towards Mu Chen hadn't been good, but now they were receiving such a great favor, naturally feeling a bit awkward inside.
– Do you think I'm just letting you come and take it for free? If you don't listen to my commands then, I'm afraid your lives will be hard to keep.
Mu Chen chuckled softly.
– Don't worry, we'll definitely listen to your orders!
Mo Ling said with a laugh, and even Jiang Li and Teng Yong nodded like chickens pecking at rice.
Seeing this, Mu Chen merely smiled and focused on moving forward.
The group swept through the dense trees, encountering a few spiritual beasts blocking their path, but before Mu Chen's group could even act, the Blazing Thunder Squad had already dealt with them cleanly. Their swift and clean actions made Mo Ling and the others gape in awe, thinking it was fortunate they hadn't been too arrogant before, or they would have suffered quite a bit even before Mu Chen came along.
Moving swiftly, after about half an hour, the trees began to thin out, and occasional roars of beasts echoed. Upon reaching this area, even the Blazing Thunder Squad slowed down, becoming much more cautious.
The group of nearly twenty people passed through the sparse trees, and the view before them suddenly opened up. Scattered rubble lay on the ground, and a small mountain valley appeared ahead, from which the clear, sharp cries of apes echoed.
Looking at the mountain valley, Lei Cheng also stopped, tilted his head to look at Mu Chen, informing him that they had arrived at their destination.
The Jade Spirit Tree was precisely within this small mountain valley.