The world of martial arts, the immortal swordsman in the mortal realm.

Chapter 24, Master Rong's Noble Character
Lu Chen did not know the exact location of the valley where the Bosqu Snake was located.

But this doesn't mean that finding it is like looking for a needle in a haystack, because that place has several obvious characteristics.

Firstly, it's not too far from Xiangyang City. Secondly, there's a waterfall with a large flow there, indicating that there's a high probability that there's a stream or river that flows into the Han River.

Therefore, you only need to look for the streams and rivers that flow out of the mountains and flow into the Han River near Xiangyang City, and then follow the streams and rivers into the mountains, and you may find the valley where the Bodhi Snake is located.

The area is only so big, and the features are obvious enough. Even if you can't find it the first time, you can always find it by searching a few more times.

Lu Chen, accompanied by Huang Rong, searched the area around Xiangyang City based on the characteristics he had summarized, and also occasionally sought out woodcutters and hunters for information.

Hard work pays off.

After several days of searching, the two learned from an old hunter that he had seen a strange snake in the mountains while hunting along a certain stream. The snake was covered in a golden light and could leap and bound from the ground; it was extremely ferocious.

"I've lived most of my life and I've never seen such a ferocious snake!"

Recalling his encounter that day, the old hunter clicked his tongue in amazement, gesturing vividly as he described it:

"An eagle swooped down from the sky to catch the snake, but the snake sprang up from the ground with incredible speed, like an arrow, leaping five or six feet into the air and attacking the eagle, biting it to death in one bite..."

Hearing this, Lu Chen was certain that the strange snake the old hunter had seen, capable of leaping five or six feet high from the ground to kill an eagle, was undoubtedly the Bosqu snake.

He gave the old hunter a two-hundred-cash note and asked him to take them to the stream. Then he sent the old hunter away and headed into the mountains along the stream.

Huang Rong had already heard Lu Chen explain the purpose of their trip, and now that she had found a clue to the "Bodhi-curved Serpent," she was overjoyed. With her hands behind her back, she walked lightly along the stream, saying in a cheerful tone:

“Lu Chen, if that strange snake really has the miraculous effects you described, let’s build a hut in the mountains and practice diligently until we’ve mastered it before we go to find the Black Wind Duo.”

Lu Chen nodded:
"Yes. That's what I think too. But how do you determine if you've reached the pinnacle of your skill?"

Huang Rong thought for a moment and said:

"Without using 'Sword One,' how about inserting a wooden sword half a foot into the wood?"

Lu Chen was stunned:

"Isn't that something only the Five Great Masters can do?"

Huang Rong chuckled:
"No rush, practice slowly, we still have time..."

The two chatted and laughed as they walked along the stream, gradually venturing deeper into the mountains. Lu Chen began to become wary and gave Huang Rong some instructions:

"The Bodhi snake is not only swift and powerful, but also extremely venomous. Rong'er, be careful and don't be careless."

Huang Rong said with a smile:
"Don't worry, I'm very clever."

Before he could finish speaking, Lu Chen suddenly stopped and raised his hand to make a stop gesture.

Huang Rong stopped and fell silent. Following his gaze, she saw a strange snake, about five or six feet long, with golden scales and a crest-like fleshy horn on its head, crawling in the grass a dozen or so steps ahead. Its appearance was so unique that it was undoubtedly the Bodhi Snake.

"found it!"

Huang Rong spoke softly, a look of surprise in her bright eyes. A single Emei thorn slipped from her sleeve, and she said eagerly, "..."

"I'll go catch it!"

Lu Chen stopped Rong'er, slowly drew his long sword, and whispered:
"I have a longer weapon, I'll go try it first. Rong'er, you stay behind and hold the line for me."

Huang Rong didn't try to be stubborn and obediently nodded.

Lu Chen, carrying a long sword, gathered his energy and moved silently toward the Bodhi serpent hidden in the grass.

Just as Lu Chen approached within seven steps of the snake, the Bodhi snake, which had been lying motionless in the grass, suddenly raised its head, hissed, flicked its tongue, and slapped the ground with its tail. As if it possessed agility, it leaped off the ground and transformed into a golden light, shooting towards Lu Chen like an arrow.

"careful!"

Seeing that the strange snake had launched an attack, Huang Rong quickly spoke up to warn it.

Lu Chen was already focused on the strange snake, so he was not caught off guard. As the snake leaped up, he thrust out his sword, the tip pointing directly at the snake's head.

Ding!
The sound of metal clashing rang out as the snake's head collided with the sword tip, sparking a few tiny sparks.

Lu Chen's sword trembled with a buzzing sound, as if the sword had pierced an iron plate. The recoil force made his fingers and palms holding the sword slightly numb. He couldn't help but marvel at how strange and powerful this snake was.

Of course, the strange snake was not unscathed either. Its head was stabbed by Lu Chen's sword. Although its scales were strong and its defenses were not breached, the internal force attached to the sword still blasted into the snake's skull, causing the strange snake to stiffen and fall to the ground.

Before it could recover, Lu Chen stepped forward and thrust out his sword again, accurately piercing the snake's vital spot.

The scales at the seven-inch mark are far less robust than those on the snake's head, and without the protection of the skull, the sword tip only hesitated slightly before easily piercing through the scales and penetrating the snake's body.

The strange snake convulsed, its tail coiling upwards in an attempt to coil around the sword. Lu Chen drew his sword and retreated, rendering the snake's death throes futile. The snake's tail could only futilely pound the ground, making a loud thud and sending dirt and stones flying everywhere.

Upon seeing this, Huang Rong was speechless with astonishment:
"That snake is incredibly strong!"

Lu Chen laughed:

"It certainly possesses extraordinary strength. Perhaps that's why the gallbladder of this strange snake can not only enhance one's skills but also greatly strengthen one's muscles and bones."

"What about snake meat? What are the medicinal effects of snake meat?"

"I don't know about snake meat. Perhaps it has some medicinal value?"

"Hmm, it can be made into snake soup; at least it should taste good." "Even if it doesn't taste good, Rong'er's cooking skills can turn something rotten into something magical."

As they spoke, the strange snake finally exhausted its last bit of life force and stopped moving.

Lu Chen went over to test it and confirmed that the strange snake was indeed dead. He then used his longsword to cut open the snake's belly and picked out a dark purple snake gall.

The snake gall smelled terrible. As soon as she came out, Huang Rong pinched her nose and ran away, wrinkling her little face as she said:

"Why is it so fishy? It's at least several times more fishy and smelly than ordinary snake gallbladders... no, ten times more!"

Lu Chen also felt it was too gruesome, but he still forced himself to say it:
"Good medicine tastes bitter, and that's what the gallbladder of the Bosqu snake is like."

As he spoke, he took the snake gallbladder to a nearby stream and rinsed it clean, but the strong fishy smell was still there.

Lu Chen gritted his teeth, stuffed the snake gall into his mouth, and waved to Huang Rong repeatedly.

Huang Rong understood and took out a water pouch, handing it to Lu Chen. Lu Chen gulped down a large mouthful of water, forcing down the snake gall, before finally letting out a long breath as if he had come back to life.

"It's so bitter! It's both fishy and bitter! It's so bitter even if you swallow it whole. If you chew it and taste it carefully, you'll probably spit it out on the spot."

Huang Rong looked at him with a sympathetic expression:
"How about you cook it for me first, make sure it's cooked through before I eat it? Maybe that will mask some of the fishy and bitter taste?"

"Forget it. Cooking it might cause it to lose a lot of its essence, so I'll just eat it raw." Lu Chen shook his head and smiled: "Practicing martial arts is about enduring hardship, and this time, I'm truly 'enduring' hardship in the literal sense."

As he spoke, he suddenly felt a warm current spreading in his stomach, slowly reaching his internal organs and limbs.

Lu Chen's spirits lifted:
"The snake gall's miraculous effects are starting to take hold!"

He quickly got into position and started practicing "half a sword move".

Previously, he used half of the sword move to cultivate true qi. Even if he did not unleash his full power, he could only practice it three times in a row before exhausting his strength and needing to rest for a while to recover.

At this moment, with the warm current emanating from his stomach replenishing him, his strength was replenished as he was depleted, and he practiced dozens of times in one go without feeling tired at all.

Furthermore, with each practice session, the generated true energy becomes several times stronger and more refined than usual.

And so, once the warm current in his stomach stopped dissipating, Lu Chen not only made great progress in his skills, but his muscles and bones also became stronger, and his arm strength greatly improved.

Seeing that he had finally stopped cultivating, Huang Rong asked with concern:

"How's the effect?"

“Excellent!” Lu Chen smiled brightly: “The Bodhi Snake has amazing effects, both increasing skill and strength. I can’t keep this benefit to myself. I should share it with Rong’er.”

Huang Rong was stunned for a moment, blinked her bright eyes twice, and declined with a smile:

"No, no, no, you have a heavy responsibility on your shoulders. This is easy to handle; you can enjoy it all by yourself."

"That's not how it works. We've been traveling the world together, how can it be that only my martial arts have improved while yours remains stagnant? Once we catch the strange snake, its gall bladder is yours, Rong'er!"

"No. You're the main force in capturing the Black Wind Duo; I only need to provide support. So your cultivation level is the most important thing."

"Rong'er..."

"My mind is made up, there's no need to say more!"

Huang Rong adopted the air of "Master Rong," putting her hands behind her back, her face taut, and solemnly said:
"Lu Chen, have you forgotten who your mentor was? Master Rong is doing this for your own good!"

"..."

Lu Chen was utterly defeated.

Next, the two continued their search for the Bodhi snake. As dusk approached, they found two more strange snakes. Master Rong, being of noble character, firmly declined to accept them, and gave all the snake gallbladders to Lu Chen.

It was dangerous to catch snakes after dark, so the two went down the mountain first and found an inn nearby to stay overnight.

Huang Rong borrowed the kitchen again, beheaded and skinned the three Bodhi snakes, cleaned them, cooked a pot of snake soup, and also stir-fried a plate of snake meat slices.

The meat of the Pusi snake is of excellent quality; the snake soup is incredibly tender, while the snake meat slices are crisp and chewy, earning high praise from Lu Chen.

Huang Rong declined the snake gall, but she did not refuse the snake meat she had prepared herself and enjoyed a delicious meal. Afterwards, she discovered that the snake meat also had the effect of increasing her internal energy and strength. However, according to Lu Chen, the effect of the snake meat was much weaker than that of the snake gall, only about one-tenth of that of the snake gall.

But this is not bad either, at least Huang Rong can also improve her skills and strength a little, so it can be considered that they can share the good fortune.

The next morning.

The two took various tools and daily necessities and went into the mountains again. They found a clearing with a wide view and beautiful scenery by a mountain stream, and cut bamboo and wood to build a wooden house.

After building the wooden house, Lu Chen and Huang Rong began to cultivate their skills by catching snakes in the mountains. Each time they caught a snake, their skills would improve considerably.

Lu Chen also tried to find the Divine Condor, hoping to find the sword tomb guarded by the Divine Condor and obtain the two precious swords.

However, the current focus is on cultivation, and not much effort has been spent on deliberately searching, so the divine eagle has not yet been found.

He wasn't in a hurry either.

The Condor also likes to eat snakes, and since both sides are hunting snakes in the mountains, they were bound to run into each other sooner or later.

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(End of this chapter)