"Melee unit, aim for the seven-inch mark,output now!" Star roared.
Six players immediately rushed forward, brandishing their weapons forged from the bones of the Deep Sea King.
The seven-inch spot on the giant python was its weak point. As soon as the players struck, blood began to gush out, dyeing the forest floor red.
Hiss!
In a frenzy of pain, the giant python thrashed violently, snapping several ropes. The ice binding its body shattered almost entirely.
"Melee retreat! Teams 2 and 4, keep it suppressed! Team 5, get new ropes ready! Just two more rounds, and it's done!" Star commanded, cool-headed and precise.
Thirty minutes later, the giant python finally collapsed from exhaustion and slammed into the ground with a deafening crash.
"Three dead? Acceptable losses." Star muttered, glancing around at the casualties before giving a firm nod.
Standing atop the python's massive head, he raised his hand and shouted, "The Giant Python, a late-stage Spirit Vein Realm beast has been slain!"
"Big Brother Star! Big Brother Star!"
"Hell yeah, we took down a big one!"
"I can't even tell how long this snake is!"
Excitement buzzed in the air. On just the first day of the Northern Expedition, they had already downed a powerful monster. It felt incredible.
As time passed, the players began trickling out of the jungle, returning to the chariot to rest and recover.
At least half were still in shock, having failed to kill a single beast. But then.
"Hold the grass, Wang Lufei is back!"
"Look at that! Brother Luffy took down six monsters! He popped off!"
"Brother Luffy, I'll help carry them!"
A group of players quickly surrounded Wang Lufei, assisting in dragging back the six beasts he'd felled.
The corpses were all of different types. One of them was even mid-Spirit Vein Realm a incredible kill.
"Brother Bear is back too! Damn, look at that monster!"
"Insane. Just insane!"
"Are we even playing the same game as them?"
Another crowd formed around Indomitable Bear, who returned limping but triumphant. He carried with him two slain beasts one being a Blazing Mad Bull, mid-Spirit Vein Realm. The other was a massive crocodile more than ten meters long, late Spirit Vein Realm.
It had taken him three brutal hours to bring it down.
Then came another shout: "Star's group is back!"
A full twenty-man team emerged, carrying three colossal beasts and nine smaller ones in tow.
Three of them were mid- to late-stage Spirit Vein Realm. The other nine were all early stage.
Their numbers, coordination, and scale of kills dwarfed the rest.
And they didn't just bring back meat.
"These Spirit Grasses were guarded by the two late-stage beasts—both are seven years old!"
"We also discovered a mineral vein with leftover spirit stones… although we're not sure what some of it is."
"Brother Star also found a massive tree—we picked some fruit from it, and it's delicious!"
The Star Group bustled with excitement, eager to share their findings.
These 88 pioneer players had gone through a lot together. FIaghting War Hunchback Beasts, cooking poop, clashing with the Sea Race. Their bond was strong.
If someone found something good, they'd share it openly. If they discovered a location, they'd point others toward it.
Many gave away their handmade goods freely. So even those who hadn't killed a beast felt happy and included.
Players who had landed kills were equally generous, spreading the spoils around.
"Here, take this wild boar we downed roast it, sprinkle some salt, it'll taste divine!"
"Quick, Brother Bear said to turn the Blazing Mad Bull into hotpot! Everyone dig in!"
"I need more hands! Who's good at cooking? Help me prep!"
"Big Brother Tongue, I'll help you!"
"This crocodile hide is thick we can make some serious armor out of it!"
"Come on, get a plate these are the spirit fruits we found!"
Everyone was working together, laughing, cooking, sharing. Even those who hadn't fought were enjoying a grand feast of spirit beast meat, fruit, and tales of valor.
In the middle of it all, He Yiming remained a little apart, watching the celebration with a thoughtful gaze.
He found Star and approached.
"Star, did you really find a spirit vein?" he asked calmly.
From the conversations around the campfire, He Yiming had pieced together something shocking it sounded like these players had stumbled across a vein of spirit stones.
Spirit veins were born in places where the world's spiritual energy was especially dense. Over hundreds or thousands of years, they condensed into spiritual stones one of the most crucial resource in the cultivation world.
Whether for cultivation, formations, or currency, spirit stones were indispensable.
"Yes, Brother Ming. It started when we discovered a cave, and we found a late-stage Spirit Vein Python living inside. After we took it down, we found some strange stones." Star explained, pulling out a spirit stone and handing it to He Yiming.
He Yiming took the stone and examined it. Its aura was pure and potent.
His eyes lit up.
"There must be more inside that spirit vein mine..."