Chapter 238
Chapter 238
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 238
Chapter Title: Danger, Opportunity, and a Hidden Harvest
-----------------------------------------------------------------
When Ruan Tieniu saw the black-robed figure riding a turtle, hands clasped tightly around its head, his eyes lit up with joy.
"Isn't that the direct disciple of Perfected Qingyou, the eldest of the four Feng brothers, the rogue cultivators?"
"Xiao Chen's intelligence was accurate. The man has at least one talisman treasure on him."
Hearing Ruan Tieniu's words.
Liu Zhining, Liang Wanru, and Qian Zhengdao, the three Core Formation prospects, were all delighted.
The three of them were aware of their own limitations, so after entering the mystic realm, they had merged their three groups of eight cultivators into a single team.
This way, they could obtain more treasures in the Wind-Snow Valley mystic realm.
They could venture into some of the more dangerous areas.
Much like how Gao Peiyao, Chen Jianghe, and Luo Xiyue had gone to Sunset Pool, their team had entered Wind-Snow Valley's only scorching danger zone, Fusang Cave.
At first, everything went according to plan. The eight of them stealthily infiltrated the area around Fusang Cave, gathering mid- and low-grade Tier 2 spiritual items from the periphery.
But upon discovering a demonic beast egg, the plan they had made was instantly shattered.
Their argument alerted the peak Tier 2 demonic beast within Fusang Cave.
In the ensuing escape, four of their fellow cultivators had already been devoured, becoming a rare meal that appeared only once every three hundred years.
"Junior Sister Liu, where did you find this 'help'? His escape technique is ridiculously fast. It's a good thing we ran into Perfected Qingyou's direct disciple, or he would have run us to our deaths."
"Once we're out of this mess, we need to get rid of him. I don't want the demonic beast egg he's holding; you two Junior Sisters can split it. All I want is his storage bag."
"I don't want the egg either. I'll take that great saber he's carrying. The rest of the treasures can go to Senior Brother Qian and Junior Sister Liu."
"Alright then. The demonic beast egg is mine, the spirit-imbued offensive artifact goes to Senior Sister Liang, and the storage bag is for Senior Brother Qian."
In a flash, the three Core Formation prospects had reached an agreement.
Next moment.
Qian Zhengdao produced a mid-grade Tier 2 talisman. After activating it, a seventy-foot water dragon coiled its body and roared fiercely at the pursuing Golden-Horned Tiger Ox.
At the same time, the three of them suddenly accelerated, closing in on Ruan Tieniu and quickly flying toward the 'eldest Feng brother.'
Boom!
The seventy-foot water dragon was shattered by a direct charge from the Golden-Horned Tiger Ox. The beast's momentum faltered for a moment, its bronze-bell eyes blazing with fire.
Moo!
The earth trembled as the Golden-Horned Tiger Ox's speed suddenly increased by a third.
Chen Jianghe hugged Xiao Hei's neck tightly. He saw Ruan Tieniu, and behind him, Liu Zhining and the other two.
"Mystic Eye, open!"
Chen Jianghe formed a hand seal and pointed a finger toward his eyes. As spiritual power surged in, his pupils flashed with a faint light, and objects ten miles away gradually came into focus.
"A Golden-Horned Tiger Ox?!"
Chen Jianghe saw the Golden-Horned Tiger Ox chasing Ruan Tieniu. He had read about this demonic beast in the *Annals of Tiannan*.
A third-grade, high-tier bloodline. It had the body of a tiger and the head of an ox, was of the metal element, and was innately bloodthirsty, irritable, and violent.
Normally, it would be very difficult for such a demonic beast to reach the peak of Tier 2. But this was a mystic realm; with enough luck and time, it was even possible for it to become a Tier 3 demonic beast.
Chen Jianghe patted Xiao Hei's neck.
His speed shot up, heading straight for Ruan Tieniu.
A Golden-Horned Tiger Ox, while also at the peak of Tier 2, was nothing compared to the Frigid Ice Triangle Python behind him.
The difference was staggering.
There was a gap in their bloodlines, and an even greater one in their cultivation levels.
When they were three miles apart.
Ruan Tieniu and the others wanted to get closer to the 'eldest Feng brother,' but it was then that they noticed the Frigid Ice Triangle Python behind him.
"Is that a Frigid Ice Triangle Python on the verge of a breakthrough?! Dammit, that bastard!"
Ruan Tieniu cursed under his breath and immediately changed direction.
Liu Zhining, Liang Wanru, and Qian Zhengdao's eyes went wide, and they followed Ruan Tieniu's lead without hesitation, veering off course.
If they had a choice, they really didn't want to follow Ruan Tieniu.
But there were demonic beasts both in front and behind them—a peak Tier 2 Golden-Horned Tiger Ox and a Frigid Ice Triangle Python about to break through to Tier 3.
To the west was a great snowy mountain, with the Snow Palace on its peak.
Their only option was to flee east.
Seeing Ruan Tieniu and the others run east, Chen Jianghe didn't hesitate for a second, also changing direction and heading east.
"Xiao Hei, go underground."
Chen Jianghe sent a mental command and immediately ducked into Xiao Hei's shell.
"Scoot over a bit."
Xiao Hei said urgently.
His shell was connected to his flesh, and the space to accommodate his head was already small. Now, with Chen Jianghe added to the mix...
Xiao Hei could only retract his head halfway.
Chen Jianghe paid him no mind, releasing spiritual power from his thumb to wedge himself firmly in the gap between Xiao Hei's shell and head.
Boom!
Xiao Hei's Profound Earth Rock-Splitting Escape was incredibly fast, completely ignoring the extremely dangerous restrictive formations.
But Chen Jianghe couldn't.
His physical body was nowhere near as tough as Xiao Hei's. To avoid being injured by the formations, his only choice was to occupy the space where Xiao Hei would retract his head.
A hundred breaths later.
Xiao Hei tunneled through the earth, directly beneath Ruan Tieniu's group.
"Fellow Daoist Feng, is this how a decent person behaves?"
Qian Zhengdao circulated his spiritual power, his voice booming as it penetrated the ground.
"Harming disciples of my sect like this... even if you're lucky enough to escape, you'll end up on the sect's bounty list!"
"If you lead that Frigid Ice Triangle Python away right now, we Core Formation prospects of the sect can let this matter go."
They watched as the 'eldest Feng brother's' spirit turtle showed no fear of the triggered formations, its speed far surpassing their own.
It was about to leave them in the dust.
Panic surged in their hearts.
Tunneling underground, Xiao Hei couldn't care less about their curses and threats. Besides, he wasn't a person.
And they weren't yelling at him anyway.
Hearing Qian Zhengdao's words, Chen Jianghe thought of two words: utter fool.
Even at a time like this, he was still pulling rank as a sect disciple. In the face of a life-and-death crisis, who would care about that?
Besides, Qian Zhengdao wasn't cursing at him.
He was cursing the eldest Feng brother. What did that have to do with Chen Jianghe?
"Ruan Tieniu really was hiding his true capabilities!"
Chen Jianghe's spiritual sense discovered something.
The positioning of Ruan Tieniu and the other three was very strange.
Ruan Tieniu was the fastest, at the very front, followed by Qian Zhengdao, then Liang Wanru, with Liu Zhining at the rear.
No matter how the three sect disciples tried to increase their speed.
Ruan Tieniu always maintained a distance of over two hundred zhang ahead of them.
It was just outside the attack range of the three Core Formation prospects, yet still within the range of his own spiritual sense.
It seemed Ruan Tieniu had the ability to shake them off and escape the danger himself.
But he didn't.
He loyally traveled alongside these sect disciples.
He put on an appearance of sharing fortune and facing disaster together.
From time to time, he would even remind the three Core Formation prospects to speed up, appearing deeply concerned for their safety.
Honest, loyal, and righteous to the core.
"A demonic beast egg?"
The moment his spiritual sense reached Ruan Tieniu, Chen Jianghe saw that he was clutching a demonic beast egg to his chest.
"Did they raid a beast's lair?"
Hiss!
A piercing pain shot through his soul!
Chen Jianghe abruptly retracted his spiritual sense.
"Ruan Tieniu has an artifact that can attack one's spiritual sense! That bastard is hiding his true depth."
"Fellow Daoist Feng, I know you have a talisman treasure. How about we cooperate? We'll split the profits fifty-fifty."
Ruan Tieniu sent a mental message.
Chen Jianghe was taken aback, unsure of what Ruan Tieniu meant. He didn't reply.
He wasn't the real eldest Feng brother.
And he certainly didn't have a talisman treasure.
"Let's kill that Frigid Ice Triangle Python together. You can have the storage bags of these three Core Formation prospects, and I'll take the python's body and spiritual core."
Ruan Tieniu's voice entered his mind.
The words sent a shiver through Chen Jianghe.
"Xiao Hei, faster! Let's shake these people off first," Chen Jianghe immediately urged.
Ruan Tieniu actually wanted to kill the Frigid Ice Triangle Python and even split the sect disciples' storage bags with 'him'.
What did that imply?
It wasn't that Ruan Tieniu was just bold.
It meant Ruan Tieniu possessed something comparable to a talisman treasure.
"Fellow Daoist Feng, if you agree, I can make another concession. We'll kill that Golden-Horned Tiger Ox, and its body and spiritual core will be yours."
"You don't have a spirit-imbued artifact, do you?"
"I won't hide it from you. The master refiner of Thousand Mountains Market City, Fairy Luo, is the wife of my brother, Chen Jianghe. If you get the Golden-Horned Tiger Ox's spiritual core and body, and gather a few more materials, I can help you arrange for a spirit-imbued artifact once we're out of the mystic realm."
Ruan Tieniu's tempting voice echoed in Chen Jianghe's ears.
"So it really was you spreading those damn rumors."
Chen Jianghe didn't respond. He just wanted to get out of this dangerous situation as quickly as possible.
As for cooperating with Ruan Tieniu?
He didn't have the strength for that. Better to forget it.
Roar!
The Frigid Ice Triangle Python and the Golden-Horned Tiger Ox were now side by side, chasing Chen Jianghe, Ruan Tieniu, and the others together.
Bang!
The Frigid Ice Triangle Python whipped its tail, sending the Golden-Horned Tiger Ox flying. It then shot forward, closing the distance to Liu Zhining to just a hundred zhang.
Whoosh~
A breath of frigid ice.
A terrifying frost instantly spread over a hundred-zhang radius, causing Liu Zhining's speed to falter.
"Break!"
Liu Zhining pulled the jade sash from her waist, flicking it out. It spun rapidly, dispelling the frigid air.
But how could the icy breath of a peak Tier 2 Frigid Ice Triangle Python be so easily dispersed?
Liu Zhining's speed continued to drop.
A cold glint flashed in her eyes. The jade sash artifact in her hand shot toward Liang Wanru, binding her before she could react, and yanked her backward.
"Junior Sister Liu, what are you doing?!"
Liang Wanru screamed in terror.
Spiritual power flooded her body as she tried to break free of the sash, while her top-tier flying sword artifact shot toward Liu Zhining.
Liu Zhining took out a talisman.
It was one of Chen Jianghe's Greenvine Shield Talismans, which she had bought from Cen Linchuan for the high price of five thousand spirit stones.
The talisman's runes flared to life, releasing a dense spiritual power. Vines materialized from the void, weaving themselves into a shield in front of Liu Zhining that blocked Liang Wanru's flying sword attack.
At the same time, it also blocked the ice spikes spat out by the Frigid Ice Triangle Python.
"Fellow Daoist Liu, Fellow Daoist Liang, we're all in grave danger! Why are you doing this?!" Ruan Tieniu shouted urgently upon seeing this.
He reached out a broad hand as if to stop them, but he was willing, yet the flesh was weak.
"Junior Sister Liu wants to use me as a shield? Then we'll die together."
Liang Wanru also produced a high-grade Tier 2 talisman, which coalesced into a hundred-foot golden sword of light that slashed directly at Liu Zhining.
But her body was bound by the jade sash, giving Liu Zhining the leverage she needed to pull past her.
Boom!
The golden sword shattered the green vine shield, its light dimming as it slammed into Liu Zhining's top-tier defensive artifact.
It tore through her immortal robes, revealing a patch of snow-white skin.
In this moment of life and death, there was no time for appreciation.
Hiss!
The light sliced through the tender flesh of her shoulder, leaving a bloody, gaping wound.
The shattered green vine shield dissolved into motes of spiritual light, which glowed green as they settled over Liu Zhining's shoulder.
The bleeding stopped instantly.
The flesh wound began to heal.
Ten breaths later, only a thin red line remained on her jade-white shoulder. It wouldn't be long before even that scar disappeared.
"Senior Brother Qian, please tell my master of my death—"
The Frigid Ice Triangle Python opened its cavernous maw and swallowed the fragrant meal. Its sharp fangs clamped down on the top-tier flying sword artifact, snapping it in two.
"Alas! Why did it have to be this way, why!"
Ruan Tieniu was grief-stricken. Seeing another fellow cultivator perish in the serpent's mouth, he cried out in sorrow.
A disc-shaped artifact appeared in his hand, concealing his spiritual sense and transforming it into a thread that silently snatched Liang Wanru's storage bag.
"Fellow Daoist Qian, Fellow Daoist Liu, it's just the three of us now. We absolutely must not harbor any more killing intent. We must work together to escape this calamity. That is the righteous path."
Ruan Tieniu frowned, his voice heavy.
He then looked at the trembling ground, where a straight furrow was being carved into the earth, rapidly extending into the depths of the mountains.
A cold light flickered in his eyes.
An hour later.
"Xiao Hei, prepare to dive deep!"
Chen Jianghe had already left Ruan Tieniu far behind. With Ruan Tieniu and the three Core Formation prospects slowing down the Frigid Ice Triangle Python.
They were now over a dozen miles apart.
He was beyond the range of his Mystic Eye and spiritual sense, and also outside the perception range of a Tier 2 demonic beast.
Chen Jianghe used the Sealing Talismans in his hand as if they were free.
In the days before entering the mystic realm, he had drawn many high-grade Tier 1 spiritual talismans, mostly Sealing Talismans and Barrier-Breaking Talismans.
After arriving, he had even squeezed in some time during the three-day rest period to draw a few more.
He didn't expect them to block the spiritual sense of a Foundation Establishment cultivator.
He only needed to seal his own aura.
Xiao Hei dove deep, fast.
For every hundred feet he descended, Chen Jianghe would use another Sealing Talisman.
After burrowing more than three thousand feet underground, the Profound Earth Rock-Splitting Escape could go no deeper. Chen Jianghe and Xiao Hei concealed their auras.
Xiao Hei's shell emitted a faint, earthy yellow glow that enveloped both him and Chen Jianghe as he entered a state of suspended animation.
It seemed to sever all connection with the outside world.
Chen Jianghe said nothing more.
Xiao Hei didn't send any mental messages either.
A thousand meters underground, it was dark and silent.
The only sound was the faint, rhythmic pulse of the earth itself.
One day... three days... ten days passed.
Only then did Chen Jianghe and Xiao Hei begin to relax slightly. But they didn't leave. Instead, they carved out a cave a thousand meters below the surface.
The chase had left him thoroughly shaken, a lingering fear in its wake.
The Frigid Ice Triangle Python was simply too powerful; even the Golden-Horned Tiger Ox paled in comparison.
The last thing his spiritual sense had observed of Ruan Tieniu's group was Liu Zhining being caught by the python's icy breath.
If nothing unexpected happened, Liu Zhining was most likely already in the serpent's belly.
And even if she hadn't been eaten, she would have eventually been screwed over by Ruan Tieniu.
Thinking of Ruan Tieniu's mental message, Chen Jianghe felt a pang of fear. He had still underestimated the man.
Before, he had thought he had Ruan Tieniu figured out, that he could even make him his subordinate.
"I've been too arrogant, underestimating the heroes of this world!"
Ruan Tieniu had actually considered teaming up with the 'eldest Feng brother' to kill the Frigid Ice Triangle Python. This meant he definitely had a trump card comparable to a talisman treasure.
However, Chen Jianghe was certain of one thing.
Ruan Tieniu absolutely intended to use the Frigid Ice Triangle Python to plot against the 'eldest Feng brother.' His real target probably wasn't the python, but the peak Tier 2, metal-element demonic beast—the Golden-Horned Tiger Ox.
Those golden horns and that tiger hide were all top-grade materials for refining a spirit-imbued artifact.
And they happened to be a perfect match for the elemental attribute of Ruan Tieniu's cultivation technique.
"In the future, I must stay far away from Ruan Tieniu when I'm out in the wilds."
Chen Jianghe made up his mind.
Then, Chen Jianghe released Latiao. He looked at the snake's bulging body; though only as thick as a calf, it was swollen to a length of three feet, looking as if its belly might burst.
"Latiao, spit out all the treasures."
Xiao Hei gently patted Latiao's triangular head, but the memory of being chased by the Frigid Ice Triangle Python made him put a little more force into it.
Latiao rolled over on the ground.
It then spat out the treasures from its belly one by one, as if presenting a family collection.
There were over a dozen precious items.
Among them were two stalks of Iceheart Grass.
With these, he could refine two batches of Iceheart Barrier-Breaking Pills.
"A Tier 3 spiritual item, a Ten Thousand Year Iceheart!"
When Chen Jianghe saw the fist-sized piece of jade marrow, the temperature in the entire underground cave plummeted the moment Latiao spat it out.
It seemed to freeze even the pulsing veins of the earth.
Chen Jianghe had scanned the area with his spiritual sense; beneath the cave flowed an underground river.
He took out a jade box and placed the Ten Thousand Year Iceheart inside.
This was not only a primary material for refining a Dharma treasure but also an absorbable Tier 3 spiritual item—what the cultivation world commonly referred to as a Core Formation spiritual item.
It could be refined into a Tier 3 spiritual pill to aid in Core Formation, or it could be absorbed directly. Either way, it had the effect of assisting one in reaching the Core Formation realm.
Gao Peiyao and Luo Xiyue's insistence on going to Sunset Pool must have been for this Ten Thousand Year Iceheart.
"Water Spirit Jade, Spirit Pool Pearls, Moon-Gazing Stone, Profound Ice Sinking Wood..."
Chen Jianghe looked at each of the natural treasures, his face beaming with joy, his heart blooming with delight.
Water Spirit Jade was a high-grade Tier 2 absorbable natural treasure. It could be used to enhance one's spiritual power cultivation or one's physical cultivation.
There were three pieces of Water Spirit Jade in total. Adding the one he had obtained earlier...
He now had four pieces of Water Spirit Jade.
They could be refined into low-grade Origin Spirit Pills.
However, Chen Jianghe wouldn't do that. He was counting on the Water Spirit Jade to cultivate his Tidal Marrow-Washing Art!
There were many natural treasures that could enhance one's spiritual power, but very few that could be used for physical cultivation techniques.
Spirit Pool Pearls, much like Spirit Spring Pearls, were formed from the condensation of spiritual energy over centuries.
The spiritual power within the pearls was dense and pure, suitable for direct cultivation.
They could also be refined into Origin Spirit Pills.
These two Spirit Pool Pearls were peak Tier 2 absorbable spiritual items of immeasurable value.
Chen Jianghe took out prepared jade boxes, placed the Water Spirit Jades and Spirit Pool Pearls inside, and then put them into his storage bag.
The Moon-Gazing Stone. This was a quasi-Tier 3 spiritual item.
It was the size of a palm, shaped like a crescent moon, and emitted a silvery glow, as if the silver moon from the heavens had fallen to the mortal world.
It had no elemental attribute and was a primary material for refining spirit-imbued artifacts. It could also be used to forge the embryo of a Dharma treasure.
Although it wasn't an absorbable natural treasure.
The value of this Moon-Gazing Stone was even higher than that of the four pieces of Water Spirit Jade.
Most importantly.
Like the section of Flood Dragon Green Bamboo he possessed, this Moon-Gazing Stone could be used to create a talisman treasure.
As long as one had the ancient secret technique, one could nurture it into a talisman treasure.
Chen Jianghe looked at the piece of Profound Ice Sinking Wood, which was as thick as an arm and nine inches long. This was a Tier 3 spiritual item.
It could be used for artifact refining or for creating a talisman treasure.
Its value was higher than the Moon-Gazing Stone.
But it wasn't a primary material for refining a Dharma treasure, so its increased value was limited. It was considered a low-grade Tier 3 spiritual item.
Chen Jianghe wasn't picky. As long as it was a Tier 3 spiritual item, it was priceless.
He happily stored away the Moon-Gazing Stone and the Profound Ice Sinking Wood.
"What's this?"
Chen Jianghe looked puzzled.
He stared at the four fiery red, three-leafed plants before him. They were four inches tall, with lotus-shaped leaves and a main stem that resembled a sword. The entire plant was blood-red.
The moment these four plants were spat out.
A green light instantly gleamed in Latiao's eyes.
Smack!
Xiao Hei slapped a paw on Latiao's head, and the snake's eyes cleared.
But then Xiao Hei's own paw reached for the three-leafed plants, his mouth splitting into an excited grin.
"Xiao Hei, what is this?"
Chen Jianghe felt it was just an ordinary plant, albeit a strange and somewhat special-looking one.
He scanned it with his spiritual sense.
The plant contained not a single trace of spiritual power.
It was undoubtedly a mortal item.
As for it being a medicinal herb?
Chen Jianghe had read numerous journals on alchemy and many more on identifying medicinal properties.
He also possessed the alchemical legacy of Alchemist Zhuang.
This bizarre three-leafed plant was not recorded as any known medicinal herb.
"I don't know."
Xiao Hei brought it to his nose and sniffed, looking completely intoxicated. He opened his mouth wide, about to devour it.
The next moment, clarity returned to his eyes, and he set the plant down.
But his eyes still betrayed a deep desire to consume it.
"However, I can feel that if I eat these, my bloodline will become purer."
Xiao Hei said with utmost seriousness.
"What?! An immortal grass that can purify one's bloodline!"
Chen Jianghe froze, staring at Xiao Hei in astonishment. He saw Xiao Hei give a solemn nod.
His face lit up with delight.
"Then what are you waiting for? Eat it!"
"Eat all of them, quickly!"
Xiao Hei's current bloodline was third-grade, high-tier. If it could be improved, it would become a fourth-grade, low-tier bloodline.
Although a third-grade, high-tier bloodline had a slight chance of forming a demonic core, the probability was too low—at most ten percent without consuming other demonic cores.
Even with demonic cores, it wouldn't exceed thirty percent.
But if he became a fourth-grade, low-tier bloodline, his chances of breaking through to Tier 3 would be much higher.
Xiao Hei was his brother.
And also his golden finger.
Until he figured out what the spiritual platform imprint was, he and Xiao Hei were in a symbiotic relationship.
Naturally, the stronger Xiao Hei became, the greater the benefit to him.
In a sense, Xiao Hei was his protector, his greatest trump card.
"No."
Xiao Hei looked away, no longer focusing on the plants.
"I have a feeling that when I reach the late stage of Tier 2, the 'you' on my spiritual platform will grant me a great opportunity, likely related to my bloodline."
"Besides, these plants..."
Xiao Hei paused here.
He pointed a thick claw at the three-leafed plants and said solemnly, "I had Latiao get these for Maoqiu."
Hearing this, Chen Jianghe's heart skipped a beat.
"You saw these plants in Sunset Pool, and that's why you told me to get ready to run, wasn't it?"
Chen Jianghe asked, confused.
In his mind, his and Xiao Hei's safety always came first. Everything else was secondary.
Getting these plants for Maoqiu?
If they were there for the taking, fine, but it wasn't worth the risk.
Xiao Hei nodded and looked at Chen Jianghe seriously. "I was reckless, but I don't want you to abandon Maoqiu in the future."