Chapter 243: Chapter 163: Jiangkui Forest (2)
Although his expression remained unchanged, he was inwardly ecstatic.
With the Substitute King Insect and Thundering Grass in hand, his chances of successfully crossing his tribulation had increased yet again. ’If I can get my hands on a few more Spiritual Objects that increase the odds of Core Formation, like the Golden Core Pill,’ he thought, ’then the path to the Golden Core Dao will be wide open. Reaching that realm is only a matter of time.’
’I need to stay calm!’
His gaze swept over Child Ma Cheng, who had died with his eyes wide open. Ma Cheng had clearly been a cautious man; otherwise, he never would have survived this long as a Loose Cultivator. It was a shame that greed had blinded him in the end.
’If I don’t want to meet the same fate, I must always be on my guard.’
Lü Zhong had wanted to ask for help with the Ice Jade Bee Swarm, but when he turned, he saw Chen Xiaohe busy treating Chengg Danan. He had no choice but to continue directing his Insect Swarm to fight alone. After a prolonged battle, both his swarm and the bees had suffered devastating losses.
He didn’t care much about the losses, though. Raising Spiritual Insects was a hassle, after all.
’A person’s energy is finite. I’m already studying the arts of talismans and arrays, on top of practicing Cultivation Techniques and Magic Skills like the Flame Manipulation Technique and the Jade Vein Technique. I simply don’t have the time to spare for anything else.’
Even for raising the Substitute King Insect, Lü Zhong planned to just buy pre-made Insect Paste in the future, or even substitute it with Spirit Liquid. The latter method was incredibly expensive, but its effects were far superior to the paste. Not only did it save time and effort, but it was also much more convenient to purchase.
The cleanup took the better part of a day.
The collected insect carcasses filled three Storage Bags, taking up more than thirty cubic meters of space.
In the herb garden, there were about thirty stalks of Spirit Medicine, most of them over a century old and quite valuable.
After wiping out the Ice Jade Bee Swarm, he not only captured an Ice Jade Bee queen but also harvested a large amount of their Spiritual Honey.
This type of Spiritual Honey didn’t contain much Spiritual Qi, but it was prized for its exquisite taste. When used with Spirit Fruits to brew Spirit Wine, it created the "Ice Jade Burn," a famous vintage in the Cultivation Realm. A single sip could restore Magical Power. While not as potent as most Replenishing Qi Pills, it had the advantage of not causing any Pill Poison to accumulate in the body.
Lü Zhong had no intention of diverting his focus to raise the queen bee, but he wasn’t about to pass up on the Spiritual Honey.
’After all, it really does taste incredible!’
Meanwhile, after extensive treatment, Chengg Danan had finally been pulled back from the brink of death. However, he remained extremely weak, without even the strength to move a muscle, and was being cared for by Chen Xiaohe.
Watching the scene, Lü Zhong couldn’t help but sigh to himself.
’There’s a reason the Lingyue Sect is a Nascent Soul Sect.’
’This culture of mutual support among disciples was something the old Heling Sect never had. The Flying Star, Profound Moon, and Tuoyang branches were all smiles on the surface, but they were constantly trying to sabotage each other behind the scenes.’
’No wonder it ultimately ended up splitting apart.’
"Fellow Daoist Chengg, as we agreed, this is your rightful share." Lü Zhong passed over a Storage Bag filled with Spirit Medicine, and also offered him the Ice Jade Bee queen.
"No, that’s not necessary," Chengg Danan said, waving a hand in refusal.
Driving off Li Wuzhen was a major accomplishment for him and Chen Xiaohe.
And that accomplishment was all thanks to Lü Zhong. If he hadn’t forced Li Wuzhen to withdraw from Chenyuan Palace, the two of them wouldn’t have earned any merit. In fact, they probably would have been killed.
Since he insisted, Lü Zhong didn’t stand on ceremony and took the items back.
When they discussed their plans, Chen Xiaohe explained that she needed to look after Chengg Danan. She didn’t intend to explore any further and was instead preparing to set up a defensive Array to hold their position until the Secret Realm closed at the end of the month and they were transported out.
"In that case, Fellow Daoist Chengg, Fellow Daoist Chen, please take care," Lü Zhong said, cupping his hands in a farewell gesture.
"May your immortal fortunes prosper!"
Chengg Danan and Chen Xiaohe exchanged a look and wished him well in unison.
...
The Golden Water Pool was located in the southwest of Chenyuan Palace’s upper level. Though called a pool, it was in fact a massive, marshy lake. Its surface was vast and shrouded in mist, dotted with islands of all sizes—some scattered randomly, others linked together like a string of pearls. Because vast patches of Golden Water Lotuses grew in the lake, it appeared from a distance to be sprinkled with flecks of gold, a truly spectacular sight.
As the Golden Water Lotus was of great use to Kun Cultivators, the area often attracted large groups of female cultivators whenever Chenyuan Palace was open.
This young woman beneath Lü Zhong, Shii Qingqing, was one such cultivator.
She was from the Jade Flower Sect and was exceptionally beautiful, even among Kun Cultivators. She had originally entered the realm with a Lingyue Sect disciple, but an unforeseen incident had forced them apart. Now, while waiting for her partner to arrive, she was also doing some "side business" to earn Spirit Stones.
"I’m done," Lü Zhong said, withdrawing his energy.
Having absorbed a good deal of her Yin Yuan, he had finally managed to dispel the fiery energy within his body.
’It has to be said, cultivating with a Kun Cultivator’s Yin Yuan is a definite shortcut,’ he reflected. ’Otherwise, my cultivation wouldn’t have progressed this quickly.’
He handed her the agreed-upon one hundred Spirit Stones and asked about Su Xu’er’s whereabouts.
"The female cultivator holding a little beast? Hee hee, I didn’t realize that was your type. No wonder you tired of my body so quickly." Shii Qingqing slapped a few Cleaning Talismans on herself to remove the sticky stains, teasing Lü Zhong as she did. Her eyes then shifted in thought. "On my way here, I do believe I saw someone like that, but..."
"But what?" Lü Zhong knew exactly where this was going, but he wanted to fulfill his promise and free up time to explore Chenyuan Palace, so he asked with forced patience.
"You’re so concerned about her; she must be very important to you. This information will cost you another hundred Spirit Stones. That’s not too much to ask, is it?" Shii Qingqing extended a slender finger, a smile playing on her red lips, making her intentions perfectly clear.
Lü Zhong frowned but produced another hundred Spirit Stones. "Just tell me," he said, clearly displeased. "What happened to her?"
"Hee hee, I’ll show you right now with my Water Mirror Technique!" Shii Qingqing accepted the Spirit Stones and weighed them in her palm, a satisfied smile spreading across her face. She then began forming hand seals and chanting. A moment later, a Water Mirror materialized before them.
The Water Mirror showed a bird’s-eye view. Below, a green lion, about ten feet long, was tearing through a forest. A woman sat sidesaddle on its back—it was Su Xu’er, the person Lü Zhong was looking for. Her clothes were stained with blood in several places, and it was clear she was in a bad state. Several shadowy figures were in hot pursuit.
"That’s all the information I have. Worth a hundred Spirit Stones, wouldn’t you say?" Shii Qingqing stopped channeling Magical Power into the Water Mirror. Its surface instantly smoothed out, reflecting her face as she began to dress. "I saw her in Jiangkui Forest, about a hundred li due north of here. That place is no joke. If you plan on going in to rescue her, you’d best be prepared."
"Thank you for the warning," Lü Zhong said with a cupped-fist gesture.
"Are you sure you don’t want to stay for a few more rounds? It’s rare to meet a client as considerate as you. I’ll even... waive the Spirit Stone fee for the next time," Shii Qingqing said, touching a finger to her red lips and giving him a sultry look.
"No, thank you. I’m not lacking for that sort of pleasure," Lü Zhong replied, cupping his hands to signal his departure.
With Su Xu’er’s fate unknown, he was in no mood for such things. Besides, one time had been exhausting enough. He’d had to remain on guard the entire time, which had drained all the pleasure from the act.
"Hey, don’t be in such a hurry! How about you leave this Illusion Array for me?"
"It’s yours!"
Tossing those words over his shoulder, Lü Zhong stepped out of the Illusion Array and found himself on a small island in the lake. After getting his bearings, he ignored the potential dangers along the way, immediately summoned his Wood Spirit Wind-controlling Ship, and shot off toward Jiangkui Forest at top speed.
According to the information from Liuu Piaoniang, Jiangkui Forest was one of the few truly perilous areas in Chenyuan Palace.
Its known dangers included large numbers of rogue Puppets, some with power comparable to the Fake Pill Realm. Furthermore, the area was notoriously barren of resources. In all the previous expeditions over the years, there had never been a single report of anyone making a significant find there. Even the repeated explorations by the Lingyue Sect and Huayi Temple had all come up empty.
As a result, few people ever visited the place.
Along the way, he slew three Demon Birds that were foolish enough to cross his path before finally arriving at the edge of Jiangkui Forest.
Before the forest stood a stone stele inscribed with Silver Tadpole Script. Its surface was covered in marks from sword and saber magic, and even some graffiti along the lines of "so-and-so was here." Gazing at the dark forest of towering ancient trees and swirling gray mist, he didn’t hesitate for a second and strode right in.
Following the trail, he soon arrived at the location where he had seen Su Xu’er in the vision.
