txolops Chapter 276 The Encounter with Spirit Beasts
Chapter 276 The Encounter with Spirit Beasts
A glint flashed in Luo Ming's eyes, and he said in a deep voice, "The pill formula... is in the hands of that old ghost Xuan Gu! Although he didn't say it explicitly before, his words hinted at it, and since he knows so much about the characteristics of the Nine-Bend Spirit Ginseng and how to capture it, he probably has the complete pill formula or even the refining experience. We must get this! Otherwise, the value of the Nine-Bend Spirit Ginseng will be greatly reduced."
As they flew at full speed, they communicated telepathically, carefully plotting how to extract or seize the crucial pill formula from the cunning Xuan Gu. Although they had just cooperated to capture the spiritual ginseng, they both knew that it was merely a temporary alliance of interests. Xuan Gu would never easily hand over the pill formula before they helped him resolve the extreme Yin issue, and a fierce struggle between them was inevitable.
Meanwhile, in a corner near the entrance to the Ice and Fire Path, Xuan Gu sat cross-legged on a blue stone, surrounded by gray mist, his face grim as he meditated. He had previously used the "Mysterious Soul Shadow Escape" technique to escape from Mu Tengzi's clutches, and although he had successfully escaped, it had significantly depleted his vital energy, leaving him slightly weak at this moment.
The primordial spirit hidden within him also seemed somewhat agitated, its voice echoing in Xuan Gu's sea of consciousness: "Brother Xiao, this is truly bad luck! We were about to succeed, but then that old bastard Mu Tengzi appeared out of nowhere! Now we haven't gotten the Nine-Bend Spirit Ginseng, and my attempt to possess a body has failed. Are we just going to go and cause trouble for that traitor Ji Yin like this? In our current state, I'm afraid our chances of winning are slim..."
Xuan Gu slightly opened his tightly closed eyes, a blood-red light flashing within them, revealing a suppressed rage and deep exhaustion.
He discovered that ever since he was ambushed by the Yin Force, his physical body was destroyed, and he was forced to possess this body of mediocre talent, resulting in a significant loss of cultivation, none of his plans over the years seemed to have gone smoothly.
Whether it was failing to deal with Han Li on that deserted island, orchestrating the fight between Luo Ming and the Ghost King a few days ago, or this attempt to obtain the Nine-Bend Spirit Ginseng.
Unexpected changes always seemed to occur at crucial moments, causing him to fail at the last minute. This feeling of being constantly hampered and things not going smoothly left him feeling extremely frustrated.
He remained silent for a moment, suppressing his agitation, and slowly said, "Go directly to Ji Yin? Given our current state, we certainly don't have a sure chance. That traitor inherited quite a few of my valuable possessions."
"Then what should we do? Are we just going to let it go like this?" the primordial spirit asked unwillingly.
"Forget it? Hmph!" Xuan Gu sneered, his eyes flashing with murderous intent. "The hatred of betrayal is irreconcilable! This fiend, I will personally slay him!"
He paused, his tone shifting to a calm analysis: "However, eliminating this fiend requires careful planning. Currently, we haven't completely broken ties with those two brats, Luo Ming and Han Li. On the contrary, we share a common enemy—the Extreme Yin Ancestor. Our interests are aligned in dealing with Extreme Yin."
"You mean... continue cooperating with them?" the primordial spirit asked hesitantly.
"Not bad." Xuan Gu's lips curled into a cold smile. "They need the formula for the Nine-Bend Spirit Ginseng Pill, and we need to rely on their power, especially Luo Ming. His spirit bird and demon banner have a certain restraining effect on extreme Yin demonic arts, which is a great help. And Han Li's Golden Thunder Bamboo Flying Sword is the nemesis of extreme Yin. With them restraining us, we can seize the opportunity to strike, and our chances of success will greatly increase."
"Moreover," Xuan Gu added, a calculating glint in his eyes, "after this incident, they must be filled with fear of Mu Tengzi and Ji Yin, and need an 'ally' to share the burden. If we propose to continue our cooperation to fight this powerful enemy, they are unlikely to refuse. As long as the pill formula is still in our hands, we have nothing to fear about them not doing their best."
The primordial spirit thought for a moment, then agreed, its tone becoming excited: "Brother Xiao's idea is indeed comprehensive! Let's do it this way! First, use them to deal with Ji Yin. After we've dealt with that traitor, we'll turn around and deal with these two brats! By then, Luo Ming's body will still be mine!"
As time went by, more and more cultivators gathered near the entrance to the second level, "Ice and Fire Path," eventually reaching more than fifty.
Those who managed to survive the perilous Ghostly Land and choose to continue forward to this place are all top-tier Core Formation cultivators, or at least quite confident in their own strength. The atmosphere here is far more somber than in the first trial. Most people are silent, making the most of their last moments to adjust their breathing, or exchanging hushed conversations with acquaintances. A heavy atmosphere of impending battle permeates the air.
When Luo Ming arrived at this place, he glanced around and saw Manhuzi, who stood like an iron tower, sitting cross-legged in meditation.
He felt inexplicably relieved. Although he was wary of his cheap master's temperament and true intentions, compared to old monsters like Ji Yin and Mu Tengzi, Man Hu Zi's straightforward and at least outwardly protective style made him feel a little more "reliable".
He walked discreetly to the edge of the barbarian camp, sat down cross-legged, and saw Xuan Gu still meditating with his eyes closed in a corner in the distance. Their eyes met unintentionally, and they both saw the meaning in each other's eyes before looking away, understanding each other without saying a word.
Before long, a loud whooshing sound came from the distant horizon. Two incredibly powerful beams of light flew in almost simultaneously. When the light faded, the figures of the Extreme Yin Ancestor, Wu Chou, and Mu Tengzi were revealed.
The appearance of the three immediately attracted everyone's attention. Mu Tengzi was still wearing that tattered bamboo hat, his aura calm, and he walked straight towards the area where the righteous cultivators were gathered. When Wan Tianming saw that Mu Tengzi's aura was fluctuating, he immediately asked in a deep voice.
Meanwhile, the Yin Ancestor and Wu Chou returned to the demonic camp with gloomy expressions, right near Man Hu Zi and Qing Yi Ju Shi.
As soon as the Yin Ancestor landed, his gaze locked onto Han Li in the distance like a venomous snake, his eyes filled with greed, eagerness, and a hint of resentment. He glanced again at the entrance to the Ice and Fire Path, which was filled with chilling air and faintly alternating heat waves, and seemed to have made up his mind. He moved his lips slightly and began to transmit his voice to the bearded man and Qingyi Hermit beside him.
The bearded man and the hermit of Qingyi initially showed surprise, but then their expressions turned to unbelievable elation. Their eyes turned to Han Li, scrutinizing him as if he were a rare treasure. The three of them began to discuss in hushed tones, the atmosphere lively.
"As expected..." Luo Ming took in all of this and understood.
"That old ghost Ji Yin seems to be impatient. The Ice and Fire Path is extremely dangerous and unpredictable; it's not uncommon for late-stage Core Formation cultivators to perish there. Junior Brother Han is only at the early stage of Core Formation. In Ji Yin's view, if something happens to him here, his Blood Jade Spider, which he has been plotting for many years, will be completely ruined. He's revealing his hand in advance, trying to win over Barbarian Beard and Qing Yi to ensure that Junior Brother Han can safely pass through the Ice and Fire Path and 'cooperate' with them to enter the inner hall to retrieve the treasure."
He watched as Han Li was summoned by the bearded man. Though Han Li's face showed "respect," Luo Ming clearly saw the reluctance and wariness deep in his eyes. A strange sense of "envy" welled up within him.
"Tsk, look at the treatment Junior Brother Han is getting... These Nascent Soul stage monsters are probably going to start 'generously opening their wallets' to arm Junior Brother Han to the teeth and protect him. Why don't I have that kind of luck?"
The reason why Han Li was valued by those old guys who would only do anything for personal gain was because Han Li possessed the Blood Jade Spider, a type of demonic beast that was most suitable for taking out the Void Heaven Cauldron.
Luo Ming couldn't help but marvel at the wonders of the cultivation world. The chilling aura that even Nascent Soul cultivators would avoid was completely unaffected by the silk of the Blood Jade Spider at the peak of the fourth level.
As he was thinking, he suddenly remembered the two "snow silkworms" in his spirit beast pouch.
Over the years, he had consumed so many spirit stones to feed these two little guys on Biling Island, but they never advanced. After their auras reached a certain limit, they became too lazy to even absorb spirit stones. Instead, they made a cocoon out of silk and lay inside, sleeping all day long. They were truly sitting on a mountain of treasures without realizing it.
But Luo Ming had no choice. He guessed that if the Snow Silkworm wanted to advance, it might be related to the environment. Perhaps it needed that kind of extreme cold power to stimulate it to advance to the fifth level. But Biling Island didn't have that kind of environment, and he didn't have that many ice attribute spirit stones.
Although Luo Ming calls these two little guys Snow Silkworms, they are several times larger than the Snow Silkworm spirit insects that are usually only at the peak of level one, or at most level two. He still doesn't understand what kind of spirit insects they are. It is probably only after these two little guys advance to level five and awaken their supernatural abilities that he will be able to tell.
Just as his thoughts were drifting, the bearded man's rough voice boomed in his ears like thunder: "Hey! You brat, get over here too!"
Luo Ming was startled and looked up to see that the gazes of Manhuzi, Jiyin, and Qingyi were all fixed on him. Manhuzi's summons were a matter of course, Qingyi Jushi's eyes were filled with curiosity, and Jiyin Laozu... although he forced a very forced "amiable" expression on his face, the icy coldness deep in his eyes could not be concealed, and Wu Chou next to him had a smug look in his eyes, as if some scheme had succeeded.
He cursed inwardly, but dared not be negligent on the surface. He quickly got up and walked over.
The bearded man waved his hand, and a thick, earthen-yellow soundproof barrier enveloped them. His copper-bell-like eyes glared at Luo Ming, and he asked bluntly:
"I heard from Ji Yin that you have quite a few spirit beasts, including a black tortoise and a spirit bird? When we enter the inner hall and retrieve the Void Heaven Cauldron, your spirit beasts will come in handy. Although they aren't the most suitable for retrieving the cauldron, having a couple more helpers will always give us more strength."
Upon hearing this, Luo Ming's heart stirred, and his eyes lit up slightly. He didn't think about the Xuan Turtle and the Fat Sun Bird, but instead realized the opportunity of the Snow Silkworm.
The "Dry Blue Ice Flame" near the Void Heaven Cauldron is an extremely cold and wondrous fire, possessing boundless power, yet also containing incomparably pure icy energy. He was worried about the advancement opportunity for those two mutated snow silkworms. If he could let them try to come into contact with, or even absorb, a trace of the cold energy emanating from the Dry Blue Ice Flame... perhaps there would be unexpected gains! Even if they couldn't advance, being able to withstand such cold energy would certainly be a great tempering for them.