txolops Chapter 303 Gold-Eating Insect Exchange
Chapter 303 Gold-Eating Insect Exchange
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"If Brother Han still possesses such spirit wood materials, I, Luo, would be willing to exchange some of the rare and exotic insects I cultivate—the Gold-Eating Insects—for a share. What do you say, Brother Han?"
"The Gold-Devouring Insect?!" Han Li's heart trembled once more! This name was not unfamiliar to him! He had seen a terrifying description of this insect in the storage bag of that Core Formation cultivator from the Spirit Control Sect! It was known as a savage insect that devoured everything, infamous and fearsome, a primordial worm that struck fear into the hearts of countless cultivators in ancient times! Its mature form could even threaten Nascent Soul cultivators! However, it was rumored that this insect had been extinct in the cultivation world for many years!
Luo Ming actually possesses a Gold-Eating Insect?! And he intends to use this insect to exchange for the Golden Thunder Bamboo?!
After the initial shock and disbelief, an indescribable surge of joy and eagerness welled up in Han Li's heart! The value of the Gold-Eating Insect was immeasurable to him! If he could obtain this insect and carefully cultivate it, the resulting increase in strength would likely be just as Luo Ming had said, multiplying his combat power!
In comparison, exchanging some leftover Golden Thunder Bamboo root materials, which were temporarily unusable after refining his natal magic weapon, for the Gold-Eating Insect that would bring about a qualitative change in his strength, seemed like an incredibly worthwhile deal!
He forced down his excitement, took a deep breath, and replied telepathically, but his voice was no longer as calm as before.
"Brother Luo, you actually have that long-extinct Gold-Eating Insect in your possession? I've only heard of its ferocious reputation in ancient books. It's said that it went extinct in ancient times. I never imagined that Brother Luo would have such incredible luck."
"To be honest, Brother Luo, I do have some leftover Golden Thunder Bamboo root material from the forging of my natal flying sword. This bamboo is undoubtedly Golden Thunder Bamboo, but I wonder if this root material meets Brother Luo's needs? And how many Gold-Devouring Insects are you prepared to exchange for these materials?"
He specified that it was "root material" rather than the main stem, meaning that the main stems had already been refined into his natal magic weapon, and also implying that the quantity might be small and that they were "scraps" whose value needed to be reassessed.
The two then quickly discussed the specific procedures of the transaction, the methods of recognizing and controlling the Gold-Eating Insects, and the possible exchange of breeding experiences, and reached a preliminary consensus.
Both felt they had struck gold. One traded his infinitely cultivated Golden Thunder Bamboo roots for the highly ranked Gold-Eating Insect. The other traded a small portion of his Gold-Eating Insects for several Golden Thunder Bamboo roots, which he could later use to try fusing the evil-repelling divine thunder contained in the bamboo with the geomagnetic elemental thunder of the Xuan Turtle, in order to cultivate the newly acquired Thunder Fusion True Technique.
After transmitting his thoughts, Han Li felt a great weight lifted from his heart, giving him more confidence and anticipation for the future. He stopped "wandering around" and found a corner a little away from the Nascent Soul elders, but still where he could observe the whole situation. He sat down cross-legged and began to swallow pills to regulate his breathing and restore his mana.
Luo Ming, however, did not immediately sit down to meditate. He continued to "wander" around the area, touching the cold, smooth stone wall here, and squatting down there to tap the slightly loose ancient bluestone slabs on the ground. His gaze seemed to be casually sweeping across the area, but it was actually as sharp as an eagle's, searching for a crucial clue in his memory.
He remembered clearly that in an inconspicuous corner at the bottom of the Cold Li Terrace, there was a piece of blue stone that looked no different from the other blue stones, but actually held a secret! Hidden within it was a map that recorded some of the hidden passages in the inner hall of the Void Heaven Palace!
A moment later, Luo Ming stopped in a relatively secluded corner near the bottom edge of the Hanlitai. His gaze was fixed on a piece of bluestone that looked no different from the others, but had a strange pattern engraved in the center of its surface.
The image was the head of a ferocious, lifelike monster with wings sprouting from its ribs!
"Found it!" Luo Ming was overjoyed, his eyes gleaming. He remembered that the hidden map described in the original story was located under a blue stone carved with a pattern of a "winged monster"!
After secretly obtaining the map, Luo Ming continued to wander aimlessly for a few steps, then found a spot not far from Han Li, sat down cross-legged, and began to regulate his breathing and recover.
Time, in silence and repression, quietly slipped away for another hour.
suddenly!
"Buzz—!!"
At the top of the Cold Li Terrace, the enormous milky-white light shield that covered the entire terrace and exuded an astonishing chill began to shake and tremble violently without warning! On the surface of the light shield, countless ancient runes flickered wildly and erratically, as if they had been subjected to some kind of internal impact!
A terrifying chill, several times stronger than before and seemingly capable of freezing souls and solidifying magical power, suddenly burst forth and seeped out from the shaking of the light barrier, like an invisible cold tide, instantly sweeping across the bottom area of the Cold Li Platform!
The three men—Barbarian Beard, Ancestor of Extreme Yin, and Hermit of Qingyi—who were meditating cross-legged, suddenly awoke at almost the same time, abruptly stood up, and their eyes, sharp as lightning, shot towards the violently shaking milky-white light shield at the top of the platform! Their faces all revealed shock, vigilance, and a hint of barely concealed greed!
"This chill... it's because the Azure Ice Flame has been activated!"
"Look at this commotion... those few Taoist priests, Wan Tianming and his ilk, actually managed to shake the Void Heaven Cauldron! I don't know what methods they used, but they managed to trigger such a violent reaction from the Azure Ice Flame!"
They had been delayed and recuperating outside, initially believing that even if Wan Tianming and the others arrived first, without spirit beasts and secret techniques specifically designed to counter the Qianlan Ice Flame, they wouldn't be able to truly reach the Void Heaven Cauldron in a short time. But seeing the swaying light barrier and the surging cold air before them, it was clear that the treasure-hunting process had reached a crucial stage! That Void Heaven Cauldron was likely truly about to be shaken or even lifted!
"We can't wait any longer!" The bearded man's eyes flashed with ferocity as he growled, "What if these guys sneak away with the treasure? We'll have made a wasted trip! Let's go! Let's go in right now!"
He had a fiery temper and couldn't stand the humiliation of being "beaten to" by others. Before he finished speaking, he no longer hesitated and stomped his feet off the ground!
"boom!"
Two shallow pits were dented in the hard, white stone platform beneath his feet, and gravel flew everywhere! The bearded man's figure was like a cannonball, soaring into the sky with an indomitable momentum, instantly leaping to the top of the Hanli Platform, which was dozens of feet high, and arriving in front of the violently shaking milky white light barrier!
"Open it for me!"
The bearded man roared, and golden light surged around him once more. He pushed the Heaven-Supporting Demon Art to its limit, and golden scales instantly covered his entire body! The muscles in his right arm bulged like a writhing dragon, and golden light condensed on his fist, as if he were holding a small sun. With a terrifying power that could shatter the heavens and the earth and destroy everything, he delivered a powerful punch without any fancy moves, smashing it into the very center of the milky white light shield, the area where the fluctuations were most intense!
"BOOM—!!!"
A deafening roar, more deafening than any previous impact, as if the sky were falling and the earth were splitting apart, exploded in the open space! The violent sound waves and shockwaves even blew back the lingering chill from the audience!
The incredibly tough milky-white light shield finally gave way under the furious, all-out attack from the bearded man!
"Snap! Snap snap—!"
Centered on the point where the fist landed, countless clear cracks, like a spider web, instantly appeared on the surface of the light shield, spreading rapidly in all directions! From within the cracks, blinding white light and violent cold air leaked out wildly!
"Hahaha! Break!"
Seeing this, the bearded man laughed wildly and pressed his advantage, throwing another punch at the same spot!
"Bang—!!"
This time, the light shield was powerless to resist! The cracked area, like ice shattered by a heavy hammer, exploded into an irregular hole about ten feet in diameter! At the edge of the hole, the energy of the light shield rapidly dissipated and melted, revealing a deeper interior space behind it, shimmering with icy blue light, where the cold air was almost solidified!
"Let's go! Let's go in and see what kind of underhanded tricks Wan Tianming used to be able to shake the Void Heaven Cauldron!" The bearded man took the lead and stepped out without hesitation, boldly breaking into the core area at the top of the Cold Li Terrace through the gaping hole!
"Quick! Keep up!"
The Yin Ancestor shouted at Han Li and the others, but instead of rushing in, he stayed at the very back.
Judging from this posture, it's clear they're guarding against Han Li and Luo Ming suddenly escaping at this final moment! After all, Han Li's Blood Jade Spider is the key to obtaining the treasure, and although the effectiveness of Luo Ming's Snow Silkworm is unknown, it's better than nothing.
Luo Ming seemed oblivious to the cold, venomous gaze behind him. His entire mind was occupied by the extreme chill he felt upon entering the cave!
Just as they passed through the broken light barrier, a terrifying cold, far exceeding that of the outside world and seemingly capable of instantly freezing magical power, pierced wildly from all directions like countless invisible ice needles!
The pale blue protective aura of Luo Ming's own magical power, which had been supporting his body, lasted only a moment before it creaked and groaned under the strain. The aura quickly dimmed and stagnated, as if it were about to be completely frozen by the astonishing cold! The flow of magical power within his body also suddenly slowed down several times, as if he were sinking into viscous molten ice!
"What formidable chill!" Luo Ming thought with a chill. This was merely the residual power unintentionally emitted by the Azure Ice Flame, and it might even be just the chill weakened and filtered by the white light barrier! The true form of the Azure Ice Flame was unimaginably cold!
He dared not be negligent. His mind raced, and the "Myriad Spirits Blood Technique" within his body was activated at full speed! A vast amount of blood energy surged forth from his limbs, bones, and internal organs, roaring and rushing along specific meridians! A solid, thick, dark red blood energy shield, radiating a scorching life force, instantly formed on his body, replacing the faltering pale blue spiritual light!
"Hiss..."
The crimson protective shield made contact with the omnipresent, terrifying chill, emitting faint sounds of burning and melting. But it did manage to temporarily withstand the chill's corrosive effects, allowing Luo Ming's magical power to flow normally again, and his hands and feet regained sensation and dexterity.