txolops Chapter 51: Departure
Chapter 51: Departure
As the manager of Miaodan Pavilion, he was no stranger to this kind of scene. Although he was curious, he still adhered to the duty of a cultivator and never inquired about such opportunities that concerned his life and future cultivation.
After a cup of tea, Tong Bingfeng strode out of Miaodan Pavilion and headed towards the small courtyard he rented.
"Unfortunately, a regular customer who frequently sells monster corpses is about to embark on a dangerous journey, and it's uncertain whether he will be able to return safely."
As the shopkeeper surnamed Wu watched him walk away, a hint of regret crept into his eyes. After all, in his past experience, most rogue cultivators ended up failing and never visited the shop again.
Tong Bingfeng, who had already gone far away, naturally paid no further attention to the various sighs of the shopkeeper surnamed Wu. At this moment, he was focused on taking stock of the various treasures he had carefully prepared, and sorting them into categories and placing them in their respective places, so that they could be used to fight the enemy at the first opportunity when needed.
"Once we return safely, we can try to rent a small courtyard with a mid-grade first-level spiritual vein from the market management office to meet our daily cultivation needs."
Daily cultivation of the Great Circulation, refining the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, may not seem to have a significant effect, but with accumulation over time, it is not to be underestimated.
A first-grade low-level spiritual vein can meet the needs of cultivators in the early stages of Qi Refining. For him now, this small courtyard located on the outermost edge of the market not only cannot help his daily cultivation, but may also cause some degree of hindrance.
As the saying goes, you get what you pay for. The monthly rental price of a courtyard with a first-grade mid-level spiritual vein naturally rises accordingly, reaching a high price of five spirit stones.
Of course, all of this is based on the premise that he can return safely and successfully obtain the crystal gourd.
The sun rises in the east and the moon sets in the west, marking the alternation of day and night.
Before they knew it, it was noon on the second day, the time the two cultivators had agreed to meet.
Ice Spirit Island has only one dock, which was the location of the Five Sacred Mountains spirit ship back then. It is not close to the small courtyard where Tong Bingfeng lived, but for a cultivator with magical power, this little distance seems to be nothing.
"Fellow Daoist Tong, let's set off quickly. Don't look around. Once we're a hundred miles from Ice Spirit Island, we'll travel together to avoid attracting the attention of other cultivators and causing unnecessary trouble."
Just as they arrived at the Ice Spirit Island dock, a voice transmission entered their ears. About a hundred feet ahead, a cultivator whose identity was unknown and whose entire body was hidden in a black robe had already taken the lead and was walking forward.
"Better safe than sorry; with a treasure like the crystal gourd, one can never be too careful."
Tong Bingfeng looked around to make sure no other cultivators were following him, then followed closely behind, heading deeper into the ice domain. He would only reveal the exact location when they were more than two-thirds of the way there and about to face potential dangers.
This is also the rule followed throughout the cultivation world. Only in this way can the safety of the information owner be guaranteed as much as possible, since money can be a powerful motivator.
This was Tong Bingfeng's first time seeking opportunities; his previous cultivation had usually been nothing more than following the established procedures.
Although the process may seem unfamiliar at first, the precautions involved have already been learned from similar jade slips.
The Ice Spirit Island Wharf is located in a relatively remote area. Apart from the two times a year when the Five Mountains Second-Tier Spirit Ship docks, it is usually quite deserted. Occasionally, a cultivator will pass by, but they will only be gone for a moment.
Tong Bingfeng and Liu Guangqing (owner of Liu's Grocery Store) did not meet up, nor did they stay for long, so they naturally did not attract the attention of other cultivators.
Throughout the journey, Tong Bingfeng strictly adhered to the agreement, maintaining a distance of about a hundred feet between the two cultivators. Every ten miles or so, Liu Guangqing would immediately change the direction of travel.
Sometimes it turned left, sometimes right, sometimes forward, sometimes backward. There was no pattern to follow throughout the entire process. On the vast ice field of the northern frontier, there were no reference points at all, making it impossible for Tong Bingfeng to effectively determine its specific direction and location.
This journey took a full half-day at the beginning. Only when they reached a blue stone protruding from the ice field did Liu Guangqing stop and throw his black robe into a dug ice cave to destroy it.
"Fellow Daoist Tong, quickly change your clothes and leave all potential followers here."
Liu Guangqing urged him on from the side, clearly he wasn't the only one who needed to update his clothes; the shop owner was more cautious than expected.
Only at this moment did Tong Bingfeng understand why the other party, who was clearly already at the seventh level of the late stage of Qi Refining, insisted on inviting a Qi Refining fourth-level cultivator as a companion.
He didn't just want to control this small team and fragile alliance; he wanted more of a sense of security.
If it were replaced by a late-stage Qi Refining cultivator of similar strength, they would naturally not allow themselves to be manipulated and commanded, and the distribution of spoils would also need to be redistributed.
After all, a complete crystal gourd contains five gourds of different attributes: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. Even if they are not to be divided equally, at least two or three are needed.
Tong Bingfeng, a cultivator at the fifth level of Qi Refining, only needed one water-attribute gourd; the remaining four belonged to Liu Guangqing.
"Fellow Daoist Liu, may I ask how far the Crystal Gourd is from us? Also, what are the types, ranks, and strengths of the demonic beasts guarding the Crystal Gourd?"
Having traveled more than a hundred miles from Ice Spirit Island, Tong Bingfeng asked, since the type and rank of the demonic beasts determined the strategy for dealing with them, and preparations needed to be made in advance.
At this point, as long as the specific growth of the crystal gourd has not been discussed, other general information should also be within their scope of understanding.
"There are still 500 miles of icy territory to cross before reaching the crystal gourd. Guarding the crystal gourd are two first-tier high-grade ice crystal crocodiles, one male and one female."
Liu Guangqing introduced himself quite readily, only showing a slight hesitation when mentioning the guardian monster, the Ice Crystal Crocodile.
The first-tier superior-grade Ice Crystal Crocodile is a variant of the crocodile-type demon beast born in the ice region of the Northern Frontier. It usually feeds on spiritual ice containing rich spiritual power. Under the special structure of its body and the pull of demon power, the ice crystals not only nourish the growth of the demon beast, but also form a layer of armor on its body surface for defense.
It is also very generous in its offense. A first-tier superior-grade beast can awaken at least two innate spells. Its crocodile-like bite force is also amazing. Its slender tail can easily break through the defenses of ordinary defensive spells when it attacks from a distance. It is a monster that can both attack and defend, with excellent overall strength.
"It's actually a Tier 1 High-Grade Ice Crystal Crocodile? Such a ferocious monster?"
Although Tong Bingfeng was mentally prepared, he was still stunned for a moment.