Cultivation begins with ice harvesters

Chapter 52: An Unexpected Incident

"Is Fellow Daoist Tong afraid?"

"A treasure as precious as the Crystal Gourd would not have been discovered by us if it weren't guarded by a powerful demonic beast. It would have already fallen into the bellies of other demonic beasts long ago."

"Fellow Daoist, if you wish to withdraw, simply pledge that your cultivation will cease in the future. Fortune and honor are found in danger; this is a principle understood by all mortals. Do you not understand it?"

Liu Guangqing's words seemed to be meant to comfort, but the hint of contempt in them was impossible to hide.

"While the Crystal Crocodile is terrifying, what I fear even more is a mediocre life, unable to pave a path to the heavens. If I can obtain a water-attribute crystal gourd to open a door for my future advancement to the late stage of Qi Refining, why should I give up?"

Knowing it's impossible, Tong Bingfeng never hesitates to do it, even when faced with an opportunity that is absolutely beneficial to his future cultivation.

He naturally ignored the slight provocation in Liu Guangqing's words. Such shallow tactics were of no use to a rogue cultivator who had spent years struggling to survive at the bottom of society; they were merely like a gentle breeze.

Although Tong Bingfeng couldn't remain unmoved by insults, after experiencing extortion from the market guards, this level of provocation would certainly have no effect.

"Fellow Daoist Tong truly keeps his word. I was right about you back then. Since you were willing to go even knowing that you would be facing two first-grade high-quality crystal crocodiles, you must have made ample preparations."

"At that time, Fellow Daoist Tong only needs to temporarily entangle one of the crystal crocodiles. I have the means and confidence to kill the other crystal crocodile within a quarter of an hour."

Liu Guangqing confidently patted his chest and assured them, as if the two crystal crocodiles were nothing more than small pebbles that could be easily crushed with a gentle crushing motion.

Of course, the more important thing in their seemingly simple yet slightly scheming conversation was to complete the task assignment.

"Although my strength is meager and I am unable to complete the task of hunting down a crystal crocodile on my own, I am quite confident that I can hold it off for a quarter of an hour. Fellow Daoist Liu, please rest assured."

Tong Bingfeng was under considerable pressure, after all, there was a clear difference in strength between a Qi Refining Level 5 cultivator and a Tier 1 High-Grade Demon Beast.

Not to mention that Crystal Crocodile was already a top performer among its peers, and its bloodline, demonic body, and strength all gave it a direct advantage over him.

To obtain a top-grade first-tier crystal gourd to aid in advancing to the seventh level of Qi Refining and officially stepping into the late stage of Qi Refining cultivation, such a precious treasure would inevitably come at a price.

"We need to hurry on our journey and arrive at the designated location before the crystal gourd matures, to prevent it from being devoured by the crystal crocodile."

The two monks reached an agreement smoothly, and the biggest obstacle to their journey was successfully eliminated, thus slightly solidifying the foundation of this temporary and fragile alliance.

"We will follow Fellow Daoist Liu's lead in everything."

Those who are family know their own situation best. Whether it's their strength or specific information about the growth of the crystal gourd, the other party holds absolute initiative. Tong Bingfeng decisively chooses to back down.

After a brief rest, the two transformed into a streak of light and continued forward. Across the boundless ice-covered northern frontier, they quickly vanished as a beam of light at the point where the ice met the sky.

Sun rises and sets, day and night alternate.

In the blink of an eye, after two days of continuous travel, the two cultivators found themselves in a completely unfamiliar icy region.

Although Liu Guangqing had been here before, the relaxed and carefree look on his face had vanished, replaced by a serious and solemn expression. He held a first-grade high-quality spear-shaped magic weapon in his hand, observing his surroundings with high vigilance, as if a demonic beast might suddenly appear and launch a sneak attack at any moment.

Tong Bingfeng followed closely behind, also holding a mid-grade first-tier Azure Water Sword. However, he focused his mental energy primarily on the rear of the two to prevent attacks from demonic beasts.

"Fellow Daoist Liu, we have been traveling for several days, and our journey should be more than halfway complete. Shouldn't you tell us more information about the crystal gourd?"

According to the rules of the cultivation world in the Northern Frontier, Tong Bingfeng went straight to the point and asked questions. At this point, he had the right to know from every perspective.

"All information about the crystal gourd is recorded in this jade slip. Fellow Daoist Tong, please feel free to read it."

"However, please remain vigilant, fellow Daoist. We are about to overcome the first hurdle of our journey. The area within a hundred feet is the habitat of the Spiked Turtle. If we disturb these creatures, the consequences will be unimaginable."

Liu Guangqing was prepared and threw out a jade slip. However, his sharp, eagle-like eyes did not relax in the slightest and pointed out the real danger of the place.

The Exploding Spiked Turtle is a true anomaly among turtle-type monsters. Compared to the gentle and lazy nature of most turtle-type monsters, these creatures are in a state of extreme rage.

Furthermore, its shell is covered with ten to a hundred sharp spikes, which can burst forth at any time with sufficient magical power, and their destructive power is unimaginable.

Most importantly, these so-called spikes are not one-time use. As long as the Spiked Turtle advances its cultivation level by a small stage, it can be completely restored to its original state.

Therefore, they could not easily provoke these troublesome groups of creatures, otherwise the various treasures they had prepared would surely be wasted here.

"Concealing Breath Technique"

Upon hearing this, Tong Bingfeng naturally changed his original way of traveling. He activated the "Concealing Breath Technique" to conceal his aura as much as possible. He also forcibly suppressed his curiosity about the information about the crystal gourd recorded in the jade slip, deciding to read it after passing through this icy region.

The "Concealing Breath Technique" is a very common method in the Ice Sea Market, specifically used to conceal the aura of cultivators. Almost every shop sells it, and each complete copy of the incantation costs two spirit stones. It is an essential incantation for almost every Qi Refining stage cultivator when they go out.

Tong Bingfeng was naturally quite familiar with this technique, having used it many times in the past when he used his large front teeth to track and hunt down monsters.

As the owner of a general store, Liu Guangqing naturally cultivated a higher level of technique than the Breath Concealing Technique, and its effects were even better once activated.

They proceeded cautiously, and just as they were about to leave the icy region where the Spiked Turtle lived, an unexpected event suddenly occurred.

Liu Guangqing, who had been leading the way, suddenly stepped onto a floating block of ice, and a little water dripped onto his boots.

The aura unique to cultivators naturally spread with the water flow, and the Qi Concealing Technique of the Qi Refining stage was clearly insufficient to support the function of concealing a cultivator's aura in water.

"call"

In an instant, a series of heavy breathing sounds rang out, and three turtles, each over half a zhang long, stood upright with sharp spikes on their shells, their beady eyes shooting out violent beams of light.