Immortal Venerable of the Beast Race
Chapter 284 - 198 Wood Demon Crystal Core (Request for Monthly Votes)_1

Chapter 284: 198 Wood Demon Crystal Core (Request for Monthly Votes)_1

Qin Facai was an elder of the Qixia Alliance, skilled in the trade, and was widely known by cultivators as Facai Layman, with a reputation that preceded him.

"Who would disagree, high-rank cultivators in the Qianyang Realm have probably all heard of Taoist Friend Qin’s great name, Qin Facai, homophonic with getting rich."

Ximen Sen chuckled and invited Shen Long and the other two to sit down.

"Taoist Friend Ximen, Fairy Han, Taoist Friend Shen, try the Spiritual Tea ’Withered Wood Springs to Life’ our Qixia Alliance got from the Western Desert Cultivation Realm."

Qin Facai picked up the teapot and poured a cup of Spiritual Tea for each of the three, including Ximen Hai.

The tea was yellow and emitted a special pleasant fragrance.

Shen Long lifted the teacup, took a sip, and felt a bit bitter, but soon thereafter, he tasted some sweetness. After another sip, he found it pleasantly sweet and refreshing, feeling an indescribable sense of exhilaration throughout his body.

"Not bad, good tea,"

Shen Long praised.

"Taoist Friend Qin, I heard you just came back from the Western Desert Cultivation Realm? You must have had a sizeable haul, right?"

Ximen Hai asked casually after a sip of Spiritual Tea.

"The gains were minimal; it is good enough that I could come back alive."

Qin Facai said with a wry smile.

"What do you mean, Taoist Friend Qin? Is there someone who dared to make a move against you? Your Qixia Alliance does not meddle in the strife between the major powers."

Han Chuchu asked, puzzled.

"It’s not that someone dared to harm me, but I encountered a rank-four ’Shenyao.’ Its illusion techniques were too terrifying, and I almost couldn’t make it back."

Qin Facai explained.

"A rank-four Shenyao! That is indeed rare."

Han Chuchu suddenly realized.

"Yes! Thankfully, it was just a regular rank-four Shenyao. There was once a mutant rank-four Shenyao that killed many Nascent Soul Cultivators. In the end, it was the Zhou Family’s Great Elder who personally took action to eliminate this monster."

Qin Facai said.

"A mutant rank-four Shenyao? That indeed is rare."

Shen Long exclaimed in surprise.

"Yes! This monster has a Purity of Bloodline reaching four. Its Divine Skills are formidable, and it is very aggressive. It is said that the Zhou Family’s Great Elder originally wanted to subdue the beast, but the beast chose death over submission and was killed by him."

Qin Facai said.

"It’s not surprising that Monster Beasts with higher Purity of Bloodline are stronger in their Divine Skills and harder to subdue. Putting that aside, if one has a powerful Spirit Beast on their side, it is indeed a great assistance."

Ximen Sen commented.

"Right, I have heard that the Northern Sea Cultivation Realm has had quite a few major events happen in the past few years. The descendants of the Five Dragon Sect have emerged? Chu Buyu has obtained the legacy of the Five Dragon Sect? The Three Immortals Sect has acquired a Sky-Reaching Spiritual Treasure?"

Qin Facai said.

"As for Chu Buyu getting the legacy of the Five Dragon Sect, I can believe that. But as for the Three Immortals Sect acquiring a Sky-Reaching Spiritual Treasure, that’s just impossible. Even if we’re talking about Spiritual Treasures, let alone the Five Dragon Sect; even among the eight major forces of the Northern Sea, those who have a Sky-Reaching Spiritual Treasure are few and far between."

Ximen Hai analyzed.

A Sky-Reaching Spiritual Treasure is incredibly valuable; if the Five Dragon Sect had one, it would never have been exterminated.

"That also makes sense; probably it’s just false news to cover up the truth!"

Han Chuchu interjected.

With a clear understanding yet curiously, Shen Long asked, "What about an auxiliary type of Sky-Reaching Spiritual Treasure?"

"Regardless of the type, the Five Dragon Sect had no reason to leave a Sky-Reaching Spiritual Treasure in a Secret Realm. The difficulty of crafting one is extremely high. It might be possible on Immortal Fall Island to find a Sky-Reaching Spiritual Treasure."

Ximen Sen speculated.

"Indeed! I’ve heard that the Sun Moon Palace held a large auction, and a nine-year-old layman managed to exchange for a Nascent Soul Pill. It’s said he entered the Immortal Fall Island, I wonder what treasures he managed to obtain to exchange for a Nascent Soul Pill."

Qin Facai said with a face full of curiosity.

Just as Shen Long was about to say something, a golden Spirit Beast pouch at his waist began to shake.

He frowned slightly and, clasping his hands, said apologetically, "My apologies, fellow Taoists, I have an urgent matter to attend to and must take my leave now."

After finishing these words, Shen Long headed straight outside; Ximen Sen and the others looked at each other in confusion.

"What matter could be so urgent? It’s quite sudden!"

Ximen Hai wondered.

"Not sure, but knowing Taoist Friend Shen, he isn’t the type to neglect propriety. He must indeed have some urgent matter to attend to."

Han Chuchu said.

Once out of the marketplace, Shen Long summoned the Seacrossing Boat, stepped onto it, pinched his spell, and the Seacrossing Boat immediately lit up with a dazzling blue light, soaring into the sky and quickly disappearing.

Half an hour later, he appeared above a desolate island over a hundred miles in size, released the Hundred Eyes Cicada, and expanded his Divine Sense to survey the entire island.

The eyes of the Hundred Eyes Cicada lit up with a dazzling golden light, but they detected no cultivators or prohibitions.

He slapped the golden Spirit Beast pouch at his waist, and five gigantic Gold-Winged Fire Ants flew out, heading in different directions.

All were in the Late Stage of the second rank, ready to advance to the third rank.

Shen Long now had over two hundred thousand Gold-Winged Fire Ants, with quite a few in the Late Stage of the second rank, and some were prepared to advance to the third rank.

The more third-rank Gold-Winged Fire Ants Shen Long had, the more powerful he would be when deploying them against enemies.

Before long, a deafening sound of thunder came from the high skies; lightning flashed, and a massive thundercloud appeared, a silver bolt of lightning tore through space, striking one of the Gold-Winged Fire Ants.

All five Gold-Winged Fire Ants were attempting to advance to the third rank simultaneously, which was beyond Shen Long’s expectations.

His Divine Sense fully expanded, he surveyed everything within fifty miles.

As time ticked by, five large thunderclouds formed in the high skies; the thunder rumbled and thick silver bolts of lightning rained down.

The five Gold-Winged Fire Ants lit up with a blinding golden glow but were still submerged by the silver lightning.

Shen Long’s brows furrowed; he sensed two Core Formation Cultivators approaching.

He slapped the Shape-Shifting Lock on his chest, a dazzling Spiritual Light flared, obscuring his face.

The spiritual light scattered, and Shen Long changed his appearance.

He looked toward the southwest direction, where two streaks of escape light appeared on the distant horizon, rapidly flying towards this location.

Before long, the two streaks of escape light came to a halt, revealing a shapely woman in a black dress and a corpulent black-robed old man. Their clothing bore the fierce ghost pattern, the insignia of the Heavenly Ghost Sect.

"It’s not him!"

said the black-robed old man.

"Have you seen a female cultivator at the Core Formation stage? Our Heavenly Ghost Sect is currently apprehending this person, and we offer rewards for information."

the woman in the black dress spoke.

"I haven’t noticed any female cultivator at the Core Formation stage."

Shen Long shook his head.

The black-robed old man’s eyes lit up and said, "There she is, I knew she hadn’t gone far. Chase her!"

He and the woman in the black dress transformed into a streak of escape light and tore through the sky, heading toward the southeast direction and swiftly disappeared from the horizon.

It seemed the Heavenly Ghost Sect was looking for a female cultivator at the Core Formation stage.

Shen Long breathed a sigh of relief, his divine sense sweeping through a fifty-mile radius.

The five Gold-Winged Fire Ants had consecutively passed their Heavenly Tribulation without attracting any special thunder and lightning. They had successfully advanced to the third order and were now weak.

Shen Long fed them each a Beast Nurturing Pill and took them back into his spirit beast bag.

He transformed into a streak of escape light and left the area.

Back in the marketplace, Shen Long took out a Messaging Plate to contact Han Chuchu, only to learn that the gathering had already ended, and that she would notify Shen Long next time there was a gathering.

Shen Long leisurely strolled through the streets, looking around.

As he passed by a small courtyard with green tiles, a white spirit beast bag at his waist gave a slight shake.

Shen Long glanced at the green-tiled courtyard, saw "Qingmei Courtyard" written in three golden characters, and concluded that Chen Chi and Xu Yuyan were residing there.

He noted the place and left.

After wandering in the streets for a while, he returned to the Golden Bamboo Courtyard and entered a secret chamber.

Shen Long sat cross-legged on a red cushion, took out a Blood Flood Dragon Pill, and placed it in his mouth.

As soon as the elixir dissolved, an immense energy rose in his abdomen, surging chaotically.

Shen Long hastily cultivated to refine the medicinal power, directing it towards the Golden Core in his dantian.

Before long, he closed his eyes, and his body was shrouded in a red glow; red dragon scales also started to emerge on his skin.

A month quickly passed, and the doors to the secret chamber opened; Shen Long stepped out.

By this time, it had grown dark, Shen Long reverted to his true form, and left.

He strolled through the streets once more, passing Qingmei Courtyard without any abnormal reaction from the spirit beast bag, indicating that Chen Chi and Xu Yuyan had already left the marketplace.

After the time it took to drink a cup of tea, he arrived at the entrance of a secluded small courtyard and sent out a Sound Transmission Talisman.

Not long after, the courtyard doors opened, and Song He came out.

"Taoist Friend Shen, please come in."

Song He greeted him with a slight smile and invited Shen Long inside.

Two men and a woman sat in the stone pavilion, with Huang Yong also present; they all greeted Shen Long as he arrived.

"How is it! Is Taoist Friend Huang feeling better?"

Shen Long asked.

"Thanks to Taoist Friend Shen’s assistance, otherwise I would surely be dead by now,"

Huang Yong said gratefully.

"Taoist Friend Shen, we’ve obtained something which would be a waste for us to keep, so we’re giving it to you!"

A sweet-looking woman in white took out a green jade box and handed it to Shen Long with both hands.

Liu Xin, at the Middle Stage of Core Formation.

Shen Long opened the jade box to find a pigeon’s egg-sized green crystal stone with some golden patterns on its surface.

He picked up the crystal stone, feeling a surge of extremely pure wooden spiritual energy fluctuations.

"This is a crystal core from an early third-order Flower Demon that we have slain on Immortal Fall Island,"

explained Liu Xin.

In search of miracle elixirs, they risked venturing into Immortal Fall Island where they found an early third-order Flower Demon, slayed it, and obtained a crystal core.

"You went to Immortal Fall Island?"

Shen Long exclaimed, looking at Huang Yong and praised, "Taoist Friend Huang, what deep bonds you share! They ventured to Immortal Fall Island and took risks for you."

"I owe my life to my elder brother and the others this time; without them, I would have certainly perished,"

Huang Yong said with emotion.

"Family doesn’t keep scores. It’s not like you haven’t saved us before,"

Song He said with a chuckle.

"Then I’ll accept this. Here, take this Seven Stars Spirit Cultivating Pill and, with some rest, you should be able to fully recover,"

Shen Long took out a green jade box and handed it over to Huang Yong.

Huang Yong expressed his thanks, took the green jade box, and headed towards the loft.

"Madam Liu, could you tell me about your venture into Immortal Fall Island?"

Shen Long asked.

"Sure, no problem. Please take a seat, Taoist Friend Shen, and we’ll tell you all about it,"

Liu Xin promptly agreed and invited Shen Long to sit down.

Song He poured Shen Long some tea as Liu Xin began recounting their journey into Immortal Fall Island.