Immortality begins with upgrading buildings

Chapter 177 [Fishpond] Emerges a Dragon [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

On the way back to Misty Island, Ji Yuan continued to review the experiences of the trip.

The more he thought about it, the more he felt that the wisp of dragon energy he had obtained was not the wisp of dragon energy that Hua Yaoyue had mentioned.

Because this dragon energy was so weak, so weak that Ji Yuan could hardly believe that he, a cultivator in the early stage of Foundation Establishment, could actually obtain this true dragon energy.

In contrast, he felt more strongly about the huge black shadow he had seen at the bottom of the river when he left Lihua River.

Perhaps that's what's related to dragon energy.

Moreover, Ji Yuan clearly remembered the blood energy that appeared on the entire Pear Blossom River when he condensed the Dragon Fortune Sword Embryo.

The blood-red aura rising from the river was definitely not something that the tiny wisp of dragon energy in his storage bag could have triggered.

"So, it seems that the wisp of dragon energy I obtained is either a smaller dragon energy that branched off from a larger dragon energy, or even a tiny dragon energy?"

Ji Yuan had no choice but to think this way.

But no matter what, it's good to have gained something!

As for the use of this dragon energy, Ji Yuan's initial idea was naturally to integrate it into the sword embryo so as to modify his first flying sword.

But on the way back, he thought about it again and came up with a more suitable solution.

Dragon energy... should stay in the Dragon Pool.

Although Ji Yuan doesn't have a Dragon Pool yet, he does have a Fish Pond. If he nurtures this dragon energy in the Fish Pond, he might be able to raise the first dragon.

When we have third-tier demon beast cubs by then... wouldn't that be a good strategy?

After recognizing it as your master, focus all your efforts on farming and nurturing it, waiting for its cultivation level to reach the third tier. This will essentially give you a Golden Core stage bodyguard by your side.

By then, even if the front lines are breached by the demonic forces, Ji Yuan feels he will have a better chance of survival.

After all, the worst that can happen is that they can flee overseas. With a third-tier demon beast protecting them, they have nothing to fear even overseas!

While pondering, Ji Yuan urged the flying boat to its full potential and quickly returned to Misty Island.

A fog enveloped the surrounding area, but once Ji Yuan's flying boat passed through the fog, the view suddenly opened up before him.

On the hillside, two old men... no, two old corpses were digging soil to plant crops. Behind them, the fields they had cleared were already planted with spirit wheat.

Those planted early at the foot of the mountain have already sprouted.

At first glance, it is lush and green, and quite beautiful.

As for the reason... it's because Ji Yuan stopped taking away the spirit soil produced by the [Chicken Coop] and instead had Tu Yue spread it evenly on these [Spirit Fields].

Although the quantity is small, it is better than nothing.

With these spiritual soils, the [spiritual fields] can produce more crops.

Even if we don't need the resources, it's good to sell them for money or keep them for a rainy day. Resources should always be utilized.

The fields where spirit wheat is grown require less spirit soil. In addition, Ji Yuan also had Chu San cultivate a medicinal garden at the foot of this mountain.

The herb garden doesn't have any separate buildings; Ji Yuan guesses it overlaps with the [Spirit Field].

But that doesn't matter, as long as it works.

He still poured a large amount of spiritual soil into this herb garden.

Furthermore, he also transferred the medicinal herbs he had initially planted—the seeds of spiritual herbs he obtained from the demonic cultivators who killed Luo Tian—to this medicinal garden.

Those seeds were placed together with gentian, so Ji Yuan naturally assumed they were also gentian.

But so many years have passed, and with the added benefit of the [Spirit Field] effect.

The herbs had finally grown a bit, and Ji Yuan was able to see their true nature... They were also herbs used to refine Foundation Establishment Pills, but they were not century-old gentian.

It is actually the thousand-year-old Qinghui grass!

Damn it, I don't know where those demonic cultivators got them from. A few demonic cultivators in the Qi Refining stage actually managed to get their hands on the seeds of the Azure Orchid Grass.

We have to wait for it to grow up; it's too slow.

Even with architectural enhancements, it would still take hundreds of years.

Ji Yuan piloted the flying boat as if he were inspecting his own territory, patrolling all the way from the mountaintop to the foot of the mountain, and finally arriving at his [fishpond].

He scanned the area with his divine sense and took in the entire scene inside the fishpond.

Aside from the initial carp-type spirit fish, Ji Yuan has intermittently added quite a few more over the years.

Therefore, there are already seventy or eighty spirit fish at the late stage of the first tier, not to mention the spirit fish at the early and mid stages.

Unfortunately, not a single third-tier dragon cub has been born yet.

According to the description on the panel, the spiritual effect [Rainbow Carp Transforms into a Dragon] allows carp spirit fish to have a very small chance of giving birth to an Ice Dragon larva.

That's an extremely small probability, it's really fucking extremely small!

Several years have passed, and it hasn't changed at all.

It seems we still have to ask for outside help. With this thought in mind, Ji Yuan's divine sense locked onto the jade bottle in the storage bag, which was sealed in layers.

He could sense that the wisp of dragon energy inside the jade bottle was still wandering around aimlessly like a headless fly.

Their strength isn't that high anymore.

Previously, when Ji Yuan was in that water cave, he had sensed that the strength of the dragon energy was roughly between the ninth level of Qi Refining and the peak of Qi Refining.

It may have been very strong before, but after being refined by the Blood Coagulation and Evil Transformation Array for countless years, its current strength... is indeed only this much.

On this misty island, Ji Yuan wasn't worried about it escaping.

So he took it out and threw it, bottle and all, into the fishpond. After it sank to the bottom, Ji Yuan summoned the Frost Flowing Sword and plunged it into the lake.

"bite--"

After a crisp sound, the jade bottle, which was protected by a restriction, was shattered, and the faint dragon energy inside immediately burst out.

The dragon swims into the sea, free from all constraints.

Within Ji Yuan's divine sense, he could clearly see this wisp of dragon energy rapidly moving within the [fishpond], shuttling back and forth incessantly.

Wherever it went, the surrounding spirit fish seemed to sense some great terror and were too frightened to move at all.

This is true even for a late-stage first-tier spirit fish.

The aura emanating from this single wisp of dragon energy was enough to make these first-tier domains submit.

Ji Yuan watched for a while, and it seemed that the dragon energy really had no intention of escaping, and was swimming freely in the fishpond.

Is that really the case?

Ji Yuan didn't quite believe it. He guessed that once the dragon energy got tired of playing in the [fishpond], it would want to move to a bigger [fishpond], and at that time, it would definitely try every means to escape.

He placed the dragon energy in the fishpond, hoping to see if it could be restored somewhat.

If it can be restored, it means it can become a perpetual motion machine.

On the other hand, they were also thinking about whether these spirit fish could be tainted by a trace of dragon energy, thus causing them to mutate.

Just as Ji Yuan was thinking of withdrawing his divine sense, he suddenly noticed a dark blue-black carp opening its mouth wide.

This carp is only at the early stage of the first rank, and it's hiding in a corner of this [fishpond]. Judging from the scales that have fallen off its body, this carp is definitely at the very bottom of this [fishpond] pyramid.

The kind of person anyone can bully.

Just like now, the dragon's energy is suppressing the fishpond, and all the spirit fish are too frightened to move.

It is the same, yet different.

It was already hidden in a corner of this [fishpond], and when the dragon energy swam to it, it had to turn around.

But just then, it opened its mouth.

The fish's mouth wasn't large, but it could still hold the dragon's energy, which was only about the thickness of a finger.

With a flick of its tail, the fish lunged forward, its open mouth instantly swallowing the wisp of dragon energy.

Ji Yuan, who had witnessed the entire process with his divine sense, couldn't help but widen his eyes in astonishment.

He never imagined that there would be such a ruthless character in his little "fishpond".

Although this wisp of dragon energy was weak, it was still at the level of the late stage of Qi Refining, but the carp in front of him was only at the early stage of the first rank.

Therefore, this was destined to be a self-destructive act of devouring.

And that was indeed the case; the moment the carp swallowed the dragon's energy, its belly burst.

With a "poof" sound.

The fish's belly burst open... but was instantly frozen back into ice.

The temperature in the entire fishpond dropped significantly, and Ji Yuan, as if sensing this, immediately opened the building's exterior.

In an instant, beams of golden light rose from all directions of the fishpond, finally converging in the very center of the fishpond.

Wisps of cold air could be seen swirling across the surface of the entire fishpond.

At the bottom of the fishpond, the spirit fish frozen in the ice remained motionless.

Not only that, but even the wisp of dragon energy that had been swallowed up did not reappear.

Ji Yuan seemed to sense something and glanced at the panel.

Just then, a message popped up on the panel.

"Fishpond triggers the following effect: [Rainbow Carp Transforms into a Dragon]."

A simple line of text announced the imminent arrival of a third-tier demon beast cub.

Ji Yuan was overjoyed, but also felt a little regretful.

It actually took a wisp of dragon energy to activate this spiritual effect.

If the consumption is so great, this Frost Dragon should be a bit stronger by now, right?

The golden aura that had been floating above the fishpond suddenly fell into the lake, enveloping the frozen spirit fish.

The rainbow carp turns into a dragon.

As Ji Yuan watched, a frozen carp gradually grew longer, with four claws growing from its belly. Its originally dark blue scales turned ice blue, making it look as if it were cast from ice crystals, which was extremely beautiful.

Its length was no more than Ji Yuan's arm, and its thickness was only two fingers thick.

Except for the lack of dragon horns and the fact that its head does not resemble that of a real dragon, its overall appearance is extremely similar to that of a real dragon.

It is still a third-tier monster after all.

If you wait for the [Fish Pond] to reach level 4.

Once again, it will gain the spiritual effect of [Jiaolong Transformation into Chilong], transforming from a Jiaolong into a Chilong, at which point it will truly have the form of a dragon.

At first, the Frost Dragon seemed like an ice sculpture, devoid of any spirit. But after a few breaths, the golden light dissipated, and it immediately came to life, swishing its tail as it moved through the fishpond.

According to Ji Yuan's perception, this Frost Dragon is currently only at the mid-stage of the first rank.

However, it suppressed many late-stage first-tier spirit fish so much that they dared not move.

Just as Ji Yuan was wondering what the Frost Dragon was going to do, he saw it swim to another early-stage first-tier spirit fish and then suddenly open its mouth.

"Click—"

The spirit fish's head was instantly bitten to pieces, and a chilling aura spread out, killing the spirit fish instantly.

Immediately afterwards, as if it had a target, the ice dragon swam to another spirit fish.

He opened his mouth again.

It bit another early-stage Tier 1 spirit fish to death.

Upon seeing this, Ji Yuan suddenly understood something.

This ice dragon... is seeking revenge.

It was originally the injured carp from before. It had no strength before and could only be bullied by other carp. Now it has transformed into a dragon and has strength.

Of course, one should repay grudges and settle scores!

It finally stopped after killing a mid-stage Tier 1 spirit fish.

Ji Yuan thought it was about to end, but then he saw it drag the corpse of the mid-stage first-order spirit fish to another pitiful early-stage first-order spirit fish, indicating that the latter should eat it.

First it was about revenge, now it's about repaying a debt of gratitude?

interesting.

Ji Yuan couldn't help but feel both curious and satisfied about his future spirit pet.

She has a strong personality, but she's not stupid.

Having seen that he had finished taking revenge and repaying his debt of gratitude, he returned to the corpses of the two spirit fish and devoured their flesh to strengthen himself.

Ji Yuan silently waited for it to finish eating the two spirit fish corpses, and then used the spirit pet contract technique.

The Ice Dragon is still a cub, so it needs to be subdued as soon as possible.

A moment later, Ji Yuan first dripped a drop of blood onto the contract technique, then subdued the ice dragon after it was pulled out of the water, and took a drop of its icy blood.

Ji Yuan dripped the blood very finely, confirming that he had indeed dripped his own blood onto the main talisman.

If the wrong drop is made, the contract will still take effect, but the effect will be reversed, and you will become the servant of this Frost Dragon.

But just as he was about to drip the blood of the Frost Dragon into the contract, the contract technique suddenly collapsed, the spell was broken, and the contract could not be formed.

"Um?"

Ji Yuan was somewhat surprised. What was going on?

He was certain that his spell was correct; if it were wrong, it wouldn't be able to be cast at all.

Could it be that the spell's level is too low to contract a third-tier demon beast?

After thinking it over, this is the only possibility, because Ji Yuan bought this contract technique on the main street of Linshui City. It wasn't expensive, costing only one mid-grade spirit stone.

Ji Yuan originally intended to ask Li Changhe, since he had already contracted a third-tier demon beast, the Winged Flying Tiger, so he must know.

Even though they had already retrieved his communication talisman, Ji Yuan ultimately gave up on the idea.

If you were to ask Li Changhe... he would surely guess that he also has a third-tier demon beast cub.

Ji Yuan planned to keep the matter of the Frost Dragon a secret. He didn't intend to let anyone know until the dragon had grown stronger, and he also wouldn't mention it to Hua Yaoyue for the time being.

So Ji Yuan looked at the Frost Dragon and put it into the fishpond. He then returned to the sect and went to the sect's scripture pavilion.

Upon inquiring, I indeed received an accurate reply.

For monsters of the third rank or higher, a more complex contract technique is required to successfully form a contract.

This art of contracting is not cheap, even in the library.

The price is a whopping 1200 merit points.

Ji Yuan himself certainly didn't have enough. Apart from the guaranteed 100 merit points every year, he hadn't taken on any other missions over the years.

If that's the case... then we'll have to borrow it.

Merit points are like spirit stones within the sect; you can spend them yourself, and you can also borrow them.

Ji Yuan thought for a moment and then took out Dong Qian's communication talisman.

You could try contacting Du Wanyi, but unfortunately she's currently in seclusion.

If you ask Feng Zhitao, given her personality, borrowing merit points shouldn't be a problem, but she'll keep asking questions.

But Dong Qian wouldn't do that; she's very sensible and won't ask any questions.

After Ji Yuan explained that he needed to borrow merit points, she didn't ask how many and simply said, "See you at Thousand Machine Island."

To borrow merit points, you must do so on Thousand Machine Island, through the Thousand Machine Hall.

Half a day later, in front of the Thousand Machines Hall.

Ji Yuan saw Dong Qian falling from the sky. Compared to before, she was now wearing a dark blue spirit robe that symbolized her identity.

Previously, when she was in the Qi Refining stage, she habitually wore extremely loose robes to cover her graceful figure, but now that she is in the Foundation Establishment stage, it's different.

The slightly loose robe was tied at the waist with a belt, making her waist appear slender and highlighting her ample bosom.

Even someone with a calm and composed mind couldn't help but take a few more glances at such a beautiful sight.

"Let's go, junior brother."

Dong Qian wasn't angry at Ji Yuan's gaze; instead, she looked at him with a smile.

"Isn't my senior sister going to ask how much I need to borrow?"

Ji Yuan asked telepathically.

"No matter how much my junior brother needs, I'll lend it to him."

"No, what I mean is, aren't you worried that you won't have enough merit points?"

"Well... as long as Junior Brother doesn't need to exchange for any rare treasures, it should be enough."

Soon, Ji Yuan understood why Dong Qian had such confidence.

Because she had so many merit points... Ji Yuan glanced at her and realized that even after lending him 1000 merit points, Dong Qian still had more than 8000 merit points.

You wouldn't believe it, this guy is a pro at making money.

Having obtained the merit points, the two parted ways, and Ji Yuan prepared to head to the Scripture Pavilion.

But as he was leaving, he noticed that Dong Qian's smile seemed to have a... deeper meaning.

In short, it was as if she had something to say, but she didn't say it, so Ji Yuan didn't press her for details.

After exchanging the high-level contract technique at the Scripture Pavilion, Ji Yuan hurried back to Misty Island, fearing that if he was too slow, the Frost Dragon would escape.

If it escapes into the vast rain and clouds, it will truly be like a fish swimming into the sea, leaving no trace.

A day later, Ji Yuan returned to Misty Island.

Good news: The Frost Dragon is still in the [Fish Pond].

Bad news: It's almost completely destroyed the fishpond.

When Ji Yuan left, it had only killed three or four spirit fish.

When Ji Yuan returned, he counted the fish with his divine sense and realized that it had probably killed forty or fifty spirit fish!

And all of this happened in just over two days.

Having eaten so many spirit fish, fortunately its strength increased from the mid-stage of the first rank to the late-stage of the first rank, so it wasn't a waste of food.

That's the amount of food he eats.

Damn it, don't eat me out of house and home!

It's good that the Frost Dragon is still around.

Ji Yuan dared not delay. If he waited for it to grow further and reach the second rank, it would be extremely difficult to form a contract with it.

He hurriedly went to the Enlightenment Room and spent half a day figuring out the art of the contract.

He arrived at the edge of the fishpond, first using his flying sword to force the ice dragon out of the water, then using the Starry Cloud Barrier Array to trap it, and finally using his flying sword to draw its blood.

Two drops of blood fell into the array of contracts.

The contract was finally fulfilled.

As the two streaks of light disappeared into each other's brows, Ji Yuan felt a stronger connection between himself and the Frost Dragon.

Not only could he control the dragon, but compared to its previous estrangement, the Frost Dragon had become very affectionate towards him. It had been swimming in the water, but immediately swam ashore and climbed onto Ji Yuan's shoulder, wrapping itself around his arm.

Feeling the coolness coming from my arm.

Ji Yuan felt completely at ease.

In the end, he still raised a dragon!

Next, it will need to be fed to become a third-tier demon beast.

With this thought in mind, Ji Yuan took out a drop of Ice Soul Dew produced by a level 3 [Fish Pond] from his storage bag.

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(End of this chapter)