Immortality begins with upgrading buildings

Chapter 251 The Art of Divine Intervention [Requesting Monthly Tickets]

"Hmm? What wonderful treasure? And it's a set?"

Ji Yuan naturally assumed it would be some kind of magical artifact, a complete set of magical artifacts... like Jiang Hong's set of mother and child blades back then, which was extremely powerful.

But after he checked the storage bag again, he still didn't find any complete sets of magical artifacts.

"It should have been packed in a box, and there were two crossed talismans pasted on the box."

Ye Zhi Qiu recalled.

"Is this the box...?"

Ji Yuan searched around and actually found a box in the corner of the storage bag, under a pile of miscellaneous items.

"Yes, that's it!"

Ji Yuan raised his hand and opened it.

Inside were... a stone that looked as if it were stained with blood, a piece of brown wood that emitted a strange fragrance, and a pearl that emitted a shimmering white light.

The three items were placed side by side in the box, and they looked like ordinary things.

"What is this?"

Ji Yuan first used his object manipulation technique to retrieve the stone. After a brief sensory examination, he confirmed that it was a... Dragon Blood Stone!

One of the materials for upgrading the [Fish Pond].

Unfortunately, there's only one.

Upgrading the [Fish Pond] requires 3 Dragon Blood Stones.

Putting aside the other two items, this piece of dragon blood stone alone is a treasure.

It is a celestial material that has been mutated after being tainted by the blood of a fourth-order dragon demon beast. Even among third-order celestial materials, it is considered extremely rare.

Whether used for refining weapons or cultivating techniques, it is a rare treasure.

"You said this is a complete set of treasures, what are they used for?"

Ji Yuan tossed the dragon blood stone back into the treasure chest and turned to ask.

Ye Zhi Qiu looked at Ji Yuan suspiciously before saying, "Young Master Li, are you really unaware of the matter of that third-tier Thunderstorm Flood Dragon?"

"I don't know. If I had known, I wouldn't have rushed in like that..."

Ji Yuan said, rather speechless.

If it weren't for the fact that the third-tier dragon looked like it had just been injured, its strength was diminished, and its speed wasn't fast... Ji Yuan would have had to use the "Sky Shuttle" to escape.

Ye Zhi Qiu then explained, "That third-tier Thunderstorm Flood Dragon has only recently laid eggs and is still a bit weak, so many cultivators near South Sea City are eyeing it."

"Among them, there are even quite a few Golden Core cultivators like this."

Ji Yuan looked at the three items in the box. "Is the Mourning Hermit one of them?"

"Exactly."

"But this old thief knew he wasn't strong enough and didn't dare to mess with the dragon, so he set his sights on the dragon's egg."

Ye Zhi Qiu looked at the three items and explained, "The ambergris can attract this thunderstorm dragon away and lead it to a specific location. Then, the poisonous dragon pearl will explode, and the poisonous gas released inside can knock out the thunderstorm dragon."

"The last Dragon Blood Stone has also been modified, containing a third-tier trapping spell. Even if the Thunderstorm Dragon awakens prematurely, this trapping spell can keep it trapped for a period of time."

"This mourning hermit has prepared quite a complete set of things."

Ji Yuan looked at the treasure chest and said.

Ye Zhi Qiu nodded.

"He spent a lot of spirit stones and asked many people for help to gather these three items. Our real purpose this time is to try to see if we can obtain the dragon egg."

"Someone has already tried it and said there are two dragon eggs in total."

"The old scoundrel's plan is to cultivate one himself and sell the remaining one."

"I can earn a few thousand mid-grade spirit stones then."

"You've got a good plan."

Ji Yuan smiled and put the treasure chest into his storage bag.

"Young Master Li, you can actually give it a try." After thinking for a while, Ye Zhi Qiu said softly, "I've heard this old thief calculate it several times. These three items are all third-grade immortal materials. The third-grade dragon saliva incense will definitely lure this dragon away, and the remaining poisonous dragon pearl and dragon blood stone will definitely work as well."

"Even if it doesn't work out, I'll definitely be able to save my life, and... moreover, Young Master Li can get the elders in the clan to help."

Ye Zhi Qiu felt that even though Ji Yuan came from a Nascent Soul family, a third-tier Thunderstorm Flood Dragon was enough to tempt them.

"hehe."

Ji Yuan smiled, neither confirming nor denying.

Is this Thunderstorm Dragon Egg a good thing?

Admittedly, it's a good thing.

Once hatched, it will be a third-tier dragon cub. After a successful contract and as it grows up, it will become a genuine third-tier dragon.

Unfortunately, Ji Yuan already has two third-tier dragon cubs like this.

There are so many that I can't even feed them all.

If we bring them back again, we'll probably have to sell them.

If that's the case, is it necessary to risk your life for a mere few thousand mid-grade spirit stones?

nonexistent.

Not to mention that Ji Yuan currently has tens of thousands of mid-grade spirit stones in his storage bag, even if he didn't, he would never risk his life to provoke a third-tier dragon.

That's incredibly dangerous!

Therefore, after listening to Ye Zhi Qiu's story, Ji Yuan had already made up his mind.

After leaving Icefire Island and returning to South Sea City, I'll take this set of treasures specially prepared for the Thunderstorm Dragon to the auction house... and sell it!

The next auction is a year from now, so there's plenty of time.

Since it's all about earning spirit stones anyway, instead of risking your life to get the dragon egg and then selling it, it's better to just sell this treasure and let others risk their lives.

"How many spirit stones did he spend preparing these things?"

Ji Yuan inquired.

Ye Zhi Qiu recalled for a moment before saying, "If you add it all up, I estimate it cost more than three thousand mid-grade spirit stones, because the materials themselves were not cheap, plus he also found a Golden Core cultivator to help set up a spell on this Dragon Blood Stone."

...More than three thousand, I can take it to an auction house and sell it for more than four thousand. That shouldn't be too much, right?

As Ji Yuan nodded, he seemed to have thought of something and casually asked:

"Dragon bloodstone is quite rare. Do you know where he got it?"

"Dragon Blood Stone... I heard that he traded it with the Many-Eyed Immortal from Tianmu Mountain. That Many-Eyed Immortal had found quite a few Dragon Blood Stones when he went to sea in his early years."

Tianmu Mountain... Ji Yuan recalled the topographic map and found out where Tianmu Mountain was.

Located in the northeast of South Sea City, not far from Thunderclap Marsh, we can take a slightly longer route to Thunderclap Marsh and see if we can make a deal with that Many-Eyed Immortal.

After silently noting this down, Ji Yuan put away both storage bags in his hands.

As it stands, it's unclear when the Ice and Fire Elder will be able to send him to the Strange Pool to refine his flying sword, but it shouldn't be too long.

Those two or three days will have to be used for cultivation.

At this thought, Ji Yuan seemed to have thought of something else, and he turned around to look at Ye Zhi Qiu behind him.

"Young Master Li... what's going on?"

Ye Zhi Qiu subconsciously took a half step back.

Because the cultivator in front of him, who seemed to be only at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, was far superior to him in both methods and background... Ye Zhi Qiu even had a thought in his mind.

If I were to stay by his side and be a maid, it wouldn't be so bad.

Li Changshou had a good temperament and no strange quirks; he didn't seem like the type to want her to serve him in bed.

Most importantly, once you become his maid, it's no different from directly joining a Nascent Soul family.

Although he was an illegitimate child, the fact that the Li family head gave him a Golden Core stage corpse puppet shows that he was very favored in the Li family.

From any perspective, it's worth it for a rogue cultivator like myself to seek refuge with them.

So, is he looking at me like that to make me pledge my loyalty?

Just as Ye Zhi Qiu was about to bow down in reverence, Ji Yuan asked, "How did you dodge the soul-destroying attack?"

...So that's what you were talking about. I thought it was something else entirely.

Ye Zhi Qiu felt a slight disappointment, but without the slightest hesitation, she gently flipped her right hand, revealing a roll of parchment. She then explained telepathically:

"This is the secret technique I obtained."

"A secret technique?" Ji Yuan glanced at the parchment, then looked up at Ye Zhi Qiu and said in a telepathic message, "Tell me in detail. I noticed that your cultivation level dropped by a small realm after you used it."

"Um."

"This is the price for using the secret technique. For example, when I used it this time, the old thief who cried mourning was unable to kill me. My cultivation level dropped by one small realm, which is the price."

"That's all?"

Ji Yuan didn't quite believe it.

If that's really the case, then this secret technique is far too abnormal.

What was originally a certain death situation was transformed into a drop in cultivation level by a small margin... It couldn't be that simple. Even a drop of a large margin would be more acceptable to Ji Yuan.

"No, the soul will also be damaged as a result, making it extremely difficult to achieve a breakthrough in cultivation in the future."

Mentioning this matter, Ye Zhi Qiu's expression, which had improved slightly, turned deathly pale again.

For her, there might have been a sliver of a chance to glimpse the mysteries of the Core Formation Realm before, but now... that last little window has been closed.

"As expected, I knew it wouldn't be that simple."

Ji Yuan also sighed, but in reality... was his soul damaged?

What might be an unsolvable problem for others could be a problem for Ji Yuan, because with the Meditation Room and the Nine Palaces Soul-Suppressing Scripture, his damaged soul could be restored.

It could even be said that Ji Yuan's soul is now much stronger than that of other cultivators of the same level.

The damage to Ye Zhi Qiu's soul that he suffered this time is probably nothing compared to what Ji Yuan suffered. At most, it would just mean that the part of him that was originally beyond the average person would be cut off, and he would have to nurture it again.

In other words, what would be a secret technique with severe side effects for others is, for Ji Yuan, equivalent to having no side effects.

"Will you still learn it, young master? After I finish learning this secret technique, it can only be passed on twice. If you pass it on once more, it will be the last time."

Before anyone knew it, Ye Zhi Qiu's address changed from Young Master Li to Young Master.

"Take it. After all, it's a good skill, and it's always good to have more skills when you're out in the world."

Ji Yuan did not show much interest.

"Young master, first infuse it with spiritual energy, then use your divine sense to probe inside and you will be able to learn it."

Ye Zhi Qiu handed over the parchment with both hands.

Ji Yuan did as instructed, and soon, a strange memory flowed into his mind from the parchment... the secret technique "Severing the Spirit Technique".

"The name is fitting; it speaks of severing one's soul in order to survive."

Ji Yuan took a moment to fully process this memory.

The secret technique is indeed a soul-related secret technique, but it is quite different from the "Nine Palaces Soul-Suppressing Scripture". One nourishes the soul, while the other severs the soul.

Ji Yuan immediately tried to understand it, but found that he could not understand it at all.

Even setting aside the fact that you can learn it, you'd probably need the help of the Enlightenment Room just to get started.

"Alright, you can keep it now."

Ji Yuan returned the parchment, then pondered for a moment before saying, "I've already taken your spirit stones and learned this secret technique, so the debt of saving you is settled. You don't need to worry about it too much."

"No, young master..."

Before Ye Zhi Qiu could finish speaking, Ji Yuan interrupted, saying, "Saving you was just a favor I did, and the relationship wasn't that deep to begin with, so it's enough to repay it."

Cause and effect, cause and effect, should be severed when necessary.

When Ye Zhi Qiu changed her address from "Young Master Li" to "Young Master," Ji Yuan already understood her meaning.

Ji Yuan's identity as a "Nascent Soul Family" is a fake. Even if he wasn't... he couldn't possibly have taken Ye Zhi Qiu with him on the road.

We're all respectable people, and Ji Yuan has already put it this way.

Ye Zhi Qiu naturally understood Ji Yuan's meaning. She sighed inwardly and could only reply slowly, "Okay."

"Well, you'll stay with me for the next few days. We'll make plans after we leave this place."

After Ji Yuan finished speaking, he thought about it and realized that what he said seemed a bit too heartless, so he took out a golden communication talisman and handed it to Ye Zhi Qiu.

"If we meet again in the future, please send me a message. Having shared life and death twice, we can be considered fellow Daoists."

"Alright, thank you, Young Master Li."

Ye Zhi Qiu accepted the message talisman with both hands and quickly bowed.

Ji Yuan hummed in agreement and said nothing more.

For the next two days, Ji Yuan remained seated in the room, studying the "Sword Canon." Since he was on the Ice and Fire Elder's territory, and with Ye Zhi Qiu by his side, he didn't even dare to activate the building effects.

Two days later, Ji Yuan felt that his body and spirit were fully restored, and he was ready to condense the embryo of the flying sword.

But the old man of ice and fire never came to summon him. Not only that, he was no longer even in this thatched courtyard, and no one knew where he had gone.

...Could something have happened here?

You can't be that unlucky.

Ji Yuan was getting restless. He decided to wait until tomorrow morning, and if the Ice and Fire Elder did not come, he would go looking for him!

After waiting for about an hour, just as dusk was falling, a hearty laugh suddenly came from outside the door, and someone called out, "Nephew, nephew!"

"Um?"

Ji Yuan, who had been pretending to sleep with his eyes closed, suddenly opened them, and he and Ye Zhi Qiu exchanged a glance instinctively.

They both noticed the surprise in each other's eyes.

Because the voice belonged to none other than the vanished Ice and Fire Elder.

Moreover, there seemed to be a series of footsteps coming from outside the door, indicating that the visitor was not just the Ice and Fire Elder.

Even so, Ji Yuan still opened the door, and what he saw was a man who looked exactly like the Ice and Fire Elder, middle-aged with graying temples.

But unlike the Ice and Fire Elder, the man in front of him was wearing a fiery red five-clawed golden dragon robe and a golden and jade crown. Moreover, he stood up straight, unlike the Ice and Fire Elder who walked with a hunched back.

Behind him followed ten maids, each carrying a lantern and flowers, acting like servants to the man in the dragon robe.

Ji Yuan was somewhat dumbfounded by what he saw.

Ye Zhi Qiu, who followed behind him, was the same.

Fortunately, Ji Yuan's surprise was only momentary. He quickly recovered, came into the courtyard from the doorway, and bowed to the person in front of him.

"Junior Li Changshou... greets senior."

At the same time, Ji Yuan was already pondering in his heart whether the person in front of him was the Ice and Fire Elder or his full brother.

They may look alike, but their behavior is completely opposite.

It doesn't seem like one person.

Perhaps sensing Ji Yuan's doubt, the man in the dragon robe spoke up frankly and explained, "No need to doubt, it is me."

"Nephew, please come with me."

After speaking, the old man of ice and fire flicked his sleeves and turned to walk towards the door.

His plump and thin maids followed behind him.

Ji Yuan hesitated for a moment, then turned to Ye Zhi Qiu behind him and instructed, "You wait here, I'll go with you to take a look."

"Yes."

Ye Zhi Qiu bowed and then stopped.

After leaving the courtyard, Ji Yuan quickly followed the Ice and Fire Elder, and the group then headed in a grand procession toward the palace complex in the valley.

After a while.

When Ji Yuan arrived at the palace, he discovered that there were guards at the palace gate!

Those were female cultivators clad in armor... The leader, a female cultivator resembling a general, possessed the cultivation of the mid-Foundation Establishment stage. Upon seeing the Ice and Fire Elder approach, she led the group of women behind her to kneel on one knee and shout:

"Greetings, Your Majesty."

No need for formalities.

The old man of ice and fire waved his hand, and then led the dumbfounded Ji Yuan through the palace gate and into... the imperial palace.

As Ji Yuan looked around, he pondered... So, the Ice and Fire Elder was hiding in these mountains to play a large-scale live-action imitation game?

But in this vast palace, he was the only man; everyone else was a woman…

Is his body able to handle it?

As for whether the Ice and Fire Elder could become emperor, Ji Yuan never doubted it. A late-stage Golden Core cultivator, let alone becoming emperor on Ice and Fire Island, could even conquer a large territory and become emperor back on Canglu Continent.

He wandered around the palace for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn before finally arriving at a grand hall.

The Ice and Fire Elder naturally sat down on the dragon throne and then waved his sleeves.

"Someone, please bring a seat!"

Soon, two beautiful maids came out from behind the screen. They carried a chair and placed it behind Ji Yuan so that he could sit down.

Ji Yuan sat down, but felt somewhat uneasy.

This scene, this experience, is truly quite strange.

If it weren't for his trust in the Li family, Ji Yuan would probably have run away long ago; he wouldn't have dared to wait until now.

"I know you must have many questions in your mind, my dear nephew. Very well, I will tell you a few things and you will understand."

The old man of ice and fire, sitting on the throne, first sighed, then said, "In fact, before I entered the Dao of cultivation, I was originally an emperor in the mortal world."

(End of this chapter)