Immortality begins with upgrading buildings

Chapter 257 Lightning Body Refinement [Seeking Monthly Tickets]

"Hmm? Dragon Bloodstone!"

Ji Yuan immediately perked up.

After all, this thing is a material used to upgrade the level 4 [Fish Pond], and he had previously planned to trade it with the Multi-Eyed Immortal on Tianmu Mountain.

But now, five Dragon Blood Stones have appeared at this auction... Ji Yuan is probably convinced that they were brought here for auction by that Multi-Eyed Immortal.

After all, it's rare to see someone in Shangnan produce so many dragon bloodstones at once.

That's fine too.

Otherwise, Ji Yuan was still somewhat worried about having to find a complete stranger, a Golden Core cultivator, to do business with.

If the other party has a bad temper and is a wicked cultivator, and tries to rob me, that would be troublesome.

Even if they could escape, it would cost a lot.

It's perfect that we've met at this auction.

It just costs a few more spirit stones, which saves me a lot of trouble.

For Ji Yuan now, if something can be solved with spirit stones, then he should try to solve it with spirit stones.

Before leaving, Ji Yuan looked at other auction items, but the only one that could tempt him was the third-tier demon core.

This thing can be used to upgrade many buildings. Even if you don't use it to upgrade buildings, you can keep it on hand to refine third-tier pills in the future.

It's a pity there are only two, one water attribute and one wood attribute.

I'm planning to see if I can get one then.

After a while, he arrived at the South China Sea Auction House. Although it was no longer accepting auction items, there were still quite a few cultivators coming and going.

Among them were quite a few Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Having already changed his appearance and dressed as an elderly man, Ji Yuan walked in quite naturally.

After entering, he looked around and found his target.

He arrived at the auction room on the right, where two Foundation Establishment cultivators, who were extremely senior appraisers, were arguing about something.

Upon seeing Ji Yuan enter, the two of them immediately fell silent and then gave Ji Yuan a polite smile.

"Fellow Daoist, this auction has now concluded. If you have any treasures to offer, you are welcome to come again next time."

One of the elderly men, dressed in a blue robe, bowed slightly and said...

Ji Yuan said without any politeness, "That's because you haven't seen my fine treasure yet."

"Oh?"

The old man in blue subconsciously raised an eyebrow.

Then he exchanged a glance with another person, and neither of them said anything like "rules are rules, and we all have to follow the rules."

A new appraiser might be able to do it, but experienced appraisers like them are much more shrewd.

It's impossible for someone to say something that would only cause them loss and bring them no credit.

Ji Yuan didn't speak, but simply raised his hand and closed the door to the room.

Another late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator dressed in black robes subconsciously reached for his storage bag, as if he was already prepared to make a move.

Ji Yuan acted as if he hadn't seen anything, and took out a treasure chest from his storage bag. Then, he raised his right hand and used his artifact manipulation technique to open the lid, revealing the contents inside.

A piece of dragon blood stone.

A poisonous dragon pearl.

A piece of ambergris.

"this……"

The old man in blue who spoke first had already guessed what was going on.

Ji Yuan then infused some spiritual energy into the dragon blood stone, and immediately the aura of a high-level trapping technique was released, startling the two of them into taking several steps back.

Ji Yuan withdrew his right hand, ceasing the infusion of spiritual energy, and instead asked with a smile, "Fellow Daoists, how was it?"

Unlike their previous composure, both of the veteran appraisers now looked very serious.

They squatted down next to the treasure chest and examined it carefully for a while. Then they looked at each other without speaking, but they were obviously communicating telepathically.

Ji Yuan waited there until the old man in blue raised his head and asked softly:

"Fellow Daoist, is this prepared for the Thunderstorm Dragon that is laying eggs in the storm zone?"

Ji Yuan gave him a thumbs up and exclaimed in admiration, "Fellow Daoist has insight."

The old man in blue stood up, took a deep breath, cupped his hands in a respectful gesture towards Ji Yuan, and then said, "This matter is of great importance. Please allow me to go and inquire about it. What do you say?"

"Please do as you please, fellow Daoist."

Ji Yuan waved his hand casually and said.

The old man in blue nodded and left, while the other old man in black gently closed the lid of the treasure chest and said with a smile, "Fellow Daoist, please take a seat."

He then took out fruits brimming with spiritual energy from his storage bag and brewed some fine spiritual tea.

"Fellow Daoist, please have some tea."

While Ji Yuan was waiting for the second cup of tea, the old man in blue who had left earlier returned with a broad smile on his face.

"Congratulations, fellow Daoist! This item has been specially selected to be included in the auction three days from now, and it will even be the final item."

"Oh?"

Ji Yuan raised an eyebrow, feigning a hint of delight, then cupped his hands towards the two of them and said:

Congratulations! Congratulations!

If this treasure fetches a price at auction, they will also receive a commission.

The rest was simple: they took the "Three-Piece Set for Catching Dragons" and gave Ji Yuan a certificate to participate in the auction.

Still the VIP seats on the second floor.

After Ji Yuan took the item, he left.

He spent three days inquiring about news in Nanhai City. Having returned from overseas, he focused on understanding the situation in Shangshan and the entire Shangdong region.

The situation is... not optimistic.

The situation is far from optimistic.

First, there's the situation at Shangshan. Over the past year, Shangshan has been breached several times. Although it was eventually rebuilt each time, the damage to the entire defense line has been severe.

The Six Immortals Sect has also repeatedly dispatched Foundation Establishment cultivators and Qi Refining cultivators from within its ranks to go there.

Even Medicine King Valley, which is relatively close to Shang Mountain, issued a conscription order, summoning the rogue cultivators within Medicine King Valley to go to Shang Mountain. As a result, the rogue cultivators throughout Medicine King Valley fled to various places in eastern Shang.

During the two years of fighting, both Shangdong and Shangxi suffered casualties among Golden Core cultivators, not to mention Foundation Establishment cultivators, who suffered the most casualties.

It is rumored that even some Foundation Establishment cultivators in Shangdong are not contributing their time or effort.

However, apart from the initial clashes between Nascent Soul cultivators at the beginning of the war, no Nascent Soul cultivators have been seen in the past two years.

Internally, Shangdong's internal situation can be summed up in one word.

chaos!

Firstly, the attack by the Shangxi Demonic Path greatly encouraged the Shangdong Demonic Path, and many responded, starting to kill and set fires in various places.

There are also those who take advantage of the situation to make a fortune.

It's somewhat similar to the group of people Ji Yuan met in the Yunlin Mountains.

Even in a city like South Sea City, far from the battlefield, several major rebellions occurred this year, one of which was Luo Sifu's defection, which resulted in the destruction of the entire Whale Patrol Ship.

Ji Yuan is a firsthand witness.

There has been a lot of news circulating since then.

It is said that Luo Sifu fell in love with a female demon cultivator, but the Luo family strongly opposed it.

That's bad enough, but they say the Luo family committed fraud. They initially agreed to let Luo Sifu bring the witch home, but then they poisoned her at the banquet.

Luo Sifu hated the Luo family because of this incident, which is why he did this.

Another issue was the emergence of an organization called the "Shocking Infant-Catching Gang" within the city. Their activities of trafficking children in South China Sea City caused a great uproar and alarmed many righteous cultivators who took action.

Although many evil traitors were killed afterward, the organization was still not completely destroyed.

After learning about these things, Ji Yuan also felt immense pressure.

If things continue like this, there probably won't be much time left for further development.

As fate would have it, man proposes, God disposes... If Foundation Establishment disciples are scarce within the sect, I'm afraid I won't be able to rest for long after returning this time, as I'll have to go on to carry out the next mission.

In that case, we can only hope that the Li family's alchemy workshop will be completed so that we can go there to cultivate for a while longer.

Ji Yuan's current problem is still time.

There wasn't enough time. If I had traveled through time earlier and cultivated peacefully for over a hundred years, I would at least have become a Golden Core cultivator.

Unfortunately, even with his best efforts in cultivation, he is still only at the late Foundation Establishment stage.

Three days later, Ji Yuan arrived at the auction as promised.

As a result, he spent 2700 mid-grade spirit stones to successfully acquire the 5 Dragon Blood Stones, and then spent another 3600 mid-grade spirit stones to acquire the third-tier wood-attribute demon core.

His consignment of the "Three-Piece Dragon-Catching Set" attracted four or five Golden Core cultivators to compete for it, eventually selling for a high price of 6000 mid-grade spirit stones.

So, after this auction, Ji Yuan spent 300 mid-grade spirit stones to buy 5 dragon blood stones and a third-tier demon core.

Of course, there's also a handling fee of 300 mid-grade spirit stones.

Um... Thanks again to the generous and magnanimous Mourning Hermit.

After the auction ended, Ji Yuan didn't linger after getting his items. Instead, he headed straight northeast, his destination being Jing Lei Ze.

Once I've condensed another sword embryo at Jinglei Marsh, I can return to the sect!

"Thunderous Marsh".

Above the clouds, Ji Yuan sat cross-legged on the Wind-blown Locust Flying Boat, murmuring softly.

The Jinglei Marsh, spanning eight hundred li, is not actually far from the sea. There is a natural harbor that extends deep into the inland, but because it faces the southeast wind, it is constantly plagued by thunderstorms, and over time it has become a marshland.

Of course, this is just one version of events.

Many people believe that a great treasure is hidden in the deepest part of Thunderclap Swamp, and it is that treasure that attracted the divine lightning, or that the divine lightning itself was released by that treasure.

Unfortunately, over the years, no one has ever ventured into the deepest part of Thunderclap Marsh.

Ji Yuan knew he couldn't do it either, because according to historical records, the divine lightning in the middle of Jing Lei Ze could kill Golden Core cultivators. As for Nascent Soul cultivators who had mastered the art of teleportation... as long as they didn't want to die, this natural divine lightning still couldn't kill them.

Therefore, Ji Yuan guessed that he wanted to enter the deepest part of Jing Lei Ze.

This "Nine Revolutions Profound Yang Technique" requires at least three revolutions to reach the "Golden Body and Profound Bones" realm.

The Li family's connection in the vicinity of Jinglei Marsh is with a Golden Core family surnamed Lou.

According to Li Changhe, the Li family and the Lou family have always been on good terms and have even intermarried several times. Therefore, Ji Yuan should not be restricted when he comes to the Lou family; he can simply treat it as if he is going to the Li family.

It makes sense, a marriage alliance between a Nascent Soul family and a Golden Core family.

Then wouldn't the Golden Core families take good care of the Nascent Soul families?

Ji Yuan thought about it halfway and ultimately decided not to waste time going to the Lou family, because this Jing Lei Ze was different from other places. For example, the Blood River in the ancient battlefield could only be found with the help of the Wei family.

The same applies to the Ice and Fire Pool; without finding the Ice and Fire Elder, you won't be able to see him at all.

However, the Eight Hundred Mile Thunder Marsh is quite different.

There's no need to look for anyone, because Jing Lei Ze will always be there.

No one can occupy it, and no one dares to occupy it... Of course, the main reason is that occupying Jinglei Marsh wouldn't be of much use. Although there are some local treasures inside, very few people can go in to harvest them.

Whether for demonic beasts or cultivators, lightning magic is an extremely terrifying force.

Since there was no need to trouble others, Ji Yuan naturally prepared to go by himself, thus saving himself the trouble.

However, this only applies to Ji Yuan. If the Li family comes, then they will definitely have to go to the Lou family.

Why?

Because the Lou family possesses a passage that allows them to safely reach the depths of Jinglei Marsh, the Li family members can successfully condense their flying swords simply by entering through that passage.

The Thunderous Swamp is 800 li in circumference, so its radius is 400 li. The passage controlled by the Lou family can probably penetrate 100 li into the Thunderous Swamp.

This Thunder Strike Mystic Liquid can only be found at a depth of at least eighty miles into the Thunderclap Marsh.

Therefore, if Ji Yuan wants to condense the Thunderstrike Sword on his own, he has to rely on his physical strength to forcibly advance eighty miles into the Thunderclap Marsh... and that's just the bare minimum.

Thinking about this, Ji Yuan felt both anticipation and some fear.

After traveling northeast for about half a month, Ji Yuan, who was above the clouds, could still see thick dark clouds ahead.

Its cloud layer is much higher than that of ordinary white clouds.

Amidst the flashes of lightning and rolling purple thunder, streaks of electricity crackled and churned.

It even gave Ji Yuan the feeling of returning to the storm zone. After flying forward for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, they saw that they were getting closer and closer to the dark clouds, with thunder rumbling continuously.

At the same time as the deafening roar, Ji Yuan could even feel the stray lightning crackling on his skin.

But for him, such a weak lightning bolt was nothing more than a tickle.

Now that we're here, let's go down and take a look.

Ji Yuan's flying boat descended, passing straight through the clouds and arriving on the ground.

As far as the eye could see, there was only a barren swamp, the ground was muddy and there was hardly any wild grass growing, let alone a single tree.

Ji Yuan couldn't even put the flying boat away.

He was currently located in the southwest of Jinglei Marsh, and he squinted as he looked into the depths of the marsh.

Streaks of purple lightning continued to strike, splashing water and crackling with electricity, but the ground remained completely undamaged. Countless years of lightning strikes had hardened the ground to an unyielding hardness, making it impervious to the hammering of lightning.

"Putting everything else aside, the soil and stones on this ground alone are probably valuable."

Ji Yuan thought to himself, "If we want to penetrate eighty miles into the Thunderous Marsh..."

The only saving grace is that the purple lightning in Jinglei Marsh is different from the purple lightning in the Storm Zone.

The purple lightning in the storm zone was completely unpredictable. The first lightning bolt was very weak, perhaps even a Qi Refining cultivator could withstand it, but the next one... might not even be able to withstand a Foundation Establishment peak cultivator.

Ji Yuan was injured because of this loss.

However, the purple lightning of Jinglei Marsh is different; it increases in intensity from the outside in.

In other words, the deeper you go, the greater the power of the purple lightning becomes, and the further you go, the weaker it becomes.

This made it convenient for Ji Yuan to get closer, and also convenient for him... to refine his body!

Ji Yuan came to Jing Lei Ze for two reasons: first, to condense the embryo of his flying sword, and second, to refine his body. He planned to master the "Skin Tempering Chapter" here.

If you can reach the second stage of "Tendon Forging" in one go, that would be even better!

The second stage of the "Mysterious Yang Skill" is almost equivalent to having the combat power of a Golden Core cultivator... With a Golden Core in the body and late-stage Foundation Establishment in terms of magical power, one can at least be considered to have the ability to protect oneself.

With this thought in mind, Ji Yuan no longer wanted to wait any longer; he wanted to quickly venture deeper into the Thunderous Marsh.

Body Refinement!

With a thought, the Wind-Locust Flying Boat beneath his feet transformed into a streak of azure light and flew into his storage bag, while he firmly stepped into the swamp.

The moment his feet touched the water, Ji Yuan felt the power of lightning emanating from it.

It jolted him awake almost instantly, and he became completely sober.

It feels tingly and numb, but I can tolerate it; it's not to the point of being unbearably itchy.

He immediately released his divine sense to make sure that no one was around before walking towards Jinglei Marsh with peace of mind.

Purple lightning struck, hitting the body, but the person remained unharmed.

If outsiders were to witness this scene, they would likely be astonished, and it might just cause a huge problem.

Given Ji Yuan's strength, it's natural that he should take precautions.

After walking several dozen steps forward, Ji Yuan arrived at the outermost edge of the Thunderclap Marsh. Upon reaching this point, purple lightning descended upon the land.

However, the purple lightning was still very thin. By the time it struck the ground, it was only the thickness of a chopstick. But to be on the safe side, Ji Yuan still put his right hand in first.

"Snap—"

Two faint purple lightning bolts struck his palms, but the sensation was like being bitten by a mosquito; he didn't feel much of a difference.

Then he circulated his qi and blood, and as a result, he felt nothing at all.

He strode inside.

Although the outermost lightning also has some body-refining effect, it is far too weak compared to the lightning deeper inside. Ji Yuan didn't want to waste time outside.

Amidst the thunderous strikes of countless purple lightning bolts, he ventured deeper into the Thunderclap Marsh.

His figure quickly disappeared into a purple curtain.

After going a mile deeper, the lightning strikes felt like a tickle.

After traveling five miles, the stinging sensation had already begun, but Ji Yuan still did not mobilize his qi and blood, instead letting the purple lightning strike his body.

After traveling ten miles, his body was already covered in bright red marks from being struck by lightning.

After traveling about ten miles, Ji Yuan gradually slowed down. Although he didn't mobilize his qi and blood, he began to... practice stances.

Walking on stakes can train the body, and so can lightning.

When combined, the effect is far greater than the simple sum of the two.

Ji Yuan had already figured this out before coming to Jing Lei Ze. The reason he hadn't tried it before was because the intensity of the lightning outside wasn't strong enough to achieve the effect of body tempering.

At this moment... to use Ji Yuan's words from his previous life, the stance training opened up every cell in his body, and then lightning surged in, causing numbness and stinging, while the power of the lightning was also strengthening the strength of each cell.

Although the process was painful, the results were extremely gratifying.

Because this exercise not only enhances qi and blood but also blocks some of the power of lightning, it further strengthens Ji Yuan's resistance to lightning.

After he had traveled thirty miles further, he suddenly felt his physical strength increase.

If we compare the previous physical strength to the early stage of Foundation Establishment, then the current strength is equivalent to the middle stage of Foundation Establishment.

And this... is only thirty miles!

(End of this chapter)