Establishing a Clan in the Eastern Wilderness: A Daily Divination, Cultivating Longevity in a Grotto

Chapter 121: Continuous Opportunities, the White Jade Serpent Mutates, Its Sharpness Revealed

The airship rose from the mountain ridge and sped off in the southeast direction.

After the flying boat had traveled about two thousand miles, Li Changsheng's divine sense suddenly detected a violent fluctuation of spiritual energy ahead.

He raised his hand to signal to slow down.

Ahead lay a wide valley, filled with jagged rocks and overgrown weeds.

In the center of the valley, two monstrous beasts were locked in a fierce battle.

On the left is a giant, crimson scorpion, over ten feet long, its tail hook raised high, the tip gleaming with an eerie green light. This is the Crimson Flame Scorpion, a peak first-tier scorpion, which prefers volcanic rock areas. Its tail hook is highly venomous; those stung by it experience a burning sensation throughout their body, and will die within three days without an antidote. Its pincers are like iron clamps, crushing rocks as easily as squeezing tofu.

On the right is a giant centipede, entirely golden in color, two zhang long, with a hundred legs moving in unison, and its carapace as hard as iron. This is the Golden Armored Centipede, a peak first-tier centipede. It feeds on carrion, and the poisonous mist it spews can corrode spiritual energy shields. Its hundred legs are as sharp as knives, capable of cutting through metal.

Both monsters were covered in wounds.

One of the Crimson Flame Scorpion's left pincers was severed by the centipede's hundred legs, and green fluid was still oozing from the broken end. The Golden Armored Centipede's abdomen was pierced by the Crimson Flame Scorpion's tail hook, and yellow fluid gushed out, corroding a crater in the ground that was emitting bluish smoke.

Both sides suffer.

Just as Li Changsheng was about to order a landing, his divine sense suddenly detected two more auras in the woods on the other side of the valley.

He focused his gaze and a thought struck him—the Du family of Huai'an County, the Du clan chief Du Yuankun and the third elder of the Du family, Du Yuanlie.

The two men, concealed in the treetops, watched the fight in the valley intently. Du Yuanlie held a talisman in his hand, poised to strike. Du Yuankun remained calm and motionless, clearly waiting for the perfect moment to attack.

"Brother?" Li Changle also noticed what was happening over there and asked in a low voice.

Li Changsheng transmitted his voice to Li Changle: "Little sister, land. Immediately set up an array in the valley to trap the two demonic beasts inside."

Li Changle nodded, and the flying boat silently landed at the edge of the valley. She jumped off the flying boat, and quickly planted the array flag in her hand into the ground. In just a few breaths, a first-grade high-level spirit-trapping array was set up. The array's light screen rose silently, enveloping the two demonic beasts within it.

Just now.

With a final thrust, the golden-armored centipede's hundred legs pierced the crimson scorpion's head. The crimson scorpion struggled a few times, then finally went still. The golden-armored centipede, having exhausted its last bit of strength, collapsed to the ground, blood still gushing from the wound on its abdomen where its tail hook had pierced it; it was at its last gasp.

"Collect!" Li Changle activated the array plate, and the light screen of the Spirit-Trapping Array suddenly contracted, firmly locking the corpses of the two demonic beasts. She jumped into the array, nimbly putting the corpses of the two demonic beasts into her storage bag, then jumped out of the array, collected the array flags, and the whole process was smooth and quick, taking no more than ten breaths.

"That brat is asking for it!"

Du Yuanlie sprang up from the woods, a talisman already in his hand. He poured spiritual power into it, and the talisman lit up, sending a sharp sword aura straight toward Li Changle.

Li Changsheng was prepared. He opened the Seven Treasures Glazed Umbrella in his hand, and a seven-colored glazed light screen enveloped Li Changle. The sword energy struck the light screen, exploding into a dazzling light, but the light screen remained completely still.

"Clan Chief Du, let's talk this out." Li Changsheng put away his umbrella and looked calmly at Du Yuankun and Du Yuanlie, who were walking out of the woods.

Du Yuankun remained calm, his expression unreadable. Du Yuanlie, however, was ashen-faced, pointing at Li Changle and shouting, "We discovered those two peak-level first-tier demonic beasts first! Your Li family intercepted them halfway, have you no shame?"

Li Changsheng didn't look at him, but only at Du Yuankun: "Clan Chief Du, demonic beasts are unclaimed property; first come, first served. If our Li family takes them first, they belong to the Li family. What do you say?"

"Bullshit!" Du Yuanlie could no longer contain himself and struck Li Changsheng with a palm. The palm wind was fierce, and the pressure of the peak Qi Refining Realm was as heavy as a mountain.

Li Changsheng did not move.

Soul-Shattering Thorn.

An invisible thorn of divine consciousness silently pierced Du Yuanlie's sea of ​​consciousness. Du Yuanlie's palm strike abruptly stopped, his entire body stiffened on the spot, his eyes wide open, his face deathly pale, as if an invisible hand had gripped his neck.

"You—you—" His voice trembled, "You know how to use soul attacks?"

Du Yuankun's pupils contracted slightly. Soul attacks—that was a secret technique only Foundation Establishment cultivators could master. Li Changsheng was only at the fifth level of Qi Refining, yet he knew how to use soul attacks? How did he do that?

"Clan Chief Du," Li Changsheng withdrew his gaze, his tone calm, "I do not wish to be enemies with the Du family. But if anyone dares to make a move, I will not sit idly by and wait to die."

Although Du Yuankun was unwilling, he could only grit his teeth and say, "Yuanlie, let's go."

The attack just now left Du Yuanlie with lingering fear. He glared fiercely at Li Changsheng, and the two of them vanished in a flash.

After walking several miles, Du Yuanlie finally couldn't hold back any longer and punched a large tree next to him, which snapped in two.

"Big brother! Are we just going to let it go like this?" His voice was extremely low, but he couldn't hide his anger. "Two peak-level first-tier demonic beasts, worth thousands of spirit stones! And what about Second Brother? He died mysteriously in the Ten Thousand Ghost Cave. The Li family is also a suspect." "Enough." Du Yuankun stopped, turned around, and looked at Du Yuanlie, his gaze as calm as a still pool. "I'm asking you, how many times could you withstand Li Changsheng's attack just now?"

Du Yuanlie's expression changed.

"He's only at the fifth level of Qi Refining, yet he can immobilize you for three breaths with a soul attack. That's enough for him to kill you three times over." Du Yuankun's voice was calm, but it sent a chill down Du Yuanlie's spine. "Are you sure you want to turn against someone like that now?"

Du Yuanlie gritted his teeth and had no choice but to admit the truth.

"Third brother, you need to be patient. The demon beast materials are only temporarily stored at the Li family's." Du Yuankun turned around and continued walking forward. "When the time comes, there will be plenty of opportunities to get them back with interest. As for the second brother's matter—"

He paused, his gaze turning deep: "Li Changsheng is only at the fifth level of Qi Refining, yet he knows how to use soul attacks. If he has truly been hiding his strength, then the second brother would very likely have died at the hands of the Li family in the Ten Thousand Ghosts Cave. This score can be settled slowly, no rush."

A ruthless glint flashed in Du Yuanlie's eyes.

in the valley.

Watching the two members of the Du family leave, Li Changle stuck out her tongue: "Brother, that Du Yuanlie is fierce. But you're amazing, you froze him in one go."

Li Changsheng put away the Seven Treasures Glazed Umbrella and shook his head: "They won't let this go. Once they enter Five Dragon Mountain, with their interests intertwined, they'll inevitably clash sooner or later."

Just as Li Changle was about to take the two monster corpses out of his storage bag for a closer look, he discovered that the two corpses had vanished, leaving only the little white snake: "Brother! Look!"

She opened the spirit beast pouch, and a beam of white light shot out from the pouch, hovering in mid-air.

The white jade snake had grown significantly larger than before, from the thickness of a thumb to several arms' width, and its length had ballooned from one foot to over three feet. Faint golden patterns appeared on its snow-white scales, like intricate runes drawn on white jade with a gold pen. Two small bumps appeared on the top of its head, the beginnings of horns. Its vertical pupils had changed from black to crimson gold, with flames flickering deep within them.

"It devoured the essence of the flesh and blood of both demonic beasts?" Li Changsheng was also somewhat surprised.

The white jade snake circled in the air once, then suddenly opened its mouth, spewing out a stream of white, icy air. Wherever the air passed, the moisture in the air condensed into tiny ice crystals, which fell down in a soft rustling sound. It exhaled again, the icy air condensing and not dissipating, forming a palm-sized ice shield in mid-air. The ice shield was crystal clear, shimmering with iridescent light in the sunlight.

【White Jade Serpent (Mutant): Mid-Tier 1】

[Bloodline Spells: Ice Soul Breath (Tier 1, Mid-Grade), can spew out icy breath to freeze the target; Ice Shield (Tier 1, Mid-Grade), condenses an ice shield for defense.]

[Potential: Level 4]

"Good!" Li Changsheng praised. The white jade snake seemed to understand, proudly raised its head, spun gracefully in the air, and then landed back on Li Changle's shoulder, nuzzling her cheek with its head.

"Brother, Xiaoxue is so amazing!" Li Changle hugged the white jade snake, his eyes crinkling into crescent moons with laughter.

Li Changmo reminded, "Clan leader, both of these demonic beasts are solitary and each has its own territory. Their lair usually contains companion spiritual herbs."

Li Changsheng glanced at him. This child was usually taciturn, but when it came to spiritual herbs and medicines, he was like a different person; he became more talkative, and his eyes lit up.

"Let's go and go look for it."

Li Changsheng released Zhaocai from his spirit beast pouch.

Zhao Cai perched on his shoulder, its little nose twitched a few times, and its round eyes rolled around a few times. Then it jumped off his shoulder, its four paws flying, and darted into the depths of the valley.

The Crimson Flame Scorpion's lair is located beneath a sunlit stone wall.

There was a natural crevice in the rock wall, with several pieces of rock crushed by scorpion pincers piled up at the opening, still stained with green bodily fluids. Zhao Cai crawled inside, and a moment later emerged carrying a bright red spiritual herb in its mouth, wagging its tail triumphantly.

Crimson Flame Grass, Tier 1, Superior Grade.

It grows only in the lairs of fire-attribute demonic beasts, nourished by their bodily fluids and geothermal heat. Its leaves are crimson red like flames, with faint flames flickering within their veins. It can be used in medicine to refine "Crimson Flame Pills"—a high-grade, first-tier demonic core—for fire-attribute spirit beasts to consume, enhancing their cultivation and tempering their bloodlines. The formula for Crimson Flame Pills is extremely rare and seldom circulated in the market; formulas for demonic beasts are even harder to find than those for cultivators.

Li Changsheng put the Crimson Flame Grass into the jade box.

Zhao Cai went inside again, making several trips back and forth, and found a total of three plants.

"Let's go, to the next one."

The Golden Armored Centipede's lair was in a dark, damp stone cave, its entrance concealed by weeds and vines, making it difficult to spot. Zhao Cai burrowed into the cave and emerged after a while, carrying a golden spiritual herb in its mouth. The herb's leaves were like swords with finely serrated edges, and its thick stem emitted a faint metallic sheen.

Golden Armor Grass, a first-grade superior herb.

It grows only in the lairs of metal-type demonic beasts, feeding on their shed shells and bodily fluids. Its leaves are as hard as iron and can be used in medicine to refine "Golden Armor Pills"—a top-grade first-tier demonic core for metal-type spirit beasts to consume, strengthening their shells and enhancing their defense. It is also an extremely rare pill formula.

Li Changsheng put the Golden Armor Grass into the jade box, and Zhaocai crawled in and out again, finding a total of two plants.

The Heavenly Book trembled slightly:

[Gained three Crimson Flame Grasses and two Golden Armor Grasses; Family Luck Value +200]

[Family Luck Value, Current: 19200/20000]

Li Changsheng looked at the spiritual herb in his hand and pondered in his heart.

He didn't have the recipes for the Crimson Flame Pill or the Golden Armor Pill.

The pill formulas currently held by the Li family were all seized from various places. Most of them were low-grade or mid-grade first-level pills, with very few high-grade first-level pill formulas, and none of them contained formulas for pills consumed by demonic beasts. They were extremely difficult to buy on the market, and even if they were available, they would be priced exorbitantly.

He suddenly remembered the faceless mask.

The bounty missions hidden in the mask could be exchanged for spiritual items using points. Since they could be exchanged for spiritual herbs and ores, then pill recipes—shouldn't they be exchanged for as well? He sent a wisp of his divine sense into the mask, carefully searching through the exchange list. Spiritual pills, spiritual herbs, ores, magical artifacts, cultivation techniques—the variety was extensive, but the quality was not high, with the highest being only first-grade superior.

Turning to the last page, he saw the words "Dan Fang" (a traditional Chinese medicine formula).

Crimson Flame Pill, Golden Armor Pill, Blood Coagulation Pill, Vitality Nourishing Pill —

Each prescription requires between one thousand and ten thousand points.

Current points: 0.

Li Changsheng was overjoyed.

That's fine. Points can be accumulated slowly.

"Let's go to Xingluo Creek."

The three of them walked towards Xingluo Creek.

After walking a short distance, Li Changmo suddenly stopped.

He squatted under an old locust tree, parted the grass, and revealed a small tree about a foot tall. The leaves of the small tree were heart-shaped with fine serrations along the edges, and the veins were dark red, like blood vessels. The trunk was covered with fine hairs, which felt a little prickly to the touch.

Several green fruits hung on the treetops, their surfaces covered with fine lines that resembled human fingerprints.

Blood Essence Tree. A first-grade superior spiritual plant. Its fruit can be used in medicine to refine "Blood Essence Pills," which are specifically used to treat deficiency of Qi and blood, and damage to the meridians. It has remarkable effects on the hidden injuries to the meridians caused by improper cultivation, such as deficiency of both Qi and blood, or qi deviation.

A rare glimmer of light appeared in Li Changmo's eyes.

He carefully dug out the Blood Essence Tree, roots and all.

The Heavenly Book trembled once more:

[Obtained one Blood Essence Tree, Family Luck Value +100]

[Family Luck Value, Current: 19300/20000]