Journey to the West: Building a Celestial Empire Starting from Lion Camel Ridge

Chapter 13: A Rare Treasure Drops!

Chen Ping'an sat by the purification altar, letting the warm golden light envelop his entire body.

The tiny black spots on the skin where the body fluid of the dead toad was splashed are slowly fading and disappearing.

Like snow melting in the sun, little by little, new skin underneath is revealed, tinged with pink, as tender as a baby's skin.

But it still burned like hot water.

Fortunately, there was nothing seriously wrong.

The golden light purifying the spirit platform seemed to have a natural restraining effect on death energy. The death energy that had eroded into the flesh had nowhere to hide under the golden light and was forced out little by little, turning into black smoke and dissipating into the air.

Ali squatted down beside them, watching the black dots disappear for a long time.

"This spiritual platform... it really is a good thing."

"However, your constitution is quite amazing."

Ali carefully examined Chen Ping'an, then changed the subject.

"How...do you mean?"

Chen Ping'an was still panting heavily.

That leap, that thrust, that twist—it may have seemed simple, but it actually took all his strength.

Ah Li looked Chen Ping'an over and, after confirming that he was not poisoned, breathed a sigh of relief.

"The Death Toad is a mutated creature corroded by death energy. The corrosive liquid it sprays is not only full of death energy, but also highly poisonous."

"Highly poisonous?"

Chen Ping'an was startled. He checked himself and realized, "I don't feel like I'm being poisoned."

That's why it's considered amazing.

"I've seen the Death Toad before, but I've never seen anyone who dared to fight it head-on and survive."

As Ah Li recalled, she casually shot down three bone demons that were knocking on the barrier. These bone demons stepped into the places corroded by the Death Toad's putrid liquid, and their bones made a hissing sound.

"Even a Qi Refining Ninth Level expert wouldn't dare say they have enough confidence to hunt down the Kill Qi Toad."

"This damn thing even managed to self-destruct when it was on the verge of death."

Ali's tone was full of disbelief that Chen Ping'an had survived.

Chen Ping'an was stunned, feeling a lingering fear in his heart.

"A dead toad once appeared in the sanctuary of the Earth God Temple. Two people died in that battle."

Ali calmly recounted the past, finally turning her gaze back to Chen Ping'an's face, "So, don't be so reckless next time."

Chen Ping'an scratched his head and remained silent.

I was completely baffled.

Could it be that I have a constitution that is immune to all poisons?

Or is it that, as the master of the shelter, his physical condition is vastly different from that of ordinary people?

Could it be that as long as the shelter remains standing, one can live forever?

......

Chen Pingan shook his head, banishing those strange thoughts from his mind.

He then opened the panel, killed that thing, and must have gained quite a bit.

Before the rainy season arrives, you need plenty of demon crystals to be well-prepared for battle.

[Defeat: Death Toad x1]

[Received: 0 Demon Crystals]

[Obtained: Rare Treasure - Corrosive Skin x1]

Chen Ping'an was taken aback.

No demon crystals?

After going through so much trouble, almost dying, we still didn't get any demon crystals.

Okay, I'll accept it for now.

After all, not every monster we killed before dropped a demon crystal.

As for the rare treasure, what is it?

This is the first time I've seen this.

With a thought, Chen Ping'an saw a dark mass float out of the corpse of the Death Toad and fly straight to the purification platform.

Ali frowned.

A fist-sized, translucent sac filled with a thick, black liquid swayed slightly in the dim light of the panel.

[Corrosion of the skin]

[Quality: Tier 1]

[Source: Organs within the body of the dead toad that store corrosive liquid]

[Characteristics: Highly corrosive and extremely toxic; used for making traps and coating weapons]

[Note: Handle with extreme care, as it is highly corrosive once broken!]

This is really good stuff!

Chen Pingan laughed.

"What's wrong?"

Ah Li watched as the pale, translucent skin fell from the body of the Death Toad; this thing was no ordinary object.

Her gut feeling told her that this thing was dangerous!

Chen Pingan picked up the corroded bladder, shook it gently, and explained the information on the panel to Ali.

Then I saw Ali's eyes light up.

As a natural-born hunter, Ali knew very well how valuable this thing was.

"In the ruins, there shouldn't be any living creatures that can withstand the putrefactive liquid of the Death Toad."

Ah Li said, then immediately realized his tone was a bit too absolute, "He can withstand it for a short time, but he'll definitely die in the long run."

"There is one problem."

Chen Pingan thought about it carefully.

"What's the problem?"

Ah Li took the leather bag, carefully examined the black liquid inside, and her face lit up with joy. For a hunter, this was simply a divine artifact!

"If the prey dies from the corrosive liquid, is the meat still edible?"

Ali was stunned.

This does seem to be a problem.

......

Chen Pingan turned off the control panel and stood up, supporting himself on his mental platform.

Although my legs are still a little weak, I can stand up now.

He walked to the door and looked outside.

On the ground, the corpse of the Death Toad was still there, dead beyond dead.

The black fluid seeped into the soil, turning that small patch of ground a dark brown, as if it had been scorched.

Scattered around it were the remains of a bone demon, its white bones gleaming coldly in the moonlight.

Further away, there are broken walls of ruins and even deeper darkness.

Chen Ping'an watched for a while, then turned around and walked back into the dilapidated house, sitting down by the wall.

"With this, we'll have another option if we encounter the Death Toad or anything else next time."

Ali didn't speak, she just nodded.

She understood what Chen Ping'an meant.

To survive in these ruins, you have to fight.

It's a gamble, a gamble, a gamble with the weapons in your hand, and a gamble with the ideas in your mind.

You have to fight for everything.

If you don't fight, you die.

"We must become stronger."

Not just a shelter, but also oneself needs to become stronger.

Chen Ping'an continued, as if talking to himself, yet also as if addressing Ali, "We can't keep going like this. The barrier will break, the arrows will run out, and people will get tired. We need to think of another way, we need to get more supplies, we need to..."

He paused, then didn't continue.

But Ali understands.

We must survive.

To survive in this damned place, in this damned world.

---

As the last wave of bone demons retreated, the sky was already beginning to lighten.

Grayish-white light seeped through the cracks in the ruins, falling on the ground of the dilapidated house and casting long, thin shadows.

A total of sixty-seven demon crystals were collected.

An unexpected bonus was the corrosion of the skin.

There were seven waves tonight.

The harvest of demon crystals has increased significantly compared to before.

Chen Ping'an was both happy and worried. He was happy that his harvest was increasing, but worried that the frequent appearance of these strange creatures meant that the rainy season was really coming soon.

It's not just the quantity that's increasing; the types are changing too.

Before the Death Toad, they had never encountered a monster that could spit things out.

And after that?

What else will we encounter?

Chen Ping'an didn't know.

All he knew was that things couldn't continue like this.

If the barrier can't hold, neither can they.

He glanced at the barrier's durability.

[Durability: 48/100]

Chen Ping'an's expression was solemn; this was just a dead toad.

If there were a few more...

Chen Pingan dared not think about it.