[But by this time, the fourth-tier top-grade Vitality Pills on you were already few and far between.]
[Even the fourth-tier Origin Qi Crystals were not plentiful.]
[If you did not replenish them in time, your cultivation speed would certainly plummet.]
[In response, you chose.]
[1. Reduce your absorption of Origin Qi and cultivate slowly. (Cultivation speed will drop to one-fifth of its current rate.)]
[2. Head to Minghuang Island and find a way to purchase Origin Qi Crystals. (Minghuang Island is currently at war; going there may bring trouble.)]
[3. Find a way to reach another core island of the Seven Islands Alliance. (This will take a considerable amount of time.)]
"These three choices..."
After pondering for a moment, Su Yang made his decision.
"System, choose option three."
[You took out the sea chart and set your destination.]
[Lingfeng Island, ranked sixth among the core islands of the Seven Islands Alliance.]
[This island was the closest one to you.]
[But even at your current speed, it would still take several decades to reach it.]
[In response, you decided to head to Jiming Island first.]
[It was a medium-sized island roughly the size of Qixia Island.]
[According to the sea chart, a ship bound for Lingfeng Island departed from here once every twenty-five years.]
[You set off toward Jiming Island.]
[Three years later, you arrived at Jiming Island.]
[There was only one Spirit Transformation force here: Jiming Temple.]
[But it was extraordinarily powerful, a towering presence even among Spirit Transformation forces. It alone had more than forty Deity Transformation Venerables.]
[You learned that the ship from Jiming Island would depart in two years.]
[At the age of 353, you bought a ticket and boarded a ship bound for Lingfeng Island.]
[On the ship, you became acquainted with True Monarch Jingchen, the Buddhist Son of Jiming Temple.]
[You learned that his purpose was surprisingly the same as yours: finding a way to exchange for Origin Qi Crystals for cultivation.]
[When he heard that you were the Sword Scion of Tianjian Sect, he became quite interested.]
[You tentatively exchanged blows, and you gained a slight upper hand.]
[Five months later, a fifth-tier Tuxu Eight-tentacled Octopus led a great number of third- and fourth-tier Sea Beasts in an attack on the ship, only to be easily slain by the Jiming Temple Venerable stationed aboard.]
[You also harvested the corpses of more than a dozen fourth-tier Sea Beasts.]
[Less than eight thousand li farther on, you spotted an enormous iceberg drifting in from the north.]
[It shimmered with flowing radiance and brimmed with spiritual energy; one look was enough to tell that it was immensely valuable.]
[Large numbers of Sea Beasts also surrounded the iceberg. Several of them were, astonishingly, fifth-tier Tuxu Eight-tentacled Octopuses.]
[One was twice as large as the other Tuxu Eight-tentacled Octopuses and appeared to be very close to reaching the sixth tier, a Void Returning King.]
[They were laboriously excavating the solid ice on the iceberg.]
[You also understood why the ship had suddenly been attacked by Sea Beasts earlier.]
[Clearly, the Sea Beasts did not want you to discover this iceberg.]
[Someone recognized the material that formed the iceberg. It was entirely made of the fourth-tier spiritual treasure, Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Marrow.]
"Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Marrow?"
Su Yang frowned.
This thing...
It had appeared in the simulation memories he had received twice before.
A palm-sized piece alone was worth several Medium-grade Spirit Stones.
It could increase the speed at which ice-attribute spiritual power accumulated, assist in comprehending the Intent of Ice, and aid in cultivating ice-attribute divine abilities.
Most importantly, when a large amount of Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Marrow gathered together, the rate at which nearby living beings consumed their lifespans would slow.
Although cultivation speed would also decrease accordingly, the speed of thought would remain unchanged.
That was practically the same as extending one's lifespan.
Moreover, it only hindered the accumulation of spiritual power.
It would not have much effect on comprehending spells, divine abilities, or intents.
Su Yang opened the simulation display.
He immediately saw the iceberg formed from Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Marrow.
It spanned several li and towered a hundred zhang high.
"My heavens, such an enormous mountain of Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Marrow! Its lifespan-slowing effect will probably be quite significant even for Deity Transformation Venerables and Void Returning Kings!"
Su Yang was stunned as well.
The larger the volume of Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Marrow, the higher its value per unit.
At such a scale, it was worth far more than the entire fortune of an ordinary Void Returning King.
[Upon seeing this opportunity, the cultivators aboard the ship had their eyes gleaming with greed, wishing they could rush over at once and seize every last bit of the Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Marrow.]
[Yet the Jiming Temple Venerable aboard the ship had no such idea. Instead, he controlled the ship and sailed in the opposite direction.]
[Several fifth-tier Sea Beasts together were not something a single high-level Venerable could handle.]
[But now that the mountain of Ten-Thousand-Year Cold Marrow had been discovered, the Sea Beasts could not possibly let you leave and draw a large number of cultivators here.]
[All the Sea Beasts roared and charged toward the ship.]
[The enormous Tuxu Eight-tentacled Octopus even risked tearing through space, instantly blocking the ship's path.]
[The ship's weapon, the Spirit Energy Cannon, activated.]
[Large quantities of Spirit Stones burned away, and a dazzling flash of spiritual radiance streaked forth.]
[A powerful beam of spirit energy struck the enormous Tuxu Eight-tentacled Octopus, making it let out a pained roar.]
[But it did not inflict much damage.]
[Its tentacles lashed about furiously, slamming into the ship's protective barrier with terrifying force.]
[After only a few strikes, cracks appeared in the barrier.]
[Several more heavy blows later, the protective barrier shattered completely.]
[You faced the Tuxu Eight-tentacled Octopus King head-on.]
[Knowing that this ship could not be saved, the Jiming Temple Venerable hurriedly told you all to flee.]
[The Nascent Soul True Lords scattered in every direction, while the Golden Core True Persons could only leap into the sea and swim with all their strength.]
[Their spiritual power could not sustain flight against the endless devouring force of the sea.]
[The enormous Tuxu Eight-tentacled Octopus's tentacles moved so quickly that they became afterimages. In the span of a few blinks, many Nascent Soul True Lords and Golden Core True Persons died at its hands.]
[At this point, the other Tuxu Eight-tentacled Octopuses caught up as well.]
[It became even harder for the cultivators to escape.]
[You kept a wary eye out and followed behind the Buddhist Son, True Monarch Jingchen.]
[Sure enough, you suffered far fewer attacks from the Sea Beasts.]
[Many Sea Beasts were held back by the Jiming Temple Venerable.]
[A fifth-tier Tuxu Eight-tentacled Octopus noticed the two of you.]
[It took the initiative to launch a killing attack.]
[The Buddhist Son of Jiming Temple used his trump card.]
[The fifth-tier Tuxu Eight-tentacled Octopus was held back.]
[You seized the chance and had the Heaven and Earth Profound Origin Sword carry you away.]
[Your speed increased several dozenfold.]
[You were about to escape the Sea Beasts' encirclement.]
[Suddenly, an enormous black shadow rose from the seabed.]
[It was actually a sixth-tier Tuxu Eight-tentacled Octopus King.]
[Its tentacle slashed viciously toward you.]
"A Void Returning King? Are you kidding me?!"
Outside the simulation, Su Yang was dumbfounded as well.
Damn it, if there was a King here, why didn't it come out earlier? It had to be this sneaky—only appearing when he was practically about to escape successfully.
Before you continue