Trap

Spring goes and autumn comes; another year has passed.

In Green Begonia Courtyard, Green Begonia Pavilion, a secret room.

Shen Long sat cross-legged on a Red Prayer Mat, his eyes slightly closed, his body enveloped in a layer of Red Rosy Clouds.

After a while, the Red Rosy Clouds on Shen Long's body dissipated, he opened his eyes, and let out a long breath.

He spread his hands, and his arms glowed with a red light, growing numerous Red Dragon Scales. With ten Blood Flood Dragon Pill, he successfully cultivated to the fourth level.

As his cultivation level increases, he needs more Blood Flood Dragon Pill, which means he needs more Second-Rank Flood Dragon Blood Essence. One bottle of diluted Second-Rank Flood Dragon Blood Essence is not enough.

With a thought, Shen Long caused the Red Dragon Scales to disappear.

He entered the Spirit Control Tower, and more than two thousand Gold-Eating Ant flew towards him. Gold-Eating Ant Queen consuming a large amount of Spirit Feeding Pill and second-tier refining materials, the queen gold-eating ant successfully advanced to the second tier.

There are over two thousand Gold-Eating Ant, one of which is at the early stage of the second rank and dozens of which are at the First Rank Late Stage. They have a huge appetite and reproduce very quickly. If Shen Long hadn't been able to refine pills to earn Spirit Stone, he really wouldn't have been able to afford to raise them.

After Gold-Eating Ant Queen's Bloodline Purity remained at level one, and her Divine Ability were average. However, she mastered a Golden Armor Technique, a defensive spell that made her more resilient. In addition, her teeth were also better, allowing her to easily bite through second-tier ores.

Shen Long took out a dozen fist-sized pieces of Golden Lang Stone and threw them on the ground. The Gold-Eating Ant swarmed over them and began to gnaw at them.

Feeding the Gold-Eating Ant once now costs at least five hundred Spirit Stone; they're truly gold-eating beasts.

Their numbers have increased, and their power when condensed into weapon forms is even greater.

Shen Long released the Hundred-Eyed Golden Cicada, the Snow Wind Sparrow, and the Green-Eyed Spirit Fox, all of which were still in the mid-stage of the first rank. He fed each of them a Spirit Feeding Pill and then put them back into his Spirit Beast Bag.

He went up to the second floor, whistled, and a sharp bird cry rang out. The Golden-Winged Wind Peng flew in from afar, landed in front of Shen Long, and kicked up countless clouds of dust.

Its size has increased considerably, and it is currently at the mid-stage of the first tier, having consumed a significant amount of Spirit Feeding Pill.

Shen Long took out two Spirit Feeding Pill and fed them to the Golden-Winged Wind Peng, and also fed it two fifty-year-old Green Wind Grass.

As Shen Long's Life-Bound Spirit Bird, it was treated very well, being fed Spirit Feeding Pill and spirit medicine regularly, in quantities several times greater than those given to other Spirit Beast and Spirit Insect.

Shen Long walked onto the back of the Golden-Winged Wind Peng and gently patted its back with his right hand.

With a gentle flap of its wings, the Golden-Winged Wind Peng took off and soared into the sky.

The Golden-Winged Wind Peng was incredibly fast; a gust of wind howled past, whipping Shen Long's hair into a fluttering motion.

After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the Golden-Winged Wind Peng landed on the ground, and Shen Long jumped down.

"Go have fun!"

Shen Long said.

The Golden-Winged Wind Peng understood Shen Long's words, spread its wings and soared high above the Volcano Cluster.

The Fire Rock Beast rushed over and nuzzled Shen Long's trouser leg with its head.

Shen Long took out two fifty-year-old Fire Cloud Grass and fed them to the Fire Rock Beast.

He had specially trained the Fire Rock Beast and the Golden-Winged Wind Peng, forbidding them from fighting. The second floor of the Spirit Control Tower was spacious enough to accommodate the Golden-Winged Wind Peng and the Fire Rock Beast.

Shen Long examined the spirit medicine and fruits, then left the Spirit Control Tower after casting the rain.

He took out Communication Disk that was flashing with blue light, and entered a spell. Lin Shan's voice sounded, "Fellow Daoist Shen, would it be convenient for you to come to my residence? Fellow Daoist Ye has something he would like to discuss with you."

"Okay, I'll go there now."

Shen Long agreed, put away the Communication Disk, and went outside.

He arrived at the entrance of Purple Bamboo Courtyard. The gate was open. He knocked on the gate, and Lin Guang came over and invited him in.

Ye Hong, Yu Susu, and Su Nan were all there. They often hunted Demon Beast together and frequently bought pills from Shen Long, which Shen Long found strange.

Lin Guang closed the courtyard gate and sat down in the stone pavilion with Shen Long.

"Fellow Daoist Lin, we have discovered some Crimson Moon Ganoderma, but they are guarded by a flock of Crimson Fire Crow. The Fire Crow King is at the mid-stage of the second rank, and there are more than twenty second-rank Crimson Fire Crow. We would like to ask for your help in hunting down these Crimson Fire Crow."

Ye Hong got straight to the point.

"You need my help? Where are your teammates?!"

Shen Long asked, puzzled.

"Last time we hunted Demon Beast, we encountered a Foundation Establishment Realm Green-Faced Ghost. They were ambushed by the Green-Faced Ghost, leaving only the four of us. We couldn't defeat that flock of Crimson Fire Crow. Fellow Daoist Lin mentioned that Fellow Daoist Shen has strong Divine Ability, so we wanted to ask you for help. After it's done, I can give you a larger share of Crimson Moon Ganoderma, how about it?"

Ye Hong said sincerely.

Shen Long thought for a moment and said, "With just the five of us, we might not be a match for those Crimson Fire Crow in a head-on fight!"

"We have a second-tier Formation, the Profound Mystic Cold Formation, which we'll use to annihilate those Crimson Fire Crow. We're asking for your help, Fellow Daoist Shen, because we're worried that other Demon Beast might appear along the way. Having more people around is always safer."

Ye Hong explained.

Even a four-person formation can kill the Crimson Fire Crow. But if other Demon Beast or cultivators appear along the way, it's hard to say; such things happen far too often.

"Alright! I'll go with you. When do we set off?"

Shen Long asked.

He also wanted to go out and get some exercise. The Crimson Fire Crow were Fire Element Demon Bird, and their Demon Core were a good supplement for the Fire Rock Beast.

"If there's nothing else, let's set off immediately. If we delay any longer, other Monster Hunting Team might discover the Crimson Fire Crow."

Ye Hong said.

Shen Long agreed, and the five of them left the Purple Bamboo Courtyard.

After leaving the Marketplace, Lin Guang summoned a blue flying boat and boarded it, with Ye Hong and the other three quickly following.

Lin Guang made a hand seal, and the azure flying boat immediately lit up with a beam of azure light, flying towards the distance.

Two days later, the cyan flying boat appeared above a Red Bamboo Forest. Shen Long opened his Divine Sense and carefully scanned the bamboo forest, but found nothing unusual.

Lin Guang changed his magic technique, and the cyan flying boat slowly landed, whereupon they disembarked.

A cawing sound rang out, and Shen Long and his group of five immediately concealed their presence and looked up at the sky. They saw a flock of Crimson Fire Crow flying overhead, unaware that they had spotted Shen Long and his group.

"It seems some Crimson Fire Crow have gone out to forage. That's good; it relieves some of our pressure."

Ye Hong said excitedly.

After passing through the bamboo forest, a narrow valley appeared before them.

"The Crimson Fire Crow ' nest is in a cave inside the valley. We just need to set up Formation outside the valley to lure them out."

Ye Hong said.

Shen Long looked down at the ground and saw some red bird droppings.

Ye Hong and the other three took out Formation Flag Formation Disk plates to set up the array, while Shen Long did not interfere.

After setting up the Formation, Lin Guang went to lure the Crimson Fire Crow, while Shen Long and the other three cast spells to hide themselves.

Shen Long had other ways to lure the Crimson Fire Crow, but he didn't intend to use them.

Not long after, a huge explosion came from inside the valley, and Lin Guang rushed out of the valley at great speed.

More than a hundred Crimson Fire Crow followed behind, including more than ten second-tier Crimson Fire Crow. They flapped their wings and released Crimson Fireball the size of millstones, which hurled at Lin Guang.

Lin Guang's Spirit Boots glowed with a blue light, easily dodging the attack of the Crimson Fireball.

A Giant Fireball the size of a house fell from the sky and crashed in front of Lin Guang. If Lin Guang continued forward, he would definitely be hit by the Giant Fireball.

He had no choice but to stop, and summoned a small Cyan Small Umbrella, holding it above his head. A thick Cyan Light Screen descended, protecting him.

Dozens of Crimson Fireball slammed into the Cyan Small Umbrella, creating a deafening roar as billowing flames engulfed Lin Guang's figure.

Hundreds of Crimson Fire Crow attacked Lin Guang, either spewing flames or releasing Crimson Fireball.

Just then, a Cyan Tornado appeared out of nowhere and met the attacks.

The Crimson Flame and Crimson Fireball crashed into the Cyan Tornado one after another, like eggs hitting rocks, and quickly dissipated.

The Cyan Tornado quickly reached the flock of crimson Fire Crow, and the powerful airflow swept some of the Crimson Fire Crow into it, including two second-tier Crimson Fire Crow.

The powerful air currents, like countless Cyan Wind Blade, struck them one after another, tearing the Crimson Fire Crow to pieces, their blood splattering on the spot.

Most of the Crimson Fire Crow avoided it, but the Cyan Tornado struck the stone wall on the left, causing it to shake and sending a large amount of debris flying.

Lin Guang folded up his Cyan Small Umbrella and ran off into the distance at a very fast pace.

The flock of Crimson Fire Crow quickly gave chase, unleashing Fire Element Law Technique attack Lin Guang.

Just then, a large expanse of White Cold Qi surged from the ground, and the ground began to freeze. The ice layer spread rapidly, and the White Cold Qi enveloped hundreds of Crimson Fire Crimson Fire Crow. A White Light Screen then appeared, covering the Crimson Fire Crow.

Shen Long and his three companions appeared, each holding a white Formation Disk that shimmered with light.

They each cast a spell, and a cold wind immediately swept through the White Light Screen, revealing several three-foot-long White Ice Blade that floated in mid-air.

These White Ice Blade hurtled straight towards the hundreds of Crimson Fire Crow at great speed.

The Crimson Fire Crow either flapped their wings to avoid the attack or spewed flames to defend themselves.

A series of White Ice Blade appeared and headed straight for the Crimson Fire Crow.

Lin Guang stopped, took out a white Formation Disk, and activated the Formation to attack the Crimson Fire Crow.

Time passed slowly, and one by one the Crimson Fire Crow were killed.

A series of "cawing" sounds came from inside the valley, and more than two hundred Crimson Fire Crow flew out. Among them, one Crimson Fire Crow was particularly large; this was the Fire Crow King.

Besides the Fire Crow King, there were more than ten second-tier Crimson Fire Crow.

Ye Hong frowned. Lin Guang had failed to lure out all the Crimson Fire Crow, which put them under considerable pressure.

Shen Long raised his right hand, and a Cyan Tornado more than ten feet high appeared, heading straight for the Fire Crow King.

"Second-Rank Spell: Wind Sweeps Away Clouds, instant Law Technique!"

Ye Hong asked in surprise.

"Fellow Daoist Shen and I will deal with the Fire Crow King. Fellow Daoist Lin, Fairy Yu, and Madam Lin, you will control the Formation to deal with those Crimson Fire Crow."

Ye Hong said.

He summoned a Talisman that shimmered with golden light, Talisman instantly exploded, transforming into hundreds of Golden Flying Knife, each about a foot long.

Second-Rank Talisman, Hundred-Blade Talisman!

The Cyan Tornado was very fast, engulfing the flock of Fire Crow. A large number of Crimson Fire Crow were swept into the Cyan Tornado and killed by the powerful airflow.

The Fire Crow King flapped its wings and spewed out Crimson Flame as thick as an adult's arm, charging forward. The second-tier Crimson Fire Crow followed suit, spewing out Crimson Flame to attack the Cyan Tornado.

With a deafening roar, the Cyan Tornado was shattered by the dense Crimson Flame, and hundreds of Golden Flying Knife shot out, plunging into the flock of Fire Crow, slaying a large number of first-tier Crimson Fire Crow.

In a single encounter, the number of Fire Crow was reduced by nearly half.

Soon, a second Cyan Tornado swept in, and dozens of Crimson Fire Crow were swept into the Cyan Tornado by the powerful airflow, their bodies torn to pieces.

The Fire Crow King let out a sharp "caw caw," and more than ten second-tier Crimson Fire Crow scattered. Five of them pounced on Ye Hong, while the Fire Crow King led seven second-tier Crimson Fire Crow to attack Shen Long.

Shen Long patted a yellow Spirit Beast Bag at his waist, and the Iron Tail Scorpion flew out from it.

With a gentle flap of its wings, the Fire Crow King unleashed dozens of millstone-sized Crimson Fireball that hurtled toward Shen Long. The seven Crimson Fire Crow followed suit, sending hundreds of Crimson Fireball hurtling toward Shen Long.

Shen Long raised his right hand, and a gust of wind howled past, followed by a Cyan Tornado flashed out to meet the attack.

Hundreds of Crimson Fireball collided with the Cyan Tornado, like eggs hitting a rock, instantly disintegrating, while the Cyan Tornado headed straight for the Fire Crow King.

Just as the Fire Crow King was about to dodge, a sharp screech rang out, slowing its reaction and causing it to be swept into the Cyan Tornado by a powerful gust of air.

Hundreds of Cyan Wind Blade struck the Fire Crow King Fire Crow King succession, causing a large number of feathers to fall from its body, leaving it covered in blood.

With a deafening roar, the Cyan Tornado exploded, and the Fire Crow King flew out, its body covered in blood, revealing its bones. Its wings appeared somewhat unnatural, with some bones showing signs of breakage.

As soon as it was freed, a huge Cyan Wind Blade descended from the sky, heading straight for the Fire Crow King's head.

Before the Fire Crow King could dodge, another sharp screech rang out, its head spinning and its reactions slowing down.

Giant Wind Blade swept across the Fire Crow King's head, severing its head, and Giant Wind Blade headless corpse fell from the sky.

With the help of the Iron Tail Scorpion, Shen Long easily killed the Fire Crow King, a mid-stage second-tier cultivator. A Crimson Fire Crow descended from the sky and pounced on Shen Long.

Its reaction was swift; it appeared atop Shen Long.

More than a dozen thick, Cyan Vine burst from the ground, weaving into a large Cyan Giant Hand. The Cyan Giant Hand grabbed the Crimson Fire Crow's claws and flung it to the ground, causing the Crimson Fire Crow's body to slam heavily to the ground.

Before it could even stand up, the Iron Tail Scorpion emerged from the ground, its stinger transforming into a large patch of yellow threads that struck the Crimson Fire Crow repeatedly, including its head.

A level 2 early-stage Crimson Fire Crow has perished!

With the Fire Crow King dealt with, the remaining Crimson Fire Crow were no match for it.

Shen Long unleashed a series of Cyan Tornado, quickly annihilating the remaining Crimson Fire Crow without breaking a sweat.

Ye Hong and his companions were shocked, their eyes filled with apprehension.

They initially thought Shen Long was Alchemist and wouldn't be too strong, but now it seems that Shen Long's strength is ridiculously high.

At this moment, Lin Guang and the other two also activated the Formation to destroy the Crimson Fire Crow within Formation.

"Fellow Daoist Shen's Daoist skills are profound. At such a young age, you have already cultivated the Wind Sweeps Away Clouds to the Great Perfection. I admire you."

Ye Hong's face was full of admiration.

"It took me nearly ten years to master this Law Technique."

Shen Long naturally wouldn't tell the truth, since the other party didn't know his exact Foundation Establishment time.

"Fellow Daoist Shen is willing to spend so much time cultivating a Second-Rank Spell; he is a person of great perseverance. I could not do that."

Lin Guang looked on with envy.

It is common knowledge that magic is easy to learn but difficult to master. It is better to use that time for cultivation. Not everyone who spends a lot of time cultivating magic can necessarily reach the Great Perfection.

"Indeed! I didn't expect that Fellow Daoist Shen's Divine Ability are quite remarkable, besides alchemy."

Yu Susu praised, her face full of admiration.

"Fellow Daoists, you flatter me. Let's hurry and deal with the Demon Beast's corpse and harvest the Crimson Moon Ganoderma!"

Shen Long said modestly.

They wiped out the Crimson Fire Crow, Shen Long contributed greatly, so naturally he got the lion's share. The Fire Crow King's corpse belonged to Shen Long.

They divided the carcass of the Crimson Fire Crow and went into the valley.

Upon entering the cave, one finds it dry and dark.

Before long, they reached the end. In the lower left corner of the cave, there were more than a hundred red Ganoderma lucidum plants. The shape of the Ganoderma lucidum was very similar to a crescent moon, and they were the Crimson Moon Ganoderma.

Shen Long took fifty Crimson Moon Ganoderma, the oldest of which was over a hundred years old. The rest were distributed among Ye Hong and the other three.

Stepping out of the cave, Lin Guang summoned a flying boat that shimmered with azure light and boarded it, with Shen Long and the other three quickly following behind.

Lin Guang made a hand seal, and the azure flying boat lit up with a beam of azure light, soaring into the sky.

Upon returning to the Marketplace, the five parted ways, each going home.

Shen Long sold the corpse of the first-tier Crimson Fire Crow, bought a batch of first-tier weapon-refining materials, and returned to Green Begonia Courtyard.

He entered a secret chamber and released the Iron Tail Scorpion. The Iron Tail Scorpion was of great help in this hunt of Demon Beast. Its Divine Sense Attack was very powerful, and even the Fire Crow King, could not withstand it.

In a battle between masters, victory or defeat can be decided in an instant. Iron Tail Scorpion unleashes Divine Sense Attack that can affect the enemy for a moment, while Shen Long uses wind-based Law Technique to attack.

Wind Law Technique attacks are fast and powerful.

The early-stage second-tier Crimson Fire Crow was instantly wiped out by Wind Sweeps Away Clouds, while the mid-stage second-tier Fire Crow King was severely injured.

The Iron Tail Scorpion let out a joyful hiss, its stinger swaying left and right, as if seeking praise.

"Well done this time! Excellent, these three century-old Ink Mustard Grass are yours."

Shen Long praised it, then took out three hundred-year-old Ink Mustard Grass and fed them to the Iron Tail Scorpion.

The Iron Tail Scorpion ate three Ink Mustard Grass, crawled to a corner, and slowly digested them.

Shen Long arrived at another Stone Chamber, entered the Spirit Control Tower, and went to the second floor.

He whistled, and the Fire Rock Beast came galloping from afar and stopped in front of Shen Long.

Shen Long took out a red sphere, which was the Demon Core of a second-tier Crimson Fire Crow. The Demon Core contained abundant fire-attribute Demon Power, and the Fire Rock Beast could save some time of Secluded Cultivation by consuming it.

He fed the Demon Core to the Fire Rock Beast, Fire Rock Beast let out a loud roar and spewed out a thick stream of Crimson Flame that struck the ground, instantly creating a huge crater in the ground, where signs of melting appeared.

Shen Long trained the Fire Rock Beast in combat and then let it roam freely.

He left the Spirit Control Tower, sat cross-legged, and began to cultivate his inner energy.

A month passed quickly. Shen Long left the secret room, intending to sell his pills. He took out a Communication Disk that shimmered with blue light, cast a spell, and Chen Liang's voice rang out. "Uncle-Master Yu, I've obtained a piece of Golden Cypress Stone. Please come and collect it! The same way as last time?"

"Golden Cypress Stone! This is a material used to forge top-grade Top-Grade Dharma Artifact. Where did you get it?"

Shen Long asked in surprise.

"At the invitation of a friend, I went to exterminate Demon Beast and unexpectedly discovered a piece of Golden Cypress Stone inside the body of a First Rank Late Stage Spirit-Swallowing Rat."

Chen Liang explained.

Shen Long pondered for a moment and said, "How about this? You keep it for now! I'll contact you again in a while."

"Yes, Uncle Yu."

Chen Liang agreed.

······

In Floating Cloud Courtyard, Li Jian, Chen Hong, and a burly Black-Robed Man sat in a stone pavilion, while Zhao Bin reported the situation to them.

"Just like last time, he contacted Chen Liang again after a while."

Zhao Bin said.

"We've tampered with that piece of Golden Cypress Stone. Once he gets Golden Cypress Stone, we'll be able to track him down."

Li Jian said excitedly.

To dispel any suspicions, they deliberately set another trap a year later.

"Will he break open the Golden Cypress Stone on the spot to examine it? It's suspicious that Chen Liang obtained a piece of Golden Cypress Stone. He presented the Green-Eyed Spirit Fox last time, and now he's obtained another piece of Golden Cypress Stone. He might become suspicious."

"Black-Robed Man said."

Liu Biao, Foundation Establishment Early Stage, Body Cultivator.

"We'll be following Chen Liang. After the last transaction, I believe his guard will be lowered considerably."

Chen Hong said.

"That's right. If we can't lure him out this time, it will be even more difficult in the future."

Li Jian analyzed.

"Golden Cypress Stone can be used to refine Top-Grade Dharma Artifact. If it were me, I wouldn't refuse."

Liu Biao said.

"Hopefully, the fish will bite! Only after capturing this man can we return to General Headquarters to report. Hopefully, he possesses more secrets!"

Li Jian said.

"With Junior Brother Liu's help this time, as long as he dares to show his face, he definitely won't be able to escape."

Chen Hong was full of confidence.