Treasure Hunt
Zhang Xuezhou and the other two had agreed on the profits before forming the group.
Those suitable for Gongsun Hong will be taken by Gongsun Hong, while those suitable for Zhang Xuezhou and Li Shaojun will be taken by the two of them.
This difference stems from differences in levels of understanding.
For example, Zhang Xuezhou and others did not touch ' Zhang Xuezhou ', but if a treasure were suitable for them, they could also possess it; the only difference would be the order in which Zhang Xuezhou acquired it.
Li Shaojun plunged into the water, while Zhang Xuezhou absentmindedly inspected the gourd-shaped boat.
After the gourd grew large, it was more than ten feet tall. When it lay flat and turned into a boat, the boat was more than ten feet long.
A large chunk of the gourd's bottom was torn off. Zhang Xuezhou touched the gourd's thick, smooth exterior and then looked at the steel-wire-like fibers inside. He couldn't help but marvel at the tree demon's extraordinary power.
If it weren't for the gourd blocking their way, they would have been sucked away by the tree demon's tentacles in a couple of strokes.
Thinking of how Li Shaojun was sucked dry in a short time after being entangled by the gourd vine, Zhang Xuezhou felt that this might be a common ability of plant-type demons. This even made Zhang Xuezhou more wary of the purple sword orchid and Huang Daoxian in Western Capital City for no reason.
"The tree roots and gourd vines are likely demonic creatures of the same level. Their absorption ability is too strong; once they take root and invade, it's almost a fight to the death. Therefore, the tree roots have always primarily targeted the gourd vines. Li Shaojun and Gongsun Hong were pulled over by the gourd to cheer them on by spitting out vines. This confrontation may have originally been aimed at humans, but since the gourd was discovered, the situation has changed!"
Zhang Xuezhou only realized some things later.
In the past, Zhang Xuezhou exchanged the Deer-Slaying Blade with Li Guang, which allowed him to avoid Ao Sheng's Golden-Binding Rope. Zheng Wukong's water gourd, on the other hand, saved Zhang Xuezhou and his companions from a deadly disaster.
The axe-wielding man and the sword-wielding woman he saw were both exceptionally strong, but they had likely perished in this area.
Zhang Xuezhou ultimately felt that he had lost something, but he had also gained something.
A treasure is worthwhile as long as it serves a purpose, especially a treasure that saved one's life; even if it is destroyed as a result, it is still worthwhile.
Just as Dong Zhongshu did not value money too much, Zhang Xuezhou also had a rather indifferent attitude towards treasures.
Along his journey, he has worn out quite a few treasures, but once he got used to them, he was able to bear it.
For example, spirit jade, Deer-Slaying Blade, calligraphy model, those low-class poisons, treasures obtained from preaching in the Yedie River Holy Land, elixirs, etc.
What some people treasure for a lifetime is merely a tool to Zhang Xuezhou.
He patted the storage bag, and Zhang Xuezhou realized that his collection was indeed too small.
"There's a reason why people aren't continuously exploring; who can sustain this kind of reckless behavior!"
He silently murmured to himself, and saw Gongsun Hong already approaching from afar, wading across the water.
"Is this your gourd?" Gongsun Hong asked loudly.
"Right!"
"It's gotten so big?"
"Perfect for our return voyage!"
Zhang Xuezhou nodded and made room for Gongsun Hong to stand.
Why did Li Shaojun go into the water?
"He has some survival skills; he'll go into the water and see if the tree demon is dead."
"Li Shaojun's life-saving techniques are truly miraculous; he's an extraordinary person!"
Gongsun Hong used to think that Li Shaojun was nothing special, believing that seeing him in person was better than hearing about him. However, as he got to know him better, Gongsun Hong realized that Li Shaojun was more difficult to deal with than he had imagined.
It would be ideal if the other party had the ability to investigate dangers.
Gongsun Hong touched the gourd and looked at the area that had transformed into a large lake, finding it hard to understand how the gourd could hold so much water.
"This treasure is truly a natural container, possessing a special space to hold water!"
He eventually attributed the gourd to a special kind of water-holding bag. Such naturally grown treasures are extremely rare, and seeing the gourd end up in this state, he couldn't help but sigh.
"Dongfang Shuo, it's your turn!"
After chatting for a while, when Li Shaojun's head surfaced, Zhang Xuezhou immediately leaped into the water and followed suit.
"Is the tree demon dead?" Gongsun Hong asked.
Is your stomach feeling any better?
Li Shaojun did not respond to Gongsun Hong's words. He stared at Gongsun Hong's mouth and other facial features, and then asked about other things.
"Don't even mention it, I have no idea how I got caught in this trap," Gongsun Hong complained. "I was just feeling a bit sleepy after drinking the spiritual spring water to recuperate, who would have thought I'd encounter something like this? When I woke up, I was lying in the water. I thought I'd slept for days. When I woke up, I was already on my way home and had encountered another shipwreck. If Dongfang Shuo hadn't pulled me out, I probably would have drowned, even though I'm a skilled swimmer."
Where's your stomach?
"I don't know how I fell for it; the tree demon that Dongfang Shuo mentioned is simply unbelievable!"
Li Shaojun asked about Li Shaojun's affairs, and Gongsun Hong asked about Gongsun Hong's affairs; the two gave irrelevant and nonsensical answers.
Li Shaojun didn't get any information from Gongsun Hong about what happened after the vines grew. Gongsun Hong also didn't get any information about the tree demon.
Once Li Shaojun stepped ashore, Gongsun Hong surveyed the waters but ultimately decided not to go in.
He didn't need to search to know that Zhang Xuezhou and the others were searching for possible treasures, but Gongsun Hong's current physical condition was not optimistic, and he could hardly withstand the risks he might encounter.
He sat on the protruding rock and could only sigh softly.
"At least you've reached the Sole Self Realm, while Dongfang Shuo and I have lost so much we don't even recognize our own mothers," Li Shaojun frowned. "He's saved you time and time again, so there's no way you'd ask him for what he's given, right?"
"Of course! As long as it suits you, I won't take a single penny!"
Gongsun Hong's expression darkened slightly, but he quickly nodded, indicating that he was a man of his word.
Once the treasures are distributed, whether one can hold onto them securely depends on their individual abilities.
Gongsun Hong failed to protect his precious 'Jiuyu', but he was not greedy, and his physical condition prevented him from doing anything greedy.
His assurance relieved Li Shaojun.
With a potential chaotic Spirit Root right in front of them, not everyone can maintain their composure.
The Chaos Spirit Root belongs to the demon realm, but it is a demon that can never take human form normally, and cannot even move.
These creatures grow in the soil like plants, but also possess some animal characteristics.
Chaotic Spirit Root typically survive for a relatively long period of time and possess bizarre and mysterious powers.
These peculiar creatures can become extremely rare materials after they die. Some of these chaotic Spirit Root can be eaten, thus bringing great power to the Spirit Root, while others can be made into magical Law Artifact with wonderful uses, and still others can aid in Spirit Root.
Regardless of the circumstances, this is a significant gain.
Some chaotic Spirit Root have limited uses, but others are so Spirit Root that even ten ginseng babies couldn't buy them back.
Li Shaojun believed that what the group had encountered was the pioneering material of this secret land, which was very likely a Chaos Spirit Root, something that could exist in any undeveloped secret land.
He chatted with Gongsun Hong, his eyes fixed on the water, wanting to see if Zhang Xuezhou, who was good at swimming, could find what he was guessing.