Second-Tier Spirit Vein

"Oh, Sect Leader Kang, you've got some guts to save your wife!" The Daoist Black Shoes arrived late, leaning on his flying sword as he walked over, turning his head to smile at Kang Dabao.

Kang Dabao could only manage a wry smile, pleading, "Uncle-Master, please don't joke. Why are you so late? I was almost scared to death."

The Daoist Black Shoes reached out and pulled him up, whispering, "If it weren't for you playing the hero and saving the damsel in distress, I would have killed that Vermilion Toad with a single sword stroke long ago. It wouldn't have taken this long."

"Huh?" Sect Leader Kang Da was somewhat taken aback; why did this seem a little improper?

Nanny Sun was not dead. She forced her broken body to stand up and moved over. Just as she was about to pass Fei Shuhe, she wanted to go over to Kang Dabao and ask for his help.

This old woman knew her young mistress's temperament well; she knew she wouldn't utter a single soft word in front of the Daoist Black Shoes and Kang Dabao.

However, this Green-Skinned Vermilion Toad was related to the young lady's future, and even though Granny Nanny Sun had been to Xuanwei City and Han City, the two most prosperous cities in Cloud Horn Prefecture, several times, she still couldn't find it.

Unexpectedly, they found one nearby. However, after preparing for almost a month, they still failed to succeed. How could Nanny Sun be willing to watch the Daoist Black Shoes take the Green-Skinned Vermilion Toad away?

"Miss?" Nanny Sun's mouth was still streaked with blood as she looked at Fei Shuhe's hand that was gripping hers, her voice filled with doubt.

Fei Shuhe shook her head slightly, dispelling Nanny Sun's idea of groveling and acting subservient.

The Daoist Black Shoes chuckled, cupped his hands in greeting to Nanny Sun, and turned to Kang Dabao, instructing, "Take care of this beast, then come with me down to the pool. There are some loose ends to clean up."

"Yes!" Sect Leader Kang Da looked at the Green-Skinned Vermilion Toad with some excitement. This was the first time he had the opportunity to deal with the remains of Second Tier Demon Beast.

Don't be fooled by the fact that this Green-Skinned Vermilion Toad is considered by most Foundation Establishment cultivators to be a typical tough nut to crack and worthless.

Aside from its Essence Blood, which, like all Vermilion Toad, is an excellent material for talisman ink, its other materials are unremarkable compared to Demon Beast of the same rank, so few people target them when hunting.

But for a mere Qi Refining Qi Refinement like Sect Leader Kang Da, this Green-Skinned Vermilion Toad is a treasure trove from head to toe.

Kang Dabao, with his usual meticulousness, carefully selected and categorized the materials from the Green-Skinned Vermilion Toad, placing them methodically into his Storage Bag. He then bowed to Nanny Sun and Fei Shuhe before following the Daoist Black Shoes into the lake.

Nanny Sun wanted to say something more, but was stopped by Fei Shuhe beside her. She sighed and finally watched as Sect Leader Kang Da turned and left.

"Yu'er, Ping'er, take out the medicine and apply it to the guards. Jie'er, Wan'er, carefully record the names and life stories of the fallen soldiers on the Jade Slip, and ask the Sima Office to send them back to their hometowns via the post station and allocate compensation. Also, that..."

Fei Shuhe's cool tone revealed a hint of disappointment. This defeat had indeed left her very tired, but she had not completely forgotten her identity as the mistress of Green Lotus Courtyard.

After arranging these matters in a clear and orderly manner, Fei Shuhe looked at Nanny Sun was recuperating and healing.

If they weren't one of our own, who would risk their lives for you like this? Fei Shuhe felt a surge of gratitude, but then she saw that the Sect Leader Kang Da had walked to the edge of the pool and then turned back.

The burly man hadn't even wiped the sweat and dirt off his face, and his eyes, as always, held a hint of evasion. His small eyes seemed to hold a deep spring, and only by looking closely could one see a faint trace of admiration within them.

Kang Dabao walked up to Fei Shuhe without saying a word, but handed an object wrapped in a brocade handkerchief to Yu'er beside him before bowing and retreating.

Before Fei Shuhe could react, Sect Leader Kang Da had already turned and left.

The former parted her lips slightly and reached out towards Kang Dabao's back, as if she wanted to say something, but after a long pause, she still couldn't utter a sound.

Yu'er, standing beside her, only heard her young mistress let out a soft sigh before withdrawing her hand. Her beautiful eyes lingered on the handkerchief and the back of Sect Leader Kang Da.

--Under the Deep Pool

"Ha, you left that Green-Skinned Vermilion Toad heart for that little girl, didn't you?" The Daoist Black Shoes had been in the deep pool for a long time but hadn't done anything serious. Only after Kang Dabao followed him down with the water-repelling magic Law Artifact did he ask with a smile.

"How does Uncle-Master know everything?!" Sect Leader Kang Da was shocked again.

"Don't think you know what a woman is just because you slept with a young widow in Double Brightness Trade Market. You're far from it!" The Daoist Black Shoes didn't answer him at first, then said:

"Given your opportunistic nature, this Green-Skinned Vermilion Toad heart is merely rare, not worth much. Even I can't fathom why that little girl went to such lengths with that old woman, so why wouldn't you be willing to give it away to curry favor with her?"

"Hehe, Uncle-Master understands me well." Sect Leader Kang Da replied with a smile. What the Daoist Black Shoes said was true. If this Green-Skinned Vermilion Toad Heart was worth several thousand or tens of thousands of Spirit Stones, let alone Fei Shuhe, even if Sima Fei were here, he would not be willing to give it away.

"Women, you shouldn't always give in to their wishes. Otherwise, they'll get used to it and take it for granted. No matter how hard you try, they'll think you're just 'wanting me to be like a star and you to be like the moon'!"

Kang Dabao listened obediently to the admonition, never expecting that his Black Shoes martial uncle actually seemed to understand women quite well. But shouldn't they get down to business first? What exactly were the two of them doing down here?

Seemingly noticing the doubt in Kang Dabao's eyes, the Daoist Black Shoes spoke up again, "Back then, I went to the inner mountain of Cold Crow Mountain, a place where, according to legend, Third Tier demons roam. Before going, I only heard people say how dangerous it was inside. In reality, even there, the density of Second Tier Demon Beast is very low. Sometimes, you can't see a single one for several days."

This Green-Skinned Vermilion Toad is already Second-Tier Middle-Grade; it wouldn't have appeared here randomly. Something must have lured it here.

The Daoist Black Shoes's thoughts aligned with those of Sect Leader Kang Da, who both believed that something at the bottom of the pool must have attracted the Green-Skinned Vermilion Toad.

Nanny Sun and Fei Shuhe understood this as well, but if they could handle the situation themselves, they would naturally come down to investigate. But now, they probably wouldn't dare to compete with the Daoist Black Shoes.

After nearly a day of hard work, not only did Sect Leader Kang Da empty-handed, but even the Daoist Black Shoes was left with nothing.

The latter, recalling his earlier promise, felt somewhat embarrassed and continued, "If we search for another half day, perhaps that beast has hidden the things here, and we haven't been able to find them yet."

Kang Dabao obediently followed orders and continued his search diligently. After searching for another four or five hours, the Sect Leader Kang Da became somewhat hungry.

Kang Dabao, a mere Qi Refining Qi Refinement, is no match for the Daoist Black Shoes. Even at the bottom of the pool, the latter remains identical, requiring no water-repelling Law Artifact whatsoever.

It's important to know that operating the water-repelling Law Artifact is physically demanding. Since Sect Leader Kang Da was tired, he decided to go ashore to rest for a while and replenish his food and water.

The Sect Leader Kang Da leaped out of the water, found a rock slab exposed on the surface of the pool, and took out the braised pork knuckle that Li Zongqian had ordered Mo'er to stew and began to eat.

The young girl's cooking skills are the best in the entire clan, second only to Jin Shilun's. One bite and it's rich but not greasy, leaving a lingering fragrance in your mouth.

Once he successfully Drawing Spirit into the Body, he might actually be able to make a living as a cook.

Little Qi, who smelled the fragrance from Kang Dabao's sleeve, also poked its head out. This little guy was growing and had been sleeping for some time.

It didn't hold back at all, climbing up Kang Dabao's sleeve to his hand, stretching its neck, and taking a bite of the fattest part.

One bite after another, and even though this little guy is only the size of Sect Leader Kang Da, it managed to share this elbow, which is as long as a child's arm, with Kang Dabao.

Although he was eating with his mouth full of oil, Kang Dabao still felt a Little Qi unsatisfied looking at the bare bones in his hand, which had no meat on them, because Xiao Qi was eager to eat them.

This little guy is living a much better life than its "big brother". Kang Dabao is much wealthier now than he was back then, and can even afford to supply rare spiritual herbs like Ram's Horn Coral.

As long as enough spiritual materials are invested, the cultivation speed of spirit beasts is much faster than that of ordinary cultivators. Therefore, according to the estimate of Sect Leader Kang Da, Little Qi should be able to advance to the First-Tier Middle-Grade in about half a year.

After the man and the turtle had eaten and drunk their fill, they continued their search. But as soon as they reached the bottom of the pool, Little Qi's eyes lit up, and it tugged at Kang Dabao's sleeve.

"Hmm?" Following Little Qi, Sect Leader Kang Da arrived at a huge rock cave at the bottom of a pool.

How could the Daoist Black Shoes and Kang Dabao possibly overlook such an obvious place? The two of them went through it one by one, but neither of them found anything unusual. What could Little Qi possibly find?

Just as Sect Leader Kang Da was wondering if Little Qi had led them astray, he saw it leap out of the water-repelling Law Artifact and land on a pile of stone spheres that appeared perfectly normal to Kang Dabao.

These stone balls were only the size of a baby's finger, yet Little Qi waved his little claws and, with just a few waving motions across the water, peeled away the outer shells of the stone balls one by one, revealing their crystal-clear, dazzling inner bodies.

A sudden inspiration struck him. Sect Leader Kang Da paused for a moment, staring at the precious pearls, and stammered, "These are... Spirit-Absorbing Pearl?"

"Hmm, it's Spirit-Absorbing Pearl, that beast is quite clever, knowing to cover all of them with Spirit-Absorbing Pearl, making us waste so much effort."

Even without Kang Dabao sending a message, the Daoist Black Shoes was able to quickly arrive by following the exposed spiritual light. Even someone as knowledgeable as him couldn't help but be delighted to see so many Spirit-Absorbing Pearl.

The Spirit-Absorbing Pearl is a spiritual object that can only be produced by Spirit Vein of the Second Tier or above. It can absorb and release energy roughly once every thousand years. The spiritual power contained within it should not be underestimated. Even Foundation Establishment True Cultivator use this object for cultivation and breakthroughs.

And since the Spirit-Absorbing Pearl is here, then...

"Second Tier Spirit Vein?!" Sect Leader Kang Da exclaimed in surprise. Was there a Second Tier Spirit Vein at the bottom of this pool?

There were about fifteen or sixteen exposed Spirit-Absorbing Pearl, roughly the yield of an ordinary Second Tier Spirit Vein in about ten years. The Daoist Black Shoes didn't take them all; he left two and gave them to Kang Dabao, saying, "I can use these, so I won't leave you too many. Keep these two for this little turtle to buy some good food."

Little Qi muttered a few times to himself, quite unhappy that the Daoist Black Shoes had snatched away so many of the treasures he had discovered, but he didn't dare to make a scene. He looked at Sect Leader Kang Da with an expression of anger at his lack of ambition.

This performance made both Daoist Black Shoes and Kang Dabao chuckle. The Sect Leader Kang Da tried to soothe it by patting its back, but to no avail. In fact, it almost bit him. So he simply laughed and put it back into his sleeve, leaving it for the time being.

"There's actually a Second Tier Spirit Vein at the bottom of this pool. Since the chaos of the barbarians, only your family Pingrong County each have a Second Tier Spirit Vein in the entire Pingrong County."

After your family's Little Ring Mountain fell into the hands of another family, that family also suffered from internal strife within the sect, and their Spirit Vein were completely destroyed and difficult to repair. The county government was in a similar situation.

"So, this Spirit Vein must be the only Second Tier Spirit Vein in Pingrong County right now."

The Daoist Black Shoes sighed and said that, in principle, after he achieved the Foundation Establishment, he should have left this barren Pingrong County long ago, just like Qin Sufu did.

Without Second Tier Spirit Vein to support his cultivation, it would certainly be an obstacle to his Dao Path.

However, due to the Chongming Sect and other matters, he could not leave Pingrong County for the time being. He could only cultivate with Spirit Stone, which was not only costly, but also less convenient than cultivating with Spirit Vein.

Now that a Second Tier Spirit Vein has been discovered, the Daoist Black Shoes's cultivation will naturally proceed much more smoothly.

The Sect Leader Kang Da was also very happy. If it weren't for the fact that Little Ring Mountain, where the Chongming Sect was located, had already been ravaged by other families who had seized the mountain gate, and that his own family had also declined due to internal strife, leaving no descendants to be found.

Given the current status of Sect Leader Kang Da, the county magistrate, and the city magistrate in Pingrong County, they would have long ago avenged this seven-generation feud and offered sacrifices to their ancestors.

With a flick of his sword, the Daoist Black Shoes drew a deep line through the silt that had accumulated for an unknown depth at the bottom of the pool. A large amount of Spiritual Qi leaked out, washing over Kang Dabao so comfortably that he almost groaned.

"Hmm, this Spirit Vein doesn't seem to have been hidden away. It's more likely that after the chaos, the earth's veins changed, and the chaotic Spiritual Qi scattered and then devoured and connected with each other, eventually creating a fixed spiritual path. Over time, this naturally formed a Second Tier Spirit Vein at the bottom of this nameless pool."

Not bad, Second-Tier Lower-Grade, with abundant spiritual energy. The reason it was able to accumulate such a Spirit-Absorbing Pearl is mostly because the Spiritual Qi was chaotic and unmanaged, and the spiritual channels supplying Spiritual Qi energy to the Spirit Vein were too narrow, which is why it had enough Spiritual Qi but could not advance.

"Once I have the New Cloud Alliance find a Second Tier geomancer, it will cost tens of thousands of Spirit Stones. Perhaps in ten or twenty years, he'll be able to advance to the Second-Tier Middle-Grade."

The Daoist Black Shoes was also very satisfied. He used his flying sword to cut and reshape the cave, creating several neat stone chambers.

After doing all that, he casually took out a low-grade water-repelling array plate, and a simple underwater cave abode was built.

"Alright, from now on I will cultivate here. Don't come looking for me unless it's something important. I will talk to Ye Zhen about the New Cloud Alliance. He should write to you if he needs anything. You can decide for yourself if it's useful and don't need to come looking for me."

"If any of you want to use this Second Tier Spirit Vein, I'll set aside a few more quiet rooms in the cave abode and distribute tokens to you. As for how to handle matters outside, you should know, right?" After giving his arrangements, the Daoist Black Shoes added a final note.

"I know, Uncle Master, don't worry!" Sect Leader Kang Da naturally knew what the Daoist Black Shoes was talking about. The Xue Household was so close to this Spirit Vein, how could that be allowed? They had to find a good place for them to move.

"As for whether he's willing to persuade me with kind words, surely he wouldn't be unwilling?" Kang Dabao thought to himself.

Ultimately, the two families were related by marriage several generations ago, and Sect Leader Kang Da hoped that the Xue Household would be sensible and not make the situation too ugly.

"I don't need that Green-Skinned Vermilion Toad, so you can keep it. When you get back, remember to put a bottle of the Vermilion Toad's Essence Blood next to your elder brother's grave. Don't be stingy, and make sure it's refined to a high purity."

"Thank you, Uncle-Master. I understand."

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