Crossing the Lake

"To be honest, senior, I have no confidence in crossing the lake." Jiang Qing put away the calculation cloth, his brows furrowing as he spoke.

There are quite a few Jade Crocodile in this lake. After calculating for a while, he realized that if he were to wade across the lake, he would probably have a hard time doing it alone, let alone with Qi Buxiu as a burden.

Seeing the bitter smile on Qi Buxiu's face, Jiang Qing thought for a moment and asked, "Senior, is it possible to contact Madam Qi?"

Qi Buxiu's bitter smile deepened. He took off the red jade pendant from his waist and sighed, "To be honest, fellow Daoist, I'm also quite anxious. The Shared Heart Pendant my wife gave me before entering the cave stopped working as soon as we came in."

Jiang Qing nodded gently. After all, he couldn't contact his uncle and senior brother either, so what Qi Buxiu said wasn't unexpected.

The two were speechless for a moment, and could only sit idly on the shore, at a loss for what to do.

Another half day passed, Jiang Qing gradually lost patience. If Qi Buxiu have the connection with Yuan Jin as his master, he would not have been in this dilemma and would have gone into the water alone to test the waters long ago.

But if something Qi Buxiu to Chu Yanran, the number one female cultivator in Cloud Horn Prefecture, would be a minor matter. Jiang Qing absolutely could not tolerate was causing his second senior brother to be heartbroken.

Just then, a graceful female cultivator dressed in a royal blue fairy robe and wearing a veil floated down from afar.

Jiang Qing and Qi Buxiu's expressions changed slightly. Back then, Chongming Sect cooperated with the Han City Yue Household to drive away Changning Sect and helped the Yunwei Zheng Household seize Old Ox Mountain in White Sand County as a foundation. Therefore, their relationship with the Jingnan Yuan Household, the local tyrant, could hardly be considered good.

Madam Qi Chu Yanran, and Yuan Feng had some disagreements in their early years. Before entering the cave, she and the Daoist Black Shoes had plotted against him.

But this female cultivator from the Yuan Household landed so gracefully, seemingly without any precautions? This was rather surprising. Was this female cultivator truly without malice, or did she have a backup plan, intending to harm them?

"This humble servant greets you two fellow Daoists," the female cultivator with the misty barrier said softly, without revealing any malice.

"Greetings, Fellow Daoist Yuan /Senior." Jiang and Qi returned the greeting cautiously.

Neither of them had any impression of this female cultivator with the veil. Logically speaking, the Jingnan Yuan Household should have a good understanding of the Foundation Establishment, but this mid-stage True Cultivator had never been heard of before, as if she had just appeared out of nowhere from the Yuan Household recently.

However, it is not surprising that the Yuan Jingnan Yuan Household, as a prominent family in the border region, would have one or two elite disciples whom they had carefully cultivated and kept secret as a backup plan.

"My surname is not Yuan," the female cultivator with the veil explained, but did not reveal her own name. She then asked, "It seems that you two fellow Daoists are temporarily stranded here by this lake?"

Jiang Qing remained silent, his expression Qi Buxiu responded at the opportune moment, "I'm afraid I've made a fool of myself in front of you, senior."

The female cultivator with the veil gently shook her head and said softly, "As the saying goes, 'Even a foot has its shortcomings, and an inch has its strengths; everything has its deficiencies, and even wisdom has its limitations.' Fellow Daoist Jiang's swordsmanship is superb, and Fellow Daoist Qi has profound blessings; they are simply not good at concealing minor techniques. So how can you say that we should 'laugh at' them?"

Impatient with the female cultivator's cryptic talk, Jiang Qing asked directly, "Does this fellow Daoist possess a method for crossing water?"

Qi Buxiu also turned his gaze in that direction, only to see the female cultivator with the veiled fence nod slightly and ask softly, "But I wonder if you two fellow Daoists believe me or not?"

"Believe it or not?" This question is difficult to answer, since no matter where you look at it, neither of them seems to have any intention of trusting this female cultivator with the veil.

Qi Buxiu looked troubled, but Jiang Qing asked seriously, "Please explain clearly first, and then Senior Qi and I will make a decision."

As soon as Jiang Qing finished speaking, a white mist rose in front of Jiang and Qi, as thin as gauze, so thin that even the two people who were so close could not see the changes inside.

"Oh no!" Jiang Qing immediately thought he had fallen into the trap set by the female cultivator Mi Li. Bai Lu held the White Dew upside down, ready to unleash its power. But a moment later, the white mist dissipated, and the graceful figure of the female cultivator Mi Li was nowhere to be seen.

The voluptuous and alluring body of the veiled female cultivator has now transformed into a colossal creature with gleaming scales and sharp claws.

Jiang Qing's eyes widened in surprise. Qi Buxiu took a few steps back, and after a short while, he took a deep breath and mustered his courage to examine it more closely. He thought to himself, "Good heavens, even if I put the Jade Crocodile that Jiang Qing had dismantled back together and let it recognize itself, it still wouldn't be able to tell which one was fake!"

"I truly admire you," Qi Buxiu, offering sincere flattery. "My wife has discussed the True Cultivator of Cloud Horn with me in the past, praising many outstanding practitioners. But as I have seen today, the True Cultivator techniques she spoke of are far inferior to yours, senior. I am truly amazed."

Qi Buxiu smiled broadly, his gaunt face blossoming like a chrysanthemum.

Such flattering words would normally please most people, but the female cultivator with the veil of mist seemed oblivious, transmitting her inner voice. "My method of transformation is not yet True Intention; it only possesses superficial appearances and is unlikely to impress Fang Household. However, it may be able to deceive some unintelligent Second Tier Demon Beast."

Jiang Qing's expression remained unchanged as he coldly asked, "Fellow Daoist, your method is indeed excellent, but Senior Qi's and my Technique Method skills are far inferior to yours. How can we cross the water together?"

The female cultivator with the veil clearly anticipated Jiang Qing's words. She slightly opened her mouth and softly recited, "I have a spell that I can share with you two fellow Daoists. As long as you can understand its principles clearly, you can use this transformation technique with me for several hours."

As soon as she finished speaking, the female cultivator with the veil of mist disregarded the reactions of the two and recited a string of incantations.

Although Jiang Qing remained Shenzhi, he memorized every word clearly. After silently reciting it three times, he understood the reasoning behind it. After secretly deducing for a while, he realized that the female cultivator was indeed telling the truth.

Qi Buxiu felt as if he had found a lifeline, but due to his limited aptitude, he could only recite the mantra dozens of times without success. He could only look miserable and give a bitter smile.

Qi Buxiu wasn't too surprised, but he looked ashamed and bowed again, saying, "This junior is foolish and has failed to live up to your expectations, senior."

The female cultivator with the veil was slightly surprised, clearly not expecting Qi Buxiu foolish, but she still spoke up, "This incantation is a bit obscure, and you may not have encountered it before, which is why you couldn't understand it clearly in such a hurry. That's alright, I still have a way to cross water, but I still need to ask you two, 'Do you believe me?'"

"Why do you want to help us, fellow Daoist?" Jiang Qing asked without any attempt to hide his intentions.

The female cultivator, Mi Li, spoke calmly, "I am not a member of the Yuan Household, and crossing the water is not difficult for me. I simply wish to use this opportunity to establish a good relationship with you two. I only ask that if anyone in this separate residence tries to harm me, you two can save me to the best of your ability!"

Jiang Qing and Qi Buxiu exchanged a glance, their opinions not contradicting each other. The former, confident in his abilities, believed that even if this female cultivator wanted to harm him, she was only a mid-stage cultivator and he still had the strength to fight her, so he did not want to remain sitting there in vain; the latter, concerned for his wife, did not want to be hindered by the lake.

Hearing that the female cultivator's tone didn't seem to be faking it, the two of them agreed.

Seeing this, the female cultivator with the veil of mist relaxed her tone considerably and first said softly to Qi Buxiu, "I'll have to trouble you to shrink your body, fellow Daoist."

Before Qi Buxiu react, she spat out a pill from her stomach and shot it into Qi Buxiu's mouth. Before the latter could speak, his entire body was shrunk to the size of the pill, and then swallowed whole by the Jade Crocodile had transformed into.

Qi Buxiu felt a sudden tightness in his chest after taking a bite, followed by surprise.

The expected scene of blood and flesh filled with turbid energy did not appear. Qi Buxiu found himself in a clean room composed of blue and white colors. After carefully touching the room for a while, Qi Buxiu discovered that the entire room was covered with restrictions, and it would take a lot of effort for him to escape.

That's right. I have no relation to the female cultivator Mi Li. How could she possibly have the guts to expose her own flesh and blood to an outsider?

He appeared to have entered the womb of the female cultivator Mi Li, but in reality, she had simply refined a mustard seed -Spirit Artifact capable of containing a person and used this method to place him inside the Law Artifact!

It seems this mustard seed Spirit Artifact is rather useless, probably not even worth considering as a regular False Core, otherwise the female cultivator Mi Li wouldn't have given it to an outsider.

Having figured out these key points, Qi Buxiu's earlier tension quickly eased. He realized he couldn't see the outside world clearly from this spot, becoming deaf and blind, so he simply sat cross-legged and began to regulate his breathing.

Just as Jiang Qing, who had also transformed into a Jade Crocodile and opened his vertical eyes, entered the water with the female cultivator Mi Li, they were able to see what lay beneath the lake.

The water reeked of blood; everywhere you looked was minced meat, bones, excrement, and filth. Yet, the aquatic creatures in the lake seemed completely at ease and enjoying themselves.

Since you're not a fish, that's understandable.

The female cultivator Mi Li and Jiang Qing made no attempt to be cautious, swaggering around the lake a few times. When they encountered other small beasts, they deliberately attacked and intimidated them violently, acting just like two overlords of the lake.

It was clear that the Jade Crocodile were truly formidable in this lake, roaming freely for some time. Jiang Qing, who had just brushed past several Jade Crocodile and continued to deceive everyone, finally felt relieved, only to realize that something was amiss.

A robust Second Tier Jade Crocodile approached, its Blood Qi so thick it was almost tangible, and its vertical pupils flashed with ferocity as it stared at Jiang Qing.

"Cultivator!" Human speech actually uttered from the gigantic maw of the Jade Crocodile, startling the female cultivator with a strange light in her eyes and causing her hair to stand on end. She exclaimed in horror, "Demon Beast Spirit Awakening?!"

The female cultivator was still in surprise when she saw Jiang Qing instantly transform himself, and several Sword-Ray instantly sliced through the water and shot towards the huge body of the Jade Crocodile.

But the beast remained calm and composed, a hint of amusement in its vertical pupils.

Then it spat out a tooth, which turned into white liquid and gathered the surrounding lake water to form a yellow shield, steadily blocking the Sword-Ray. Before Jiang Qing could react, it rushed out of the water and let out a howl.

The beasts in the lake suddenly became agitated and noisy. As if obeying a command, many ferocious beasts rushed towards the other side. Seeing that several Second Tier Jade Crocodile had already surrounded and entangled Jiang Qing, the scene startled even the female cultivator Mi Li, causing her hand Method Formula to falter.

Seizing the opportunity, the Jade Crocodile in front of him transformed its yellow shield into a golden melon, which pushed through the water and smashed fiercely towards the head of the nun Mi Li.

The latter, whose strength had been reduced by three out of ten pavilions, dared not meet the attack. He hastily restored himself, using talismans to empower himself, and barely dodged the golden gourd before shooting out of the water.

As soon as she emerged from the water, the female cultivator from the Mi Li saw a beast charging towards her. It was a Second Tier old turtle with a diameter of about ten feet, its huge mouth filled with sharp teeth, covered with blood and bits of flesh, and it opened its mouth as if to bite her in two.

The graceful female cultivator calmed herself down, her ten fingers covered in mysterious light, and she quickly drew a huge gate of light in front of her. The old turtle was not afraid and rushed straight at it, only to find that it had missed its target.

The next second, it realized something was wrong. Why was there no water around? The old turtle looked at the dry, thick soil beneath it. Where had it ended up?

Wait, what's this cultivator doing here?

Qi Buxiu, opened them in shock and stared at the old turtle in front of him. Their small eyes met blankly for a moment, and then they fell silent.

Leaving aside the fact that these two encountered a formidable enemy, let's just say that earlier, on the other side of the lake, a middle-aged Daoist priest with a tangled beard was holding a huge Jade Crocodile carcass upside down, examining it from side to side, and muttering something under his breath:

"This Jade Crocodile is much weaker than those recorded in the classics. Even the leader of the Jade Crocodile in this lake is probably no match for the Dao soldiers Exalted Cultivator Guanyu level. There's something strange about the Mountain- Mountain-Viewing Cave this time. It opens once a cycle, and the time and place of opening are different each time, but there aren't any major changes inside the cave each time. This lake has never appeared in any previous records; this should be the first time it has appeared."

"Haha, Fellow Daoist Black Shoes is here too!" A voice called out from afar, Lang Yi, his face glowing red, leisurely rode his red cloud Law Artifact.

As soon as the lake beasts caught the scent of humans, some of the more aggressive ones leaped out of the water and snapped their sharp teeth at Hongyun.

These foolish beasts often hadn't even gotten close to the red clouds; they were merely brushed by the still-lingering mist, and their heads would shatter, their corpses falling into the lake, causing the water beasts to scramble for them.

The surrounding lake surface instantly churned, the emerald green water tinged with blood, making it look even more eerie.

Whether the blood and flesh falling from the sky temporarily satisfied the appetite of the water beasts in the lake, the tearing sounds only lasted for a moment before the water returned to calm, leaving only pairs of blood-red eyes hidden beneath the lake, watching the two Daoists floating on the surface.

"Fellow Daoist Lang has arrived as well." The Daoist Black Shoes carefully stored away the corpse of a Second-Tier Upper-Grade Jade Crocodile, then greeted Lang Yi softly as he approached.

"Haha, I encountered two Stone Fire Puppet in the Fire Essence Cave. They are indeed worthy of being Exalted Cultivator Guanyu to guard the cave abode. It took quite a bit of effort to clean them up. I didn't expect to run into you here, fellow Daoist." Lang Yi patted his Storage Bag with a radiant smile. His joy seemed genuine, making even the Daoist Black Shoes somewhat envious.

The batch of Stone Fire Puppet that Exalted Cultivator Guanyu obtained in the secret realm were already quite famous before the Pingman War.

Even the worst among them wouldn't be weaker than some ordinary Foundation Establishment Early Stage cultivators. Many Golden Core cultivators in Shannan Circuit have even sought to buy some from Exalted Cultivator Guanyu.

This is because its price is extremely low compared to other common mechanical puppets on the market, making it very useful whether for guarding disciples or protecting the cave abode.

With no trace of Exalted Cultivator Guanyu and his various residences having been thoroughly looted, it has been many years since any Stone Fire Puppet have been sold on the market. The most recent news of Stone Fire Puppet being sold was that it was purchased by the Feng Prefecture Ge Household at an auction held at the Hongyi Sect thirty years ago.

"Fellow Daoist is indeed lucky," the Daoist Black Shoes said with a nonchalant compliment.

Lang Yi's joy gradually faded. He took a breath, his tone tinged with worry. "These little things mean little to someone like me who is about to die."

He paused here, his deeply lined face showing earnestness. "To be honest, the reason I went to such great lengths to obtain this opportunity to Mountain-Viewing Cave is because, according to legend, the Exalted Cultivator Guanyu obtained a Life-Giving Longevity Pill from the treasury of the false king of the Manrong."

Although I have arrived a little late, I had not heard of the existence of this Life-Giving Longevity Pill before. Unlike me, you are in the prime of your life. If you have acquired this pill and are willing to sell it, please give me a chance to make an offer.

"Life-Giving Longevity Pill?" The Daoist Black Shoes didn't speak, but simply nodded. These people who had accumulated knowledge over the years for Foundation Establishment were indeed far more knowledgeable than he was, even knowing the whereabouts of such rare pills.

It should be known that a single low-grade Life-Giving Longevity Pill can increase the lifespan of Qi Refinement Refining and Foundation Establishment cultivators by five to ten years. Even for Golden Core cultivators, it is not entirely ineffective; extending their lifespan by at least several months is certainly not a problem.

Lifespan is a priceless treasure, comparable to Spirit Stone; no cultivator would ever want too much. If the Daoist Black Shoes were to acquire it by chance, even if he didn't need it immediately, it would still be a valuable gift to aspire to the Golden Core stage. How could he possibly sell it to this heartless and unreasonable Lang Yi?

This is utterly baffling!

It seems he was just grasping at straws in desperation, taking a shot in the dark without much hope in his heart.

Lang Yi knew the chances were slim, so he added, "If you obtain the Evergreen Vine, please sell it to me. The price will certainly not disappoint you."

The Evergreen Vine was something Chu Yanran had requested, and even if the Daoist Black Shoes got it, he wouldn't consider giving it to Lang Yi. However, he didn't say anything at the moment, but simply nodded in agreement.

The two remained silent and traveled together, killing a group of demonic birds and acquiring many rare materials, reaping a rich harvest.

However, neither of them paid any attention to the small amount of harvest they had just obtained. Instead, they became even more enthusiastic and continued to search for the Six-Leaf Tendril Orchid, quickly heading towards their final destination Moonlight Palace.

The reason why Exalted Cultivator Guanyu's cave abode is so famous in the surrounding states is firstly because Guan Yu Shangxiu was a commander of the Immortal Dynasty on the side of the Immortal Dynasty in the battle Exalted Cultivator Guanyu Pingrong, and was on par with Shen Lingfeng, who was the then governor of Shannan Circuit;

Secondly, it is said that Exalted Cultivator Guanyu once presided over the attack on the capital of the Manrong, and people all say that he obtained the secret treasure of the Mountain Barbarians tribe.

Mountain-Viewing Cave had attracted the attention of many Golden Core cultivators, after all, among the many villas of Exalted Cultivator Guanyu, this was the only place they could not enter.

However, after the first few groups of disciples had swept through the Mountain-Viewing Cave, they found very little that caught their eye, which caused the Golden Core cultivators to lose interest.

This opportunity to enter Mountain-Viewing Cave is highly valued by many Foundation Establishment True Cultivator, and it takes a great deal of effort before it falls into the hands of top-tier Foundation Establishment True Cultivator like Lang Yi and Chu Yanran.

The two had been traveling non-stop when they saw two figures already fighting outside the Moonlight Palace.

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