Longevity through Upgrading Buildings Chapter 715 - 308: All Good Things Must Come to an End
Previously on Longevity through Upgrading Buildings...
Liu Yuan arrived, and then Liu Yuan departed.
Upon discovering the sea map to Jiyuan Continent that Ji Yuan had given him, he let out a deep breath of relief.
This settled his primary worry regarding the withdrawal, leaving no further issues to fret over.
Regarding their future paths, he and Ji Yuan decided to part ways temporarily.
Ji Yuan headed to Thunder Shock Marsh to refine his body, making it impossible to bring Liu Yuan with him.
Liu Yuan appeared to harbor his own mysteries as well. Earlier, he believed he must depart Cangluo Continent but lacked the means, yet now choosing to stay, his outlook shifted accordingly.
He chose to venture out and depart from Water Dragon Sect initially.
As to his precise destination... he merely noted heading north of Water, without detailing the exact spot.
Afterward, they set up a message drop point and the way to use it, ensuring no risk of losing touch.
Ji Yuan felt assured of his own survival.
Liu Yuan shared that confidence.
Prior to his exit, Ji Yuan readied 200 jars of Unrivaled Wine for Liu Yuan, aiming to aid his cultivation journey through the brew.
At first, Liu Yuan paid it little heed, but upon experiencing the wine's power...
With each gulp, he addressed Ji Yuan as 'Brother Ji'.
Cheered by the moment, Ji Yuan handed over 50 extra jars, fully pleasing him.
Naturally, this stemmed chiefly from Ji Yuan observing an apparent breakthrough after the initial jar.
Thus, he offered more freely, as his daily production ensured an endless supply.
Bidding farewell to this close companion, Ji Yuan's sense of isolation eased a bit, mirroring Liu Yuan's sentiments. Aware they both remained on Cangluo Continent, solitude felt less oppressive.
Furthermore, should troubles arise, they could count on mutual support.
Once Liu Yuan had gone, Tu Yue emerged, standing meekly beside Ji Yuan, with no other creatures present on the island.
...Well, Tu Yue hardly qualified as a living being.
"Never mind, I'll store you away first, so I don't rush off later without you."
Ji Yuan retrieved the Mountain of Mind and Heart from his Dantian, positioning it above Tu Yue's head, where a powerful suction swiftly drew the small corpse puppet inside the miniature mountain.
Her destination was, of course, Ji Yuan's Cave Mansion. Much like in past years when Ji Yuan went out to slay foes, she remained behind to organize and maintain the numerous structures.
These days, Ji Yuan's Cave Mansion brimmed with items yet lay in disarray, offering her an ideal chance to sort things out.
Tu Yue's absence made Wuyou Island seem even more desolate to Ji Yuan.
Noting the island's matters nearly resolved, he pondered briefly before launching his body from the mountaintop straight toward the far-off Boundless Marsh.
The instant his form plunged into the waters.
Underwater, he called forth the Rift Flying Boat, which streaked southward through the depths like a swift bolt.
This trip's goal was undoubtedly to hunt for the Big Toad, the spirit beast that had trailed him from the start and stayed the longest.
He never forgot.
While passing through Water Dragon Sect initially, Ji Yuan detected nothing amiss.
However, after exiting the Sect Protection Array, his senses picked up changes—demon cultivators lay in wait beneath the surface, plotting a stealthy ambush.
The crudest methods involved them skulking in hidden nooks.
The craftier ones buried in sediment or employed spells to blend into the lake bottom.
Sly.
Utterly devious!
Among them were Qi Cultivation and Foundation Establishment experts, and Ji Yuan lacked certainty of slaying them instantly without drawing attention, so he slipped past undetected.
After weaving through multiple routes, he reached the vicinity of Mist Island.
His Divine Sense, comparable to mid-Golden Core, swept out and sent a chill through him.
Mist Island remained as before, free of demon cultivators, but the Big Toad showed no signs of presence either.
Had it fled?
Impossible; it resisted following me before, so why flee now?
Perhaps, similar to before, it tangled with formidable foes?
The Big Toad's activity remnants on Mist Island dated far back.
Weeds and bushes had overgrown numerous spots.
Traces over a year or two old.
Therefore, Ji Yuan scoured the Mist Area thoroughly, encountering various Tier Two Demon Beasts, yet none possessed cultivation strong enough to threaten the Big Toad.
Indeed, thanks to Ji Yuan's careful nurturing across the years, the Big Toad had attained Peak Tier Two.
Regular Tier Two Demon Beasts posed no match whatsoever.
Yet the issue persisted... Where on earth had it vanished to?!
The beast had seemingly evaporated without a clue.
No hint of it lingered across the entire Mist Area.
Assuming that speculation holds true, the most probable scenario was that... someone had directly arrived at Mist Island and seized the Big Toad.
Furthermore, the Big Toad had followed willingly; otherwise, even the slightest resistance would have scarred the area with signs of combat.
Then, who could this person be?
Ji Yuan mulled it over repeatedly, concluding that the Big Toad's former owner was the prime suspect.
The cultivator who inscribed the "Like a Shadow" message on the island.
"Let's hope that's the case."
Lacking any alternatives and discovering no traces of the Big Toad, Ji Yuan decided to head back to the sect.
Upon his return to Wuyou Island this time, Ji Yuan soon received a letter from Sect Leader Master Xuan Shui—delivered by the man himself—pertaining to the list of individuals for transfer.