Longevity through Upgrading Buildings Chapter 746 - 317: A Great Harvest!
Previously on Longevity through Upgrading Buildings...
After emerging, it expelled a cold breath, encasing the ground in ice.
A period of silence followed, and upon hearing no sounds from behind, the creature let out an impatient roar once more.
Before long, the head of a second Frost Serpent appeared, protruding from the depths of the pool.
No ripples marred the water's surface.
Despite its head being visible, the serpent did not immediately come ashore; instead, it cautiously surveyed its surroundings, ensuring no threats were present, before swiftly gliding onto the land with a flick of its tail.
Once it reached the stony shore, its mouth opened wide, its body expanding several sizes before it expelled... a corpse?
The body landed upon the ice, and the first Frost Serpent immediately exhaled another blast of frigid air, encasing the 'corpse' in ice.
Observing this, the second Frost Serpent quickly retreated back into the lake, leaving only half its head and its eyes visible above the water, warily scanning its vicinity.
After a brief interlude.
The 'corpse' on the ice bed suddenly emitted a violent cough. Its eyes snapped open, and its body shot upwards, hovering in the air. Vigilant of its surroundings, it immediately summoned three Flying Swords.
After extending its Divine Sense and a moment of concentration, it grasped the situation.
Safe now.
Completely secure at last.
"Phew—"
Ji Yuan descended to the ground, releasing a long sigh. The feeling of having narrowly escaped peril was indeed a profound relief.
However, this was not the moment for respite. Having emerged from some unknown subterranean depths, he remained uncertain of his current location.
Furthermore, the prior combat zone, Celestial Silkworm Zhenren, and that enigmatic mirror artifact.
The Reversing River and Lake Array was also present.
And let's not forget the formidable swarm of Spirit-Devouring Bees.
He needed to act swiftly to retrieve them all!
With this imperative in mind, Ji Yuan first recalled the two Frost Serpents and then ingested a modified Qi Blood Pill.
Earlier, while trapped beneath the earth, he had come perilously close to being crushed; though much of the damage had been mended, minor injuries still lingered.
Following the consumption of the Elixir, Ji Yuan gauged his internal Mana reserves.
They were replenished and abundant, prompting him to summon the Rift-Sky Flying Boat. Ascending into the heavens, he pierced the cloud cover and surveyed the landscape below, quickly ascertaining his geographical position.
The underground dark river had carried him eastward; the site of the previous confrontation lay to the west.
Onward!
He urged the Flying Boat forward, his form streaking like an arrow toward the west.
About the time it takes for half an incense stick to burn, Ji Yuan's Divine Sense detected the location of the prior battleground.
To his considerable surprise, the situation had indeed evolved.
Perhaps the intensity of his prior duel with the Hundred Insects Old Immortal had been so great as to draw the attention of other cultivators.
Currently, within the valley, two early-stage Core Formation Demon Cultivators were engaged in assaulting the already injured Celestial Silkworm Zhenren.
The Spirit-Devouring Bees, however, had retreated back into the Array.
With another sweep of his Divine Sense, Ji Yuan noted that the Hundred Insects Old Immortal’s Lifebound Magical Treasure, the mirror emitting golden light, was conspicuously absent.
It was highly probable that these two cultivators had claimed it.
"Tsk tsk tsk, how convenient. While I, Chou Old Demon, was fighting for my very life underground, nearly perishing, you two simply waltz in to reap my rewards?"
A surge of ill will coursed through Ji Yuan.
He then used his Divine Sense to summon the swarm of Spirit-Devouring Bees from within the Array, creating an opening.
The dense congregation of bees erupted outwards once more, cascading towards the two Core Formation cultivators menacing Celestial Silkworm Zhenren.
Concurrently, Ji Yuan maneuvered to the opposite flank, manifesting nine embryonic Flying Swords through a mere thought.
"Oh no!"
The moment the Spirit-Devouring Bees emerged from the Array, the two Demon Cultivators at the Core Formation stage sensed an ominous shift.
"He's returned, flee!"
The man with short hair cried out and, without further hesitation, turned and fled.
Furthermore, as he retreated, he deliberately steered the advancing swarm of Spirit-Devouring Bees towards his companion clad in gray robes.
A perfect embodiment of sacrificing a comrade for self-preservation.
"What? You pilfered my treasure and now you seek to depart?"
Ji Yuan's voice resonated within the short-haired man's sea of consciousness.
His response manifested as a Sky-Splitting Sword, forged from the convergence of nine individual blades!
"Ssssh—"
Accompanied by a colossal beam of sword light descending, the short-haired man was forcibly repelled, while the nearby Spirit-Devouring Bees surged towards him anew.
Meanwhile, the gray-robed man flicked his sleeves, unleashing a plume of deep blue flame to ward off the Spirit-Devouring Bees. Simultaneously, he cast forth a stream of golden light, exclaiming:
"I believed it was unclaimed and had no intention to offend, esteemed cultivator. Farewell!"
A streak of golden light shot directly toward Ji Yuan. A quick sweep of his Divine Sense confirmed its identity, and employing the Artifact Manipulation Technique, he firmly grasped it.
The golden light settled into his palm, morphing into a golden treasure mirror.
Turning it over, Ji Yuan noticed a Talisman Treasure affixed to the back, precisely at the forehead of the dog head motif.
This Talisman Treasure depicted a round treasure pearl. Judging by the residual Spiritual Qi, it possessed two more uses.
So, this was meant as compensation?
Ji Yuan glanced up, observing that the man in gray robes had already vanished, utilizing an Escape Technique.
The injured Celestial Silkworm Zhenren was still hot on his heels.
In the meantime, the short-haired Core Formation cultivator was still entangled with the assaulting Spirit-Devouring Bees.
A curse escaped Ji Yuan's lips:
"Huang Laosan, you heartless wretch!"
"Damn you, tricking me like this! Just wait until I escape – I'll definitely kill you!"
Ji Yuan let out a chuckle at the outburst. "What do you mean? Weren't you just the one selling others out?"
"Fellow cultivator, do not heed Huang Laosan's words. I was already prepared to depart; it was he who proposed robbing your treasure!"