Chapter 170: The Dual Fire Rings and the Thunder Pearl

Chapter 170: The Dual Fire Rings and the Thunder Pearl

As Chu Ning channeled his spiritual energy into them, the pair of circular rings emitted a soft hum.

Immediately, the two rings absorbed a substantial amount of his spiritual energy.

In an instant, Chu Ning could sense the changes occurring within the rings.

Delighted, he relaxed his left hand, following his intuition, and the ring on it transformed into a large fire shield that enveloped him.

Simultaneously, Chu Ning felt the fire-attributed spiritual energy in his surroundings rushing towards him wildly.

A flame shield formed around him.

"This defense is definitely superior to top-grade magical artifacts!"

Chu Ning's eyes lit up as he sensed the power of the flame shield.

The next moment, as if sensing something, he made a quick hand seal, and a scarlet Flamewing Bird flew out of his hand.

Surprisingly, the Flamewing Bird that emerged was three times larger than usual.

"Not only is my spellcasting speed increased due to the gathering of fire-attributed spiritual energy around me, but the offensive power of my spells has also intensified!"

Chu Ning's gaze fell on the ring in his left hand, the one he had been clutching tightly.

He felt that as he gathered his fire-attributed spiritual energy, the power within the ring seemed to intensify further.

"Similar to a pair of parent-child rings?"

Chu Ning vaguely seemed to understand how to use this ring.

The mother ring is used for defense and gathering fire-attributed spiritual energy, while the child ring is used for direct attacks.

This set of rings is actually an offensive and defensive treasure.

Judging from its power, Chu Ning suspected that it was likely an entry-level genuine magical treasure.

However, since this artifact had not been refined into a natal artifact, he could still wield it even as a Qi Refining cultivator, albeit with difficulty.

At this moment, he also understood why he had been unable to activate the pair of rings when his Qi Refining cultivation was complete.

It was purely because his spiritual energy had not been sufficient back then.

Fortunately, although this artifact consumed a significant amount of spiritual energy, most of it was expended during the initial activation.

Maintaining it afterward did not require such high levels of spiritual energy.

Otherwise, even if Chu Ning's spiritual energy far surpassed that of an average early Foundation Establishment cultivator after achieving Foundation Establishment, he still wouldn't have been able to sustain it for long.

Without throwing away the ring in his left hand, Chu Ning retracted his spiritual energy, and the pair of rings immediately returned to their original state, no longer emitting any flames.

Delighted, Chu Ning carefully stored them away in his storage bag.

Such precious artifacts could save his life, so he naturally wouldn't put them back into the jade box.

Instead, he placed them in an easily accessible location within his storage bag for convenient retrieval.

At this point, Chu Ning took out the pair of silver-gray beads from another jade box.

He channeled his spiritual energy into them, and as expected, the beads began to tremble slightly in the next moment.

Moreover, the power they exuded was no less impressive than that of the pair of rings from earlier.

The violent destructive aura they emitted made Chu Ning feel an urge to throw them away immediately.

Chu Ning forcibly suppressed the agitation in his heart and refrained from infusing more spiritual energy. Instead, he carefully observed the changes in the two beads.

"These two beads don't seem to have an obvious connection, and it feels like I can directly activate the lightning-based attack within the beads.

At the same time, if I want to, I can also detonate these beads."

Chu Ning gritted his teeth and once again channeled his spiritual energy into them. Instantly, a thick lightning bolt surged forth.

Following Chu Ning's guidance, it struck the restriction nearby.

The restriction fluctuated for a moment before disappearing entirely.

Seeing this, Chu Ning quickly retracted his spiritual energy.

At the same time, his face showed a mixture of delight and trepidation.

"The power of this thunder pearl is truly formidable. Just by channeling a lightning-based spell, without even detonating the pearl, I was able to directly damage the restriction.

Even though the attack was launched from within, according to Cen Zikin, if one were to break this restriction from the inside, it would still require a full-powered strike comparable to a late Foundation Establishment cultivator using ordinary spells."

Thinking of this, Chu Ning couldn't help but marvel inwardly.

It implied that the strike he had just unleashed was already comparable to a late Foundation Establishment cultivator's spell attack.

And if he were to directly detonate this thunder pearl, the power would be...

However, Chu Ning felt that this kind of one-time destructive attack was probably the true purpose of the pearl.

After examining the thunder pearl in his hand, Chu Ning made a comparison and keenly noticed that the lightning-attributed aura had weakened slightly.

His expression changed slightly, and he couldn't help but feel a pang of reluctance.

"This thunder pearl is actually a consumable item. Judging from its power, each pearl can probably unleash about ten lightning strikes.

I've only tested it once, and I've already used up one strike, not to mention the collateral damage to the restriction, which is equivalent to a formation flag.

What a waste!"

With these thoughts in mind, Chu Ning couldn't bring himself to use the other two thunder pearls.

He carefully placed one back into the jade box and stored the other separately in his storage bag.

"I don't know if those predecessors named these artifacts, but since I don't know their names, I'll just give them simple ones.

Since the pair of rings exhibit greater power when used together, I'll call them the Dual Fire Rings.

As for the beads, they emit a faint rumble of thunder when used in an attack, so I'll name them the Thunder Pearls."

Only now did Chu Ning feel more confident about executing his plan.

After all, he now had two additional lifesaving treasures at his disposal.

Moreover, he was also wearing a protective armor, so unless he faced a Golden Core cultivator's attack, a regular Foundation Establishment cultivator would not pose a fatal threat to him, even if they were a danger.

"It looks like a trip to Water Cloud Island is indeed necessary. For now, I'll wait for Xiao Bai to advance formally.

In the meantime, I'll refine some pills."

Chu Ning intended to take this opportunity to refine a type of pill that was effective in healing injuries and restoring spiritual energy, preparing for unforeseen circumstances.

Naturally, he planned to use these pills to ensure his survival, so he needed them to be of the highest quality and efficacy.

As for the type of pill, Chu Ning had already made his choice.

However, refining the Xiao Tian Yuan Dan was no easy feat. One of its key ingredients was the Tian Yuan Grass Flower! Additionally, it required other high-grade spirit herbs like the Gathering Spirit Grass, Secret Silver Flower, Yellow Fairy Fruit, Purple Frost Grass, and more.

The Xiao Tian Yuan Dan was a lower-intermediate level pill, perfectly suited to Chu Ning's current pill-refining abilities. After refining a large batch of the Xuan Ling Bao Dan and achieving Foundation Establishment, Chu Ning was confident in his ability to refine lower-intermediate level pills.

If he refined it successfully and then refined its spirit, he might even be able to elevate it to a medium or high-grade intermediate pill.

There were three pill formulas for the Tian Yuan Dan recorded in the Spirit Dan Compilation, categorized into lower, medium, and upper-grade versions, respectively: Xiao Tian Yuan Dan, Tian Yuan Dan, and Da Tian Yuan Dan.

The Xiao Tian Yuan Dan was a mid-tier pill, and the grade of the refined product depended on the pill refiner's mastery and the quality of the spirit herbs used.

The Tian Yuan Dan was a high-grade pill, and the Da Tian Yuan Dan was a top-tier pill!

"I have the Tian Yuan Grass, Gathering Spirit Grass, and Purple Frost Grass, which I collected earlier. As for the Yellow Fairy Fruit, I remember obtaining it from the jade box given to me by Shang Rui in the Spirit Domain.

Secret Silver Flower..." As Chu Ning thought of this, he opened a small storage bag. It was the one entrusted to him by Cen Zikin through the woman, and he took out several jade boxes from within.

Chu Ning had only glanced at the spirit herbs in these jade boxes the other day. However, he vaguely recalled that one of the boxes contained the Secret Silver Flower.

He opened each box to check, and upon opening the fifth one, he indeed found over ten stalks of a faintly silver-colored spirit herb.

"Cen Zikin must have emptied the Cen Workshop's storeroom for me." Chu Ning chuckled as he looked at the valuable spirit herbs in the jade boxes.

Now that he had gathered all the main ingredients, it was easier to find the remaining common spirit herbs. Chu Ning had already collected a considerable number of various spirit herbs, so he could easily assemble everything he needed.

After a brief rest, Chu Ning immediately immersed himself in the pill refining chamber and began his work.

...

The Thousand Islands Alliance's headquarters, the Thousand Islands Palace, was located in the southwestern part of the Thousand Illusions Island. It covered an area of nearly a hundred square miles, making it the most spirit-rich place in the entire Thousand Illusions Island.

Even though the Thousand Islands Alliance was not a traditional sect, and there was no requirement for the disciples of the major families to stay within the Thousand Islands Palace, each family had their own ancestral land on the Thousand Illusions Island, and the spirit energy there was abundant.

Nevertheless, most of the family disciples often chose to stay in the family branch courtyards near the Thousand Islands Palace.

This was naturally because the Thousand Islands Palace was indeed the most ideal cultivation ground in the entire Thousand Lakes and Thousand Islands.

At the same time, the Thousand Islands Palace was well-equipped, making it extremely convenient for cultivators.

Thus, the area around the Thousand Islands Palace was further divided into several distinct regions.

The six major families each had their own territory and had established their branch courtyards.

After returning to the Thousand Illusions Island, Xiao Liebo and Meng Jiangsheng headed straight for the Song family's territory.

This was because the Song family was not only the current rotating head family of the alliance but also because they originally belonged to the Song family.

At this moment, in the Song family's discussion hall, the person sitting in the central position was not Song Cheng, the current head of the Song family, but an elderly man with white hair.

This person was the cultivator with the highest cultivation level in the Song family, the previous head of the Song family, and Song Cheng's father, Song Li.

Song Li sat in the center, with three people sitting below him. One of them was Song Cheng, a middle-aged cultivator and the current head of the Song family.

Seated opposite him was an elderly man with black hair and a red face—Song Ye, who had been searching for Chu Ning everywhere.

Below them were two other Foundation Establishment cultivators.

One was Song Feng, who had previously gone to look for He Mingjin and Peng Dajun outside Chu Ning's cave abode.

The other man, who was around the same age as Song Cheng but had drooping eyebrows and a face shape that differed markedly from the other Song family members, was a Foundation Establishment cultivator affiliated with the Song family.

When Xiao Liebo and Meng Jiangsheng arrived at the Song family's discussion hall, they didn't dare to enter. They only announced their presence from outside and asked to speak with Song Cheng.

Song Cheng stepped out of the discussion hall and, after conversing with the two for a while, reentered the hall with a strange expression on his face.

The others noticed Song Cheng's expression and became curious. Song Li was the first to speak: "Cheng'er, has something else happened in the alliance?"

Although Song Cheng was the nominal rotating leader of the Thousand Islands Alliance, because each family had their elders present, he and the other rotating leaders were merely spokespersons for their respective families.

In reality, whether in the Song family or the Thousand Islands Alliance, Song Li's authority far exceeded that of Song Cheng.

Hearing Song Li's question, Song Cheng didn't hide anything and immediately replied, "Just now, the disciples we sent out to collect the islands discovered that a Foundation Establishment cultivator had built a cave abode on the second-grade hidden spirit vein of Fei Hong Island."

"Fei Hong Island." Upon hearing Song Cheng's words, Song Feng's eyes flickered slightly.

The others, however, showed confusion on their faces, evidently not having much impression of the island as it lacked prominence in the Thousand Lakes and Thousand Islands.

"Is there a problem?" Song Li asked slowly. "Since there's a Foundation Establishment cultivator there, then we'll just leave that island out."

"Father doesn't know the whole story," Song Cheng replied. "The Foundation Establishment cultivator on Fei Hong Island is named Chu Ning. Over three years ago, he represented Fei Hong Island in the Thousand Islands Competition and defeated a cultivator at the peak of the Qi Refining stage with his own cultivation at the eighth layer of Qi Refining. He helped Fei Hong Island successfully defend their position. In just a little over three years, he has already achieved Foundation Establishment, and his cultivation progress is truly astonishing. Moreover, he's only in his early twenties. It's incredible for someone so young to have reached Foundation Establishment..."

As he heard this, Song Li's eyes lit up.

Upon hearing this, Song Li nodded slightly. "You're right, second brother. You've spent a lot of effort over the years, and finally confirmed the presence of an ancient cultivator's cave near Water Cloud Island. This is a rare opportunity for our Song family."

Song Li paused before continuing, "However, it won't be appropriate for both me and Cheng'er to go together. If we make any moves, it will be easy for the other families to notice. Especially the Liu family, who was involved in the treasure map heist with us. They also have a copy of the partial map. If we make any slight moves, they might follow us."

As he spoke, Song Li's gaze swept across Song Ye, Song Feng, and finally rested on the middle-aged man with the drooping eyebrows. "This time, second brother, you should lead the team with Feng'er and Wu Rongtang. Find a few trustworthy island masters to join you. The fewer people, the better."

"Alright!" Song Ye was delighted to hear Song Li's decision and that he would be leading the team. A hint of joy flashed across his red face, and he immediately agreed.

"Then it's settled. You can decide when to leave," Song Li added.

"The sooner, the better. Let's depart tonight. It's easier to travel at night when there are fewer people around," Song Ye suggested without hesitation.

The others had no objections, and the plan was finalized.

The middle-aged man with the drooping eyebrows, Wu Rongtang, took his leave first, while Song Ye approached Song Feng.

"We shouldn't bring too many people. You and I should each find a trustworthy island master to join us. With five Foundation Establishment cultivators, we should be able to handle most situations," Song Ye said.

Song Feng immediately responded, "Alright, second uncle. I'll make the arrangements right away."

"Wait," Song Ye called out, stopping him. He reached into his storage bag and took out a piece of beast hide. "I've made a copy of the layout of the cave left by its owner. Take this with you in case we get separated after entering the cave tonight. I won't be giving copies to the others."

Song Feng's face lit up as he took the beast hide. "Thank you, second uncle."

He knew that this layout was originally discovered by Song Ye, and only he had a copy. Now, he unexpectedly received one himself, which made him very happy.

"Once we're inside the cave, listen to my commands. Don't separate unless it's absolutely necessary," Song Ye instructed.

"Yes, uncle," Song Feng agreed.

After their brief conversation, Song Feng left Thousand Illusions Island and teleported to Shoushan Island. This island was under the jurisdiction of the Song family, and its island master was a close associate of Song Feng.

After giving instructions to the island master, Song Feng did not teleport back to Thousand Illusions Island. Instead, he set off for Fei Hong Island directly from Shoushan Island.

He didn't even use a teleportation formation but flew towards Fei Hong Island after leaving Shoushan Island.

Gazing into the distance towards Fei Hong Island, Song Feng murmured, "That person called Chu Ning... I met him once three years ago. Back then, he was only a ninth-layer Qi Refining cultivator, and I injured him with my spiritual sense attack. In just three short years, he's reached the Foundation Establishment stage. He must have a big secret. That cave formation seemed extraordinary back then, and perhaps the secret lies within the hidden spirit vein in the cave."

As he spoke, Song Feng's eyes flickered with a sharp light. "The family will definitely try to recruit him. Most likely, Song Cheng, the head of the family, will take the initiative to make a move. If he discovers any treasures in that cave, he'll probably take them for himself. I might as well take the initiative to win him over first. If there really is something valuable in that cave, I'll take it for myself."

A confident smile appeared on Song Feng's face as he continued, "I remember that he had a timid personality. Since I'm taking the initiative to approach him, and he's just reached the Foundation Establishment stage, he probably won't dare to oppose me."

With these thoughts in mind, Song Feng quickened his flight towards Fei Hong Island.

He had been to Chu Ning's cave before, so he knew the way.

After landing on Swallow Peak, Song Feng looked at the large formation below him, his eyes narrowing slightly.

He landed and said, "Fellow Daoist Chu, are you there? I, Song Feng, have come to pay you a visit."

Inside the cave, Chu Ning had sensed Song Feng's arrival to some extent when he finished refining the pills. Hearing Song Feng's voice, his expression remained calm, but a flicker of surprise passed through his eyes.

He was no stranger to Song Feng, who had come to his cave once three years ago with Cen Zikin. During that visit, Song Feng had even attacked him with his spiritual sense.

If it weren't for his Prohibition of Divine Sense technique, he would have been severely injured.

Now, Song Feng had come to his door again.

Thoughts flashed through Chu Ning's mind as he replied, "So it's Fellow Daoist Song. Please forgive me for not coming out to greet you. Please excuse my rudeness."

As he spoke, Chu Ning's figure flashed, and he appeared outside the formation, facing Song Feng.

Song Feng still looked the same as he had three years ago, wearing a yellow robe. Although he was smiling, he couldn't hide the sharpness in his eyebrows.

"I heard that Fellow Daoist Chu has successfully reached the Foundation Establishment stage. I, Song, have come to offer my congratulations. In just three years, you've advanced from the ninth layer of Qi Refining to the Foundation Establishment stage. Your cultivation speed is truly astonishing, and it has left me in awe," Song Feng said, his words filled with flattery.

Chu Ning couldn't quite grasp Song Feng's intention behind these flattering words, so he replied vaguely, "You flatter me, Fellow Daoist. I've just been focusing on my cultivation."

Hearing Chu Ning's response, a strange expression flashed across Song Feng's face, and he continued with a smile, "I have an important matter to discuss with Fellow Daoist Chu. May I have the honor of entering your cave to talk further?"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end