Chapter 332: Strange Treasure of the Jade Pool
Chapter 332: Strange Treasure of the Jade Pool
After more than a dozen breaths, the Medicine Beast, its living space constantly compressed by Lu Chen, finally revealed its form.
Nearly invisible and colorless, it took on a semi-transparent form in the confined space, resembling a legless soft-bodied worm. It flowed like a liquid, searching for an opportunity to break through the giant net.
Despite its predicament, it still tightly wrapped around the Fourth-Rank Xuan Yin Pill, showing how meager its life had been over the years.
"Follow me, and I'll let you have your fill of pills once I get you out of here," Lu Chen conveyed to the Medicine Beast through his spiritual sense.
The light spheres that mature Spirit Plants often produced contained pill-type rewards, so he was confident he could provide the Medicine Beast with a comfortable living environment.
Additionally, he had already absorbed the formulas for the Pei Yuan Pill and the Yun Ling Pill, and the sect's spirit fields grew the Zuo Yuan Grass used to refine the Foundation Building Pill. He could foresee that there was a good chance he would obtain the formula for the Foundation Building Pill as a reward in the future.
The Medicine Beast did not respond to Lu Chen's invitation, leaving him no choice but to seal it with the White Bone Devil Puppet for the time being. He would tame it when he had some free time.
After placing the Medicine Beast and the White Bone Devil Puppet into the Gluttonous Worm Bag, Lu Chen took a deep breath. The faint medicinal scent that permeated the pill room disappeared, replaced by a musty odor that had accumulated over many years.
He left the pill room and made his way towards the center of the palace.
From a distance, he could sense intense fluctuations of spiritual energy.
Lu Chen suddenly stopped in his tracks, his expression turning solemn as he looked at the corpse lying on the ground.
The lower half of the corpse was missing, and only the upper half remained, devoid of flesh and blood, leaving only an empty shell. One could only imagine what it had endured before death.
"The mortality rate in this secret realm is rather high," Lu Chen sighed inwardly. Since entering the secret realm, he had discovered or personally dealt with at least six Foundation Establishment cultivators who had perished here, causing his heart to stir with emotion. This was especially true since he lacked extensive experience in exploring secret realms.
"Hmm, three of them died by my hand..."
With that thought, he regained his composure.
"Given my current cultivation level and the array of rare treasures I possess, it's the other cultivators who should be worried."
"Since I'm already here, I must take a look inside. However, I should conceal my identity for now."
As he was about to enter the heart of the secret realm and compete with other Foundation Establishment cultivators for opportunities, Lu Chen decided to disguise himself and temporarily hide his true cultivation level and treasures from the others.
With that in mind, he took out the Fourth-Rank Qian Zhang Gui Mian from his storage bag.
The light gray mask was as thin as a cicada's wing, and when worn, it looked like a thin layer of skin. The patterns on the mask constantly changed, and with a slight movement of Lu Chen's thoughts, he instantly transformed into an ordinary-looking young cultivator.
He maintained his aura at the early Foundation Establishment stage and stretched his bones slightly to avoid being recognized by those who knew him, like Shi Zhong.
With changes in his appearance, aura, and physique, Lu Chen had effectively become a completely new cultivator.
Half a moment later, following the fluctuations of spiritual power, he arrived at a jade house at the top of the palace.
The entire jade house was crafted from lustrous green jade. At its center was a massive jade pool, surrounded by layers of restrictions. Seven cultivators were continuously attacking the surface of the restrictions, stirring up waves of spiritual energy.
"This place is like a den of evil spirits," Lu Chen muttered, tugging at the corners of his mouth as he revealed a helpless smile.
Wearing the Qian Zhang Gui Mian had no effect on him at the moment, and even the most subtle and intricate expressions could be conveyed without hindrance.
At that moment, he felt as if the muscles in his neck were about to freeze.
The cool and refreshing aura emanating from the spotless jade constantly washed over him, serving as a warning.
His back was adorned with tall, undulating humps, from which strange howls emanated. Occasionally, small grayish-black hands and feet would peek out from the back of his neck, only to be quickly pulled back by something.
He displayed the highest level of cultivation among those present and occupied the most ideal position.
At the edge of the Jade Pool was a cultivator clad in a blood-red robe, adorned with countless dark red evil insects. They squirmed together in a dense mass, as if ready to bolt out from the robe at any moment.
Lu Chen's pupils contracted slightly when he first laid eyes on the blood-robed cultivator.
He was all too familiar with the dark red evil insects on the cultivator's body—they were the Blood Condensing Evil Insects that had invaded Kongming Island not long ago. During that incident, he had also dealt with an evil insect king, creating a deep grudge between them.
"I didn't expect that behind-the-scenes Xiuxiu to also come and stir up trouble here."
Even back then, that bizarre insect king possessed strength comparable to an early Foundation Establishment cultivator. One could only imagine the cultivation and strength of the blood-robed cultivator who kept such evil insects.
There was also a short cultivator, clad in a loose robe that only reached the height of a normal person's waist.
When Lu Chen's gaze landed on him, the chilling aura emanating from the Immaculate Jade intensified, indicating the terrifying power of the small cultivator on some level.
Among the group was also the stout middle-aged cultivator whom Lu Chen had encountered when he first arrived at the outskirts of the secret realm.
The cultivator had transformed into a fifteen-foot giant, his body knotted with muscles. With each breath, two scorching white streams of air erupted from his nostrils, a testament to the robustness of his physical body.
In addition, there was a cultured scholar holding a two-foot-long golden-yellow brush. Spiritual energy swirled around the brush, clearly indicating its extraordinariness.
Lu Chen also spotted two familiar figures.
Shi Zhong and Zhou Bingyu stood close together.
Shi Zhong held a dark yellow bronze mirror, its rim adorned with depictions of various strange insects and beasts, along with intricate patterns. In front of Zhou Bingyu hovered a silver-white sword pill, from which countless hair-like sword auras ebbed and flowed, ready to strike.
Among the seven, only Shi Zhong and Zhou Bingyu had early Foundation Establishment cultivation. However, the remaining cultivators did not dare to underestimate them.
Both were core disciples with an abundance of treasures and powerful legacies. Perhaps they had mastered some secret technique capable of slaying mid or even late Foundation Establishment cultivators, or they might possess some protective treasure bestowed by their senior disciples or sect elders.
Any other early Foundation Establishment cultivators who dared to vie for a spot among this group had either been easily dealt with or had the self-awareness to know their chances were slim, choosing to withdraw under the pressure of life and death.
As soon as Lu Chen appeared, he drew the attention of the seven.
"Another one seeking death has arrived. My precious insects are about to burst from overeating."
The blood-robed cultivator sensed Lu Chen's disguised early Foundation Establishment cultivation and let out an insidious laugh.
His blood-red robe fluttered without any wind, and the blood-condensing evil insects within seemed to squirm faster.
The hunchbacked elder at the forefront glanced coldly at Lu Chen, as if looking at a corpse. A green-black infant ghost, shrouded in yin energy, suddenly emerged from his back and offered Lu Chen a chilling smile.
The others didn't react much; they merely spared Lu Chen a glance before refocusing their attention on the restrictions before them.
Since they had already chosen to enter this place, there was no point in idle talk. Each person's fate was in their own hands.
Lu Chen paid no heed to the blood-robed cultivator and the others, instead fixing his gaze on the interior of the Jade Pool.
Dark energy permeated the bottom of the Jade Pool, and floating above it were four strange treasures, bobbing up and down.
(End of Chapter)
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