https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-702-Release-the-Black-Kirin-Panther-/12545003/
Chapter 703: Grim News
Chapter 703: Grim News
Outside the camp, Lu Chen turned to face Pan Hong and the others.
"Fellow Daoists Pan and Ding, it's time for us to part ways. Thank you both and all the other daoists in the secret realm for your care and assistance," he said, cupping his hands in a respectful farewell gesture.
"You're too kind, Fellow Daoist Lu. We owe you a great debt of gratitude for your help with beast taming, and we've learned a lot from you," Pan Hong replied with a hearty laugh.
"Indeed, I have much to thank you for as well," Ding Yu added. After the surprise attack by the Fierce Cloud Eagle, his perspective on beast taming had shifted significantly, and he felt nothing but gratitude toward Lu Chen.
"Fellow Daoist Lu, here's a token of our appreciation," Pan Hong said as the two exchanged a glance. He produced a gray-black cloth bag and tossed it to Lu Chen. "It contains thirty thousand lower-grade spirit stones as payment for your services during this time."
"Then I won't be polite," Lu Chen said, gladly accepting the bag.
The thirty thousand lower-grade spirit stones were not a small sum, but they were a fair compensation for his efforts. Additionally, Yan Jiuan had gifted him a seedling of the Fifth-grade Primal Sun Wood before he entered the secret realm.
All things considered, his earnings from this trip to the secret realm were quite substantial.
"Fellow Daoists, the Black Kirin Panther has grown quite fond of us cultivators, and I hope you will continue to look after it in the future," Lu Chen said before taking his leave.
"Of course," they replied. They had all witnessed the bond that Lu Chen had formed with the Fifth-grade fierce beast, and they would gladly care for such a powerful ally.
"I'm heading back now. I'll come visit you sometime," Lu Chen called out to the distant Black Kirin Panther. With a wave of his hand, he summoned the Wind and Thunder Sword and disappeared into the horizon.
"It's good to be back in my cave abode. I wonder if any of my spirit plants have matured, and how the little ones are doing," Lu Chen murmured as he stood outside his abode, scanning the area with his spiritual sense to ensure there were no anomalies. Satisfied, he dispelled the two Fifth-grade formations and stepped inside.
As soon as he entered, a host of spirit beasts greeted him. Lu Chen took the time to soothe and care for them, ensuring they all felt loved and attended to. Only then did he make his way to the spirit fields.
"It's always soothing to be among the spirit fields," he sighed, inhaling the rich, verdant aura of the plants that permeated the air. He felt at peace here.
After a brief rest, Lu Chen began his inspection of the spirit fields, tending to each spirit plant with meticulous care and bestowing upon them his Spirit Rain Technique, a skill that required no expenditure of spiritual energy.
Only after he had nurtured each and every plant did he finally return to the house, a hint of fatigue creeping into his body.
The following months returned Lu Chen to his usual tranquil and fulfilling routine. Each day, he rose early to tend to his spirit plants and beasts, and spent the rest of his time cultivating the various techniques he had acquired from the light spheres or refining pills.
One day, as he was cultivating his spirit plants, a clear and resonant voice echoed from outside his cave abode. "Fellow Daoist Lu, are you in? I am Huang Bingqiu, and I have a matter to discuss with you."
"Huang Bingqiu?" Lu Chen's mind conjured the image of a bearded cultivator.
Huang Bingqiu was a cultivator at the mid-Core Formation stage who resided in the Thunderfire Star Cave, though he lived in a distant area in the opposite direction from Lu Chen.
They had met once before, but their interaction had been brief, limited to an awareness of each other's existence without any deeper friendship forming.
"Fellow Daoist Huang, please come in," Lu Chen said, his figure flashing as he instantly appeared at the edge of his cave abode. He dispelled the formation and welcomed Huang Bingqiu inside.
"Your cave abode is truly unique, Fellow Daoist Lu. I've never seen so many spirit plants in one place. No wonder you're renowned as the best spirit herbologist in Thunderfire Star Cave," Huang Bingqiu exclaimed as he entered, his eyes wide with curiosity. He carefully averted his spiritual sense from the areas shrouded in white mist, mindful of not intruding on his host's privacy.
"Fellow Daoist Huang, please try some of the Yu Xi Ling Lu brew that I made myself," Lu Chen offered, presenting the spirit fruit wine.
"I've long admired your reputation, and I must taste it today!" the bearded cultivator exclaimed, his eyes lighting up as he scanned the cup with his spiritual sense, taking in the rich and delicate liquid within.
After some casual conversation, Lu Chen asked, "May I ask what brings you here today, Fellow Daoist Huang?"
"It's like this," the bearded cultivator said, setting down his cup. "Aren't you, Fellow Daoist Lu, searching for the Yuan Magnet Spirit Ore at a high price? As it happens, I came across a piece by chance not long ago. It's not very large, but take a look."
He took out a peculiar ore from his storage bag. The ore seemed like iron but wasn't quite, and it was surrounded by a unique spiritual energy field. When one focused their spiritual sense, they could see thin, nearly transparent lines of spiritual energy writhing and moving as if absorbing the surrounding objects.
"This is the Yuan Magnet Spirit Ore?" Lu Chen asked, a glint of joy flashing in his eyes.
However, his joy quickly turned to concern as he furrowed his brows. "Fellow Daoist Huang, the Yuan Magnet Spirit Ore is extremely rare. May I ask how you obtained it?"
"I obtained it by chance during an exploration trip with a few fellow cultivators to a large island called Yuanfeng Island in the northern boundless sea," the bearded cultivator replied.
"Was it with Xuan Yuan Zhe?" Lu Chen asked, his heart sinking as he feared the worst. "How is Fellow Daoist Xuan now?"
"Ah, Xuan Yuan has most likely met with misfortune," the bearded cultivator sighed.
Lu Chen's heart sank further at this confirmation. "Could you tell me the details, Fellow Daoist Huang? Was it because of the Yuan Magnet Spirit Ore?" he asked, feeling a sense of guilt.
"You're overthinking it, Fellow Daoist Lu. It's not really related to the Yuan Magnet Spirit Ore," the bearded cultivator reassured him. "When we went to Yuanfeng Island to compete for the ore, we didn't encounter much danger. Only one fellow cultivator was ambushed by a hidden beast in the Yuan Magnet Spirit Mountain, but he recovered after a few days of rest."
Lu Chen's worries eased slightly; he had been afraid that his high-priced search for the ore had brought trouble to Xuan Yuan Zhe.
"After leaving Yuanfeng Island, I explored two secret realms with Xuan Yuan and a few others," the bearded cultivator continued.
"In the last secret realm, we had planned to return, but we unexpectedly stumbled upon a rare secret realm restriction that had been unsealed."
"Out of curiosity, we joined forces and ventured into its core, where we encountered a Calamity-level evil creature."
"A Calamity-level evil creature?" Lu Chen exclaimed in surprise.
A Calamity-level evil creature was equivalent to a Nascent Soul true lord if all else was equal.
"Indeed, it was a Calamity-level evil creature," the bearded cultivator affirmed with a nod.
"However, due to the multiple layers of array restrictions, its strength had been diminished by more than half."
"But even then, for us, who were only in the early to mid-stages of the Golden Core realm, the threat was still immense."
"In the face of death, we each used our own means, employing divine abilities, secret techniques, magical treasures, and talismans to escape."
"After escaping, I waited at a predetermined rendezvous point for half a month, but only one fellow cultivator joined me. Xuan Yuan is missing, and it's likely that he met with misfortune."
(End of Chapter)
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