Chapter 2306: Treasure Hunting in the Wild Land

On the Profound Spirit Continent lay the Barren Land.

The Barren Land served as a natural barrier. Even Integration cultivators found it challenging to pass through with ease, and it was particularly difficult for the armies of foreign races to cross. Nevertheless, the human race had established an outpost here, stationing two Integration cultivators to monitor the movements of the foreign races.

Barren City, the market city closest to the Barren Land for the human race, was named for its proximity. However, despite its name, Barren City was far from desolate; it was quite prosperous.

Before human cultivators entered the Barren Land to seek treasures or hunt demonic beasts, they would typically purchase maps or intelligence in Barren City to facilitate their journey. Any treasures they acquired would also be sold to shops in the city.

The Barren Land was extremely dangerous. Even Integration cultivators faced the risk of perishing while seeking treasures or hunting demonic beasts there, let alone Soul Transformation cultivators. Despite this, some Soul Transformation cultivators still ventured into the Barren Land for such pursuits, driven by the belief that wealth is sought in danger.

Soul Transformation cultivators generally knew their limits and usually operated only in the outer reaches of the Barren Land. They often went in groups and acquired high-tier escape talismans.

Deep within the Barren Land, in a cave roughly a hundred acres in size, three men and one woman were currently besieging two Lightning Doves, each with a wingspan over a hundred zhang. Their bodies were covered in silvery feathers, shimmering with countless silver electric arcs, and their scythe-like claws were golden. Their escape speed was exceptionally fast.

In the lower-left corner of the cave, there was a pond several hundred zhang wide. A lotus flower, glowing with seven-colored spiritual light, floated on the water's surface. Its bud had unfurled, revealing eighteen greenish lotus seeds.

A yellow giant ape, over thirty zhang tall, was attacking one of the Lightning Doves. The giant ape's eyes were dull, and its body was covered in mysterious spiritual patterns. When the Lightning Dove's claws struck the yellow giant ape's body, sparks flew, and a metallic clang resounded.

A thick four-colored light barrier enveloped the four Soul Transformation cultivators. Among them was a gaunt, stick-thin old man in a green robe, whose cheeks were sunken but whose complexion was ruddy. He held a green whisk in his hand; this was none other than True Monarch Blustering Lan Fukong.

Lan Fukong had already cultivated to the Grand Completion stage of Soul Transformation. Upon learning that a Seven-Colored Azure Lotus was here, he gathered a few friends to come and harvest it together.

The Seven-Colored Azure Lotus grew one leaf every thousand years. Once it reached seven leaves, its seeds could be used to refine Seven-Colored Jade Liquid, which offered some assistance to Soul Transformation cultivators attempting to break through to the Void Refinement stage.

Miraculous elixirs that could assist Soul Transformation cultivators in breaking through to the Void Refinement stage rarely appeared on the market. The Lan family had dispatched numerous disciples to search for them, attending various gatherings and auctions, but failed to acquire any such elixirs, as there were many factions wealthier than the Lan family.

Left with no other option, Lan Fukong had to venture into the Barren Land.

The two Lightning Doves flapped their wings violently, unleashing hundreds of silver lightning orbs that struck the four-colored light barrier, engulfing it.

The yellow giant ape's right palm suddenly glowed with dazzling yellow light as it slapped towards one of the Lightning Doves. Just as the Lightning Dove tried to evade, an irresistible gravitational force emanated from the ground. It felt as though it was sinking into a quagmire, unable to move freely.

The yellow giant ape's palm struck the Lightning Dove, which shrieked tragically as it plummeted from the sky. Seizing this opportunity, Lan Fukong and his three companions controlled their Profound Spirit Treasures to attack the Lightning Dove, slaying it amidst a series of thunderous explosions.

The other Lightning Dove, realizing the dire situation, flapped its wings and darted out of the cave at an incredibly high speed.

A loud, piercing roar echoed, and a shimmering golden sound wave blocked the Lightning Dove's path.

The Lightning Dove flapped its wings, sending hundreds of silver lightning orbs flying to meet the sound wave.

After a series of rumbling explosions, the golden sound wave abruptly dissipated. The dense silver lightning orbs then successively slammed into the yellow giant ape's body, exploding and engulfing it in dazzling silver lightning.

A piercing whoosh filled the air as dense blue-green silk threads shot forth, some of them coiling around the Lightning Dove's left claw.

A gigantic yellow hand descended from above, striking the Lightning Dove. The dove let out a mournful cry and fell from the sky, as a colossal yellow seal, a long blue-green saber, and a long red halberd shot towards it in succession.

With its left claw entangled by the blue-green silk threads, the Lightning Dove had no way to evade. The three Profound Spirit Treasures struck its body, obliterating it.

"Finally, we've killed them! That wasn't easy!" an excited old man in red robes, his face flushed, exclaimed.

"Heh heh, if I hadn't bought this puppet beast refined by True Monarch Taihao, we wouldn't have killed these two Lightning Doves so easily," Lan Fukong said proudly. He had sent someone to Snow Goose Market City and paid a high price to the Wang family for a puppet beast, publicly claiming it was personally refined by Wang Changsheng.

"Fellow Daoist Lan, you're boasting again. True Monarch Taihao is a Void Refinement cultivator; why would he refine a puppet beast for you?" a graceful young woman in a yellow dress said with a light chuckle.

"Hmph, why would I lie to you? I, Lan, never brag," Lan Fukong maintained a righteous expression.

The old man in red robes and his two companions had been old acquaintances with Lan Fukong for many years and naturally knew his character.

They collected the Lightning Doves' corpses, carefully dug out the Seven-Colored Azure Lotus, and divided the lotus seeds.

Stepping out of the cave, the old man in red robes looked around and said, "Let's explore a bit more! It's rare for us to come here, and the Barren Land surely has many treasures."

"Let's not. This is deep within the Barren Land, and there are sixth-tier demonic beasts here. We should leave quickly!" Lan Fukong urged, stating he wouldn't have dared to come to the Barren Land if it weren't for his attempt to break through to the Void Refinement stage.

"Yes! Let's hurry and go!" the young woman in the yellow dress assented.

Just then, the ground began to shake violently. A massive mound of earth appeared in the distance and rapidly moved towards them.

"Oh no, it's a demonic beast!" The red-robed old man's expression darkened. His right hand glowed with dazzling red light, and he slapped towards the mound in mid-air.

The void vibrated and distorted, as a massive red hand, hundreds of zhang in size, shot out. Upon closer inspection, the hand was composed of countless crimson flames, carrying an astonishing heat wave, as it slammed towards the mound.

With a colossal bang, the red hand exploded, scattering flames. A colossal creature burrowed out from underground—a massive golden giant rat. Its entire body was covered in golden fur, its eyes were golden, and they gleamed with ferocity.

"A sixth-tier demonic beast!" Lan Fukong cried out in alarm, his legs turning to jelly.

The golden giant rat let out a sharp, piercing shriek. With a slight shake of its body, countless golden bristles shot out like flying needles towards Lan Fukong and his companions.

Lan Fukong and his three companions reacted swiftly, dodging them all.

The dense golden spines struck the ground, which immediately fractured, sending dust flying.

The golden giant rat's body erupted with golden light, and a colossal phantom of a rat appeared high in the sky. The phantom gleamed golden and let out a piercing shriek.

Upon hearing this sound, the bodies of Lan Fukong and his three companions went limp, rendering them unable to use their spiritual power.

The golden giant rat opened its cavernous maw, and a powerful suction force suddenly appeared, pulling Lan Fukong and his three companions towards it.

A resonant roar from a man suddenly rang out. The golden giant rat's body twitched, and the suction force vanished abruptly.

A long blue streak of light shot forth, striking the golden giant rat. The rat let out a pained shriek, and a terrifying bloody hole appeared on its body.

Two streaks of light flew from afar. Not long after, the two streaks stopped, revealing Wang Changsheng and Wang Sen.

"True Monarch Taihao, Senior Wang!" Lan Fukong exclaimed.