Chapter 2319: Undercover

The Water Lihua Fruit is the primary ingredient for brewing Glazed Jade Dew, a sixth-tier spiritual wine that enhances magical power. Even consuming the fruit raw yields considerable benefits.

Water Lihua fruit trees require spiritual water to grow, bearing over twenty fruits each time. Once ripe, these fruits must be harvested within a month, or they will fall off naturally. Should the spiritual water dry up before the fruits mature, the tree will immediately wither and die.

Consuming the Water Lihua Fruit raw can significantly advance Wang Changsheng's magical power; five fruits alone could save him thousands of years of diligent cultivation.

Wang Changsheng's gaze swept over the porcelain bottles and gourds. He inspected them one by one, and as he opened a blue gourd, a pure aquatic spiritual energy wafted out.

He retrieved a white jade porcelain bowl, inverted the gourd, and a black liquid poured out into the bowl.

A green thorn flew out and landed in the black liquid, showing no unusual reaction.

The Bi-pupil Rat crawled out from Wang Changsheng's sleeve, took a small sip of the black liquid, and showed no ill effects.

"Sixth-tier spiritual water!"

Wang Changsheng's face lit up with joy. With this sixth-tier spiritual water and the Water Lihua Fruits, he was confident he could advance to the mid-stage of the Void Refinement realm in less than a millennium.

Besides these items, there were also various sixth-tier artifact refining materials. Inside one blue jade box lay a pale blue demon core, its surface crackling with countless blue electric arcs. The Qilin Turtle let out a longing roar.

"A sixth-tier demon core! I'll let you consume it when we return."

Wang Changsheng needed the Qilin Turtle's assistance at the moment, so he didn't plan to let it consume the sixth-tier demon core just yet.

The spiritual stones totaled over ten million, mostly mid-grade, with several hundred high-grade ones, but no supreme-grade spiritual stones.

His gaze then settled on an exquisite golden jade box and a silver jade box. He opened both, revealing a paste-like substance shimmering with five-colored spiritual light in one, and a pale silver jade stone crackling with silver electric arcs in the other.

"Five-colored Divine Clay! Heavenly Thunder Crystal."

Wang Changsheng was overjoyed. The Five-colored Divine Clay is an excellent material for crafting the core components of sixth-tier puppet beasts, offering both self-repair capabilities and a weakening effect against Daoist spell attacks. The Heavenly Thunder Crystal, on the other hand, is a material for condensing Dharma Idols, particularly suited for Void Refinement cultivators who practice lightning-attribute techniques. Naturally, its value doesn't quite match that of the higher-grade Silver Adamant Crystal.

He opened an exquisite silver jade box, which contained some Celestial Sound Sand.

Wang Changsheng's expedition to the desolate lands yielded substantial gains. The map drawn by Wang Yingjie proved invaluable, and the sixth-tier talismans refined by Wang Ruyan also played a crucial role.

Regrettably, his avatar, Wang Sen, was killed. Fortunately, Wang Changsheng still had his clone, Wang Xiangrong.

Wang Changsheng's injuries were severe, necessitating a period of secluded healing. Once recovered, he would depart the desolate lands and return to Qinglian Island.

He also found over a hundred jade slips, which he examined one by one. Among them were various cultivation techniques, but most contained information about the Blazefire Tribe, detailing aspects like their tribal markets, none of which appeared to be classified secrets.

The Blazefire Tribe was divided into multiple clans, and their cultivation methods were largely similar.

While these jade slips might prove useful if he ever visited the Blazefire Tribe's territory, he doubted he would ever need them.

He carefully sorted and stored the items on the ground into various storage rings.

Body cultivators are considerably more resilient and recover quickly. While other Void Refinement cultivators might need at least a millennium to recuperate, Wang Changsheng would only require several centuries, and even less time if he consumed a sixth-tier healing elixir.

Wang Changsheng took out an Ice Soul Jade Dew Pill, put it into his mouth, and it instantly dissolved.

The elixir melted instantly upon contact, and a cool sensation spread through his abdomen.

He had initially acquired three Ice Soul Jade Dew Pills, and after using this one, only a single pill remained. He wished his clan had a sixth-tier alchemist, so he wouldn't have to rely solely on seized loot or costly purchases.

Soon after, a dazzling blue light emanated from Wang Changsheng's abdomen.

Hundreds of millions of miles away, a golden light streaked across the sky. From high above, a deafening thunderclap echoed as an immense golden lightning bolt descended, striking the golden light.

A tragic female cry pierced the air, and a massive golden orb of light flared in the sky.

Two Four-winged Golden Thunder Centipedes flew in from the distance, their bodies showing small cracks and some of their sharp claws missing.

As the golden lightning dissipated, a pale-faced maiden in a golden dress was revealed, her left arm missing, her body scorched black, and her aura severely depleted.

Despair filled her eyes; in her current state, she was no match for the two Four-winged Golden Thunder Centipedes.

Just then, a white fiery glow illuminated the void, and a handsome, tall young man in a white robe materialized. His eyes were pure white, and flame-like spiritual patterns adorned his face, emanating an astonishing spiritual pressure.

"Lord Baixuan!"

The maiden in the golden dress looked at the white-robed young man, her face a mixture of shock and delight.

The white-robed young man opened his mouth and exhaled a torrent of white flames, which transformed into a white ice flood dragon over a hundred zhang long, lunging towards the two Four-winged Golden Thunder Centipedes.

As the white ice flood dragon moved, countless white ice shards materialized in the void.

The two Four-winged Golden Thunder Centipedes, not daring to be careless, each spat out a golden lightning bolt.

With a resounding crash, the white ice flood dragon's body exploded, transforming into countless white flames that scattered in all directions.

Some white flames landed on one of the Four-winged Golden Thunder Centipedes, causing its body to visibly freeze and transform into a massive ice sculpture.

The other Four-winged Golden Thunder Centipede violently flapped its wings, causing countless golden electric arcs to surge across its body as a colossal centipede phantom materialized in the sky.

At that instant, a white light glowed above the centipede phantom's head, and a massive hand composed of white flames appeared, striking towards the phantom.

The centipede phantom retaliated by spitting out an enormous golden lightning ray, but it was futile. The colossal white hand shattered the lightning and then struck the Four-winged Golden Thunder Centipede, causing it to visibly freeze and transform into a massive ice sculpture.

Baixuan conjured a shimmering white cauldron, cast a spell into it, and watched as the cauldron rapidly expanded. It then emitted a white aura, drawing in both ice sculptures.

The white cauldron quickly shrunk and vanished into his sleeve.

"Thank you for your assistance, Lord Baixuan. Did the clan send you?"

The maiden in the golden dress asked, a hint of curiosity in her voice.

"I came to find materials to condense my Dharma Idol. Why are you here alone in the desolate lands? Don't you know how dangerous it is?"

Baixuan's tone was solemn.

"I was ordered to accompany Flame Empress on a mission to the desolate lands, but we split up to capture human cultivators. I encountered a formidable foe; though only in the early stage of Void Refinement, he successively killed three of our companions. He had partially condensed his Dharma Idol, possessed an eighteen-piece set of Heaven-reaching Spiritual Treasures, and wielded sixth-tier ice flames. My companions and I managed to injure him, but unexpectedly, he lured two Four-winged Golden Thunder Centipedes. My companions were then killed, and if I hadn't met Lord Baixuan, I would have lost my life."

The maiden in the golden dress recounted slowly, her expression respectful.

"An eighteen-piece set of Heaven-reaching Spiritual Treasures? And partially condensing a Dharma Idol in the early Void Refinement stage? Are you joking?"

Baixuan's face was filled with doubt, and his tone was stern.

"I dare not deceive you, it's absolutely true. I suspect this person is an avatar of an Integration stage cultivator, who came to the desolate lands seeking cultivation resources."

She had originally intended to say it was an avatar of a Grand Ascension stage cultivator, but that seemed too far-fetched, so she changed her explanation.

"Your injuries are quite severe. First, find a place to heal. Once you've recovered, I'll accompany you to find Flame Empress; perhaps I can be of assistance."

Baixuan instructed.

The maiden in the golden dress, of course, dared not refuse and departed with Baixuan.

A short while later, they appeared in a hidden cave with uneven stone walls.

"Who's hiding there? Get out!"

Baixuan's face grew cold, and he shouted loudly towards a seemingly empty spot in the void.

The maiden in the golden dress was slightly stunned, her face instantly filling with vigilance.

She felt a sudden chill in her chest as a white palm pierced through her body, seizing a miniature Nascent Soul.

"Lord Baixuan, you..."

The maiden in the golden dress's face was filled with disbelief.

Baixuan's palm glowed with a white light, enveloping the miniature Nascent Soul, which then emitted a tragic shriek.

His hand closed, and the miniature Nascent Soul instantly burst apart.

"To capture human cultivators, and even Void Refinement cultivators are unaware of the specific mission... it seems the Blazefire Tribe is plotting something. I must find a way to inform my master."

Baixuan muttered to himself.

"To possess such great divine abilities at the Void Refinement stage... if the Blazefire Tribe's higher-ups learned of this, they would certainly dispatch assassins. I hope you manage to grow successfully."

After speaking, a white flame materialized and engulfed the maiden's corpse, reducing it to ashes, her storage ring forgotten.

Baixuan then transformed into scattered specks of white light and vanished, as if he had never been there.