Starting Cultivation During a Trip

Chapter 551 - 272: Liu Hai and the Golden Toad! Mountain Patrol Officer in the Night (5k-word - )

From then on, Liu Hai and the Golden Toad became a legend.

"See, this toad has a golden back..." Qi Delong said, his voice tense.

Chang’an is originally one of the three Dragon Veins derived from Kunlun Mountain, and Toad Treasure Mountain must have absorbed the Dragon Qi of the Ancestral Dragon Vein. It not only formed the "Hanzhu" layout but also grew a "golden back," making it a bona fide dragon-breed Golden Toad.

"In ancient times, if someone buried their ancestors here, their descendants would at least have the fate of a prince." Qi Delong sighed.

The fate of the Golden Toad may not be of noble status, but it is at least great wealth and prosperity.

"Not necessarily, don’t forget, this toad is part of the Hanzhu layout. It has absorbed all the Dragon Qi and treasure light of a mountain and vein into its mouth..."

Zhang Fan’s eyes narrowed: "If that’s truly the case, it’s possible, as you guessed, that this mountain has nurtured an Innate Spirit Embryo."

Saying this, Qi Delong’s breath became heavy.

Innate Spirit Embryos, unrivaled in creation, have always been extremely rare throughout history.

Especially after the Daoist Sect tribulation, only the White Crane Temple still worships an Innate Spirit Embryo.

"This thing is a great weapon."

"Have you notified your Laojun Mountain?" Zhang Fan asked in a deep voice.

"I have." Qi Dongqiang blurted out.

"Zhang Fan, don’t look at me like that... If an Innate Spirit Embryo were truly born, what a great calamity that would be? The two of us... the three of us can’t handle it." Qi Delong hurriedly explained.

"We might even have to leave our lives there."

"Forget it..." Zhang Fan pondered for a moment and looked toward the deep pool.

"Let’s get that treasure first."

"That’s Dragon Toad Oil." Qi Delong’s eyes squinted.

The golden light in the pool is the oil of the "toad" in the mountain, tainted with Dragon Qi.

This is the legendary Treasure of Heaven and Earth, an Exotic Treasure of Mountains and Seas.

Even the Dao Secret Record Zhang Fan read contains its mention. It’s said that a single drop of Dragon Toad Oil can burn for half a year. If used to honor ancestors, it can ensure family prosperity for as long as the oil lasts. This is also the Golden Toad’s magical use for attracting wealth and treasures.

Additionally, this substance is a treasure for refining External Cores. Especially in the hands of External Core experts like Lin Jianyue, it can be used to refine countless miracle elixirs.

Hence, Dragon Toad Oil is invaluable. In the black market, a single drop starts at no less than fifty or sixty thousand.

"Just what I need." Zhang Fan’s eyes burned with intensity.

Currently, he has over half a million left in his account, which is a substantial amount for ordinary people.

But for him, it’s insufficient.

Especially at his realm, cultivation demands a tremendous expense. Not to mention, during his last visit to Tusk Mountain, his Mighty Spirit Demon-Suppressing Gold Seal was damaged by Qi Yun Mountain’s Demon-Revealing Mirror. After returning to Yujing City and making some inquiries, he found that the repair cost alone required seven figures.

Swish...

Walking to the edge of the pool, the clear water rippled, fragmenting the reflected moonlight.

Ordinary people, without a Primordial Spirit Awakening, naturally cannot see the golden light at the bottom of the pool. However, with Primordial Spirit Observation, one can see the golden light gathering together, settled at the bottom.

"Normal oil floats on the surface, but Dragon Toad Oil is incredibly heavy." Qi Dongqiang said seriously.

"This thing might not be easy to retrieve." Qi Delong hesitated briefly, speaking cautiously.

"How?" Zhang Fan turned to look.

"Every exotic treasure, within ten steps, must have dangers..." Qi Delong said seriously: "You see that layer of dark water below; I heard from elders in the sect, it’s called Soul-Devouring Water, meant to destroy the Primordial Spirit."

"For cultivators whose Primordial Spirit has awakened, going down there is almost certainly dangerous."

"Let me try." Zhang Fan hesitated briefly and took off his jacket.

"You?" Qi Delong seemed hesitant.

"Here’s the plan. I’ll tie a rope around you, and if anything changes, I’ll pull you up."

As he spoke, Qi Delong took a bundle of rope and a gourd from his backpack.

"Use this if you succeed."

"What’s this?"

"This is a Treasure Nourishing Gourd," Qi Delong said seriously.

Even gourds in the Daoist Sect come in various types, specially cultivated and refined with elixir stones, and trained with Secret Techniques.

This type of Treasure Nourishing Gourd is specifically for storing Exotic Treasures of Mountains and Seas, Great Medicines of Heaven and Earth, preventing loss of spiritual essence.

Moreover, there is another type called Sword Nourishing Gourd. It’s said that in ancient times, there existed Sword Refining Immortals in the Daoist Sect who practiced a single breath, nurturing it inside the gourd daily. Once unleashed, sword qi would spread, able to kill from a distance, extremely formidable.

"It’s a good thing. We’ll split it fifty-fifty once we get the treasure." Zhang Fan accepted the gourd.

"Just take one gourdful, don’t take it all," Qi Delong cautioned.

Innate Exotic Treasures, if completely taken, will inevitably cause upheaval in the mountain, with earthquakes and landslides likely.

"I understand."

Zhang Fan nodded, took a deep breath, and leaped into the pool, with a piercing cold rushing in.

Even though it’s early spring, with winter cold lingering, Zhang Fan being a cultivator, True Yang within him burning like fire, spreading through his body like a central heating system, he remains undaunted.

As he delves deeper, the pressure around him intensifies, drawing nearer to the strip of golden light.

"Brother, he’s approaching the layer of dark water." Qi Dongqiang said seriously.

"Silence." Qi Delong frowned.

In many Daoist Scriptures at Laojun Mountain, he’s seen the terrors of the Soul-Devouring Water; the stronger the Primordial Spirit awakening, the greater the harm.

Swish...

At this moment, Zhang Fan finally reached the layer of dark water.

In an instant, Qi Delong and Qi Dongqiang’s eyes trembled violently, seeing flames igniting within the dark water, red light glaring, black fumes swirling, penetrating Zhang Fan’s Spirit Platform, scorching the Primordial Spirit.