Chapter 626
Treasure Hunt at Ancient Ruins
"Thank you, Your Majesty!"
Jiang Xuan carefully put away the jade bottle, his heart filled with excitement. Natural treasures that enhance comprehension are far rarer and more precious than those that directly boost spiritual power!
"No problem, just keep going, there's some junk over there in the water plants."
The blue turtle spoke casually and continued to lead the way.
After swimming for a while, in a dense patch of special aquatic plants that emitted a faint blue glow, the blue turtle stretched out its claws and rummaged around for a few moments before prying out a piece of mineral about the size of a copper coin, deep purple in color, with natural cloud patterns on its surface. The mineral was small, but heavy, cool to the touch, and faintly emanated a spiritual energy.
"Look, Purple Elf Iron. Just this little lump, which I, the Great King, found back when I was digging in the corner of a wall... well, while exploring."
The green turtle tossed the ore to Jiang Xuan.
"This stuff is an important material for refining high-level spiritual weapons. Adding just a little bit can greatly enhance the toughness and spiritual conductivity of the weapon. However, for you humans, its greatest use seems to be as one of the core base materials for 'spirit pattern masters' to make 'spirit pattern battle armor,' which is said to greatly increase the success rate or something."
"I neither forge weapons nor play with those fancy spirit runes; they're just taking up space. You can have them."
Spirit rune battle armor! Jiang Xuan's eyes lit up instantly! Old Man Xue Jin once mentioned that spirit rune masters are an extremely rare and noble profession in the cultivation world, and spirit rune battle armor is a treasure that can greatly enhance a cultivator's overall combat power.
This Purple Elf Iron is actually related to the crafting of Spirit Pattern Battle Armor? Its value is probably even higher than the True Yang Dragon Marrow Fruit from before! After all, one is a consumable, and the other is a core material that can be used to craft "divine artifacts"!
He took the small purple ore with both hands, feeling its extraordinary texture and spiritual essence, his heart pounding.
This is such a pleasant surprise!
"Your Majesty is so generous!"
Jiang Xuan's voice trembled slightly.
The blue turtle waved its claws nonchalantly.
"I already said it's junk... There seem to be some fragments of 'Ten Thousand Year Sea Soul Jade' in the cracks over there. Although most of its spiritual power has been lost, grinding it into powder and feeding it to your weapon or armor can slightly enhance its spirituality... There are a few 'Water-Repelling Pearls' buried at the bottom of the coral cave over there, but they are of average quality."
But it's fine to make you more comfortable in the water... Oh, and over there, there's a small patch of 'Mind-Calming Moss.' Scrape it off and light it; it's somewhat good for calming the mind and might help your cultivation..."
For the next while, Qingyuan acted like a seasoned warehouse manager, leading Jiang Xuan to dig and search in the relatively safe area of the second level of the ruins.
The “junk,” “scrap,” and “white elephant” that it mentioned were all rare materials that Jiang Xuan could hardly see or even hear of outside!
Fragments of the ancient sea soul jade, water-repelling beads, mind-concentrating moss, mysterious yin heavy water, and the shell fragments of the seven-rainbow clam... More than ten kinds were found!
Each item was casually tossed to Jiang Xuan, as if he were simply clearing out inventory. Jiang Xuan, on the other hand, accepted them all, carefully categorizing each item and storing them away in an appropriate manner.
His small Sumeru Ring space gradually filled up, and his heart was filled with an unprecedented sense of fulfillment and excitement.
The initial anxiety about the long journey and the worries about the situation in the Forbidden City were temporarily forgotten. What could be more enjoyable than easily finding treasures in the mysterious ancient ruins with a celestial-level spirit beast "big shot"?
The thrill of this achievement was simple, direct, and overwhelming, and even this young man, who had experienced life-or-death struggles and was always on edge, couldn't help but immerse himself in it and become completely captivated.
He followed the blue turtle, traversing this ancient and mysterious underwater ruin, his eyes gleaming. He only wished his storage ring had enough space, wanting to stuff every glimmering object he saw into it. As for escaping and leaving? Hmm… he'd think about it after he finished collecting everything here. Anyway… he could leave anytime, no rush, no rush.
Jiang Xuan followed behind the green turtle, watching it pry and scrape at things with its claws, then nonchalantly tossing him those things that radiated alluring light and were brimming with spiritual energy. The shock in his heart came wave after wave, almost to the point of numbness.
"Here, take this. This little bit of 'Snow Infant Jade Ginseng' root is not very useful, but chewing it will have a small benefit on strengthening your foundation and nourishing your meridians."
A root, pure white, crystal clear, shaped like a curled-up infant, exuding a cool, refreshing fragrance and pure vitality, was tossed over.
Jiang Xuan hurriedly caught it; it was icy cold to the touch, and the rich spiritual energy seemed to seep into his pores. Snow Infant Jade Ginseng! A legendary top-tier healing elixir, said to be able to heal flesh and bone and revive the dead. Even a small piece of its root would be enough to make cultivators fight tooth and nail for it! But in the Green Turtle's mouth, it had become a "useless snack"?
"This dark, unremarkable lump of iron, I think it's called... 'Nine-Bend Loyal Heart Iron'? It's rock hard, back in the day I even wanted to grind my teeth on it but it was too hard. I heard that you human weapon refiners like this, take it and play with it."
A fist-sized, jet-black metal block with nine natural spiral patterns on its surface rolled to Jiang Xuan's feet.
Jiang Xuan struggled to pick it up. It was heavy in his hand, and as soon as he touched it with his divine sense, he could feel the amazing resilience it contained and a peculiar rhythm that could calm his restless mind.
Nine-Bend Loyal Heart Iron, a top-grade refining material, can greatly enhance the hardness and spiritual stability of magical artifacts when mixed in, making it an excellent material for refining high-level protective magic treasures and flying swords! Just throw it away like trash?
"That little flower growing in the crevice of the rock over there has thirty-six leaves. I think it's called the 'Pure Void Spirit Flower,' and its age... it looks like it's a thousand years old. The fragrance is quite pleasant; I like to smell it when I sleep. Unfortunately, the fragrance dissipates quickly once it's picked. If you like it, you can take it."
The blue turtle pointed to an inconspicuous crevice in the rock not far away.
Jiang Xuan leaned closer to take a look, and his heart pounded wildly again.
A spiritual flower, no more than a foot tall and as if carved from blue glass, grows quietly. It has thirty-six petals, each one crystal clear and shimmering with a soft glow. Its fragrance is calming and soothing, and just one whiff of it brings an unprecedented clarity to the mind.
Some of the obscure and difficult points in his past cultivation seemed to be loosening up. A thousand-year-old Pure Void Spirit Flower! And a top-grade one with thirty-six leaves! This is a rare treasure that can help one comprehend the Dao, break through bottlenecks, and even nourish and strengthen the soul! In the Azure Turtle's eyes, it's just a natural incense?
And those few transparent crystals that were occasionally found in the sand, occasionally flashing with a faint electric light, the blue turtle poked at them with its claws and casually remarked.
"Oh, this is the 'Thunder Essence Crystal.' It seems to contain a trace of the most primordial thunder spiritual power, but unfortunately, it's too little to even fill a tooth gap. I was struck by lightning in these ruins back then, and that was much more intense. It might be of some use if you want to study thunder magic."
Thunder Essence Crystal! It contains a trace of pure, primordial thunder power, like the power of the very beginning of creation! For cultivators who practice thunder-attribute techniques, it is an unparalleled treasure, enough to ignite a bloody war between sects! But in Qingyuan's eyes, it's merely "not even enough to fill a tooth gap"?
Each and every one of these is an ancient treasure that exists only in ancient records and legends that have long since vanished! Each one, if placed in the present-day Purple Radiance Empire, would be enough to cause a great uproar. Perhaps only a royal family with such a profound treasure trove could possibly gather even one or two of them.
But now, they are like cabbages by the roadside, casually and carelessly tossed to him by the blue turtle.
Jiang Xuan felt like he was dreaming, an incredibly luxurious and dizzying dream.
He carefully and meticulously stored these treasures into his small Sumeru Ring, his heart filled with immense joy and a sense of unreality.
He couldn't help but wonder what kind of extraordinary treasures the Azure Turtle had "taken a liking to" and "kept" in its mouth. Faced with so many rare and precious materials, let alone a Spirit Stream Realm cultivator like himself, even those high-ranking Spirit Sea Realm cultivators or even stronger beings would probably be tempted and unable to control themselves.
Just as Jiang Xuan was immersed in the joy of finding treasure and almost forgot where he was, the blue turtle leading the way suddenly stopped without warning. It no longer rummaged through things as it had before, but instead floated quietly in the water. For the first time, its large, usually somewhat mischievous eyes revealed an extremely solemn expression, even carrying a hint of... apprehension.
"Kid, stop."
The blue turtle's voice lowered, losing its previous mockery.
Jiang Xuan immediately snapped out of his excitement and looked ahead in the direction the blue turtle was looking.
The scenery over the water ahead had changed significantly.
The magnificent, dreamlike coral reefs, the luminous seaweed, and the peculiar fish had all vanished. The seawater was a deep, almost inky blue, so profound it seemed to swallow all light. The water flowed slowly and viscously, exuding a deathly chill.
Further away, at the edge of the field of vision, there was only a blurry darkness, as if it connected to an endless abyss.
Just gazing at that area from afar, Jiang Xuan felt a chill run from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head, and the hairs on his body stood on end! It wasn't ordinary cold, but an instinctive fear of the unknown and destruction that came from the depths of his soul.
It was as if if one took another step forward, one would be instantly crushed into dust by some unseen, terrifying force, and one's soul would be annihilated!
"No... we can't go any further."
Jiang Xuan's voice was a little hoarse, and he subconsciously took half a step back.
"You're not entirely naive, buddy."
The blue turtle did not turn around; its gaze remained fixed on the darkness.
"Ahead lies the true beginning of the danger in these ancient ruins, the edge of the second layer. The residual divine power there is hundreds of times stronger than this 'safe zone' we're in!"
"Don't even mention you, even in my prime, if I dared to approach that area, I would be instantly annihilated, not even leaving a trace."
Jiang Xuan gasped. Even a Heavenly Rank spirit beast like the Azure Turtle at its peak could be instantly killed if it got close? Just how terrifying must that power be?
"Just how big are these ruins? There's a second layer? And then there might be a third, a fourth layer?"
Jiang Xuan couldn't help but ask, his voice filled with shock and curiosity.
The blue turtle slowly turned around, its eyes still showing solemnity.
"How big is it? Heh, I've been trapped in this outer area for eight hundred years and still haven't figured out its boundaries. It doesn't feel like a simple underwater cave or ruins; it's more like... a broken, buried, independent little world!"
The place is riddled with taboos and teeming with deadly dangers, a labyrinth of bizarre and perilous locations and remnants of surviving forces. Number of levels? Certainly more than two. Based on my intuition over the years and information pieced together from ancient ruins, this hellhole has at least four or five levels, perhaps even more!
The deeper you go, the more terrifying the remaining power becomes, but the more astonishing the treasures that may lie within... also become.
It paused, its tone tinged with self-deprecation and helplessness.
"However, that's not something we can think about right now. As for this second level, with the current level of cultivators in the world, I'm afraid only those 'Life and Death Realm' kings who stand at the pinnacle of your human race would barely be qualified or have the courage to try to go in, and even then, it would likely be a nine-out-of-ten chance of death."
Although I, the Great King, am confident in my strength as one of the top in this outer area, I am not so tired of living as to go to the second level to die.
Jiang Xuan's heart pounded like a drum.
An independent little world? At least four or five levels? Even a King of Life and Death Realm can barely break through to the second level? The origin of this ruin is probably terrifyingly powerful! But at the same time, an uncontrollable desire is also growing in his heart—the greater the danger, the greater the opportunity! What kind of heaven-defying fortune is hidden in the deeper levels?
However, he quickly calmed down. Curiosity aside, his life was more important. Even the Azure Turtle dared not set foot in this place; with his current meager skills, going in would be like offering himself up as food.
The most urgent thing is to leave this place and improve our strength first.
"I understand, thank you for informing me, Your Majesty."
Jiang Xuan suppressed the tremor in his heart and said respectfully.
"Good. Greed is fine, but you have to know your limits. Let's go. This is about all the 'junk' we can pick up on the outskirts that's useless to me. Time to get down to business."
The blue turtle seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, turned around and swam in another direction, no longer looking at that dark sea.
Jiang Xuan quickly followed. After swimming for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the surrounding water began to flow rapidly, and a deep, rumbling sound, as if coming from the earth's core, could be faintly heard.
Soon, a scene that Jiang Xuan was "familiar" with appeared in front of him.
It was a gigantic, wildly spinning underwater whirlpool! Over a hundred feet in diameter, its edges were turbulent and chaotic, tearing at everything around it, while its center was dark and deep, as if connected to nothingness.
The whirlpool churned the seawater, emitting a deafening roar and stirring up terrifying undercurrents. It was the very same void vortex that had swallowed Jiang Xuan from tens of thousands of miles away and brought him here!
Seeing the vortex again still sent a chill down Jiang Xuan's spine. This was the very thing that had nearly cost him his life.
The blue turtle stopped at a safe distance from the whirlpool, pointed at the raging vortex, and spoke in a complicated tone.
"See that? That's what it is."
It doesn't always exist; rather, it's a passage created when the outer space of this ruin is unstable and periodically connects with a weak point in the outside world. It leads directly to the chaotic and violent void currents.
Under normal circumstances, any living being or matter caught in this trap, unless protected by an extraordinary treasure, will be instantly torn into the most basic energy particles, dying beyond any hope of survival.
It sighed, carrying eight hundred years of pent-up frustration. (End of Chapter)