Chapter 704
by fanqienovelChapter 704: Treasure Hunting at Manglong Mountain (Part 2)
Hu Jiao’s refusal was so resolute, as if the item before her was an untouchable bomb.
This left Wang Chen both amused and exasperated.
He didn’t press further but, after a moment’s thought, retrieved a pearl from his Qian Kun Ring and offered it to her, “How about this? Consider it a gift from me. You can take it, right?”
The pearl Wang Chen presented was a Pure Evil Energy Pearl.
This was the last Pure level Evil Energy Pearl he possessed; the others had been mostly used to refine Pure Yang Pearls for body training.
“A Spirit Cleanse Pearl?”
Hu Jiao’s eyes lit up immediately, “How do you have something like this?”
Wang Chen smiled and replied, “I acquired it some time ago.”
Seeing her evident interest, Wang Chen boldly took the fox demon’s hand and placed the pearl into her palm.
To Wang Chen’s surprise, Hu Jiao’s hand, though appearing rough, was incredibly delicate and soft!
Caught off guard, Hu Jiao was momentarily stunned before she quickly withdrew her hand, a light blush spreading across her cheeks.
Wang Chen calmly released her hand.
As expected, she was still quite innocent.
He had long sensed something unusual about Hu Jiao, and now he had confirmed it.
It should be noted that this fox demon had a remarkable ability to disguise herself; at least Wang Chen hadn’t suspected her initially.
This was quite normal, as venturing out for training or exploration was generally easier for men or males.
Wang Chen had no intention of probing into Hu Jiao’s secrets, and he brushed off the moment of awkwardness with a smile.
Hu Jiao also realized she might have revealed a secret; she lowered her head and silently toyed with the Pure Evil Energy Pearl.
Not wanting to let the silence linger, Wang Chen shifted his focus to the spoils.
He stored all the seized spirit tools into a storage bag, then checked each of the storage bags one by one.
If there were any restrictions, he attempted to break them; if that failed, he would destroy them by force!
However, although there were quite a few storage bags, their contents were truly mediocre. It seemed that these Purple Palace loose cultivators had invested their resources heavily in equipment and training; together, their total savings amounted to less than a million spirit stones.
A bunch of broke losers!
Wang Chen silently complained.
As for the two or three dozen spirit tools, they wouldn’t fetch much if sold.
Not a single magic treasure to be found!
Wang Chen knew that only a few Purple Palace cultivators owned magic treasures; among loose cultivators, they were exceptionally rare. It was normal not to have seized any magic treasures; if they had, it would have been a surprise.
He recalled how, years ago, he had obtained the Thousand Transformations and Heavenly Net for Exorcising Evil from two Qi Training cultivators and felt quite incredulous—what kind of luck had he had back then!
After counting the loot, Wang Chen cleared his throat and asked, “Fellow traveler Hu, do you know of Baiyue Peak?”
The recent actions had made his relationship with Hu Jiao a bit awkward; to avoid lingering in such discomfort, he decided to find a topic to break the ice.
“Baiyue Peak?”
Hu Jiao paused for a moment, then asked in return, “Are you referring to the Stone Monkey Baiyue Peak?”
Stone Monkey Baiyue Peak?
Wang Chen suddenly remembered the mention of it in the book and nodded eagerly, “Exactly!”
“I know of it.”
Hu Jiao smiled sweetly, a faint dimple appearing on her left cheek.
Yet, with her strikingly masculine features, the expression seemed oddly incongruous!
“Stone Monkey Baiyue Peak is roughly five hundred miles from here,”
Hu Jiao stated earnestly, “If you wish to go, I can guide you there.”
“Thank you, fellow traveler!”
Wang Chen clasped his hands in gratitude, “I truly appreciate your assistance.”
The Manglong Mountain Range sprawled across hundreds of thousands of miles, dotted with innumerable peaks. Although the book indicated that Baiyue Peak wasn’t too distant, the lack of a precise location made the search daunting and cumbersome.
Luckily, the book provided a detailed description of the peak, specifically mentioning the “Stone Monkey.”
This aligned perfectly with Hu Jiao’s account!
“No need for thanks.”
Hu Jiao inquired curiously, “What brings you to Stone Monkey Baiyue Peak? It’s not a blessed land, nor does it offer any spiritual herbs or materials to gather.”
Much of the Manglong Mountain region had already been scoured by human cultivators and demons; neither side would leave any useful resource untouched, lest it benefit the other!
Stone Monkey Baiyue Peak was no exception.
It was devoid of magical beasts or demons as well.
Wang Chen hesitated briefly before asking, “Have you heard of seven-leaf mysterious ginseng?”
“Of course I know about seven-leaf mysterious ginseng!”
Hu Jiao couldn’t help but roll her eyes at Wang Chen, “Don’t tell me you think seven-leaf mysterious ginseng grows on Stone Monkey Baiyue Peak, untouched and waiting just for you to unearth it!”
She burst into laughter, clearly finding the notion absurd.
“I’m not certain if seven-leaf mysterious ginseng grows on Baiyue Peak…”
Wang Chen explained calmly, “But I’m confident there are clues to its whereabouts there.”
“You’re quite bold to say that!”
Hu Jiao, clearly skeptical, wrinkled her nose, “That’s seven-leaf mysterious ginseng, an essential material for refining high-quality Golden Cores. The most I’ve ever encountered is five leaves.”
Seven-leaf mysterious ginseng is a general term for a type of spiritual material, categorized by the number of leaves—such as one-leaf, two-leaf, and so on.
Even two-leaf ginseng could suffice as condensing materials, but anything beyond three leaves was a rarity!
Hu Jiao’s experience with five-leaf ginseng was already remarkable.
“I understand…”
Wang Chen sighed, “But if I don’t search for it, I won’t feel at ease.”
While many things could be approached casually, when it came to his condensing elixir treasures, Wang Chen would never compromise!
A single misstep could lead to consequences tenfold or even a hundredfold in the future.
“Then I’ll accompany you!”
Hu Jiao declared readily, “I’m on a mission to find condensing materials during this journey. If you truly discover seven-leaf mysterious ginseng, I’ll pay you in spirit stones for a share!”
Wang Chen agreed without hesitation, “Deal.”
They exchanged smiles, and the earlier awkwardness melted away entirely.
The long night eventually gave way to dawn.
As the sky outside began to lighten, Wang Chen and Hu Jiao set off on their swords toward Stone Monkey Baiyue Peak.
For high-level cultivators, distance was no longer an obstacle.
It was merely a matter of speed.
Both Wang Chen and Hu Jiao possessed formidable cultivation levels, and they spared no effort in channeling their true energy, reaching their destination in just over half an hour.
Stone Monkey Baiyue Peak stood out uniquely among the mountains, a solitary peak soaring into the heavens, blanketed with ancient cypress, pine, and oak trees.
However, halfway up, the terrain turned barren, and a massive “Stone Monkey” knelt atop the peak, as if in devout prayer.
In reality, this stone monkey was nothing more than a weathered rock, yet nature’s artistry had rendered it astonishingly lifelike and vivid!