Chapter 428

Chapter 428: Encountering Evil in the Desolate Village

Watching the information that popped up in his view slowly fade away, Wang Chen’s eyes grew more serious.

Though he had easily killed the black snake, it had actually taken a considerable amount of effort.

Moreover, this was the first monster he had encountered in the Subterranean Palace.

The Nine Dragons underground palace was home to countless strange and evil objects, which were undoubtedly the greatest threat to explorers.

For hundreds of years, many Sect disciples and loose cultivators had ventured down here, never to return.

Most had fallen victim to these monsters.

Wang Chen could handle three to five, or even a dozen, of these unnamed black snakes without much trouble.

But if their numbers surged to dozens or even hundreds, the situation would become extremely perilous.

The Subterranean Palace had banished from the sky and suppressed Purple Palace Level, making escape difficult; a single misstep could send one tumbling into an endless abyss!

While reminding himself to stay vigilant, Wang Chen began to carefully dig up the Starmist Grass by the pool.

He guessed that the black snake he had just killed was the guardian of the Starmist Grass, acting as an elite monster.

Killing one had already earned him over a hundred Virtue points.

Here, he discovered more than six stalks of aged Starmist Grass, with the oldest exceeding five hundred years, based on the estimate of one inch per hundred years!

Wang Chen wasn’t sure how many spirit stones such a Starmist Grass could fetch in Wailing City, but he assumed it would be a significant amount.

He cautiously dug out the entire plant, including the roots, stems, leaves, and flowers.

Since every part of the Starmist Grass could be used for medicine, the more intact the plant, the higher its value.

Though Wang Chen hadn’t done much gathering before, as a Purple Palace cultivator, he understood that mastering one principle could illuminate many others, so he wouldn’t easily make rookie mistakes.

After digging out the six stalks of Starmist Grass, he placed them in a jade box, then stored them in the Xumi Ring.

This ensured their medicinal potency would remain intact.

In fact, there were more Starmist Grass growing by the pool, but he left the younger ones untouched.

Following the natural cycle, he decided to leave them for future seekers!

With his gains secured, Wang Chen pressed onward.

He didn’t know if the direction he had chosen was correct, but once he made a decision, he wouldn’t change it lightly.

In the underground world, there was no distinction between day and night, and without clocks, measuring the passage of time was nearly impossible.

Wang Chen crossed one hill after another, encountering numerous monster attacks along the way.

These were mainly creatures like snakes, scorpions, and Foxes.

These creatures liked to hide in piles of rocks, beneath the soil layer, or in patches of weeds, ambushing anyone who passed by, either leaping out to bite or spraying venom.

They were quite troublesome.

Wang Chen also discovered many spiritual herbs and plants.

When facing monsters, he used his fists to crush them and his sword to cut them down, reaping Virtue points.

When he found spiritual materials, he collected them into his bag, replenishing his reserves.

As time passed and with each battle, Wang Chen gradually adapted to the unique environment here.

However, he had yet to find an exit, and the Nine Dragons underground palace surveying map still showed no location.

Wang Chen calmed his mind and prepared for a long exploration.

After traveling for what felt like three or four days, he had not moved out of the hilly area.

Yet, the items in his Xumi Ring had significantly increased.

While he could go on like this for quite some time, the pressure on his mind continuously lingered.

After another two or three days of travel, a desolate village appeared in Wang Chen’s sight.

His eyes brightened instantly.

In aimless exploration, the worst fear was a lack of change; the same sights and encounters, all very similar, could make the journey feel monotonous and trap him in despair, easily leading to a mental breakdown.

Wang Chen’s willpower was certainly not so weak, but he also did not want to fall into a predicament.

The appearance of this desolate village might just be the turning point!

Wang Chen couldn’t help but quicken his pace.

The abandoned village was close at hand.

It was unclear how many years the village had been deserted; most of the buildings had collapsed, but a few stone houses still maintained their basic framework.

However, wild grass grew all around.

As Wang Chen approached, a creature resembling a yellow weasel suddenly leaped out.

Then it turned around and fled outside the village.

Wang Chen chose not to attack and let this creature go.

He circled around the desolate village but found no other evil giants or strange beings.

He then selected the sturdiest stone house.

The door had long since rotted to dust, but the structure was still solid, and even the roof had not collapsed.

The room was quite large, completely empty, with a thick layer of dust on the floor, emanating a scent of decay.

Wang Chen scanned the area with his divine sense, confirming safety before casting a Cleansing Technique to clear away all the dust.

Next, Wang Chen took out some items from his storage bag and quickly built a fire in the room.

The aroma of grilled meat soon filled the air.

In truth, for Wang Chen’s cultivation level, camping outdoors was no different from staying here; such a stone house offered little Defense.

Yet some habits seemed to be etched in his very genes; residing in a house felt much safer and more comfortable.

Enjoying the spiritual wine, Wang Chen savored a hearty grilled meat feast.

After filling his stomach, he used the Earth and Stone Technique to create a stone door for the house.

Wang Chen had already mastered this technique to perfection, and his Object Manipulation skills were also at their peak; crafting a stone door was very simple for him, resulting in a door that could open and close and had a movable stone latch.

Though it wasn’t strictly necessary, it provided him with a bit of fun.

After sealing the entrance, Wang Chen took out a formation plate from his Xumi Ring and set it up inside the room.

This set was seized from Xuanyi Dao Ren, combining spirit gathering, Defense, and concealment into a portable formation, which was essential for him to rest and cultivate in an unknown area.

The formation plate was of high grade and required mid-grade spirit stones to operate.

Wang Chen first activated the spirit gathering formation, circulating his power through three cycles to replenish the dantian’s power for today’s cultivation before activating the defensive formations.

He sat cross-legged on a cushion, closed his eyes, and began to rest.

Although cultivators could go for extended periods without sleep, resting could significantly alleviate mental fatigue and restore one’s spirit and vitality.

Thus, even Golden Core true masters and Nascent Soul true immortals had their moments of deep slumber.

Just as Wang Chen’s consciousness started to drift into chaos, he suddenly felt a stirring in his mind.

He abruptly opened his eyes.

A gleam of light shone within his eyes as he activated the Cave Truth Technique!

The defensive formations were triggered.

In the next moment, Wang Chen saw black tendrils emerging from the bottom of the stone door, wriggling through the cracks.

Silently and stealthily, they extended toward his position.

An icy, malevolent aura seeped into the formations, causing the surrounding air temperature to plummet.

The fire beside Wang Chen quickly dimmed, nearing extinction!

Evil Spirits!