Chapter 700

Chapter 700: Treasure Hunt at Manglong Mountain (Part 1)

In the early morning, without alerting anyone, Wang Chen quietly slipped out of the city.

This marked his first departure from Yongle Immortal City since he had slain Liang Cen.

Wang Chen’s destination was Manglong Mountain.

He had spent considerable time preparing for this journey and had even taken a twenty-day vacation.

Manglong Mountain lay to the northwest of Yongle Immortal City, more than twenty thousand miles away.

After leaving the city, Wang Chen first flew several hundred miles on his sword, then retrieved his flying ship-class magical tool in a desolate wilderness, ascending into the sky and heading straight for his destination.

The speed and endurance of a flying ship-class magical tool largely depended on the pilot’s skill and the number of spirit stones available.

Although Wang Chen was at the Purple Palace Level, he possessed a high-grade external elixir and was willing to invest generously in spirit stones. As a result, he reached Manglong Mountain in just two days and one night.

The Manglong Mountain range stretched for hundreds of thousands of miles from west to east and was one of the most renowned mountains in the Haotian Realm. It was rich in spiritual veins, dotted with blessed lands, and had long been a place where powerful cultivators secluded themselves for hidden cultivation.

However, Manglong Mountain was now the domain of demons, with human cultivators confined mostly to the outer fringes.

Despite this, the mountain was abundant in resources, drawing countless cultivators each year to hunt, gather, and mine, leading to constant clashes with the demons.

Many cultivators had met their end within these mountains.

Wang Chen’s journey to Manglong Mountain was not for mere thrill-seeking; rather, the clues he had uncovered about the seven-leaf mysterious ginseng pointed directly to these vast, uncharted depths.

After gathering five of the eight treasures for condensing elixirs, Wang Chen had hoped to acquire the remaining three through safer means.

But that was not possible.

First, Wanbao Pavilion had no stock, and even if it did, it was beyond his reach.

Second, the value of the thousand-year spirit pearl, seven-leaf mysterious ginseng, and ten-thousand-year star sand was so exorbitant that they were practically priceless!

Wang Chen considered leveraging his unique abilities and the Life Creation Cauldron to craft talismans and magical tools, earning enough spirit stones to secure what he needed.

For items of such value, as long as one was willing to spend enough spirit stones, they could be obtained.

If one attempt wasn’t enough, then two; if two weren’t enough, then three times!

Wang Chen was confident he could carve out a reputation for himself in the fiercely competitive Yongle Immortal City.

Unfortunately, reality was far harsher than his ideals.

Through his observations, Wang Chen realized that the trade in pills, tools, talismans, arrays, and the like in Yongle Immortal City was dominated by a few powerful immortal clans.

These clans held a firm grip on the city’s power structure.

Attempting to snatch resources from their grasp, Wang Chen knew he was no chosen one, so he abandoned that plan.

After carefully weighing his options, he decided to venture out and seek the treasures himself.

If he couldn’t buy them, he would find them!

In truth, as the towering peaks of Manglong Mountain came into view, Wang Chen still had no certainty of finding the seven-leaf mysterious ginseng.

The notes from predecessors he had consulted were ancient, and he had no idea when they had been written.

Over time, it was entirely possible that the ginseng, which grew in secret places, had already been harvested by other cultivators or demons.

If that were the case, his arduous journey spanning thousands of miles would have been in vain!

However, if Wang Chen did not come here to see it with his own eyes, he would surely keep that tiny hope in his heart.

Over time, it was easy for inner demons to grow!

Thus, this journey was necessary.

When he arrived at the edge of Manglong Mountain, the sky was gradually darkening.

Wang Chen had no interest in exploring Manglong Mountain at night, so he stowed the magical flying ship, switched to the potential dragon sword, and flew for a distance until he found an Abandoned Farmhouse.

He planned to spend the night there.

This farmhouse had been deserted for a long time; the fields were completely overrun with wild grass, wildflowers, and small trees, with no sign of the original paths.

Most of the buildings in the farm were in ruins, the walls cracked and covered in vines, many houses even missing their roofs.

Wang Chen chose the largest and seemingly most intact house to enter.

He was clearly not the first cultivator to visit here, as there wasn’t much dust or fallen leaves in the yard; it seemed someone had cast spells to clean it up not long ago.

The main house’s door stood wide open, with a finely crafted door frame swaying precariously, revealing chairs and tables inside.

Just as Wang Chen was about to step in, a crow suddenly flew out cawing.

He didn’t know if it had built a nest inside!

This residence was quite large, and after a thorough inspection, Wang Chen confirmed there were no Evil Spirits or magical spirits present before setting up a bonfire pile outside the main house.

The Blazing Flames instantly chased away the darkness and cold.

Wang Chen then took out the food ingredients he had bought in the immortal city, including kebabs, eggplants, river fish, and more, from his Xumi Ring.

Though there weren’t many types, they were fresh and of high quality. Wang Chen arranged them on the Grill and slowly cooked them with oil and sauce.

Soon, the air was filled with the unique Aroma of grilled meat.

Wang Chen set up a reclining chair, brewed a pot of spiritual tea, and sipped while gazing at the starry sky.

Even though he was in the unpredictable, desolate wilderness, he felt a deep sense of peace.

This peace stemmed from Wang Chen’s current strength.

Below the Golden Core stage, he was invincible; at the Golden Core level, Wang Chen felt confident he could escape along with others.

At worst, fleeing would not be a problem!

So when the bonfire’s light attracted an unexpected visitor, Wang Chen remained calm and composed.

“Is there anyone here?”

To the cautious inquiry of the newcomer, Wang Chen readily replied without hesitation, “No one is here; feel free to sit anywhere.”

Helping others was also helping himself; he didn’t mind lending a small hand.

“Thank you!”

The unexpected visitor expressed his gratitude with a bow and then sat neatly in the corner of the room.

The newcomer appeared to be in his twenties, at the initial stage of the Purple Palace cultivation level, with a decent appearance that easily created a sense of goodwill.

Wang Chen took a kebab off the Grill, sprinkled it with Cumin and Pepper, and other seasonings.

The Aroma was simply divine!

Wang Chen could even hear the sound of the person in the corner swallowing.

Wang Chen smiled slightly and pushed the kebab forward, directly offering it to the other person.

“Thank you!”

The cultivator was both surprised and touched. After receiving the kebab from Wang Chen, he respectfully bowed again, then began expertly devouring the kebab.

He truly seemed like a seasoned foodie.

Wang Chen quietly waited for the other person to finish the kebab before asking, “You demons, do you prefer raw food or blood food?”

The newcomer suddenly froze, and after a moment, he set down the bamboo skewer and said, “How did you figure that out?”