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Qi Yuan took out a few pills and swallowed them, then used his mental techniques to dissolve the medicinal power and slowly restore his mana.
Controlling multiple magic weapons consumed not only a vast amount of mana from his dantian but also required significant spiritual power. Furthermore, the God-Burning Green Fire was unleashed through the power of the spirit and soul, resulting in a dual depletion of both.
Fortunately, during the formation of his golden elixir, the Chaos Cauldron had intervened, causing an unusual mutation in his core. As a result, his overall physical capabilities had significantly improved, giving him the strength to handle intense battles.
The next step was to clean up the battlefield. Qi Yuan's dark eyes swept over the corpses below as he made a few hand gestures, releasing streams of magic power to gather the magic weapon storage bags and the demon cores of the sixth-level demon beasts. He examined them carefully before using his divine consciousness to control his ancient flying knife, dissecting the monster's corpse and extracting useful materials. He also retrieved the Green Goblin's storage bag from the monster's stomach and washed it clean.
The combined treasures of Ye Mo's group were quite substantial. There were approximately 100,000 spirit stones, along with various magic weapons, including a Wind and Thunder Stick and a blue fish scale defensive artifact. Though the souls in the Thousand Souls Sword were severely damaged, its core materials remained valuable. With enough souls merged into it, the weapon's power could be restored, but Qi Yuan had no intention of refining such an artifact.
Additionally, Night Demon possessed a magic-grade defensive inner armor. Other magic weapons included an ancient square-patterned mirror, a light blue handkerchief, a bow with ten arrows, and a long sword as cold as ice. Qi Yuan examined them but found nothing particularly remarkable. Among the various pills collected, some were for healing, some for cultivation, and others were intoxicants. Two spirit medicines, over a thousand years old, were found in Night Demon's storage bag.
The spoils also included fifteen level five demon pills, four level six demon pills, and one level seven demon pill. As a group of hunters, Night Demon and his allies had an easier time gathering such resources. There were also several magic techniques of decent quality. Sorting the treasures into categories, Qi Yuan secured the heavy storage bag around his waist, instantly feeling the added weight.
These treasures were far heavier than carrying Yan Ruyan.
Upon returning to Tianxing City, he would need to find a few larger storage bags. After packing away the Inverted Five Elements Formation, the Fire and Yang Thunder Formation, and the Flying Centipede, he took off toward Silver Shark Island, intending to return to Tianxing City through the teleportation array there.
Halfway through his flight, he noticed two streaks of light chasing each other. One was at the late stage of foundation building, while the other was at the false elixir realm. Their hurried movements suggested a conflict. Initially, Qi Yuan planned to ignore them, but as his spiritual sense swept over the scene, he recognized Ling Yuling among them. She was the one being pursued.
This outer sea was filled with dangers. Would the Twin Saints of the Star Palace really allow Ling Yuling to come here? Impossible.
"Mr. Ling, you have been poisoned by my fire charm. If you don't engage in dual cultivation with me soon, your foundation could be permanently damaged," a young woman in a colorful dress said with a smile. Her face was plain, but her figure was quite attractive.
Ling Yuling, with her striking features that blurred the line between masculine and feminine beauty, had a charming blush on her face. Her bright phoenix eyes flickered between clarity and an enchanting daze. Hearing the woman's words, she retorted coldly, "Fellow Daoist Yu, I am an external law enforcer of the Star Palace. You dare poison me? Are you not afraid of facing retribution later?"
The young woman hesitated for a moment, concern flashing in her eyes, but she quickly recovered, laughing lightly. "I only want to spend one night with Mr. Ling. I have no ill intentions. The Star Palace wouldn't issue a warrant for such a trivial matter, would they?"
As long as no one died, the Star Palace had no grounds to take serious action against her.
Ling Yuling grew more anxious. She slapped several escape talismans onto herself, increasing her speed. If she could just reach Silver Shark Island, she could call upon the stationed Star Palace disciples for help. Without the fire poison in her system, she would have easily overpowered her pursuer. She had initially chosen to avoid conflict, but as time passed, the poison spread deeper within her body.
The young woman, skilled in movement techniques, quickly discerned Ling Yuling's intentions and accelerated to close the distance. Ling Yuling felt her getting closer, and her mind, though clouded by the poison, raced to find a solution. She had talismans powerful enough to harm a Jindan cultivator, but using them could be fatal. The woman in the colorful dress sought pleasure, not death.
What should I do?
The fire poison flared within her, threatening to consume her foundation. Just then, a surge of mana erupted behind her.
A familiar voice rang out. "How dare you harm my friend? Get lost!"
That voice—was it Qi Yuan?
Ling Yuling halted abruptly and turned. Sure enough, she saw Qi Yuan standing there.
She had come to the outer sea under the guise of a mission, but in truth, more than half her reason was to seek out Qi Yuan. Ever since the Fire God Sect ruins, she had suspected that he had kissed her while treating her injuries. The thought had lingered in her mind long after she returned.
When she later visited Qi Yuan's cave, she saw him surrounded by a group of beautiful women. She had wanted to lash out then, but being bound by her outwardly male identity, she couldn't express her frustration openly. In the following years, she saw him less and less, yet found herself thinking about him more frequently.
Unable to bear it any longer, she sought information on his whereabouts. Learning that he had gone to Silver Shark Island, she took on a mission to follow. Unfortunately, she encountered the wrong person—a female cultivator drawn to her beauty. Deceived by sweet words, she let her guard down, only to be poisoned with the infamous fire charm toxin.
She had spent years in the Chaos Star Sea and had never encountered a female rogue cultivator attacking her in such a manner. Now, meeting Qi Yuan again, her mind grew hazy with conflicting emotions.
Qi Yuan slightly released his Jindan-stage aura, scaring off the woman in the colorful dress. He then flew to Ling Yuling's side. "Brother Ling, why did you come to the outer sea? Don't you know how dangerous it is here?"
Is he worried about me?
"Thank you, Brother Qi, for saving me. I came here on a mission for the Star Palace and had no choice," Ling Yuling replied, forcing herself to remain composed while using her magic power to suppress the fire poison.
She couldn't afford to show weakness.
After a brief pause, she added, "Brother Qi, can you take me back to Silver Shark Island?"
Qi Yuan studied Ling Yuling's delicate yet determined face before nodding. "Of course. Can you hold on?"
Ling Yuling gave a slight nod.
(End Of Chapter)