Chapter 35: The Toad in the Water
"Senior Brother, I forgot to bring mine."
Li ng looked at the Junior Sister beside him, montarily speechless. He had no way of knowing if she was truly an Outer Disciple of the Joyous Union Sect or not. However, she clearly harbored no ill will toward him; when she had attacked earlier, he hadn't sensed even a flicker of killing intent.
Li ng reached out and ruffled the little Junior Sister's head. "Alright then. Tell , where do we need to go?"
Qi Wei's eyes curved into crescents. This little old Senior Brother really wasn't afraid of her constitution. Despite the head-pat, Qi Wei decided she could find it in her heart to forgive him. She wrapped her arms around Li ng’s arm.
[ 30 Affection] [ 150 Sub-profession XP]
"No rush, Senior Brother. You're looking for the spirit plants needed to refine the Dustfall Pill, right? I know where there's so Mystic Emperor Grass."
A flicker of surprise passed through Li ng's eyes. "Junior Sister, how do you know I'm looking for Mystic Emperor Grass?"
Qi Wei pursed her lips into a smile. "That’s a secret! Senior Brother, over there!" She extended a small finger, pointing toward the front left. Li ng ford a single-handed seal, and his flying sword carried them swiftly away.
The next day, in the afternoon.
On a relatively low mountain peak, two figures, one large and one small, descended from the sky.
"Senior Brother, look over there! I didn't lie to you!"
At the mountain's summit stood a large tree. Growing upon it were over ten stalks of Mystic Emperor Grass, shimring with a golden light. Although this mountain was short, its spiritual energy was far denser than that of the surrounding peaks. It was undoubtedly the grass he sought.
Li ng stepped forward and waved his hand. The Mystic Emperor Grass on the tree snapped cleanly at the roots and flew toward him.
"ROAR!"
Just as the grass was about to be tucked into Li ng's storage pouch, a trendous roar erupted from beyond the cliff face. A massive column of water exploded from the surface of the lake below. An enormous toad leaped from the depths, vaulting onto the hundred-ter peak.
BOOM!
The colossal toad demon beast landed heavily, kicking up a shockwave. Its gaping maw opened wide, and a long, sticky tongue shot toward Li ng. Just as it was about to strike, Li ng transford into a streak of golden light and burrowed into the earth. An instant later, he reappeared beside Qi Wei.
"Junior Sister, let's go!"
Li ng grabbed her small hand. Pulling her along, he soared into the air and flew swiftly away on his sword.
Seeing its prey escape, the toad demon beast pushed off with its powerful legs. Its massive body shot forward like a loosed arrow, pouncing toward the fleeing pair. Li ng ford a seal with his free hand, and a golden talisman flew from his pouch to attach itself to the flying sword. Their speed increased severalfold, and in the blink of an eye, they vanished beyond the horizon.
The toad’s pounce t only empty air. Its enormous body plumted into the water with a loud BOOM, sending up another towering column of water. As ripples spread across the lake, the huge toad head erged, its golden pupils staring in the direction where they had disappeared.
"CROAK!"
Elsewhere, above the mist-shrouded peaks, the two stood upon a single flying sword.
"Senior Brother, why did we run? It was just a second-grade demon beast!" Qi Wei pouted, looking dissatisfied. What was the point of bringing him all this way if they were just going to flee?
Li ng looked down at her with an amused smile. "Junior Sister, you took to find those spirit plants because you wanted to test my strength, didn't you?"
Qi Wei lowered her head and tugged at his sleeve. "Senior Brother... the place I need to go is very dangerous. If you're too weak... I won't be able to protect you!"
Her aning was clear. If her helper beca a burden, it would only lead to trouble.
Li ng reached out and flicked her forehead lightly. "Junior Sister, if you don't trust your Senior Brother's abilities, why co looking for in the first place?"
Qi Wei pouted again, rubbing her forehead. "You're literally the only person I know here! A drowning man will clutch at straws!"
Li ng chuckled and ford another seal. A brilliant golden talisman flew from his pouch, circled them once, and settled onto Qi Wei's back.
"For you, Junior Sister."
His Junior Sister possessed a Lunar Body; achieving breakthroughs was inherently difficult for her. Cultivating a technique like the Plain Girl Reincarnation Art, which involved dispersing and re-cultivating her base, was likely an attempt to force a breakthrough. A second-grade Divine Firmant Spirit Gathering Talisman would accelerate that process perfectly.
"Senior Brother... what is this...?"
Qi Wei could feel the spiritual energy of Heaven and Earth gathering around her. Her cultivation art automatically began to circulate.
A second-grade Divine Firmant Spirit Gathering Talisman?
Qi Wei stared blankly at him. That was a Divine Firmant Talisman! Even a ninth-grade Talisman Master would find it nearly impossible to inscribe one. If news of this got out, it would cause an uproar across the entire Tianlan Continent.
She tugged urgently at his sleeve. "Senior Brother! A Divine Firmant Talisman must not appear in Tianlan Continent!"
Li ng narrowed his eyes and patted her head again. "Junior Sister... no one else will ever obtain a Divine Firmant Talisman from your Senior Brother."
This Junior Sister clearly had serious backing. Now was the ti to secure that connection. Trash had no right to latch onto powerful patrons; using a Divine Firmant Talisman as an opening gambit was more than appropriate.
Qi Wei's eyes curved into crescents once more. Fine... she'd forgive the presumptuous head-patting just this once.
"Senior Brother... let's go to Fla Domain Ridge next! To find Blood Fla Flowers and Blazing Sun Flowers!"
"Alright."
The sword veered away, and they vanished beyond the horizon.
Seven days later. Fla Domain Ridge.
The land beneath them no longer looked like an ink-wash painting. Instead, it was a landscape of barren earth and rolling volcanic mountains.
"Senior Brother... you really are soone who plucks feathers from passing geese!" Qi Wei laughed, covering her mouth. Her Senior Brother was too much. A journey that should have taken three days had stretched to seven because he had swept clean every spirit plant in their vicinity. He hadn't even spared those barely a hundred years old.
Li ng chuckled heartily. "This Senior Brother is an Alchemist. Even mosquitoes have at on them; we can't let anything go to waste."
Qi Wei hugged his arm tighter and leaned forward, peering at the vast landscape. "Senior Brother... head for that largest volcano over there. I rember there being Blood Fla Flowers and Blazing Sun Flowers near it."
Li ng looked toward the horizon. The volcano was colossal, its form visible from miles away. "Junior Sister... are you very familiar with the Scarlet Forbidden Ground?"
Qi Wei shook her little head. "Nope! This is my first ti here, too! But I have a map my master gave ."
A map? Understanding dawned on Li ng. As for who her master was, he didn't ask. As long as he maintained this relationship, he would eventually gain access to that powerful backer.
Two days later. Fla Mountain.
At its base lay an area covered in red, coral-like formations where accumulated lava had ford a molten lake. Fire-attribute spiritual energy allowed unique plants to thrive here. The two descended to the shore of the fiery lake.
"Senior Brother... these fire corals are also spirit plants, right?"
Li ng swept his gaze across the dense clusters before replying: "Only fire corals over ten thousand years old hold any real value; the oldest of these barely reaches four thousand."
"But then why did we stop here, Senior Brother?"
If the fire corals were worthless, why bother landing?
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