Chapter 491 - 214: Stone Lion
After a round of cultivating the Five Elements True Astral, Chen Qing was lost in thought.
’At this rate, even if I take a Quenching Gang Pill every day, it will still take at least six months to break through to the Mid-stage Astral Force.’
’Ever since the Five True Astral fused, my Cultivation progress has slowed down considerably.’
’But if I could switch to High-quality Quenching Gang Pills, I could shorten that time to four months.’
’The only problem is that High-quality Quenching Gang Pills cost a steep fifteen Contribution Points each, which is no small sum.’
Not only that, but Chen Qing also planned to learn another Superior Spear Skill, and the Contribution Points required for the Unparalleled Spear Skill, *Hundred Blows of the Prairie Fire*, were even more staggering.
His monthly stipend of one hundred Contribution Points was just a drop in the bucket for these expenses.
The Contribution Points from climbing the tower weren’t much either, unless he could reach the thirtieth layer in one go.
After a moment of contemplation, Chen Qing stood up, left his small courtyard, and walked straight to Wanxiang Hall.
As always, Wanxiang Hall was bustling with activity and echoing with the clamor of voices.
Many disciples were gathered in front of the mission board, either studying it intently or conversing in low voices.
Chen Qing walked over, his eyes scanning the various mission postings, searching for one that suited him and offered a substantial reward.
Soon, a series of consecutive missions caught his eye.
These missions mostly required the collection of specific Ores, Exotic Beast Materials, or the search for certain Treasure Medicines. The origin of all these materials pointed to the same place—Luoxing Slope.
Luoxing Slope was as infamous as the Ten Thousand Poison Swamp, both being among the six great forbidden lands of the Three Paths.
To ordinary people, it was a death trap—a place overrun by Exotic Beasts, with a harsh environment and chaotic energies.
But for this very reason, the rarely-trodden Luoxing Slope nurtured countless Heavenly and Earthly Treasures that were difficult to find anywhere else.
It was said that its core region was perpetually bombarded by Meteors, creating countless enormous craters filled with chaotic Star Power. At night, strange, shimmering lights could often be seen.
Rumor had it that not only did the area produce precious Meteorite Iron Essence, but it was also home to many powerful Exotic Beasts.
One creature in particular, an Exotic Beast called the Stone Lion, perennially swallowed Meteorite Fragments. The undigested material would fuse with its body, making its bones and hide harder than Fine Steel.
The Meteorite Fragments inside its body were exceptional materials for forging a Divine Weapon, with a single fragment worth three hundred Contribution Points.
However, these Stone Lions were extremely formidable; even Inner Sect Disciples usually had to form teams to hunt them.
Furthermore, the Essence Blood of an Exotic Beast was a valuable ingredient for refining High-tier Elixirs.
What’s more, there were Golden Feathered Eagle nests near Luoxing Slope. If one was lucky enough to find a Golden Feathered Eagle Egg, it could be directly exchanged for five hundred Contribution Points!
Luoxing Slope was located over five hundred li west of Celestial Treasure City. At Chen Qing’s pace, he could reach it in just over half a day.
’This seems like a good choice. It’ll be a perfect opportunity to test the power of my Five Elements True Astral,’ Chen Qing thought to himself.
Practicing in the Celestial Treasure Tower always gave him the unsettling feeling of being spied on by unseen eyes.
He memorized the specific requirements for the Luoxing Slope materials from the mission board, then went to the miscellaneous records area in the Ten Thousand Laws Tower. There, he consulted several scrolls on Luoxing Slope’s terrain, as well as the types and traits of its Exotic Beasts, ensuring he was well-prepared.
Back in his courtyard, Chen Qing packed a few things, changed into black Martial Attire for ease of movement, and threw a wide, dark gray cloak over it. He carefully wrapped his Cloud-Coiling Spear in a cloth sheath, slung it over his back, and quietly left Xu Wang Mountain.
.....
At almost the exact same moment, Liu Wu received news from his informant that Chen Qing had left the mountain alone.
He stood by the window, his expression complex as he stared in the direction Chen Qing had disappeared.
Ruan Hongjin said in a low voice, "Brother Liu, Chen Qing is out alone. This is our chance! Should we send someone to follow him, find out where he’s going, and maybe—"
"No need."
Liu Wu cut him off. "Chen Qing cleared the twenty-sixth layer; his combat power is already at the Mid-stage Astral Force. The risk is too great. It would be too easy to alert him. If he notices us, he’ll just become more vigilant, and it’ll be even harder to find an opening in the future."
"Besides, the competition on Xu Wang Mountain is fierce right now. People like Wu Anren and He Shuang are already approaching the thirtieth layer, and even Shang Lujing and Luo Qianjue are making their moves. If we don’t improve our strength quickly, forget about causing trouble for Chen Qing—we’ll have a hard time just keeping our footing on this mountain."
Chen Qing’s rate of progress was indeed a threat to him, but it also made him realize more clearly what was most important at this stage.
"All grudges can be set aside for now."
Liu Wu took a deep breath. "The most urgent task is to improve my own Cultivation! Only strength is fundamental. When I break through to the Late-stage Astral Force, or even stronger, then the initiative will truly be in my hands."
A shiver went down Ruan Hongjin’s spine. "Yes! You are wise, Brother Liu!"
....
Chen Qing sped westward like a bolt of lightning.
Half a day later, a desolate and bizarre landscape gradually came into view.
In the distance, the earth looked as if it had been torn apart by a tremendous force, riddled with deep craters and ravines. The exposed rock had a dark, scorched color, and a strange, metallic scent hung in the air.
Vegetation was sparse and strangely shaped, mostly consisting of tough, drought-resistant thorny plants whose leaves often had an unnatural metallic sheen.
This was the outer region of Luoxing Slope.
Chen Qing slowed his pace and proceeded cautiously deeper into the area.
The periphery was a rolling, rugged forest of stone, with bizarre rock formations jutting out. They were heavily weathered, and the area was filled with steep cliffs and bottomless fissures.
Occasionally, the clear cry of a bird could be heard from high above. Looking up, he could spot one or two Golden Feathered Eagles circling in the hazy gray sky.
He also saw a few other figures in the distance, but everyone kept a wide berth, not disturbing one another.
Lightening his body with his energy, Chen Qing moved like a phantom through the stone forest, making his way toward an area rumored to contain Blazing Fire Ore.