Chapter 705 - 556: The Second Magical Treasure
The valley was deep and lush with vegetation, and Ji An lowered his altitude, his gaze becoming inadvertently reserved.
Aside from the sound of wind rustling through the leaves, he felt no signs of animal existence, not even a chirp from insects or a single sight of a flying bird.
He flew deeper along the valley, discovering that the situation remained the same, prompting him to ponder the cause behind it all.
Just then, he glimpsed two cultivators flying over from a distance, circling over the valley, seemingly searching for something.
He stimulated his magical power, and the bright glow of the crimson auspicious cloud intensified slightly, trailing a long flame tail as he sped along.
In no time, he arrived near the two individuals.
A man and a woman, both tense, were staring at him while piloting a flying shuttle.
The male cultivator cupped his hands, forcing a smile, and said:
"Senior, may I ask what instructions you might have?"
In the wild, unfamiliar cultivators would try to stay away from each other to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings.
When the other party flew towards them, he and his Dao companion intended to avoid it, but the other party’s speed was far beyond the flying shuttle’s maximum capability, leaving them no time to evade.
They dared not flee further, choosing to wait in place.
Ji An nodded slightly, his smile gentle:
"No need to be nervous. I have some questions. Just answer them truthfully. What brings you here?"
The couple, merely at a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation, were intimidated by his imposing presence.
"Reporting to Senior, we are here to collect herbs.
There is a special spirit plant in Thunder Valley called Thunder-Attracting Grass, which contains a trace of Thunder Power, serving as an excellent medicinal primer.
We come here regularly to gather herbs."
"I noticed that apart from vegetation, other living creatures in this valley are extinct. What caused this phenomenon? Do you know?
Additionally, are you affected?"
"Reporting to Senior, during the occurrence of celestial thunder, a unique field forms within the valley, causing destructive impact on low-tier creatures.
The spiritual vein in Thunder Valley is of Tier Two Lower Grade, incapable of nurturing particularly powerful demon beasts or demon insects.
Low-tier creatures cannot survive, while high-tier creatures lack food to sustain life, gradually leading to the extinction of flesh-and-blood living beings.
As for the two of us, we face no issues if we avoid entering during thunderstorms."
The two cultivators sighed slightly in relief, realizing they had encountered a high-tier cultivator from another region.
Ji An nodded slightly, finding the explanation reasonable. He then asked:
"Is there a fixed time for thunderstorms?"
"Most of the time, they occur at noon, occasionally in the afternoon, and mornings are the safest. I have not observed any morning thunderstorms."
Ji An raised a question:
"If mornings are the safest, why don’t you collect Thunder-Attracting Grass then?"
The male cultivator explained:
"The vegetation here is dense, and the spirit of Thunder-Attracting Grass is restrained, making it difficult to locate as it grows amidst dense grass.
However, after a thunderstorm, the spirit of the grass becomes active temporarily, making herbal collection much easier.
One only needs to slow down the flight and expand the Divine Sense, greatly enhancing the search efficiency."
He spoke frankly, fearing to offend the other party.
Ji An took out a Middle-grade Spirit Stone and tossed it over, "Thank you for your answers. Here is a reward for you."
Having said that, he rode the cloud away, flying towards the highest point of Nu Feng Mountain.
He had acquired the information he sought, knowing exactly what he should do next.
The male cultivator, grinning broadly, caught the Spirit Stone, "Thank you for the senior’s reward."
...
Ji An quickly scouted the area, finding a suitable location to establish a grotto mansion.
This was a cliff, from which one could oversee most of Thunder Valley.
He released the Golden Feathered Eagle from the Spirit Beast Bag, a demon beast at the Fourth Transformation of Chao Origin, emitting a crisp screech reminiscent of a snowstorm’s howl.
"Patrol the vicinity, and notify me immediately if any creature approaches."
Ji An instructed, aware that the spiritual vein here wasn’t high, only capable of nurturing demon beasts up to the Chao Origin Stage.
However, in the wild, unexpected situations were always possible, and caution was never unnecessary.
The Golden Feathered Eagle screeched once more, its golden crest spread like a woodpecker.
Elegantly flapping its wings, it hovered in the sky, its sharp gaze surveying the ground.
Ji An established a simple grotto mansion and arranged a sealing array.
Aiming to refine his Top-Grade Spiritual Artifact into a magical treasure using celestial thunder was a long-term undertaking, for which he had prepared for prolonged effort.
It might take years, but if successful, refining it into a magical treasure was worthwhile.
Refined within the Earth-Departing Flame Banner was the Phoenix Stone, which could gradually recover even if damaged by Thunderbolts.
The Wood Element Spiritual Artifact inherently possesses recovery properties, unless subjected to a destruction-level impact, it can be restored by refining other Spirit Wood.
...
In the following days, Ji An observed Thunder Valley’s conditions, verifying the cultivator’s previous statement.
When the dark clouds once again engulfed the valley, he resolutely rode the cloud into it.
The Earth-Departing Flame Banner was summoned, its Fire Element Spiritual Energy transforming into a phoenix bird form that circled its master.
It bore four tail feathers in red, yellow, blue, and white colors, which represented the various forms of flames.
The red, yellow, and blue shone vividly and fiercely, while the white was somewhat dim, only becoming dazzling once the Earth-Departing Flame Banner transmuted into a magical treasure.
The high-pitched cry of the phoenix pierced through the clouds, reaching the celestial vault beyond, filled with arrogance and intensity, matching the Fire Element’s mental realm.
The dark clouds grew thicker, darkening the entire sky as if it were dusk.
Ji An swiftly flew, reaching a deep pit nearby, suspected to contain a metal ore vein, making it particularly "thunder-attractive" and frequently struck by lightning.