Chapter 198 : Mission Completed

Chapter 198: Mission Completed

Of course, it was not that those without a Flawless Foundation Establishment could not condense a First-Grade Golden Core, but the probability was truly too low. They would need to gather a massive amount of superior Earthly Sha Qi of the Five Elements, then exhaust immense time, energy, and resources to make up for their weak foundation and improve their Companion Beast’s Three Meridians aptitude.

Even so, the Golden Core condensed this way would most likely be of Second Grade, or even worse, a Third-Grade Golden Core.

‘Could it be that the orange-colored fortuitous encounter triggered by Nine-Breath Chaos was referring to this?’

Chen Beiwu’s heart skipped a beat. Ignoring the numerous spirit stones and miscellaneous items in his storage space, he directly took out a jade-bottle artifact and opened it.

Earthly Sha Qi of the Five Elements was a necessary material for cultivators to form their Golden Core. Its price was exorbitant, and it was divided into superior, medium, and inferior grades.

For example, the Metal Essence Qi needed for Golden Egg’s advancement into the Golden Dragon Carp was a type of metal Earthly Sha Qi. Its grade was superior, and its price could rival that of a Tribulation-Breaking Golden Core.

The medium-grade Earthly Sha Qi of the Five Elements came next and was the choice of most Foundation Establishment peak cultivators in the Immortal Alliance.

At present, the Immortal Alliance could already artificially synthesize this grade of Earthly Sha Qi of the Five Elements in large quantities.

Although the quality was inferior compared to those naturally birthed by heaven and earth, it was still adequate for use.

The worst was inferior-grade Earthly Sha Qi of the Five Elements, which practically no Immortal Alliance cultivator was willing to choose.

“Buzz!”

As the bottle cap was lifted, a wisp of Sha Qi resembling grayish dew, yet still when static like a date-stone-shaped soft pebble, came into Chen Beiwu’s sight.

‘This is water-attribute inferior Earthly Sha Qi—[Mysterious Bane Qi].’ Chen Beiwu frowned slightly, his interest waning.

Indeed, he had been overthinking.

In bounty missions issued by the Sect’s Mission Hall, a single wisp of superior Earthly Sha Qi of the Five Elements was worth at least twenty thousand contribution points.

Lin Xinru, a Foundation Establishment early-stage cultivator—if she had superior Earthly Sha Qi of the Five Elements in her possession, she would not have remained stuck at this realm.

‘Looks like this thing can only be sold in the sect’s cultivator trading market if I find a fated buyer.’ Chen Beiwu thought inwardly.

The Sect’s Mission Hall did accept inferior Earthly Sha Qi of the Five Elements, but the price was suppressed to the extreme—far less worthwhile than selling it privately.

Putting away the jade-bottle artifact, Chen Beiwu took out a map.

…

Black-Veil Sea Region, northern reef zone.

Azure-Tide Island, also known as Azure Island, was named so because within a hundred miles, the seawater contained sulfur jade ore, giving it a greenish hue.

Chen Beiwu’s destination this trip was precisely the Phosphor Pool located deep within Azure Island.

To mark territory and intimidate enemies, the Blue-Phosphor Fiend Beetles instinctively absorbed water-vein energy, then exhaled a poisonous turquoise mist laced with hallucinogenic toxins, indiscriminately corrupting the spiritual qi within their domain.

‘Gulu!’

Golden Egg marched ahead, circulating his power to drive away the surrounding turquoise miasma.

Chen Beiwu pushed his divine sense to the limit, closely following behind Golden Egg.

They searched the surrounding two miles of ancient trees until the surface of the Phosphor Pool came into view—its waters glimmering like liquid jade, bubbles rising from time to time. Only then did Chen Beiwu stop and prepare the Demon-Locking Silk Net to set a trap.

The Blue-Phosphor Fiend Beetle excelled in the Shell-Shedding Escape. Chen Beiwu needed to exploit this habit, setting the Demon-Locking Silk Net among the ancient trees a mile outside the Phosphor Pool, rather than directly on the pool’s surface.

This was because the Blue-Phosphor Fiend Beetle, though dwelling deep within the water-vein, had a natural talent not in water escape but in wood escape. Its innate spiritual art [Shell-Shedding Shadow Escape] allowed it to instantly shed its back shell and relocate to conceal itself within ancient trees two miles around.

The reason why sect Foundation Establishment cultivators could never keep hold of a Blue-Phosphor Fiend Beetle was due to this misunderstanding—mistaking its escape technique for water escape.

‘Gulu?’

Golden Egg turned to Chen Beiwu.

‘Don’t rush. Let me bait it with a little medicine first.’ Chen Beiwu retrieved from his storage pouch a handful of semi-transparent moss that looked like gelatin paper.

This was Phosphor-Moon Moss, not counted as a spiritual herb, but it was the Blue-Phosphor Fiend Beetle’s favorite food.

By using its proboscis to suck the moss, the beetle replenished unique minerals, enhancing the phosphor dust covering its shell.

‘Gulu?’ Golden Egg looked puzzled.

The Phosphor Pool’s surface already had remnants of moss floating, evidence that the beetle did not lack food.

How could Chen Beiwu be sure it would fall for the bait?

‘Simple—just add a little Immortal Alliance science and spice.’

Chen Beiwu chuckled, uncorked another jade bottle, and scattered white powder. The moment it touched the moss, it vanished.

‘Gulu?’ (What’s this—poison?) Golden Egg leaned in curiously.

‘Only an idiot would use poison. This is residue of a spiritual medicine, extremely nourishing for the Blue-Phosphor Fiend Beetle.’

Activating the Phantom Concealment Pendant to suppress his aura, Chen Beiwu casually walked to the Phosphor Pool, placed the moss inside, then walked back unhindered.

The sight left Golden Egg dumbfounded.

‘So easily startled.’ Chen Beiwu shook his head slightly.

When the beetle was in hibernation, its perception was extremely dull—it could not sense him at all.

On the contrary, if it were awake, its senses would be razor sharp. The moment he and Golden Egg stepped into the turquoise miasma, they would have been discovered.

The fact that it had not reacted proved it was asleep.

‘Time to go!’ Chen Beiwu activated the Gate of Ten Directions, teleporting himself and Golden Egg to Azure Island’s southern side, far from the Phosphor Pool.

…

As time passed, the moss Chen Beiwu left behind began to emit a strange fragrance.

Three hundred fathoms beneath the pool—

Two spirit insects suddenly opened their six pairs of compound eyes.

Their shells bore phosphor fire patterns, their whole bodies a semi-transparent jade-green.

They looked like cicadas, yet not cicadas. Each had a wingspan of three inches, their wings thin as silk, covered in honeycomb-like venomous needles sharp enough to pierce a Foundation Establishment cultivator’s protective force instantly.

They were precisely the Blue-Phosphor Fiend Beetles whose shells Chen Beiwu needed to capture for this mission.

Swish! Swish!

The two beetles shot out of the pool, drawn to the source of the strange fragrance.

“Chirp! Chirp!”

Eyeing the moss before them, the larger beetle hesitated slightly.

But the smaller one, unable to resist its hunger, extended its proboscis and began to feed.

After a while, seeing no harm, the larger beetle too could not help but start eating.

Chirp!

Chirp!

Once done, the smaller beetle grew excited, pouncing onto the male to mate.

Affected by the lure-weed residue, the male did not resist.

‘The timing should be just right.’ Chen Beiwu calculated inwardly.

Had he ambushed in the Phosphor Pool, the awakened beetles would have sensed him immediately and attacked, not foolishly eaten.

“Buzz!”

As golden light surged, Chen Beiwu activated the Gate of Ten Directions. His eyes instantly caught sight of the two beetles entwined together.

Seizing the opportunity, Golden Egg urged his Gilded Body, charging without hesitation. His dragon’s-tail strike landed heavily on the pair of beetles.

Boom!

Realizing the might of this attack, the beetles were alarmed.

Busy with mating, they had no time to coordinate their illusions. In panic, they instinctively cast [Shell-Shedding Shadow Escape].

In the next instant, their back shells burst open, sending countless indistinguishable jade-green shadows darting into the Phosphor Pool.

‘Done.’

Chen Beiwu did not even glance at the pool. Instead, he urged Wave-Stepping through the Tide, rushing with Golden Egg toward the one ancient tree within two miles of the pool (all others had been destroyed by Golden Egg).

Sure enough—two Blue-Phosphor Fiend Beetles were tightly ensnared by the Demon-Locking Silk Net.

No matter how desperately they struggled, they could not break free.