madnovel Chapter 8 The Miraculous Treasure of Heaven and Earth: Golden Fiery Heart Ore
Chapter 8 The Miraculous Treasure of Heaven and Earth: Golden Fiery Heart Ore
Li Chijing was mesmerized by what he saw.
The father's methods became increasingly effortless. The seemingly weak crimson-gold fire line contained extremely pure and intense [Xuanhuang Pass] true fire, which had a strong effect of suppressing and purifying the turbid evil energy.
The wonder of the new method lies in the subtle manipulation of power and the suppression of the essence of alien energy, which is far superior to the old method where demons rely on instinct to inhale and exhale evil energy.
"Clean up the battlefield, inspect the rocky forest, and focus on investigating the source of the moisture."
Li Xiaoyao gave the order, and everyone acted swiftly.
Soon, a small underground seepage pit was discovered deep within the rocky forest. The water was murky and rusty, and the acrid smell of metal was heavy and pungent.
The drug addict stepped forward to test it, frowning as he said:
"It is indeed a water source, but it is mixed with malevolent energy and poison. Ordinary people will collapse upon contact with it, and even cultivators will suffer damage to their foundation if they drink it for a long time. It requires a lot of spiritual power or medicine to purify it."
"It can be used as a short-term emergency measure, but it is not a long-term solution."
"Mark this location as one of the backup water sources."
Li Xiaoyao noted it down, then looked at the remains of the Filthy Sound Bat:
"These demonic wing membranes can be used to make low-level talismans or linings for magical artifacts, and their fangs can be ground into medicine or used to refine poisons. Even mosquito legs are meat if you collect them."
The group continued eastward. Over the next few hours, they encountered several more attacks from small monsters: "Iron Wire Scorpions" that lurked in the sand and spewed venomous stingers; "Stone-Toothed Rats" that moved in packs and gnawed at rocks; and "Stuck Moss," a giant moss-like plant that could release slow-release spores.
With Li Mutian's almost precognitive divine warnings, the team was always able to prepare in advance, either to avoid or to fight.
With Li Xiaoyao's skillful command and the cooperation of four experienced rogue cultivators and his increasingly tacit clansmen, they all weathered the storm without serious incident.
They even collected samples of several thorny shrubs and inferior ores that were unique to this world and contained a faint fire and metal spiritual power.
Liu Gu's tracking mouse pointed to several faint spiritual energy points, mostly the ends of barren and scattered spiritual vein tributaries or small mineral outcrops, of limited value, but Li Tongya meticulously marked them all on the terrain map.
The sun was high in the sky, and the heat intensified. The group rested in the shade of a large, sheltered rock, drinking water and catching their breath.
"Second Uncle, we have advanced about twenty-five li to the east."
"Water resources are still scarce. Although some spiritual vein nodes have been discovered, they are all of poor quality and cannot support the long-term operation of the spirit-gathering formation."
Li Tongya summarized the information, his tone slightly grave:
"Moreover, the further east you go, the purer and more intense this 'turbid evil' energy seems to become, and the more obvious its suppression of cultivators who are not of the fire or metal element becomes."
Li Xiaoyao closed his eyes and sensed for a moment, then nodded. He possessed four spiritual roots, making him particularly sensitive to changes in spiritual energy attributes.
"Indeed, there is a stronger source of malevolent energy in the East."
"However, fortune and misfortune are intertwined. The more extreme the environment, the more likely it is to give birth to special spiritual objects or mineral deposits. What do you think, brother?"
Since he began resting, Li Mutian had been gazing eastward at the low-lying area shrouded in a pale yellowish-brown mist. Upon hearing this, he turned his gaze away, a knowing glint in his eyes:
"Over there, the evil energy of the earth veins has gathered, and although the spiritual energy is mixed and chaotic, there must be something unusual at the core."
"Moreover... there's a lingering scent of both fresh and old blood, which isn't a recent occurrence. Let's go take a look. Everyone, be on your guard; this place is likely not simple."
The team set off again, heading straight for the foggy eastern region. The closer they got, the harsher the environment became.
The ground cracked more, scorching heat rose from the earth, and pale yellowish-brown miasma permeated the air, making it difficult to even probe with one's divine sense.
"It is the 'Golden Fire Earthly Fiend Miasma,' mixed with the aura of decaying corpses."
The old drug dealer's expression turned grave as he distributed more antidote powder and masks.
"This miasma not only poisons the physical body, but prolonged exposure can also erode the mind. You must protect your mouth, nose and spirit."
The team cautiously stepped into the foggy area. The soil beneath their feet became wet, soft, and sticky, with murky bubbles rising from the dark red mud from time to time.
Scattered all around were many strangely shaped, hole-filled dark rocks, as if they had been corroded by something.
They hadn't gone more than a hundred paces when Scarface and Ironbow, the outposts, simultaneously gave extremely alert hand signals and crouched low.
Looking through the thinning fog, the group saw a relatively open depression ahead, the sight of which sent chills down their spines.
A devastated ancient battlefield.
More than ten corpses of various shapes lay scattered about, long since decayed, with most reduced to bones and fragments of armor and clothing.
Judging from the style of those armors and weapons and the remaining patterns, they are definitely not from the Qingxiao Immortal Sect.
Ancient, wild, and rugged, it carries a strong "old law" aura, as if it belongs to a monk or warrior from a lost era.
More often, however, were the skeletons of all sorts of bizarre and grotesque monsters.
Some bones were dark golden in color and as hard as iron; others were twisted and deformed, as if crushed by a great force; and still others were surrounded by a faint gray-black evil aura.
The entire battlefield was filled with a deathly silence, a tragic atmosphere, and an eerie feeling.
In some places, the soil appears an abnormal dark reddish-black, as if it has been soaked in years of bloodstains.
However, in the very center of this land of death, a strange creation captivated everyone's attention.
It is not a plant, but a mineral crystal aggregate naturally nurtured by the earth!
Standing about three feet tall, its main body is composed of countless dark gold, angular, and metallic-lustered sharp crystal clusters, layered upon each other, like a blooming metallic flower.
At the very core of the crystal cluster, a strange mineral core, about the size of a fist, crystal clear, with liquid flames and molten gold slowly flowing and merging inside, is being nurtured!
Strands of incredibly pure yet violently malevolent spiritual energy, composed of both metal and fire attributes, were being forcibly extracted and gathered from several tiny cracks beneath the battlefield, continuously being injected into the mineral core.
As spiritual energy was injected, the mineral core pulsated slowly, each pulsation emitting a ring of intense, sharp heat that was barely perceptible to the naked eye, yet caused the surrounding air to distort slightly.
A pure, primordial, and powerful aura, as if forged by the heavens and earth themselves, spread out!
"This...this is?!"
Li Xiaoyao trembled violently, his pupils contracted sharply, and he stared intently at the cluster of crystal cores, his voice trembling with extreme shock and ecstasy:
"Golden Fiery Core Ore?! A rare treasure born from heaven and earth, possessing both gold and fire attributes! A foundation-building treasure mentioned only briefly in ancient texts!"
"The method of Foundation Establishment requires a rare and precious object from heaven and earth that resonates with one's own nature to forge an immortal foundation... This object, this object is precisely the foundation-building treasure that cultivators with metal and fire attributes have always dreamed of!"
"It is far more pure and powerful than that compromised and ambiguously effective 'Foundation Building Pill'!"
He abruptly turned to look at Li Mutian, his eyes flashing with an unprecedentedly intense light:
"Big brother! This! This is..."
Li Mutian could no longer contain his joyful smile. He nodded emphatically, his voice booming with unmistakable excitement and determination, echoing across the misty battlefield.
"Second Brother! You've obtained your Foundation Establishment Treasure!!! This is the 'Golden Fiery Heart Ore,' a supreme treasure of gold and fire born from heaven and earth! It's perfect for helping you first cultivate a fire-attribute immortal foundation, laying the most solid groundwork!"