Behind Low Mountain, within a hollow.
Watching the giant white-scaled serpent over twenty meters in length, as thick as a water tank, Chen Mu was left with a lingering fear.
“That was close.”
“So close to letting this creature escape!”
If it had actually taken the White Jade Plate, he would’ve regretted it so much he might have torn his own hair out!
Chen Mu immediately commanded the Five Ghosts Yin Spirit to enter the belly of the exotic beast, rapidly locating the Jade Plate.
Then, enveloped in black smoke, the Five Ghosts “Dishwasher” came online. With repeated infiltration and teleportation, they cleaned off the serpent’s stomach acid that had adhered to the plate.
“Thankfully…” Chen Mu gripped the Jade Plate and let out a sigh of relief.
Without time to examine it closely, he quickly put away the White Jade Plate.
The commotion just now wasn’t small; he needed to quickly handle the chaos at the hollow’s site.
The ghosts once again entered the body of the exotic serpent beast.
“Five Ghosts Moving Mountain.”
The entire serpent rapidly deflated, as though it were a section of hose that had run out of water.
Chen Mu rolled it up from head to tail in a few swift movements.
He then went to the large hole where the white-scaled serpent had emerged and controlled the Five Ghosts to continue digging downward for over ten meters. They then veered away multiple times as if the serpent had fled underground.
Finally, the Five Ghosts turned into a solid form and stirred the messy pile of stones in the small hollow even more to destroy as much evidence as possible of the battle.
After quickly returning to the courtyard at Low Mountain, he proceeded to tidy up the area.
Not long after he finished, Old Hao had already appeared over the ridge.
…
“A big guy came here?!” Old Hao exclaimed in surprise at the chaotic courtyard.
“It was a greedy snake, as thick as a water bucket,” Chen Mu complained with a pained expression. “I just bought three antler black sheep legs, and it swallowed them all.”
“Not only was its hide thick and flesh tough, but it also knew how to burrow.”
“I put in a lot of effort, but in the end, it still escaped,” Chen Mu said with an annoyed face.
“Such a large snake, that could have been worth quite a bit of money,” Old Hao lamented in sympathy. “If only I had come a bit earlier.”
If you had come earlier, maybe you would have been the one it swallowed!
Chen Mu dissed inwardly.
That the Five Ghosts Moving Mountain couldn’t penetrate its armor in such a short time indicated that the serpent’s defenses were on par with Perceptive Spiritual Light.
Old Hao wouldn’t be enough to withstand even a single tail slap from the white-scaled serpent!
If it weren’t for the breakthrough of the Sand Containing Technique and the newly acquired Sand Shooting Shadow ability, who knows how much effort it would have taken to breach the serpent’s scale armor.
“Should we report this to the Inspection Courtyard?” Chen Mu pretended to be clueless as he asked nonchalantly.
“If you think you have too much White Jade Money weighing you down, you can give it to me,” Old Hao rolled his eyes.
“If you really bring in the Inspection Courtyard, after they go through the trouble of investigating for you, aren’t you obliged to give them a tip?”
“It’s just an exotic snake beast, and it only ate three of your sheep legs. Why bother with the Inspection Courtyard?”
Old Hao took a puff from his smoking pipe, utterly dismissive.
No need to report?
That suits me just fine!
With a look of enlightenment, Chen Mu hesitated for a moment before asking again, feigning ignorance, “The noise earlier was not insignificant, if the Inspection Courtyard comes to investigate, would we have to give them some kind of gratuity?”
“In these wild outskirts, within a radius of ten miles, it’s just the two of us. If you don’t report it, and I don’t spread the word, who would know?” Old Hao rolled his eyes.
“Old Hao is right!” Chen Mu scratched his head and chuckled naively.
This was for the best! Chen Mu breathed a sigh of relief.
After all, that serpent was somewhat out of the ordinary.
…
Three days later, in the courtyard at Low Mountain.
The walls to the east and west had been repaired by him.
He didn’t have construction skills, nor did he know how to build walls.
So he had no choice but to dig out boulders from the mountain, cut them into thick slabs, and fit them into the ground to serve as walls.
Now, he squatted beside the small furrows on the west side of the courtyard, looking regretfully at a dozen nightshade plants about knee-high.
That night, when he was thrown through the air, the nightshade plants had been knocked over as well.
Even though he had carefully righted and tended to them, seven or eight had still died.
“Better that snake’s skin be worth something, otherwise it’s a big loss!”
Using his Third Rank planting ability, Chen Mu carefully inspected each tube of night grass before returning to his wooden shelter to cultivate with the White Jade Plate in his arms.
Chen Mu surmised that the white-scaled serpent must have been attracted by the Earth Spirit Vital Energy emitted by the Jade Plate.
Now, he dared not place the White Jade Plate just anywhere.
What if, instead of a burrowing thief, a flying one were to come?
…
Accompanying the low, chant-like Curse Commands, a cool tingling sensation spread from his eyes.
The Jade Seed had swollen to the size of a quail egg, its pattern of starry dots and thread-like lines becoming increasingly intricate and clear.
And within its center, a space was gradually taking shape.
When he carefully observed the Jade Seed, concepts like hardness, stability, sealing, and permanence would involuntarily emerge in his mind.
“At the Perceptive Spiritual Light Stage, it is likely utilizing Earth Spirit Vital Energy to deeply transform one’s Soul Strength,”
“Transforming the Jade Seed, cultivating an indestructible spherical space,” Chen Mu realized with clarity.
The Spiritual Light seemed more like an auxiliary ability.
Discover hidden stories at empire
Similar to the black smoke formed through the cultivation of the Spirit Armor Technique.
“It’s for storing Earth Spirit Vital Energy!” Reflecting on the Cloud Mirage Spirit Armor Technique’s cultivation process, Chen Mu suddenly understood.
The Cloud Mirage Spirit Armor Technique transformed the body.
Whereas the Hundred Intentions Spirit Light Technique was about creating a Jade Seed space.
“Is this the so-called Purple Mansion Mud Pill?” Chen Mu couldn’t help but be astonished.
He wondered who had created such a Secret Technique, allowing mere mortals of flesh and blood to absorb Earth Spirit Vital Energy and gradually undergo transformation.
“Earth Spirit Vital Energy is the key,” Chen Mu realized.
“No wonder Director Song from the Scripture Transmission Institute does not recommend extensively practicing Jade Seed Secret Techniques.”
Because the Jade Seed Secret Techniques are just a simplified version of the real Secret Techniques.
Just like the advanced Sand Containing Technique.
The Sand Shooting Shadow could instantly break through the tough scale armor of the white-scaled serpent with its immense power.
But without the Earth Spirit Vital Energy absorbed into the body by the Spirit Armor Technique, he would not be able to execute it.
“I must protect the White Jade Plate at all costs!” Chen Mu’s heart skipped a beat.
He now realized that his future cultivation would almost all revolve around Earth Spirit Vital Energy.
The White Jade Plate was like a movable Daoist sanctuary, akin to a fuel station that follows the vehicle.
A treasure!
A great treasure!
“No wonder the Inspection Courtyard took great efforts to investigate Dong Cheng’s death,” Chen Mu tensed up.
Now he was one hundred percent certain that there were definitely people in the Inspection Courtyard still searching for the White Jade Plate!
“What if they detect it?” Chen Mu worried.
The white-scaled serpent had found its way here by following the scent of Earth Spirit Vital Energy.
Then certainly other Exotic Beasts or Magic Artifacts might also be able to locate places rich in Earth Spirit Vital Energy.
“The arrival of the white-scaled serpent was indeed timely!” Chen Mu couldn’t help breaking out in a cold sweat.
His previous careless use of the White Jade Plate was akin to being a glaring beacon.
“I can’t use this thing for the time being…” Chen Mu gave a wry smile.
He had to find a way to block Earth Spirit Vital Energy.
…
Two days later, Chen Mu left the Scripture Transmission Institute, disappointed for not finding the information he wanted.
“I suppose it’s to be expected,” Chen Mu shook his head.
The eight-sided wooden tower of the Scripture Transmission Institute had three floors.
The first floor corresponded to Jade Seed Integration, the second to Perceptive Spiritual Light, and the third to Perceptive Illusion Breaking.
Some were dedicated to the main cultivation of Secret Techniques, while others were used to apply Secret Techniques, also storing a vast assortment of books related to planting, taming, and other resource production.
However, there was a lack of materials related to concocting Elixirs and crafting Magic Artifacts.
Blocking Earth Spirit Vital Energy was most likely related to crafting Magic Artifacts.
“Such secret knowledge is probably only in the hands of Director Song Wujie,” Chen Mu sighed.
As a mere junior worker of the external courtyard, he had no way to get in touch with Director Song.
“Guess I’ll have to make some inquiries on the Ling Boat.”