Chapter 251: Chapter 216: Tier 2 High-Grade Flood Dragon Transformation Grass, Thoughts on the Return Journey

Just as the Jade Water Spirit Snake thought Lu Zhao was about to flee deeper into the Poisonous Forest, a dark gold figure, accompanied by three other iron-black figures, appeared on its escape path, sealing off its final chance of survival!

These were none other than the "Strong Demon Ape Corpse Puppet" and three "Strong Iron Ape Corpse Puppets" under Lu Zhao’s control!

The moment the four Puppets appeared, their auras instantly linked and merged. The immense Corpse Evil twisted into a single force, transforming into a supremely condensed, dark gold torrent of destruction that let out a shriek as it tore through the air, fiercely blasting toward the oncoming Jade Water Spirit Snake!

"HISS!"

The unstoppable Spirit Light reflected in the Jade Water Spirit Snake’s jade eyes, and its desperate hiss came to an abrupt halt! It was already grievously wounded and on the verge of death, a spent force. How could it possibly dodge this long-prepared, fatal strike?

"BOOM!"

A dull, heart-pounding explosion erupted! The frenzied power was unleashed without reservation upon the Jade Water Spirit Snake’s enormous body!

The snake’s body was sent flying backward like a torn sack struck by a Giant Hammer. Its Scale Armor, tougher than refined steel, shattered inch by inch. Dark green blood shot out from countless wounds like a fountain, splashing a ghastly, dark green rain across the dim edge of the Poisonous Forest!

The air was instantly filled with a pungent, cloying scent of blood mixed with deadly poison.

This single blow completely shattered the last of the Jade Water Spirit Snake’s strength to struggle and nearly extinguished its remaining Vitality.

Its massive body slammed heavily onto the ground, going as limp as a boneless rag in a pool of blood and mud. All that remained was a faint twitching and a gurgling sound from its throat as if air were leaking out. The light in its vertical jade pupils dissipated, its Life Force flickering like a candle in the wind.

With a flicker, Lu Zhao appeared beside it. His expression was cold and stern, his eyes devoid of pity.

With a flick of his finger, a silent Water Blade, its edges glinting with a faint blue, chilly light, shot out and sank precisely into the Jade Water Spirit Snake’s vital spot.

"PFFT."

With the soft sound of flesh being pierced, the Jade Water Spirit Snake’s final struggles ceased completely. Its Jade Eyes dimmed entirely, and all signs of life vanished.

Confirming the giant snake was dead, Lu Zhao immediately began to process the incredibly valuable Tier Two Middle-Grade Demon Beast’s corpse. His movements were swift and precise, like those of a master butcher.

First, he carefully cut open the snake’s belly, avoiding the areas damaged by the previous attack. From within, he extracted a fist-sized Demon Pill, entirely jade-green, that seemed to have liquid fire flowing inside. A dense wave of Spiritual Power instantly spread out.

Next came the dark green Snake Gall, as large as an infant’s head, and beside it, a bulging, enormous Poison Gland that continuously seeped dark green venom.

These three items were the most essential and valuable parts of the Jade Water Spirit Snake.

As for the jade-green scales covering its body, although their Defense Power was astonishing and they were excellent materials for refining Armor, they had unfortunately been mostly shattered by the combined attack of the four Corpse Puppets and the snake’s own struggles.

Many areas were a mangled mess of flesh and blood, with scales shed and shattered. Their quality was severely compromised, and their value had plummeted.

Furthermore, its tenacious Snake Sinew had also been damaged due to the severe trauma to the snake’s body. Although the Snake Bone was largely intact, it was contaminated with poisonous blood and would require careful processing later.

What Lu Zhao regretted most was the snakeskin, which was severely damaged. As for the Jade Water Spirit Snake’s Essence Blood, seventy to eighty percent of it had been lost. He could only manage to collect a few bottles of the core Essence Blood, which had the deepest color and richest concentration of Spiritual Power.

After a quick processing of the corpse, he sorted the valuable parts and placed them into his Storage Bag. Lu Zhao’s gaze then turned toward the depths of the Poisonous Forest, which emanated an ominous aura—the location of the Jade Water Spirit Snake’s lair.

He consumed a "Hundred Herbs Detoxification Pill," and his Protective Spiritual Light flowed around him. Pushing his "Breath Concealment and Shapeshifting Skill" to its limit, his figure became a phantom that nearly blended into the environment as he cautiously stepped into the woods, which were thick with Poisonous Miasma.

The light in the forest was dim. Bizarre, poisonous trees with gnarled roots intertwined everywhere. A multi-colored poisonous fog drifted through the air. Underfoot was a thick layer of humus that had accumulated over countless years; it was soft and silent to step on but emitted a nauseatingly sweet and pungent odor.

All sorts of poisonous insects rustled in the shadows, but sensing the pressure emanating from Lu Zhao, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, they instinctively kept their distance.

Following the lingering scent of the Jade Water Spirit Snake, Lu Zhao traveled through the Poisonous Forest for about half an hour before finally reaching his destination—the vicinity of a hidden cave located beneath the roots of a massive, decaying tree.

However, what caught his eye was not the entrance to the snake’s den, which reeked of a foul, rank odor, but a strange, solitary Spirit Plant growing in a small clearing covered in fine white sand not far from the den!

The Spirit Plant was no more than a foot tall, yet its form was exceptionally mystical.

Its stem was not the green of an ordinary plant but possessed a warm, dark gold luster like jade, as if carved from the finest gold and jade. At the top of the stem was not a flower, but three strangely shaped leaves.

These three leaves were not the usual oval or long-strip shape; instead, they formed a nearly perfect spiral!

The leaves themselves were a deep, purplish-gold, covered in fine, golden patterns that resembled dragon scales.

It was as if they contained molten rock within. In the dim light, a visible, purplish-gold halo flowed across the surface of the leaves, pulsating faintly as if alive.

A unique fragrance, a mixture of the fresh scent of plants and a certain ancient, majestic aura, drifted faintly from it, actually pushing back the dense Poisonous Miasma in a small area around it!

Flood Dragon Transformation Grass!

The moment he saw this Spirit Plant, Lu Zhao’s heart felt as if it had been seized by an invisible hand, and it began to pound violently! An irrepressible wave of ecstasy rushed into his mind!

He had once seen a vague description and illustration of this item in a fragmented copy of the "Record of Rare and Exotic Plants" in the Bixia Sect’s Library Pavilion!

The form, color, and aura of the Spirit Plant before him were almost identical to the "Flood Dragon Transformation Grass" depicted in the illustration!

Moreover, the Spiritual Pressure and immense Vitality emanating from this Flood Dragon Transformation Grass far surpassed the ordinary Tier Two level described in the records!

Lu Zhao’s Divine Sense keenly perceived that its grade had reached at least Tier Two High-Grade Peak! It was likely only a single step away from the Tier Three threshold!

’The value of this thing...’ Lu Zhao took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing the turmoil in his heart.

For any Cultivator with a Spirit Beast possessing a snake, python, or Flood Dragon bloodline, the Flood Dragon Transformation Grass was a Supreme Treasure they could only dream of!

Its effects were far beyond what ordinary Pills that raised a Demon Beast’s Cultivation could compare to. It could fundamentally stimulate, purify, and even transmute a Demon Beast’s bloodline, allowing it to evolve into a higher form of life!

The value of this Tier Two High-Grade Peak Flood Dragon Transformation Grass before him was enough to rival some ordinary Tier Three Spiritual Objects! If it were put up for auction, it would be enough to make the Elders of the Beast Taming Major Sects fight to the death for it!

Lu Zhao suppressed his excitement and didn’t immediately try to harvest it. He circled the Flood Dragon Transformation Grass, scanning it meticulously several times with his Divine Sense.

The stem was thick and sturdy, with a Dark Gold Jade Quality. The blood-red, thread-like patterns on it pulsed faintly like a living thing, containing astonishing Life Force.

The three spiral-shaped, purplish-gold leaves had clearly visible dragon-scale patterns on their edges, and the flowing halo of light was stable and restrained.

At the center of the leaves, an extremely fine, almost imperceptible, pale golden vein was faintly visible, slowly growing and spreading... This was the sign that it was about to grow a fourth leaf and transform into Tier Three!

’So that’s how it is...’ Understanding dawned on Lu Zhao. He instantly understood why the Jade Water Spirit Snake had guarded such a Treasure without consuming it.

This Jade Water Spirit Snake had clearly developed some Spiritual Wisdom. It knew that while an ordinary Tier Two Flood Dragon Transformation Grass could greatly increase its power and even awaken a trace of a Flood Dragon Bloodline, it was still a far cry from truly "transforming into a Flood Dragon."

It was waiting!

Waiting for this Flood Dragon Transformation Grass to grow its fourth leaf and fully advance to a Tier Three Spiritual Object! If it consumed it then, it would have a real, albeit slim, chance of transforming into a Flood Dragon!

Even if it failed to transform, the bloodline metamorphosis brought by a Tier Three Flood Dragon Transformation Grass was far beyond what a Tier Two one could offer. It would be enough for a complete transformation, making it the true Overlord of these Broken River Plains!

’A Tier Three Flood Dragon Transformation Grass...’ The thought swirled in Lu Zhao’s mind like a magic spell, a great temptation.

Tier Three and Tier Two—a difference of one word, yet a world of difference in value! If he could obtain it, whether for raising his own Spirit Beast in the future or for trade, its worth would be immeasurable.

However, as Lu Zhao’s gaze swept over the surrounding Poisonous Miasma and he sensed the powerful Demon Qi faintly emanating from the depths of the Broken River Plains, the fire in his heart quickly cooled.

He wasn’t the Jade Water Spirit Snake. He had neither the time nor the ability to guard this Flood Dragon Transformation Grass for decades or even centuries in the depths of this treacherous Poisonous Forest, waiting for its slim chance of advancement.

Although this was the Jade Water Spirit Snake’s lair, the great snake was now dead. Its scent would dissipate, and it wouldn’t be long before other powerful Demon Beasts discovered this place.

"A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush," Lu Zhao muttered to himself, a hint of determination flashing in his eyes.

On the path of Cultivation, opportunities are important, but insatiable greed is often the path to ruin. This Tier Two Peak Flood Dragon Transformation Grass was already a monumental gain, enough to make this trip a complete success.

He hesitated no longer and took out a Top-grade Cold Jade Box he had prepared long ago from his Storage Bag.

He condensed Magical Power at his fingertip like a blade and carefully cut into the Spiritual Soil about an inch below the base of the Flood Dragon Transformation Grass, excavating it completely along with a large clump of the surrounding Spiritual Soil, which contained special minerals.

His movements were exceedingly gentle, afraid of damaging it in the slightest.

After gently placing the Flood Dragon Transformation Grass, still in its clump of Spiritual Soil, into the Cold Jade Box, Lu Zhao quickly took out three "Sealing Spirit Talismans" inscribed with complex Runes and carefully applied them to the opening of the jade box.

The Talismans flashed with Spirit Light, instantly sealing the escaping Spiritual Qi and unique fragrance within the box. Only after doing all this did he solemnly place the jade box into the deepest part of his Storage Bag.

After taking the Flood Dragon Transformation Grass, Lu Zhao searched the outer perimeter of the Poisonous Forest again.

Relying on his powerful Divine Sense and caution, he hunted and killed several agitated Tier One High-Grade Poisonous Toads and Poisonous Spiders that hadn’t fled far following the Jade Water Spirit Snake’s death, harvesting a few Poison Glands and some other, less valuable Poison Attribute Materials.

In addition, he discovered and picked a "Tier Two Lower Grade Hundred Poison Flower," whose petals resembled skulls and emitted a strange, sweet fragrance.

This flower was violently toxic and had niche uses, mainly for refining certain Damaging Poison Pills or cultivating poisonous insects. It was of limited value to Lu Zhao, but it was better than nothing.

After confirming there was nothing left to find, Lu Zhao didn’t linger and quickly retreated from the unsettling Poisonous Forest.

Back in the clearing outside the forest, Xu Wei was waiting nervously. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Lu Zhao emerge unscathed.

Lu Zhao didn’t say much, simply waving a hand to release the Golden Feather Bird. The two of them leaped onto its back. The Golden Feather Bird let out a clear, sonorous cry, spread its wings, and kicked up a gust of wind as it shot into the sky, speeding toward Broken River Castle.

High in the sky, the wind howled. Lu Zhao sat cross-legged on the bird’s back, eyes closed, meditating to recover the Magical Power and Divine Sense he had consumed in the fierce battle. However, his heart was far from as calm as his appearance suggested.

The rewards from this trip had far exceeded his expectations.

The Jade Water Spirit Snake’s Demon Pill, Snake Gall, Poison Gland, and Essence Blood... all were extremely valuable.

Not to mention the Tier Two Peak Flood Dragon Transformation Grass, a treasure that even Golden Core Cultivators would covet! These resources would not only cause his personal wealth to skyrocket but also provide a significant advantage for his future attempt at breaking through to the Golden Core realm.

At the same time, the protracted battle with the Jade Water Spirit Snake had given him a clearer understanding of his own strength.

His power was enough to crush an ordinary Tier Two Middle-Grade Demon Beast. But his Cultivation was, after all, still lacking. If the snake hadn’t been overconfident at the beginning, he might not have been able to kill a creature like the Jade Water Spirit Snake, which had exceptional Talent and the home-field advantage.

The Golden Feather Bird soared across the sky. Below lay the vast, rolling Broken River Plains. In the distance, the silhouette of Broken River Castle, enveloped in an earthen-yellow barrier of light, was now faintly visible.

Lu Zhao opened his eyes. A sharp glint flashed in them as he gazed at the approaching fortress.

’In the coming days, increasing my Cultivation will be the absolute priority.’

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