Chapter 440 - 414: Jade Bead Stage 2 Repair

Chapter 440: Chapter 414: Jade Bead Stage 2 Repair

However, after leaving the port area, Li Yuan did not immediately travel far.

The permanent itemization condition for the Tidal Jade Pendant was still before him. Undersea Spirit Vein nodes were rare. Since he had already confirmed that this sea area outside Luoxia Port shared the same origin as the Profound Nether Sect’s peripheral sealing system, it was likely there were weak nodes nearby suitable for brief, quiet cultivation. If he could make some progress while he was at it, it would save him a lot of effort on the return journey.

Instead of leaving via the main road, he suppressed his aura and circled back along the coastline to the small island outside the port.

While investigating the aftereffects of the seal that morning, he had faintly detected a subtle, swirling water vein within the rock formations beneath the island’s foundation. The fluctuation was extremely faint, almost completely drowned out by the background Spiritual Flow created by the waves crashing against the reefs. If not for the combined enhancement of the Earth Vein Spirit Pivot and the Tidal Jade Pendant, it would have been impossible to discern.

After returning to the island, Li Yuan sat cross-legged on the same reef he had rested on before and once again sank his perception beneath his feet.

The Earth Vein Spirit Pivot extended downward, inch by inch, through the cracks in the rock.

After a dozen or so breaths, the faint, swirling presence was finally locked on. About seventy or eighty feet deep beneath the island, an extremely thin branch of an oceanic vein scraped past the rock strata. Its scale was minuscule, barely a tendril of a tendril, but its Spiritual Power Attribute was exceptionally pure and shared the same origin as the pulsations near the stone stele on the outer seabed.

It was enough.

The Tidal Jade Pendant required quiet cultivation on an undersea Spirit Vein node; it didn’t specify that the node had to be massive. As long as the condition was met, even a weak node like this, hidden in the cracks of the island’s foundation, could be used to slowly accumulate progress.

Li Yuan immediately cleared his mind of stray thoughts and activated his Cultivation Technique.

The Spiritual Power in his meridians rose and fell with his breathing, gradually forming a small, stable resonance with the weak oceanic vein beneath his feet. The Tidal Jade Pendant hovered in his equipment slot, its faint cyan luster flickering in and out of sight.

Several days later, Li Yuan slowly opened his eyes. The Water Spiritual Power within him jolted, achieving perfect resonance with the aura of the water veins in his surroundings.

The panel popped up right on cue.

[Tidal Jade Pendant (Green) permanent itemization condition has been met]

[Water Vein Survey (Green) has become a permanent entry]

The spectral image of the Tidal Jade Pendant flickered in the equipment slot before dissolving into a green point of light and merging into his body.

Li Yuan opened his eyes.

Without any conscious effort, the amplification of his Divine Sense in water and the precision of his Water Element perception had solidified into an instinct. An equipment slot had been freed up.

He took the Water Demon’s Inner Core from his storage bag.

"Equip Tide Scale Pill."

[Equipped: Tide Scale Pill (Complete)]

[Equipment Entry Preview: Swift Water Tunneling (Green) — Increases Water Escape Technique speed by 30%, increases Water Magic power by 30%]

He rose from the reef and, instead of returning to Luoxia Port, stealthily followed the coast to a remote beach on the outer side. There, he took out his map and the list of materials from his storage bag for one last check.

For the second stage of repairing the Jade Bead, besides the Netherworld Moss he had already prepared, he was missing two other marine-type materials.

The items were already sealed in a Sealing Spirit Jade Bottle, which would be enough to prevent their spirituality from dissipating for three days in a marine environment.

Now that the aftereffects of the seal had been investigated and the supplementary materials were ready, there was little point in lingering in Shuizhou any longer.

It was time to head back.

The Jade Tide Sand and Sea Pearl Powder in his storage bag would lose their spirituality extremely quickly once removed from a marine environment. If he didn’t use them within three days, these two key supplementary materials would turn into a pile of useless dirt.

Li Yuan stood up and activated his Water Escape Technique. His figure transformed into a streak of water, skimming across the sea’s surface and heading straight for the coast.

[Tide Scale Pill (Complete) permanent itemization progress: 3/10]

After reaching the shore, Li Yuan retraced his route at full speed.

Half a day later, the high mountain range was left far behind him.

The dry, biting wind of the Spiritless District once again struck his face. There wasn’t a trace of Spiritual Qi in the air to replenish his reserves. Li Yuan relied on the self-sustaining power of the Golden Core in his body and the restorative effect of his Spirit Vein Nourishment entry to maintain his maximum Tunneling Speed.

「On the second day in the Spiritless District.」

On the desolate gobi, the passive perception of his Dark Evil Insight suddenly caught a Spiritual Wave up ahead.

An extremely chaotic collision of Spiritual Power.

Li Yuan slowed his Tunneling Speed and crept closer, using several massive, weathered rocks for cover.

About a mile ahead, a small caravan of three beast-drawn carts was under attack by five Loose Cultivator bandits. The caravan had only two Early-stage Foundation Establishment and seven or eight Qi Refining Stage Cultivators as guards, and more than half of them were already dead or injured. The leader of the attacking Loose Cultivators was at Mid-stage Foundation Establishment and fought ruthlessly, currently overwhelming the caravan’s leader.

"Hand over the goods, and I’ll leave you with intact corpses!"

The bandit leader’s Magic shattered the caravan leader’s defensive shield as he roared.

The caravan leader was a middle-aged Cultivator. He had several blade wounds deep enough to show bone, but he was gritting his teeth and holding on.

Li Yuan’s gaze swept over the battlefield.

This was a grey area bordering Shuizhou and two other states, where banditry was common. He had no intention of getting involved in others’ affairs, but the flag hanging on the caravan’s beast-drawn cart caught his attention.

A light blue background with a water-patterned border. It was a common sigil for coastal factions in Shuizhou. Judging by the design, they had likely come from the direction of Luoxia Port.

Li Yuan tapped his toes on the ground.

Silent and Hidden perfectly concealed his true Cultivation and aura.

In an instant, Li Yuan’s figure crossed several hundred feet, cutting directly into the battlefield’s flank.

Before the bandit leader could react, a translucent, deep-blue ice cone was already before his eyes.

Empowered by Water Movement Speed, the Ice Cone Skill materialized with unnatural quickness.

SQUELCH!

The ice cone pierced through the leader’s temple, sending out a spray of blood mixed with ice shards. The Mid-stage Foundation Establishment bandit leader fell stiffly to the ground without even a scream.

Seeing this, the remaining four bandits were horrified and turned to flee.

Li Yuan didn’t give chase. With a flick of his fingers, he sent out four water blades that precisely severed the calves of all four men. They tumbled to the ground, their screams echoing across the gobi.

The caravan leader, panting heavily, stared blankly for a moment before he understood what had happened. He forced himself to walk over to Li Yuan and bowed deeply.

"Thank you for saving my life, fellow Daoist! I am the steward of the Lin family caravan from Shuizhou. If not for your intervention, we would have surely perished today."

"It was nothing," Li Yuan said, his voice flat. He did not reveal his face.

Seeing that Li Yuan was unwilling to talk much, the leader tactfully got to the point. He took a jade box from his storage bag and offered it with both hands.

"I can never repay you for saving my life. This is a hundred-year-old Spirit Ginseng we acquired from the inland regions. I hope you will accept it, fellow Daoist."

Li Yuan accepted the jade box and put it in his storage bag.

"You came from Shuizhou?"

"That’s right. We set out from Luoxia Port, hoping to trade for some medicinal pills on the border of Jingzhou, but we were targeted in this Spiritless District," the leader said with a sigh.

"Trouble in Luoxia Port recently?" Li Yuan asked, taking the opportunity.

The leader lowered his voice and glanced around.

"If you’re heading to Luoxia Port, fellow Daoist, be extremely careful. In the last half month, a group of unfamiliar faces has shown up north of the port, and they act with extreme arrogance. Rumor has it they’re an outer branch of some Demon Sect, stockpiling massive amounts of supplies along the coast. Even a local power like the Su family is turning a blind eye to them."

’An outer branch of a Demon Sect.’

’Warehouses north of Luoxia Port. The Gray-White Flag Fleet.’

The information lined up perfectly. The Abyss Sect’s tentacles had not only reached the coast, but they had also begun to mobilize resources in earnest.

"Thank you for the warning." Li Yuan didn’t linger. His figure once again dissolved into a wave of water and vanished into the depths of the gobi.