NOVEL NEXT Chapter 293: Let's Go
Chapter 293: Let’s Go
After arranging all these matters, Xu Lian began preparing for his journey.
Actually, there wasn’t much to prepare. He simply used the mystical techniques from the Sacred Spirit Record to alter his appearance, physique, cultivation level, and aura.
With his current cultivation level, these changes were easy to make. While the effects weren’t as flawless as using the skull of a supreme expert of the divine race, it would still be difficult for most people to see through his disguise.
After all, he was a top-tier expert at the seventh level of Origin Tracing, and the techniques he used were from the Sacred Spirit Record. Even sages might not necessarily be able to see through his disguise.
Of course, this was under the condition that he didn’t use the Sword of Destruction or the laws of the Divine Kingdom. If he did, others would immediately recognize him, as these two things had become his most distinctive traits.
Nowadays, who in the world didn’t know that Xu Lian, the Holy Son of the Nine Heavens, possessed the Laws of the Divine Kingdom and the Sword of Destruction?
His fame had already spread all over the world.
It was worth mentioning that he still hadn’t used the left hand bone he obtained from the Ancient Holy Land. Its primary function was to enhance offensive power, so it wasn’t particularly useful for concealment.
“To make things easier, I should use some of the fighting techniques from the Sacred Spirit Record that I’ve never used before. I can also use the left hand bone appropriately,” Xu Lian decided.
He also changed the jade crown that tied his hair and the robes he wore, completely eliminating all traces of Xu Lian, the Holy Son of the Nine Heavens.
The reason he went to such lengths was that he no longer wanted to “play by the rules”.
Finding spiritual herbs would be ideal, but if he couldn’t find them, he would just take them by force!
Now that his cultivation level was sufficient, it wasn’t too much to engage in a bit of plundering, right?
“Let’s go.”
With a single step, Xu Lian traversed space and headed toward the Ten Thousand Peaks Stone Sea.
He was now dressed in a gray robe, with white hair, a gaunt figure, and the appearance of an elderly man on the verge of death. According to the Goddess of Time, such individuals were quite common in the Ten Thousand Peaks Stone Sea.
The scenery shifted and the stars seemed to move.
Soon, he appeared on the shores of the Ten Thousand Peaks Stone Sea.
Wave after wave crashed against the reefs, and the salty, briny smell of the sea filled the air.
There were many people here. Some were diving into the sea, while others were emerging from the water. The comings and goings were as busy as a marketplace.
Xu Lian’s sharp eyes scanned the crowd, especially those who had just emerged from the sea, to see if anyone had gathered spiritual herbs.
Unfortunately, those who had just emerged from the sea all looked dejected and frustrated, clearly showing that they had no harvest.
“Crafty bunch…” Xu Lian cursed inwardly. He wanted to plunder, but he didn’t know who to target.
Seeing this “old” man on the verge of death, the crowd avoided him like the plague, keeping their distance. They knew that people like him were dangerous – those with dwindling lifespans were prone to doing something desperate.
Xu Lian sighed. Since he couldn’t tell who had gathered spiritual herbs, he couldn’t just act recklessly.
He couldn’t possibly plunder everyone, could he? There were surely people from major forces among them, and provoking their collective anger wouldn’t be wise.
“I’ll just go into the sea and look for myself.”
Just as he was about to use a water technique, he heard someone hawking.
“Selling sea maps! Selling sea maps!”
A middle-aged man was walking along the beach, carrying a copper gong, striking it, and calling out.
Surprisingly, there were quite a few buyers.
Xu Lian’s interest was piqued, and he walked over. “Give me one.”
The middle-aged man said, “Ten million Spirit Stones, please.”
“A sea map, and a mass-produced one at that, for ten million spirit stones? You might as well rob me.”
Although the spirit stones were of little use to Xu Lian now, he still felt that the price was too high. After all, he had experienced hardships in the past.
The middle-aged man smiled. “This must be your first time at the Ten Thousand Peaks Stone Sea, Senior.
You see, the sea maps I sell are the latest and most comprehensive. While ten million spirit stones may seem expensive, it’s actually quite reasonable.
In order to create these maps, I have to constantly send people to explore the sea. My subordinates risk their lives to survey the area, and I have to reward them handsomely. Otherwise, who would be willing to risk their lives?
If no one is willing to take the risk, we won’t be able to create these new and comprehensive maps.”
Xu Lian thought about it and agreed. He handed over ten million spirit stones and bought a map. Upon examining the map, he found that it was densely annotated with small, multicolored text. Each marked area indicated what kind of spiritual herbs grew there.
Xu Lian asked, “Can the spiritual herbs in the marked areas be collected?”
The middle-aged man explained, “The areas marked with white text indicate that most of the spiritual herbs have been harvested. These are the places where ordinary herb gatherers go most often, and you can only rely on luck to find some leftovers.
Areas marked with green text still have a small amount of spiritual herbs, but they’re more dangerous. You’ll need a certain level of cultivation to venture there, preferably at the level of a great expert.
Areas marked with red text have a large amount of spiritual herbs, but unless you’re a top-tier expert, it’s best not to go there.
As for the areas marked with black text…”
At this point, the middle-aged man chuckled. “I don’t know what’s in there. All I know is that no one who has gone in has ever come out alive. Even top experts have disappeared without a trace. I suspect that the Sea Tribe’s powerful beings are sleeping in these areas.”
Xu Lian understood. His gaze was fixed on the areas marked with red text. They contained a large amount of spiritual herbs and were suitable for high-level experts. This seemed to be tailor-made for him.
With a turn, he activated his Water Technique and disappeared in an instant.
The middle-aged man was momentarily stunned, then shook his head slightly and continued hawking his sea maps.
In the sea, Xu Lian appeared in an area marked with red text.
Although he had seen all sorts of wonders, the scenery here still struck him as novel. Countless stone peaks rose from the sea floor, standing like stone bamboo shoots. Colorful coral reefs clung to them, creating a breathtaking sight.
Numerous fish swam about, foraging for food, making it feel like he had entered a whole new world.
Xu Lian extended his spiritual sense into the area, searching for spiritual herbs.
However, he was surprised to find that his spiritual sense seemed compressed, only able to explore a very small range.
“As expected, this place is extraordinary.”
He had to rely on his vision, but the numerous stone peaks blocked his line of sight, limiting how far he could see.
“I’ll take it one step at a time. After all, I have the laws of the Divine Kingdom to protect me.”
He slowed down his water technique.
Like an arrow fish, he swam deeper into the area, weaving around the stone peaks in search of spiritual herbs.
After about half an hour, he found one.
Given his limited knowledge of cultivation, he didn’t recognize it. However, as a top-tier expert at the seventh level of Origin Tracing, he had one significant advantage: the ability to trace the origin of things.
His intuition told him that this spiritual herb could prolong one’s life.
Coiled around the herb was a colorful octopus, clearly no ordinary creature.
Indeed, it exuded a powerful aura.
However, as long as it wasn’t at the level of a sage, Xu Lian had nothing to worry about.
He directly used the Great Desolate Dragon Grasp, seizing the colorful octopus and tossing it far away. Then he collected the spiritual herb and stored it in his pouch.