Chapter 2445: The Alarmed Sect

Li Yuan recalled: "That's right, Wu Shan has a great immortal who indeed excels at soul arts."

The information he knew was who knows how many times richer than Shangguan Biao's; he could casually verify whether this kid was telling the truth.

"Someone once presented a Blood Dew Golden Pill to the First Shore Immortal; after the latter took it, in less than half a year, his soul injury recovered." Shangguan Biao said solemnly, "Now the mother plant of that Wind Dew Golden Lotus is still in the Great Return Sect; this one of the Shangguan family is its descendant, obtained by a stroke of luck. Your disciple does not speak without proof; these past events are all verifiable in the Great Return Sect."

He had not been resolved to join Li Yun for long; saying a few more sentences carried a few parts of his original frankness.

Shangguan Biao glanced at him, temporarily not bothering to argue with him.

What rank of great immortal is the First Shore Immortal? Even he had to seclude himself for a hundred years to heal; how severe must that soul injury have been?

If the Blood Dew Golden Pill could truly help him mend his soul injury within half a year, it was undoubtedly of miraculous efficacy.

With the First Shore Immortal's backing, this past event was far more credible than legends like stubborn stones becoming immortals. And just as Shangguan Biao said, it was very easy to verify.

"How can the Golden Lotus be made to condense Blood Dew?"

"It's not easy. I still need to make a trip home, discuss with my family first, and make some preparations." Shangguan Biao said solemnly, "You just rest assured; within three months, I will make the Golden Lotus condense Blood Dew, then refine it into a pill medicine, to mend the Earth Mother's soul injury!"

His family had been medicine merchants for generations; Li Yun knew this, so letting this kid go home held no fear of him running off. All of the Shangguan family's assets were within the Longfeng Valley's territory; where could his whole family run to?

Besides, the Earth Mother's injury had already persisted for quite a few years; it wasn't afraid of dragging on another three months.

"Good, I'll have Xu Liangye send you back; whatever you need, just bring it up to him." Li Yun wore a pleasant expression, "As long as Blood Dew can be condensed, it will be recorded as a great merit for you. You can then return to your master's side as a matter of course."

"Yes." Shangguan Biao knew these words still had a second half left unsaid:

If Blood Dew cannot be condensed... heh!

For this, Li Yun would dispatch Senior Brother Xu to supervise him throughout.

And Shangguan Biao was already mentally prepared; having come to join Li Yun, the credit for curing such a major matter as the Earth Mother would basically be taken by Li Yun; what he could get was only the benefit of returning to his original status.

To Li Yun and Tang Lin Zi it was a mere trifle, yet it required this bottom-rung disciple to exhaust everything, even sacrifice his mother's life!

However much hate was in his heart, his surface had to be that respectful.

Just as they were speaking, Xu Liangzhi returned, saluting Li Yun: "Martial Uncle, the private spirit herb trafficking case has uncovered three more participants, all disciples of the Yaoxian Cave; the value of the implicated spirit herbs has also tripled. This matter will alarm the Sect Master tonight."

Then he said to Shangguan Biao: "This is a serious matter; if not for Martial Uncle stepping in, you would truly have had rotten luck this time."

Shangguan Biao assented repeatedly, and again thanked Li Yun.

Right then, the ground beneath everyone's feet suddenly trembled, and a few explosions quickly rang out from the distance.

Li Yun's face changed color: "That direction is the Earth Mother's nest! Who was the last one cleaning the nest today?"

Shangguan Biao immediately answered: "It was me."

"Any abnormalities nearby? Why would there be explosions?"

Shangguan Biao immediately shook his head: "The Earth Mother only turned over once; after I applied Jade Dew, it slept peacefully, with no other abnormal movements."

"Then it's an outsider making trouble!" Li Yun said with a stern face to Xu Liangzhi, "Summon everyone, come with me to investigate!"

"Yes!"

The two left the house and rode clouds away, neither giving Shangguan Biao a second glance.

To avoid unforeseen complications, after finding the true Earth Mother nest entrance, the three were about to jump down, but this ground fissure entrance emitted a rustling sound, like countless legs and claws scratching on stone.

A ball of flame ignited in Ming Ke Immortal's palm; using it as a flare, he threw it into the ground fissure.

The firelight went all the way down, and the three saw the ground fissure below and the stone walls covered in dense clusters of black-gray giant bugs, all climbing up rapidly.

"Stone Mole Crickets!"

These things' appearance was basically super-sized mole crickets, but larger than yellow dogs; even Zhu Xiuer was seeing them for the first time. Ming Ke Immortal had just identified them when the front dozen or so Stone Mole Crickets had already rushed to the exit, pouncing at the three.

They lived underground year-round; their two front claws and big mouths were especially powerful at digging through soil and stone; naturally, biting and eating people was no problem either.

Ming Ke Immortal also warned: "Careful, these things can drill through protective gang qi."

As soon as the words fell, several Stone Mole Crickets before them raised their mouths aimed at him, shooting several streams of water arrows.

While dodging, Ming Ke Immortal smelled a very pungent sour rotten odor.

These things could also spit strong acid; splashing onto the ground, *hiss hiss hiss* it corroded a large patch, leaving several dozen finger-deep small pits in the ground.

With the three's abilities, killing a few dozen Stone Mole Crickets was a piece of cake. The problem was that the Stone Mole Crickets emerging from the ground fissure were endless; they could even see some big ones, three to four times the size of ordinary Stone Mole Crickets, who knew what other special abilities they had.

Ming Ke Immortal said: "The Secret Realm master doesn't want us to go down, and wants to delay us."

Thinking about having to charge into the monster pile, whoever it was would get goosebumps.

"The more he doesn't want us to go, the more important that place is!" Zhu Xiuer's gaze was like a torch, "These are actually living creatures, not animated by animation arts or conjured by spells!"

That is to say, the Secret Realm master secretly placed some living creatures from the outside world into Du Zhi Mountain?

The Stone Anglerfish was like this, and the Stone Mole Crickets are also like this.

Although the Secret Realm master doesn't know what methods they plan to use against the Earth Mother, he absolutely cannot sit by and do nothing.

He Lingchuan's eyes flickered slightly; why doesn't the master here use the Earth Mother's avatars to stop them? Clearly the Earth Mother avatars have boundless power.

"Clear a wave first." He suppressed his thoughts, "Big Sister, prepare."

"Alright!" Zhu Xiuer's chosen form at the moment was a bit larger than a calf; combat form had to be adjusted according to reality, and wasn't the bigger the better.

Ming Ke Immortal immediately took out a golden ring from his bosom, on which was drawn the pattern of a fire bird.

After knocking away two Stone Mole Crickets, he aimed the golden ring at the ground fissure, took a deep breath himself, and blew hard at the golden ring—

Whoosh!

This breath was like spraying alcohol onto a flame, but over a thousand times more violent, because what flew out of the golden ring was not a ball of raging flame, but a thick, ferocious fire dragon!

It was condensed from crimson-white flames; the stones it brushed past all blackened; if it lingered for another two breaths, the stones would be scorched and melted by the high temperature, turning into dark red magma!

Against such terrifying high temperature, the Stone Mole Cricket army also couldn't hold out, exploding into clusters of acid pulp in the raging flames, then dissolving.

This was a magic treasure he borrowed from Ming Yao Shangzun; it was very effective against flesh and blood bodies.

But he had just finished spraying fire when, not far away, rainbow light danced, and someone shouted loudly:

"What lowly person are you, daring to run wild in my Longfeng Valley!"