Chapter 61

Lu Fang swiftly flew over a mountain, then his eyes sharpened—he spotted a white bubble far below at the mountain’s base.

If any trace of ancient divine arts existed, it would be within such white bubbles; these bubbles were the largest, and the celestial treasures obtained from them were the most precious.

Calling it a “bubble” was inappropriate—it covered an enormous area; from afar, it resembled a pure white, massive barrier.

Such third-tier trace sites often carried grave safety risks.

Entering required extreme caution against ferocious monstrous beasts.

Anyone who reached the Lesser Upper Realm was no ordinary cultivator of the Seventh Realm; yet even they would retreat three steps upon encountering powerful beasts within semi-transparent bubbles.

Think of how treacherous it was!

Lu Fang had no such concerns—his perception of “Shi,” the speed of Xuanjia, and the full-power Qinglong Yanyue Zhan meant even if he met a beast, he could casually slay it with one slash—his unique advantage.

He dove straight down and plunged into the bubble.

As soon as Lu Fang stabilized his form inside, he locked eyes with a monstrous centipede, dozens of zhang long.

Its copper-and-iron-like shell curled tightly; upon sensing the intruder, it reared its head high like a serpent and emitted a low-frequency hiss.

The centipede charged at Lu Fang with terrifying momentum, its claws—sharp as steel nails and densely packed—swiped wildly, determined to tear the human apart and consume him as nourishment.

Shing!

The Yingyue Sword pierced the air, its luminous blade trembling slightly as it shot forward like wind and lightning.

Lang! Sparks flew everywhere!

The centipede’s shell was as rigid as steel alloy; even though the Yingyue Sword dealt extra damage to demons and monsters, it failed to pierce its carapace.

Such was the might of monstrous beasts!

If another Seventh Realm cultivator faced this centipede, they could do nothing but flee the bubble—there was no way to inflict meaningful harm.

Lu Fang had anticipated this—the Yingyue Sword was merely to buy time; already, he had gathered the power of his Two Souls for the Qinglong Yanyue Zhan.

He furrowed his brow, gripping his hands tightly as he brought them down in a chopping motion.

The solid, lifelike blade of Guan Yun Chang slashed downward—the blade qi moved so fast it seemed to rip through space, visibly warping the air along its path.

The centipede sensed danger and tried to dodge, but its body was too long; it could only hastily curl its abdomen, using its hardened dorsal carapace as a shield.

The diamond-hard carapace split cleanly in two under the blade qi.

Black blood gushed from the severed head and tail, splattering across the ground, causing grass, trees, and flowers to wither instantly.

Yet the centipede was not dead—its head segment shot into the dense forest at the mountain’s base with lightning speed.

“Still alive?”

Lu Fang stared in astonishment—the survival ability of monstrous beasts was too formidable.

Had the bubble not formed a barrier to trap it, with the thick forest as cover, it might have escaped entirely.

The centipede, having taken a severe blow, had no strength left to fight.

Lu Fang rose into the air, guarding against a final desperate strike, and slowly wore down its blood with the Yingyue Sword.

A few minutes passed.

The centipede spat a cloud of poison and collapsed with a thud.

“Such a nuisance,” Lu Fang swept his sleeve—his righteous qi transformed into a gentle wind, forming a vortex over the poison cloud and sweeping it far away.

After waiting a moment, he approached and collected the two segments of the centipede’s body.

Most beasts within bubble barriers were toxic; he had specifically set aside a storage pouch for them.

Every part of a monstrous beast was valuable—most materials could be refined into various Ink Treasures, rivaling the worth of rare herbs and precious ores.

As the bubble here shattered!

Lu Fang resumed his treasure hunt, relying on his formidable strength and the replenishing qi of scholarly energy to swiftly enter and exit nearby semi-transparent and white bubble barriers.

Even when facing extremely troublesome beasts or mining rare ores, he spent no more than fifteen minutes.

On average, he cleared one bubble barrier every half-minute.

Due to the sheer number of beasts, others typically spent an entire day—accounting for rest and recovery of strength and righteous qi—to barely manage three bubble entries and exits.

Lu Fang, however, could enter dozens of bubbles in a single day; fortunately, he carried enough storage pouches, or he’d have no place to store the celestial treasures.

…

As Lu Fang stepped out of another bubble, he saw Tao Yidie sitting on a tree branch, idly swinging her legs.

Tao Yidie grinned, revealing her sharp canine teeth, placing a hand to her mouth like a trumpet:

“Lord Wenguan—it really is you! I knew only someone with such power could clear out all the nearby bubbles—I just slew a beast inside one myself, and now all the big bubbles are gone.”

Lu Fang smiled faintly: “The bubbles here are gone, but farther out there are still more. Why aren’t you seeking opportunities? Why wait here for me? Are you just checking if it’s really me?”

Tao Yidie stood on the branch, pointing northward:

“Over there, someone found a five-colored bubble barrier—inside is a fully matured Grade Three Snake Spirit Herb, guarded by a mottled monstrous snake. Several people nearly died inside; now everyone’s at a loss.”

“You don’t have a voice-communication talisman, so you probably don’t know—I’m waiting here to tell you. Lord Wenguan, will you go try?”

A five-colored bubble barrier!

Lu Fang frowned—knowing others had nearly died inside, he understood the mottled snake’s danger, yet the Grade Three Snake Spirit Herb was still highly tempting.

When mature, the Snake Spirit Herb sprouts branches at its tip and bears Snake Spirit Fruit; consuming it strengthens the body and neutralizes poison.

Even if immature, this herb is a primary ingredient for refining the “Yuanti Elixir”—extremely precious.

Tao Yidie waved her hand, tugging a flowing ribbon, her toes lightly tapping tree crowns as she sped away, her melodious voice trailing behind:

“My task’s done. Whether you go or not, Lord Wenguan, it’s your call.”

Lu Fang paused in thought, then leapt into the air, becoming a streak of light racing northward—he was heading north anyway; a quick look at the rare five-colored bubble wouldn’t hurt.

The mottled snake was certainly dangerous, but others had escaped unharmed—he had no reason to fear.

After about fifteen minutes of travel,

Lu Fang spotted the five-colored bubble from afar—his eyes brightened; among the transparent, semi-transparent, and white bubbles, it resembled a rainbow orb, its colors flowing like water with every gust of wind.

Breathtakingly beautiful!

“Lord Wenguan, you’ve come.”

Wang Teng stumbled out of the five-colored bubble, still shaken—he spotted Lu Fang landing and offered a bitter smile on his round face.

“What’s it like inside?”

Lu Fang asked with a smile.

Wang Teng grimaced, swallowed a detoxifying pill, and sighed:

“Don’t even ask—I thought I’d trick the snake with a feint and steal the herb, but as soon as I entered, poison mist filled the entire space—no one could possibly survive inside.”