At that moment, the sky was already bright, shrouded in a light mist. The air was clear and slightly damp, quite refreshing. After washing up, Zhang Guodong stepped down from the second floor and into the courtyard.
The difference in spiritual energy concentration was immediately apparent to him. The bedroom on the second floor was completely different from the area outside. It seemed he would need to build a small spirit-gathering array. With two small spirit-gathering arrays combined, the spiritual energy concentration could reach up to one hundred and twenty times!
Zhang Guodong didn't know how to explain this superposition principle.
The three intermediate-level spirit-gathering arrays behind the Elder Hall covered a vast area, about five or six square kilometers. Yet, they only increased the concentration by a hundredfold.
If two small spirit-gathering arrays were stacked, and the spiritual energy concentration were increased by a hundredfold, the covered area would likely be very small. Five or six hundred square meters would be the limit.
“However, this area is already enough!” Zhang Guodong calculated in his mind.
The Grand Elder gifted him enough materials to build a small spirit-gathering array. Upon returning to the outside world, he had enough spirit-gathering array materials to build four arrays.
Furthermore, Lei Xuan also found building materials for a spirit-gathering array on the body of the unlucky ghost; two small ones would be no problem at all.
In this way, besides the one in the Peach Blossom Spring space, six more can be built.
It seems like a feasible idea to allocate one seat for everyone to use.
As if by telepathy, the door downstairs opened. Xuan Qingban stepped out gracefully, dressed in her finest attire, radiating a boundless jade-like glow. She glanced indifferently at Zhang Guodong before walking away.
Zhang Guodong was taken aback. There were still a few women inside, but their breathing was steady and long, suggesting they were still asleep.
Could it be that Xuan Qingban wants to explore Little Snake Valley alone?
Good morning, Senior Sister!
Xuan Qingban nodded slightly, but her steps did not falter. Her elegant figure was ethereal and otherworldly. It seemed that possessing the Celestial Vine could alter a person's aura? Like a fairy.
"Senior Sister, do you perhaps wish to explore Little Snake Valley alone? Could you take me with you?" Zhang Guodong hurriedly followed. At the same time, he couldn't help but glance at the perfect, jade-like silhouette of her back, thinking to himself, "Goodness, this body is truly pristine and pure." The faint scent of virginity was like celestial fragrance, intoxicating and irresistible.
Of course, Zhang Guodong most enjoyed peeking at those round buttocks, but he would quickly avert his gaze after a quick glance. As a skilled person, he could definitely sense if someone was scanning his entire body.
Xuanqingbian turned around. Her face showed a hint of anger, cold and distant. Clearly, she had noticed Zhang Guodong's rude behavior.
Zhang Guodong felt a bitter taste in his mouth. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead; he felt guilty and uneasy. He'd only glanced at it; wasn't this overreacting?
"Ahem, Senior Sister. I would like to ask you for another favor. Could you help me build another small spirit-gathering array? The spiritual energy concentration at Peach Blossom Abode is still too low!" Zhang Guodong hurriedly said.
Don't provoke her into a major outburst. It's best to change the subject and find a plausible reason to do so.
The minor spirit-gathering array is indeed a very important thing. The frost on Xuan Qingbai's face softened slightly, his brow furrowed, and he said in a pleasant voice, "I don't have enough materials to build a minor spirit-gathering array here!"
Zhang Guodong laughed heartily. But in his heart, he thought, "Whether it's enough or not is entirely up to you. Who is the Grand Elder? Would he not give you more? Building another spirit-gathering array shouldn't be a problem. But more than that, I doubt."
Besides, he didn't ask Xuan Qinghui to contribute all her materials to Peach Blossom Abode this time. He was prepared!
"How can we let our senior sister provide both the labor and the materials? I'll take care of the materials!"
As Zhang Guodong spoke, he exuded an air of wealth and power. This slightly surprised Xuan Qingbo. The materials for a Spirit Gathering Array were all extremely precious treasures, difficult for anyone but a powerful force to acquire. She was already astonished that Zhang Guodong could provide materials for a small Spirit Gathering Array. She hadn't expected him to have materials for a second one?
However, as Zhang Guodong said, the concentration of spiritual energy at Peach Blossom Spring was frustrating for her. Indeed, a spirit-gathering array should be added; otherwise, her cultivation progress would be greatly affected.
“Alright,” Xuan Qingji agreed.
Zhang Guodong didn't give it to her on the spot, lest Xuan Qinghui become suspicious and make wild guesses. He gave Li Yun a mid-grade storage bag, but the small storage bag couldn't hold all the materials needed to build a small spirit-gathering array.
How can you appear so suddenly without the other party noticing?
Zhang Guodong had never actively explored the Snake Valley behind the house. Although he had previously harbored a fear of snakes as a mortal, his mindset had changed since acquiring the Snake Spirit Pill, and he was no longer afraid. Now, having shed his mortal body and become a dual cultivator of plant cultivation and body cultivation, Zhang Guodong viewed everything in the mortal world with a very peaceful mindset.
He even had a certain fondness for these snakes.
The intention behind planting insect-repelling herbs without eliminating snakes lies in this. The existence of these perfect creatures in Peach Blossom Spring imbues it with even more vitality.
Xuan Qingbo was in front, and Zhang Guodong was slightly behind. The two stepped out of the range of the insect-repelling grass and entered the gap, or rather the entrance, of Little Snake Valley.
It wasn't large, probably about ten meters wide. The valley entrance was densely vegetated, mostly with shade-loving trees and grasses. Zhang Guodong even discovered quite a few valuable medicinal herbs. But inside, it was quite spacious, truly living up to its name as a valley.
Zhang Guodong gasped. Not only did he sense it through his mental power, but even by sight, there were no fewer than three hundred snakes within a ten-meter radius. They were of several dozen different species. Some were coiled and entwined on the plants, some were resting in the shade, and some were fighting among the grass.
Snakes are cold-blooded animals and have an intense need for sunlight. However, the current temperature is making it difficult for them to withstand. They bask in the sun and then burrow into the shade. The loss of moisture is also causing them to die…
"Luckily, these snakes are not venomous. And most of them are juvenile, non-venomous snakes, less than a foot long. But even with this many, it's still terrifying!" Zhang Guodong explained from the side.
The sheer number of snakes concentrated in such a small area clearly indicates that this valley is a massive snake den! It's beyond just a snake lair.
At the very least, these are all non-venomous snakes, but there are still venomous snakes inside.
Xuanqingban knew very little about this snake, even less than Qingzhu. However, this didn't diminish her sense of danger. Venomous attack! That's one way to put it.
In the world of plant cultivation, attacks using poison are not uncommon, and many of these are deadly poisonous vines, insects, and pesticides that can kill in an instant, encompassing countless types of poisons. These include material corrosion, soul corrosion, and so on, which are far more deadly than external poisons.
However, this is just speculation. Xuan Qingban and his ilk, as members of the plant cultivation world, know very little about the outside world, in fact, very little at all.
The two walked slowly. As they cautiously stepped among the grass and trees, for some reason, the non-venomous snakes in the vicinity all scattered, leaving a path open.
Zhang Guodong knew that Xuan Qingban might possess something that could repel poison. Like the tiny white powder he'd scattered last night. It was just a small clump, but its effects could be significant.
He himself had about twenty Snake Spirit Pills that met the standards for beginner-level pills in his storage bag. With these pills, he wasn't worried about his safety.
They advanced about twenty meters. Zhang Guodong and Xuan Qingmeng made it here smoothly. They avoided all the snakes, large and small, they encountered.
These are the non-venomous snakes. Here, you can see some that are two meters long, with bodies as thick as an adult's arm. And there are dozens of them.
However, no venomous snakes were observed.
"Senior Sister, I think we should stop here? There's no way forward!" Zhang Guodong said, glancing ahead and frowning slightly.
The path ahead led to the bottom of a valley. It was an earthen wall; there was truly no way out.
However, Zhang Guodong noticed that although there was no road at the end, there were countless caves of varying sizes. The largest cave was two meters in diameter, its walls worn smooth. Clearly, the snakes hadn't vanished into thin air, but had entered these caves.
The cave is not like the outside; the disappearance of the venomous snake most likely occurred inside. The confined space makes it impossible for even two highly skilled individuals to move freely.
That's too dangerous!
Xuan Qingbo frowned, seemingly unwilling. Stealing Qingzhu's crystal was one thing, but the hidden danger was far greater. The fact that the creature that was able to ambush and steal the crystal meant that the snake-like being was quite powerful.
Zhang Guodong advised, "The snake stole the crystal but didn't harm anyone, which shows that it has a great fondness for crystals and is quite intelligent. It may be able to absorb the life force within the crystal. Once it has absorbed and refined it, it may reappear!"
Monster!
A snake that has become a monster?
Xuan Qingbo seemed to have guessed something, and his expression turned serious. But Zhang Guodong's heart was far more unsettled. He knew that the spiritual energy in the outside world was so thin it was unbearable; without enough spiritual energy to refine and absorb, one's cultivation would stagnate. Becoming a demon beast was unimaginably difficult.
But if it's not a demon beast, how do you explain such a fast speed?
Only after persuading Xuan Qing to return to Peach Blossom Abode did Zhang Guodong breathe a sigh of relief. He was terrified that Xuan Qing would rashly enter the snake pit. Without improving his strength, such recklessness would be tantamount to suicide.
After some thought, Zhang Guodong gave Xuan Qingxu thirty Serpent Spirit Pills. This was quite a generous gift. Moreover, these were all at the initial stage of pill production. However, it was unknown how much of a shock this would cause Xuan Qingxu.
Is this elixir an antidote? Specifically for snake venom? She was certain she'd never seen one before. And the difficulty of obtaining such a formula was immense; even the elders were at a loss.
Specialization is key. Only those who reach the level of advanced alchemists can understand pill formulas. Even their understanding of these formulas won't be high; reaching the intermediate level is probably the absolute limit. But the difficulty is extremely high. Opportunity, experimentation, and luck are all indispensable.
Zhang Guodong never imagined that this mere Snake Spirit Pill would have such a profound impact on Xuan Qingban. He was only worried about the women here being harmed.
With the Serpent Spirit Pill in hand, even if he is not here for a while, he can ensure everyone's safety.
During their conversation, Zhang Guodong learned why Qingzhu's crystal had been stolen the day before, and he couldn't help but find it amusing.
This girl is quite interesting. In order to please Dahei and Daqing and gain their favor, she actually went so far as to offer a low-grade crystal as a temptation.
Dahei and Daqing were somewhat tempted, but a sudden appearance of a small black shadow ruined their plans. This infuriated Dahei and Daqi, but unfortunately, the little thief had already slipped away after stealing the crystal. Dahei and Daqing couldn't catch up at all.
After learning about this, Xuan Qingban returned to his room. Zhang Guodong went upstairs, and Dahei and Daqing, extremely alert, both opened their eyes. Upon seeing Zhang Guodong, the two, contrary to their cool demeanor, came closer and began to fawn over him.
"You like crystals? Okay then, one crystal each!"
With a flick of his hand, he tossed two low-grade crystals to them. Zhang Zaidong then sat cross-legged beside them and began circulating the "Azure Profound Heart Sutra." Zhang Zaidong didn't want to miss the 8:30 hunt.
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