84: Star Core Furnace and Dark Tide of the Mysterious Realm
After leaving the Poison Barrier Continent, Liu Qingtian did not rush to the core contention area of the Secret Realm.
Golden Body Realm powerhouses gathered there, and there might even be hidden Profound Void Realm old monsters; with his current strength, rashly getting involved would be no different from seeking his own death.
He chose a relatively secluded path with decent energy fluctuations, exploring forward along a "star river" paved with fragments of shattered star cores.
These star core fragments varied in size, some as small as gravel, others as large as mountains, and all retained pure Origin Power of the Stars; for him, possessing the star key, they were excellent supplements.
While flying, he operated the star key, absorbing the Power of the Stars scattered along the way like a great whale swallowing water.
At the same time, he divided a portion of his mind to comprehend the method for condensing the "Formless Poison Barrier" that he had just learned from the broken stele of the Myriad Poisons Gu Scripture.
This technique was exceptionally profound, requiring one to highly compress and purify their own poison power, then outline it with a special soul imprint, causing it to combine with Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi and even Void Realm particles, forming a nearly invisible existence.
When cultivated to Major Achievement, with a single thought, one could turn a radius of a hundred miles into a lethal poison Domain; enemies would step into it without knowing, and by the time the poison took effect, it would be too late to save them.
Liu Qingtian tried to force a trace of his Natal Poison Power out of his body, carefully outlining the soul imprint according to the technique.
The first few attempts failed; the poison power either spread uncontrollably, or the soul imprint structure was unstable and collapsed.
But he was patient, constantly adjusting, and combining his experience in finely controlling the Qi of Life and Death, he gradually grasped some of the techniques.
Several days later, he was able to initially condense a small, palm-sized, nearly transparent "Poison Barrier."
This Poison Barrier floated in his palm; if one did not perceive it carefully, it was almost indistinguishable from the air, but the toxicity it contained was enough to turn an Early Kaishan Realm Cultivator into a puddle of blood within a few breaths.
"It is still not hidden enough, and the coverage area is too small; I need to practice diligently."
Liu Qingtian was not discouraged; he dispersed this Poison Barrier and continued to condense it.
He knew that this trump card required tempering a thousand times before it could be used in actual combat.
Along the way, he also encountered several waves of native creatures in the Secret Realm and some Cultivators who were also searching for resources in the outer areas.
For those who were blind and took the initiative to attack, Liu Qingtian used them as subjects to test the poison, verifying the effects of the "Formless Poison Barrier" and his improved Wither and Flourish poison Domain.
The results satisfied him.
A rock giant at the Kaishan Realm Mid-stage intruded into the range of the Poison Barrier he had quietly set up; at first, it noticed nothing, but when corrosion spots appeared on its entire body of rock and its movements became sluggish, Liu Qingtian appeared and easily killed it with the Wither and Flourish Finger.
Another team composed of three Early Kaishan Realm Cultivators saw that he was a lone Demon Willow and attempted to kill him for his treasures, but they were suddenly enveloped by the Wither and Flourish poison Domain; under the dual erosion of the poison power and the Qi of Life and Death, they could barely organize an effective resistance before they all perished.
Liu Qingtian's combat style became increasingly treacherous and ruthless.
He did not seek flashiness, but only a fatal blow, or to disintegrate the opponent's combat power silently.
He was like a poisonous snake lurking in the shadows; he would not move, but once he did, he would surely take a life.
On this day, he arrived at a peculiar area.
In the Void Realm ahead, three relatively complete and smaller star cores were floating.
These three star cores were not dead and silent, but like three small suns, slowly rotating, connected to each other by scorching star flames, forming a stable triangular area; the temperature inside was terrifyingly high, and the space was slightly distorted by the burning.
"A naturally formed star core furnace?" Liu Qingtian's tree eyes lit up.
Such places could often nurture top-quality star-attribute Materials, and might even contain residual essence of the Origin of the Stars.
He approached cautiously, feeling the scorching Aura, and even his demon willow body felt somewhat uncomfortable.
He operated the star key, and a layer of starlight appeared on his body surface, which made him feel a little better.
Just as he was preparing to enter the triangular area to investigate, his brows suddenly furrowed, and his figure instantly hid behind a huge star core fragment.
He saw that from two other directions, Escape Lights flew over almost simultaneously, landing on the periphery of the triangular area.
The Escape Light on the left had a fierce Aura, carrying an incomparably sharp Sword Intent; it was a lone Sword Cultivator whose cultivation had reached the Peak of Kaishan Realm, carrying an ancient long sword on his back, his eyes like lightning.
The Escape Light on the right was a magnificent jade boat, with several people standing on it; the leader was a Youth in Brocade Robes with an arrogant expression, his cultivation at the Late-stage Kai Shan Realm, but behind him stood two elderly men whose Auras were as deep as the sea, and they were actually powerhouses of the Initial Stage Golden Body Realm!
Apparently, he was a disciple of some major power, bringing guards to experience the world.
These two parties immediately discovered each other, and the atmosphere instantly became tense.
The lone Sword Cultivator snorted coldly, his hand resting on the sword hilt; although he was alone, his Aura was not at all weaker than the other side.
The Youth in Brocade Robes raised his brows, his tone arrogant: "My Yunlan Sect has taken a fancy to this place; idlers, get out immediately!"
Yunlan Sect? Liu Qingtian's heart stirred; it seemed to be a major Sect with quite a reputation on the Myriad Realms Battlefield.
The lone Sword Cultivator did not give any Face, saying coldly: "Treasures of Heaven and Earth belong to those who are fated to have them. Your Yunlan Sect has an overly large appetite."
"Seeking death!" The Youth in Brocade Robes was furious, and a Golden Body Realm Elder behind him stepped forward, his pressure pressing down on the Sword Cultivator like a mountain!
The Sword Cultivator's Face turned pale, but his eyes remained sharp, his long sword humming, and it actually had a faint tendency to unsheathe, not fearing the pressure of the Golden Body Realm at all.
The conflict was on the verge of breaking out.
Liu Qingtian hid in the shadows, watching coldly from the sidelines.
These two parties, neither side was easy to provoke.
The Sword Cultivator looked like a lone traveler, but to dare to challenge the Yunlan Sect, he must have something to rely on.
And on the Yunlan Sect side, the two Golden Body Realm guards were a huge threat.
"This water is too deep; it is not suitable to get involved." Liu Qingtian immediately dismissed the idea of entering the star core furnace.
Treasures are good, but one must have a life to take them.
He was just preparing to retreat quietly when, suddenly, an extremely obscure fluctuation that made his tree soul palpitate came from the depths of the star core furnace!
That fluctuation... carried an ancient, vicissitudinous, and incomparably pure Aura of the Origin of the Stars, even a hundred times richer than the star fire glaze crystal he had obtained before!
"There is something inside!" Liu Qingtian paused his steps.
Something that could cause such a strong reaction from the star key was definitely not an ordinary object!
At the same time, the Sword Cultivator and the people from the Yunlan Sect obviously also sensed this fluctuation, and the eyes of both sides instantly became more fiery; even the two Golden Body Realm Elders showed solemn expressions.
"Young Lord, a strange treasure might be born here; the fluctuation is extraordinary!" A Golden Body Realm Elder whispered.
The greed in the eyes of the Youth in Brocade Robes flared up: "Then what are we waiting for? Get rid of this annoying guy first!"
The great battle broke out instantly!
The Sword Cultivator's long sword unsheathed, and Sword Qi surged for a thousand miles; he actually took the initiative to attack the two Golden Body Realm powerhouses!
And the people of the Yunlan Sect also used their various methods, surrounding and attacking.
The light of energy explosions illuminated this starry sky, and the roar of Law collisions was endless.
Liu Qingtian hid in the shadows, his thoughts racing.
Directly participating in the contention was suicide, but he was unwilling to retreat just like that.
Perhaps... he could wait for them to both suffer and be injured?
No, the risk was still too great.
The perception range of Golden Body Realm powerhouses was extremely wide; he might not be able to hide until the end.
Suddenly, he looked at the small piece of "Formless Poison Barrier" he had just condensed in his hand, and then looked at the core area of the fierce battle; a bolder idea, one that was also more in line with his new tactics, slowly emerged in his mind.
Perhaps, he did not necessarily have to personally take action to snatch it...