125: Yunmeng Strange Things Chronicle

After leaving the Yunhe Sect ruins, Gao De did not return directly to Qianjiao Cliff, but chose to temporarily station himself in a hidden pond in the outer region of Yunmeng Marsh, near the Giant Demon Beehive.

He needed time to digest the gains from this trip and transform the newly acquired knowledge into practical benefits.

In the temporarily established Water Mansion, Gao De sat cross-legged, with several scrolls of ancient animal skins and several Jade Slips spread out before him.

Demonic Power was slowly injected, and a massive amount of information flowed into his Sea of Consciousness.

The 'Yunmeng Marsh Chronicles of Exotic Matters' sketched out a map of Yunmeng Marsh for him that was far more detailed than his previous understanding.

It marked many resource points that were not widely known, dangerous areas, and the potential activity ranges of some ancient existences.

He paid special attention to several locations not too far from his current position, with relatively controllable risks, and potentially beneficial to himself or his subordinates: an undercurrent area producing 'Sunken Water Glaze,' a swamp where 'Dragon Saliva Grass' grew, and a deep pool where 'Gui Water Essence Spirit' was suspected to be active.

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However, thousands of years had passed, and he didn't know if this information was still accurate.

The 'Water Vein Surveying Secret Art' provided a unique set of methods for perceiving and utilizing Spiritual Qi from water veins; although it did not share the same origin as his 'Purple Heaven Dragon Transformation Art,' the techniques within for finding Water Eyes and guiding water spiritual energy had significant reference value for his understanding and control of his own power, and even for his future exploration of the 'Yunmeng Water Eye.'

As for the records concerning the 'Yunmeng Water Eye' and that 'Ancient Will,' he kept them deeply in mind, categorizing them as Late Stage goals.

The scroll described that the 'Ancient Will' was not a physical entity, but more like a chaotic, corrosive mental power permeating the depths of the Water Eye, capable of twisting the minds of living beings, triggering their deepest desires and fears, and even polluting Spiritual Veins.

During the Peak of the Yunhe Sect, they had attempted to Seal or communicate with it, but ultimately ended up bringing disaster upon themselves.

'A chaotic will originating from the depths of the Water Eye... twisting the mind...' Gao De pondered, which increased his reverence for Yunmeng Marsh.

He cross-referenced the core concepts of the 'Cloud River Water Control True Art' with the 'Purple Heaven Dragon Transformation Art'; although he wouldn't switch his cultivation, he could still absorb its essence, and it could be saved to reward the Human Cultivators under his command in the future.

The 'Ten-Thousand-Year Stone Milk' was carefully stored away by him; this was a life-saving trump card for critical moments and could not be wasted casually.

A few days later, Gao De, having initially digested the knowledge, began to take action.

First, following the guidance of the 'Chronicles of Exotic Matters,' he sent Green Edge to lead a team of agile water demons to the swamp where 'Dragon Saliva Grass' grew to conduct a trial search and see if the items were still in place after so much time.

The process was safe and sound; time was brewing, as if slowing its steps; what Qing Feng encountered was no different from the records of a thousand years ago.

Although they encountered several Poison Miasma Toads guarding the swamp, they were smoothly dealt with under the crushing strength of Green Edge's Third-Tier Demon General power, and dozens of well-aged Dragon Saliva Grass plants were successfully brought back.

Gao De distributed most of the Dragon Saliva Grass to the Demon Soldiers under his command who possessed dragon blood Bloodlines or high potential, including Green Edge, Iron Pincer, and Turtle Three Thousand, while keeping only a few for research.

Although these Dragon Saliva Grass plants had a negligible effect on his current Purple Lightning Flood Dragon Bloodline, they were rare treasures for low-to-mid-tier Yao Race, effectively enhancing the overall strength and loyalty of his subordinates.

He personally set out, relying on the techniques of the 'Water Vein Surveying Secret Art' and his own keen perception of water spirits, and found the deep pool where the 'Gui Water Essence Spirit' was active.

The Gui Water Essence Spirit is a water spirit, exceptionally agile and extremely difficult to capture.

Gao De did not force it, but sat cross-legged by the pool, circulating the 'Purple Heaven Dragon Transformation Art,' releasing his own pure Flood Dragon aura and refined water-attribute Demonic Power.

This act was not for deterrence, but for attraction.

For elemental spirits like the Gui Water Essence Spirit, a powerful being of the same water attribute was both a threat and a potential 'bait.'

Sure enough, a few days later, a bold and highly spiritual Gui Water Essence Spirit was attracted by the pure water spiritual energy on Gao De's body. It approached cautiously and finally merged into the Purple Lightning Thunder Aura swirling around him, like a joyfully swimming blue point of light.

Although this Gui Water Essence Spirit had no direct offensive or defensive capabilities, its presence could constantly purify and amplify Gao De's water-attribute Demonic Power, accelerating his absorption of water spiritual energy, equivalent to a permanent beneficial cultivation buff.

As for the undercurrent area producing 'Sunken Water Glaze,' Gao De handed it over to Iron Pincer, letting him lead Demon Soldiers skilled in underwater operations to conduct long-term, small-scale mining.

Sunken Water Glaze is an excellent supplementary material for refining water-attribute Magical Artifacts. Whether used to strengthen his own demon artifacts, reward subordinates in the future, or trade with others, it would be of great use.

While collecting new resources, Gao De did not relax his management of his existing territory and his own cultivation.

Under his will, the Giant Demon Beehive operated well. 'blood honey' and 'royal jelly' were produced stably; besides the portion used for the cultivation of Gao De himself and his core subordinates, most were stored as strategic reserves and specialties for the market.

The Flower Spirit sleeping under the plain still showed no signs of waking up, but the concentration of the special miasma it emitted seemed to fluctuate slightly with the changing seasons.

Gao De periodically went near the Flower Spirit, using its miasma to temper his Physical Body and demon soul. He could feel that the trace of Mirage Dragon characteristics in his Bloodline was slowly but steadily growing, the effect of the [Mirage Phantom] Divine Ability was increasing daily, and the prototype of another Divine Ability in his Sea of Consciousness, more inclined towards illusions and the mental level, was becoming clearer.

He combined the 'Water Vein Surveying Secret Art' obtained from the Yunhe Sect with some illusionary characteristics perceived from the Flower Spirit's miasma, and began to try improving his [Breath Concealment] talent, attempting to evolve it from simple concealment of aura toward 'merging into the environment and twisting perception,' hoping that in the future, even if scanned by the Divine Sense of a high-level existence, he might be subconsciously ignored or misjudged.

One month later.

Gao De stood outside his temporary Water Mansion, feeling the increasingly pure and thick Demonic Power within his body, as well as the power of interwoven thunder and illusions surging in his Bloodline.

The Demon Soldiers under his command were in high spirits due to the Dragon Saliva Grass and orderly training, and the newly subdued Giant Demon Bee Swarm and local Yunmeng Marsh demon generals had also initially integrated into the system.

The legacy of the Yunhe Sect was being steadily transformed by him into real strength.

'It's time for the next step.' Gao De looked deeper into the Yunmeng Marsh, his gaze sharp and calm.

According to the mutual supplementation of the ancient map and the 'Chronicles of Exotic Matters,' the next marked point was about a few days' journey from here, a vast wetland known as the 'Thousand Reed Swamp.'

The map indicated that a peculiar plant called 'ethereal reed' might be there, whose stems were excellent Materials for making certain special Talismans and musical Magical Artifacts. At the same time, that area had a complex water system and many undercurrents, perhaps hiding other opportunities as well.

'Thousand Reed Swamp... the environment is complex, just right for testing my newly realized Breath Concealment techniques and water vein perception abilities.' Gao De made a plan in his heart, 'Target: collect ethereal reed, survey the water veins, and draw a more accurate map. If there are extra gains, all the better.'

He ordered Turtle Three Thousand to stay at Qianjiao Cliff and coordinate the resource output from the connections left by the Green Wave Sect; Crab Eighteen and Shrimp No Shadow continued to train the Demon Soldiers and alert the surroundings; he himself took Green Edge, Iron Pincer, and a small team of elite Demon Soldiers, set out again, riding the waves toward that sea of reeds and mist-shrouded Thousand Reed Swamp.