64: Water Palace Barrier

The defense of the Water Mansion was the core of Gao De's preparations.

He knew well that the Heavenly Tribulation was by no means ordinary lightning; the power of the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi Laws it contained could not be resisted by brute force alone, but required skillful maneuvering to resolve.

Through the secret channels of the tianji mirror, he had exhausted nearly one-third of his Spirit Stone reserves to purchase a complete Formation diagram and core Formation Plate for the "Xuan Yuan Heavy Water Grand Array" from the Nine Dragons Chamber of Commerce.

Setting up this Formation was extremely taxing.

Gao De took action himself, ordering Turtle Three Thousand to coordinate the Demon Soldiers to assist, and according to the Formation diagram, precisely inserted one hundred and eight specially crafted "Sinking Water Formation Flags" into specific Spiritual Vein nodes and subterranean caves around the Water Mansion.

The Formation Plate was placed in the deepest part of the Water Mansion, directly connected to the main Spiritual Vein.

When the last Formation Flag was in place, the core Formation Plate flashed with spiritual light, and the waters surrounding the Water Mansion seemed to instantly become several times "heavier."

Several layers of dense, heavy water shields, invisible to the naked eye, quietly formed, layered one upon another like countless strands of tough silk, dissolving and deflecting any incoming force.

Even better, the surface of the shield shimmered with flowing water, naturally reflecting the surrounding scenery to create a "Water Mirror Illusion" effect, which could greatly interfere with external Divine Sense probing and targeting—an effect particularly effective against the "tracking" nature of the Heavenly Tribulation's targeted bombardments.

This was not enough.

Gao De knew that while the grand Formation primarily defended against direct impacts, the aftermath of the Heavenly Tribulation and stray bolts of lightning were equally lethal.

Thus, over the next few months, he used the Yao Beast skins and blood he had accumulated from hunting to create a large amount of blank Talisman paper and spiritual ink.

Relying on his pure Divine Sense, which far exceeded his peers due to his Transmigration, as well as his increasingly profound mastery over water and lightning powers, he worked tirelessly day and night, using his own Demonic Power as a guide to meticulously draw over a hundred "Water Shield Talismans" and "Lightning Diversion Talismans."

These Talismans contained inner spiritual light, and he personally used ingenious techniques to integrate them into the rock walls, dome, and even the underwater jade platform where he planned to undergo the Undergoing Tribulation, forming layers of hidden and agile passive defenses.

Watching his master's painstaking preparations and feeling the tangible, interlocking defensive fields inside and outside the Water Mansion, Turtle Three Thousand's awe reached its peak; he felt that his master's meticulous planning and complex methods were already no less than those of the True Disciples from major Human Cultivators Sects.

A solid defense required the support of abundant Spiritual Qi; otherwise, it was a tree without roots.

The Dragon Transformation process itself, as well as the continuous defense against the Heavenly Tribulation, required massive amounts of Spiritual Qi as a backup.

Gao De once again dipped into his inventory, combining it with some Spiritual Qi-rich Ores and spiritual plants obtained from past explorations to set up a "Nine Abysses Returning to Sea Spirit Gathering Formation" in the core area of the Water Mansion.

This Formation was even more cumbersome to set up, requiring him to channel the Earth Veins, stabilize the water axis, and set up eighteen "Spiritual Apertures" in key waters around the perimeter of the Water Mansion.

When the Formation was finally activated, the eye of the Formation at the core seemed to turn into a miniature abyssal vortex, generating a powerful suction force.

Those eighteen "Spiritual Apertures" were like eighteen invisible giant mouths, beginning to frantically devour the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi and water-elemental power within a radius of dozens of miles.

Visible to the naked eye, streaks of pale blue spiritual light gathered from all directions, pouring into the deep pool.

In just a few days, the Spiritual Qi concentration throughout the Water Mansion had increased by more than thirty percent and was still slowly growing.

The dense essence turned into pale blue spiritual mist, swirling within the Water Mansion, making every breath feel refreshing.

All the aquatic Demon Soldiers residing here felt invigorated, and the bottlenecks that had previously hindered their cultivation suddenly became clear.

This abundant Spiritual Qi not only provided a strong energy guarantee for Gao De's Undergoing Tribulation but also prepared the best recovery environment for the period of weakness that he anticipated would inevitably follow.

The ample Spiritual Qi and significantly improved safety were like a lighthouse in the night, continuously attracting wild aquatic creatures from the surrounding waters who were eager to advance to come and seek refuge.

Gao De was happy to see this; he consciously screened and recruited them, and spent some resources to enlighten those with decent Aptitude, helping them awaken their intelligence.

Soon, the number of Demon Soldiers under his command exceeded two hundred, and they were no longer a disorganized mob; instead, based on their species characteristics, they were roughly organized into Shrimp Soldiers skilled in scouting and patrolling, Fish Warriors skilled in Formation charges, and Crab Soldiers skilled in siege and defense. Under the supervision of Crab Eighteen, they drilled day and night, and their Formations began to take shape.

Speaking of Crab Eighteen, its submission could be considered an unexpected joy.

This First Stage Middle Stage Iron-Clad Pincer Crab, which had dominated the nearby waters for many years, had a violent temperament; its shell was exceptionally hard, difficult to damage with ordinary Magical Artifacts, and its pair of giant pincers could even snap metal and split stones.

Attracted by the Water Mansion's increasingly powerful aura and pure Spiritual Qi, it came to challenge him, intending to seize this treasure land.

Gao De, wanting to test his own progress in strength, did not use many Divine Abilities, instead maneuvering against it using only his reinforced Physical Body and water control techniques. Finally, seizing the Opportunity, he knocked it over with a claw strike containing the Power of Thunder, pointing his unicorn horn at its vital point, but did not take its life.

Subsequently, Gao De revealed his pure Dragon might, promising it cultivation resources and a future, and finally subdued this fierce demon.

After naming it "Crab Eighteen," he appointed it as the Chief Instructor of the Demon Soldiers, responsible for daily drills and defensive patrols.

From then on, Gao De had Turtle Three Thousand, the experienced and prudent Chief Steward, on the inside, and Crab Eighteen, the fierce and battle-hardened vanguard general, on the outside. The framework was finally complete, and although the scale was still small, it already faintly possessed the atmosphere and structure of a "Dragon Palace."

However, there was still one matter unresolved in Gao De's heart—the Third Stage turtle shell shield raw material obtained from the Baxia Bloodline Turtle Demon, which was crucial to his safety during the Undergoing Tribulation; the Artifact Refining of it into a Magic Treasure had been progressing slowly.

This shell was made of extraordinary material, but without being refined, directly deploying it to resist the Heavenly Tribulation might instead damage its Origin.

Just as Gao De was considering whether to risk venturing deep into the Yunmeng Great Marsh to seek an Opportunity, a turning point quietly appeared.

Turtle Three Thousand, relying on his experience as an old turtle, inquired widely among Human Cultivators and aquatic tribes, combining fragmented information from some obscure discussion boards on the tianji mirror. A clue gradually became clear—a Loose Cultivator from the Shu region named "Mysterious Fulcrum Master" was recently traveling in the Dongting Lake area.

The Shu region had been a sacred land for Artifact Refining since ancient times, with a unique heritage.

Although this Mysterious Fulcrum Master was not famous to the outside world, he seemed to be highly regarded within small circles, especially skilled in refining and repairing various heavy-duty defensive Magical Artifacts, possessing unique secret techniques for spiritual channeling and structural reinforcement of heavy Materials like turtle shells, bones, and Ores.

It was rumored that this person had a haughty personality, disliked interacting with major Sects, and was known for the saying, "I do not take action for anything less than fine Materials, and I am not moved by anything less than exotic treasures."

His visit to Dongting this time was said to be for the purpose of seeking a rare water-refining material called "Nether Cold Iron" to temper a prized work. He was currently temporarily staying in a secluded valley rarely visited by humans on the southwest bank of Dongting Lake, where he had opened up a temporary Immortal Cave to reside.

"An Artifact Refiner from the Shu region, Mysterious Fulcrum Master..." Gao De weighed this repeatedly in his heart.

Human Artifact Refiners, especially Loose Cultivators with true talent and independent characters, were usually not as difficult to fathom as the Yao Race; their demands were often more direct—either rare Materials, special knowledge, or remuneration sufficient to move them.

However, how to safely make contact with a strange Human Cultivator at the Golden Core Stage, demonstrate the value of the turtle shell raw material without being coveted, and produce a price sufficient to move the other party, still required a careful plan.

For now, consolidating the Water Mansion and adjusting his own state to deal with the Heavenly Tribulation remained the overriding top priority.

Gao De deeply imprinted the name "Mysterious Fulcrum Master" and the related intelligence into his mind, deciding that after he successfully achieved Dragon Transformation and his strength greatly increased, he would personally go and meet this Shu Artifact Refiner.