Her primary goal in attacking Sky Python Lake was to find the Water Origin Pearl, complete her spirit root, and break through to the Golden Core stage.
However, the absence of the fourth-rank Water Origin Pearl was unexpected.
Elian noticed this as well. After a moment of contemplation, he reminded her, "A fourth-rank low-grade earth vein produces a Water Origin Pearl every 180 years. The Sky Python King has occupied this area for many years—it's unlikely that no pearls have been accumulated."
Patriarch Chen Changxuan also pondered and voiced his thoughts, "Could it be that the pearls were sold?"
"Unlikely," Elian replied after consideration.
"Neither Emerald Wave Lake nor the vast Great Marsh lacks Water Origin Pearls. Moreover, as a water-attribute monster king, the Sky Python King would have used the pearls to accelerate its cultivation, likely keeping one or two for itself."
Jiang Linglong nodded in agreement. This reasoning was why she believed Sky Python Lake must hold Water Origin Pearls.
"If they aren't here, there's only one other possibility," Elian said, exchanging a glance with Jiang Linglong.
The group quickly collected the remaining precious items and flew to the Sky Python Island's spiritual vein.
At the heart of the island, in a secluded valley, they found the source of the fourth-rank spiritual vein—a deep, tranquil spiritual pool.
"A fourth-rank spiritual pond."
Seeing the pool, everyone showed joy.
A first-rank spiritual vein nurtures spiritual springs. A second-rank vein gathers spiritual fountains, and only a third-rank vein forms spiritual pools.
A spiritual pond, however, is exclusive to fourth-rank veins—a reservoir of pure spiritual liquid.
Gazing at the spiritual pond, Jiang Linglong's bright eyes flickered with purple light, as if discerning something.
"So, it's here after all."
A smile graced her face as she waved her sleeve, and two streaks of light flew out of the spiritual pool.
The streaks transformed into two crystalline pearls, clear and fluid, radiating an extraordinary aura.
"Water Origin Pearls."
Elian's eyes lit up as he recognized the treasures. Water Origin Pearls are the purest essence of the water element, naturally formed through the cycle of water energy.
These pearls are not only invaluable for aiding breakthroughs to the Golden Core stage but are also prized in alchemy and artifact crafting. Each pearl typically sells for over a million spirit stones and commands even higher prices in barter exchanges.
Years ago, Ancestor Xu spent millions of spirit stones to purchase a Golden Core Pill and a Five-Element Spiritual Fruit for breakthroughs. Though he succeeded, it drained Qingyang Sect's centuries of accumulated wealth.
With the acquisition of two Water Origin Pearls, Jiang Linglong happily secured them, completing her objective for this campaign.
Three days later, the Purple Mansion elders gathered once more by the spiritual pond.
Seated at the head, Jiang Linglong handed out an inventory of the spoils and spoke calmly.
"I instructed the Foundation Establishment cultivators to scour the inner lake thoroughly. Here is the inventory of what we've harvested. Please review it."
Elian accepted the inventory, his eyebrows raising as he scanned it. Despite anticipating the scale of their gains, the sheer volume of treasures still left him trembling with excitement.
The victory yielded an abundance of resources, categorized into three main types: artifacts from the slain Golden Core and Purple Mansion monsters, demonic beast materials like cores and body parts, and resources from the spiritual veins of Sky Python Lake.
Among the artifacts, three were fourth-rank treasures: the defensive artifact Earth Marsh Five-Smoke Net, the Transforming Dragon Blade, and the Ink Snow Immortal Sword.
Fourth-rank treasures require at least late Purple Mansion cultivation to wield effectively. Though highly coveted, none of the elders could fully utilize them due to their immense spiritual energy requirements.
These treasures, each valued near a million spirit stones, were far beyond the contributions the elders had made in this battle, leaving them as collective gains.
The third-rank artifacts were more accessible. The most valuable were the Purple Blood Tower and the Mountain-Splitting Soul-Cleaving Axe, both superior-grade third-rank artifacts. Others included the Flame Lasso, Sky Cyan Sword, and several other mid-grade treasures.
After some thought, Jiang Linglong addressed the group.
"Yang Zhengyuan fought to his death in this battle, contributing second only to Elian. I propose additional compensation to the Yang family. Alongside the promised two Five-Element Crystals, the Mountain-Splitting Soul-Cleaving Axe should also be returned to them."
The group hesitated briefly but ultimately nodded in agreement.
Without Yang Zhengyuan's self-sacrifice, many among them might have perished. The Yang family, now with two superior-grade artifacts and extra resources, would greatly benefit and could produce a new Purple Mansion cultivator.
The most coveted remaining treasure was the Purple Blood Tower. Given Elian's extraordinary contributions, he exchanged his accumulated merit for the artifact, bolstering his defenses significantly. Paired with the Grand Plough Celestial Sword, he now possessed formidable assets, capable of confronting late Purple Mansion cultivators.
Superior-grade third-rank artifacts are considered the pinnacle for most late Purple Mansion cultivators. With such a treasure, Elian solidified his position as a top-tier cultivator.
After the top-grade artifacts were allocated, Xu Qianyang chose the mid-grade Sky Cyan Sword, replacing a damaged weapon. The lesser artifacts, such as the Flame Lasso, were distributed among the Foundation Establishment cultivators who performed exceptionally during the battle.
For many Foundation Establishment cultivators, obtaining a third-rank artifact was an immense boon, prompting heartfelt gratitude.
The second category of loot included significant gains from slain demonic beasts.
While the Sky Python King's core would be used to craft Golden Core Pills for Yan Ziji, its massive body would be fashioned into a large treasure ship, leaving the rest of the materials as shared spoils.
The Purple Mansion demonic beasts provided rich resources. Among them, the mid-stage Green Blood Python and the late-stage Purple Blood Python were the most valuable, followed by three early-stage beasts.
After deliberation, the Purple Blood Python was allocated to the Chen family, while the remaining materials were distributed among the allied families.
The monster cores alone could produce six furnaces of Foundation Establishment Pills. The group agreed to pool resources to refine the pills, reserving twenty for the four major Purple Mansion families, with the surplus distributed among other cultivators.
The spoils of this expedition, particularly the Water Origin Pearls and numerous high-grade treasures, marked a monumental success, further elevating the Chen family's standing among Purple Mansion clans.
...
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I need POWAAA! Gimme Power Stones :D