NOVPUB
Chapter 1142: Chapter 1040: Accident
Magma Flying Ants appeared abruptly, and those Fire Essences, as if sensing danger, began to panic and attempted to escape.
The Essence of the Five Elements possesses Spiritual Intelligence; although it is not quite on par with that of a three-year-old child, it is easily frightened. Moreover, as they absorb Spiritual Energy and grow over time, their Spiritual Intelligence would gradually enhance, and it is not impossible for them to evolve into high-level spirits.
"Damn it!"
Li Zhirui couldn’t help but curse under his breath upon seeing this scene; if the Fire Essences escaped now, there was no telling when they would reappear next.
After all, if it wasn’t for the coincidence of a volcanic eruption spurting a flow that flushed the Fire Essences up from the depths of the volcano, they would never show themselves voluntarily.
In other words, if he missed this chance, the likelihood of Li Zhirui obtaining the Fire Essence would be extremely slim!
"Out of the way!"
Li Zhirui did not hold back, turning nearly seventy percent of his Mana into a massive water barrier to trap the swarm of ants, then he recklessly flew towards the Fire Essences.
Yi ya ya—
Frightened by the impending danger, the Fire Essences screamed in panic, darting chaotically in an effort to escape.
Li Zhirui, a man not given to greed, promptly summoned several vines and reached for the two closest Fire Essences.
One managed to escape by a fluke, but fortunately, the other was captured.
"Phew!"
Li Zhirui immediately breathed a sigh of relief; the vines quickly retracted, and he swiftly sealed the captured Fire Essence within a Jade Bottle.
Spurt—
Just then, Li Zhirui sensed a threatening presence attacking him from the side, and with a glance from the corner of his eye, he saw another swarm of ants emerging from the mouth of the volcano.
"Such misfortune, encountering two swarms of ants."
Being in a volcano, without any trees or even water to speak of, and with a swarm of ants blocking above, there was simply nowhere to escape. Li Zhirui had no choice but to flash into a spatial dimension.
Buzz buzz buzz—
The ants, with their meager intelligence, couldn’t comprehend how Li Zhirui vanished, and frantically searched the vicinity until they gave up and returned to rebuild their nest.
After Li Zhirui recovered his Mana within the spatial dimension, he soared into the sky at his fastest speed and left the volcano behind, the swarm of ants not even realizing what happened.
They only sensed the presence of a member of the human race which then rapidly disappeared.
To prevent any further approaches from the human race, the Ant Queen in the deepest part of the nest dispatched a large number of flying ants to patrol the surroundings.
...
Just after escaping from the volcano, Li Zhirui caught the attention of two Integration Cultivators; both were in the mid-stage of Integration and intercepted his path.
"Fellow Daoist managed to safely leave the Magma Flying Ant volcano, so you must have reaped a bounty. We two brothers are not greedy, just hand over half of your Spiritual Objects, and we will let you leave unharmed," said one of the White-robed Cultivators, smiling.
Li Zhirui’s expression remained impassive as he regarded the two men and then, without any warning, he struck. Countless vines burst from the ground while simultaneously a barrage of Sun Water Yin Thunder bolts bombarded the two of them.
"Gentlemen, farewell!"
Before the echoes of his voice faded, Li Zhirui flashed a green light and appeared several miles away. Then, in the blink of an eye, he was almost beyond their sight.
The volcano was disadvantageous for Li Zhirui, especially when confronted by two mid-stage Integration Cultivators, not to mention the fierce swarm of ants below.
Thus, the moment he saw the two of them blocking the path, Li Zhirui began to ponder how he could leave.
When he saw a sparse but extended expanse of vegetation a few miles away, an idea formed in Li Zhirui’s mind; he secretly sent out numerous Spirit Seeds of vines and then utilized Wood Escape with the help of these vines, swiftly leaving that troublesome place behind.
Li Zhirui’s attack didn’t hold the two off for long, but it was enough for him to escape from their line of sight and reach a safe area.
Buzz buzz buzz—
Hearing this noise, the pair of brothers no longer thought to pursue Li Zhirui and hurriedly escaped towards a distant location.
And these ants had also been provoked by Li Zhirui.
"Hmph! Thinking you can compete with me." Li Zhirui, not noticing anyone following, found a secluded and safe place and began to examine his map.
He planned to head next to the Gold Realm and the Earth Realm.
Gathering the Essence of the Five Elements was somewhat difficult, so Li Zhirui thought of obtaining the three that he lacked first. If possible, he would fill in the rest later.
If that proved unfeasible, he could replace Water Essence and Wood Essence with his own Mana. At worst, it would cost him some extra time and effort, ensuring the balance of the Five Elements.
"First, head to the Earth Realm’s Wanzai Mountains and Marshes."
It was relatively close by, and after obtaining the Earth Essence, he could continue on his way to the Gold Realm, which could save some travel time.
Li Zhirui’s Wood Escape had reached a profound level of mastery, so even passing through forests teeming with Demonic Insects, he went undetected.
He arrived without any significant problems safely at the Wanzai Mountains and Marshes.
This place, within the Secret Realm, had the densest concentration of Earth Spiritual Qi and was also one of the areas with the most Spiritual Objects, as the soil here was Spirit Soil! It was exceedingly suitable for the reproduction and growth of Spiritual Objects.
But for that reason, it attracted many Demonic Insects.
Li Zhirui had been in the Wanzai Mountains and Marshes for barely two days when he encountered several groups of Cultivators. Everyone was relatively peaceful, and no one was thinking of robbery or the like.
Li Zhirui also tried to inquire about the whereabouts of the Earth Essence among them.
Though the Essence of the Five Elements was precious, it was not useful to every Cultivator.
But the size of the area was truly vast, and the Earth Essence liked to hide deep within the ground, making it exceptionally difficult to detect, leaving no one with any clues.
As a result, Li Zhirui spent a good half month in the Wanzai Mountains and Marshes.
"If I don’t find any clues within seven days, I’ll give up," Li Zhirui set a final deadline for himself.
