Chapter 118 - 114: Obtained the Item Smoothly

Chapter 118: Chapter 114: Obtained the Item Smoothly

The engine roared to life as the car left the base city, driving steadily toward Shihu Town.

"I looked into the situation over at Shihu Town," Xiao Mingyue said as she drove. "The Otherworldly Secret Realm you mentioned earlier hasn’t disappeared yet. Lately, many adventurer squads from Yu City Base City have been exploring there.

"So, the situation there might be a bit complicated. However, we’re both Tier Two Gene Cultivators. As long as we don’t run into anything too dangerous, we should be able to handle it."

Ji Zhixing nodded. The adventurer squads in Yu City Base City were mostly composed of Tier One Gene Cultivators. With their current strength, as long as they didn’t have a death wish, they were unlikely to face any real danger.

The car sped along the road, the scenery outside the window shifting from a dense cityscape to untamed wilderness. Several dozen minutes later, a familiar stretch of ruins appeared ahead.

"We’re here." Ji Zhixing pointed forward. "That’s Shihu Town."

Xiao Mingyue slowed down, navigating the pothole-riddled road into the town. The area was much livelier than the last time Ji Zhixing visited, with the figures of adventurers popping up frequently. Additionally, numerous vehicles were parked around the town’s perimeter.

Ji Zhixing didn’t have Xiao Mingyue stop the car; instead, he had her drive all the way to the edge of the distant Shi Lake.

"This is the place." As the car came to a halt, Ji Zhixing pushed the door open, stepped out, and walked to the edge of the water, gazing at the familiar lake. The last time he was here, he had been on the distant Lake Heart Island when the Land-Traveling Ancient Whale dragged him underwater. He had spent a full eighteen days in that underground water cave. Thinking back on it now, he was incredibly lucky to be alive.

Xiao Mingyue also got out of the car and walked to his side, looking at Shi Lake before them. "Is that Land-Traveling Ancient Whale in this lake?"

"Yeah, in an underground water cave beneath Lake Heart Island," Ji Zhixing nodded.

"Then let’s hurry up," Xiao Mingyue said. "We should try to get this done before dark."

Ji Zhixing voiced his agreement, and the two leapt into the water together, swimming toward Lake Heart Island in the distance.

The lake was freezing cold. Ji Zhixing activated his Frog Pendant, allowing him to move with nimble ease. Meanwhile, the Mermaid Pendant hanging around Xiao Mingyue’s neck emitted a faint silver glow, forming a barrier that kept the lake water at bay. One after the other, they swiftly reached the island.

Upon coming ashore, Ji Zhixing shook the water off his body and vigilantly scanned their surroundings. The island was deathly quiet, with no signs of anyone else around.

Xiao Mingyue retrieved a drone from her Gene Furnace. It was a size larger than an average drone, entirely black, and equipped with four propellers and a small hook underneath. She then took out a jade box. Opening it, she withdrew an earthy-yellow stone the size of a chicken egg. The stone was perfectly round, its surface shimmering with a faint light. One glance was enough to tell it was no ordinary object.

"Is this the Earth Spirit Pearl?" Ji Zhixing asked curiously. Earlier in the car, Xiao Mingyue had mentioned this item to him.

"Mhm." Xiao Mingyue nodded. "It’s an Earth Attribute natural treasure. It should be highly attractive to the Land-Traveling Ancient Whale, which will allow us to lure it out."

Saying that, she placed the Earth Spirit Pearl in a small cloth bag and hung it on the drone’s hook. After finishing this, she looked at Ji Zhixing. "According to the plan, I’ll lure the Land-Traveling Ancient Whale out. Once I’ve drawn it away, you go and fetch the Earth Spirit Liquid."

As she spoke, she took out a large extraction syringe and handed it to Ji Zhixing. It was as thick as an arm, with a transparent barrel engraved with measurement markings and a piston-style pulling handle at the top.

"Take this; it’ll make collecting the Earth Spirit Liquid much easier. One cylinder can hold several liters, which should be enough for you."

"You even prepared this?" Ji Zhixing was stunned. He hadn’t expected Xiao Mingyue to be so thoroughly prepared. "Alright."

He took the syringe, weighed it in his hand, and nodded. Stepping aside without another word, he watched as Xiao Mingyue piloted the drone to take off. The drone’s propellers let out a BUZZING sound as it slowly rose from the ground and began to fly around Lake Heart Island.

Ji Zhixing and Xiao Mingyue both stared tensely at the live feed transmitted by the drone. On the screen, the surface of Shi Lake was as calm as a mirror, with no visible anomalies.

One minute.

Two minutes.

Three minutes...

About five or six minutes later, there was sudden movement on the lake’s surface. A massive shadow slowly rose from underwater, growing larger and clearer.

SPLASH!

Water cascaded everywhere as a behemoth surfaced from the depths. The creature was astonishingly massive, measuring over a dozen meters long. Its entire body was grayish-white and streamlined, resembling a giant fish, but it also sported thick, sturdy flippers.

It was none other than the Land-Traveling Ancient Whale.

After surfacing, its massive head swiveled slightly before locking its gaze onto the drone in the sky.

"It’s out!" Xiao Mingyue’s heart tightened as her fingers rapidly toggled the controls. The drone immediately changed direction, flying off into the distance.

Seeing the drone fly away, the Land-Traveling Ancient Whale let out a low roar. Its massive body swung violently in the water, kicking up enormous splashes as it paddled its limbs, quickly chasing after the drone. It moved with terrifying speed, cleaving through the waves and churning up a wake several meters high.

"I’ll lure it a bit further away," Xiao Mingyue said, piloting the drone further and further out.

The Land-Traveling Ancient Whale remained in hot pursuit, even spitting out several stone spheres in succession to attack the drone. Fortunately, none of them hit their mark.

Ji Zhixing watched the live feed from the drone and estimated the distance. "That should be enough." He turned to Xiao Mingyue. "I’ll head down now. Be careful while you’re here."

"Alright," Xiao Mingyue nodded. "You be careful too. I’ll wait for you here."

Ji Zhixing nodded. Without further hesitation, he turned and dove into the lake. The freezing lake water enveloped him instantly. Activating the Frog Pendant, he kicked his legs and shot forward like an amphibian.

He was far too familiar with this place. Back when he was held captive by the Land-Traveling Ancient Whale for a full eighteen days, he had to swim around in these waters every single day. He swam swiftly toward the underside of Lake Heart Island. As the lake water grew deeper, the light grew dimmer. Soon, he spotted that familiar water cave. The entrance was pitch-black, resembling a gaping maw.

Ji Zhixing didn’t hesitate; he plunged straight in.

The water cave was long and winding, its walls covered in aquatic plants and moss. He swam quickly along the tunnel. Before long, the space ahead suddenly opened up, and he arrived in the depths of the underground water cave once more.

CROAK CROAK!

On the rocky shore not far away, over a dozen Giant Footed Frogs were huddled together in a tight cluster. Upon seeing Ji Zhixing swim in, they immediately let out panicked cries.

Ji Zhixing ignored the Giant Footed Frogs. He swam rapidly to the rocky shore, clambered up, and sprinted toward the deeper parts of the cave. That was where the Land-Traveling Ancient Whale usually rested. When he arrived, his eyes immediately locked onto a small pit off to the side. The pit wasn’t large—only about the size of a washbasin—but it was filled with a layer of milky-white liquid.

Earth Spirit Liquid!

Ji Zhixing’s heartbeat suddenly accelerated. He squatted down, retrieved the extraction syringe from his Gene Furnace, placed its nozzle into the Earth Spirit Liquid, and pulled the piston.

GLUG GLUG GLUG...

The milky-white liquid was sucked into the syringe, slowly rising along the transparent barrel. The measurement markings ticked up bit by bit.

One liter, two liters, three liters...

Ji Zhixing pulled the piston in swift motions, his eyes fixed on the fluid level inside the syringe. Soon, all the Earth Spirit Liquid in the small pit had been extracted, filling an entire cylinder.

Having finished, he took a deep breath, immediately stored the syringe in his Gene Furnace, and turned to sprint out of the underground water cave. Behind him, those Giant Footed Frogs continued to croak, but not a single one dared to stop him.

Ji Zhixing ran to the water’s edge, leapt in, and quickly swam toward the cave entrance. After exiting, he increased his speed, swimming upward toward Lake Heart Island. Soon, he emerged from the water and saw a figure waiting for him.

It was Xiao Mingyue.

He popped his head out of the water and waved at her. Seeing him, Xiao Mingyue’s face instantly lit up with joy.

"Hurry and come up!" she called out.

Ji Zhixing swiftly swam to the shore and climbed up.

"How did it go?" Xiao Mingyue asked.

"I got it," Ji Zhixing replied, simultaneously taking out the syringe to show her. He truly hadn’t expected their plan to go so smoothly this time. To think they hadn’t encountered a single hiccup. He had obtained the Earth Spirit Liquid without a hitch.

"That much?" Xiao Mingyue glanced at it, her expression surprised. "It’s good that you got it. Let’s get out of here before it comes back!"

She then adjusted some settings to make the drone fly off into the distance on its own, before diving into the water with Ji Zhixing to rapidly swim toward the opposite shore of Shi Lake.