I am grinding experience in another world - Chapter 754 - 742: Dragon Bone Boat
“You said that the shortcut to quickly reach Ba State is the Tongtian River?”
Is there a Tongtian River in this Extreme North?
Chen Mu frowned at Tang Zong.
Having been at the Tangshan Institute for over a year, with his Vermilion Feather Sword flying everywhere, the map within a radius of three hundred miles was etched in his mind.
He had even inquired about places a thousand miles away, but had never seen any large rivers.
Moreover, from what he understood, the entire Yizhou had few large water veins, with more of those small rivers and lakes speckled like stars in the sky.
“There indeed is no Tongtian River on the surface,” Tang Zong said with a smile, “but underground…”
The Tongtian River is underground? Such a vast Tongtian River, like a sea, is underground?
Chen Mu was full of astonishment.
“The Tongtian River in Yizhou is indeed underground!”
“And deep beneath Tangshan, there’s a portal that leads to the Tongtian River,” Tang Zong continued.
“You’re not lying to me?” Chen Mu looked at Tang Zong with suspicion.
During his time at the Tangshan Institute, he had often used the Truthful Listening Divine Power to probe the surroundings, never sparing the underground of Tangshan.
There were indeed several underground water veins, but they were relatively small in scale, mostly sourced from melting ice and snow penetrating the ground, unlikely to be connected to the Tongtian River.
Deeper still was the massive magma lake that created the hot springs of Tangshan.
That magma lake…
Chen Mu’s heart suddenly skipped a beat.
“That magma lake, indeed, it can lead to the Tongtian River,” Tang Zong laughed grimly.
It truly is so.
Chen Mu couldn’t help but think of the Loach Dragon Fire Path.
It was a subterranean magma river he had taken when moving from Yunzhou to Hai Province, with entry and exit points at the riverbed.
If thought of this way, it’s not impossible for the underground magma lake of Tangshan to lead to the Tongtian River.
…
After deciding to leave, the entire Tangshan Institute became busy.
The arrangement of personnel, gathering of resources, all of these were handled under Tang Zong’s leadership.
Even the transportation magic artifacts had been prepared in advance.
“A Dragon Bone Boat? This thing?”
On the wooden cabin corridor, Chen Mu sat in a bamboo chair, looking in astonishment at the small charm in Tang Zong’s palm.
The charm was palm-sized, with a long shape curved like a snake, appearing at first glance like a black, cast-iron loach.
“The Dragon Bone Boat was an accidental find by an ancestor of the Tang Family. It can become large or small, with vast space inside, capable of accommodating everyone at the Tangshan Institute.”
As Tang Zong spoke, he tossed the black loach charm onto the ground outside the corridor, reciting a cursing method as mana surged.
Buzz!
The air trembled, and the small loach expanded at a speed visible to the naked eye.
In just over a dozen breaths, the palm-sized charm transformed into a bizarre large loach, a person high and five to six meters long.
Its body surface was covered with fine scales, its form slowly swaying its head and tail, as if alive.
Tang Zong stopped, his face pale, looking at Chen Mu with a wry smile.
“Its main body can be twice as large, but unfortunately, I can only activate it to this extent.”
“Wanting to control it to travel through water is even more difficult.”
Chen Mu suddenly realized.
No wonder Tang Zong was willing to incur such a huge cost to follow him.
Now it seemed it wasn’t that he didn’t want to, but that he simply couldn’t.
With Tang Zong’s abilities, he couldn’t freely manipulate the Dragon Bone Boat, hence needing to join Chen Mu.
Tang Zong sighed, handing Chen Mu an ancient jade slip with a pained expression.
“According to the ancestor’s notes, the jade slip was found alongside the Dragon Bone Boat.”
“Inside it records the Central Mechanism Spell for the Dragon Bone Boat, by which one can activate it freely.”
“Please, Capital Institute, accept it,” Tang Zong said solemnly.
Hearing this, Chen Mu raised his eyebrows in surprise.
He had seen many transportation magic artifacts, such as the Bai Gui Ship and the Cloud Bat Flying Boat.
They also had vast space within, but their external sizes were extremely large.
This was the first time he had seen a transportation magic artifact like the Dragon Bone Boat, which could change sizes as desired.
Such a precious artifact, really just given to me like this?
“A magic artifact is good, but without anyone able to use it, it would just gather dust in the Tang Family,” Tang Zong said with a bitter smile.
“By giving it to the Capital Institute, it allows us to escape the chaotic Yizhou.”
“It’s worth it!” Tang Zong said through gritted teeth.
So decisive, is this still the greedy and cunning Tang Zong of old?
Chen Mu looked sideways.
“Aren’t you afraid I’ll take your family’s magic artifact and run away?” he said with a playful smile. “How about we sign a contract?”
“No need!”
“I trust the Capital Institute,” Tang Sect said with a serious expression.
Tsk!
Now it really seems like it’s not easy to just escape.
Chen Mu sighed and shook his head.
If this guy really wanted to bind him with a contract, Chen Mu would dare to use the Nine-Turn Tribulation Technique to endure the contract’s backlash and make a run for it.
But now…
“Go back and gather the supplies.”
“Once we’re ready, we’ll leave,” Chen Mu clicked his tongue and waved his hand to send Tang Sect away.
…
Several days later.
Six hundred miles south of the Tangshan Institute, a cold strange wind howled.
In a mountain hollow, a bloody scene unfolded, with corpses lying everywhere.
A large number of wolf-headed exotic beasts covered in scale armor and lion-like exotic beasts with fiery red fur were lying dead on the ground.
Masses of black smoke appeared out of thin air, rolling and sweeping around like tidal waves. Wherever it passed, the corpses of exotic beasts were completely devoured. Even the blood-stained crimson ice and snow were swept away without a trace.
On the mountain peak on the southern side of the hollow, Chen Mu revealed himself.
An invisible aura surrounded him, completely isolating the icy and violent wind and snow three meters away.
“With these exotic beast corpses, I can refine another gourd of Nourishing Spirit Wine.” Chen Mu nodded with satisfaction.
This wasn’t his first time manipulating the Five Ghosts Black Smoke to gather exotic beast bodies.
As more exotic beast communities migrated north, conflicts inevitably arose as they competed for suitable habitats.
Chen Mu always used the Vermilion Feather Sword to observe the exotic beast groups, appearing wherever there was conflict.
While observing the movements of exotic beasts, he also collected materials for refining Nourishing Spirit Wine.
Over these days, he had refined five and a half gourds of Nourishing Spirit Wine, enough for two months of consumption.
The previously scarce Nourishing Spirit Wine was suddenly replenished.
“Judging by the general direction of these exotic beasts’ movement, they’re clearly heading towards Tangshan, are they chasing the Earth Spirit Vital Energy?” Chen Mu mused.
After observing for these days, he more or less guessed the reasons for the exotic beasts’ migration.
It’s not just because of the disruptions caused by the Outer Heaven Demons in Yizhou; the more important reason is probably their pursuit of vital energy.
“It must be the handiwork of those Yin Ghost Sect members from the Kangzhou Lock Dragon Institute,”
Chen Mu thought with certainty.
Destroying earth veins, dispersing the gathering of vital energy, establishing City God Dojos, and spreading the Earth Spirit Vital Energy is a common tactic of the Lock Dragon Institute.
This benefits ordinary plants and animals and untrained mortals, but it’s a catastrophe for exotic beasts and monsters.
Like fish out of water, exotic beasts and monsters would die due to a lack of vital energy.
Even if they barely survived, their spirituality would dissipate, turning into beasts driven only by instinct, completely severing the possibility of triggering their ancestral bloodlines.
Due to its remoteness and harsh icy conditions, the Northern Land was unsuitable for ordinary human survival and therefore remained unaffected by the Lock Dragon Institute.
The originally barren Northern Land became a place rich in Earth Spirit Vital Energy, attracting exotic beast migrations.
“So far, it’s only been some ordinary exotic beast communities.”
“Sooner or later, Great Demons will come.”
“Just like that Earth-digging Golden Toad that dashed itself to death before.”
“Tangshan Institute is indeed untenable,” Chen Mu shook his head and sighed.
…
In front of the straw hut on the hillside of Tangshan.
A palm-sized, pitch-black little loach was leisurely flying in mid-air, like a fish swimming in water.
“Size as desired, containing an inner universe.”
“Able to escape water, fly through the sky, and immune to water and fire; it can even perform short-distance space-breaking escapes.”
“What a treasure!”
Thinking of Tang Sect’s pained expression, Chen Mu’s mood brightened further.
With a thought, a translucent gray stone gate appeared in front of him.
Loach Dragon Spell: 6423/10000;
“I didn’t expect gaining experience in the Loach Dragon Spell would go so smoothly.”
Chen Mu was quite excited.
The Dragon Boat was quite intricate; he thought it would be challenging to master, but practicing it was surprisingly smooth.
Besides the assistance from the Spiritual Treasure Pivot Scripture, a long-unused ability played a significant role in this.
Chen Mu looked at the gray stone gate again.
Manipulation: 5286/10000/Third Rank;
This was a skill he mastered when piloting the Flying Kite.
He had gained some experience passively while controlling the Water Avoiding Shuttle but hadn’t paid much attention to it.
Unexpectedly, it accelerated his progress in mastering the Loach Dragon Spell.
“Judging by the pace in the last few days, in another three to five days, I might reach the limit and fully master the Dragon Bone Boat!”
After contemplating briefly, Chen Mu couldn’t help but smile.
