FIMA Ch160: Seize
Gu Siyuan glanced at Xie Xueyi with a smile, released his chin, and held his delicate wrist, “Let’s go explore this secret realm.”
Xie Xueyi came back to his senses, lightly swinging their joined hands, “Yes, hurry, before all the good things are taken.”
The two proceeded, using only light-footwork techniques.
The secret realm was full of dangers. Except when fleeing for their lives, people generally wouldn’t fly with swords, as it would attract dangerous creatures and lead to certain death.
The Immortal Spirit Secret Realm was vast and boundless. They had entered only its outskirts, where all the valuable treasures were located in the center.
However, the further they ventured inside, the more perilous it became.
From increasingly powerful demonic beasts to frequent encounters with various cultivators, as well as unpredictable geographical environments.
That evening.
As the sun hung low in the sky, its orange-yellow light cast a golden veil over the distant peaks.
Gu Siyuan and Xie Xueyi paused to rest by a broad river valley.
This river valley marked the last boundary line between the inner and outer regions of the secret realm.
Gu Siyuan slew two spirit birds with a single strike, then used a dagger to clean them by the river, roasting them slowly over a fire.
Xie Xueyi excitedly poured out the contents of his space ring, counting them one by one, like a hamster preparing food for winter.
Gu Siyuan glanced at him and casually asked, “Are you satisfied with the harvest these past few days?”
Xie Xueyi looked up, beaming, “Very satisfied, extremely satisfied.”
Though they encountered many fierce beasts along the way, they were still in the outer regions, and Gu Siyuan could handle them all with a single strike, collecting almost all the rare resources.
Occasionally, they met other cultivators competing for resources, but with Gu Siyuan’s reputation, those people would retreat without a fight.
Seeing his cute demeanor, Gu Siyuan softly said, “Tomorrow we can enter the inner region of the secret realm. There will be even more treasures then.”
Xie Xueyi blinked, scooted over to sit next to him, leaned against his leg, and gazed up at him with sparkling eyes, “Will you get them all for me?”
Gu Siyuan raised an eyebrow, “If you want them, it’s not a problem.”
He himself didn’t care much for the secret realm’s treasures.
As the senior brother of Taixuan Immortal Sect, resources usable within the Golden Core stage were almost entirely at his disposal as long as they weren’t too excessive.
Moreover, he had spent two months at the Weapon Refining Peak recently, producing enough artifacts to make a fortune.
However, Xie Xueyi seemed very interested in collecting these items, always elated whenever they found something.
Xie Xueyi excitedly hugged Gu Siyuan, “Brother, you’re so good. I like you so much.”
Gu Siyuan’s lips curved into a smile.
He looked at the spirit bird, which was almost done roasting, and handed one to Xie Xueyi, “It can get even better. Try this.”
Cultivators usually avoid eating grains to prevent impurities from entering their bodies.
However, these spirit birds were spirit beasts from the secret realm, having cultivated in abundant spiritual energy since birth. Eating them was actually beneficial for cultivation.
Xie Xueyi took it with his hand, then smiled mischievously, “Brother, it seems these spirit birds were hawk-like before. You’re also a hawk, aren’t you? So, in the end, it’s still me, the king of the forest, who gets to eat you first.”
Gu Siyuan glanced at him coolly, “Indeed, I’m not as good as you. But to be constantly remembered by you, Junior Brother, is an honor.”
“…” Xie Xueyi.
Hmph, he really knows how to put on airs.
Xie Xueyi widened his eyes and took a big bite of the roasted spirit bird.
Then, he blinked and took several more bites, leaving the spirit bird almost stripped to the bone.
He turned to Gu Siyuan, “Good brother, how come even roasting a bird tastes so good? Is there anything you can’t do?”
Gu Siyuan’s expression remained unchanged as he said, “There truly isn’t. I’m good at everything.”
“…” Xie Xueyi.
Was he being too suggestive? Or was this person indeed hinting at something?
Just then, a loud noise, like the explosion of a magical weapon, sounded not far away.
Gu Siyuan extended his spiritual sense to investigate.
After a moment, he narrowed his eyes and stood up directly.
Xie Xueyi frowned, “What’s wrong?”
Gu Siyuan replied, “Some junior brothers and sisters from the Immortal Sect are being chased. I need to go.”
Saying this, he picked up Xie Xueyi and quickly headed towards the commotion.
A shadow flashed across the spacious river valley.
At the end of the valley was a sinister cold pond.
At this moment, near the cold pond, a giant white cold flood dragon, along with its two toad generals, was brutally slaughtering.
A long, barbed, red tongue shot out, wrapping around a purple-clad cultivator, pulling him swiftly towards its mouth.
“Senior Brother Ji, Senior Brother Ji, help…”
The disciple from Ziji Mountain cried out in terror, struggling as the barbs on the tongue scraped off a layer of his skin, leaving him covered in blood.
Ji Jinghuan glanced at the disciple but couldn’t help him.
He tightly held onto Xiao Xinchi, retreating rapidly while activating a special spiritual artifact on his body, blocking an attack from the white cold flood dragon’s tail.
In an instant, the Ziji Mountain disciple, wrapped by the ice toad’s tongue, could smell the foul odor from the toad’s mouth, his face turning ashen.
The other disciples nearby wanted to help but couldn’t.
Suddenly, an incredibly sharp silver-white sword light, like a celestial being, flashed by.
Blood splattered in mid-air as the long red tongue was cut off at the base, sending the Purple Extreme Mountain disciple flying away.
Ding Yue felt the grip on his body loosen and was overjoyed, but in the next moment, he fell uncontrollably towards the lake below.
At this moment, his clothes tightened as if someone grabbed him.
He hurriedly looked up and exclaimed, “Senior Brother…”
Gu Siyuan carried him to the shore and put him down, saying to Xie Xueyi, “Give him some pills.”
Then, his figure leaped up again, sword in hand, heading towards the rampaging ice toad that had just lost its tongue.
Gu Siyuan’s expression was stern as he wielded his sword swiftly, executing the Meteor Sword Technique to perfection.
The twin sword lights mercilessly slashed at the ice toad, splitting its body in half. This time, the ice toad beast was completely dead.
The struggling disciples, seeing Gu Siyuan coming to their rescue, were overjoyed, “Senior Brother!”
“Senior Brother is invincible.”
Gu Siyuan nodded slightly.
However, the remaining ice toad, perhaps witnessing the brutal death of its companion, went berserk, not daring to extend its tongue, instead recklessly spraying icy poison in all directions.
This poison was extremely potent, causing severe cold upon contact. Within moments, several people were injured.
Gu Siyuan’s expression tightened, “You all, fall back.”
Then, his sword light intensified, dealing with the last ice toad in the same manner.
At this moment, the disciples suddenly cried out, “Senior Brother, watch out!”
Gu Siyuan could guess what was happening behind him without looking. He just tapped his foot, leaping into the air from the ice toad he had just split in half.
In the next moment, the spot where he stood was crushed by a heavy ice-white serpent tail, smashing the giant toad’s corpse into the lake.
Cold flood dragons are among the strongest and most challenging beasts to deal with.
Gu Siyuan had no intention of confronting it head-on and retreated rapidly to the shore.
However, his retreat increased the pressure on Ji Jinghuan and Xiao Xinchi, who were fighting the cold flood dragon.
He watched as Ji Jinghuan repeatedly tried to retreat but was relentlessly pursued by the violent cold flood dragon. Human cultivators’ spiritual power and bodies could not compare to the flood dragon’s.
In the ongoing battle, Ji Jinghuan and Xiao Xinchi faced life-threatening danger several times.
Xiao Xinchi glanced at Ji Jinghuan, then at Gu Siyuan, and shouted anxiously, “Senior Brother, help!”
Gu Siyuan narrowed his eyes but didn’t respond.
Just then, Ji Jinghuan moved his arm, seemingly throwing something towards Gu Siyuan and the others.
Gu Siyuan ignored whatever it was and swiftly pulled Xie Xueyi away, but the cold flood dragon’s attention was completely attracted.
It actually let Ji Jinghuan and Xiao Xinchi go, turning its focus entirely on Gu Siyuan.
On the other side, Ji Jinghuan, pulling Xiao Xinchi, looked at Gu Siyuan with a cold smile and then fled swiftly like the wind.
Xie Xueyi was furious, “That damned thing.”
Gu Siyuan’s expression remained calm. He simply said to Xie Xueyi, “Step back.”
With that, he moved his palm slightly, producing dozens of black spherical artifacts.
In an instant, he activated them with his spiritual power and hurled them at the cold flood dragon.
“Boom…!”
Dozens of spirit bombs exploded simultaneously, unleashing power comparable to that of a Nascent Soul cultivator, turning the entire sky crimson.
The once-arrogant cold flood dragon was instantly torn apart, its single horn, limbs, and flesh all gushing blood as it let out a piercing scream.
Even Ji Jinghuan, who had already fled far with Xiao Xinchi, stopped in his tracks upon hearing the scream.
Xiao Xinchi exclaimed in shock, “What happened?”
By the cold pond, Gu Siyuan seized the moment.
He took out dozens more black spherical spirit bombs from his storage ring and hurled them at the struggling cold flood dragon.
“Boom…” Another loud explosion.
The cold flood dragon finally fell, its body floating and sinking on the water’s surface, continuously bleeding.
The once crystal-clear cold pond instantly turned a murky pink.
Xie Xueyi stared wide-eyed at Gu Siyuan, muttering, “Before, when you were making this thing on the Artifact Peak, a single one didn’t seem very powerful, but dozens or hundreds of them exploding together are actually this powerful?”
Gu Siyuan nodded slightly, “This is the effect I wanted. If it were useless, why would I spend two months making them?”
Xie Xueyi recalled how, before entering the secret realm, Gu Siyuan had insisted on stuffing a small mountain of these black spheres into his storage ring. His heart instantly softened.
He immediately hugged Gu Siyuan’s arm and acted coyly, “Brother, I like you so much, I’m head over heels for you…”
Gu Siyuan raised an eyebrow, pinching his cheek, his voice low, “Head over heels? Save that energy for later.”
“…” Xie Xueyi.
Did he hear some suggestive words again?
Xie Xueyi coughed lightly and said dryly to Gu Siyuan, “Brother, that guy named Ji just threw a broken egg over, and this cold flood dragon went crazy at you.”
Gu Siyuan narrowed his eyes.
Cold flood dragons, born in cold ponds, liked dark and cold places and were generally lazy beasts that wouldn’t actively seek trouble with humans.
The fact that it fought Ji Jinghuan and the others so relentlessly this time meant they had probably done something.
He recalled that in the original story, the main characters had an ice dragon beast pet, which should be from this incident.
The reason it was an ice dragon and not a cold flood dragon was that, according to the original story, one of the two cold flood dragon eggs wasn’t laid by the flood dragon itself but was stolen from a dragon’s lair at great risk. The flood dragon planned to swallow it during its tribulation to transform and gain a trace of true dragon bloodline.
Thinking of this, he directly asked the Purple Extreme Mountain disciples who were standing dumbfounded nearby, “What did you do to the cold flood dragon earlier? Did you steal its egg?”
These disciples, originally from Ziji Mountain and absolute confidants of the Ji family, wavered upon recalling Ji Jinghuan’s decisive escape.
One of them, Ding Yue, who had been given an antidote pill by Xie Xueyi and was adjusting his breath, said softly, “When we were searching for ice spirit stones in the cold pond earlier, we saw two cold flood dragon eggs…”
Xie Xueyi rolled his eyes and mocked, “No wonder it chased you relentlessly. With such formidable beasts as the cold flood dragon and the ice toad, you really wanted the eggs without caring for your lives! If it weren’t for our senior brother arriving in time, would you all have died here for an egg?”
“No… no…” They wanted to argue but stammered, “Cold flood dragon eggs are incredibly precious. Once we got them, how could they stay with us? Even if we wanted to return them, we wouldn’t have had the chance to decide…”
Gu Siyuan nodded, his voice cold, “I understand.”
Then he looked at Xie Xueyi, “Do you want more treasures?”
“Of course, what are you planning?” Xie Xueyi blinked, eager to try.
Gu Siyuan glanced in the direction where Ji Jinghuan had disappeared, sneering, “As they say, ‘to kill and rob is to wear a golden belt.’ Why go through the trouble of finding things ourselves when we can just take them from others?”
Stealing 👀