Chapter 122: Chapter 122: Thousand Years Blood Clam
The boundless Misty Swamp was extremely complex. It was filled with malicious waters, marshes, and chaotic forests, one after another.
Luo Feng and Bing Ruolan were constantly heading north in the Misty Swamp, hunting Demon Beasts and searching for various precious materials.
「Time flew by.」
Unknowingly, the two had been in the Misty Swamp for ten days and had reached the vicinity of Ice Mystery Lake, located deep within the swamp.
"Luo Feng, look! This is the Purple Spirit Flower. It’s a material for making some second-grade elixirs," Bing Ruolan said, standing before a purple plant and carefully picking a small purple flower.
Upon hearing this, Luo Feng’s eyes brightened. "Materials for a second-grade elixir..." he murmured. "We’ve finally found something good."
Although they had found quite a few Spiritual Medicines in these ten days, they were all quite ordinary. On the other hand, they had obtained many materials from hunting Demon Beasts.
Luo Feng walked over to the purple plant.
This purple plant, shaped somewhat like coral, had green leaves but purple flowers. It was incredibly beautiful, with a light floral scent filling the air. Approaching it, one could feel the rich Yuan Qi within the flowers.
"This Purple Spirit Flower is hard to come by. When consumed by ordinary people, it can cleanse the flesh, expel impurities from the body, and prolong one’s lifespan. Bringing it back to the academy should yield a fair amount of academic credits."
After carefully picking all the Purple Spirit Flowers, Bing Ruolan glanced at the nearby forest and said, "Ice Mystery Lake is not far ahead. It’s abundant with Yuan Qi, and there might be heavenly treasures there. Let’s go take a look."
As Bing Ruolan was more familiar with the area, Luo Feng naturally had no objections.
The two of them continued their journey. As dusk fell, a rich, moist air wafted towards them. Luo Feng took a deep breath as the cool air rushed into his lungs, refreshing his spirits.
What appeared before them was a vast lake.
The surface was littered with countless fragments of ice, a white expanse stretching as far as the eye could see.
"This place is really beautiful," Luo Feng exclaimed.
A nostalgic look surfaced in Bing Ruolan’s deep blue eyes as she gazed at the lake. A small smile touched her lips as she said, "If you had seen the North Sea, you wouldn’t say that."
Just as Luo Feng was about to inquire about Bing Ruolan’s identity, a strange sensation welled up within him. The surrounding water vapor was rushing madly towards Ice Mystery Lake.
Looking toward Ice Mystery Lake, Luo Feng’s pupils suddenly shrank. He pointed at the lake surface and asked, "Ruolan, what is that?"
Suspended in the gloomy mid-air above the lake was a giant shadow. Red lights twinkled within it, as vivid as blood from a distance.
Luo Feng sensed the surrounding water vapor surging towards the blood-red light.
Bing Ruolan followed Luo Feng’s gaze. "Huh? That is...!" Her eyes lit up as she exclaimed, "A Thousand Years Blood Clam! We’ve actually stumbled upon a Thousand Years Blood Clam from Ice Mystery Lake refining Spirit Blood Pearls! This is a once-in-a-century encounter!"
"A Thousand Years Blood Clam!" Luo Feng was visibly startled.
In the depths of the Misty Swamp’s Ice Mystery Lake lived a type of blood-sucking clam demon. This demon feasted only on fresh blood, seizing Yuan Qi from other living beings for its cultivation.
Once this type of clam demon lived for over a thousand years, it would gestate Spirit Blood Pearls within its body.
For a Thousand Years Blood Clam to refine Spirit Blood Pearls was as crucial a step in its cultivation as it was for a human Martial Artist to break through to the Ninth Heavenly Court Realm and step into the Spiritual Rotation Realm. It was a key step in cultivation.
Once a Spirit Blood Pearl matured, the clam demon would refine it, allowing it to directly become a Fifth-level Demon Beast. Moreover, it would awaken its Spirit Wisdom, enabling it to fly through the sky and evolve into a genuine demon.
"Who could have guessed our luck would be this good?" Bing Ruolan looked at the Thousand Years Blood Clam hovering in mid-air, her fists clenched, and said excitedly, "A Thousand Years Blood Clam is extremely rare! And that red light indicates this clam has indeed begun refining Spirit Blood Pearls—that’s even rarer! Luo Feng, we must acquire those Spirit Blood Pearls! As long as we get them, you can easily break through your bottleneck and enter the Sevenfold Essence Storage Realm!"
No wonder she was so excited. A Thousand Years Blood Clam was typically only a Third-level Demon Beast, but after refining Spirit Blood Pearls, it could directly become a Fifth-level Demon Beast!
A mature Spirit Blood Pearl was equivalent to a top-tier Fourth-grade Spiritual Medicine. It was the cream of the crop!
The entire Purple Sun School probably couldn’t produce a single top-tier Fourth-grade Spiritual Medicine.
Even though they were a few miles away, with Luo Feng’s powerful Soul Power, he could clearly see the Thousand Years Blood Clam in mid-air.
The Thousand Years Blood Clam floating in mid-air was several meters in length and width. Its shell was covered in scale armor, reflecting a chilling light in the darkness. The red light blazed like a torch. An inadvertent glance revealed it to be like a Xueyue, a sight that sent chills down one’s spine.
The sight of the Thousand Years Blood Clam in mid-air stirred Luo Feng’s emotions as well. If he could get the Spirit Blood Pearls from the blood clam, he could easily step into the Sevenfold Essence Storage Realm, thereby securing a guaranteed spot in the New Talents Tournament!
Luo Feng said in a lowered voice, "Great! Let’s go take a look first. We must be careful not to alarm it."
The Thousand Years Blood Clam usually hid at the bottom of Ice Mystery Lake and only came out when it was time to refine Spirit Blood Pearls.
If they rashly disturbed it and it escaped back into Ice Mystery Lake, they wouldn’t know when it would come out again.
The two approached cautiously, hiding near the shore about two hundred meters away from the Thousand Years Blood Clam.
Bing Ruolan leaned against Luo Feng, hidden behind a tree, and whispered, "Luo Feng, let’s wait. Only when the moon is out will the Thousand Years Blood Clam fully absorb the lunar essence to refine its Spirit Blood Pearls. That’s when we’ll have our chance."
Luo Feng knew he couldn’t be hasty at this moment and nodded.
Time ticked by, and night finally fell completely. The gigantic Moon Wheel slowly appeared in the sky, its glow dyeing the fog in the Misty Swamp a jade color.
Bing Ruolan, her gaze fixed on the mid-air, suddenly said, "It’s starting."
BUZZ... BUZZ... BUZZ...
The moment the serene moonlight shone upon the Thousand Years Blood Clam, a low rumble suddenly echoed from the sky.
The colossal clamshell began to rotate slowly, its speed increasing until it formed a vortex of air. The surrounding air distorted and rippled, as though pulling the moonlight into it. The blinding red light grew even more dazzling.
"Luo Feng, now is the time!" Bing Ruolan suddenly said. "You are better at Qinggong than I. I will provide support from the shore. Be careful."
"Mm." Luo Feng nodded without hesitation. He executed Teng Dragon’s Step. Amidst the writhing of eight Qi Dragons, he stepped onto the fragmented ice on the lake surface. In a few flashes, his figure appeared beneath the Thousand Years Blood Clam.
HISS... HISS...
The Thousand Years Blood Clam had clearly sensed Luo Feng’s approach. The enormous blood-red clamshell trembled slightly, emitting a piercing shriek as it suddenly spiraled downward!
"We cannot let it return to Ice Mystery Lake!" Bing Ruolan called out anxiously from afar.
Luo Feng was already prepared. Gazing at the whistling Thousand Years Blood Clam as it fell, his eyes turned icy.
"You wish! Get back up there!"
Taking a shallow breath, Luo Feng’s entire figure instantly seemed to rise three inches. An imposing aura radiated from him, and the eight Qi Dragons beside him roared unceasingly, their heads and tails thrashing as they charged toward the Thousand Years Blood Clam!
WHOOSH!
The piercing sound of rushing air resonated as the eight Qi Dragons accurately slammed into the Thousand Years Blood Clam’s shell, producing dull thuds. The sound was akin to a bell pestle striking a great bell, and the Thousand Years Blood Clam’s descent suddenly slowed.
This Thousand Years Blood Clam was a mid-rank Third-level Demon Beast, so I didn’t expect to injure it merely with Dragon Roaring Nine Heavens.
Seeing the Thousand Years Blood Clam’s speed decrease, Luo Feng bellowed. Stepping on the fragmented ice, his figure soared towards the Thousand Years Blood Clam, and he threw a heavy punch.
During these ten days of training in the Misty Swamp, he had slain dozens of Demon Beasts daily, and his combat experience had rapidly improved. He executed this series of movements flawlessly in one go.
Angry Tiger Coming Out of the Cave!
The wind from his fist was like a roaring tiger, carrying thunderous sonic booms as it hurtled towards the Thousand Years Blood Clam.
BOOM!
His fist landed on the Thousand Years Blood Clam’s hard shell with a sound like metal striking metal. The impact was so great that the surrounding water surface rippled violently.
Sent flying by this heavy blow, the Thousand Years Blood Clam spun into mid-air. Its previously tightly shut clamshell now showed a thin crack, from which a vibrant, blood-colored light could be faintly seen.
Seeing the blood-red light in the crack of the clamshell, Luo Feng’s eyes lit up with delight. He once again executed Steps in the Air and pursued the clamshell, aiming to press his advantage.
WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
Just as he approached, two blood-red tentacles suddenly shot out from the sides of the Thousand Years Blood Clam’s crimson shell.
CRACK!
The tentacles, like horsewhips, lashed out fiercely at Luo Feng. They moved so fast they left a series of afterimages, and a faint blood-red glow flickered upon them.
Luo Feng’s brow furrowed. He hastily used Steps in the Air to dodge, but the wind from the whip still tore a small gash in his clothes!
Such powerful force! Luo Feng’s heart turned cold. If those two lashes had landed on me, my flesh would have been torn open!
Moreover, the tips of the red tentacles were incredibly sharp. If they pierced a body, they would instantly drain all its blood! It was terrifyingly dangerous.
CRACKLE! CRACKLE! CRACKLE!
The Thousand Years Blood Clam whipped its two bloodsucking tentacles like a storm, continuously lashing at Luo Feng, while its giant clamshell descended towards the lake surface, clearly intending to escape into the water.
"Trying to run? Hand over the Spirit Blood Pearls!" Luo Feng sneered coldly. He effortlessly dodged the Thousand Years Blood Clam’s lashes, flew closer, and punched the heavy, hard clamshell once more.
If this Ice Mystery Lake were like the Beiming River, devoid of floating ice, Luo Feng would have had more trouble stopping the Thousand Years Blood Clam from returning to the lake.
But here, there were countless ice fragments. He could continuously use Steps in the Air to engage the Thousand Years Blood Clam. Given the speed of his Teng Dragon’s Step, the Thousand Years Blood Clam’s desire to return to the lake was mere wishful thinking.
THUD! THUD! THUD!
His fists landed repeatedly on the Thousand Years Blood Clam. The crack in its shell grew wider, and Luo Feng could even see the fiery-red Spirit Blood Pearls inside.
"You little thief! How dare you try to steal my Spirit Blood Pearls!"
Just then, an angry roar erupted from the opposite lakeshore. A dark figure shot onto the lake, swift as a cheetah, rapidly closing in.
Not good! There’s someone else nearby... Luo Feng’s heart sank as he saw the rapidly approaching dark figure.
Transparent Gang Qi flashed around this person’s feet. Each step covered over ten meters. Clearly, this was an expert at the Seventh Stage of the Essence Storage Realm.
"Luo Feng, I’ll hold him off! Falling Leaves Drift!"
Bing Ruolan hadn’t expected anyone else to appear either. After a moment of surprise, she immediately executed her Qinggong technique, her body light as a drifting leaf, and skimmed across the lake surface.
"Flowing Cloud Crosses the Peak!"
Bing Ruolan’s cherry lips coldly uttered the name of the technique. With a flick of her wrist, her thin, two-fingered sword unleashed a sheet of sharp, cold light, striking towards the dark figure.
"Hmph! You dare to show off your paltry Flowing Cloud Swordsmanship in front of me? Die!" The dark figure snorted coldly, spreading his five fingers. Half a foot of Gang Qi burst from his fingertips as he grabbed at the sharp sword in Bing Ruolan’s hand.