Longevity: Starting as a menial servant in the Green Wood Sect

Chapter 97 The Completion of the Elixir and the Crisis

The large hand, rough like dead tree bark and covered in black oil and bloodstains, did not reach for the two cans of deep-sea bone glue that were within easy reach.

Gu An stared intently at the dwarf stall owner with his cloudy, yellowish eyes, and a chilling sneer slowly curled up from the gap at the corner of his mouth where no putty was applied.

"That's not how business is done."

His voice was low and hoarse, like sandpaper grinding against bones. Before he finished speaking, his hand, which had been hanging in mid-air, suddenly reached out, not to grab the goods, but at an extremely tricky angle, his two fingers, like iron clamps, instantly clamped the dwarf stall owner's wrist as he was about to pull it back into his sleeve.

"hiss--!"

The dwarf felt as if his wrist was being tightly bound by a red-hot iron band. A chilling and highly corrosive spiritual force instantly pierced through his protective aura, seeping into his bone marrow along his meridians. His expression changed drastically, and he was about to cry out in alarm when he met Gu An's lifeless, emotionless eyes.

"Don't shout."

Gu An leaned forward slightly, his half-festering, pus-filled face appearing particularly grotesque in the dim light. "Is that some kind of guiding powder smeared on the mouth of this bone glue jar?" And this cold water algae—the roots have such a strong fishy smell, were they just soaked in "demon-attracting water"?

The dwarf's pupils constricted sharply, and cold sweat instantly beaded on his forehead. He hadn't expected that this seemingly eccentric cultivator, whose mind had been corrupted by practicing evil arts, would be so shrewd and ruthless, seeing through his scheme at a glance.

"The Dao—fellow Daoist, you misunderstand—"

I don't like misunderstandings.

Gu An interrupted him, her fingers exerting slight pressure, a wisp of dark blue mutated spiritual energy flickering at her fingertips. "Clean this skin off. Also, replace it with a batch of cold water algae that hasn't been soaked in the medicinal solution. I don't have much patience. If it's not done within three breaths—I'll keep this hand as a snack."

He spoke in a calm tone, as if he were talking about something trivial, but the chilling killing intent he exuded made the dwarf have no doubt that this madman would really tear his hand off in public.

On this rotting reef, human life is worthless, and severed limbs are commonplace.

"Change! I'll change! Fellow Daoist, please calm down!"

The dwarf winced in pain, no longer daring to play any tricks. He quickly wiped the fluorescent powder off the mouth of the bone glue jar with a piece of specially made animal hide, and then took out a handful of cold water algae with a deeper color and thicker leaves from the deepest part of his storage bag and replaced it.

"This time—this time there's no problem," the dwarf said in a trembling voice.

Gu An released his hand and scanned the items with his divine sense. After confirming that everything was correct, he slowly and methodically put the items away.

"This knife is yours."

Gu An did not retrieve the ghost-headed knife. He turned around, picked up Shen Wan, and disappeared into the bustling crowd without looking back.

The dwarf held the mid-grade magic weapon that was still radiating a murderous aura, watching Gu An's disappearing figure. A flash of resentment crossed his eyes, but in the end, he spat out a mouthful of spittle in frustration.

"Damn it, he's a seasoned veteran—I'm just unlucky."

He rubbed his still throbbing wrist, not daring to send anyone else to follow him. His intuition told him that if he really pushed that kind of person too far, the knife might end up cutting off his own head.

After leaving the market at Rotten Reef, Gu An did not linger for a moment.

Like a wary mouse, he circled the intricate skeletal walkways seven or eight times, even using water escape techniques twice to make sure there were no tails behind him before silently returning to the dock where the Black Shark was moored.

Cast off the moorings and set sail.

The bone boat glided silently into the dark waters and quickly disappeared into the depths of the jagged, chaotic reef forest.

They traveled for about half an hour.

In the southeast corner of the chaotic reef forest, there is a natural backwater formed by tectonic shifts and tidal variations. Surrounded on three sides and shielded by protruding, massive rocks above, it is connected to the outside world only by a narrow, secluded waterway. It is the perfect hiding place that Gu An gleaned from the helmsman's memories.

The Black Shark slowly entered the dark cave.

The air here is humid, and the rock walls are covered with glowing moss, which reflects a deep green hue onto the water.

"This is fine."

Gu An stopped the boat, skillfully set up several simple warning formations at the cave entrance, and sprinkled some animal-repelling powder before collapsing completely onto the deck.

The constant tension along the way had pushed his already severely injured body to its limit.

"Cough cough————"

Gu An coughed up a mouthful of blood mixed with black streaks, feeling as if his lungs were on fire. But he dared not rest; the large hole in the hull was still leaking, and if it wasn't repaired quickly, the ship would sink at the next high tide.

He forced himself to get up, carrying the two cans of deep-sea bone glue that he had bought at a high price, and walked into the warehouse with a limp.

The stench of blood still lingered in the lower compartment.

Gu An heated the bone glue slightly over a fire to soften it into a viscous liquid, and then used a special spatula to apply it little by little around the large hole that he had personally chiseled.

This bone glue had an extremely foul odor, but it was very sticky. Once applied, it quickly bonded to the ship's planks and formed a protective shell as hard as iron on the surface.

This is an extremely tedious and physically demanding job.

Gu An was shirtless, revealing a crisscrossing network of scars. Sweat streamed down his back, stinging his wounds, but his movements remained remarkably steady.

Just as Gu An was repairing the hull.

Inside the upper cabin, a faint medicinal fragrance began to permeate the air.

Shen Wan woke up.

Shortly after Gu An left the market, she awoke from her deep coma. Although she was still so weak that she could barely move a finger, as a descendant of a Foundation Establishment family, she was well aware of her current predicament.

She didn't shout or ask any questions, but silently struggled to get up.

She found the Cold Water Algae and several Blood Fiend Stones that Gu An had placed on the table, and then took out a dilapidated alchemy furnace that she had bought on the black market from her storage bag.

Without earth fire, she used her meager spiritual power to ignite several low-level fire talismans; without auxiliary medicine, she bit her tongue and used her own blood essence as a catalyst.

She wants to make medicine.

To concoct a medicinal liquid called "Qing Sha Tang".

This wasn't some profound elixir, but rather a formula passed down within the Corpse Puppet Sect, specifically used to neutralize the foreign malevolent energy within the body. The cold water algae, being frigid, could suppress the fire poison; while the Blood Fiend Stone, though violent, could, after being refined, fight poison with poison, temporarily stabilizing her collapsing meridians.

Two hours later.

When Gu An dragged his tired body back to the upper cabin, he saw Shen Wan holding a chipped porcelain bowl in both hands, drinking a bowl of scalding hot, dark red medicine in one gulp.

"Glug."

As the medicine entered her stomach, a painful blush appeared on Shen Wan's face, which was disguised by sores. She clenched her teeth, her body trembling violently, clearly enduring immense pain.

A moment later, she exhaled a long breath of foul-smelling air, and her previously ashen eyes finally regained some clarity.

"woke up?"

Gu An plopped down on the wooden couch opposite him, grabbed a kettle, and took a swig of cold water. "Looks like he won't die."

Shen Wan put down her bowl and looked at the disheveled man in front of her with complicated emotions.

Half of his face was ulcerated, his whole body reeked of corpse, and his clothes were tattered; he looked like a stray dog ​​no matter how you looked at him.

But it was this "stray dog" who led her through mountains of corpses and seas of blood, and even in such a desperate situation, he managed to obtain these life-saving medicinal herbs.

Thank you.

Shen Wan's voice was still hoarse, but her tone was less cold and guarded than before, and more appreciative of shared suffering. "This cold water algae is of good quality. Although it's a bit young, it's fresh."

"I risked my life for that," Gu An replied calmly. "The hull has been repaired, so it won't sink for now."

But we can't stay here forever.

Shen Wan nodded, her gaze falling on Gu An's hand resting on his knee.

A trace of dark blue spiritual energy fluctuations still lingered at the fingertips.

"Your cultivation technique—" Shen Wan frowned slightly, a hint of seriousness flashing in his eyes, "has mutated?"

Gu An did not hide anything. He opened his palm, and a dark blue water sphere appeared in his palm, with a faint golden thread moving within it.

"I guess it's a blessing in disguise." Gu An laughed self-deprecatingly. "The spatial storm didn't kill me, but instead it mixed that wisp of dragon soul with my Yi Wood True Qi, plus the water evil energy of this godforsaken place—now I can't even explain what kind of weird thing I'm cultivating."

Shen Wan stared at the ball of spiritual energy for a long time, but his expression grew increasingly grim.

"This is not a blessing."

She raised her head, looked directly into Gu An's eyes, and said, word by word, "This is a death warrant."

Gu An clenched his fist, dispersing his spiritual energy, and raised an eyebrow: "What do you mean?"

"The dragon is extremely yang and strong, and its domineering nature is unparalleled; water is extremely yin and cold, and it corrodes all things."

Shen Wan said in a deep voice, "Your body is like a forcibly pieced-together container. Although it has temporarily achieved a delicate balance, giving you combat power far exceeding that of others of the same level, this balance is extremely fragile."

"As your cultivation level increases, the dragon energy will grow stronger, and the water evil will accumulate more and more. These two diametrically opposed forces will eventually erupt completely within you. At that time—"

Shen Wan paused, then made an explosion gesture. "You'll end up like those evil cultivators who go mad from practicing their cultivation techniques. No matter how strong your physical body is, you'll explode into a pile of minced meat from the inside."

A deathly silence fell over the cabin.

Only the sound of waves crashing against the rock walls echoed.

Gu An's face darkened. He had actually sensed it himself; the stinging pain in his meridians each time he circulated his cultivation technique was not an illusion, but a warning sign of overload.

"Is there any hope?" Gu An asked calmly.

Since Shen Wan has pointed this out, he must know the solution.

"have."

Shen Wan took a deep breath. "To harmonize the dragon energy and the water's evil influence, we must find a herb called the Dragon Transformation Grass."

A rare and precious herb. This herb grows only where dragons fall, feeding on their blood. It possesses both the domineering power of dragon energy and the gentleness of water and wood, making it a perfect neutralizer.

"Dragon Transformation Grass—" Gu An chewed on the name, a glint of light flashing in his eyes, "Where is this thing?"

'

"have no idea."

Shen Wan gave a wry smile. "Spiritual herbs of this caliber have long been extinct in the outside world. Although the Chaotic Star Sea is vast and mysterious, finding one here is like finding a needle in a haystack."

As she said this, she glanced at Gu An, her eyes filled with a mixture of apology and determination.

"However, since we're in the same boat, your life is my life. As long as I'm alive, I'll find a way to help you find it."

Gu An looked at her, remained silent for a moment, and then a smile appeared on his lips.

"it is good."

There were no grand pronouncements.

In this world filled with betrayal and slaughter, the honesty and promises of this moment carry more weight than any vow.

At this moment, their relationship finally transformed from simple mutual exploitation into an alliance characterized by wariness, yet one in which they could entrust their backs to each other.

Gu An sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and prepared to seize the time to recover some spiritual energy.

however.

He had just entered a meditative state less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

"Buzz"

Deep within his mind, the long-dormant talent of [Spirit Plant Affinity] trembled violently without warning.

This tremor was different from the joy I felt when I discovered spiritual plants before; it was a kind of fear.

A fear stemming from the plant's instinct, a fear of impending devastation.

Gu An suddenly opened his eyes, and in a flash, he rushed out of the cabin and onto the deck.

"What's wrong?" Shen Wan noticed his unusual behavior and forced herself to follow him out.

Gu An didn't say anything. He quickly walked to the cave entrance, squatted down, and put his palm into the cold seawater.

Close your eyes and extend your senses.

In his perception, the aquatic plants and seaweed that had been swaying with the undercurrent outside the cave entrance were now trembling violently. They seemed to have encountered something extremely terrifying, desperately shrinking their leaves, and some of the more fragile algae even broke off their roots and tried to escape with the current.

In the depths of this water, countless fish, shrimp, crabs, and even some low-level sea creatures that were originally lurking in the crevices of the reefs were all frantically fleeing in the same direction.

The scene resembled a herd of animals fleeing before a forest fire.

Something's not right—

Gu An abruptly withdrew his hand, his face turning extremely grim. "The aquatic plants around here are a warning sign; a large group of things is approaching."

"Is it a sea monster tide?" Shen Wan's face turned pale.

"No, it's not a naturally occurring beast tide."

Gu An stood up, his gaze fixed on the dark sea outside the cave entrance, his nostrils twitching slightly. "There's a smell in the water—very faint, but I can smell it."

"That smells like animal-luring incense! And it's a specially made, low-quality incense used to drive away low-level sea creatures that are out of the way!"

"Black Shark Gang!"

The two blurted it out almost simultaneously.

In this sea area, besides the local gang Black Shark, who else could have such a large scale to mobilize so many sea creatures for a carpet search?

Clearly, One-Eyed's death had thoroughly enraged the Black Shark Gang's leadership. Unable to find him, they resorted to this most rudimentary yet effective method: driving away the beast tide and forcing the rats lurking in the shadows to emerge!

"Damn! That was a quick reaction!"

Gu An cursed under his breath. He had originally thought there would be at least a two or three-day buffer period, but he didn't expect the other party to take action overnight.

"Can we break through?" Shen Wan asked, already holding a talisman in her hand.

Gu An shook his head and quickly opened the nautical chart.

"It's no use. Once a beast tide of this size forms an encirclement, not even a fly can escape within a radius of dozens of miles. Besides, since they used the beast-luring incense, the main warships of the Black Shark Gang are definitely following behind. Our dilapidated ship simply can't outrun them."

His finger flew across the nautical chart, finally stopping on an area marked in red.

That was a blank area located deep within the chaotic reef forest, a place not even detailed on nautical charts.

Next to it were only three bloody words: "[Ghost Mist District]".

Legend has it that the place is perpetually shrouded in a strange gray mist that can devour divine consciousness. Nine out of ten ships that enter it will lose their way and eventually become ghost ships adrift at sea forever. Even Foundation Establishment cultivators are unwilling to venture there lightly.

"Pursuers are in front, and death is behind."

Gu An looked at the area of ​​ghostly mist, a glint of madness flashing in his eyes.

He turned his head and looked at Shen Wan.

Are you afraid of dying?

Shen Wan looked at his eyes, which shone frighteningly bright in the darkness, and suddenly laughed. The smile, though somewhat tragic, held a resolute quality.

"I was already a dead man from the day I was captured and put into the special protection zone."

"it is good."

Gu An quickly put away the sea chart, turned around and rushed into the cockpit. He placed his hands on the control panel and poured the Canghai Dragonwood spiritual power that had just recovered into his body without reservation.

"Then let's fight to the death and hope for survival!"

"Boom!"

The Black Shark let out a deep roar, and its hull trembled violently.

Instead of fleeing towards the open sea, it turned its bow around, like a lone wolf facing certain death, and plunged headlong into the deepest part of the chaotic reef forest, into the terrifying darkness.

The Black Shark had just left the cave less than 15 minutes ago.

Countless scarlet eyes rose from the water, and a dense swarm of sea monsters surged into the area like a tide.

After the beast tide, three enormous bone ships broke through the mist and slowly sailed in.

At the bow of the ship, a bald, burly man with a bare upper body and his back covered in demonic tattoos held a still-burning incense burner in his hand. Looking at the empty cavern, a savage killing intent flashed in his eyes.

"Did they run into the Ghost Fog area?"

The burly man sneered, revealing a set of gleaming white teeth. "You've got guts. But going in there will be a hundred times worse than dying at my hands."

"Send the order to seal off the edge of the ghost fog zone. I'll stay here and see if they can turn into ghosts and float out!"