188: Chapter 188 Subduing the Azure Scale Crocodile

The lingering Spiritual Qi that filled the sky slowly dissipated, and the icy, murderous chill that had pervaded the mountain forest gradually faded, leaving the surroundings to return to a deathly silence.

On the ground lay only the cold, stiff corpse of Second Elder Du Jiang. This man, who had lived for a full two hundred years, the renowned Second Elder of the Du Family in the Yunling Mountain Range area, a veteran powerhouse at the Late Foundation Establishment Stage, had ultimately met a miserable end with his body destroyed and his Dao dissipated.

The arrogance and tyranny of his past had now all turned into a handful of yellow earth, leaving no trace of his former glory.

At this moment, Li Qing's cold gaze fell upon the massive Green Water Scaled Crocodile not far away.

Just a moment ago, when Second Elder Du Jiang was still alive, this Green Water Scaled Crocodile had been ferocious, its sharp teeth flashing with a cold light and its scales as hard as iron. It had roared and charged to attack Li Qing, emboldened by its master's support, its arrogance reaching its peak.

But now, its master, who had controlled its Divine Soul and issued combat commands, was dead on the spot. The Divine Soul mark that had tightly bound its mind instantly shattered, and its previously wild and fierce Aura receded rapidly like the tide.

Its massive crocodile body trembled slightly, its huge head subconsciously lowered, and its thick limbs clung tightly to the ground. In its originally fierce, vertical pupils, only deep panic and wariness remained. It did not even have the courage to look up at Li Qing, its large body constantly shrinking backward, not daring to harbor even the slightest thought of retaliation or avenging its master.

It was very clear in its heart that its master, a dignified Late Foundation Establishment Stage expert, had been killed by a single sword strike from this young man who was only at the Foundation Establishment Early Stage. As a mere Tier 2 Yao Beast, going up against him would only be throwing its life away; it had absolutely no power to fight back.

Nearby, the Red-tailed Fox leaped nimbly and landed steadily on a large boulder. Its fluffy tail swayed gently, and its pair of intelligent, bright fox eyes locked tightly onto the Green Water Scaled Crocodile, exuding a faint Aura of wariness. If the giant crocodile dared to make any suspicious move, it would immediately strike to restrain it.

Li Qing walked slowly toward the Green Water Scaled Crocodile. With every step he took, he carried an invisible, immense pressure, like a mountain pressing down, firmly enveloping the entire body of the Green Water Scaled Crocodile.

The closer he got, the more tense the Green Water Scaled Crocodile became. Its flesh could not help but twitch slightly, and the fear in its heart grew more intense. Its entire body curled up, and it dared not even emit a low roar.

Stopping a few steps away from the giant crocodile, Li Qing's gaze swept coldly over its massive body. His voice was not loud, but it carried an irresistible strength, clearly entering the ears of the Green Water Scaled Crocodile:

"Submit, or die. Choose for yourself."

These six simple words contained no superfluous threats, but carried a resolute determination that left no room for negotiation.

The Green Water Scaled Crocodile shuddered violently, and its massive head slammed down hard. Its huge crocodile eyes were filled with obedience. It hurriedly lowered its proud head, emitting a series of gentle, low whines, its limbs prostrate on the ground, completely putting aside all the pride of a Yao Beast, and chose to submit without hesitation.

It understood clearly that with a dead end or survival through submission placed before it, anyone with a bit of brains would know how to choose. Moreover, the young man before it possessed unfathomable strength. Following such a powerhouse was far more promising than following the deceased Second Elder Du Jiang, so how could it dare to harbor any thought of resistance?

Seeing that it was so sensible and had obediently lowered its head in submission, Li Qing's expression remained calm. He raised his hand and cast a taming seal, gently striking it into the Green Water Scaled Crocodile's Divine Soul, solidifying the master-servant contract between them and completely taking this Tier 2 Yao Beast of considerable strength under his command.

After subduing the Green Water Scaled Crocodile, Li Qing turned his head to look at the corpse of Second Elder Du Jiang on the ground. His gaze fell upon the bulging Storage Pouch at his waist. Without the slightest hesitation, he raised his hand and grabbed through the air, directly drawing the Storage Pouch, which was stained with a bit of blood, into his hand.

As the high-ranking and powerful Second Elder of the Du Family, and a Late Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator who had been practicing for two hundred years, Second Elder Du Jiang had often held down the fort and plundered Heaven And Earth Treasure. The wealth and foundation he had accumulated were by no means comparable to that of an ordinary Cultivator. This Storage Pouch must be filled with countless good things.

Li Qing tapped his fingertip lightly, unlocking the weak Divine Sense Restriction remaining on the outer layer of the Storage Pouch. Then, with a thought, he moved all the items inside the Storage Pouch out. One by one, the dazzling treasures instantly covered the ground, an eye-dazzling array of goods.

The first thing that caught his eye was a considerable number of Spirit Stone. At a glance, they were piled up neatly. The most conspicuous among them were the Mid-Grade Spirit Stone, stacked neatly together. Counting them up, there were over five thousand three hundred of them. Their luster was moist and smooth, and the Spiritual Qi was rich and dense. These Mid-Grade Spirit Stone alone were already an extremely substantial fortune.

In addition to these, there were more than twenty thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stone scattered to the side.

Besides the Spirit Stone, there were countless types of Medicinal Pill for cultivation.

The highest quality among them were three full bottles of Tier 2 High Grade qi gathering pill, with thirty pills in each bottle. This type of Medicinal Pill had an excellent effect on improving the cultivation of Foundation Establishment Cultivator, and was usually priceless and highly sought after in the market.

There were also five bottles of Tier 2 Medium Grade healing pills, specifically used to repair the Physical Body and Meridians damaged during battle, quickly smoothing out internal and external injuries, which were of great use in actual combat.

In addition to these, there were many other practical Medicinal Pill such as Mind-Clearing and Spirit-Condensing Pills, and Barrier-Breaking Pills, totaling over twenty bottles of various sizes.

Beyond the Medicinal Pill, there were various types of defensive and offensive Magic Treasure, also in considerable numbers.

There was a Tier 2 High Grade green-edged long sword, its blade incredibly sharp, containing fierce Sword Qi.

There was also a small, silver-patterned protective jade pendant, which belonged to the Tier 2 Low Grade defensive Magic Treasure. Wearing it close to the body could automatically resist low-level Spell attacks and protect one's vital points.

Besides that, there were several low-level Magical Artifact, such as darts, daggers, and whisks, all used for self-defense while out training. Although their grade was not top-tier, they were useful.

What made Li Qing's eyes light up the most was a small, exquisitely shaped Tier 2 flight Magical Artifact, the flowing cloud boat. It was crafted entirely from thousand-year spiritual wood, its color warm and moist, with flowing cloud patterns carved all over its body. The Spiritual Qi flowed smoothly, its speed was extremely fast, and it was much swifter than ordinary flight Magical Artifact used for travel. Its endurance was also outstanding, making it extremely suitable for long-distance travel and shuttling through deep mountains and old forests.

Compared to those Medicinal Pill and Magical Artifact, what Li Qing liked most was this flowing cloud boat.

Although Foundation Establishment Cultivator could fly through the air, the consumption of spiritual power was too great. Li Qing had already found his original Tier 1 flight Magical Artifact to be too slow.

Now, he finally had a replacement flying boat.