100: Chapter 100 Collecting Interest

The spiritual energy density in Middle Pond was quite a bit better than in the Western Regions.

However, for the current Chen Yuan, this small amount of spiritual energy was almost no different from having none at all.

According to the memories obtained from Soul Searching, the Tanyan Sect's stronghold was hidden in an underground cave at a place called "Kugu Ridge" in Middle Pond.

This place was shrouded in a thin layer of Death Qi year-round, which ordinary cultivators avoided like the plague.

The Tanyan Sect certainly knew how to pick a spot.

Death Qi could interfere with divine sense detection, making it impossible for ordinary cultivators to discover it.

Unfortunately for them, they encountered Chen Yuan.

Standing above Kugu Ridge, Chen Yuan's divine sense spread out like a tide.

The Death Qi had almost no effect on his divine sense; with his current divine sense strength, it was like a dimensional strike within the Spirit Ruins Realm.

Sensing that the strongest person here was only at the Soul Transformation Stage, the corners of Chen Yuan's mouth curled up slightly.

"That's it?"

He didn't even bother setting up an array, directly shattering the sixth-rank Concealment Array at the cave entrance with a single palm strike.

To a Ninth-Rank Array Master, a sixth-rank array was no different from paper.

"Boom!"

The sound of the array shattering echoed through the cave, and a flurry of panicked voices immediately came from within.

"Who goes there?"

"The Concealment Array has been broken!"

"Quick! Activate the Communication Array!"

Chen Yuan swaggered inside, his pace leisurely.

The interior of the cave was much more spacious than it appeared from the outside; many array patterns were carved into the stone walls, and several desks were arranged on the floor.

The desks were piled high with various intelligence scrolls and communication talismans.

It seemed the Tanyan Sect had indeed been rooted here for a long time.

Seven cultivators had already formed a battle formation, led by a middle-aged man with a sinister expression, whose late-stage Soul Transformation aura was released without concealment.

"Who are you, sir? Do you know what place this is?"

The middle-aged man shouted in a low voice, a hint of vigilance in his eyes.

He could feel that the young man's aura was unfathomable, definitely not that of an ordinary cultivator.

"It's nothing, I'm just here to take a few things. You guys go on with your business."

Chen Yuan said with a chuckle, his tone as if he were taking a stroll in his own backyard.

"Your leader is named Hong Xiutao, but he shouldn't be in the Spirit Ruins Realm right now. You're the one he left behind to watch the house, right?"

The middle-aged man's expression changed instantly.

Even within the Tanyan Sect, only core members knew this information. How did this young man know?

"Who exactly are you?"

Chen Yuan lost the mood for nonsense, releasing his full pressure of the peak Early Tribulation Transcendence Stage without reservation.

In an instant, the entire cave began to tremble.

The other Nascent Soul Stage cultivators' legs went weak, and they fell directly to their knees.

Although the leading middle-aged man was still barely standing, beads of sweat were dripping uncontrollably from his forehead.

"Tri... Tribulation Transcendence? How is that possible?"

His voice was trembling.

When did a Tribulation Transcendence Stage cultivator appear in the Spirit Ruins Realm?

And judging by the aura of the person before him, he was actually a native cultivator of the Spirit Ruins Realm!

"Don't be nervous, I'm not here to kill anyone."

Chen Yuan walked up to the middle-aged man with a smile and patted his shoulder.

This pat seemed casual, but it directly sealed the flow of spiritual power within the other's body.

"Hand over all the spirit crystals, and we'll all save some trouble."

The middle-aged man bit his teeth, a flicker of struggle passing through his eyes.

But he soon gave up any thought of resistance.

What a joke; against a Tribulation Transcendence Stage cultivator, he didn't even have the qualification to run away.

"Thud."

A Storage Pouch was tossed at Chen Yuan's feet.

"Very good. A wise man submits to fate."

Chen Yuan picked up the Storage Pouch and probed it with his divine sense.

"Over thirteen thousand spirit crystals. Not bad, much richer than Daoist Lan Hai."

Then Chen Yuan looked at the others.

"Hand yours over too."

The cultivators looked at each other and eventually handed over their Storage Pouchs obediently.

Chen Yuan looked through them one by one; most of their Storage Pouchs didn't contain many spirit crystals.

After all, they were just peripheral scouts of the Tanyan Sect, not core disciples.

Still, even a small mosquito has meat.

"Three thousand... fifteen hundred... eight hundred... what the hell, only two hundred?"

Chen Yuan looked disdainfully at the cultivator who only had two hundred spirit crystals.

"You're even poorer than Daoist Lan Hai. Keep it."

With that, he tossed the Storage Pouch back.

The cultivator caught his Storage Pouch with a dazed expression, not knowing whether to cry or laugh.

Being looked down upon for being too poor even to be robbed—he'd be a laughingstock if word got out.

Chen Yuan continued searching the cave and finally found a box with a restriction on it in a corner.

He casually broke the restriction, revealing rows of neatly stacked spirit crystals inside.

"Oh, is this public funding?"

Chen Yuan counted them; there were about five thousand.

They were likely the operating funds allocated by the Tanyan Sect to this stronghold.

"Not bad, not bad. Public funds confiscated."

Chen Yuan was in a great mood as he pocketed all the spirit crystals from the box.

Besides the spirit crystals, Chen Yuan also found many intelligence scrolls on the desks.

He flipped through them casually; most were records of cultivator movements across various parts of the Spirit Ruins Realm.

However, one of them caught his attention.

It was a detailed map regarding the ascension passages of the Spirit Ruins Realm, marking the locations and activation conditions for several of them.

"This thing is actually useful."

Chen Yuan put the map away; it would be of great reference value for his subsequent ascension to the upper realm.

Having dealt with the spoils of war, Chen Yuan looked at the group of Tanyan Sect cultivators whose spiritual power was sealed.

"You have two choices. First, stay here obediently and wait for someone to come deal with you. Second, I'll send you on your way right now."

"We choose the first one!"

The seven of them spoke in unison, their speed surprising even Chen Yuan.

"Fine, then stay put."

Chen Yuan casually set up a seventh-rank Trapping Array, sealing off the entire cave.

With their strength, even if their spiritual power recovered, it would be impossible for them to escape from a seventh-rank Trapping Array.

Then he took out a communication talisman and contacted Daoist Lan Hai.

"Lan Hai, there are a few people underground at Kugu Ridge in Middle Pond. Find some time to come and keep an eye on them."

"Mas... Master, your servant is in the Western Regions. Middle Pond is quite far from here..."

"Then run faster."

Chen Yuan directly cut off the communication talisman; he couldn't be bothered to listen to Daoist Lan Hai's whining.

...

After leaving Kugu Ridge, Chen Yuan found a secluded hilltop and sat down.

He poured out all the looted spirit crystals and counted them carefully.

"Thirteen thousand from the leader, about seven thousand from the others combined, five thousand in public funds... roughly twenty-five thousand in total."

Adding the remaining fifty-odd thousand from before, he now had about eighty thousand spirit crystals on hand.

"Eighty thousand... one Simulation costs ten thousand, and maxing out the five-star probability costs sixty thousand, totaling seventy thousand. I'll still have over ten thousand left."

Chen Yuan nodded with satisfaction.

While not wealthy, it was at least enough for one Simulation.

"If I break through another major realm in this Simulation, the Simulation fee will go up again. Where will I get spirit crystals then?"

Chen Yuan shook his head, deciding not to think about that problem for now.

The cart will find its way when it reaches the mountain; there's nothing else to be done for now.

Chen Yuan stood up and flew toward the Giant Flood Dragon Clan Secret Realm.