63: A lot of harvest!

Amidst the sandstorm, the lead horse lifted its head, confirming the direction.

Despite the intensifying sandstorm, its sense of direction never faltered.

Along the way, everyone covered their mouths and noses, and some couldn't endure it, collapsing as the cold poison took hold.

They would then forever perish in this desert.

All that awaited them were their skeletal remains, to be devoured by wild beasts and Yao Beasts, nothing more.

During this time, some naturally tried to escape, and Shen Li gestured, allowing them to flee.

They would have to escape sooner or later, so there was no need to control them.

The sandstorm would teach them a lesson.

When they departed, there were over a hundred of them, traveling light, so they reached Juejia Workshop in three or four days.

However, the return journey took a full seven days.

Along the way, some oblivious Yao Beasts appeared but were repelled one by one.

Those young men suffered some casualties, but not many.

As for the Yuting Guard, there were no casualties whatsoever!

Shen Li noticed that the frequency of Yao Beasts appearing in the sandstorm was increasing, and their Realm was also growing stronger.

During their journey, they even encircled and killed a Yao Beast at Qi Refining Stage 5, taking its Spiritual Qi.

Based on their location, Juejia Workshop was even further north than Black Ridge City... so these Yao Beasts were all heading north, as if attracted by something.

No one knew what lay to the north.

But Shen Li knew that crisis also represented Opportunity and fortune; the greater the storm, the more valuable the fish, and similarly, the more intense the crisis and the wider the distribution of natural disasters, the more precious the immortal Opportunity.

It's just that his own immortal Opportunity hadn't given him any hints, so he couldn't guess.

He also didn't dare to venture forth rashly.

After seven days, they finally saw the faint outline of city walls through the sandstorm, along with sparse guards and scattered corpses on the ground.

Along the way, the number of young men had sharply decreased to eight hundred.

Upon entering the city, Shen Li quickly instructed Ruo Liuli to settle them down and then begin their Dao Soldier training.

As for those who wouldn't comply with the discipline... they would die sooner or later.

He didn't mind sending these young men to an early demise.

The return of the Yuting Guard also greatly relieved Sun Dashan and the others, and the city defenses began to be arranged in full swing.

The entire Black Ridge City became heavily guarded.

In the City Lord's Mansion, Wang Teng found Shen Li and spoke with a strange and resistant expression.

"That thing has a smell."

In the backyard, Shen Li looked at the green ears of the crescent moon rice and casually said, "Of course, this heaven and earth treasure has been contaminated for a long time, so isn't it normal for it to have some smell?"

"But how can I possibly eat this stuff?"

Shen Li said earnestly, "Brother Wang, that's where you're wrong! You must know how precious heaven and earth treasures are; they're not like roadside cabbages that you can find just by looking.

Some people spend their entire lives unable to obtain heaven and earth treasures, and their Realm progresses like a snail.

Brother Wang, are you still being picky here?

It's been over a month since Brother Wang entered Qi Refining Second Layer, hasn't it? Don't you want to give Uncle Wang Chen and Immortal Sen Yan a surprise?

After consuming this heaven and earth treasure, Qi Refining Third Layer will be within reach!

Compared to the Realm, Brother Wang, a slight physiological reaction is simply not worth mentioning, isn't it?"

Wang Teng nodded gravely.

"Although you are very cunning, you are still reliable at critical moments."

"What you said is indeed Golden Words of Wisdom; I've noted it down."

"Since I, Wang Teng, am a Prodigy, I must endure hardships that others cannot, only then can I enjoy blessings that others cannot; this is the destiny of a Prodigy..."

Wang Teng looked up at the sky, as if lamenting something.

He turned and walked towards the cultivation room in the City Lord's Mansion, his back desolate.

It exuded a heroic feeling of 'the wind howls, the Yi River is cold, a brave warrior departs and never returns.'

"This time, if I don't succeed, I shall achieve benevolence..."

Shen Li watched Wang Teng walk away before finally releasing his breath.

There was still a foul odor in the air.

It's just a Breakthrough to Qi Refining Third Layer, is this kind of posture really necessary?

Someone who didn't know would think you were about to Breakthrough to Foundation Establishment True Person.

Shen Li shook his head, then saw Qiu Ya couldn't help but laugh.

Chen He also knew the whole story and likewise couldn't help but laugh.

Then Shen Li also burst into laughter.

Afterward, Shen Li checked the progress of the crescent moon rice and looked at the golden line on the back of the Vein-Piercing Pangolin Fish.

Calculating the time, it should be able to Breakthrough to Ninth Grade by the end of the year.

By then...

Shen Li's eyes flickered, and he came to the sealed study.

Inside, a sand cocoon about 1.5 meters tall stood.

Within it, a living aura seemed to be continuously growing, surrounded by profound sand-attribute Spiritual Qi.

The entire surface of the study was covered with a layer of yellow sand, as if it hadn't been cleaned for a long time.

Shen Li observed it, found nothing unusual, and then murmured, "If the Vein-Piercing Pangolin Fish breaks through, and with the Ninth Grade lead horse Feisha outside, that would be two Ninth Grade Spirit Beasts."

"If this little Sand Fox can also Breakthrough, then that would be three Ninth Grade Spirit Beasts."

"Plus the Cang Hai Flower and the Living Spring Water Vein. Such a foundation is already several times that of a small Cultivation family."

"This immortal Opportunity Golden Finger is indeed powerful."

Shen Li closed the door and returned to his own room, then opened all the spoils of war taken from the Juejia Workshop treasury.

After looking through them, his eyes were filled with extreme surprise.

"Did they dig up the Jue Family's old den?"

"The Jue Family has already abandoned their main family in Qingyang and transported all their foundation to Yellow Sand Plains, just waiting to become traitors, right?"

"Interesting."

What greeted his eyes were a full thirteen thousand Spirit Stones, and over ten thousand catties of High Grade cold stone.

Due to time constraints, Shen Li had not allowed the young men to continue mining cold stone before he left.

After all, the Jue Family Cultivators might return at any time; delaying would be life-threatening!

And after taking the cold stone jade marrow, the entire mountain collapsed, and the cold stone also lost its efficacy.

This made Shen Li quite regretful.

He didn't expect the Jue Family to be so considerate, storing most of the High Grade cold stone for his use.

There are indeed many good people in the world.

On their first death anniversary next year, he would definitely have Wang Teng 'offer incense' to them.

Continuing to look, Shen Li's eyes lit up.

"This is cutting off the roots of their Jue Family!"

Shen Li stroked his chin; the ancient paper scripture before him was something everyone dreamed of...

The Qi Consumption Method.

"Cold Water Qi Consumption Method"

This method is not as good as the Shen Family's Seventh Grade Qinglan Food Qi Method, but it is at least Ninth Grade.

Its price would not be less than ten thousand Spirit Stones.

And what's most valuable is that with an Qi Consumption Method, you can create an immortal family!

This was the crucial point.

Shen Li thought for a moment, and his eyes lit up.

He planned to teach this Qi Consumption Method to Sun Xiuqing.

Due to their status, the Qinglan Food Qi Method could only be Cultivated by the main family; he had originally thought of buying a one-time Qi Consumption Method at the workshop...

But he never had the time.

Now this was perfect, like a pillow delivered when one was sleepy.

Putting the Qi Consumption Method aside, Shen Li continued to organize the other Cultivation Techniques.

【Little Ice Cone Technique】

【Frost Wall】

【Ninth Grade • Slow Snow Obscuring Heaven Formation Blueprint】

【Little Wind and Snow Technique】

【Extreme Dao • Demon Transformation Method】

【Little Cold Cicada Technique】

"Fellow Daoists... How can Shen Li be so virtuous?"

"Alas."

"This shall not happen again!"

"Fellow Daoists, farewell!"