Yellow Court Daoist-Chapter 73 - 68: Exploring the Four Corners

Don't think too much.

Lu Qingfeng commanded the Spider Puppet to rush southward along the dense forests of Qingzhang Mountain. The Spider Puppet was enormous, and it easily got blocked by the trees while moving through the forest, but with a slight wave of its pincers, the trees blocking its path would fall down halved.

Though noisy, its speed did not slow down.

It roared all the way.

Attracting the attention of many wild animals.

Perhaps the massive size of the Spider Puppet intimidated these wild animals, and no attacks from them occurred along the way.

Lu Qingfeng watched the Spider Puppet.

"High-level, large puppets, stronger in combat power and functionality, but also with greater consumption."

"A Destroying Truth Type 1 fully charged with spiritual power needs five days, and it can fight at full force for two hours. The Spider Puppet takes half a month to fully charge, and likewise, can only operate at full power for two hours."

"If it's just traveling, it can maintain a state of continuous spiritual power refill without stopping. However, the Spider Puppet needs to search for various materials, and the search-related talisman array needs to remain active."

"In this case, a Spider Puppet full of spiritual power can last at most three days."

The Destroying Truth Type 1 is small in size, stores less spiritual power, and the effects of its Gathering Spirit Formation in the Spirit Core Array are also weaker. In places like Upper Sun Country, a Spirit Extinguishing Land, the time required to fully charge spiritual energy is not much different from that of Yuan Yi Mountain in the Bingling Realm, both being five days.

But the Spider Puppet is different.

It is over three meters tall, and its Gathering Spirit Formation is far more complex and advanced than that of Destroying Truth Type 1. In an environment like Fufeng Mountain, it can be fully charged in just three days. But in Upper Sun Country, it takes a whole half month.

That is to say.

Originally, in an environment like Fufeng Mountain where the nature's spiritual energy is 'qualified', the Spider Puppet could keep the search talisman array constantly active, continuously exploring. Only in mining or fighting, it consumes additional spiritual power or internal preset spirit stones.

Unfortunately, the nature's spiritual energy in Upper Sun Country is thin, not reaching that degree.

Creating an awkward situation.

"Full power progression and search for three days, and the Spider Puppet must hibernate for half a month."

As such.

Efficiency is greatly reduced.

"In Upper Sun Country, do not activate the search talisman array; focus on hurrying. Once we reach the Crying Swamp, start the search."

Lu Qingfeng had already made up his mind.

The likelihood of finding various advanced materials in Upper Sun Country is extremely low, making the efficiency of activating the search function also very low.

It's better to start searching after entering the Crying Swamp.

According to Daoist Miao Yin, the Crying Swamp connects Spirit Extinguishing Land with the Three Mountains and Nine Waters. As we head further east, the spiritual energy gradually revives. Near the Three Mountains and Nine Waters, the concentration of spiritual energy is three to five times that of Upper Sun Country.

Similar to Fufeng Mountain.

Although it's not a Spiritual mountain treasure land, it can at least support the cultivation of a Foundation Establishment Practitioner.

The Crying Swamp is shrouded in fog; based on the recuperation speed of the spiritual power of the Spider Puppet in different areas, it's even possible to estimate the distance to Three Mountains and Nine Waters.

It's not entirely a bad thing.

...

The Spider Puppet set off from Qingzhang Mountain, entered the forests on the north bank of the Chengyang River to the south, and then headed towards the Crying Swamp in the east, using the forest as cover.

The Destroying Truth Type 1 moves about eight hundred li a day in the forest.

The Spider Puppet moves about fifteen hundred li a day in the forest.

Of course, its ultimate speed is much more than that.

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But to maintain ample spiritual power, this speed is most appropriate.

More than five months ago.

Lu Qingfeng used the Destroying Truth Type 1 against the War God Society. Two months later, the War God Society collapsed, and the Destroying Truth Type 1 became available. Lu Qingfeng dispersed them in all directions, starting to explore around Upper Sun Country, ISO a way out.

He learned from Daoist Miao Yin that beyond the Crying Swamp lies the Cultivation World known as 'Three Mountains and Nine Waters', so the focus of the exploration was the Crying Swamp.

During this period, Lu Qingfeng successively refined eight more Destroying Truth Type 1.

Adding up to the previous fifteen, a total of twenty-three.

Apart from keeping ten for self-defense, the other thirteen Destroying Truth Type 1s were sent into the Crying Swamp to explore a safe route to Three Mountains and Nine Waters for Lu Qingfeng.

The remaining three, each exploring north, west, and south.

Lu Qingfeng does not hold much hope for these three directions, purely out of curiosity for the unknown.

Over three months.

Theoretically, three puppets have already run over 70,000 li.

But in reality—

To the north of Upper Sun Country are mountains, to the west are mountains, and to the south, past the Chengyang River, there are endless mountains as well. Traveling through deep mountains is difficult to maintain a straight line; facing high and perilous mountains, one must either climb over them or bypass them, which significantly delays the journey.

Up to now, Lu Qingfeng can still sense the position of these three Destroying Truth Type 1 puppets. This means they have not yet exceeded a distance of 7,300 li from where Lu Qingfeng is.

Theory and practice differ by at least tenfold.

Mountains on three sides.

The west side is the most desolate.

Sparse vegetation, even many bare mountain peaks.

The north side is the most rugged.

Various ditches and cliffs tens or hundreds of zhang wide block the way. The majestic and magnificent mountains greatly broaden Lu Qingfeng's horizons.

And finally, the south side is the most perilous.

Returning to Truth Sect claims that demons are rampant on the south bank of Chengyang River. Lu Qingfeng, having fled from the Returning to Truth Sect, thought this was their way of keeping people ignorant and frightened.

Only after sending the puppets in did he discover the true dangers of the mountains.

The danger was not from demons, but from the dense population of wolves, leopards, eagles, and other wild beasts in the mountains. Even warriors at the True Qi Realm, venturing beyond thirty li, tread on the edge of death!

The Destroying Truth Type 1 puppets that entered were constantly encountering fierce beasts, and among the three puppets, they were the most battered, covered in wounds.

However, in the deep southern mountains, the concentration of Spiritual Energy is much higher than in Upper Sun Country, nurturing many precious Spiritual Medicines. Sadly, the Destroying Truth Type 1 cannot identify them, and Lu Qingfeng, spending most of his time in the game, is unable to control the puppets to collect these medicines.

Thus, exploration remains the priority.

"A sensing distance of 7,300 li is not sufficient!"

Lu Qingfeng realized.

Leaving north, west, and south aside for the moment.

Just the Crying Swamp to the east alone, where Daoist Miao Yin spent a full eight years wandering before arriving at Upper Sun Country, stretches at least tens of thousands of li deep.

The puppets currently refined by Lu Qingfeng—

The Thousand Machine Stone is a version enhanced five times, with a basic sensing distance of over 600 li.

The Spirit Control Array enhanced ten times, elevates the sensing distance from the base of over 600 li by elevenfold.

Combined, the sensing distance reaches 7,300 li.

If he were to aim for further improvement, enhancing the Spirit Control Array yields the least benefit.

Instead, if he could refine a version of the Thousand Machine Stone enhanced six times, according to previous improvement ratios, it would at least increase the basic sensing distance of the Thousand Machine Stone by five times, reaching over 3,000 li.

Coupled with an eleven times enhanced Spirit Control Array, the sensing distance could surge to 36,000 li.

If he could find materials to refine a six times enhanced version of Thousand Machine Stone, it also means he could refine a ten times enhanced version.

Because the materials needed for refining both do not change.

Calculating with the above ratios—

"Over twenty million li?"

Lu Qingfeng computed this terrifying number, marveling.

Since it's difficult to find materials to create six to ten times enhanced versions of Thousand Machine Stone in reality, Lu Qingfeng didn't spend effort on refining them in the game either.

He just thought the 7,300 li was enough.

Now recalculating, he found the number far exceeded his imagination.

"Over twenty million li is a bit exaggerated; I can first test it in the game."

Lu Qingfeng contemplated.

If the sensing distance truly reaches over twenty million li, Lu Qingfeng might be able to control the puppets while sitting in Upper Sun Country and explore the entire Cultivation World!

Even Earth's equatorial circumference is only over 80,000 li!

Lu Qingfeng made a quick decision, directing a Spider Puppet to head toward Crying Swamp.

Previously, ten Destroying Truth Type 1 had scouted ahead; as long as the Spider Puppet followed their explored route, it should not encounter any dangers along the outer edges of Crying Swamp.

Instructing the Spider Puppet to first search and mine Spirit Stones, and gather materials for refining the six to ten times enhanced versions of Thousand Machine Stone, as well as fourteen rare Second Rank Materials and all Third to Sixth Level materials of Upper Sun Country.

Lu Qingfeng turned and entered his room, logging into "Primordial."

...