The abandoned cannon fodder girl's path to immortality

Chapter 282 Ancient Garrison River

After an incense stick had burned, the azure light emanating from Qingheng's body slowly receded.

Her face turned slightly pale, and her body swayed slightly, almost revealing her true form.

Chen Jinshu reacted quickly and caught her, transferring a wisp of gentle green wood spiritual energy to her fingertips.

"Can it still hold on?"

"Yes!" Qingheng nodded vigorously, her blue eyes shining brightly.

"Jinshu, look! The Green Vine Domain has accelerated the ripening of all the spiritual plants in the space!" she said with a hint of pride.

Then one could see that the spiritual plants in the spiritual field, such as the Ningyin Flower and the Blood Vermilion Fruit, were all ripe.

All seven flowers of the Ningyin Flower bloomed, their petals a deep purple, almost black, with a faint glow emanating from their centers.

Three purple thunder bamboos stand side by side, their trunks covered with dense electric crackling patterns that make a popping sound.

Those six Blood Vermilion Fruit trees were laden with crimson fruits the size of longans, their skins translucent like blood jade, with sap flowing inside faintly visible.

Chen Jinshu scanned the area with his divine sense, a look of surprise flashing in his eyes: "The quality is better than expected."

"The most important thing right now is for you to recover your energy and then help me with the harvest later."

As she spoke, she began to channel her spiritual energy into the green vine.

Half an hour later, Qingheng caught her breath and came to Chen Jinshu's side to help. She carefully picked the blood-red fruit with her small hands, afraid of damaging the fruit peel.

Within an hour, they had sorted all the mature medicinal herbs and packed them into storage bags.

After finishing his inventory, Chen Jinshu pondered for a moment, then took out more than twenty different kinds of spirit seeds from his bag, preparing to begin a new round of sowing.

These spiritual seeds include specialties from southern Xinjiang given to her by Elder Songhe, as well as rare varieties that she has collected from various places over the years.

"Qingheng, come with me to sow the seeds!"

"it is good!"

The two cooperated tacitly.

Chen Jinshu used his divine sense to precisely divide the spiritual field area, while Qingheng activated his source, drawing out the rich spiritual energy within the space to nourish the soil.

She has now recovered 30% of her original essence. Although she cannot maintain the Green Vine Domain for a long time, she can easily mobilize the vitality of plants and trees for a short period of time.

She simply pressed her hands down, and a green light swirled around them. The spirit seeds that had just been sown quickly sprouted from the soil.

A new Yin Sha area was created next to the Ningyin Flower, where the Bone-Corroding Orchid and the "Soul-Suppressing Grass" were planted.

A few clumps of "thunder-patterned fern" have appeared beside the thunder bamboo.

Several "Red Essence Vine" plants were transplanted around the Blood Vermilion Fruit...

Once everything was in place, Chen Jinshu formed hand seals, his ten fingers flying across the paper as he drew several intricate runes.

"The Mysterious Female is the boundary, the Five Elements revolve—Seal!"

hum!
At the edge of the spiritual plant space, five-colored light shot into the sky, weaving into an invisible net in mid-air before slowly descending and enveloping the entire space.

In an instant, the flow of spiritual energy within the space slowed down by 30%, and the aura of all spiritual plants was completely isolated, with no more leakage.

Qingheng sensed the barrier and exclaimed in surprise, "Jinshu, this seal... is truly mysterious!"

"It's just a rudimentary Five Elements Sealing Array, which is only used with the power of the treasure furnace."

Chen Jinshu finished his exercise, a thin layer of sweat already appearing on his forehead. "In this way, the spiritual plant can grow steadily this time."

……

A few days later, the view outside the ship's window had changed from an open sea to a murky river, with towering dark green jungles on both banks and vines hanging down like curtains.

A faint, deep, and eerie roar could be heard coming from afar.

"We've arrived at the Gushu River."

Chen Jinshu walked to the window and glanced at the river.

The river water was dark brown and flowed slowly, with withered branches, fallen leaves, and the remains of unknown creatures floating on the surface.

The massive hull of the Demon Sea appeared exceptionally cumbersome as it traversed the river.

dong dong dong——!
A knocking sound came from the cabin door lock.

Chen Jinshu waved his hand, removing part of the restriction. A guard in black armor stood outside the door, bowing and saying:
"Senior, the ship has reached the middle section of the Gushu River. The employer, the 'Iron Bone Sect' monks, are boarding the ship."

The head steward requests that you proceed to the top-floor meeting room for a discussion.

"understood."

Chen Jinshu tidied up a bit, and Qingheng transformed into a jade hairpin and shrank back into her hair bun.

She pushed open the hatch and followed the guards up to the top floor.

Seven or eight people had already gathered in the council chamber.

Sun Mao, the chief steward, sat to the left of the True Lord of Angry Waves, his head bowed as he flipped through a scroll of animal skin illustrations.

Three unfamiliar cultivators appeared on the right.

The leader was a tall, stern-faced old man in black robes, whose aura was as solid as a mountain, exuding a faint aura of peak Golden Core cultivation.

Behind him stood two middle-aged men, one tall and one short, both at the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm, dressed in the same style of black iron armor, with a pattern of intersecting white bones embroidered on their chests.

"Iron Bone Sect..." Chen Jinshu's heart stirred slightly.

She had heard of this sect's reputation when she was in Raging Waves City. It was a second-rate sect in the Southern Frontier, known for its body refinement and beast taming, and its members were mostly tyrannical.

Upon seeing Chen Jinshu enter, True Lord Nutao nodded slightly: "Fellow Daoist Chen has arrived, please have a seat."

Chen Jinshu sat down in the empty seat on the left, his gaze calmly sweeping over the three members of the Iron Bone Sect.

The old man in black robes slightly raised his eyelids, glanced at her, let out a faint snort, and then looked away, clearly not taking this seemingly early-stage Golden Core female cultivator seriously.

Lord Futao didn't mind and went straight to the point: "This is Fellow Daoist 'Iron Wolf,' an elder of the Iron Bone Sect."

The Demon Sea's detour around the Ancient Garrison River was at the request of the Iron Bone Sect to hunt down a fourth-tier demon beast that resided in the river's Yin Vein.

Iron Wolf spoke, his voice arrogant and unquestionable: "'Jade Horned Centipede,' early stage of the fourth rank, fifteen zhang long, with a hard shell comparable to a fourth-grade defensive magic weapon, skilled at spewing poisonous mist, whose poison can corrode spiritual power and defile magic weapons."

This demon has a three-foot-long jade horn on its head, which is the main material for crafting the barrier-breaking magic weapon, the 'Sky-Gazing Mirror'.

"I want the jade horn. As for the rest of the materials, whoever contributes the most effort gets them."

Sun Mao added at the opportune moment: "The place where this demon dwells is a yin vein node at the bottom of the ancient Shu River, where spiritual energy is mixed and the terrain is complex."

Furthermore, it produces a nest of 'Frost Silk,' a five-hundred-year-old ice-attribute spiritual material, which is remarkably effective in crafting musical instruments, robes, and other such items.

Chen Jinshu's eyes flickered slightly upon hearing this.

The Frost Silk was exactly what she needed.

Although the strings of the Green Jade Zither are not damaged, if they can be reforged from this silk, not only will the sound quality be improved, but it will also be helpful for the performance of "Zhou Tian Xing Yue Yin".

The Angry Wave True Lord looked at Chen Jinshu: "Fellow Daoist Chen, your zither music has the effect of calming the soul and disturbing the spirit, which is most effective against these kinds of demonic beasts that are not very intelligent and rely on instinct to fight."

"I wish to invite you to join me in this battle. If we succeed, the Frost Silk will be yours. What do you say?"

Upon hearing this, Iron Wolf frowned: "True Lord, this battle is perilous. Letting a female cultivator at the early Golden Core stage participate... I'm afraid..."

"Elder Tie is unaware of this."

The Angry Wave True Lord explained with a faint smile: "Although Fellow Daoist Chen's cultivation is not obvious, he has unique methods."

Half a month ago, during the hunt for the Ice Soul Dragon Whale, it was thanks to her controlling the battlefield with her zither music that the battle was ended in a short time.

A hint of surprise flashed in Tie Lang's eyes. He looked Chen Jinshu over again and said after a long while, "Since the True Lord says so, I will not say anything more."

"But the battlefield is dangerous. If you slow us down, don't blame me for showing no mercy."

Chen Jinshu said calmly, "This junior will do my best."

“Alright.” True Monarch Raging Waves nodded. “In that case, I will assign tasks.”

"The nest of the Jade Horned Centipede is located in the Yin Vein of the riverbed here, about a hundred feet deep. There is a natural poison barrier outside the nest, which must be dispelled with an array first."

“Sun Mao, take three people and set up the ‘Clearing Miasma Formation’ to open a passage within one incense stick’s time.”

"Elder Tie, you and your two disciples will lead the attack and be responsible for drawing their attention from the front."

He looked at Chen Jinshu: "Fellow Daoist Chen, you should remain in a high position in the rear, using the sound of your zither to calm his soul and disturb his demonic power."

This demonic beast has a hard shell, making it difficult to injure with ordinary attacks. Only by disrupting its demonic power and slowing its movements can one find an opportunity to strike.

"I will sit above and use the 'Sea-Stabilizing Seal' to seal off the river to prevent its escape and to prevent other water demons from interfering."

Everyone agreed.

The tall, middle-aged man behind Iron Wolf suddenly spoke, his tone somewhat provocative: "Fellow Daoist Chen, is your zither music really effective? Don't be so scared that you can't play a tune."

The shorter man scoffed and chimed in, "Exactly, don't drag us down."

Chen Jinshu raised his eyes, his gaze sweeping coldly over the two of them, but he didn't reply. Instead, he looked at True Lord Nutao and asked, "When will we make our move?" True Lord Nutao pondered for a moment and replied, "Tomorrow at the hour of Yin (3-5 AM), when the Yin energy is at its strongest, it is also the time when the Jade Horned Centipede is most active. Everyone, please prepare yourselves well."

……

The next day at dawn, the Gushu River was deathly silent.

Thick fog enveloped the river, reducing visibility to less than ten feet.

The Demon Sea was quietly moored in a river bend, all the lights on board were off, and only a few scattered runes flickered on the ship's side.

Chen Jinshu stood atop the ship's tower, the jade hairpin, transformed from Qingheng, shimmering with a warm luster in her hair.

Soon, ripples suddenly spread across the river.

Sun Mao led three Foundation Establishment cultivators silently into the water, each holding an array flag.

Before long, a pale golden light appeared on the riverbed, gradually expanding. Wherever it passed, the dark green poisonous barrier melted away, revealing a passage three zhang wide.

"go!"

With a low shout, Iron Wolf and his two disciples transformed into three streaks of black light and shot into the river.

His body gleamed with a metallic sheen, and his skin had a faint iron-gray hue.

The Azure Phoenix Chasing the Moon Shuttle appeared beneath Chen Jinshu's feet, lifting her up to a height of thirty feet above the river.

The Green Jade Zither rests horizontally in front of the knees, while the Star and Moon Zither hangs beside the body.

She closed her eyes and concentrated, her divine sense spreading out like a net, penetrating the river water, and clearly "seeing" the scene at the bottom of the river.

Deep within a hundred-foot-deep, craggy riverbed cave, lies a colossal creature.

Its body resembles a centipede, but is as thick as a house, with each segment of its carapace being dark brown and having a metallic sheen at the edges.

Its head was enormous, its mouthparts were ferocious, and its two tentacles, each over ten feet long, swayed unconsciously.

A three-foot-long jade horn gleamed brightly in the center of its head, standing out conspicuously against the dim riverbed.

The jade-horned centipede seemed to sense the intruder. Its body slowly writhed, and its hundreds of legs paddled through the river, creating ripples in the water.

Sun Mao and his three companions had completed their formation and quickly retreated.

As the three Iron Wolves approached, the tall man brandished a giant axe, the short man held a pair of short, black spikes, and Iron Wolves was empty-handed, his fists gleaming with a dark golden light.

"Let's do it!"

Iron Wolf roared and unleashed a punch!
The fist's energy solidified into a tangible substance, tearing through the river water and slamming fiercely into the side of the centipede's head.

clang!!

The sound of metal clashing echoed across the riverbed.

The centipede tilted its head slightly, leaving only a white mark on its carapace.

It seemed to be enraged, opening its mouth and spewing out a dark green poisonous mist that instantly spread for dozens of feet.

"retreat!"

The tall man retreated hastily, sweeping his giant axe horizontally, the gale slightly dispersing the poisonous mist.

The short man moved with agility, his short daggers striking like a venomous snake's tongue, targeting the centipede's joints, yet only causing a few sparks, barely causing any damage.

Seeing that the time was right, Chen Jinshu placed his hands on the strings.

Clang—Buzz—!
The sound of the zither was neither clear nor rousing, but rather deep and lingering, like the morning bell of an ancient temple, penetrating the river and reaching the bottom.

"A star fell into a freezing pool!"

The music, imbued with the power to suppress the soul, ignored the centipede's protective shell and directly penetrated its sea of ​​consciousness.

This demon beast was not very intelligent, and its soul was relatively weak. At this moment, it was captivated by the sound of the zither, and its movements were obviously slowed down, as was the momentum of spewing poisonous mist.

Iron Wolf seized the opportunity and unleashed a barrage of punches, his dark gold fist energy raining down, finally leaving several cracks on the hard carapace.

The tall man swung his giant axe in a wide arc and cleaved it hard at the crack. With a "crack," a small piece of the carapace broke off, and bright blue blood seeped out.

The centipede was in extreme pain and rage, its body twisting wildly, its hundreds of legs spinning like blades, stirring up the silt from the riverbed, instantly clouding the view.

Its jade horn glowed with an eerie light, and the concentration of poisonous mist around it increased dramatically, directly turning the river water dark green.

"Not good! The poisonous fog is too thick, and my spiritual energy is sluggish!" the short man exclaimed, the spiritual light in his short dagger dimming.

Chen Jinshu frowned slightly, and the sound of his piano playing changed.

Ding-dong... Zheng...!
The next instant, "Ode to the Rejuvenation of the Earth Veins" blended with the rhythm of stars and moon, and the clear and melodious sound of the zither, like a spring breeze and rain, seeped into the battlefield.

The three Iron Wolves felt their minds clear and their spiritual energy flow smoothly again, while the centipede seemed to be stuck in a quagmire, its movements becoming increasingly sluggish.

"It works!" The tall man's spirits lifted, and he raised his giant axe once more.

However, at that moment, the centipede's jade horn suddenly burst out with dazzling white light, and a cold beam of light shot out, freezing the river water wherever it passed, heading straight for Chen Jinshu's location.

"Watch out!" Iron Wolf shouted urgently.

Chen Jinshu was prepared. His Azure Phoenix Chasing the Moon Shuttle flashed with azure light, and he moved three zhang to the side.

The cold beam of light grazed past and struck a reef behind them, instantly covering the rock with a thick layer of ice before shattering with a "crack".

Her expression remained unchanged as she moved her right hand, pressing, plucking, and strumming the three strings of the green zither, namely the "Shang," "Jiao," and "Yu" strings.
Clang! Buzz! Ding!
The three melodies intertwined, and the power to suppress the soul suddenly doubled.

At the same time, the left hand lightly presses the Star Moon Qin, and a wisp of barely perceptible starlight flows from the star-patterned end of the qin, blending into the melody.

The centipede's body trembled violently, and the light from its jade horns dimmed abruptly.

For the first time, pain and fear appeared in its compound eyes. Its demonic power was completely disrupted, and the poisonous mist around its body began to backfire uncontrollably, with more blue blood seeping from the cracks in its carapace.

"A good opportunity!" Iron Wolf's eyes flashed with a sharp light. He clenched his fists, and the iron-gray light of his entire body condensed into a single point. He shot out like a cannonball, his fist striking the root of the centipede's jade horn.

Clang—! Crack!
In the blink of an eye, the carapace at the base of the jade horn shattered completely. The Iron Wolf Fist's momentum was not yet exhausted, piercing through the carapace and striking straight at the heart of the enemy!

"Roar--!!!"

The centipede let out a shrill, ear-piercing scream, its body thrashing wildly, turning the riverbed upside down.

However, with his heart already broken, his life was rapidly slipping away, and his struggles were gradually becoming powerless.

……

After an incense stick has burned, the river surface returned to calm.

The three Iron Wolves surfaced, dragging the enormous corpse of the Jade Horned Centipede in their hands.

Both the tall and short men were dressed in tattered clothes, had some poison wounds on their bodies, and were breathing heavily, but their eyes were full of excitement.

Chen Jinshu put away her zither and stood up, the Azure Phoenix Chasing the Moon Shuttle carrying her down slowly.

The True Lord of Raging Waves appeared from the sky, and with a flick of his sleeve, he pulled the monster's corpse onto the ship's deck.

His gaze swept over the crowd, finally landing on Chen Jinshu, and he nodded slightly: "Fellow Daoist Chen, your control of the music is truly commendable."

Tie Lang wiped the water off his face, looked at Chen Jinshu, and a rare complex expression appeared on his cold face: "Little girl... you do have some skills."

Chen Jinshu calmly cupped his hands in greeting: "Elder Tie, you flatter me."

Sun Mao led his men forward and skillfully divided the materials. The jade horn was carefully put away by the iron wolf, while the carapace, legs, venom glands, and other parts were distributed according to their contribution.

Finally, he took out a ball of snow-white, thread-like material from the monster's lair, which was radiating a chilling aura.

"Five hundred years of icy silk, totaling three pounds and seven ounces."

True Lord Futao gestured for Sun Mao to present the Frost Silk to Chen Jinshu: "According to the agreement, this item belongs to Fellow Daoist Chen."

Chen Jinshu took it; the ice silk was cool to the touch, soft yet resilient, and contained extremely pure ice spirit power, which pleased her greatly.

Iron Wolf suddenly spoke up: "Fellow Daoist Chen, I have observed that your zither skills are extraordinary. I wonder if you would be interested in joining my Iron Bone Sect?"
Although the sect primarily focuses on body cultivation, it also lacks talent in music. Resources and benefits will certainly not be lacking.

Chen Jinshu was slightly surprised, but shook his head: "Thank you for your kindness, Elder Tie, but I am used to being idle and have no intention of joining a sect for the time being."

Iron Wolf did not insist, only saying, "In that case, if you need anything in the future, you can come to Iron Bone Sect to find me."

He paused, then said, "My purpose has been achieved, so I will not stay any longer. Farewell, True Lord."

Having said that, he and two disciples transformed into streaks of light and departed.

Sun Mao watched the three figures disappear into the distance, then leaned close to True Monarch Nutao and whispered, "That Iron Wolf is quite decisive."

The Angry Wave True Lord smiled faintly: "The people of the Iron Bone Sect have always been like this, straightforward and dislike pretense."

"Fellow Daoist Chen, the Demon Sea will continue upstream and will arrive at the ancient ferry crossing on the outskirts of the Blackwater Marsh in three days. You should rest well and do as you please then."

"Thank you, True Lord."

Chen Jinshu bowed and took his leave, returning to the quiet room in the top-tier section.

After setting up the restriction, she took out the ball of ice silk, touched it lightly with her fingertips, and felt the pure ice spirit power and natural flexibility within it.

"By refining the strings with this silk, the Green Jade Qin's sound quality will be further enhanced, which will also help in the performance of 'Zhou Tian Xing Yue Yin'... The Star Moon Qin may also be of some use."

It's been updated!