Chapter 977: Gathering Allies

Magic Treasure Refined: Human Seed Pouch. Reward: 240 years of lifespan.

As the familiar text appeared before his eyes, Li Qing knew that the Human Seed Pouch was successfully refined.

"Not entirely unexpected," he mused. "The pouch still falls short of the spirit treasure level, and the refining process was rushed. It can only be considered a rare treasure for now."

"But that's enough. With this treasure, I should be able to move freely within the man-eating flower's belly."

A dusty gray pouch materialized in Li Qing's hand as he activated it. The pouch floated autonomously above his head, emitting a hazy gray aura that absorbed the surrounding mucus surging toward him.

The space within the Human Seed Pouch was vast, far exceeding that of ordinary storage bags.

Therefore, Li Qing decided to collect some of the man-eating flower's gastric fluid to store within the pouch. This unique mucus was a rare and peculiar substance, worth preserving.

Later, he would refine the pouch again, aiming to elevate it to the level of a true spirit treasure and unlock its full potential.

At that moment, the mucus from the man-eating flowers might prove to be complementary. If these two substances were combined, they could potentially achieve unexpected miraculous effects.

The stomach of the Spirit Devouring Beast already suppressed qi and blood circulation and suppressed the flow of mana. When combined with this highly corrosive and peculiar mucus, it would form a perfect synergy.

Once trapped within the Human Seed Pouch, escape would be nearly impossible unless one's strength far surpassed Li Qing's.

Thus, protected by the rare treasure, Li Qing moved unimpeded through the Spirit-Devouring Flower's interior. The mucus surging from all directions no longer posed a threat, as he collected it all into the Human Seed Pouch.

Li Qing continued to traverse the Spirit-Devouring Flower's internal space, searching for other trapped individuals.

Before long, he finally encountered others.

They were several bull-headed men from the Barbarian Bull Clan, huddled together and desperately enduring the corrosive effects of the surrounding mucus.

"Damn it, this never-ending onslaught... this old bull's mana is nearly depleted."

"Let me take over. You go inside and rest while recovering your mana with spirit stones."

"This can't go on. That damned flower demon is using our strength to grow stronger. The longer we delay, the worse our situation becomes."

"My clan and the Tree Demon Clan have always kept to our own business. Why would they suddenly attack us so viciously? It wasn't like this in the Heavenlight Secret Realm."

"Who knows? I suspect their Great Ascension realm ancestral tree might not survive the next great heavenly tribulation. Plus, they recently suffered a defeat at the hands of the Giant Spirit Race. They must have gone mad."

"We can't die here. We must escape and report this to the clan. The Tree Demon Clan might be plotting against us."

"..."

Four bull-headed men from Wild Bull Ridge, all at the divine transformation realm, were struggling.

Inside the Spirit-Devouring Flower, they could only barely hold on, completely unable to find a way to break free.

"Hmm? Who's spying on us?!" a bull-headed man with silver horns growled, his gaze turning hostile toward the direction Li Qing was slowly approaching.

Soon, Li Qing emerged, a gray sack slung over his head. A relaxed smile played on his face as he said, "Fellow Daoists of the Barbarian Bull Clan, it seems you could use some assistance."

"Moo! How is this possible? What kind of treasure is that? It's actually absorbing the Spirit-Devouring Flower's gastric fluid! Aren't you afraid it'll be corroded and ruined?"

A bull-headed man exclaimed in astonishment, his eyes wide with disbelief.

They knew all too well how corrosive the Spirit-Devouring Flower's gastric fluid was. Even their own silver bull horn couldn't withstand its erosion.

Anything swallowed by the flower was completely dissolved, becoming nourishment for its growth.

"Heh, fellow daoists need not be surprised," Li Qing said with a light smile, calming the Barbarian Bull Clan's doubts. "Shortly after entering the Heavenlight Secret Realm, I encountered a Spirit Devouring Beast. After defeating it, I refined its stomach into this rare treasure."

"This treasure's power is rather ordinary, but it can contain the mucus without fear of erosion."

Hearing this, the bull-headed men's eyes lit up with hope. "Human brother, please lend us a hand! We can't hold on much longer."

"Name your price. If we survive and escape this place, we'll repay you generously!"

"You must be Li Qing, right? Our Barbarian Bull Clan possesses a spiritual object called the Millennial Ox Bezoar. If you help us escape, we'll give you a piece of it once we leave the Heavenlight Secret Realm!"

If the Barbarian Bull Clan hadn't spoken up for him earlier, Li Qing would have definitely tried to negotiate some terms.

But now, they had supported him against the Flying Spirit Clan and he had borrowed their dao to enter the Heavenlight Secret Realm.

So, it would be inappropriate to ask for anything more. Shaking his head, he said, "Asking for rewards would be too formal. I feel a kinship with you, Brothers Bull, and I wouldn't stand by and watch you suffer."

With that, Li Qing activated the Human Seed Pouch, causing the treasure bag to expand even further, engulfing the bull-headed men within.

Freed from the corrosive slime, the bull-headed men let out a collective sigh of relief and collapsed to the ground.

"Thank goodness you intervened, Brother Li. We would have been in dire straits otherwise."

"Moo! That flower demon is truly despicable. This was clearly a trap set specifically for us."

"..."

Li Qing replied, "I understand you want to rest, but if we don't save more people now, I fear we won't escape this predicament."

At these words, the burly bull-headed men suddenly came to their senses, realizing the meaning behind Li Qing's words.

At this point, their small group likely couldn't break out of the Spirit-Devouring Flower's belly on their own.

They needed to find more allies, and if necessary, they might even have to recruit the Flying Spirit Clan.

"Brother Li is right," one of them said. "This flower demon is no ordinary foe. It contains a self-contained space within its body. We must find more allies to work together."

"Hmm, on my way here searching for you all, I saw Gu Li from the Giant Spirit Race. I wonder how he's doing now."

"Let's go look for him together."

Thus, one man and several oxen, protected by the Human Seed Pouch, began searching for other trapped individuals.

Along the way, the Barbarian Bulls insisted on forcing Li Qing to accept an Earth Spirit Grass Fruit as payment.

No matter how much Li Qing refused, they wouldn't take it back, even threatening to throw the fruit away.

With no other choice, Li Qing accepted the fruit. For him, it was indeed a valuable item.