Chapter 493 491: No Eating Alone

After passing through the Space Passage and a moment of disorienting chaos, Luo Tian's body suddenly dropped, and he began to plummet.

"Hm?"

Luo Tian looked down to see raging waves stretching as far as the eye could see.

This was an ocean!

He immediately circulated his True Essence and levitated in midair.

"Such dense Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi!"

Spiritual Qi was sparse in the Outer Void, but the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi in this special dimension was nearly on par with that of the Tai Yuan Sect, a Cultivation Sacred Land for the Human Race.

Luo Tian scanned his surroundings. There wasn't a soul in sight for a thousand meters in any direction, only the shockingly powerful, surging waves.

'It seems everyone was randomly teleported upon entry.'

At the same time, Luo Tian received messages from other Tai Yuan Sect disciples calling to assemble. However, everyone was scattered, and their locations were too vague to gather anytime soon.

In this unknown land, no one knew what lay in store. It might genuinely be the Void Thief King's treasure, but it could just as easily be a place of immense danger.

The Void Chain Pearl from the Sect could be used to escape this place by infusing it with a large amount of True Essence, serving as a lifesaver in a crisis.

But this method required time to activate, and once used, there was no coming back.

Being extremely cautious, Luo Tian released the Ugly Bird from the Celestial Book.

"Stay sharp, Ugly Bird!" Luo Tian warned.

"I have *always* been sharp. You, on the other hand, are lacking in every respect. You should try to learn a thing or two from me," the Crow retorted, dissatisfied.

Luo Tian had long since developed the habit of ignoring the Ugly Bird. If he hadn't, its constant provocations would have driven him to Qigong Deviation long ago.

After the man and bird flew over the ocean for some time, a small island appeared ahead.

Without a second thought, Luo Tian immediately landed on the island to investigate.

The island's vegetation was lush, with some ancient trees towering two or three hundred meters high, filling the air with a primeval aura.

'So many Spiritual Materials, and they're all ancient.'

Luo Tian's eyes lit up.

Luo Tian harvested every Spiritual Material he came across.

In truth, Luo Tian had no use for most of these Spiritual Materials himself. He would have to give half of whatever he took back to the Sect, and selling the remainder wouldn't earn him much money.

But Luo Tian's only reason for harvesting these Spiritual Materials was to charge the Celestial Book.

'Before I leave, I can use some of the less valuable items to charge the Celestial Book. That's better than letting others have them.'

Luo Tian had already made up his mind.

"Kid, there's nothing good around here. Why don't we split up? We'll be more efficient that way," the Crow suddenly suggested.

Luo Tian gave it a strange look, then nodded. "Alright. If you find any treasures, remember to call me. Don't you dare hoard them for yourself."

"What kind of god do you take me for? We share our fortunes and face hardships together! If I find anything good, you'll definitely get your share," the Crow said, puffing out its chest with a disdainful look.

Only after Luo Tian was far in the distance did the Crow's expression turn shifty. It glanced around furtively, its eyes gleaming as it let out a strange, sinister chuckle.

"CAW CAW CAW! Luo Tian, you're still too naive!"

The Crow flapped its wings and flew off in a specific direction.

Soon, it arrived deep in the jungle where it found a clear spring surrounded by five or six colorful trees.

Beside the colorful trees grew several peculiar Spirit Grasses.

'Tsk tsk, not bad. This spot has the densest Spiritual Qi, so the Heavenly and Earthly Treasures that grow here are much better than elsewhere.'

'And the most precious of all are these 'Three Elements Fruits'!'

A glint flashed in the Crow's eyes as it stared at the fruits on the colorful trees. There were four in total.

The surface of the fruit swirled with three intersecting colors. It was an exceptionally rare Heavenly and Earthly Treasure capable of replenishing life essence and Vitality, and even nourishing one's spirit. While its effects weren't exceptionally powerful, its strength lay in its versatility.

However, the Crow wasn't interested in the Three Elements Fruit's medicinal properties, but rather the vast Energy contained within it.

As soon as the Crow drew near...

BUZZZZZ!

A dangerous buzzing sound emanated from the colorful trees, and then twenty to thirty black specks of light shot out!

'Black Crystal Bees!'

The Crow recognized them at a glance.

These bees were extremely fast and incredibly agile, yet their bodies were so small they were almost imperceptible.

At night, the bees would be nearly impossible to detect, doubling the danger they posed!

"A bunch of little bees dare to threaten me!"

The Crow squawked angrily, though it was still a little afraid of the Black Crystal Bees.

It hovered nearby for a moment before finally making a decision. It opened its beak and let out a loud screech: "CAW CAW CAW!"

The Demonic screech sounded like sharp metal grinding together, a sound that pierced the soul and drove one to madness.

Moreover, as the Crow screeched, a puff of black smoke shot out and enveloped the Black Crystal Bees!

The buzzing instantly grew deafening, a clear sign of the Black Crystal Bees' fury.

In an instant, fifty or sixty Black Crystal Bees swarmed out.

Screeching all the while, the Crow fled in a hurry, leading the swarm of Black Crystal Bees into the distance.

「A short while later.」

Luo Tian drifted onto the scene. Looking in the direction the Ugly Bird had fled, he said softly, "Well done, Ugly Bird."

'The Three Elements Fruit... A special Spiritual Material that replenishes one's Essence, Qi, and Spirit. At a critical moment, it could even turn the tide of a battle.'

Luo Tian stared at the Three Elements Fruit with a smile.

He approached the Three Elements Fruit, ready to pluck it.

BUZZZZZ!

There were still a dozen or so Black Crystal Bees left.

WHOOSH!

Luo Tian waved his palm, and a blast of frigid wind sent the Black Crystal Bees flying over ten meters away.

To his surprise, the Black Crystal Bees weren't dead and quickly charged at him again.

'These Black Crystal Bees have a strong resistance to True Qi. Their bodies are small, but their Life Essence is powerful...' Luo Tian concluded after observing them with his Spiritual Sense.

The cultivation of most of these Black Crystal Bees was around the Earth Element Realm Fifth Layer. However, even someone at the Earth Element Realm Seventh or Eighth Layer would find them incredibly troublesome if they didn't know what they were dealing with.

"Freeze!"

Luo Tian channeled a portion of his Divine Vein Power and struck out with his palm again.

As his palm swept past, ice froze everything in its path. The Black Crystal Bees were frozen into little ice cubes and fell to the ground.

'They're not dead? Still struggling?'

Luo Tian was quite surprised, but it didn't matter.

He immediately plucked the Three Elements Fruits and then harvested all the other Spiritual Materials in the area!

'Not bad at all!'

A faint smile appeared on Luo Tian's face.

Excluding the Three Elements Fruits, the rest of his haul was worth more than twenty thousand Spiritual Essence Coins.

"Not bad indeed. A pity that all these treasures are now mine."

A cold sneer suddenly echoed.

SWOOSH!

A man in green robes shot in from the distance like a bolt of lightning.

'A disciple from the Sea Demon Palace!'

Luo Tian's expression turned grim.

'I can't believe I ran into a disciple from the Sea Demon Palace so soon after arriving.'

The Green-robed Man's cultivation had reached the Earth Element Realm Ninth Layer, and a suppressive aura emanated from his entire being!

"Huh? Luo Tian?"

When the Green-robed Man got a clear look at Luo Tian, a wide grin spread across his face.

"This is my lucky day! Even if I get nothing else from this trip to the Thief King's Treasure Land, capturing you will be more than enough."

The Green-robed Man's smile widened.

Ever since Luo Tian joined the Tai Yuan Sect and entered its Main Peak, the Sea Demon Palace had adjusted his bounty.

Kill Luo Tian and bring back his body: five hundred thousand Spiritual Essence Coins!

Capture Luo Tian alive: one million Spiritual Essence Coins!

A full one million Spiritual Essence Coins! It was a temptation that probably no one below the rank of a Celestial Level Martial Artist could resist!

And even Celestial Level Martial Artists would be sorely tempted.

Luo Tian knew about this, which was why he rarely ventured out after being accepted into the Main Peak.

"If you think you can capture me, you're being a little too naive," Luo Tian said coolly as his figure shot upward.

"Is that so? I think you're the one who's being naive!"

A large saber appeared in the Green-robed Man's hand, and he slashed down fiercely!

BOOM!

A massive, fan-shaped wave of eerie green light swept out!

In an instant, all the trees within a hundred-meter radius were sliced in half and came crashing down!

Luo Tian was left completely exposed in midair!

'A chill went down his spine!'

'What a powerful slash! This man's strength is likely on par with He Yunkong's!'

"Now do you still think you can escape from my grasp?"

A mocking smile played on the Green-robed Man's lips.

But just then.

"CAW CAW CAW! What's going on? Who's chopping down all the trees?" the Crow squawked as it flew over.

It saw that the Three Elements Fruit Tree had been cut down, and that the Three Elements Fruits and all the other Spiritual Materials were gone!

"Who?! Who stole my Three Elements Fruits!" the Crow roared in fury.

After luring away a large batch of the Black Crystal Bees, it had hurried back to collect its spoils, only to find nothing left!

"Ugly Bird, Three Elements Fruits? What Three Elements Fruits? Didn't you say there weren't any treasures around here?" Luo Tian asked.

The question flustered the Crow, and it quickly fabricated an answer. "Uh, well, there weren't any at first, but then I suddenly discovered some Three Elements Fruits."

"Now that you mention it, I do seem to recall that fellow over there taking a few tri-colored fruits!" Luo Tian said, shifting the blame.

'A couple of morons.'

The Green-robed Man couldn't be bothered with Luo Tian and the Crow's chatter. With his strength, he was confident he could crush them both.

"It was you! You ugly monster! How dare you show your hideous face in public! Watch out, or the bees will sting you to death!" the Crow cursed, seething with anger.

It had worked so hard, only for someone else to reap the rewards. The Crow was incredibly resentful.

"I'll kill you first!"

Annoyed by the Crow's squawking, the Green-robed Man slashed out with his saber!

SHIIING!

The wave of eerie green light slashed out violently, streaking across the sky and emitting a powerful, chilling pressure!

The Crow frantically flapped its wings and narrowly dodged the attack.

"Hm?"

The Green-robed Man frowned. 'This ugly-ass bird actually dodged my Attack?'

Just as he was about to strike again...

...the dense sound of "BUZZZZZ" filled the air, carrying with it a dangerous aura.

The next instant, sixty to seventy black specks of light came speeding toward them!

When the Black Crystal Bees returned to find their nest destroyed and the Three Elements Fruits gone, they flew into a rage even wilder than the Crow's and immediately attacked.

Luo Tian and the Crow immediately fell back.

The Green-robed Man sneered dismissively. He figured he could deal with these little bees with a wave of his hand.

But three breaths later, the Green-robed Man's expression turned grim. A new welt had appeared on his forehead!

"Damn it! Why are these bees so troublesome?"

The Green-robed Man's face was dark with anger. He tried to get away but was hopelessly swarmed by the fifty or sixty Black Crystal Bees.

For some reason, the Black Crystal Bees targeted only him, completely ignoring Luo Tian and the Crow.

"CAW CAW CAW! Just wait 'til they sting you to death!" the Crow cackled.

Luo Tian also recalled that the Crow seemed to have used its "Cursed Tongue" ability a moment ago.

Normally, with the Green-robed Man's level of cultivation, he should have been able to win against so many Black Crystal Bees, or at least escape easily.

But the Cursed Tongue ability seemed to have given the Black Crystal Bees a huge boost in luck, increasing their survival rate.

The Green-robed Man, on the other hand, seemed to be cursed with bad luck, constantly making mistakes and getting stung by the Black Crystal Bees.

In less than ten breaths...

...the Green-robed Man's head was covered in welts and had swollen up like a pig's head.