Chapter 22 Starting to Stir Up Trouble

Subsequently, they swam towards Pan Di's cave.

On the way, Lu Li casually made conversation and quickly found out the location of his own cave.

Lu Li entered the cave, lay down on the muddy seabed, and quietly pondered his next course of action.

After a short while, he bade Pan Di farewell and swam towards the outskirts of his territory, officially beginning his inspection journey under the watchful gaze of Pan Di, who looked on with concern.

A month went by quickly.

During this time, aside from patrolling the edges of the Spirit Turtle basin, Lu Li returned to his cave to meditate and practice cultivation.

In his spare time, he even refined magic artifacts, and with his unremitting efforts, he finally managed to craft mid-grade magic artifacts.

This month of patrolling also gave him a preliminary understanding of some of the surrounding circumstances.

Without a clear grasp of the situation, he did not rashly make a move, like a seasoned hunter lying in wait silently.

Late at night, at the edge of the Spirit Turtle basin.

Lu Li patrolled along the perimeter, slowly swimming northeast.

An hour later, a vast connected mountain range loomed ahead of him.

The underwater mountain range continued endlessly for hundreds of miles, covered in seaweed, teeming with fish and shrimp, and bursting with vitality.

According to his knowledge, this Tianxuan Mountain Range served as the Sky Blue Snake Clan's territory, neighbors with the Mystic Turtle clan, both of which held deep-seated hatred for each other.

Lu Li arrived near a reef and transformed, his entire body changing into a Sky Blue Snake about ten feet long.

This Sky Blue Snake was one he had stealthily hunted on the outskirts of the Tianxuan Mountain Range over the past month, with a cultivation around the fourth level of the Qi Cultivation Stage.

He controlled the snake's body, slowly swimming towards the heart of the mountain range.

Swimming forward, he could sense the subtle differences between this place and the Spirit Turtle basin.

The sea mud and reefs were covered in a kind of brown-red algae, and snakes were seen entering and exiting the mud holes everywhere.

Feeling Lu Li's presence, they were frightened and scurried in all directions.

Lu Li took a deep breath of seawater, and threads of icy Spiritual Energy flowed into his body.

This place was indeed similar to the outskirts of the Spirit Turtle basin in terms of Spiritual Energy, likely also a second-order lower-grade Spirit Vein.

He swam towards the center of the mountain range, encountering more Sky Blue Snakes at the Qi Cultivation Stage along the way.

Since Lu Li's aura belonged to the same clan, they paid him no heed.

In this manner, he swam for over half an hour.

Lu Li arrived near a huge reef and concealed himself.

This location was some distance from the central part of the mountain range, specifically chosen after several days of observation.

He quietly hid in the deep sea algae, reining in all traces of his aura, and his Divine Sense carefully scanned the Sky Blue Snakes passing by.

Several hours passed, and although more than a dozen Sky Blue Snakes swam near him, the target he was waiting for had yet to appear.

Just as he was starting to think there would be no gains that day, a surge of Demon Energy suddenly emanated from ahead.

Lu Li fixed his gaze and was instantly overjoyed.

He saw a Sky Blue Snake more than ten feet long and as thick as an arm swimming towards him.

Unlike the other Sky Blue Snakes, this one was covered in red patterns and was not very powerful, with a cultivation around the fourth level of the Qi Cultivation Stage, and it emitted an air of nobility.

Lu Li slowly swam out from the algae, pretending to encounter it by chance.

Seeing one of its kind, the Flower Snake looked puzzled, "Who are you? Why are you here?"

Lu Li answered calmly and unhurriedly, "Prince, I often wander around here and have admired your grand posture several times, which has left me in awe. Do you remember me, Prince?"

This month, he had deliberately come across this very unique Sky Blue Snake several times.

From conversations with other snakes, he had learned its identity, leading to today's "chance meeting."

Hearing this, the patterned snake was quite flattered and looked at Lu Li with some confusion, "Your aura seems familiar to me, Prince. What brings you to me today?"

"Prince, I recently discovered a magical glowing jade stone on the outskirts of the mountain range…"

"Jade stone? Is it that kind of milky white stone that glows and feels cold to the touch?"

The patterned snake immediately showed interest.

Lu Li quickly continued, "That's probably it. If the Prince finds this treasure and offers it to the elder, the elder will certainly be very pleased."

"But this Prince sneaked out, if..."

"Don't worry, we'll be back soon, and nobody will know!"

Lu Li replied with a tantalizing tone.

The patterned snake's eyes instantly lit up, "Then lead the way quickly, if there is really a treasure, the Prince will surely reward you generously."

Perhaps it was the scent of kin that greatly lowered the other's guard. Seeing the plan succeed, Lu Li slowly let out a breath of relief, suddenly feeling a sense of guilt as if he was deceiving a child.

Following that, Lu Li led the Flower snake, one in front and one behind, toward the outer perimeter of the mountain range.

He carefully avoided some of the Sky Blue Snakes in the Qi Cultivation Stage as he advanced.

Before long, Lu Li brought the Little Flower Snake to the outermost part of the mountain range, beside a reef.

"Where is the treasure?"

The Flower snake had been very impatient along the way. Had it not been for Lu Li's gentle persuasion, it might have given up already. Now that it had reached the edge of its territory, it could no longer contain itself.

"Your Highness, don't be anxious, I will present it to you now!"

Having said that, Lu Li swiftly summoned the Aminokaze, and a dazzling sword light emerged underwater, charging toward the Flower snake.

"Crack"

The Little Flower Snake didn't even have time to react before it was cleaved in two, the corners of its eyes still brimming with endless rage and fear.

The severed body struggled at the bottom of the muddy sea, as the surrounding waters were dyed a deep red.

Lu Li quickly collected the body of the Flower snake, then roamed around the edge of the Tianxuan Mountain Range for a good while, filling the sea area with the scent of the Flower snake.

Before long, he brought the corpse of the Flower snake to the edge of the Spirit Turtle basin and found a cave entrance to crawl into.

Then, he placed the body of a turtle demon, in the middle stage of Qi Cultivation, and the bisected corpse of the Flower snake together on the ground.

After completing all this, Lu Li lurked not far from the cave entrance.

He did not go far, mainly to prevent the carefully prepared scene from being ruined by passing Demon Beasts.

The intense smell of blood was bound to attract other Demon Beasts.

Time slowly passed, and a day later.

A Sky Blue Snake at the seventh level of Qi Cultivation swam toward this cave entrance and soon entered the cave.

"Roar, roar, roar..."

The Sky Blue Snake let out endless roars of anger, taking the bodies of the Little Flower Snake and the turtle demon with it as it left.

......

Tianxuan Mountain Range, inside a cave.

"Report to the commander, the Prince has perished along with the turtle demon..."

"What!"

One of the Sky Blue Snakes in the late phase of Qi Cultivation, upon receiving the message, hastily went to the elder cave.

"Report... report to the elder, His Highness the Prince was killed by the turtle demon in the Spirit Turtle basin."

"What did you say!"

...

"Report to the great ancestor, a group of Mystic Turtles have pressed into our territory, claiming they want to exterminate the entire Sky Blue Snake Clan, the Prince has been killed, sob, sob..."

"Roar, roar, roar..."

Deep within the cave, the Sky Blue Snake ancestor was instantly engulfed in endless rage, with colossal Demon Energy surging violently.

"Immediately gather the clansmen, exterminate those damned creatures!"

"As you command, great ancestor."

"Kill, kill, kill..."

At the edge of the Spirit Turtle basin, Lu Li watched the departing figure of the Sky Blue Snake, his lips curling into a faint smile.

He calmly swam toward the center of the basin.

Soon, he arrived back inside his own cave and lay down, quietly waiting.