"This really is a good place... If I could occupy an island here to use as a cave mansion, that would be even better."

The Water Dragon Sect isn't exactly peaceful either, especially with them holding the selection early and using loose cultivators as cannon fodder... This left Ji Yuan with little fondness for this faction.

Right now, to protect their disciples, they're willing to throw loose cultivators into the fire.

So if something happens in the future, wouldn't they also use their disciples as cannon fodder to protect Foundation Establishment cultivators?

He could join this group temporarily to gain strength, but he'd never risk his life for them... Ji Yuan was already subconsciously looking for a way out for himself.

He pulled out the map again and looked it over. Qiu Qianhai had drawn an island with a bald mountain as a reference point. All he had to do was find that bald mountain island, then loop southeast around two more islands, and as soon as he spotted an island with a cliff, that would be the destination of this trip.

And that Tier Two body technique suitable for Foundation Establishment Stage was right at the bottom of that cliff.

Ji Yuan circled above the clouds for a long while. Finally, around noon, with the blazing sun burning away some of the fog, the bald mountain slowly emerged above the mist.

First, he called out the Hundred Fish Shield for protection. Then he activated a top-grade Iron Wall Talisman in his hand. The Qianfu Flying Sword was summoned as well, disguised as a willow leaf perched on his shoulder. Only then did he finally steer the Thunder Falcon Boat in a dive.

Once near the bald mountain, Ji Yuan didn't rush. Instead, he circled a few times, making sure there weren't any Tier Two demon beasts lurking in the surrounding fog or waters, before piloting the boat down into the dense mist.

The fog... was thick!

Ji Yuan's field of vision was less than half what it had been before; at best, he could see a hundred meters ahead, and even then, everything was shrouded in a hazy blur—nothing looked real.

'Damn, this place must be up to something... Safe as hell, but dangerous as hell too.'

Ji Yuan was on full alert, wary of the surrounding islands and the waters beneath his feet.

This place, no cultivators would usually come here, so as long as he could hole up, he'd be fine—provided he could handle the demon beasts here.

All of a sudden, Ji Yuan stopped on the spot, yanking the Thunder Falcon Boat abruptly upward by more than ten meters.

Only then did he dare glance down at the water.

He saw, right beneath the lake's surface, a massive black shadow over a dozen zhang long, winding its way forward slowly, unhurried and relaxed... a snake demon that size!

Most likely a Tier Two demon beast.

This was Ji Yuan's first real encounter with a Tier Two demon beast, and he couldn't help but hold his breath and concentrate.

Luckily, the water muffled his presence, so the snake demon didn't notice. After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the snake demon faded into the depths, and Ji Yuan continued on.

He crept forward in stops and starts, and every time there was even a hint of movement, he'd rush out of the fog like he was ready to run away for good.

In this way, after almost half an hour, he finally located the island depicted on the map.

Ji Yuan watched from a distance. The island was thickly wooded, with just a single hill, and the cliff was obvious—which was how he'd recognized it so quickly.

But what about that toad... Ji Yuan deliberately circled the island on his flying boat, searching as he went, but he still didn't spot any sign of the toad.

At last, Ji Yuan stopped on the northwest side, exactly across from the cliff.

He narrowed his eyes, but the forest blocked his view, so he couldn't be sure if the inheritance technique Qiu Qianhai's grandfather spoke of was still there... Judging by the map, it was likely inscribed on the cliff face.

But where was the toad?

Could the opportunity here have already been taken, with the toad being killed in the process?

If that was the case, he'd just have to accept his rotten luck and go elsewhere.

Just as Ji Yuan was thinking this, he suddenly saw a mound of earth bulge up at the base of the cliff ahead. Before he could react, a scarlet tongue shot out from the mound.

Its target—the flying boat beneath his feet.

"Shit—"

Ji Yuan hastily jerked the flying boat aside, barely dodging the strike.

Then he shot the boat straight up, only relaxing a little when he was almost back up among the clouds.

He glanced back—the toad's tongue could only reach as far as the elevation he'd just left, but now he was near the cloud edge.

Unless this toad could fly, there was no way it could touch him.

In just a short moment, the toad, which seemed to have been sleeping underground, finally revealed itself entirely.

Though he'd had to dodge quickly, Ji Yuan had managed to get a good look at the toad's appearance in passing.

It crouched low, stood at least ten meters tall, with a whole body of dusky gray-black, even the warty bumps on its back the same color, as if each wart was encrusted with a layer of gravel. But what really drew Ji Yuan's attention was that mouth—a huge mouth, so wide it looked like it split its whole head in half, and the head was big to begin with, making it look all the stranger.

This demon beast... Ji Yuan gazed down at it from above, frowning slightly, a hint of doubt in his eyes.

A giant-toad eater?

If this really was that thing, then maybe he could avoid a fight entirely today.

Ji Yuan considered for a moment as the toad lashed its tongue a few more times, stretching it as far as it could.

Even managing to poke out of the fog, it still came up nearly a hundred zhang short of reaching Ji Yuan.

He stayed absolutely still, while the toad just got angrier, smacking its mouth and hurling its tongue a few more times. When it failed, it suddenly leapt upward.

The ground shook with a loud "boom"—the toad sprang from the earth.

It bounded dozens of meters, crashing through trees, then kept leaping, again and again, heading resolutely up the mountain... with a single goal in mind.

It wanted to climb to the top of the cliff and attack Ji Yuan again.

Of course Ji Yuan could read its intentions, but he didn't move.

He wanted to see if this thing really was a giant-toad eater. If it was... Ji Yuan had plenty of ideas.

Soon enough, the toad had bounced its way atop the cliff. It snapped its tongue out again, as if trying to swallow Ji Yuan, but it was still twenty or thirty zhang short.

The toad seemed to get desperate.

It finally stopped using its tongue and just closed its mouth, the throat swelling as it let out a nonstop "gugu" croak.

'Here it comes!'

Ji Yuan thought to himself.

Sure enough, the toad suddenly opened its mouth wide, and a terrifying suction swept out, dragging in all the fog around Broken Cliff Mountain.

Just as expected!

This damned thing really was a giant-toad eater!

If that was the case, things just got a lot easier.

No need to even fight for it—this opportunity could be his for the taking, without a scratch!

With that, Ji Yuan pulled a Spirit Pig leg from his storage bag and lowered the flying boat, chucking the leg toward the beast from a safe distance.

Before the Spirit Pig leg was even halfway to the ground, the giant-toad snapped out its tongue, rolled it up, and gulped it down instantly.

And just like that—

"Hmm?!!"

The giant-toad paused, the suction vanishing at once. While the fog slowly closed back in, even the look in its eyes cleared up.

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