Zhang Ling and the other two Core Formation cultivators sat together chatting, discussing the goals of this mission while also exchanging cultivation insights.
The thirty Foundation Establishment cultivators in the team, like them, were either cultivating in isolation or gathered in small groups, conversing softly.
Of course, in the core area of the platform's formation, Jiang Hao had left three or four Foundation Establishment disciples to specifically control the formation.
The wide platform beneath their feet continued to descend, heading towards the Flowing Cloud Sea tens of thousands of miles below.
After the better part of a day, they had already descended twenty to thirty thousand miles.
At this time, loud banging sounds came from outside the platform, as if something was constantly hitting it.
Zhang Ling stood at the edge of the platform, leaning against a stone pillar with his hands behind his back, watching the situation outside.
Outside the platform, light and shadows flickered as they passed through the clouds, as if traveling on a strange road.
The loud banging sounds that entered their ears also sounded quite eerie, sometimes like thunder, and sometimes like sharp howls.
This was a normal phenomenon because the speed of descent was too fast, creating wind shear as they pierced through the surrounding airflow.
They could descend three to four thousand miles every hour, a speed comparable to Zhang Ling's own flying speed.
Calculating the distance, they had already traveled most of the way, and in a few more hours, they would reach the Chaotic Cloud Layer.
Suddenly, Zhang Ling's expression shifted slightly as he looked in a certain direction outside, where a huge black spot was rapidly approaching from afar, seemingly about to collide with the platform they were on.
Fortunately, the platform was descending quickly, and the black spot slid past overhead, causing a burst of whistling wind, and the surrounding airflow was also affected, causing the platform to shake for a moment before returning to normal.
Zhang Ling chuckled, although it was only a fleeting glance, he had clearly seen that the black spot was a huge rock several hundred feet high, like a small mountain, that almost hit the platform they were on.
This situation had happened several times in half a day and was considered a common phenomenon.
If they were unlucky, they would encounter a large area of scattered rocks.
These stones were said to be fragments left over from the collapse of the continent, which were swept into the Flowing Cloud Sea and affected by the strong winds and some kind of rules, and were constantly in a state of flux.
The scattered rocks varied in size, some with extremely large areas, even super-large rocks with thousands of miles of area.
The scattered rocks would also be swept together by storms, forming large areas of turbulent flow, and if trapped in them, even high-level cultivators would find it difficult to escape.
The environment of the Flowing Cloud Sea is special, located high above.
They would encounter strong winds at all times.
As they continued to descend, the wind pressure they encountered became stronger and stronger.
Jiang Hao and Su Yu'er also stood at the edge, paying attention to the situation outside.
The three Core Formation cultivators had to be vigilant at all times to prevent danger.
...
Three hours later, the speed of the black stone platform decreased by more than half, and it no longer descended, but slowly drifted in the flowing clouds and mist.
The environment in all directions, up, down, left, and right, was filled with clouds and mist, as if they were in a white wave of air.
Looking at the endless flowing clouds, people had a feeling of enlightenment.
In the extreme distance, they could still see a huge crimson-golden sunset, slowly disappearing into the clouds, dyeing the clouds on the horizon crimson red.
Few people could see this kind of scenery.
The endless sea of clouds they were in now was the real Flowing Cloud Sea.
Zhang Ling was still sitting cross-legged on the edge of the stone platform, looking at the scenery outside.
He also released his divine sense to explore under the clouds and mist, but retracted his divine sense after a while.
The area of the Flowing Cloud Sea was also extremely vast, and the gathered clouds and mist did not dissipate for a long time.
It was said that the depth from top to bottom was also tens of thousands of miles.
Some cultivators had specifically studied this Flowing Cloud Sea, and legend has it that it was because of this sea of non-dispersing clouds that the entire continent floated in the high sky, forming the Flowing Cloud Sea's cultivation world.
Looking at the boundless sea of clouds, Zhang Ling had a strange thought in his mind.
If he set up a Cloud Gathering Formation here to collect cloud energy and condense Swallowing Cloud Stones, the effect would definitely be several times faster.
However, this idea could only be thought about, as there were many dangers here.
Not to mention that they would encounter flying rocks at all times.
There were also some desolate beasts and demon beasts in the Flowing Cloud Sea, but there were not many of them, but it was said that their strength was mostly at a high level.
There were also constantly changing celestial phenomena, and there was no safe place to be found here.
Just as he was thinking wildly, Jiang Hao's voice came from his ear.
"Fellow Daoist Zhang, Junior Sister Su, we have arrived at the Chaotic Cloud Layer.
Jiang will now activate the Myriad Disk in his hand to find the Sky Heart Stone, so I will trouble the two of you to guard the formation."
Jiang Hao sat cross-legged in the center of the platform, holding a copper plate in his hand, and his hands condensed seals and hit it.
He was activating the copper plate.
"Senior Brother Jiang, don't worry, Junior Sister will pay attention to the situation outside at all times," Su Yu'er said with a chuckle, and Zhang Ling also responded.
As Jiang Hao activated the Myriad Disk, the copper plate spun around, and once again released a blue-white light similar to an electric arc.
At the same time, the Sky Heart Stone Pillar standing in the center of the stone platform also echoed each other.
The runes on it flowed quickly, turning into a layer of blue-black light, gathering at the top of the stone pillar, and finally spreading outward like light waves.
The sound of crackling electric arcs came, and the light waves scattered into black starlight, drifting to farther places.
After a while, Jiang Hao seemed to have discovered something and commanded, "We are going southwest, there is a reaction over there."
As he spoke, the several Foundation Establishment cultivators following behind him quickly controlled the black stone platform, changed direction, and flew towards the southwest.
A quarter of an hour later, they stopped hundreds of miles away.
Zhang Ling stood up and activated a magic technique in his hand, conjuring two spiritual light hands to grab a boulder flying from the clouds.
With a loud bang, the boulder directly shattered the spiritual light hand with great force.
Then a long vine was thrown out, instantly wrapping the boulder in mid-air, and then with a pull, the boulder directly landed on the black stone platform they were on.
The entire platform trembled.
"Fellow Daoist Jiang, are you sure this is a Sky Heart Stone?" Zhang Ling asked in a muffled voice.
Jiang Hao looked at the boulder and nodded affirmatively.
"Hehe, the reaction on the Myriad Disk will not be wrong.
There is definitely a Sky Heart Stone inside, but according to the reaction, the Sky Heart Stone inside will not be too big, at most only the size of a fist."
This was a boulder more than twenty feet in size, with a pitted surface, looking like an ordinary rock.
Zhang Ling shook his hand, and the vine wrapped around the boulder turned into a black shadow, hitting it with a bang, and the boulder was shattered in an instant.
Then Jiang Hao's copper plate shot out a piece of light to cover a pile of rubble.
After two breaths, a black stone the size of a fist flew up and landed in Jiang Hao's hand.
Zhang Ling glanced at it and recognized that it was indeed a Sky Heart Stone.
Jiang Hao looked at the Sky Heart Stone in his hand and explained, "Not bad, I found such a Sky Heart Stone in a short time.
If I can find one in such a short time, the contribution points I can exchange for after I go back will definitely be a lot."
"However, this Sky Heart Stone can only emit a weak spiritual light, and most of it is wrapped in various rocks.
It is only produced in this sea of clouds, and it is always in a state of high-speed movement.
It is not easy to find with divine sense.
Fortunately, I have the assistance of the Myriad Disk, which makes it easier to find."
As Jiang Hao spoke, he took out a black iron box and put the Sky Heart Stone in it, and then activated the Myriad Disk again, commanding everyone to go in another direction.
...
In a certain place in the endless sea of clouds, a group of cyan birds gathered, constantly attacking a group of black-cyan light, and there was a loud rumbling sound.
This group of demon birds was as many as a thousand, each of which was ten feet in size.
As they flew quickly, they released wind blades, stirring the sea of clouds constantly.
This was a group of Cyan Wind Birds, a kind of demon bird with good strength.
The light group they were attacking was the black stone platform where Zhang Ling and others were.
At this time, Zhang Ling was standing on the edge of the platform, activating a magic technique in his hand, releasing three flying swords, attacking a cyan hurricane.
The wind group rotated rapidly, covering an area of more than twenty feet, and constantly shot out arc-shaped wind blades that collided with his flying swords, and there was a chaotic banging sound.
In the center of the wind group, a huge Cyan Wind Bird flapped its wings, and there were also a few soft chirps from its mouth, looking angry.
This giant bird had seventh-order strength and was the leader of this group of demon birds.
Strong spiritual power fluctuations also erupted in the other two positions of the black stone platform.
Jiang Hao and Su Yu'er were also unable to get away at this time, and they were each fighting a sixth-order Cyan Wind Bird.
In addition, there were three other fifth-order strengths, attacking the black stone platform's guardian formation.
Two of them were restrained by more than twenty Foundation Establishment cultivators.
The Foundation Establishment cultivators brought by Jiang Hao were mostly elite disciples, and they had also practiced joint attack secret techniques, which allowed them to temporarily restrain the high-level demon birds.
But there was also a fifth-order strength, leading a large number of low-level Cyan Wind Birds to release dense wind blades, constantly attacking the formation.
For a time, the platform they were on was besieged by this group of Cyan Wind Birds, and the formation shield flickered on and off.
Zhang Ling glanced at the current situation and snorted, and a golden light and a silver light flashed out from his sleeves, turning into two copper rings and attacking with a whirring sound.
This was the copper ring ancient treasure obtained from Madam Cao, and its attack speed and attack power were not bad.
The two copper rings shook rapidly, turning into large golden and silver rays, showing golden or silver copper ring phantoms.
Like a golden and silver glow.
Countless ring shadows, with a stabbing sound, all hit the Cyan Wind Bird, and there was a clanging sound, like hitting iron pieces.
For a time, it did not cause much damage to the Cyan Wind Bird, but it angered this seventh-order demon beast.
The Cyan Wind Bird let out a long cry, and its whole body condensed with wind spiritual power.
Its wings spread out, and the cyan feathers stood up, turning into sharp rays like flying swords, about to shoot out.
At this moment, among the large copper ring phantoms, two copper rings suddenly overlapped together, and a dazzling spiritual light erupted instantly like a golden and silver light ball.
The light was extremely dazzling, and even if a high-level cultivator glanced at it, it could make their eyes glow and unable to see the scenery clearly.
The Cyan Wind Bird was shaken by the light, and immediately screamed, and its movements could not help but slow down for a moment, obviously greatly affected.
However, in the blink of an eye, the bird regained consciousness, and its wings fanned again to form a hurricane, and the numerous copper ring phantoms were directly shattered by the impact.
But at the same time, the clouds and mist around it seemed to have life, quickly entangled together, condensing into several white mist snakes, like ropes, instantly wrapping the Cyan Wind Bird in place.
Taking this opportunity, the three flying swords released by Zhang Ling recombined into a huge light sword and slashed out.
It instantly killed the Cyan Wind Bird.
Then several vines wrapped out, pulling the Cyan Wind Bird's body to his side.
Zhang Ling patted the storage bag and put away the bird's body.
The Cyan Wind Bird is a wind-attribute demon beast with extremely fast flying speed.
It is difficult to cause damage to it by flying sword attacks alone.
Fortunately, the power of his flying swords has also been enhanced a lot after years of sparring with the Two Instruments Gourd and the Pill Fire.
In addition, the demon bird was affected by the light of the copper ring, and the clouds and mist transformed by the White Jade Ruyi temporarily controlled it, which allowed him to kill this seventh-order demon bird with one blow.
Zhang Ling flicked the flying sword a few times and went non-stop to attack the three fifth-order Cyan Wind Birds.
After a while, they killed all the high-level Cyan Wind Birds, and the remaining low-level Cyan Wind Birds dispersed in a rush.
This crisis can be considered to have passed.
After the Cyan Wind Birds left, they obtained a Sky Heart Stone the size of a watermelon from the flock of birds.
Speaking of which, they provoked this group of Cyan Wind Birds because Jiang Hao had discovered a not small Sky Heart Stone in this group of demon birds through the Myriad Disk not long ago.
The Sky Heart Stone can emit special spiritual energy to resist the erosion of turbid air.
These demon beasts will naturally look for this special spiritual mine to resist the turbid air of the wilderness.
Especially during the current period of turbid air eruption, turbid air has also appeared in this Flowing Cloud Sea, but it is not strong.
However, if the turbid air erupts for too long, it will be difficult for this place to escape.
After putting away the Sky Heart Stone, everyone once again controlled the black stone platform and flew in another direction according to the guidance of the Myriad Disk.
In this way, everyone sensed through the Myriad Disk and collected Sky Heart Stones in the Flowing Cloud Sea.
...
Time flies, more than ten days later.
"Calculating the time, we have been here for more than ten days, and there are only two days left until the final deadline of the mission.
It's time to return," Jiang Hao said, looking at the Sky Heart Stones placed beside him, stroking the Myriad Disk in his hand.
"This time, the Sky Heart Stones collected are more than half more than the last time I and Junior Sister Su collected.
Roughly estimated, they can be exchanged for 100,000 contribution points.
Zhang Daoyou deserves the first credit for having so many gains."
"Yes, this time with the help of Senior Brother Zhang, it is much more than the previous few times," Su Yu'er also smiled charmingly at Zhang Ling, and even the title became Senior Brother.
Zhang Ling listened to the flattery of the two and didn't know, shook his head and laughed dryly.
"I dare not take the credit.
If it weren't for Brother Jiang having the Myriad Disk in his hand, in this vast sea of clouds, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to find even one Sky Heart Stone alone."
"Haha, Brother Zhang is too modest.
These days, we have encountered several waves of danger.
If it weren't for Brother Zhang's high strength, we would only have escaped in panic.
How could we collect so many Sky Heart Stones?"
The three of them sat cross-legged on the ground, with more than a dozen Sky Heart Stones of different sizes placed at their feet.
The largest one was the Sky Heart Stone obtained from the Cyan Wind Bird group before.
The smallest ones were only the size of eggs.
If all these Sky Heart Stones were exchanged for spirit stones, their value would be at least several million spirit stones.
The Sky Heart Stone is a very special spirit mine and does not have a fixed spirit mine production area.
In normal times, it would take much longer to find so many Sky Heart Stones in the Flowing Cloud Sea, and it might not even be possible to find so many in several years.
On the contrary, the chances of finding this material increase significantly during periods of turbid Qi outbreaks.
It is said that this material did not exist originally, but after the outbreak of turbid Qi in Tianyuan, the spiritual Qi of heaven and earth in the Liuyun Sea changed, and this spiritual mine was conceived.
Looking at the Tianxin Stone placed on the ground, according to Jiang Hao, he can get at least 30,000 merit points.
On the previously viewed list of spiritual objects, the most valuable Jieying Pill requires a full one million merit points to exchange for one.
Zhang Ling naturally does not need to exchange for Jieying Pills. He has the Earth Spirit Fruit in his hand, and other auxiliary materials have already been collected. He can refine it himself.
As for the favorite high-grade spiritual vein cave, the merit points used are also a lot. It also requires at least 300,000 merit points.
There is even a high-grade spiritual vein cave with extremely high spiritual vein quality on the list. Renting it for a hundred years requires more than 500,000 merit points to exchange.
So many merit points are not easy to earn.
Don't look at the Tianxin Stones they collected in more than ten days, which can be exchanged for 100,000 merit points, but the danger is not small. They encountered several waves of wild beast swarms in just a few days.
According to Jiang Hao, because this beast tide broke out fiercely, the impact of the beast tide was secondary. The spread of turbid Qi was much stronger than in previous times, which became a problem instead.
Now the turbid Qi is spreading extremely fast, and it has already crossed the Ten Thousand Manifestation City, and it is still spreading continuously towards the hinterland of the human can barely resist, and the higher the cultivation level, the less affected it is.
However, some large and small islands in the human race area, where there are no powerful immortal cultivation sects or forces stationed, are inhabited by a large number of mortals. Turbid mist has the greatest impact on mortals.
Therefore, Ten Thousand Manifestation City urgently issued a task to collect Tianxin Stones, to use this special spiritual mine to set up formations to help mortals resist the erosion of turbid Qi.
This kind of thing must be done, whether you want to or not, mortals must be protected.
Not to mention the great righteousness of the human race's reproduction and survival, if these mortals are left alone, they will not be able to resist the influence of turbid Qi and will all turn into new wild beasts, which will be even more troublesome to deal with at that time.
"Three seniors, a wide area of thunderclouds has been discovered ahead. Should we detour?" At this moment, a dark-faced Foundation Establishment cultivator walked over and asked Jiang Hao.
Zhang Ling and the other two also stopped talking. Jiang Hao first glanced at the Myriad Compass that he always held in his hand and whispered, "Go straight through. There is a Tianxin Stone hidden in that thundercloud. As long as you activate the formation with all your strength, the light curtain can resist lightning attacks with the formation."
"Yes, this junior understands." The Foundation Establishment cultivator responded and hurried to control the formation.
Zhang Ling and Su Yu'er stood up and looked ahead in the direction they were flying.
In the distance, there was indeed a large area of black clouds, with rumbling thunder coming from it, and thick lightning bolts could be seen constantly shuttling through it.
The black clouds covered the horizon, with no end in sight, appearing to be at least several hundred miles wide.
Zhang Ling used his divine sense to keenly observe that this dark cloud was flowing rapidly, like a storm, and he could also see some rubble being swept inside.
"Hehe, this thundercloud is not small. It seems we'll be delayed here for some time. But the Myriad Compass is reacting strongly, so the Tianxin Stone hidden inside is not small." Jiang Hao held the Myriad Compass in one hand and cast a magic formula on it. A faint blue light flashed on the Myriad Compass, and it also shook slightly.
As they got closer and closer to the thundercloud, Zhang Ling narrowed his eyes slightly and released his divine sense to constantly explore. Jiang Hao and Su Yu'er also stood on the edge of the stone platform, releasing their divine senses to patrol like him.
Through several days of running together, the three of them also had a certain understanding. When encountering special clouds such as thunderclouds, they would react as soon as possible, be vigilant near them, and prevent encountering danger.
