The centipede's head was half a meter long, adorned with sharp teeth that glinted with a chilling aura.
At this moment, the centipede was clearly terrified, desperately trying to escape.
"Hahaha... this centipede seems to be afraid of death!"
Zhou Yan stared at the centipede, unable to suppress his excited laughter.
This centipede's strength was likely equivalent to at least a peak Xiantian level two martial artist, or perhaps even Xiantian level four. After all, this was ancient times, and the martial cultivators here were not as simple as ordinary warriors. Such creatures were extremely rare.
Zhou Yan licked his lips as he looked at the centipede, then slowly began to approach it.
The centipede reacted swiftly, sensing Zhou Yan's approach in an instant.
"Roar!"
The centipede let out a furious roar, opening its maw and spewing a cloud of venomous liquid at Zhou Yan.
The dark purple liquid, as soon as it was ejected, filled the entire secret chamber with a corrosive, foul stench that was almost nauseating. Zhou Yan quickly held his breath.
"Damn, this thing is too poisonous, I almost got hit!" Cold sweat beaded on Zhou Yan's forehead.
It was then that Zhou Yan finally noticed the pair of transparent wings on the centipede's body.
"Hmm?"
Zhou Yan let out a soft sound of surprise. He suddenly had an idea: perhaps he could capture this centipede and raise it.
After all, if such a powerful centipede could be cultivated, its combat prowess would be off the charts.
With this thought, Zhou Yan quickened his pace and charged towards the centipede.
"Screech screech screech!"
The centipede let out sharp cries, as if threatening Zhou Yan to stop approaching.
But how could Zhou Yan possibly listen to it?
"Heh heh, this thing is definitely a treasure. If I catch it and sell it, it will be worth a fortune. Moreover, someone might even be willing to pay a lot for it!"
Zhou Yan grinned and swung his fist directly at the centipede.
*Bang!*
Despite its power, the centipede was no match for Zhou Yan's attack. It was sent flying dozens of meters, slamming hard into the wall before falling to the ground. After a few struggles, it lay dead.
Zhou Yan grabbed the centipede and examined it closely.
"Hmm, this centipede's shell is incredibly hard. I wonder how it would fare if refined into armor?"
Zhou Yan muttered to himself, and immediately took out a piece of iron ore from his storage ring to begin forging.
After some practice, Zhou Yan forged the iron ore into a dark, model armor. This armor had a faint yellowish sheen and looked remarkably sturdy.
At this point, Zhou Yan took out a fire-elemental primal crystal from his storage ring and placed it on the chest of the armor model. Instantly, a wisp of azure flame materialized out of thin air, melting the armor model. The flame then spread, enveloping the entire armor.
The flame was incredibly hot, as if it would burn through the armor. However, Zhou Yan's eyes snapped open. He then placed his palms on the armor's surface, began channeling his internal Zhenqi, and infused it into the armor model.
*Hiss hiss...*
As Zhenqi was infused, the flames on the armor model began to madly devour the Zhenqi.
In just a few seconds, the flames were completely extinguished.
"Phew!"
Zhou Yan let out a long sigh. The flames on this armor model were condensed from his Zhenqi. Once they burned out, he would need to expend Zhenqi to reignite them.
The consumption rate was not an issue for Zhou Yan at his current level, but it would significantly reduce his Zhenqi, which pained him.
"I can't worry about that now!" Zhou Yan shook his head, then picked up a dagger and slashed his left arm.
Blood flowed onto the armor and was instantly absorbed.
As it absorbed Zhou Yan's blood, a faint golden pattern appeared on the armor's surface. These patterns glowed softly, looking as if they were alive.
"Such formidable defensive power. My body's current strength is just barely enough to forge this armor model!" Zhou Yan nodded slightly as he looked at the armor model before him.
Afterward, Zhou Yan took the dagger and began to carve.
The lines on the armor were not complex. Zhou Yan only spent five minutes to complete the carving process.
Next, Zhou Yan put on the armor model. He then found a cloth bag and filled it with sand.
This sand had been exchanged for jade coins.
The sand and soil within this desert labyrinth contained a faint trace of spiritual energy. Consuming it would slightly enhance one's physique, but for a cultivator like Zhou Yan, this increase was negligible, practically having no effect.
"This desert labyrinth is truly a good place. If possible, I should migrate my territory here."
Zhou Yan murmured to himself, having already made his plans.
Next, Zhou Yan picked up a stick and began digging in the sand.
Soon, Zhou Yan found three sticks.
"Hmm? What is this for?"
Zhou Yan held the sticks, looking at them in confusion.
A circular formation was carved onto the sticks, and beneath this formation was a painting.
"Could this be a formation diagram? Is there a formation diagram here?" Zhou Yan was somewhat shocked. He then walked over to the painting and examined it closely.
The painting depicted a sea of sand, with a massive island within it. On this island stood a city, surrounded by numerous pools of water.
Around the city, there were many houses.
"So this is where this island is located. No wonder I couldn't find this beach. It seems this sand island is hidden somewhere in the ocean, and I couldn't find it."
Zhou Yan thought to himself.
This sea of sand appeared to be ordinary, but Zhou Yan noticed that there was no vegetation within his field of vision.
"Is this a death zone?"
Zhou Yan's brow furrowed, and he couldn't help but guess.
"Forget it, whatever. I'll build it up first. Once this place is built, this sand island can be used as my private territory."
Zhou Yan mused, then continued to dig with renewed focus. After digging for over ten zhang, a massive rock cave finally appeared within his sight.
"Haha, the geographical location of this cave is truly superb. From now on, it will be called 'Sand Dune Cave'. I wonder if other cultivators will enter here in the future."