The Xilu Mountain Range wasn't too far from Xuanwu Village. Ling Feng flew at full speed and arrived at his destination within a few hours.
Ling Feng was well-versed in various medical scriptures, thus he had some understanding of the habits of the three-legged fire toad. Such poisonous creatures naturally thrived in places dense with miasma.
About a day later, Ling Feng arrived at a small valley in the Xilu Mountain Range.
In the center of this valley was a lake shrouded in black mist, emitting a foul stench. A thick black fog hung over the grim waters, which was a lethal combination of various malevolent qi. Just a touch could turn an ordinary martial artist into a puddle of blood.
Such an environment was truly treacherous, yet it was precisely the kind of place that the three-legged fire toad favored.
"I hope it's here." Ling Feng leaped forward towards the center of the valley.
Over ten martial artists had gathered around the lake. Ling Feng was surprised to see that among them was the Shadow Strike Hunting Team, whom he had encountered in the God-Burying Swamp!
Mo Yao was no longer with the team. Instead, standing out was Hei Feng, who was second only to Mo Yao in the hunting team's strength.
Seeing Ling Feng appear, the members of the Shadow Strike Hunting Team greeted him warmly.
"You're here too!" Ling Feng rubbed his nose. Though these guys had fled last time they faced danger, they were merely passing acquaintances, and he bore no grudge against them.
However, they could only remain ordinary friends and nothing more.
"Yeah, Brother Ling Feng!" Hei Feng scratched his head awkwardly. "We met Captain Mo Yao in the county town, and she's filled us in on everything. Sorry about earlier..."
"Let bygones be bygones. By the way, has Captain Mo Yao left the Shadow Strike Hunting Team?"
"Yeah." Hei Feng nodded. "Mo Yao only left her family to gain experience, after all."
"By the way, why is everyone gathered here? Is there some treasure in the lake?" Ling Feng changed the subject, asking casually.
"Yeah!" Before Hei Feng could respond, the only female member of the team, Bai Yushuang, chimed in. "Actually, we teamed up with the largest hunting group in Beiliang County to capture the three-legged fire toad."
Bai Yushuang said, smiling, "Two days ago, we tracked one to this lake and were about to force it out when you arrived."
Hei Feng's face darkened instantly. He silently cursed Bai Yushuang for being too quick with her mouth. Now that Ling Feng knew, he might want a piece of the action too!
However, Hei Feng had been around these situations for decades. He maintained his smile and said, "Ah, it's just a small fire toad. Brother Ling Feng, surely you wouldn't be interested, right?"
Ling Feng smiled disdainfully and said calmly, "To be frank, I've come here precisely for the three-legged fire toad."
"Uh..." Hei Feng's smile froze for a moment, but he quickly chuckled. "What a coincidence... What a coincidence."
A hint of contempt curled Ling Feng's lips. Such people were abundant in the world, and he had long grown used to them.
"Oh right, Brother Ling Feng, let me introduce you. This is Vice-Captain Li Wencheng of the Blood Wolf Hunting Team." Hei Feng gestured towards a blue-robed martial artist in the later stages of the Transformation Realm.
"Vice-Captain Li," Ling Feng greeted Li Wencheng with a fist-and-palm salute, smiling faintly.
"Brother Ling, I've heard so much about you!"
Li Wencheng, around thirty years old with a square face and arched eyebrows, looked very dignified. Seeing Ling Feng dressed in Tianwei Academy attire, he showed a hint of respect.
After all, those who could enter Tianwei Academy were geniuses within the Empire and potential future powerhouses. Therefore, most wandering cultivators showed deference when facing students from these four major academies.
This hunting team of wandering cultivators captured three-legged fire toads for trade. As long as Ling Feng was willing to offer a reasonable reward, they could engage in a transaction.
After exchanging names with the members of the Blood Wolf Hunting Team, Ling Feng wasted no time and started discussing how to capture the three-legged fire toad in the lake.
An adult three-legged fire toad could reach the peak of the fifth-tier. The one they were pursuing was not yet at this level. Otherwise, they wouldn't dare to approach it.
Three-legged fire toads were extremely poisonous, but their poison sacs were high-tier alchemical materials. Moreover, it contained a potent fire poison that could counteract any demonic qi invading Lin Xian'er's body effectively.
Furthermore, the gallbladder of the three-legged fire toad was an excellent detoxifying medicine. Consuming it could allow the user to resist any poison below the Spiritual Element Realm. Additionally, its demonic core contained precious elemental forces sought after by cultivators.
Especially for cultivators practicing toxic arts, the three-legged fire toad was highly coveted.
Unfortunately, the three-legged fire toad was extremely rare within the Tianbai Empire due to excessive hunting. As for the demon domain of Nanjiang, ordinary people rarely dared to set foot there to hunt them.
"Brother Ling, this lake is shrouded in poisonous gas. Even martial artists in the Transformation Realm would likely perish if they fell into it. What's even more terrifying is that the lake's toxicity seems to erode martial artists' elemental forces, making it even more difficult to capture the toad."
Li Wencheng looked at Ling Feng and explained the issues they encountered in detail.
"No worries, we can divert the lake water and force the toad to surface."
Ling Feng then continued calmly, "This lake isn't large. There shouldn't be a fifth-tier demonic beast hiding in it. If we work together to move the lake water elsewhere, the three-legged fire toad will have nowhere to hide."
Everyone nodded. Unable to enter the lake water, they decided to empty the lake and see where the three-legged fire toad would flee.
Ling Feng raised his eyebrows, mobilized his true qi, and condensed a handful of true qi, sweeping it across the lake's surface like a giant shovel to scoop out large amounts of water.
In fact, if he hadn't been concerned about revealing the Five Elements Heavenly Palace, he could have easily drained the lake by throwing the palace at the lake surface.
Following his lead, the other martial artists also tried to condense their elemental force into big handfuls, attempting to move the lake water aside like Ling Feng.
However, the lake water was extremely toxic. Before they could even lift the water, their elemental force was corroded completely. Among all present, only Ling Feng, Li Wencheng, and a few others managed to scoop up the lake water.