Translator: CinderTL
The four of them traveled over a hundred miles without encountering any danger. It seemed the Gold-Eating Ants had truly left.
However, apart from some low-grade Spirit Herbs, they found nothing particularly noteworthy.
Song Wen looked at Xue Mei with a puzzled expression.
This place didn't seem to be the treasure trove of rare and exotic items that Xue Mei had described as being cultivated by the Divine Blood Gate.
Xue Mei also furrowed her brows, equally confused.
Many characteristics of this place matched the descriptions she had heard of the Dark Orchid Realm.
Especially the spiritual energy here, which was so dense that it distorted Divine Sense. It was impossible for there to be no rare treasures.
Could all the Spirit Herbs and materials have been eaten by the Gold-Eating Ants?
But how could that be?
Surely the Gold-Eating Ants wouldn't consume every rare treasure?
Xue Mei was filled with doubt, and Lan Chen and Mo Yexue felt the same.
They had entered the Divine Blood Hall for two reasons: to find the method for Divine Transformation and to search for the Phantom Wing Butterfly and Violet-Gold Spirit Wood.
They weren't entirely confident about finding clues for advancing to Divine Transformation in the Divine Blood Hall.
But they were quite hopeful about finding the Phantom Wing Butterfly and Violet-Gold Spirit Wood.
However, after finally entering the Dark Orchid Realm, they hadn't found even a single rare fourth-grade Spirit Herb, let alone the Phantom Wing Butterfly and Violet-Gold Spirit Wood, which were already extinct in the outside world.
This made them wonder if the ancient texts they had obtained were inaccurate.
Just then, Lan Chen's face lit up with joy as she pointed ahead.
"There's a Spirit Herb up there!"
Hearing this, the other three's eyes brightened. If Lan Chen was excited, it must be something extraordinary.
They quickened their pace and soon traveled another ten miles.
There, on a jagged rock, grew two Spirit Herbs emitting a faint blue light.
The leaves of the herbs were slender, with delicate silver patterns along the edges, resembling starlight in the night sky.
"Starlight Spiritdew Grass! And it's at least two thousand years old."
Mo Yexue's tone carried a mix of surprise and slight disappointment.
Starlight Spiritdew Grass was one of the main ingredients for refining the 'Nascent Soul Unity Pill.'
The Nascent Soul Unity Pill was somewhat similar to the Nascent Spirit Pill from the Chaotic Sea, increasing the chance of forming a Nascent Soul by ten percent. However, a cultivator could only take one in their lifetime; a second pill would have no effect.
If these two Starlight Spiritdew Grasses appeared in the outside world, they would surely spark fierce competition among major sects. Especially among Golden Core cultivators, who would likely start a bloody battle over them.
But in the eyes of Song Wen and the other three Nascent Soul cultivators, the value of these herbs was significantly diminished.
After all the hardships they had endured to get here, just two Starlight Spiritdew Grasses were far from satisfying.
"How should we divide these two Starlight Spiritdew Grasses?"
"I'll take one. I have a disciple who has been at the peak of Golden Core for many years and needs this," Mo Yexue said.
"I'll take the other one," Song Wen said.
Lan Chen and Xue Mei didn't object and nodded in agreement.
Since Mo Yexue and Song Wen had chosen the Starlight Spiritdew Grasses, they would naturally have to make some concessions if they encountered other Spirit Herbs later.
After collecting the Starlight Spiritdew Grasses, the four continued their journey.
They later came across several other rare fourth-grade Spirit Herbs, which they divided amicably.
Suddenly.
A unique Spirit Wood appeared about a mile ahead of them.
The spirit wood stood about ten feet tall, roughly the size of an infant's arm, and its surface was covered with fine, dense scales that shimmered in a violet-gold hue.
The wood was straight, devoid of any branches, resembling a long sword thrust into the ground.
Scattered along the trunk were a dozen or so leaves.
The leaves were a deep purple, their edges adorned with a thin golden border.
The entire spirit wood emitted a faint violet glow, which seemed to have the ability to shield it from divine sense.
Before laying eyes on this spirit wood, none of the four had sensed its presence with their divine sense.
"Violet-Gold Spirit Wood!"
Mo Yexue's voice carried a trace of barely concealed excitement.
She suddenly accelerated, about to rush toward the spirit wood.
"Mo Yexue, wait! Be cautious—there might be a beast guarding it," Lan Chen warned.
Hearing this, Mo Yexue immediately halted.
Previously, the spirit herbs they had encountered were unguarded by any beasts, and in her excitement, she had subconsciously overlooked this possibility.
Mo Yexue flicked her fingers, sending out several strands of Sword Qi that struck the scattered rocks near the Violet-Gold Spirit Wood.
In an instant, the rocks were sent flying.
However, no beast appeared as expected.
After waiting for a moment and seeing no danger, Mo Yexue summoned her flying sword for protection and cautiously approached the spirit wood.
She stood beside the Violet-Gold Spirit Wood, observing it for a while. After confirming that it was indeed the Violet-Gold Spirit Wood and that it was over four thousand years old, she couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement.
"Everyone, the Violet-Gold Spirit Wood is an excellent material for crafting flying swords. How about this wood goes to me? As compensation, I won't claim any other treasures in the Dark Orchid Realm. If, in the end, the treasures we four obtain don't compare to this Violet-Gold Spirit Wood, I can compensate you all with Spirit Stones or other treasures."
"I have no objections," Lan Chen said indifferently.
Song Wen and Xue Mei exchanged glances and eventually nodded as well.
It was clear to anyone with eyes that the value of the spirit herbs they had obtained earlier couldn't compare to the Violet-Gold Spirit Wood.
However, for Song Wen and Xue Mei, the Violet-Gold Spirit Wood was of little use. Moreover, if they encountered the Withered Corpse Bamboo later, they could use this as a bargaining chip.
Lan Chen's lack of objection was something Mo Yexue had anticipated. Before entering the Divine Blood Hall, she and Lan Chen had already discussed this.
That Song Wen and Xue Mei agreed without hesitation was somewhat surprising to Mo Yexue.
But this was for the best.
She had been worried that the Violet-Gold Spirit Wood might cause conflict between her and Song Wen and Xue Mei.
Though she wasn't afraid of them, it was naturally preferable to avoid a fight.
"Thank you, fellow cultivators," Mo Yexue said, cupping her hands in gratitude.
After she harvested the Violet-Gold Spirit Wood, the four of them continued on their journey.
After traveling another several dozen miles, Lan Chen suddenly frowned and spoke up.
"There's Corpse Qi!"
The other three also sensed it—a faint trace of Corpse Qi had appeared in the air.
Previously, the areas they had passed through were filled with nothing but extremely dense spiritual energy, with no other worldly energies present.
"There might be trouble ahead. Everyone, be cautious," Lan Chen warned.
The four of them consciously slowed their pace.
As they continued forward, the Corpse Qi grew increasingly dense.
Soon, the concentration of Corpse Qi surpassed that of the spiritual energy.
The dense spiritual energy and Corpse Qi became intertwined.
The scenery within the cavern also began to change.
The glowing plants that grew on the cavern walls gradually became sparser.
The plants' appearances also grew increasingly bizarre—withered and twisted.
Lan Chen and Mo Yexue, upon seeing this, grew somewhat solemn, fearing that danger might lie ahead.
Song Wen and Xue Mei, however, wore expressions of delight.
Such an environment was precisely suitable for the growth of Withered Corpse Bamboo.
(End of the Chapter)
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