White clouds drifted by, towering peaks reaching toward the heavens.
Atop a peak, three figures suddenly materialized.
Grabbing Dan Chen, who had nearly stumbled, Chen Guan surveyed the surroundings, taking a deep breath, his eyes filled with wonder.
Such a rich celestial energy!
Such a strange place!
It was truly the work of a legendary Dou Sheng.
The three of them stood on a towering cliff, its height unknown, half its peak submerged in a veil of mist.
The bottom seemed almost invisible to the naked eye.
Around this cliff, similarly shaped pillars formed atop the cliff, like demonic fingers reaching toward the heavens.
"It seems we've been unlucky to have been transported to this remote Cloud Stream. The environment here is unique, and the medicinal herbs grown here are among the fewest in the Dan Realm. However, the number of magical beasts here is also relatively small."
Cao Ying observed the soaring, roaring magical beasts soaring through the distant clouds, channeling her Dou Qi to form a barrier that blocked the whistling cold wind.
Chen Guan and Dan Chen nodded slightly. With only a tiny amount of soil on the cliffs of these stone pillars, medicinal herbs were naturally scarce.
"Let's take a look at our respective lists first."
Chen Guan chuckled as he opened them. "Mine are Glaze Grass, Jade Heart Magnolia, and the Millennium Jade Vine."
Cao Ying and Dan Chen were speechless upon hearing this.
As alchemists, knowing the growth habits of various herbs was a must. They naturally knew that Glaze Grass was one of the few herbs that grew on the rocky cliffs of the mountains.
Given the surroundings, it was the easiest place to find them.
"Mine are Moon Shadow Flower, Fire Mica Vine, and Millennium Earth Fire Lotus."
"Ghost Spirit Vine, Lake Heart Blood Ganoderma, and Iron Pomegranate."
Cao Ying and Dan Chen also listed the herbs needed for their respective missions.
Not a single one of them overlapped among the three, which was expected.
After briefly reviewing the characteristics of the herbs in his mind, Chen Guan pulled out the map.
"It seems we need to split up. I'll go east to the Qiuli Desert to search for the Bixinhu first. You guys head west, where there are more marshes and should have an easier time finding the Millennium Earth Fire Lotus and the Lake Heart Blood Ganoderma. After that, we'll head north and reunite at the Wanyao Mountains."
The mission only lasts ten days. Running back and forth together would be a waste of time. Relatively speaking, it would be faster to separate and conduct targeted searches.
Cao Ying agreed without objection.
Dan Chen simply let them do what they wanted. Being a man of such a nature, he tried not to talk unless necessary, and when he did, it was always soft and sweet.
"Then it's a deal. Take these flutes. If you encounter danger, blow them. I'll receive the message and rush to you as soon as I can."
Chen Guan produced two jade flutes inscribed with the secrets of the Serpent People, not overly concerned for their safety.
Douhuang strength, among the alchemists who had entered the Dan Realm, was not the best, but above average.
Moreover, in a truly critical moment, he could even crush the Space Stone to save his life. The kind of powerful enemy that could be instantly killed without a second thought was rare.
"Okay, then, we'll see you in the Wanyao Mountains."
Cao Ying took the flute and gave it to Danchen. After determining the direction, they prepared to set off.
When she got serious, she acted decisively, without a moment's delay.
"Thank you,"
Danchen said softly, quickly following Cao Ying.
Watching the two women head west, Chen Guan withdrew his gaze and immediately began to move. He wandered leisurely among the clouds, as if strolling in a garden, but in reality, he was channeling his spiritual energy, searching for the glass grass.
This place was indeed the perfect place for this medicinal herb to grow. In less than a moment, Chen Guan spotted his target on a rock wall.
With a flash of his body, Chen Guan approached.
He saw three fragrant purple herbs swaying, deeply rooted in the cracks of the rocks. Atop two emerald green petals, a delicate purple flower, like glass, was crowned.
With a slight smile, Chen Guan prepared to pick them.
At that moment, a fierce eagle cry echoed, and the next moment, a sharp gust of wind ripped through the air, striking Chen Guan's head.
"Why not just hide? Why come out and die?"
Shaking his head slightly, Chen Guan remained unfazed. It was just a sixth-rank Quetian Eagle. He had long since spotted it and simply didn't bother dealing with it.
With a sudden turn, the roles of hunter and prey had reversed.
"Bang!"
"Cry!"
A simple punch landed on the Quetian Eagle's razor-sharp claws, gleaming with cold light. The immense force sent it flying. With a piercing cry, its body, over three meters wide, slammed into the opposite mountain pillar.
At that very blow, the Quetian Eagle seemed to calm down. Its vast wings flapped, carving a huge groove in the rock wall. Free again, it dared no longer attack and fled into the distance, its twisted claws raised.
Chen Guan's lips curled slightly as he quickly plucked the Glazed Grass and put it away. A longbow flashed in his hand, his Dou Qi condensing into an arrow. As he released the arrow, a streak of blue light darted out, accurately piercing the fleeing Que Tianying's heart. It
was all due to practice!
With a flash of lightning beneath his feet, Chen Guan caught the falling giant and soared to the top of the mountain.
Half an hour later, Chen Guan gazed at the scroll in his hand with satisfaction.
"Hmm... let's call it Que Tian Yi."
Just like that, a brand new Xuan-level high-level flying fighting technique was created.
With the materials readily available, crafting these little gadgets was simple; the only challenge was suppressing Que Tianying's soul.
But for Chen Guan, it was a perfect match for his expertise.
Sheathing the scroll, Chen Guan took one last look at the massive corpse on the ground. Without pausing, he rose and headed east.
The reason he'd spent a little extra time crafting the flying fighting technique wasn't out of interest, but rather because Chen Guan had noticed something unusual.
Ordinary sixth-tier magical beasts are already capable of speech and possess intelligence comparable to humans.
But this one, daring to prey on a Dou Zong-level warrior, demonstrates its intelligence…
It's no exaggeration to say that even the fifth-tier magical beasts within the Jia Ma Empire's Magical Beast Mountains are more savvy.
After some research, Chen Guan hypothesized that this situation might be related to the Dan Realm.
Within the Dan Realm, the energy is incredibly rich, allowing magical beasts to thrive and advance, creating a truly blessed haven.
However, the intense energy here also hinders the spiritual vitality of most of the beasts, preventing them from keeping pace with their rapid strength growth.
Qiuli Sand Plain.
This was a desolate plain, the earth awash in a hue of earthy yellow.
Sandy plains differed from deserts in that they were often dotted with patches of green, radiating a touch of life and energy.
It wasn't much, but it was there.
Occasionally, small magical beasts would burst forth from the sandy plain, leaving a trail of yellow smoke before disappearing into the distance.
The usually silent and desolate plain was shattered today, as figures emerged from the void.
Each of them was lavishly dressed and possessed a distinguished bearing.
However, in the eyes of the magical beasts resident there, they were worse than bandits, destined for death.
Wherever they passed, it would be no exaggeration to say that not a blade of grass grew. Can you imagine the feeling of being at home enjoying hot pot and singing songs, only to be suddenly robbed by bandits?
Ahem!
That's pretty much the idea.
One side, driven by a desire to complete their mission, gathered as many medicinal herbs as possible to enrich themselves, while the other, to protect their food supply, suddenly turned this region into a bloodbath.
At this moment, amidst the swirling yellow sand, one could vaguely see a dozen men surrounding a massive, over ten-foot-long demonic beast. Their vibrant fighting spirit erupted like fireworks, their cries of killing piercing the heavens.
"Hold on! Hold on! This beast is dying!"
"Stop hiding! Take some drugs! By the time it recovers, we'll all be dead!"
"Ahhh, my leg! Help me! Help me!"
"This damn beast! Kill it!"
Chen Guan, upon arriving, happened to witness this scene and was stunned.
Goodness! It was just a peak-level sixth-rank Rehmannia python. To anyone who didn't know, they'd be slaying a dragon.
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With a faint grumble in his mind, Chen Guan glanced at the battle below.
The peak-level sixth-rank Rehmannia python, with its vastly superior size and strength, was already nearly invincible to anyone below the Dou Zong level.
Conversely, among the besieging alchemists, there were only four high-ranking Dou Huangs, and one had suffered a leg bite...
At this rate, even with the alchemists' wealth and ample elixirs, their chances of victory were slim.
After a moment's reflection, Chen Guan stopped spectating.
Bow drawn, arrows drawn, the Rehmannia python, raging, ready to strike its most powerful blow, suddenly sensed a deadly threat.
Its massive head whipped around, but the dazzling blue rocket's speed was so extreme that it barely gave it time to react before piercing through its body.
Its life force rapidly faded, and with a resounding boom, its over ten-foot-long body collapsed to the ground unwillingly.
"Huh, we finally put an end to that evil creature."
"Lin Kai of the Lin Family, Southern Region of Zhongzhou, thank you for your help."
"Thank you!"
Sensing someone's arrival, a group of people turned to look at the young man holding a longbow in the sky.
At first glance, he stood in mid-air, a Dou Zong powerhouse!
Then, a seventh-rank alchemist!
While feeling wary, they hurriedly expressed their gratitude.
Chen Guan smiled faintly and sheathed his longbow, but didn't drop it.
"No need. Every alchemist's rise to prominence is incredibly difficult. You're all sixth-rank, it would be a shame to perish here. Take your spoils and leave quickly. The Qiuli Desert remains dangerous."
Indeed, Chen Guan's action was to fulfill Xuan Kongzi's instructions: to help whenever possible.
It wasn't because seeing the Rehmannia Python suddenly reminded him of the Rehmannia Essence, the Millennium Rehmannia Essence, and the treasures hidden even deeper.
"Understood. We'll be leaving for a few days. Thank you again for your help,"
replied the middle-aged man below, who seemed to be the leader, with a bow.
Then, he swiftly picked up several pieces of Rehmannia root from the exposed ground and had the injured person supported as they quickly retreated.
"Brother Kai, are you really leaving like this? There's a very real possibility of thousand-year-old Rehmannia root there."
"Shut up! This man's appearance, strength, and alchemist rank mean he's most likely the junior apprentice of that Cao family witch. With his status, how could he possibly deceive you?"
Although they spoke quietly, Chen Guan's mental power allowed him to hear their chatter from afar.
A smile immediately broke out on his face.
He didn't know if it was an illusion, but Chen Guan had a feeling that on this Dou Qi Continent, the closer one got to the center of Zhongzhou, the lower the IQ of the people. Conversely, in the northwest and more remote areas, everyone seemed more sensible.
Shaking his head slightly, Chen Guan stepped down.
With a palm strike, he slammed the Rehmannia python's body apart. Activating his Dou Qi, a gust of wind blew. In just a minute, he had dug three feet deep.
At that depth, a deep yellow rhizome, the size of a child's head, appeared before his eyes.
Thousand-year-old Rehmannia root!
Despite his expectations, Chen Guan was still somewhat surprised to see it in person.
Rehmannia glutinosa is a rare medicinal herb formed from the concentrated power of the earth. If energy surges during training, Rehmannia glutinosa and its medicinal elixirs can effectively suppress it.
However, a century-old Rehmannia glutinosa essence is typically only the size of a fist and is quite rare. The few pieces taken away earlier were examples of this.
This piece of Rehmannia glutinosa essence, however, had grown to this size, meaning it must have been at least a thousand years old!
If left out in the open, it would undoubtedly attract many eager glances.
Lin Kai and his group were able to identify the Rehmannia python and, judging by the shallower pieces buried, showed considerable foresight.
Unfortunately, their strength was lacking. If he didn't take action...
Without dwelling on this trivial matter, Chen Guan put away the thousand-year-old Rehmannia glutinosa essence and gazed towards the deep pit.
While the thousand-year-old Rehmannia glutinosa essence was valuable, it wasn't what he was most eager for.
Chen Guan had read in an ancient medicinal tome left by Han Feng that Rehmannia glutinosa essence was formed from the condensation of the calm, profound, and pure earth energy. However, this claim had its limitations. After a hundred years of growth, Rehmannia glutinosa essence would reach saturation due to energy saturation and cease to grow in size. This is why Rehmannia glutinosa essences over a hundred years old are so rare.
Ancient texts also state that if Rehmannia glutinosa essence could survive for far longer than a hundred years, it must be nourished not by the earth's energy but by other spiritual entities!
Therefore, upon discovering the thousand-year-old Rehmannia glutinosa essence, he was certain there must be another treasure beneath the earth!
Shaking off his distracting thoughts, Chen Guan retrieved the puppet.
He could continue digging deeper, but with a tool, he didn't have to do the hard work himself. He could simply stand by, illuminated by the strange fire, and act as a supervisor.
After instructing the puppet to be careful, it suddenly bent its palm and clenched it fiercely towards the deep pit. A surge of suction erupted, sweeping large swathes of earth out before being casually flung away.
As the puppet dug deeper, the pit beneath its feet grew deeper and deeper.
Three feet, three meters, ten feet, three feet...
Finally, just as Chen Guan began to harbor doubts, a strange, soul-penetrating fragrance began to emanate.
Furthermore, the earth the puppet had unearthed was noticeably moist.
Chen Guan's face lit up, and he instructed the puppet to dig even more carefully.
Another two or three minutes passed, and finally, a piece of snow-white jade came into view.
"It's indeed the Earth's Core Jade Mother."
The Earth's Core Jade Mother, a magical jade formed over countless years by the power of the earth.
Due to the uniquely steady and profound power of the earth, the Earth Core Jade Mother is a priceless treasure for cultivators. While cultivating or refining elixirs, a cushion crafted from it can significantly suppress the raging energy within the body, minimizing the risk of insanity.
This effect is similar to the Green Lotus Seat Chen Guan obtained when he acquired the Green Lotus Earth Core Fire.
However, the Green Lotus Seat's aid in alchemy is no match for the Earth Core Jade Mother.
Placing his palm on the exposed section of Earth Core Jade Mother, Chen Guan let out a soft cry and lifted it sharply, sending dirt flying. The Earth Core Jade Mother was then pulled from the ground. Once the
Earth Core Jade Mother was completely extracted, Chen Guan realized it was approximately half a foot tall and about an arm's length wide.
An Earth Core Jade Mother of this size is practically unheard of in the outside world!
After rubbing the Earth Core Jade for a moment, Chen Guan withdrew his hand, only to find it covered in a sticky, faint jade liquid. The fragrance from earlier had emanated from it.
Without hesitation, he tilted the Earth Core Jade Mother at an angle.
The cobalt-blue fire at his fingertips condensed into a flaming blade as thin as a cicada's wing. With a single swing of the flaming blade, the half-meter-tall Earth Core Jade Mother was effortlessly severed in two.
Peering inside the fractured surface, one could clearly see a flat groove in the center of the Earth Core Jade Mother.
Within, a pool of white liquid, less than half a finger deep, was incredibly captivating, making it impossible to look away.
Taking a deep gulp, even Chen Guan felt a surge of excitement.
"Earth Core Soul Marrow!"
Chen Guan's eyes finally heated up at this moment.
Earth Core Soul Marrow, an extremely rare treasure of heaven and earth, held an insane allure for alchemists.
Because it could forge the soul!
To forge the soul means to train and refine. In other words, this Earth Soul Essence can cleanse the soul of its impurities!
The more he contemplated it, the more palpable the throbbing in his soul became: a yearning for a breakthrough.
Over a year ago, his soul realm had been just one step away from spiritual perfection.
Yet, this tiny step had eluded him, unable to find the opportunity for a breakthrough. He
had originally thought the opportunity lay within the Soul Palace, and he had made plans, but he hadn't anticipated the unexpected surprise of this trip.
At that moment, he had a strong premonition: with the help of this Earth Soul Essence, he would surely achieve a breakthrough!
Suppressing his excitement, Chen Guan first retrieved the jade bottle and filled it with the Earth Soul Essence, then sheathed his puppet and leaped out of the pit.
He had initially intended to find a secluded spot for a breakthrough, but after a brief mental scan, Chen Guan quickly changed his mind.
He immediately sat cross-legged on the sand dune and closed his eyes.
Today, he would reach spiritual perfection!
From a high vantage point, a line of sight happened to reveal a hidden corner.
After seeing Chen Guan sitting cross-legged, fully immersed in adjusting his state, a figure quietly stepped forward, his eyes filled with hatred.
After a moment's hesitation, murderous intent grew thicker.
"Is this a breakthrough? Haha, it would be interesting if someone disturbed him at this moment. The vast Dan Realm is a perfect place for burial."