After leaving Sunset Peak, Zhao Sheng released his silver-white flying boat. After boarding it, the flying boat soared into the sky, circled half a circle, and then sped off in the southwest direction.
The flight lasted half a day, and finally at dusk, the silver-white flying boat crossed the vast sea and arrived above a round island covered in lush greenery.
The island is not large, but it is lush and verdant. Many parts of the island have been turned into medicinal fields, which are filled with all kinds of spiritual herbs and medicinal materials. In addition, there are also many docile rabbits on the island that are used for testing medicines.
After circling in mid-air, the airship slowly landed behind a steep sea cliff on the north side of the island.
After retracting the flying boat, Zhao Sheng moved swiftly and stood before a blue stone gate.
Zhao Sheng stepped forward to knock on the door, but the stone door creaked open by itself.
Then a boy in red robes with twin tails peeked out. Upon seeing Zhao Sheng, he immediately asked warily:
Who are you?
Zhao Sheng smiled slightly, flicked his sleeve, and a beam of azure light appeared, which then transformed into a token shimmering with azure light and landed in front of the boy.
The two maids took the token and stared in surprise. Their eyes widened instantly, and a fawning smile appeared on their faces.
"So it's Senior Zhao. This child was ignorant and begs your forgiveness!"
The boy quickly walked out of the cave, respectfully returned the token, and then hurriedly led Zhao Sheng inside.
Zhao Sheng certainly wouldn't stoop to the level of a child, but he secretly lowered his opinion of the cave's owner.
The cave dwelling looks unremarkable from the outside, but it is much larger than Zhao Sheng's guest cave dwelling, and it is exquisite and elegant in every way, understated yet luxurious.
Before long, Zhao Sheng, led by the young Taoist, arrived at a spacious living room deep inside the cave.
The living room walls were adorned with antique paintings, and a faint fragrance permeated the air. A slight whiff of it invigorated one's spirit, and the vortex of spiritual energy in one's dantian even spun a little faster.
The living room furniture is all made of several-hundred-year-old bloodwood, and is quite valuable.
It should be known that a piece of Blood Pill Wood is worth at least a thousand spirit stones. Only alchemists with immense wealth can afford to use such a precious spirit wood.
"Fellow Daoist Zhao, please have some spiritual tea and wait a moment. I am currently refining a batch of pills. Please forgive any shortcomings in our hospitality."
At this moment, a clear, cold voice suddenly came from the deepest part of the cave into the living room.
"Fellow Daoist Ge, there's no need for such politeness. I'm the one who arrived early! Refining pills is the priority. I can wait here. Fellow Daoist Meng and the others will be here soon anyway," Zhao Sheng replied loudly.
As soon as he stepped into the living room, he sensed the restless fire spirit energy deep within the cave, and a wave of high-temperature air emanated from within.
Now it seems that Ge Chen was indeed refining pills.
Ge Chen was a disciple of the alchemy master Xu Chong. He came from the Ge family of Danfo. For some unknown reason, he left the Dan Ding Sect and instead followed Xu Chong to the Shattered Star Sea two years ago.
Just then, the boy appeared in the living room. After Zhao Sheng sat down, he carried a wooden tray and offered him a cup of spiritual tea.
Zhao Sheng lowered his head and carefully examined the tea in his hand. He saw that the tea in the crystal-clear teacup was a vibrant green, with each tea leaf standing upright like a sword or a needle, emitting a unique fragrance.
He understood immediately. After taking a small sip, he felt a slight bitterness at first, but once he swallowed the tea, it turned into a refreshing coolness that instantly spread throughout his body, making him feel incredibly comfortable.
This tea is indeed the Ge family's specialty, Jianmei Lingcha.
It is said that Zhao Sheng had not drunk alcohol for hundreds of years.
Tasting it again today stirred up his homesickness.
But... returning to the Central Continent won't be easy!
In the past two years, Zhao Sheng has not only been focused on alchemy and cultivation.
A year ago, he disguised himself and attempted to reach Star God Island.
But as soon as he approached within 500 miles of Star God Island, his danger perception began to frantically warn him of the danger ahead, an extreme danger.
Go any further, and you'll surely die!
On that day, Zhao Sheng witnessed firsthand the dense black aura of death enveloping the heavens and the earth.
An invisible magic array, boundless and centered on Star God Island, spread out in all directions like a spider web, encompassing everything from the highest heavens to the deepest ocean.
The countless, intricately interwoven invisible threads, imperceptible even to ordinary Golden Core cultivators, revealed their true form within the black aura of death.
Every time Zhao Sheng recalls the shocking scene he witnessed that day, his heart trembles uncontrollably.
He didn't know what that vast, all-encompassing net was, but he felt... it was too difficult for him!
Zhao Sheng forced himself to suppress his chaotic thoughts, sipping his tea while looking around.
Huh?
Suddenly, his eyes lit up and his gaze fell on a painting on the opposite wall, which was covered with lines of dark black runes and accompanied by images of four spiritual herbs. A look of interest appeared on his face.
The dark runes were actually written in Taiyi spiritual script.
If it were any other cultivator, perhaps only one in a hundred would be able to understand the Taiyi Spiritual Script.
Unfortunately for him, Zhao Sheng knew it. He not only knew it, but he could be considered quite proficient in it.
After reading it carefully several times, Zhao Sheng was pleasantly surprised, feeling that his horizons had been broadened.
It turned out that the picture and text contained an introduction to four realm-level spiritual herbs: the Mysterious Star Extinction Spirit Tree, the Light-Supporting Giant Spirit Grass, the Earth Core Myriad Transformation Mushroom, and the Void Devil Fungus.
Zhao Sheng knew that spiritual herbs were classified into different levels, but this was the first time he had heard that there were even realm-level spiritual herbs.
There are legends of divine medicinal herbs in the Tianzhu Realm. For example, the legendary Jiuhua Moon Dew from Tianzhu Mountain is said to be a divine medicinal herb.
So, compared to other realm-level spiritual herbs like the Nine-Flower Moon Dew and the Mysterious Star Extinction Spirit Tree, which is superior?
"Oh, could it be that Fellow Daoist Zhao also understands the Taiyi Spiritual Script?"
While Zhao Sheng was engrossed in watching, a middle-aged man dressed in a scholar's robe walked into the living room.
The man appeared to be in his forties, tall and thin, with a refined and scholarly face, and was smiling as he looked at Zhao Sheng.
"Fellow Daoist Fang is joking. I only recognize one or two Taiyi spiritual characters, how could I dare to claim to understand them?"
Zhao Sheng snapped out of his daze, and upon seeing the newcomer, immediately stood up and explained with a wry smile.
The newcomer was named Fang Weishan, the lord of a spirit island under the Spring and Autumn Alliance. His cultivation level was approximately at the early or middle stage of Foundation Establishment.
Once cultivators reach the Foundation Establishment stage, they usually hide a portion of their strength. It's difficult to ascertain their true cultivation level unless you actually fight them.
"Oh, really? I saw you were engrossed in reading, so I thought I had met a fellow enthusiast."
Fang Weishan made no secret of his obsession with the Taiyi Lingwen.
In fact, the reputation of the island lord, the Word Maniac, had already spread throughout the Spring and Autumn Alliance.
Fang Weishan was able to be persuaded by Ge Chen because the latter gave him a detailed explanation of the Hundred-Character Taiyi Spiritual Text.
"Fellow Daoist, do you know what's written on this picture?" Fang Weishan became interested and immediately walked up to the painting, smiling as he asked Zhao Sheng.
Zhao Sheng's eyes flashed, and he pretended to be very interested, saying, "Please enlighten me, Island Master Fang."
"Sure, let me see what's written on it first."