This was a desolate plain, with the earth covered in a dull, earthy hue. Occasionally, there would be specks of greenery that dotted the landscape, exuding a tinge of vitality and vigor. On the plain, there were bursts of small magical beasts dashing out now and then, causing a faint yellowish smoke to rise before vanishing into the distance. The silence of the desolate plain persisted for a while. Suddenly, the void space began to ripple, and immediately, a figure flickered out from within.
The figure that emerged from the space was naturally Xiao Yan, who had entered the spatial passage. When he saw this desolate plain, his eyes widened slightly, and without hesitation, he hovered in the air, not daring to land rashly.
“Is this the topmost realm of the Pill Pagoda?” Xiao Yan looked around and just managed to catch a glimpse of mountain outlines at the edge of the plain. His brows furrowed as he muttered under his breath.
“The energy here is quite abundant, but it seems there are some wild, chaotic factors hidden within. Could this be the reason for the decay of the Pill Realm?” Xiao Yan grabbed at the air before him and fell into deep thought. Creating a spatial world was an ability beyond even most of the powerful Dou Zun, and maintaining such a realm once created, needed continuous effort. Otherwise, the opened realms would gradually collapse over time.
After a moment of pondering, Xiao Yan set aside these thoughts and clutched a piece of parchment. This was the list of medicinal ingredients given by the old man riding the turtle when he entered the passage. He had to collect all the listed heavenly materials to pass the selection smoothly.
“Pill Pagoda’s move is indeed clever—they’re completely treating these participants as hard labor for collecting rare herbs.” Xiao Yan shook his head wistfully, turning his gaze back to the parchment. A moment later, his brow furrowed ever so slightly.
There were not many items on the parchment—only three. But these three gave him a headache. “Dragon Core Nine-Leaf Herb, Devil Blood Spiritual Fruit Juice, Ascent Herb,” he recited softly. His mind was already swirling with the enormity of the task. These names he had heard; they were exceedingly rare and valuable. As a pill refiner, anyone would know their worth.
“Pill Pagoda is being rather harsh. The Pill Realm is expansive, and finding these three extremely rare materials will be no simple feat.” Xiao Yan smiled bitterly. With a wave of his hand, he unfolded the map of the Pill Realm. Three areas on the map were marked with red circles.
“Could this be the locations where the three items exist?”
Seeing the three circled areas, Xiao Yan pondered for a moment. If that were the case, it would simplify things somewhat.
Whoosh, whoosh! As Xiao Yan pondered, the space above the plain twisted again. Nearly a dozen figures appeared simultaneously from the rippling portal, landing on the ground.
Boom! Just as their feet touched the sandy ground, a monstrous python, tens of meters long, shot out from beneath the sand. Its hideous, blood-red jaws lunged straight at a pill refiner’s head.
The sudden attack startled the pill refiner, but he did not panic. He roared, and a torrent of potent Dou Qi shot out, slamming into the python’s head and causing it to explode.
Slaying the python, a smug look appeared on the pill refiner’s face. Before he could relax, however, his vision blurred, and a sinister laugh rang in his ears, “Kid, you’ve got some skills. Now, run away.”
Before he could react, a gleaming steel rod slammed into his chest, launching him nearly a hundred meters through the air. As he struggled to regain his footing, a white light flared from his palm, and he was sucked back into the spatial void—the sign of a crushed Space Stone.
This abrupt turn of events startled many. Gazes turned to the assailant, a brutish man in a pill refiner’s robe. His cruel eyes and muscular build made him look like a troublemaker. Over his shoulder, he carried a long steel rod, stained with blood.
“Haha, you ran pretty fast.” The burly man grinned as he watched the pill refiner disappear, then turned his menacing gaze to the others.
Seeing the brutish man’s gaze, some of the participants’ faces changed, and they became wary. A few even drew weapons. They knew that every participant was a potential rival, and eliminating one would give them a greater chance of success.
The brutish man scoffed, swinging his blood-stained rod to send the giant python flying. Beneath the sand, a deep pit was revealed, and within it, an earthy-yellow root, about the size of a child’s head, caught everyone’s eye.
“Earth Ginseng?” Shouts of surprise erupted.
Xiao Yan’s gaze swept over the root, his eyes widening in surprise. Earth Ginseng was a rare medicinal herb that could suppress wild energy. Such a mature one, at least a thousand years old, would surely attract greed.
“This brute looks reckless but is observant. He must have recognized the Ginseng Snake to know about the Earth Ginseng,” Xiao Yan thought. The Ginseng Snake often accompanied the Earth Ginseng, and though it looked like a typical giant snake, it was difficult to identify without experience.
As the brutish man examined the size of the Earth Ginseng, his eyes lit up with joy. Gripping it, he pulled it out, grinning broadly. Surveying the onlookers, he barked, “Scram unless you want to die!”
The other pill refiners, remembering his earlier brutality, hesitated, then retreated. The risk of losing qualification wasn’t worth this prize.
Watching them go, the brutish man sneered, his face contorting with bloodlust. He was about to put the Earth Ginseng into his storage ring when a sudden suction force snatched it away.
“Damn it, who dares to take my stuff?!” he roared, his face darkening as he saw a young figure hovering in the sky.
“Leave,” Xiao Yan said coldly, glancing at the brutish man. Given his earlier actions, he was clearly not a good sort, and dealing with such a brute required strength.
Seeing Xiao Yan hover, the brutish man’s color changed. That power meant the young man was at least a Battle Sect, more than he could handle. Gritting his teeth, he glared at Xiao Yan, giving the Earth Ginseng one last longing look, then dashed off into the distant mountains, filled with rage.
As the man left, Xiao Yan showed no emotion. After he was gone, Xiao Yan casually stored the Earth Ginseng, then landed near the pit, his eyes expectantly looking into the deep hole. While the Ginseng was precious, his true interest lay deeper.
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