Qu’er’s figure flickered once more, vanishing in the distance and reappearing above another medicinal field, where she continued her spellcasting to uproot the spiritual herbs one by one.
Meanwhile, Han Li approached two other medicinal fields nearby. These fields contained between five or six to a dozen spiritual herbs each.
Only a small portion of them could be vaguely identified, while the majority were undocumented in any records from either the human realm or the spirit realm.
Yet even the small fraction he recognized were all extraordinary in origin.
Some, like the Corrosion Poison Fruit, were species long extinct in the spirit realm, while others were exceedingly rare even there. Surprisingly, many were among the most crucial herbs Qing Yuanzi had tasked him to collect.
With this, he only needed to find the remaining, relatively easier-to-locate herbs, and there was a real possibility he could fully gather what Qing Yuanzi required.
Suppressing his excitement, Han Li bent down and began personally harvesting these fewer herbs, carefully categorizing them and storing them in jade boxes.
By the time he had cleared these two fields, Qu’er was already standing gracefully nearby. She had already gathered all three types of herbs, neatly arranged in jade boxes.
A faint smile curled at Han Li’s lips as he praised her warmly. Qu’er’s eyes curved into crescents, her face beaming with delight.
Though she had only recently taken human form, she had followed Han Li in her rabbit form for countless years, so she felt no unfamiliarity with him—only an unspoken closeness.
After clearing the fields, Han Li finally turned his gaze to the other side of the garden.
There, over a dozen plots of varying sizes were enclosed by waist-high wooden fences, each forming its own isolated space.
Within these inner gardens grew spiritual plants—some towering trees, others vibrant flowers, and one even surrounded a seven- to eight-zhang-wide spiritual spring, atop which floated a small, silver-glowing lotus pod, exuding an otherworldly aura.
Taking a deep breath, Han Li strode forward to inspect these solitary herbs one by one. Yet within moments, his face twisted into a helpless, bitter smile.
He knew these herbs, planted separately by the garden’s owner, must be far more valuable than the Scarlet Luo Fruit and Corrosion Poison Grass he had encountered earlier.
But whether it was the tree bearing fist-sized emerald fruits or the eerie flower displaying thirteen different colors, he recognized none of them.
It seemed these herbs did not originate from the spirit realm at all—they must be unique to the immortal realm. As such, their exact uses would have to be tested slowly in the future.
If he could decipher the purpose of even two or three of them, it would be an immense boon.
With this in mind, Han Li wasted no time. He reached out toward the ground in the distance, summoning a white jade box that flew into his hand as a streak of white light.
His gaze shifted to the tree laden with green fruits, and with a flip of his other hand, a small emerald shovel appeared. With a flick of his wrist, the shovel shot toward the ground in a flash of green light.
A crisp *clang* rang out as the shovel rebounded as if striking tempered steel, failing to penetrate the soil even slightly.
Han Li frowned, then channeled more spiritual power into the shovel, sending it spinning before striking down once more.
The same result—the shovel was repelled again.
A twitch flickered at the corner of Han Li’s eye. He had been so focused on the herbs that he hadn’t noticed anything unusual about the soil beneath.
Activating his Azure Spirit Eyes, he scanned the ground, his expression shifting slightly in surprise.
The soil within several zhang of the tree’s roots was laced with countless golden threads, forming a dense web of pure metal spiritual energy that locked the entire plot in place.
It was unclear whether these golden threads were necessary for the tree’s growth or if the garden’s owner had added an extra layer of protection.
Han Li’s brow furrowed briefly before he let out a cold chuckle.
A pitch-black hand emerged from his sleeve and lightly pressed downward. A gray mist sprayed from his palm, sweeping into the soil around the tree’s roots.
The Magnetic Divine Light was known to suppress the five elemental forces, so dealing with such concentrated metal spiritual energy should have been effortless.
Yet what happened next defied his expectations.
Instead of dispersing, the golden threads wove together into a shimmering net, fiercely resisting the gray mist’s assault.
Though the Magnetic Divine Light raged relentlessly, it couldn’t immediately break through.
Han Li’s expression darkened. After a moment of contemplation, his blackened fingers twitched, and the phantom of a miniature mountain materialized, enveloping his entire hand.
Instantly, the gray mist thickened, becoming viscous like liquid as he pushed the Magnetic Divine Light to its limits using the power of the Magnetic Extreme Mountain.
The golden spiritual energy in the soil could no longer withstand such overwhelming suppression. Under the renewed assault, the threads shattered and dissipated.
Relieved, Han Li withdrew the mountain phantom, and his hand returned to its normal hue.
With a flick of his finger, the emerald shovel shot down once more, tracing a circle around the tree’s roots before flying back into his sleeve.
A blue mist surged from the cut, enveloping the entire tree.
Han Li formed a hand seal and sent a spell into the tree.
The tree trembled slightly before slowly rising from the ground, perfectly intact.
A glint of joy flashed in Han Li’s eyes.
But the moment the roots left the soil, a *pfft* sounded—and the entire tree burst into eerie green flames.
In just a few flickers, the tree and all its fruits vanished into smoke.
Han Li stood dumbfounded, his mouth slightly agape.
After a long sigh, he stared at the empty plot, frustration plain on his face.
If the tree couldn’t be transplanted, lamenting was pointless.
Resolute, he turned and approached another plot, where a three-chi-tall, jade-white flower grew.
This time, the soil held no restrictions—the shovel easily sliced through. But as soon as the mysterious flower was unearthed, it trembled and melted like snow in spring, dissolving into green liquid that seeped into the ground.
Han Li was stunned. Two “delicate” herbs in a row? His luck was truly abysmal.
Gritting his teeth, he cast a resentful glance at the spot where the liquid had vanished before moving on to the next plot.
The next three herbs met similar fates—one withered to ash, another exploded into dust, and the last crackled with lightning before vanishing entirely.
Five consecutive failures made it clear—this wasn’t natural.
These herbs weren’t simply untransplantable; the garden’s owner must have tampered with them. Otherwise, such bizarre outcomes wouldn’t occur.
Standing before the thirteen-colored, fist-sized radiant flower, Han Li scrutinized it anew.
Since his spiritual sense had detected nothing earlier, he had no choice but to rely on his Azure Spirit Eyes.
His pupils blazed with blue light as he scanned the flower inch by inch, from top to root. Yet even after seven or eight passes, he found nothing amiss.
This only deepened his frustration.
If he couldn’t even detect the restrictions, breaking them was out of the question. But leaving behind so many spirit-realm-absent herbs was unthinkable.
Crossing his arms, Han Li pondered deeply.
After a long while, he sighed and muttered, “If they self-destruct upon uprooting, the restrictions must be in their roots. Then there’s only one way—if I can’t take the whole plant, perhaps I can salvage the seeds or fruits.”
With that, he focused on the dazzling flower before him. Tossing a jade box beneath it, he let it hover steadily.
In one swift motion, his sleeve fluttered, and his jade-white hand shot out.
A streak of azure sword Qi flashed, severing the flower’s stem just as a five-colored flame surged forth.
The severed blossom was instantly encased in crystalline ice, frozen solid.
With a soft *clink*, the ice block dropped perfectly into the waiting jade box.
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