What is that? What are the origins of that person and the turtle, and why do they carry such a rich medicinal fragrance?
Shi Hao took a deep breath, and his injuries seemed to lessen slightly, as if a warm current had entered his body, filling him with comfort—almost as if he were about to ascend amidst radiant clouds.
Under the blood moon, the ruins were desolate, but that person and turtle stood out starkly, their forms snow-white and crystalline.
“So small, what race is this?” Hong Huang wondered in surprise.
The turtle was relatively normal, about the size of a palm, snow-white and translucent, its shell densely patterned like the evolution of Dao principles. The person on its back was equally tiny, only palm-sized, delicate and glowing faintly.
The woman was minuscule, clad in white robes with long silver hair, yet clearly an adult—her curves unmistakable. If she were enlarged, she would undoubtedly be a peerless beauty.
A song drifted over, as if sung by the woman—soft, melodious, and enchanting, like celestial music descending into the hearts of mortals.
“Why do they carry this medicinal fragrance?” Shi Hao murmured, his eyes gleaming.
Hong Huang frowned, then suddenly widened her beautiful eyes in excitement. “This… could it be the legendary supreme divine medicine?”
She was exhilarated, her delicate face flushed with emotion, her eyes sparkling as she grabbed Shi Hao’s arm. “We’ve struck gold! This is an unparalleled fortune!”
Ancient bone scriptures had similar records—some divine medicines, after reaching a certain age, could develop sentience, transforming into small creatures that roamed the mountains and rivers.
This was a supreme medicine beyond even saint-grade herbs!
“Don’t get too excited, stay calm.” Shi Hao felt something was off. The faint, elusive song carried a seductive allure, drawing people in.
Was this the behavior of a medicinal plant?
He had once seen the First Spiritual Root of the Upper Realm, which had been planted in the Lower Realm. That one had indeed transformed into a tiny humanoid, incredibly mystical—rumored to have been brought out from the Forbidden Zone.
But could another of the same tier be found so easily?
Shi Hao wasn’t entirely convinced.
He widened his eyes, and faint symbols flickered in his pupils—the embryonic form of the Martial Dao Heavenly Eye, enhancing his vision.
In an instant, the scene before him changed. The snow-white turtle and the crystalline, enchanting woman vanished, and the medicinal fragrance weakened slightly.
“It’s not fake! I remember now—someone once unearthed records in an ancient immortal ruins about this medicine, capable of transforming into a white turtle and a mysterious maiden,” Hong Huang said, growing even more thrilled.
Shi Hao didn’t respond, carefully observing before retrieving his dual-pupils for a closer look. Sure enough, the person and turtle had disappeared.
He then circled the ruins, inspecting them meticulously.
“Hmm, there’s a grand formation protecting this place. From other angles, it’s impossible to see inside—only here can we glimpse a corner,” Shi Hao mused, frowning.
Suddenly, he caught a glimmer of silver light, emitting a soft glow, concealed by vegetation—the true source of the fragrance.
Shi Hao pondered, the faint runes in his eyes condensing as he focused intently, using his dual-pupils to scrutinize the spot.
“That’s it—creating illusions to lure people into breaking the formation. A divine medicine!” Shi Hao was certain. There was something extraordinary inside—a peerless treasure herb.
However, it couldn’t truly shapeshift; it merely conjured illusions.
“What are you talking about?” Hong Huang asked, confused.
Shi Hao explained what he saw, leaving her stunned. Had they been deceived by their own senses? But soon, excitement overtook her. “That might be the Void Heaven Divine Vine!”
It was undoubtedly a divine medicine, clearly recorded in ancient bone scriptures—renowned for reviving the dead and healing any injury, even enhancing one’s Dao cultivation.
Moreover, it could create illusions to ensnare herb gatherers.
The “Void” in its name stemmed from this very ability—a bizarre, bewitching power.
This divine medicine could rival the Tribulation Divine Lotus of the Celestial Immortal Academy, a rarity that would drive Heavenly Gods mad and incite battles among sect leaders, capable of securing a sect’s fortune for millennia.
“We must harvest it,” Hong Huang declared fervently. Among the countless great sects of the Upper Realm, how many possessed such an unrivaled medicine?
She never imagined encountering one in these ancient immortal ruins!
“Of course we won’t let it slip away. Perhaps it’s even seen that sacred ancient medicine—the one that transformed into a white turtle and an immortal maiden,” Shi Hao said.
Since the Void Heaven Divine Vine could manifest the white turtle and the snow-robed woman, it likely had witnessed them, hence the illusion.
“No wonder those bastards chased me, determined to silence me. So this place harbors an unparalleled divine medicine,” Hong Huang grumbled, indignant.
She warned Shi Hao to be cautious—the area was littered with remnants of formations, and she had nearly been trapped while gathering saint-grade herbs.
Shi Hao nodded. He had already discerned that the central ruins were perilous, guarded by a mysterious grand formation that ordinary people couldn’t breach.
The blood moon hung high, casting a hazy glow over the land.
The two proceeded with extreme caution. As they approached, the scenery shifted—the area expanded, revealing a desolate courtyard.
The structures had long collapsed, their rubble nearly vanished.
Hong Huang pointed out where she had gathered the saint-grade herbs—a shallow pit with damp soil.
“Ah, this place is divided into multiple layers.”
As they advanced further, the space transformed again, and the scent of herbs grew stronger. Here, spiritual herbs took root amidst the ruins.
“Their saint-grade herbs… were harvested here,” Hong Huang said, pointing to two freshly disturbed pits.
“What a treasure trove! Outwardly, it’s ruins, but deeper in lies another world, layered and likely hiding more saint-grade herbs,” Shi Hao remarked, his eyes blazing.
In truth, reaching this point was already dangerous. Though the formations were fragmented, their patterns occasionally flared, capable of slaying deities!
Here lay over a dozen corpses—all members of the Nether Clan.
Proceeding cautiously, they entered the third layer, where remnants of walls and structures still stood, including a dilapidated palace.
Long bereft of its former glory, the palace was now empty.
“Saint-grade herb!”
Shi Hao’s eyes gleamed as he spotted one growing amidst the remnants of a formation, radiant with golden light, its aura billowing like mist, enveloping the area.
“A true fortune,” Shi Hao murmured, darting past the formation to pluck the golden grass—his body momentarily bathed in gold.
Suddenly, runes ignited, and a sword beam shot skyward. Shi Hao barely dodged, summoning lightning to block.
Even so, blood sprayed from his shoulder—a hair’s breadth from decapitation.
Hong Huang paled, gasping in shock.
Shi Hao broke into a cold sweat. He had thought he’d avoided the formations, yet triggering one while harvesting the herb had nearly cost him his life.
“That intensity could kill a Heavenly God!” Shi Hao’s expression darkened. He had been careful, yet death had brushed past him.
This boded ill. The deeper they went, the greater the danger. Harvesting the legendary Void Heaven Divine Vine would be immensely difficult.
“Let’s go. We must be even more cautious.”
The fourth layer was vaster, devoid of structures—only golden sand, barren and lifeless.
“The fragrance of a saint-grade herb!”
Shi Hao’s keen nose caught the scent. Were it not for the residual formations suppressing it, the aroma would have spread for miles.
“Desert Silver!”
The silver herb, rooted in the sand, gleamed snow-white and translucent, its fragrance saturating the air and tinting the surroundings silver.
Desert Silver typically grew in deserts because it voraciously absorbed earth’s essence, turning fertile land barren and eventually into wasteland.
This time, Shi Hao sent a spiritual avatar to harvest it—yet still narrowly avoided disaster. The risks were escalating.
Finally, they reached the fifth and final layer—a medicinal garden with stone stools, tables, a jade shovel, and shattered baskets.
The soil here was faintly golden, still brimming with vitality despite the ages, nourishing precious herbs.
Here, Hong Huang nearly lost herself, stepping forward unconsciously—only for Shi Hao to yank her back.
“You’d be sacrificing your blood to the formation!” Shi Hao warned sternly.
Regaining clarity, Hong Huang took the dual-pupils from him. The illusions vanished—the divine medicine she’d seen was gone.
“The Void Heaven Divine Vine is truly formidable!” She stuck out her tongue, shaken. Without Shi Hao, she’d have likely fallen prey to the herb’s illusions.
As legends said, this rare divine medicine possessed eerie abilities to bewitch even powerful cultivators.
After a thorough search, they found the vine hidden in a corner—one meter long, thumb-thick, snow-white, and exquisitely crystalline, as if crafted by the heavens.
Coiled like a dragon, adorned with white leaves, its fragrance was intoxicating.
Clearly sentient, it had been hiding deliberately.
Now realizing its illusions had failed, it unfurled, emitting dazzling silver light—like a radiant sun with a coiled dragon within.
The sight was breathtaking, the medicinal aroma intensifying, suffusing their pores, making them feel weightless.
“It’s been trapped here for years, hoping someone would blood-sacrifice to break the formation so it could escape,” Hong Huang said.
Such divine medicines, if not bound by formations, might lack flight but possessed unparalleled earth-evading skills—once free, nearly impossible to recapture.
Shi Hao tested cautiously, immediately triggering a terrifying beam that grazed their scalps, shearing off distant mountain peaks.
Both gasped, faces pale—this could slay Heavenly Gods!
Moreover, the formation here was relatively intact, posing a formidable obstacle.
“Let’s retreat. We can’t harvest this now—the formation’s too deadly,” Shi Hao said. No treasure was worth dying for.
“Such a pity.” Hong Huang gazed longingly. Even among the Upper Realm’s greatest sects, few possessed such a divine herb.
Like the Celestial Immortal Academy’s Tribulation Divine Lotus, this herb’s appearance would spark wars among sect leaders.
Meanwhile, outside the ruins—
Not only were disciples from various sects covetous, even the mighty overlords stared intently, eyes gleaming.
This was a monumental fortune—yet they couldn’t enter to claim it.
“Just giving up?” Hong Huang asked after they left.
“I’ll find help to break the formation,” Shi Hao said, determined. The Void Heaven Divine Vine was crucial—perhaps the key to forging his unique path.
On the Azure Stone Path, igniting just 108 flames had nearly incinerated him. If he lit all 3,000, the consequences would be catastrophic. He needed this divine herb to survive the ordeal.
“You have allies?” Hong Huang was surprised.
“Yes. Hide for now—others might’ve noticed the commotion and come,” Shi Hao said before darting off like a phantom to seek aid.
He returned to the 3,000 Azure Stone Paths, rousing the God-Slaying Stone and the Imperial Butterfly from their slumber in a secluded corner.
The God-Slaying Stone, having devoured Fate Stone and Primordial Chaos Stone, had been dormant, digesting its feast. The Imperial Butterfly, meanwhile, often slept when idle.
Shi Hao had left them aside during his cultivation to avoid accidents.
Entering the Immortal Ancient wasn’t overly restrictive—ordinary pets or small creatures were permitted unless they exceeded power limits.
“What? Ruins? A prehistoric divine herb?” The God-Slaying Stone was startled, then dismissive. “What’s it to me? I don’t eat herbs.”
Without a word, Shi Hao smacked it repeatedly.
“Ow! Stop! Fine, I’ll help break the formation—but you owe me the rest of the Primordial Chaos Stones!” Greedy despite being stuffed, it relented.
Soon, Shi Hao returned with the God-Slaying Stone and the Imperial Butterfly.
“We must obtain it,” Shi Hao stressed—his path to surpassing predecessors hinged on this.
“Leave it to me. Ordinary formations are child’s play,” the God-Slaying Stone boasted.
Back at the ruins, Hong Huang anxiously reported that others—including formation masters—had arrived, drawn by the earlier disturbances.
Shi Hao tensed, spotting figures inside and more approaching.
The formation’s activation had drawn too much attention.
“Relax. This formation can’t be broken quickly. Let them blood-sacrifice,” the God-Slaying Stone said.
Hong Huang eyed the talking stone skeptically—was this Shi Hao’s “help”?
Unfazed, the stone exuded confidence.
Entering the fifth layer’s outskirts, they were met with the stench of blood—dozens dead, a few survivors trembling at the formation’s edge before fleeing or being shredded.
Some had shaken off the illusions and escaped; others had become sacrifices.
“Can you break it?” Shi Hao asked gravely.
“I’ve seen similar formations. Tricky, but doable. The herb’s a wild card—luring sacrifices to strengthen or weaken the formation.”
“Then we act now,” Shi Hao said, unwilling to risk losing the Void Heaven Divine Vine.
“Deal. After success, the remaining Primordial Chaos Stones are mine!”
“Agreed.”
Thus, the God-Slaying Stone began dismantling the formation, pausing to strategize between attempts, inching forward.
By the time a blood sun rose, progress was slow and perilous—had the stone not been reinforced by the Primordial Chaos Stones, it would’ve shattered.
Shi Hao guarded it anxiously.
At noon, the stone finally exhaled. “Done. The formation’s disabled. We can enter.”
“Excellent!” Shi Hao rejoiced.
“Now, you can scram!” A cold voice cut in.
A silver-robed youth stood behind them, exuding sacred radiance, his gaze imperious.
Shi Hao turned, face darkening. “Trying to steal my prize? You won’t leave alive.”
“He’s a Prodigy!” Hong Huang warned, recognizing him—a peerless genius with terrifying power.
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