Divine Medicinal Herb!
Shi Hao’s mouth turned dry, his heart pounding with intense shock. He randomly grabbed one from the alchemical cauldron; it was a Saint-grade herb, an unbelievable miracle.
A rich medicinal fragrance filled the air. This was a plant shimmering with purple luster; it was only one foot tall, with small, translucent leaves, each shaped like a purple crescent moon.
It resembled a tiny tree suffused with spiritual aura, bearing purple crescents and emitting a hazy purple mist, presenting a surreal and magnificent sight.
“The Zi Jing Moon… it has actually evolved into a Saint-grade herb.”
This was originally a spirit herb. Although it was known to evolve, it could only become a top-tier spirit herb. Yet this specimen had actually reached the level of a Divine herb!
Shi Hao eagerly lifted the cauldron, barely taller than a clenched fist, and peered inside. The lustrous, crystalline bone cauldron shimmered with radiant light, containing dozens of precious medicinal herbs, each exuding vibrant life force.
He grabbed another specimen. It was brilliant red like blood, shaped like a flying swallow with roots, as if carved from a blood diamond, radiating intense fragrance.
“The legendary Saint-tier herb—Blood Swallow?” Shi Hao’s mouth dropped open in disbelief.
It wasn’t a Saint herb, but nearly equivalent, with almost indistinguishable effects.
This cauldron contained dozens of herbs altogether; could they all be so miraculous? Shi Hao could hardly believe his eyes. If they were all Saint-grade or near-Saint-grade, it would shake the entire Upper Realm. This ancient cauldron was truly extraordinary.
He now had serious doubts: could this fist-sized cauldron actually be carved from the bone of a true dragon?
Shi Da Zhuang cried out in shock. Such circumstances were beyond comprehension. After all, even a single near-Saint-grade herb could revive the dead and mend broken bones. Possessing one meant having an extra life.
These precious medicinal herbs were extremely rare and invaluable. No one would ever consider selling or trading them; they were jealously retained for personal use.
Shi Hao inhaled deeply and reached into the cauldron once again, determined to uncover its secrets. There was no doubt that the cauldron appeared small but could contain vast landscapes, with immense space within.
He retrieved a third herb. This was merely a spirit herb, not a Saint one. Shi Hao exhaled in relief, tinged with slight disappointment.
The fourth, the fifth…
It wasn’t until the thirty-first herb that brilliant radiance surged forth. A golden ginseng appeared, possessing a human-like form, radiating an irresistible fragrance, its entire body dazzling. Another Saint herb—Golden Ginseng!
Shi Hao kept retrieving and examining until he had looked at all fifty-four herbs. Among them, there were two Saint-grade herbs, one near-Saint-grade herb, and fifty-one spirit herbs. This was astonishing!
“The owner of this cauldron must be extraordinary—an expert spiritual healer or a powerful figure from an immortal sect. Their status must be formidable!” Da Zhuang judged.
Possessing two Saint-grade herbs and one near-Saint-grade herb was astonishing.
Even the other herbs were rare treasures among spirit herbs, not the common types. They could be called miraculous herbs, such as Purple Star Orchid, Flowing Golden Age Vine, Falling Crescent Blossom, and others.
These miraculous herbs were exceedingly scarce. If traded, each could be equivalent to many ordinary spirit herbs.
Shi Hao was ecstatic. Ordinary spirit herbs could still be gathered, but these rare miraculous ones were the hardest to find. They were precisely what the Shi Clan’s alchemical formulas required the most.
“This solves a major problem.” For Shi Hao, this was of tremendous significance.
After arriving in the Upper Realm, he had wanted to re-cultivate several crucial cultivation stages using the complete laws of heaven and earth, hoping to combine this process with the Shi Clan’s alchemical formulas to purify his physical body.
Now he might finally realize these aspirations. If everything went smoothly, he could succeed within a short time.
Clearly, the cauldron’s owner had no interest in ordinary herbs. All he had collected were precious treasures. This cauldron, spewing divine radiance and auspicious lights, held countless riches of immeasurable value!
“What an incredible fortune—a blessing beyond imagination,” remarked Da Zhuang, marveling at the unexpected bounty gained by fishing the cauldron from the Milky River.
At this moment, both severely doubted that the material composing this fist-sized furnace was truly terrifying, possibly indeed forged from some supreme dragon bone.
Shi Hao caressed the cauldron gently before carefully sealing the lid. As the medicinal fragrance vanished, he sat cross-legged and began to heal his wounds.
This time had been extremely perilous. Although he had retrieved an ancient magical artifact, his body was severely injured, covered in wounds from which blood flowed. Some bones had even fractured from the shock.
This showed how terrifying the Milky River truly was. Considering how resilient Shi Hao’s physical body was—nearly as tough as a diamond—it had still sustained such damage.
“Luckily, I didn’t retrieve the divine corpse from the center of the river. Even gods might perish trying that,” Shi Hao muttered to himself.
External injuries were not the most serious problem. At this moment, a curse was seeping into his being, corroding his sinews and bones, threatening to destroy his Dao foundation, damaging his very essence.
Fortunately, Shi Hao was strong enough and experienced in dealing with curses. Sitting cross-legged, he circulated glyph energy to purify and absorb the curse.
Suddenly, just as he was deeply focused on healing, a streak of purple light shot forth, aiming at the back of his head— ruthless and merciless.
It was a scale, about the size of one’s palm, razor-sharp. It twisted space itself. If it struck a person’s head, it would surely be fatal in one blow.
Shi Hao’s eyes snapped open, and his body quickly shifted sideways, dodging the deadly strike. Lightning surrounded his body as a protective barrier.
“Your reflexes are quite fast. Not bad, young one,” said a voice calmly.
At the riverbank appeared an old man dressed in gray robes, stooped in posture, with white hair and shimmering eyes.
A surge of anger welled up in Shi Hao. Had his instincts not been sharp, he would have been killed. This old man was very powerful, no ordinary opponent.
Shi Da Zhuang felt humiliated. He had been guarding Shi Hao while he healed, yet this old man had approached without a sound. Immediately, Da Zhuang shouted, “You old fool! Do you even have a shred of decency left, ambushing a junior cultivator like this?”
The old man smiled slightly. “I was merely testing you. You two truly are not ordinary.”
Shi Hao didn’t respond. He carefully observed and grew increasingly alarmed. The old man’s face was covered with glyph patterns, clearly having suffered a deep curse that threatened his life.
This was a master who had ignited divine flame!
Shi Hao’s heart pounded. He made this assessment: if this old man wasn’t cursed, his body in dreadful condition, he would be far more formidable than he currently was.
“You’ve tested us enough. Now leave,” Shi Hao said.
“Little friend,” the old man smiled. “You’ve picked up something belonging to our clan. Please return it.”
“What item?” Shi Hao asked.
“A yellowish, fist-sized cauldron belongs to my senior uncle. Unfortunately, he recently perished in the Milky River. Please return it,” the old man said with a thick smile.
Upon hearing this, Shi Da Zhuang was furious. “Shameless! Is your uncle from ancient times? First, you ambush him. Now, you want to seize the cauldron? Get lost!”
When Shi Hao retrieved the cauldron, the lightning illuminating the sky had caused a major disturbance, drawing the attention of this divine-flame-bearer, who had secretly witnessed it.
“Little friend, don’t be unreasonable. This truly belongs to our clan’s sacred artifact. Please return it,” the old man said, stepping closer as a flicker of divine flame appeared around his body.
He couldn’t use it freely as his body was ravaged by curses. Without powerful artifacts supporting him, he would have long been dead.
“Despicable!” Shi Hao spat out these two words, clearly recognizing that the old man was lying, trying to seize this mysterious cauldron.
“Hand it over!” the old man stretched out his hand, a mocking smirk on his face, revealing his true intentions as he prepared to attack.
“Am I made of air? I’ve had enough of this,” Da Zhuang shouted as light blazed from its surface. Then it transformed into a streak of light shooting forward, screaming, “Lightning Fist!”
It unleashed hundreds upon hundreds of bolts of lightning. Having swallowed the strange stone earlier, Da Zhuang had gained thunder abilities—terrifyingly powerful.
With a startled cry, the old man staggered backward in disbelief. Despite his immense cultivation and lightning-fast reflexes, he still couldn’t dodge in time.
The blow struck his forehead solidly, forming a large bulge that bled, and his hair stood straight up, strands singed and blackened from the lightning energy.
He was a divine-flame master! Though his strength had severely declined due to curses, he still found the result unacceptable.
“Could it be… the Da Zhuang Stone? The fabled weapon said to never miss its target!” Finally regaining his senses, he recognized the origin of the stone. His eyes immediately gleamed with desire.
“Hold them! Don’t let them escape!” distant voices echoed. A youth in purple robes approached, followed by several others, all covered with glyph patterns, clearly suffering from severe curses.
Shi Hao recognized the newcomer. This was the young Tengu Clan cultivator who had flaunted his arrogance back on Demon Island. The youth’s strength was formidable. His goal was the Immortal Tombs.
In his hand was a white jade bamboo staff, thirteen joints tall, only about a meter long, as thin as a finger. Gleaming and luminous, it radiated pure divine light.
“The Demon-Repelling Divine Bamboo!” Shi Hao exclaimed, astonished. This was one of the rarest plants in the world, possessing the power to ward off evil and curse, said to be immune to dark influences.
Such a miraculous plant was extremely rare, impossible to cultivate artificially. It had to grow naturally through cosmic forces.
The Demon-Repelling Bamboo grew a new joint every 500 years. The staff held by the Tengu youth possessed thirteen joints—although only a meter long, it had grown for 6,500 years.
The reason these people could reach this place was entirely because they carried this pure white Demon-Repelling Bamboo. Otherwise, they would have perished from the curses long ago.
Despite this, each of them bore bizarre glyph patterns across their faces, and the bamboo staff itself was covered in cracks, its divine power greatly diminished, on the verge of disintegrating.
These people had set out before Shi Hao, walking ahead of him, aiming for the Immortal Tombs. Eventually, finding their protective staff damaged, they reluctantly retreated. On their way back, they happened to spot Shi Hao retrieving the cauldron.
“This cauldron is mysterious and extraordinary,” said another old man beside the purple-robed youth.
“You’re being too domineering,” Shi Hao replied coldly.
“I don’t want to waste words with you. Hand over the cauldron, and perhaps I’ll consider sparing your life,” the young Tengu Clan powerhouse said coldly.
His mood was terrible. They had used their clan’s divine treasure, but still failed to reach the Immortal Tombs, leaving him frustrated and furious. Finding such a miraculous fortune on the return journey naturally prompted him to seize it.
“Does it physically hurt you to not act like such an asshole?” Da Zhuang shouted angrily.
“Kill him! Bring me the cauldron and that stone,” the purple-robed youth in the Tengu clan ordered with a cold smile. They had two divine-flame masters here. That should be more than enough to deal with Shi Hao.
The previously mentioned old man smiled slightly. “Little friend, return the cauldron to our clan, and perhaps we can discuss other matters.”
Another old servant also stepped forward, his face covered with curse glyphs, making his smile seem particularly eerie. “Don’t bring ruin upon yourself.”
“I’ve never tasted Tengu meat. I wonder how it tastes,” Shi Hao muttered.
“You’re asking for death!” The purple-robed youth roared and waved his hand, ordering them to attack and quickly eliminate Shi Hao. He had no intention of wasting time here.
However, to their surprise, Shi Hao acted even more decisively, launching an attack not at them, but at the river water itself.
“Not good!”
The two elderly servants ignited divine flame, frightened out of their wits. They roared loudly, then retreated, rushing quickly to the far distance.
The purple-robed youth and others were also horrified, their faces turning pale.
“Have you lost your mind?!”
Doing this was undoubtedly seeking death. Even if they used supreme artifacts to block the lightning, the curse force could not be defended against—it would invite a catastrophe.
Shi Hao sneered without responding. In the first moment, he opened the cauldron lid, grabbed Da Zhuang, and dove inside. Then, he controlled the cauldron and fled.
“Boom!”
Lightning struck, innumerable bolts, endless torrents. At the same time, thick curses blanketed the area.
“Ahh!”
Distant screams came, clearly indicating that some of the people with the purple-robed youth had already turned into ashes.
At the same time, Shi Hao also felt his hair stand on end. Outside, endless thunder pounded the cauldron violently, making it tremble and rumble. Inside, brilliant lights shone continuously, with countless glyphs appearing.
Remember, he hadn’t even touched the river’s center. He had merely struck the riverbank with a punch, yet caused such a terrifying result.
Even gods would be killed, for this lightning contained a trace of Immortal Dao aura!
Fortunately, this cauldron was incredibly mysterious and successfully resisted the assault. Shi Hao and his companions, hiding inside, were temporarily safe.
Infinite lightning continued for half a quarter-hour, only ceasing after countless bolts disappeared, restoring calm to the area.
Cautiously opening the lid, Shi Hao emerged outside, but staggered and fell to the ground. Although the thunder had disappeared, the curses lingered, constantly wrapping around the cauldron, waiting for him to come out.
Shi Hao immediately sat cross-legged, bearing all the curses alone, using every ounce of his divine power to resist. Blood continuously spewed from his mouth, and he nearly fainted several times. His life force dimmed, almost extinguished.
It wasn’t until an entire day and night later that he finally exhaled and slowly regained a bit of his energy. It had been extremely dangerous— he had nearly perished here.
Afterwards, he sat cross-legged again, spending two more days and nights recovering, gradually regaining his strength, his spirit improving, his physical form glowing.
“Strange, you two are quite resilient,” Shi Hao went to search and found that the purple-robed youth and the old man who initially attacked him and demanded the cauldron were still alive, each holding a broken section of Demon-Repelling Bamboo.
Others had turned into ashes from the thunderstorm or had perished from curses.
Moreover, on the ground were six or seven ancient magical artifacts, all reduced to fragments. Originally, they were rare treasures, but now they had been destroyed.
“You…” The purple-robed youth and the old man stared at Shi Hao as if they were seeing a ghost. When they saw him approaching, despair gripped their hearts.
They had destroyed all their magical artifacts just to block the thunder, but had sustained serious injuries. The curses they bore were extremely heavy, making even the slightest movement difficult. They could barely cling to life.
Yet they saw Shi Hao, completely unscathed!
“Ch!”
Shi Hao flicked a ray of radiant light, piercing the old man’s forehead and ending his life instantly. Then, he grabbed the purple-robed youth saying, “I haven’t tasted Tengu meat yet. Later, after I remove your curses, I’ll try how delicious you taste. Of course, the prerequisite is you transform into your true form quickly. Otherwise, I might lose my appetite.”
Three days later, Shi Hao traveled persistently and finally arrived at the deepest part of the Milky River. In a daze, he beheld a colossal ancient tomb, all the river waters flowing toward it!
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