As Shi Hao arrived at the foot of the mountain, he coincidentally encountered Lin Kun, the Supreme Elder of the Divine Medicine Sect. The elder’s expression changed dramatically, as if he had seen a ghost, because Shi Hao was unscathed—not killed as he had hoped.
“Y-You… are still alive?!” Lin Kun stammered, sensing impending doom, and immediately turned to flee.
But could he possibly outrun the Kunpeng Art? A golden Rainbow—lightning-like aura—cut across the sky, blocking his path. Then came a golden fist, crashing down like thunder, causing the void itself to erupt with glowing symbols, as if bolts of lightning were firing forth.
Lin Kun was sent flying. Radiance glimmered from his chest, and a character “Guard” ( Yu), resembling a shield, formed a luminous barrier, blocking the punch.
Even so, Lin Kun still shuddered from the impact. That force chilled him to the bone. Without the protective glyph, he would certainly have been slain with one strike.
What a youth! How could Lin Kun, a peak monarch, face such a humiliating situation? He was utterly outmatched.
“Young master, please calm thyself!” Lin Kun trembled. Originally, he had come here expecting to see Shi Hao’s demise. He never imagined that the little demon king would emerge unharmed.
In response, Shi Hao unleashed an even more ferocious bolt of lightning—as a Purplish-Golden Suanni (Suan Ni) surged forward, crackling with electric sparks, submerging Lin Kun in waves of chilling voltage.
“Stop! I admit my mistake and am willing to pay for it!” Lin Kun quickly surrendered, fully aware that despite the protective glyph etched into his body, it would eventually fade.
And this youth had not perished. According to the “heaven-enraging, god-infuriating” style of this little terror, Lin Kun would never be safe—unless Shi Hao destroyed him first.
Shi Hao halted and coldly asked, “Then speak, how will you pay me back?”
He did not even regard Lin Kun as a threat. He just couldn’t tolerate that fact that, although spared before, Lin Kun had conspired to summon the gray-clothed woman to kill him.
“I have a few spiritual herbs as compensation,” Lin Kun began but was immediately interrupted.
“I’ve already bought forty-eight spiritual herbs in one breath—who needs your measly few?” Shi Hao smirked, ready to extract a heavy ransom. He desperately needed herbs.
He did possess some precious items, such as drops of the Fountain of Youth essence, and a cup of ancient alcoholic nectar from the Kunpeng’s nest, but these were priceless treasures he could never reveal. As for other magical items and refining materials, he had squandered them all—nearly broke.
Lin Kun grimaced. Just who could possibly purchase forty-eight spiritual herbs in a single breath? Dealing with this monster would not be easy.
“These few herbs I possess are no ordinary ones; they’re rare and uncommon, even considered extraordinary,” Lin Kun explained, his heart bleeding inside.
He had considered summoning the entire Divine Medicine Sect’s forces; however, the moment he realized who his opponent was, he immediately abandoned the idea. After all, this youth had even slain a Venerable One (Zunzhe—Sage). Who among the sects wouldn’t fear him?
If it were a common noble, he would have summoned the strongest warriors from the Medicinal Capital to eliminate him on the spot.
For a youth who dared to oppose both the Immortality Mountain and the Sky-Repairing Sect, Lin Kun was deeply unnerved. He wanted no ill karma with Shi Hao. Otherwise, should Shi Hao rise to power in the future, who could possibly rival him?
Many people understood that so long as Shi Hao lived, he would eventually dominate the Desolate Region, with no equal to challenge him!
“Extraordinary? How rare could they be? Show me,” Shi Hao asked expressionlessly.
Behind him, the Crimson Bird chuckled evilly. The Nine-Headed Lion and others remained silent. Fire Spirit and Yun Xi exchanged knowing glances. They knew that, although Shi Hao acted indifferent, he was likely ecstatic inside, feigning disinterest to exact an even higher price.
“One of them is Golden Grass,” Lin Kun gritted his teeth and nearly spat blood as he spoke. This was no common spiritual herb; it was hard to find even after traversing countless mountains and rivers.
This Golden Grass rarely survives—its seeds, even if produced, generally cannot sprout unless nurtured naturally in special spirit mud. It was thus extraordinarily precious.
“Just one Golden Grass and you think you can get off that easily?” Shi Hao sneered.
“There’s also the Moon-Drop Blossom,” Lin Kun replied, his heart aching.
Behind him, the Nine-Headed Lion and others showed astonishment. They had heard of this herb before and knew it was indeed an extraordinary spiritual plant, rarely seen in the world.
The so-called “extraordinary herb” is unique and extremely rare; it’s hard to find even a few across a thousand mountains and rivers.
The Moon-Drop Blossom is pure white throughout, its flower resembling a silver disk similar to a divine moon. Especially at night, it emits a glowing, moon-like aura, and its fragrance can bring clarity to the heart and aid in enlightenment.
This time, Shi Hao said nothing and merely remarked, “These two aren’t enough. Take me to your residence—I must see everything.”
Lin Kun knew his decades-long collection was doomed. These were several rare treasures, worth an exorbitant price. Today, they might all change hands.
The Divine Medicine Sect occupied the heart of the Medicinal Capital because the city had been built around the ancestral mountain of its founding master. Lin Kun had a courtyard behind that hill.
As the Supreme Elder, his status was lofty, and his abode was large and filled with surging spiritual energy. A patch of medicinal fields was guarded by formations, wreathed in colorful mists.
After the formations were unlocked, as soon as they stepped into the small medicinal field, Shi Hao and the others widened their eyes in shock.
One herb, golden all over with six leaves, looked as if carved from pure gold, shimmering with golden brilliance. About a foot tall, it exuded golden mist and emitted a rich, fragrant aroma.
“What a treasure!”
Beside it grew a snow-white plant whose flower resembled a lunar disk, radiating holy light. Its fragrance calmed the Dao-heart, rendering the mind tranquil.
“Is it truly the Moon-Drop Blossom?” Shi Hao smiled and licked his lips, as did the Crimson Bird, who looked ready to gobble the flower whole.
“Ah! Could this be Violet Star Orchid?” Yun Xi gasped. Even within the Heavenly God Mountain’s medicinal fields, there were barely any of these—extremely rare.
Its fragrance was intoxicating. This was a plant entirely tinged purple, only the size of a palm, its small leaves shaped like six-pointed stars—most peculiar.
More resembling a miniature purple tree than an orchid, it bore clusters of tiny purple stars, exuding a hazy, violet mist, its fragrance unique and otherworldly.
A single leaf taken from this herb could be exchanged outside for several ordinary spiritual herbs, illustrating the Violet Star Orchid’s incredible value.
Only someone like the Supreme Elder of the Divine Medicine Sect could possess such a rare treasure, for even finding one was extremely difficult.
Another herb remained in the field—the last one—causing Yun Xi to cry out in astonishment again.
“It’s actually the ‘Golden Flow of Time’!”
Because even the Heavenly God Mountain only possessed two of these. Usually, only petals and leaves were harvested, never harming the roots.
Golden Flow of Time was about a foot tall, resembling a tiny tree. Its leaves appeared dull, but when the wind blew, they flipped over to reveal dazzling brilliance on their undersides.
Viewed thus, the leaves resembled flowing golden fragments, as though the passage of time itself, exuding an ineffable Dao rhythm.
“I’ve heard the Golden Flow of Time ranks among the rarest and most extraordinary of all the extraordinary herbs,” Fire Spirit sighed, with the Nine-Headed Lion and others all nodding in agreement.
In alchemy, even a small fragment added to the concoction can infuse the elixir with a Dao aura—an astonishing transformation that vastly enhances the pill’s potency.
“Only these four herbs?” Shi Hao frowned.
Lin Kun wept inwardly. Even four extraordinary herbs weren’t enough for this youth. For ordinary alchemists, even possessing one would be a miracle.
“I am the Supreme Elder of the Divine Medicine Sect. Even I have only managed to collect these four extraordinary herbs after exhausting all my resources,” Lin Kun groaned, as if spitting out blood.
He had spent his entire life’s collection acquiring just these four.
In truth, Shi Hao was quite satisfied internally. If he wished to swiftly become a Venerable One (Zunzhe—Sage) and prepare to refine Nirvana Elixir, he had to gather these rare herbs—since they’re essential principal ingredients.
Now finding four at once was a tremendous gain indeed.
“You twice sought my life, and now you think four herbs will settle everything? Definitely not!” Shi Hao bluffed.
“I truly have nothing else. I’ve given all I had,” Lin Kun lamented. He regretted his decision deeply. He had only invited disaster upon himself like a fool lifting a stone only to drop it on his own foot.
Finally, desperate and out of options, Lin Kun suddenly seemed to remember something and exclaimed, “I know the whereabouts of the Golden Medicinal Butterfly!”
“What use is that?” Shi Hao scoffed.
Except for him, everyone else nearly spat blood. That was the divine insect of the medicinal world, supremely sacred and rare beyond compare.
“The Golden Medicinal Butterfly can locate spiritual herbs. Wherever it passes, no spiritual plant can escape its detection.”
Based solely on this ability, it could rival the Heaven-Sundering Devil Butterfly.
There had long been rumors that if any pure-blooded Golden Medicinal Butterfly still existed, it must be hibernating in the Medicinal Capital, waiting for the day it would reemerge.
“Do you really know where it is?” Yun Xi asked. Being from the Ancient Divine Mountains, she understood deeply how precious this divine insect was.
Lin Kun grimaced in pain but nodded with clenched teeth.
“It’s just a medicinal butterfly, so fragile—it might die even if I took it,” Shi Hao remarked indifferently.
“The true Golden Medicinal Butterfly is extremely powerful—it is an Ancient Divine Insect,” Lin Kun corrected and added specially, “And the one I speak of is even more unique.”
Shi Hao became interested—just the fact that it was an Ancient Divine Insect spoke volumes. At the very least, it could be used for alchemical purposes, even more valuable than the golden spider of the Demon Spirit Lake.
“What’s unique about it?” The Crimson Bird asked curiously.
“Because it is a juvenile retrieved by an Ancient Medicinal God. It is believed to possibly be the Ancestral Butterfly (Zu Die—Ancestor Butterfly) of all Golden Medicinal Butterflies, also known as the Golden Above Gold, or more exaltedly, the Imperial Butterfly,” Lin Kun answered.
“The Imperial Butterfly, hailed as the sole Golden Divine Butterfly, commands all other Golden Medicinal Butterflies as its attendant companions,” Lin Kun explained.
“What?” The Fire Crow gasped, unable to believe it. Moments ago, the Supreme Elder spoke of the extreme rarity of the Golden Medicinal Butterfly, saying it had nearly gone extinct, and now suddenly claimed their mere attendants were surpassed by something even more valuable.
“The Imperial Butterfly is rare, appearing only once during ancient times. Not only can it locate every spiritual herb, but its combat prowess is also hailed as peerless,” Lin Kun continued.
Yun Xi nodded and said, “I’ve indeed heard of it. Legend has it that in ancient times, a Golden Imperial Butterfly appeared, and with just a single flap of its wings, three Heaven-Sundering Devil Butterflies at the Divine God Realm were instantly turned to dust.”
“How could that be possible!” Everyone was shaken. The Heaven-Sundering Devil Butterfly was already fearsomely powerful. Let alone ones at the Divine God level—creatures formidable enough to dominate heaven and earth.
“It’s true indeed. Our Divine Medicine Sect has such records,” Lin Kun affirmed, explaining that in ancient times, the Ancient Medicinal God had set out to find a Golden Medicinal Butterfly, only to discover a young Imperial Butterfly instead.
Eventually, the Medicinal God perished, and it was said that the juvenile was sealed inside a Divine Ice Jar, never emerging since.
“Do you really know where it is?” Shi Hao’s gaze finally burned with fiery intensity.
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