Chapter 134

In merely a moment, this place was swept clean, hundreds of stalks of upper-grade Yellow Tier common spiritual herbs and dozens of stalks of Profound Tier ancient trees were taken into their bags. Although, to those present, these were merely ordinary items.

However, there is a key problem here: this Heavenly God Forbidden Zone is like a sealed-off small world, painstakingly crafted by many primordial gods. Inside, spiritual energy is abundant, rules are complete, and it can almost operate on its own.

In the myriad worlds today, spiritual energy has withered, rules are incomplete; even newly grown spiritual herbs contain an imperfect heavenly-earthly power. This is why Qin Yu insists on taking these out—perhaps they will produce unexpected wondrous effects. Even if not, the efficacy of these spiritual herbs far surpasses that of other herbs of the same tier.

Of course… the most crucial point is that the power of its rules is intact and complete. Qin Yu intends to bring it out and present it to his master, to see if it can help his master break through to the Dao stage. He has already realized that the situation in Cangyuan Jie is far more complex than he imagined. Merely the periphery of this forbidden zone already hosts Dao-stage experts. If the top combat strength of Xuanyang Sect is not strong enough, it will likely be trampled by Xuanying Holy Ground before long. As the saying goes, when the nest is overturned, no egg remains intact; the top combat strength of Xuanyang Sect is truly too weak.

Furthermore, this batch of resources is almost equivalent to the total wealth of a third-rate sect in Canglan Yu.

"Buzz buzz buzz!"

Just as Qin Yu fell into contemplation, waves of rumbling sound spread out. Following the sound, he saw above the firmament immaculate Dao flowers blooming splendidly, radiant light scattering everywhere; pale green ancient trees loomed in the void, their jade-green branches stretching out, as if to tear the void and blot out the sky.

"Is this… a Dao herb spirit?" The Bi Xue Mu, currently struggling to resist the Dao domain's suppression, blinked in astonishment, its expression dazed. It simply could not understand why a Dao herb would appear inside the Heavenly God Forbidden Zone.

The Medicine Spirit clan has always been weak in combat; even upon reaching the Dao stage, they excel only at escape techniques, able to mobilize spatial power to vanish instantly. This is because they rarely fight cultivators, lacking practical experience, and all their actions rely on bloodline inheritance.

Yet, in the myriad worlds, the Medicine Spirit clan holds a transcendent status. Once they reach the Saint Medicine grade, they can heal injuries for longevity cultivators, aid in cultivation, and even jointly comprehend the Dao. Therefore, after entering the world, they often select a leader to follow, using this to embark on the path of cultivation.

Moreover, Dao herbs possessing spiritual awareness are extremely rare; over endless ages they inevitably encounter various dangers. To control Dao herbs, most cultivators, upon obtaining them, immediately erase their awareness. Consequently, Dao herbs with awareness are one in ten.

The Immortal Sect Leader saw two streams of light approaching him, a gleam flashing in his eyes—could they be coming for him? The Blood Spirit clan and his faction are natural enemies, so there would be no interaction. As a Dao-stage expert, he is fully qualified to subdue them.

"Buzz!"

As he pondered, a buzzing sound came from the void, and the streams of light landed beside Qin Yu. Qin Yu blinked slightly, wondering if he truly was a child of destiny—such a high-grade Medicine Spirit had come directly to his side; could it be intending something toward him?

Immediately afterward, above the ancient tree, a faint silver divine radiance condensed into a somewhat aged illusory humanoid figure, its aura feeble. Its eyes full of shock, it trembled as it approached the Little Phoenix clearing weeds, then knelt on the spot.

"Greetings, young master of the Phoenix clan. I never imagined that in this world a divine beast would still appear; I was born after the ancient great calamity, and in my ignorant youth I once witnessed a supreme being of your clan act, filling me with boundless reverence. After countless ages, I beg to follow the young master; I hope the young master will not despise me." Its voice trembled with excitement, unable to contain itself.

At the brink of death, to encounter such an opportunity, it would surely cling to it tightly.

"I too wish to serve the young master… I hope the young master can give me a chance." Upon the immaculate white Dao flower, a similarly faint illusory image appeared, transforming into a lovely, charming maiden. A soft divine radiance fell upon her skin, reflecting a snowy whiteness.

At this moment, the soot-covered Little Phoenix wore a look of astonishment. These Medicine Spirits… are they truly stupid or pretending? I am here doing this dirty, tiring work, yet they still cannot tell who is really in charge? My young master's rich aura of destiny surrounds him—can they not see it?

The Little Phoenix rolled its eyes, helplessly discovering that the aura of destiny had been hidden again. Indeed, the young master possesses a most special mandate, able to conceal his own aura at will.

"Whether to submit is up to my young master to decide." The Little Phoenix's childlike, tender voice rang in the ears of the two Medicine Spirits.

In an instant, the two Medicine Spirits came to. They were unaware of what had happened outside the Heavenly God Forbidden Zone earlier; they merely sensed the bloodline-suppressing power of the Phoenix True Fire, which roused them from slumber. They had assumed this human youth was a servant of the Phoenix young master, given that he only bore the aura of Seventh Layer Foundation Establishment. In their eyes, having witnessed countless heavenly talents rise and fall, this was hardly a genius.

But the situation before them showed that this human youth was the one in the leading position.

"Sir, please take in this old bone of mine…"

"I am willing to give everything for the young master… I beg you, young master, as long as the Phoenix young master grants me a wisp of Nirvana True Fire, the rest can be negotiated."

Having spoken, the old one and the maiden hastily presented a contract, placing it before Qin Yu, like a child begging grandparents, eager to have Qin Yu acknowledge them as master.

Seeing this, Qin Yu sighed inwardly. Indeed, he was not a child of destiny. Earlier he had been outright ignored; now, merely because of a single sentence from the Little Phoenix, the two great Dao-stage Medicine Spirits vied to acknowledge him as master. Yet the key point is, he himself is the master of the Little Phoenix.

In the end, Qin Yu, 'forced' and helpless, signed the contract, becoming the master of the two Dao herbs.

"Buzz!"

At the moment the contract was established, both parties produced some strange sensations. The two Medicine Spirit venerables were taken aback; originally they only wanted to follow the Phoenix, but now… they seemed to stand on equal footing with the little Phoenix. They could actually sense a faint connection with the little Phoenix, and had likewise signed a heaven-earth contract, an unbreakable heaven-earth oath.

Instantly, both hearts filled with panic—what merit or ability do they have to dare stand equal to the young master?

"Um… young master, could the contract be dissolved?" the ancient tree Medicine Spirit difficulty spoke.

A flicker of wariness crossed Qin Yu's eyes—what does this mean? First they clamored to acknowledge a master, now they ask him to dissolve the contract?

The aged figure's face showed distress, nearly on the verge of tears: "Young master… we dare not stand equal to the little Phoenix; please first dissolve the contract, so we may re-sign with the little Phoenix, otherwise future karmic entanglements will be more than we can bear."

This is not karma that a Dao-stage expert can casually dabble in.

That these two Dao herbs can retain awareness must have a reason. In ancient times they too once held considerable renown. Yet now they fully understand they cannot bear the karma of standing equal to a divine beast.

The Dao flower spirit also nodded repeatedly, its pretty face full of terror. It feared to the extreme—who knows if the divine beast clan is extinct? If even a few ancient survivors remain, and our two Dao-stage Medicine Spirits share the same master as the divine beast, standing equal would invite great disaster. Should anything happen in the future, the related karma would fall on us, and our kin behind would suffer as well. This karma, we dare not touch.

Helpless, Qin Yu had no choice but to dissolve the contract with the two. The two 'old antiques' hastily re‑handed the contract to the Little Phoenix.

Little Phoenix: "..."

How come everything goes awry as soon as one enters this realm?

But in the end, the Little Phoenix still signed the contract, taking on these two followers. Mainly it thought it would no longer have to eat low‑grade spirit stones and pills, since Dao herbs are edible. Thinking of this, it could not help but beam with joy.

However, at this moment above the firmament, the two illusory figures were somewhat dazed. Outside the Wind‑Forest‑Fire‑Mountain formation, dozens to hundreds of ancient Dao herb spirits awakened, all eager to charge into the grand formation to seek the Little Phoenix. Moreover… even some far older Medicine Spirits stirred restlessly.

However, a barrier had just appeared outside the Wind‑Forest‑Fire‑Mountain formation, preventing those Medicine Spirits from entering, leaving them frantically running in circles.

"I almost forgot—the emergence of the divine beast Phoenix is enough to stir this lot whose lifespan is nearing its end." The spirit of the forbidden zone said, patting its head. These Medicine Spirits, upon death, can become nourishment for the Heavenly God Forbidden Zone, so they naturally cannot be allowed to leave lightly.

"Two are enough; isolate the rest outside, or else… it might become hard to control." The primordial god mused for a moment, then spoke. He was planning the subsequent layout. After all, even if he succeeded in seizing a body, a hundred Dao herbs would amount to nothing more than a Seventh Layer Foundation Establishment cultivator; if any Medicine Spirit tried to break free of control or leak this secret, the forbidden zone's years‑long scheme could be ruined, and the myriad races would learn of it beforehand.

At this moment, the primordial god's gaze toward Qin Yu was full of greed. He was excited beyond restraint, eager to try, his heart anticipating the moment of seizure, longing to regain a fleshly body and live a second life in reverse. He had waited too long.

Meanwhile, at the inner perimeter entrance, Dongyu Goddess hid aside, her heart greatly shaken: "I never imagined that this evildoer of Xuanyang Sect could be so formidable—merely releasing his own aura could cause Dao‑stage Medicine Spirits to submit of their own accord."

"Such is the destiny's due—nothing more."

She felt a hint of alarm, secretly thinking she might not be worthy of such a monster. Since the outside world cannot peer into the forbidden zone's details, only able to observe via projection, Dongyu Goddess mistakenly believed it was Qin Yu's own doing that caused the Medicine Spirits to submit.

She came from an ancient great teaching, as the orthodox true successor, raised in privilege from childhood, standing equal to the holy land's saintly sons, her talent and brilliance in no way inferior. Yet now, seeing this youth who has not even lifted a finger cause the Dao herbs to flock to him, she feels both astonishment and dread.

"No matter what, we must not become enemies with him. Moreover, many forces now do not know this monster's true strength… my Silver Moon Divine Sect has an excellent opportunity to befriend him!"

She pondered, and once she left she would surely convince her sect to ally directly with Xuanyang Sect, granting them the best treatment and resources. If she forced them to become a son‑in‑law, it would seem too lowly and invite dislike. Most importantly, Dongyu Goddess now felt she might not be worthy of him.

At the same moment, Qing Xuan Zi and the others were also stunned: "Holy smokes, the young master is truly generous—he first dissolved the contract and gave those two Dao herbs to his own spirit pet."

"If you had a divine beast Phoenix, you would also scorn Dao herbs. After all, the Phoenix clan's sentient beings, even without cultivation, if they stain a bit of pure blood, their worst future is peak Venerable, and entering the Dao stage is easy as pie."

Those twenty later‑submitting heavenly prodigies now had eyes blazing with fervor; their inner excitement nearly made them want to howl at the sky, their blood boiling.

This is the supreme being worthy of their following!

This is truly a peerless monster!

What if Dao‑stage beings submit of their own accord?

The young master can still refuse!

Because the inner perimeter can sense the aura of the Dao herbs, while outside Qingshi Jun one can only learn via projection that Qin Yu obtained the acknowledgment of two Medicine Spirits, yet remains unaware of their exact grade.

Two stalks of heavenly medicine willingly submitted; such talent, indeed a monster.

If this continues, the Profound Yang Sect need only wait for his rise; in the future he will surely enter the Main Domain and become a holy‑land‑level sect.

On the faces of the Floating Light Sect's Grand Elder and the old woman, a look of fear also appeared. Generally, heavenly‑tier spirit medicine can take form; they did not even think of the Dao Tier subconsciously. Even so, a single stalk of heavenly medicine possessing spiritual intelligence is extremely precious; even venerables like them have never possessed one.

Because once the medicine spirit dies, it is merely an ordinary spirit medicine; although it contains the regulatory power of the Venerable Realm and can be used for healing and cultivation, it does not grow on its own and will eventually be exhausted. However, if the medicine spirit remains alive, it can cultivate spirit medicines for cultivators, manage spirit fields, assist in training, jointly comprehend the Great Dao, and, if it suffers any damage, it can actively repair itself.

In the depths of their eyes, envy filled them.

Seeing this, Lin Wu Ren and the others straightened their chests. Junior Uncle… he is truly formidable; I am honored to share in the glory.

…………

Just as Qin Yu had Little Phoenix sign the contract, the Immortal Sect Leader and Bi Xue Mu finally arrived. At this moment their breath was feeble, they bore heavy injuries, their clothes stained red with blood. They were so angry their back teeth were about to break; if they could obtain the aid of dao medicine, passing these three gates would be effortless.

Just then, a vast voice suddenly rang out.

"Congratulations, you three have simultaneously passed the first gate, Wind Forest Fire Mountain, and entered the second gate, Reflecting Self!"

The Spirit of the Forbidden Zone felt helpless; it had originally wanted to play a few more tricks, but the Primeval Divine kept urging it to quickly dispose of those two so he could swiftly clear the gates and leave the Forbidden Zone by taking over a body. Left with no choice, it could only end the first gate early.

"At last it's over; if I hold on any longer, at most another quarter hour, even I can't endure it." The Immortal Sect Leader's complexion eased, and he let out a long breath.

Bi Xue Mu likewise let out a breath.

Only Qin Yu looked bewildered. How could it already be over? There are still so many ancient trees and spirit herbs I haven't had time to collect. Moreover, what if two more dao medicines appear later? How can we say it's over just like that?

But at this moment, a wave of dizziness struck, and the three figures were shifted to another space—turns out it was a palace.

Seeing this, Bi Xue Mu and the Immortal Sect Leader immediately sat cross‑legged, preparing to adjust their condition and recover from their injuries.

However, at this moment the Spirit of the Forbidden Zone's voice sounded again.

"Reflecting Self, begin……"

"It detects that Bi Xue Mu's innermost strongest self is at peak condition, an early Dao Tier peak!"

"The duel begins."

Bi Xue Mu: "???"

This procedure seems not quite right, huh?