Chapter 323

At the hidden stronghold near the spatial interstice guided by Youying, Wang Ping and the four rested for a full seven days.

This stronghold is indeed concealed, situated on the side wall of a massive, bottomless chasm, naturally concealed by layers of the "Phantom Light Stone" mineral vein that can twist light and spiritual sense.

The interior space is small, yet it connects to a faint spirit vein node; though the spirit aura is far less pure than that of the Immortal Spirit Spring, it is still steady enough, conducive to healing wounds.

Over the seven days, each of the four occupied a corner, silently regulating their breath. Wang Ping took out the healing medicine obtained from the relics of the Chaos Immortal Palace; its efficacy was excellent, and combined with his powerful Chaos Nascent Soul recovery ability and efficient energy absorption, his injuries healed the fastest.

He not only adjusted his condition back to peak, but also used that piece of Yin-Yang Chaos Stone to carefully contemplate the contained yin-yang transformation and the Dao rhythm of unified opposites, deepening his understanding of the term "balance" considerably.

The phantom of the Yin-Yang Dual Keys in his sea of consciousness also became more substantial, resonating more strongly with his nascent soul, faintly guiding him toward some direction.

Cang Xuan, Yu Liuli, and Youying recovered a bit slower, but basically without hindrance. They likewise cherished this rare opportunity to rest, healing wounds while contemplating the Yin-Yang Chaos Stone, each gaining something.

In Cang Xuan's Starlight Sword Intent, a hint of round, flowing meaning appeared; Yu Liuli's Way of Sound gained a more exquisite grasp of "harmony" and "conflict".

Youying's concealed assassination technique seemed able to blend even more with the environmental light-and-dark changes.

On the evening of the seventh day, the four successively awoke from meditation.

"How is your condition?" Cang Xuan spoke first, his gaze sweeping over everyone. After fighting side by side and sharing spoils, the trust and tacit understanding among the team members had already been established.

"No problem." Wang Ping replied concisely.

"I can fight again." Yu Liuli lightly touched her gauze robe.

Youying's figure gave a slight nod in the shadow.

"Good." Cang Xuan nodded, "The Key of Balance has been obtained; according to the plan, the next target should be the 'Key of Vitality', located at the Mountain of Creation Spirit. What do you all think?"

Wang Ping pondered, "The balance Dao rhythm contained in the Yin-Yang Chaos Stone may be helpful for my perception of the next location."

The Mountain of Creation Spirit chiefly embodies vitality, starkly opposite to the deathly stillness of the Immortal Fall Battlefield; we must guard against discomfort and unknown dangers from drastic environmental changes. I suggest that upon arrival we first focus on reconnaissance, grasp the environmental patterns, then seek the key.

Yu Liuli agreed, "In places teeming with life, competition is often more concealed and traps more numerous. Those immortal spirit grasses, having endured myriad ages, may well have given birth to sentience or mutated into essences."

Youying added, "In the spirit mountain region, other forces' explorers may be more active; we need to stay concealed."

"Our views are roughly alike." Cang Xuan concluded, "If so, we will set out at dawn tomorrow. Target: the Mountain of Creation Spirit."

On the morning of the eighth day, the four departed the stronghold, heading northwest of the Immortal Fall Battlefield as indicated by Cang Xuan's map.

The farther they were from the battlefield's core, the more the killing intent and sense of death gradually weakened.

Fragments of broken laws diminished, the blood-colored mist in the sky grew thin, and occasionally one could even see the long-absent cyan-white heavenly light belonging to the base of the Azure Void Heaven Domain.

Cracks in the ground and piles of bones were gradually replaced by weathered rocks and sparse, tenaciously surviving dark moss.

After advancing about two days, the nature of the energy in the air began to undergo an obvious change.

A fresh, lively, vitalizing aura, like a spring breeze, brushed upon their faces.

This aura was utterly unlike the yin-cold killing intent of the Immortal Fall Battlefield, and also different from the ordinary spirit aura of the Spirit Realm; it was purer, more "noble," as if containing the source code of all things' growth—precisely the Immortal Spirit Qi exuding from the Mountain of Creation Spirit!

Looking far off, the northwestern horizon was no longer a monotone of cyan-white or blood-red, but enveloped in a hazy, flowing seven-colored rosy light.

Beneath the rosy light, faintly visible were undulating verdant mountain silhouettes, with waterfalls cascading like the Milky Way, and phantom spirit birds circling—a scene of immortal paradise, forming a heaven-and-hell contrast with the desolate, deathly battlefield behind them.

"Ahead lies the territory of the Mountain of Creation Spirit." Cang Xuan halted his steps, gazing at that rosy light, his expression not relaxed, "The Immortal Spirit Qi already shows such richness outside; inside it must be astonishing."

"For us Nascent Soul cultivators, it is both a supreme cultivation treasure land and possibly a bowel-piercing poison."

Wang Ping deeply agreed. He cultivates the Chaos Dao and is especially sensitive to energy.

The Immortal Spirit Qi surging from ahead far exceeds the purity of the Immortal Spirit Spring he previously absorbed!

With such high-quality energy, if ingested in large amounts without preparation, a low-level cultivator's flesh and meridians cannot withstand it, being literally "burst" or "assimilated"—this is the so-called Immortal Spirit Corrosion.

"Restrain your aura, adapt slowly, do not rush forward."

Wang Ping reminded them, simultaneously activating his Five Elements Chaos Domain to envelop the four. The domain's gray light flowed like a filter, first diluting and slowing the incoming Immortal Spirit Qi, then allowing everyone to absorb a small amount to adapt.

The four trod as if on thin ice, slowly stepping into the area shrouded in the seven-colored rosy light.

With a single step inside, it felt as if they had entered another world.

Underfoot was soft, fertile spirit soil exuding a faint fresh fragrance, no longer the battlefield's blood-mud scorched earth. Gazing outward, the mountains and rivers were beautiful, spirit aura turned to mist, gently flowing through the woods.

Ancient trees towered, their branches and leaves flowing with jade-like luster; many tree forms were unheard of by Wang Ping—some bore fruit like glazed porcelain, others had leaves carved like beautiful jade.

Even more dazzling were the strange flowers and herbs growing everywhere. Some blossoms were as large as cart wheels, their petals crystal-clear and transparent, scattering specks of starlight when swayed by the wind. Vines entwined ancient trees, bearing strings of purple-gold bell-like little flowers that emitted a pleasant tinkling.

Spirit mushrooms grew in cloud-like layers on the cliff wall, exhaling misty rosy light; furthermore, many more immortal herbs, recorded in ancient jade slips and long extinct in the spirit realm, grew like weeds by the streamside.

"Nine-Leaf Soul-Returning Herb! Crimson Blood Dragon-Pattern Ginseng! Seven-Colored Moon-Seeing Flower!... And there's also… Heavenly Fragrant Cardamom?!"

"Yuliuli couldn't help but exclaim in a low voice; as a member of the Luoxian clan skilled in cultivating spirit plants, she knew these immortal herbs like the back of her hand, yet she now appeared somewhat flustered."

Many of these spirit herbs, any single one of which in the spirit realm would be enough to stir up a bloody storm, here appear as ordinary wildflowers.

Cangxuan and Yuying also flashed a hint of shock in their eyes. The abundance of resources here surpasses imagination.

But Wang Ping became even more vigilant. Beauty often goes hand in hand with danger. His chaos domain remained active, his divine sense sweeping carefully over every plant and every wisp of spiritual energy around him.

Soon, he detected an anomaly.

A seemingly harmless vine with tiny pale-blue flowers, as they passed, silently extended a segment; its tip exuded a few drops of colorless, odorless mucus that dripped onto the spiritual soil behind them, instantly corroding several small pits that emitted a faint green smoke.

A small bird with plumage as brilliant as a rainbow, perched on the 'Starlight Tree', appeared to be preening its feathers, yet dangerous energy was faintly gathering at the base of its tail feathers.

Even the pervasive, thick immortal-spirit energy itself was continually trying to permeate their protective spiritual light.

Had it not been for Wang Ping harmonizing with his chaos domain as a buffer, an ordinary Nascent Soul cultivator here would likely already feel meridian distension and sluggish spiritual power circulation.

This is the omen of 'Immortal-Spirit Body Corrosion'—the reverse erosion of a lowly mortal body by high-quality energy.

"Be careful, every blade of grass and tree, every flower and bird here must not be underestimated," Wang Ping warned in a low voice, pointing to the blue vine and the rainbow bird.

Cangxuan and his two companions immediately understood, each raising their vigilance to the utmost.

They followed a trail that appeared to have been carved out by a stream, slowly venturing deeper into the Spirit Mountain. While maintaining his domain, Wang Ping began selectively gathering rare spirit herbs useful to him.

Although he did not practice alchemy, he had also studied the classics of rare and extraordinary herbs, knowing well that these spirit herbs, extinct in the outside world, were priceless—whether used for healing wounds, enhancing cultivation, or refining special elixirs.

He acted with extreme caution, first using his divine sense to repeatedly survey the surroundings of the target spirit herb to ensure no hidden restrictions or attendant guardian beasts, then carefully collecting it with a jade shovel or jade knife, sealing along with a portion of the spiritual soil into a specially made jade box, which he sealed with talismans before storing it in his Universe One-Qi Bag. Even so, he still encountered several mishaps along the way.

Once, as he was about to harvest a 'Cold Moon Hidden Lotus' growing beside the dark pool, his hand had just reached out when the tranquil pool water suddenly exploded, an entirely jade-green tendril covered in suckers shot like lightning toward his wrist!

The tendril was covered in fine poisonous spines, emitting a foul odor that numbs the soul. Wang Ping reacted instantly; a flash of chaotic gray light from his fingertip sent out a thin blade of chaotic sword energy, severing the tendril at its base.

A pained hiss came from the depths of the secluded pool, then it immediately returned to calm, but that stalk of cold‑moon secluded lotus was also dragged to the pool bottom by the frightened guardian water beast, and they failed to obtain it.

Another time, they passed through a flower sea where large patches of "Confusing Heart Rosemary" grew.

The scent of this flower causes hallucinations, it is colorless and odorless, and impossible to guard against.

If Yu Liuli had not promptly used the Pure Heart Immortal Sound to protect everyone's minds, and Wang Ping had not forcibly dispersed the surrounding fragrance with his Chaos Domain, the four would have almost fallen into an illusion, being attacked by the hidden "Phantom Shadow Butterfly" swarm that excels at creating illusions.

The most dangerous occasion was when they discovered a small patch of what seemed to be an ancient medicinal field, shrouded in residual formation light.

In the medicinal field, a few stalks of top‑quality "Dragon Blood Nirvana Grass" grew sparsely—this is the main ingredient for refining top‑grade body‑tempering pills. Wang Ping had just broken a corner of the residual formation when the old tree stump in the center of the field, which looked withered, suddenly "came to life": its bark split open, revealing a ferocious wooden‑grain face, and its roots, like countless steel needles, burst from the ground and coiled toward the four!

At the same time, those few stalks of Dragon Blood Nirvana Grass flared red light, their leaves shooting out like blades! That old tree stump had actually become a sentient "Medicine Puppet", guarding this medicinal field. After much effort the four managed to drive it back (without destroying it completely, to avoid greater trouble), hastily picked two stalks of Nirvana Grass, and quickly retreated.

The successive encounters made the four realize that this Fortune Spirit Mountain is by no means a benign place. Immortal spirit qi nourishes, yet also corrodes. Immortal herbs and spirit plants are treasures, but they may also be deadly traps.

Here an ancient and cruel law of the jungle prevails: beneath its beautiful exterior, devouring and competition occur incessantly.

After several days of cautious exploration and adaptation, Wang Ping gradually figured out some ways.

His Chaos Nascent Soul adapts well to immortal spirit qi, and can even actively absorb and refine it, transforming it into purer spiritual power and the embryonic form of Chaos Immortal Essence.

The Heaven‑Overturning Seal hovers above his head, dropping thick earth‑yellow streams like a canopy; it not only blocks physical attacks but also to some extent suppresses and sorts overly violent immortal spirit qi, lessening the effect of "Immortal Spirit Erosion Body".

Thanks to these two advantages, he became the most composed member of the team in the Spirit Mountain environment, and the task of gathering immortal herbs mainly fell to him.

That day they ventured into a mist‑enshrouded valley where the immortal spirit qi was so dense it almost liquefied, turning into seven‑colored spirit rain that drizzled down.

In the valley's center lay a modest white‑jade pond, its water clear to the bottom, the floor paved with five‑colored spirit sand. In the pond's center grew a small tree no more than three feet tall, its whole body jade‑green.

On the tree grew only seven cherry‑sized fruits, each a different color corresponding to red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue, and purple; each fruit was crystal clear, inside seeming to have flowing rosy light, exuding a strange fragrance that refreshed the soul and made spiritual power leap.

"Seven Rosy Treasure Tree! Seven‑Colored Spirit Source Fruit!" This time even the well‑traveled Cangxuan couldn't help drawing a breath: "It is said this fruit can purify spiritual roots, increase a cultivator's affinity with heavenly and earthly spirit qi, and even give a slight chance to awaken a special spirit body! It is truly a heaven‑earth treasure!"

Yu Liuli and You Ying's eyes were also firmly drawn. Such immortal fruit held too great an allure for them.

Yet such a great treasure, how could it lack guardians? Wang Ping's gaze turned solemn as he scanned the pond's edge, where three strange beasts lay quietly.

One resembled an elk but was covered head‑to‑toe in seven‑colored scales, its antlers like crystal carvings entwined with a gentle rosy glow; its aura was pure and mighty, comparable to a mid‑Nascent Soul cultivator.

One resembled a spirit turtle, its shell naturally bearing eight‑trigram patterns, slowly inhaling and exhaling the pond's spirit qi; though appearing sluggish, the light flickering in its eyes showed it was not low in wisdom, its breath steady as a mountain, also comparable to a mid‑Nascent Soul cultivator.

The last was a bee the size of a palm, entirely golden yellow, buzzing around the Seven Rosy Treasure Tree at incredible speed, leaving golden afterimages; its stinger flashed with azure light, emitting a threat that made even Wang Ping's heart race—its power likely reached late Nascent Soul!

The three immortal beasts coexisted peacefully, jointly guarding the tree's immortal fruit. They had obviously noticed Wang Ping and his companions long before, but did not attack immediately; instead they watched warily, emitting low warning hisses (the bee increased its wing‑beat frequency), to keep them from drawing nearer.

"Three immortal beasts guard it; forceful seizure won't be easy," You Ying assessed.

"They seem to harbor no killing intent, merely guarding," Yu Liuli sensed the beasts' emotions.

Cangxuan looked at Wang Ping: "Fellow Daoist Wang Ping, could your Chaos Domain and Heaven‑Overturning Seal block some of the aura, allowing us to approach stealthily?"

Wang Ping observed carefully, then shook his head: "Difficult. Here the immortal spirit qi, the treasure tree, and the beasts' auras are linked, forming a natural field. My domain can interfere, but once we come within ten zhang of the pond, a violent reaction is inevitable. Forcibly acting would have low odds of success and might destroy the fruit or provoke a worse threat."

He paused, his gaze falling on a few inconspicuous silver‑leaf grasses beside the pond that gave off a faint calming scent, and a thought stirred: "Perhaps… we could try a trade?"

"A trade?" Cangxuan and the other three exclaimed in surprise.

"All things have spirit, especially these immortal beasts, whose intelligence is not low. They guard the immortal fruit perhaps for its matured energy, or perhaps for another purpose," Wang Ping said slowly. "We can try offering them something they might need, to exchange for a few immortal fruits, or… the right to approach and contemplate?"

He took out several items from his Qiankun One‑Qi Pouch: a small bottle of diluted Immortal Spirit Spring (the original liquid was running low), several pieces of special ore collected from the Immortal Fall Battlefield, containing pure Yin‑Sha qi (perhaps useful for balancing yin and yang), and a few stalks of rare companion spirit herbs he had gathered along the way, which have a calming and nourishing effect on spirit beasts.

"Let me try," Wang Ping signaled the three to retreat, then he retracted all hostility, keeping his Chaos Domain as a thin protective layer on his body's surface—only for defense, no longer aggressive or strongly disruptive. Holding those items, he walked steadily toward the pond's edge, his steps even, his gaze calm.

As he approached, the three immortal beasts instantly grew tense: the elk pawed the ground with its forehooves, the turtle drew its head in and braced, the golden bee hovered, its stinger aimed at Wang Ping. But when Wang Ping stopped about fifteen zhang from the pond, did not advance further, and simply placed his items gently on a clean rock while sending a friendly, trade‑oriented mental impression, the beasts' movements paused for a moment.

Especially the golden bee, which seemed especially interested in the few calming spirit herbs Wang Ping had taken out, buzzed closer and examined them carefully.

Wang Ping waited patiently, while secretly staying on guard. He was betting that these immortal beasts possessed a certain intelligence and might be interested in "foreign objects" not native to this place. The pure vitality of the Immortal Spirit Spring, the unique energy of the Yin‑Sha ore, and the calming effect of the calming spirit herbs could all be useful to them.

Time passed bit by bit. Finally, the seven-colored elk was the first to move. It let out a soft neigh, lowered its head and picked up a piece of yin-sha ore, turned and walked to the pond's edge, and threw the ore into the pond. The pond water rippled slightly, the ore slowly sank to the bottom, and no adverse reaction occurred. The elk nodded.

Next, the Bagua spirit turtle crawled over slowly, sniffed the jade bottle of the immortal spirit spring, then glanced at Wang Ping, its eyes showing a thoughtful look. It scratched the jade bottle with its claws, indicating that Wang Ping should open it. Wang Ping carefully pulled the stopper, and a thread of pure immortal spirit qi escaped. The spirit turtle narrowed its eyes in satisfaction and let out a low, rumbling purr from its throat.

Finally, the golden bee circled the few stalks of calming spirit grass several times, then landed on a blade of grass, gently stroking its antennae, appearing quite pleased.

The three immortal beasts gathered together, softly neighing and fluttering their wings, as if communicating. After a moment, the seven-colored elk raised its head and let out a soft call toward the Seven‑Radiance Treasure Tree.

The treasure tree moved without wind; among the seven immortal source fruits, the red fruit suddenly detached, not falling into the pond but instead being lifted by a gentle force and slowly flying toward Wang Ping. At the same time, the green fruit also detached and flew toward Wang Ping.

Two immortal fruits!

The elk, meanwhile, used its antlers to point lightly at the object Wang Ping had placed on the rock, then pointed at the pond's edge, making its meaning clear: leave the things behind, you may approach the pond's edge (but do not touch the treasure tree or the remaining immortal fruits); these two immortal fruits are the exchange.

Success! Wang Ping felt a faint joy. He carefully took the two fruits whose glow flowed like rosy light; they felt warm and moist, exuding a strange fragrance, and he quickly sealed them in the finest jade box. Then he bowed his hands in thanks to the three immortal beasts, slowly stepped back, and signaled that the three of Cangxuan could approach cautiously.

The three of Cangxuan were also both surprised and delighted, never expecting Wang Ping's method to actually work. They followed his example, restrained their breath, slowly approached the pond's edge, and sat cross‑legged about ten zhang from the treasure tree, silently sensing the pure origin qi and the Dao rhythm emanating from the tree and the immortal fruits. This was greatly beneficial for them to consolidate their cultivation and comprehend the Dao of vitality.

Wang Ping, meanwhile, retreated to a somewhat farther place, keeping watch on all sides while pondering in his heart. In this Fortune‑Laden Spirit Mountain, what form will the Key of Vitality take? Is it some kind of innate spiritual root? Or, like the Key of Balance, is it a condensed form of some law? It seems that a deeper exploration of the mountain's core area is needed—perhaps there lies the answer.

He gazed toward the deeper mist‑shrouded main peak of the Spirit Mountain, where the rosy light was more intense and immortal qi swirled, yet it also gave him a feeling that was deeper and more dangerous.

Having obtained the seven‑colored immortal source fruit, and after spending half a day contemplating beside the Seven‑Radiance Treasure Tree, the four continued onward into the depths of the Spirit Mountain.

The further they went into the core region, the stranger the scenery became. The immortal spirit qi had grown so dense that it condensed into liquid streams, winding and flowing through the valleys.

These "spirit streams" shone with seven‑colored luster; wherever they passed, plants grew wildly, extraordinary flowers vied to bloom, and the air was filled with an intoxicating, rich fragrance.

But Wang Ping's vigilance grew even stronger—places where energy is overly concentrated often bring greater danger.

Along the way, the grade of the spirit plants they saw kept rising; many were no longer mere grasses and trees, but showed signs of becoming "spiritualized."

A vine entirely purple‑gold, its leaves naturally forming profound runes, even a slight sway triggering tides of spirit qi around it. A grove of silver‑white bamboo, hidden within its joints faintly rang with a clear, melodious sword‑like tone; when its leaves fell, they were as sharp as flying swords.

Even there was a lake whose surface was covered with blooming lotuses; at the heart of each flower sat a thumb‑sized spirit phantom made of pure spirit qi, inhaling and exhaling rosy light with the rise and fall of the sun and moon.

"These spirit plants… are almost the embryonic form of a spirit race," Yu Liuli sighed. "If they were to undergo countless ages, or receive some enlightenment, they might truly give birth to genuine plant spirits that set foot on the path of cultivation."

"But it is also more dangerous," the voice of Youying said, wavering indistinctly in the mist of the spirit streams. "Where there is spirituality, there may be territorial awareness and aggression."

"That 'Sword‑Sound Bamboo' ahead—just now one of its stalks clearly turned toward us."

Wang Ping nodded, his Chaos Domain continually maintained at the limit of perception.

He discovered that the deeper they went, the more active and manifest the "vitality" principle in the environment became, yet at the same time it grew more exclusionary.

The aura fields emitted by the higher‑grade spirit plants intertwined with each other, forming an invisible net; any slight disturbance by an outsider could trigger a chain reaction.

What concerned him even more was that, after entering the core region, the phantom of the Yin‑Yang Dual Keys on his chest and the Chaos Nascent Soul in his dantian both produced a new, directional resonance—not pointing toward any specific location, but rather a pulling sensation that was simultaneously "upward" and "downward".