Chapter 544: Everywhere Spirit Herbs

The seasonal cycles of heaven and earth resonated invisibly with the natural secret array and altar at this moment and this place.

"The hour has arrived."

Chen Mu rose to his full height and walked toward the altar.

Ning Zhixi and Bamboo Green Daoist exchanged a glance, suppressing their inner excitement and a trace of tension, and followed closely behind.

The three reached the top of the altar.

Chen Mu's gaze settled on the sunken circular platform at the altar's center, and the complex four-colored array pattern upon it.

"Place the Four Seasons Keys into their corresponding positions, as shown by the pattern." Chen Mu looked at Ning Zhixi.

Ning Zhixi took a deep breath and stepped forward.

She first identified the four differently colored recesses in the array pattern.

Then she placed the "Spring" token into the eastern green recess, the "Summer" token into the southern red recess, the "Autumn" token into the western golden recess, and the "Winter" token into the northern black recess.

The four keys fit perfectly into their slots.

Hum—

The altar trembled slightly, as if a colossal beast slumbering for ten thousand years had been quietly awakened.

The four tokens simultaneously erupted in dazzling, radiant four-colored light.

Green, red, gold, and black—four beams shot skyward, intertwining and spinning above the altar to form a four-colored light wheel, identical to the pattern below but far larger and clearer.

The light wheel rotated slowly, radiating a vast, profound Dao-essence of the seasonal cycle.

At the same time, the altar itself glowed with a soft, grayish-green light; the carved seasonal patterns and ancient runes lit up one by one, as if infused with life, flowing with mysterious radiance.

The seven-colored light membrane above the valley, as if drawn by the four-colored light wheel below, began to churn violently, its center slowly bulging downward to form a vortex-like entrance.

Inside the passage, the view above the valley vanished, replaced by a deep, hazy space-current, as if leading to another world, where faint starlight flickered and ancient energies leaked out.

"The gate is open!"

Bamboo Green Daoist's voice trembled.

"This is the entrance to the Four Seasons Secret Treasury?"

Ning Zhixi's eyes sparkled with wonder.

Chen Mu stared at the rotating four-colored light wheel and the opened space passage above, clearly sensing that the other end of the passage connected to a stable, independent space, imbued with strange laws.

"Go."

Without hesitation, Chen Mu stepped forward first, entering the range enveloped by the four-colored light, his form swallowed by the glow, then drifting upward into the space passage.

Seeing this, Ning Zhixi and Bamboo Green Daoist suppressed their final flicker of unease and followed closely, stepping into the light wheel and entering the unknown space passage.

……

The instant they entered the space passage, a faint dizziness and pulling sensation came over them.

Then their feet touched solid, warm, faintly luminous ground.

Before them stretched a vast, mysterious space, separate from the mortal world.

The sky was not blue with white clouds, but a constantly shifting, swirling expanse of intertwined green, red, gold, and black—a strange celestial curtain like an inverted scroll of the four seasons.

Soft, bright light poured down from the celestial curtain, illuminating the entire space.

At the heart of the space stood a majestic, sprawling complex of palaces.

The palaces were not uniform in design, but clearly divided into four zones, connected by Bai Yu bridges yet relatively independent.

In the eastern zone, palaces were nestled among towering ancient trees and lush exotic flowers, teeming with vitality, greenery flowing everywhere, exuding the fragrance of plants and vibrant life energy.

In the southern zone, palaces gleamed golden and splendid, with upturned eaves, faint crimson auroras swirling around them; the air carried a subtle heat and dryness, and even the stone tiles beneath seemed to retain residual warmth.

In the western zone, palaces appeared ancient and heavy, colored mainly in dark gold and withered yellow, surrounded by vast groves of strange trees heavy with golden leaves, fallen foliage scattering in a complex aura of solemnity and harvest.

In the northern zone, palaces shone entirely in icy blue and silver-white, covered in eternal, crystalline snow, icicles hanging from eaves, the air piercingly cold yet utterly pure.

The four palace zones jointly guarded a central, towering main hall, the tallest of all, its entire form a chaotic gray, as if forged from the fusion of the four colors.

The entire space was saturated with energy so dense it had solidified into mist, slowly flowing across the ground and between the palaces.

Plants flourished, spirit herbs covered the ground, rare flowers and fruits emitted alluring glows and fragrances.

Yet strangely, this vibrant place held no trace of birds, beasts, insects, or fish—silent except for the rustle of wind through leaves and the faint hum of flowing energy.

"This is the Secret Treasury space?"

Ning Zhixi gazed at the magnificent, strange scene before her, her eyes filled with awe.

"Such dense energy, such pure Four Seasons Dao-essence! This place is a true paradise!" Bamboo Green Daoist was equally excited, his "Jia Mu Ling Xin" glowing brightly, autonomously absorbing the rich wood-element energy from the air.

"Let's explore first."

Chen Mu stepped forward first, heading toward the nearest zone—the Spring Palace area.

Passing along a stone path lined with exotic flowers and swirling energy, the three entered the Spring Palace zone.

The palace itself was elegant, with carved beams and painted rafters, but what drew their attention was not the architecture, but the strange trees growing scattered throughout the courtyards before and behind it.

These trees varied in form—some twisted trunks coiled like dragons, others leaves translucent as jade.

Many bore fruits of green, red, purple, or gold, radiating alluring spirit-light and fragrance.

The fruits varied in size—some like cherries, others as large as fists, some even as big as infant skulls, their skins flowing with mysterious patterns.

"These are 'Washing Marrow Jade Spirit Fruits'! Legend says consuming them purifies true energy impurities and strengthens meridians!"

Ning Zhixi pointed to a few emerald-green, pear-shaped fruits on a low tree, exclaiming in delight.

"Those are 'Dragon Blood Bodhi Fruits'! They refine the body's blood and qi, enhancing physical strength!" Bamboo Green Daoist also pointed to a vine entwined around a pillar, bearing several crimson, crystal-clear Bodhi seeds.

"And 'Nourishing Soul Vermilion Fruits'! They greatly aid in soothing the spirit and strengthening the soul's awareness!"

"These are 'Earth Vein Mysterious Ginseng'! Judging by their age, they're surely over a thousand years old!"

"..."

Within the Spring Palace, rare spirit fruits and herbs—long extinct or nearly impossible to find in the outside world—were as common as vegetables in a mortal garden.

Moreover, their appearance was exceptional, their medicinal power pure, clearly nurtured for countless years by this land's refined energy and the Dao rhythms of the four seasons.

"Perfect! These spiritual herbs will greatly aid our cultivation!"

Master Zhu Qing, overjoyed, immediately began carefully harvesting the ripe spiritual fruits and herbs alongside Ning Zhixi.

They knew Chen Mu's standards were higher and he might not value these, but for the two of them, this was already a tremendous opportunity.

Chen Mu indeed did not value these.

He wandered casually through the Spring Hall, his spiritual sense sweeping through, confirming that apart from these spiritual plants, there were no other special restrictions or dangers, nor any clues regarding the "Four Seasons Legacy."

Though these spiritual items were fine, for one who had already entered the Heavenly Palace Realm with such a solid foundation, their benefit was limited—at best, merely a bonus.

Leaving the Spring Hall, he proceeded in turn to the Summer Hall, the Autumn Hall, and the Winter Hall.

Without exception, each area held precious spiritual items, a few of which did offer some auxiliary benefit to Heavenly Palace Realm cultivators.

But that was all.

The true core legacy remained nowhere to be found.