Chapter 584

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Protagonist:

Xu Zhangqing

In an instant, the entire Qingwu Forest fell terrifyingly silent.

No one could have imagined that Xu Zhangqing would actually, without a sound, choose to break through to Golden Core inside the Secret Realm.

At this moment, different people had different reactions.

As fellow disciples of the Dongting Immortal Sect, Mo Ran immediately stepped forward: "Xu Dao... now I have to call you Senior Brother Xu, congratulations, congratulations!"

He didn't hesitate at all, decisively taking out a five-hundred-year-old Purple Pattern Ginseng and handing it over.

The older the age, the higher the price.

Just this one stalk alone would sell for nearly a thousand Middle-grade Spirit Stones.

For a Foundation Establishment Perfection cultivator who has not yet reached Golden Core, this counts as a generous gift.

Xu Zhangqing didn't refuse, accepting it with a beaming smile: "Many thanks, Junior Brother Mo!"

Zhao Chengdao followed close behind, presenting a thousand-year Nine-Leaf Orchid, and said with a smile: "To reach this realm before forty, from now on among the Dongting Immortal Sect's Wood Spirit Root cultivators, you absolutely rank among the top."

Previously, the two of them had a very good relationship.

The problem was, Xu Zhangqing's cultivation realm was relatively low, making it impossible for the two sides to take things a step further.

Now it's good, everyone is a Golden Core True Person, so cooperating like this won't have any reservations.

Su Qingyuan thought for a moment, then took out three Ice Heart Orchids wrapped in wet mud from her herb basket, her tone still cold yet not lacking warmth: "Congratulations, Dao Friend Xu!"

Seeing them all act like this, the other Qingmu Hall and Scattered Cultivator Alliance members naturally didn't dare to offend.

The two from Qingmu Hall, the bearded man and the female disciple, introduced themselves while presenting a rare spirit plant: "I'm Lu Shan, this is one of my disciples, named Liu Cui.

Right now representing Qingmu Hall, congratulations to Dao Friend Xu on attaining Earth-grade Golden Core!"

A flash of envious admiration appeared in Liu Cui's eyes, and she timidly held up a three-hundred-year-old Condensing Dew Grass: "True Person Xu, this is what I gathered before, hope you don't mind it being humble!"

The Scattered Cultivator Alliance people, naturally unwilling to be outdone, led by Zhou Tong all produced various items.

Because they had just entered Qingwu Forest and hadn't had time to gather rare spirit plants, what they gave were all cultivation-related resources.

Such as Soul-Soothing Pills, Spirit-Gathering Pills, and the like.

Only the Growth and Withering Sect people were completely nowhere to be found.

Until everyone up front had finished expressing their stance.

At this time, Mo Yuan and the others finally said with grave expressions: "Xu kid, you were too reckless."

Xu Zhangqing nodded: "Indeed a bit reckless, but I didn't want to miss the Secret Realm's dense Spiritual Energy, and moreover the resources here are exceptionally abundant."

Mo Yuan shook his head: "If you were still in Foundation Establishment, that would count as bottom-tier combat power, the Immortal Sect would only arrange some low-level tasks for you.

Now that you've broken through to Golden Core, wanting to leave here again, I'm afraid it won't be possible."

These words spoken, Xu Zhangqing's gaze went dull, and he couldn't help but ask: "What do you mean?"

Mo Yuan explained with irritation: "A Golden Core True Person counts as middle-to-high-tier combat power on the Central Region battlefield; as long as you come here, the Immortal Sect absolutely won't let you go.

Even if you're just a Wood Spirit Root spirit farmer, you still have to go up to fill the numbers."

In the Tianyuan Realm there's a saying: 'Below Golden Core, all are ants.'

Meaning that Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment — they don't count as cultivating immortality at all.

Only when a single Golden Core is swallowed into the belly does one count as a cultivator.

Or rather, truly embark on the path of longevity.

Likewise, once Spiritual Power transforms into Magic Power, its quality is at least several times higher.

Even a mere little Entanglement Technique, when cast, becomes incomparably terrifying.

Xu Zhangqing was momentarily at a loss for words, thinking to himself: "I was careless!"

Originally, his idea was very simple.

Pretend to break through to Earth-grade Golden Core, thereby obtaining higher identity, status, and benefits.

Result: never in a million years did he expect he'd actually be dragged to the "Front Line" to fill numbers, and even fight.

The key is, Leijin Kui is currently with Fifth Senior Sister.

In his own hands, he only has a single Reverse-Meridian Dragon-Transforming Insect Mother.

And a Silver-Armored Spirit Insect possessed by a Spirit Insect Cultivator's Divine Soul, seized through possession.

As well as a Scent-Seeking Honeybee with zero combat power.

Seeing the other party stunned silly, Mo Yuan helplessly shook his head: "Alright, don't think too much now, after all you've become a Golden Core True Person.

Also, if you don't hurry up and gather rare spirit plants, Qingwu Forest is going to disappear."

Compared to others giving gifts and currying favor, he was instead different.

Not only did he not congratulate, he even seemed slightly reproachful.

After all, the other party hadn't given advance notice that he would break through realms inside Qingwu Forest.

This behavior was not only reckless, but even gambling with his own life.

But things have come to this, and it succeeded, so saying more is meaningless.

No one had objections, and they all dispersed to gather spirit plants.

Xu Zhangqing felt guilty inside, and wanted to bring Mo Ran along to gather together.

Result: unexpectedly, this kid was actually making eyes at Su Qingyuan, insisting on bringing her along.

Xu Zhangqing hesitated a moment, then asked: "Dao Friend Su, what relationship do you have with Su Qingyao?"

First, both of them share the surname Su.

Moreover, the middle character in both names is "Qing".

Only the final character differs.

Were it not for the other party looking young, one would have thought she was Su Qingyao's younger sister.

Su Qingyuan explained, "Qingyao Elder Sister and I studied under the same master, but I am an orphan adopted by the master, and my name was also given later by the master; there is no bloodline connection with Elder Sister."

To put it plainly, there is a bit of a connection but not much.

After all, Su Qingyao married into the Dongting Immortal Sect very early on, and rarely returned afterward.

Although the two are in a senior-junior sister relationship, they have never met face to face.

Subsequently, the three conversed while walking deeper into Qingwu Forest.

Purple Pattern Ginseng, Flowing Light Vine, Condensing Dew Grass — although these are rare spirit plants, inside the secret realm they are not considered rare; they are even everywhere.

By the time they reached the depths, the wood spirit qi grew even denser, and the surrounding trees grew even more lush.

Gradually, various even rarer spirit plants came into view.

Such as Spirit Marrow Wood, Green Heart Flower, Rotten Heart Fungus — the age of all these exceeds a thousand years.

If it were merely so, Qingwu Forest could not have become one of the Wood Spirit Root Exclusive Secret Realms.

Before long, Xu Zhangqing, using his own powerful divine sense, discovered hidden spirit plants.

Qingwu Dragon Root

Growing in spirit soil, its roots and rhizomes are cyan-gold in color, shaped like a "coiled dragon"; the longest can reach a zhang or so, possessing dragon claws and a dragon head; when dug out, golden dragon root liquid seeps out, extremely rare.

Dragon root liquid is a supreme treasure for breaking through to Nascent Soul.

The roots and rhizomes can be used to refine the magic tool Dragon Root Armor.

It can also be used to cultivate the spell "Qingwu Spiritual Shield".

Here, the age of any single root exceeds five thousand years.

Ancient Tree Soul

The tree trunk is thick up to five zhang, overall deep brown; on the trunk are "human-face-shaped patterns"; the leaves are golden, and can be used to make spirit leaf talismans.

This kind of tree numbers no more than ten in the entire Qingwu Forest, and all are over ten thousand years in age.

It can both be used to refine spirit plant puppets and become an existence like the Red Maple Ancient Tree.

As for value, it can no longer be compared with or purchased using middle-grade spirit stones.

On the market, one almost always needs high-grade spirit stones to buy it.

As time passed, the mist inside Qingwu Forest grew much denser than before.

Sunlight filtering through the branches and leaves turned into faint, illusory shadows.

Seeing this, everyone knew it was time to leave.

When the mist thickens to a certain degree, non-wood-spirit-root cultivators will be expelled; if wood-spirit-root cultivators do not leave, they will be trapped by the secret realm and must wait until the next time the secret realm opens to escape!