Chapter 157: Underground Medicinal Garden

Although it was only a vague energy projection, not a physical form, the heavy, vicissitudinous aura emanating from it, as if carrying the entire origin of the medical Dao, made Zhang Jun and Lin Xue simultaneously feel a violent shock in their hearts, even their breathing unconsciously slowed!

"Medicine Sect Cauldron..." Zhang Jun muttered unconsciously.

He could clearly feel that the bronze piece in his pocket, which had always been warm, was now vibrating violently at an unprecedented frequency, scorching hot, as if it had come alive, longing to leave his body and fly toward the cauldron projection in the air.

In Lin Xue's open palm, the azure crystal also emitted an unprecedented brilliant light; the icy-blue halo almost condensed into substance, and the chill it gave off was no longer bone‑piercing cold, but instead carried a sense of purity and intimacy.

At that moment, the floating cauldron projection in the air seemed to sense something; it trembled slightly and then emitted a soft halo containing vast information.

The halo spread like a soundless stream, gradually enveloping Zhang Jun and Lin Xue respectively.

Some blurry images and fragmented streams of information, following the halo, silently poured into the depths of their minds.

This influx of information was not a complete system like the altar inheritance; it appeared fragmented and chaotic, as if it were a fragment of some ancient memory.

But even just the tip of this iceberg revealed part of a shocking, terrifying truth——

The decline of the Medicine Sect was far more complicated than outside rumors suggested; it was not merely an accidental break in inheritance.

It seemed related to a long‑ago attempt by the Medicine Sect to control some forbidden power that ultimately went out of control.

That loss of control directly caused a massive rift within the Medicine Sect, even giving rise to a terrifying betrayal……

And this underground medicinal garden before them, which had been built at unimaginable cost of effort and resources, was likewise completely abandoned after that earth‑shaking internal turmoil, for some unknown reason.

The essence of all the rare spiritual herbs planted in the garden seemed to have been forcibly drained dry by some domineering power, which is why it ultimately became the lifeless, dead‑silent wasteland seen today.

The information flow stopped here; what seemed to be more crucial content afterward appeared to have been forcibly cut off by some powerful external force, making it impossible to discern further.

Zhang Jun and Lin Xue slowly opened their eyes, looked at each other without prior agreement, and both saw in the depths of the other's eyes an undisguisable gravity and astonishment.

The secrets hidden by the Medicine Sect were far more complex, darker, and more dangerous than they had previously imagined.

Forbidden power? Schism? Betrayal? Draining the essence of the medicine garden?

Just what sort of earth‑shaking conspiracy lies behind all this?

"Looks like we won't figure it out unless we try putting these two things up there." Zhang Jun took a deep breath, suppressed the turmoil in his heart, and reached into his pocket to pull out the bronze piece that was already scorching hot.

Lin Xue also silently nodded, opened her palm, and the azure crystal in her fair palm emitted a soft yet firm light.

The two walked up to the bluish‑black jade platform, and without hesitation they simultaneously reached out, placing the bronze piece carrying the Medicine Sect's secret and the azure crystal gently onto the mirror‑smooth surface of the stone platform.

At the instant the two fragments of utterly different material and nature touched the stone platform!

"Hum——!"

The stone platform suddenly burst forth with an unprecedented, blinding light!

The fine, intricate runes densely covering the stone platform's surface, as if completely activated at this moment, came alive, began to flow and flash wildly, emitting deafening roars that seemed to come from ancient times!

The cauldron projection hovering above the stone platform trembled violently, its light flaring, becoming immensely solid, and then it projected down a beam thicker and purer than before, completely enveloping the bronze piece and the azure crystal on the stone platform!

The two fragments enveloped by the light beam, as if subjected to an irresistible powerful attraction, slowly rose from the stone platform.

Within the light beam they began to slowly rotate and draw closer.

Their edges emitted ever more blazing light; the ancient patterns on the bronze piece and the cold energy flowing inside the azure crystal, under the guidance of the mysterious power emanating from the cauldron projection, began to intertwine and permeate each other in an extremely profound and harmonious way!

Indeed…… they began a true fusion!

As the fusion process began, a surge of energy purer, vaster, and more primal than the inheritance they had received at the underground altar of White Pagoda Temple erupted violently from the point where the two fragments merged!

As soon as this vast energy surge appeared, it automatically split into two—a brilliant golden flow and a deep icy‑blue flow.

Like the sweet dew descending from the ninth heaven, they respectively flowed into Zhang Jun's and Lin Xue's bodies once more!

"Ugh!"

The two almost simultaneously let out a stifled groan they could not hold back.

They felt an indescribably pure to the extreme power instantly wash over their limbs, bones, and the eight extraordinary meridians!

Every cell in their bodies greedily and frantically absorbed this sudden massive energy!

Their internal Pure Yang strength and Profound Yin strength, under the scouring and tempering of this even more primal energy, once again began a frantic refinement, compression, and transformation!

The already formidable and condensed strength, now like steel forged through a thousand hammerings, became even more condensed, heavier, and perfectly rounded!

Their control over their own power also rose to a new level at this moment!

More importantly, their understanding of the many mysteries of yin‑yang harmony and energy flow, under this sudden energy surge, seemed to instantly pierce the last thin layer of window paper, becoming suddenly clear!

Many of the crucial points and application methods that had been obscure and hard to fully grasp in the inheritance now became crystal clear, perfectly understood in their hearts!

Their auras once again began to climb at a visible, astonishing speed, madly rising! Their strength underwent another qualitative leap!

However, just as this fusion and enhancement reached its most critical, most undisturbable moment!

"Hehehe… finally found you two little bastards… still want to fuse the fragments? Go dream about it, old man!"

A hoarse, resentful voice filled with boundless mad hatred, like the most vicious night owl in a dark night, suddenly rang out in the vast underground space!

At the entrance of the passage, a figure wrapped in thick, filthy black qi, its form swaying on the verge of collapse yet emanating an extreme dangerous aura, came charging out!

It was none other than Zhou Qian, whom Zhang Jun had severely injured and who should have fled far away to save his life!