Chapter 234: Blood Essence Mushroom

It's the Flame Shield Technique!

The monster's flesh, which had just begun to reform on the ground, instantly burst into roaring flames, writhing desperately; some pieces even suddenly transformed into countless sharp spines that shot outward in all directions, striking the crimson shield wall with sharp, crossbow-like "crack" impacts.

Though the shield wall remained unharmed, its surface trembled slightly.

Wang Yu's expression changed slightly.

Knowing the Flame Shield's twelve spirit runes offered such defense, even a heavy crossbow fired at point-blank range would leave no mark—yet these flesh spines proved terrifyingly potent.

He immediately poured his internal Qi into the flame shield, causing all twelve spirit runes to blaze brightly; the flames within turned a deeper crimson, faintly revealing threads of violet fire.

The flesh spines still pounding against the shield now emitted strange hissing sounds, curling and charring as they burned.

After over a dozen breaths, all the flesh fell still, finally reduced to a pile of black ash.

Wang Yu exhaled softly, withdrew his hand from the black ash, and the crimson light shield flickered and vanished; he shook his head and said:

"No wonder it's an exotic beast—aside from everything else, its vitality far surpasses ordinary beasts, and it has high flame resistance."

"Wang Shi-di, you can cast the Flame Shield Technique instantly without any artifact?" Xi Men Mei opened her beautiful eyes wide, utterly astonished.

"It's not truly instant—I still need to form the hand seals and chant the incantation, I've just practiced it often and become more skilled." Wang Yu's heart skipped, but his expression remained calm.

"More skilled? If mere practice could bring a twelve-rune technique close to instant casting, it wouldn't be called the ultimate limit of entry-level spells."

Few in our sect can master the twelve-rune technique, and I know of no other Qi Condensation disciple who can cast it nearly instantly."

"I've heard one bloodline naturally grants the ability to cast any low-level spell instantly—could you possess such a gift?" Xi Men Mei said slowly, her gaze toward Wang Yu now distinctly different.

"I definitely don't have such a bloodline gift—if I did, why would I still need hand seals and incantations? It's just practice, nothing more." Wang Yu denied it outright.

"With practice alone, a Qi Condensation cultivator could never cast a twelve-rune technique this fast. Even without a bloodline gift, you must have some other unknown spellcasting talent." Xi Men Mei thought for a moment, then spoke with certainty.

"Spellcasting talent? I really don't know—I might have a bit, perhaps." Wang Yu hesitated, then replied vaguely.

"Then I must congratulate you—if you truly have this talent, your chances of becoming my ancestor's provisional disciple will increase significantly. Spellcasting talent is far rarer than ordinary bloodline gifts." Xi Men Mei smiled sweetly.

"If that's true, then all the better." Wang Yu's spirits lifted at once.

"So your strength isn't without reason."

"If you have any other abilities or talents, tell me after we return—they'll all help increase your chance of becoming my ancestor's provisional disciple." Xi Men Mei reminded him.

"Thank you, Shi-jie, but I truly have nothing else." Wang Yu smiled bitterly.

"Hehe, suit yourself. Let's set that aside for now—the beast is dealt with, let's find the Blood Essence Mushroom. Once we have it, I can take you out of the secret realm early." Xi Men Mei laughed lightly, glancing again at the pile of black ash.

"Then what are we waiting for? The Blood Essence Mushrooms should be by that pool." Wang Yu replied eagerly.

With a Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Dark Dao now present, he certainly didn't want to remain any longer in the Jialan Secret Realm.

Both turned their gazes toward the misty white fog ahead.

With his hyper-acuity vision, Wang Yu had already pierced through the mist, seeing every detail within.

Beneath the white mist lay a pool dozens of square feet wide, surrounded entirely by pale white stones.

The water wasn't clear—it was milky and cloudy, with bubbles constantly rising from its center, releasing steaming vapor.

This so-called Earth Essence Spiritual Spring was, in fact, a natural hot spring!

At that moment, Xi Men Mei stepped forward, formed a hand seal, murmured incantations, and flicked her sleeve forward.

A gentle breeze swept through, dispersing the white mist and revealing the clear white pool below.

"This is the Earth Essence Spiritual Spring—truly a marvel of heaven and earth!" Xi Men Mei walked to the pool's edge, studied the water and felt the warm air on her face, then exclaimed in awe.

Behind her, Wang Yu's gaze had already fixed on three palm-sized crimson mushrooms growing beside the pool's opposite bank.

"Blood Essence Mushrooms."

Xi Men Mei clearly spotted them too, and immediately walked over, delighted.

Wang Yu followed curiously.

Moments later, both reached the mushrooms and examined them closely.

The three mushrooms were extraordinary—not only were they entirely crimson as if soaked in blood, but each bore nine pale silver spots, each spot resembling a monkey's head, lifelike as if meticulously painted onto their surfaces.

"Just as my ancestor described—the Blood Essence Mushroom is also called the Nine Monkey Mushroom. Every hundred years, patterns resembling monkey heads appear; after a thousand years, the Nine Monkey Pattern forms, at which point its medicinal power peaks and it becomes ideal as the primary ingredient for Life-Extending Pills."

"But harvesting this spirit herb requires special methods, or its potency will easily leak away." Xi Men Mei gazed at the three herbs, her face alight with excitement, then took from her storage pouch a crimson silk cloth, a pure white jade-like small hoe, a red vial, and a black wooden box.

Wang Yu watched curiously from the side.

She first picked up the red vial and dripped a single drop of crimson liquid onto each of the three Blood Essence Mushrooms.

"This is…"

Wang Yu's expression changed slightly—he smelled a sharp, bloody stench from the liquid, and faintly sensed a terrifying spiritual pressure.

"These are the essences of Foundation Establishment beasts—my ancestor prepared them specially for this trip." Xi Men Mei explained casually, then picked up the white hoe and began gently digging up one of the Blood Essence Mushrooms from its base.

"Foundation Establishment beast…"

Wang Yu now understood, glancing again at the vial; his mind recalled her winged serpent.

If he had even a drop of Foundation Establishment beast essence or flesh, his two beasts would surely have reached maturity long ago—indeed, it's far better to lean on a great tree. His resolve to become a provisional disciple of the Celestial Toad Ancestor grew stronger.

(Seems I missed a chapter yesterday—here's the catch-up for all fellow cultivators.)