Chapter 200 - The Top-Tier Herb
Translator: Noodletown Translated Editor: Noodletown Translated
The Luoying Peak was not the highest peak on the Sky Mountain. It was on the west side of the highest peak and got its name for its shape which resembled a soaring eagle.
Looking toward the east from the perspective of the Luoying Peak, Hao Ren saw some towers and pavilions. They looked magnificent and beautiful, not inferior to the East Ocean Dragon Palace.
“Those were left behind hundreds of years ago by the cultivation sects when they ascended as a group. Those buildings are just empty since all the Dharma Treasures and Cultivation Techniques were taken with the sects,” Su Han said casually while looking at those buildings.
Hao Ren nodded and looked more attentively at the large palaces and towers; he could imagine the lively scenes when the cultivation sects lived there.
The human cultivators had been prospering on the land with their advantages in everything. After a meaningless war in the cultivation world, their strengths were greatly reduced, and they had to hand over their control of the land to the Dragon Tribe. During that time, the dragon cultivators were scattered all over the place except the Four Ocean Dragon Clans.
Su Han seemed reluctant to talk about such things. After all, the human cultivators used to prey on the weak and killed for treasures. It was no accident that they got into major conflicts with each other and then fell together.
The Inspector System was established to avoid similar misfortunes, and it had helped the Dragon Tribe to settle down for hundreds of years without significant conflicts. They followed the rules about territories and resources and had gradually merged into the mortal world.
Clang!
When Su Han and Hao Ren landed on the Luoying Peak, two long spears crossed each other, blocking their way.
“The back mountain is a forbidden area. You are not allowed in here,” two Dui-level guards in blue robes said to them.
“I’m here to pick some snow lotuses. I’ve got permission from your elders,” Su Han said.
“I need to confirm…” one of the guards said.
Slap!
Su Han reached out and slapped this guard unconscious. Before the other guard could utter a word, Su Han made him unconscious as well.
“We don’t have time to wait for their confirmation. You hurry up and go in. Only cultivators below Zhen-level or the Core Formation Realm can enter the depth of the cave, so I’ll wait for you outside,” Su Han sat down cross-legged on a clean rock and said lightly.
Looking at the two unconscious guards at the entrance of the cave, Hao Ren began to understand Su Han’s way of doing things.
He stepped over the guards and entered the karst cave with a sign that said “Forbidden” above the entrance.
A strong Nature Essence greeted him and almost toppled him. Seeming to have sensed his weak cultivation strength, this Nature Essence didn’t attack him.
It was probably a complicated array formation established by the Sky Mountain Sect that used to occupy this area. It was here to protect the snow lotuses from being stolen by petty thieves. A master couldn’t pass the array formation while a low-leveled cultivator couldn’t go through the dangers hidden in the cave.
At first glance, the cave was nothing special. Like any ordinary karst cave, the hidden river made a series of water noises. Also, the inside of the cave was not pitch-black since there were some natural lights.
Hao Ren ventured inside carefully. It was his first time being inside the territory of a cultivation sect, so he was more cautious than curious.
The cave was deep. The deeper he went, the more disoriented he became. The things he could use now were the Water Repellent Bead, the hidden space in the necklace, and the Light Splitting Sword Shadow Scroll.
He released a sword energy to illuminate the path, and he ventured deeper into the cave by hopping on the huge rocks.
It was fortunate that Zhao Yanzi didn’t come with him. Hao Ren suspected that she would have been too afraid to follow him inside.
In the black-and-white cave, Hao Ren began to see some small colorful flowers. He took a closer look and found that they were nail-sized immature Seven-Colored Snow Lotuses.
These snow lotuses were top-tier herbs to the mortals, but they were useless to cultivators.
Since he wasn’t a greedy guy, Hao Ren didn’t want to damage these precious snow lotuses. He glanced at them before going further into the cave.
The deeper he went, the bigger snow lotuses he saw. However, they were still in buds and not mature.
After seeing the snow lotuses that they got from Qin Shaoyang, Hao Ren knew what a 1,000-year Seven-Colored Snow Lotus looked like.
If Zhao Yanzi had been here with him, she probably would have plucked two of them for her collection. Like every little girl, she wouldn’t have been able to resist the temptation of treasures.
Hao Ren didn’t know that his resistance to the temptation had helped him avoid great troubles.
All the snow lotuses were guarded by Spirit Beasts. The moment he picked any immature snow lotus, they would be alerted.
The Sky Mountain Sect had raised these Spirit Beasts. Hundreds of years ago when they ascended, they couldn’t bring the cave with them. Therefore, they took some mature snow lotuses and seeds and left the immature snow lotuses and the Spirit Beasts behind.
In the past hundreds of years, the number of the Spirit Beasts grew, and their powers got stronger since they ate the snow lotuses for food. Although they couldn’t pass through the array formation and get out of the cave, they had become wild after years of living on their own.
Due to his weak cultivation realm, Hao Ren hadn’t attracted their attention yet. But if he picked a snow lotus, he would alert the sensitive Spirit Beasts!
As he went deeper, he found more snow lotuses that were more mature. Hao Ren had no time to ponder about the reason, thinking that the snow lotuses here were of higher quality because the dense Nature Essence better nurtured them in the depth of the cave. He didn’t know that the earth-elemental dragons would be attacked by the Spirit Beasts when they came in to pluck the snow lotuses.
That was why they usually picked the ones near the entrance. If they tried to venture too far into the cave, they couldn’t withstand the fierce attacks of the Spirit Beasts.
Su Han sat outside of the cave and cultivated; she didn’t know how dangerous it was for Hao Ren right now. She thought the cave was just a snow lotus garden left by the previous cultivation sect; how dangerous could that be?
Hao Ren’s footsteps finally woke up some Spirit Beasts, and their eyes opened in darkness.
Oblivious to the dangers around him, Hao Ren focused all his attention on lighting up the path in front of him with his sword energy. He was not aware that a group of Spirit Beasts was following him.
After a long-time, Hao Ren finally made some discovery.
“1,000-year Seven-Colored Snow Lotuses!” he looked up, moved his sword energy upward, and saw three 1,000-year Seven-Colored Snow Lotuses dangling on the ceiling of the cave.
He was now at the end of the cave, and it looked like a huge round room. Hao Ren couldn’t help but admire the magical work of nature!
Without thinking, he raised his arm excitedly, aiming at the herbs.
Whoosh!
His right index finger shot out a sword energy.
The sword energy struck the place next to the snow lotus in the middle, and several small rocks fell but not the snow lotus.
Holding his breath, Hao Ren aimed again. He knew that Zhao Yanzi’s Third Uncle was waiting for these three snow lotuses to save his life, but he must take his time and be cautious.
If he missed his aim and damaged the 1,000-year Seven-Colored Snow Lotus, it would be disastrous! If he used too much force, he could collapse this small cave, and it would be a bigger disaster!
After making a small adjustment of the angle, he released a weaker sword energy. This time, it cut right into the root of the snow lotus that was in the middle.
As it fell off, Hao Ren took several steps forward and caught it in a hurry.
The freshly picked snow lotus had more Nature Essence than the two he got earlier. Not wanting to waste its Nature Essence, he immediately put it into the space in his necklace.
He raised his head and aimed at the second snow lotus carefully.
There were only three 1,000-year Seven-Colored Snow Lotuses in the whole cave. Together with the one from the Northwest Earth-Elemental Dragon Clan and those two he had gotten, there were only six 1,000-year Seven-Colored Snow Lotuses in the whole world. They were indeed precious!
The 1,000-year Seven-Colored Snow Lotuses would mature in about 500 years, and the herbal essence would reach its peak when the lotuses were 1,000 years old. After that, they would fall and decompose.
Hao Ren supported his right hand with his left, forming the shape of a crossbow. Then, he shot out a sword energy from one of his fingers.
While the sword energy shot up toward the top of the cave, Hao Ren suddenly saw many lurked white creatures on the ceiling with the light of his sword energy.
When this sword energy cut off the second snow lotus, Hao Ren had a clear view of the creatures. They were white furry lions!
Snow Lions!
Together with the falling snow lotus, down came the countless Snow Lions!
Alarmed, Hao Ren rushed up and caught the snow lotus before putting it into the necklace. Then, he shot out ten Li-level five-elemental sword energies from his ten fingers.
The sword energies shot onto the Snow Lions, and they only made the white creatures turn slightly in the air. As soon as the Snow Lions landed on the ground, they rushed at Hao Ren.
“Whatever!” Hao Ren’s fighting instinct was triggered. Thinking back to Zhao Kuo’s courage during the Heavenly Tribulation, Hao Ren activated all his Nature Essence and shot out ten sword energies!
When he battled with Qin Shaoyang, he had used Su Han’s Nature Essence, and his own Nature Essence was untouched. Faced with many Snow Lions, Hao Ren felt no fear. Instead, he was a little battle-hungry.
The Snow Lions revealed their white fangs and charged at him.
Hao Ren backed off for half a step and turned his palms before shooting out another ten sword energies!
They hit the heads of the Snow Lions at the front of the pack, causing them to howl. It seemed like the sword energies were strong enough to inflict pain!
However, that also made them fiercer, and their black eyes became blood-shot!
In this dark cave, their red eyes looked like lanterns! Under the illumination of his sword energy, Hao Ren could see their now red eyes and sharp fangs.
When he turned around, he saw that a dozen larger Snow Lions blocked the exit path!
It seemed like the big round space at the end of the karst cave was, in fact, the Snow Lions’ nursery.
Hao Ren had broken into a forbidden place!
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