Chapter 53 Exploring the Ruins 1: Barrier Space
Upon entering the Ruins of the Secret Realm, the group was teleported to a desolate place, with nothing but emptiness in all directions.
Mei Zihan looked at the map and said in surprise, "How did I end up in the west? There's nothing here."
This secret realm is extremely vast, with the western part being a desolate wasteland. Not only are there no clues about the key, but even the supposed wealth of a Mahayana cultivator is nowhere to be found. Those who enter the secret realm either want to find the key to inherit Rong Jun's legacy, or they want to try their luck and see if they can find a magic treasure or two. However, they have been trapped here, which can be said to be an unfavorable start.
Qianqian clicked her tongue and complained, "What bad luck, this place is so far from the east."
Although it is possible to fly on a sword in the secret realm, without sufficient strength, one would only become a sitting duck. The secret realm is a melting pot of various races, so it is not advisable to stand out. They can only walk through, which is a waste of time.
Shen Du looked away and glanced around. Although he didn't say anything, Xu Xing sensed that his breathing was somewhat low and guessed that he must be blaming himself for this incident again.
Xu Xing moved slightly closer to Chen Du, gently touching the back of his hand that was hanging by his side, offering silent comfort.
My senior brother is good in every way, except that he takes on too much responsibility.
Mei Zihan inadvertently noticed her subtle movements, and his expression suddenly changed. So this pair of senior and junior disciples were...
"Which places did you explore last time?"
Xu Xing peered at the map in Mei Zihan's hand.
Mei Zihan pointed to three places on the east side, "Lanze, Xiyu Plain, and Shanjun Palace."
“We originally thought the Mountain Lord’s Palace was the most likely place, but unfortunately we found nothing.” Qianqian sighed. “Without any clues, finding the key is just too difficult.”
The Mountain Lord Palace was said to be Rong Jun's place of cultivation, the place with the most concentrated demon spirits in the entire secret realm. Even this place didn't have one, so they really didn't know where to go next.
Xu Xing thought for a moment. The key was the key to the Guixu Secret Realm. Since the Guixu Secret Realm was the legacy of a ninth-level alchemist, could it be related to alchemy?
His gaze fell on a spot on the map, and Xu Xing pointed, "Is this large area a medicinal herb field?"
"Yes, the demon realm is rich in spiritual herbs, and many powerful beings cultivate high-level spiritual herbs and medicines in their domains."
"That Mahayana stage demon cultivator doesn't seem to be an alchemist, does he? Isn't this area too broad?"
It can be said that the entire western part of the central region is either wasteland or medicinal fields.
Upon hearing this, Mei Zihan stared at the extent of the medicinal field on the map and found that Xu Xing was right. The medicinal field stretched from the edge of the wasteland all the way to the edge of the volcano in the center, occupying more than half of the left side of the map. For a demon cultivator who was not an alchemist, it was indeed too large.
Rong Jun holds a superior position in the Tiger Clan. Whatever he wants, the Tiger Clan will fetch it from the Valley of Ten Thousand Medicines. Why would he need to cultivate such a large medicinal field himself?
"Let's go to the herb field!"
Mei Zihan made the final decision. He put away the map and looked at Xu Xing with a slight gleam in his eyes. But when he saw the sword cultivator beside her, he realized something and lowered his eyes to look away.
Qianqian took out several speed-travel talismans and handed them to Xu Xing, saying, "Fellow Daoist Xu, since we can't fly on swords, we'll have to trouble you two to travel with us."
Xu Xing took it and gave one to Chen Du. The effects of the talisman and the pill did not conflict, so she also took out two of the Lightness Pills she had refined. Mei Zihan only realized after taking them that they were actually pills used to accelerate movement!
He couldn't help but wonder if the alchemy techniques in the Eastern Pole had advanced to such a level.
"The speed-up effect of this pill is almost the same as that of a high-grade speed-up talisman. With the combined effect of the two, our travel time can be greatly reduced!" Mei Zihan said softly, "Thank you for the pill, Fellow Daoist Xu. May I ask if this pill has a name?"
"This is a Lightness Pill, only a second-tier pill. Fellow Daoist Mei, there's no need to be so polite."
Shuiyun Immortal Capital is adjacent to the Demon Realm. They are among the first in the human world to come into contact with any novel pills made by demon alchemists. Even so, Mei Zihan had never heard of the Detoxification Pill and the Lightness Pill.
He lagged half a step behind the others, quickly flipping the pill bottle over to take a look. Sure enough, there was a small "x" pattern on the bottom of the bottle, just like the previous detoxifying pill, indicating it was made by the same alchemist. He couldn't help but look at Xu Xing; was she really only at the Foundation Establishment stage?
As Xu Xing followed the group, he opened his life skills panel and, unsurprisingly, found that the treasure-hunting compass was completely inactive. Of course, the entire domain belonged to that Mahayana cultivator, so the treasure-hunting skill naturally couldn't be used.
However, Xu Xing also knew in her heart that she and her senior brother probably wouldn't find the key on this trip. After all, the demon cultivator was still alive. They were willing to come in with Mei Zihan in the hope of finding some clues so that when the key really appeared, they wouldn't be like headless flies.
However, she felt a sense of unease after entering the secret realm. This so-called domain-generated secret realm made her feel uncomfortable. The dim sky was oppressive. Xu Xing couldn't help but think to himself, "This Mahayana stage demon cultivator named Rong Jun doesn't seem to have a very bright heart. No wonder he is Senior Fu Shuang's enemy."
Perhaps because the desolate western lands were already known to others, most cultivators entering the secret realm avoided this place. Xu Xing and his companions didn't encounter many people along the way. The few cultivators they did meet kept their distance and didn't communicate with each other.
"These cultivators must be here to search for treasure, but the real treasures are all controlled by the Tiger Clan, who are unwilling to release them easily. In all these days, we have only heard of a few demon cultivators obtaining sixth-order magic weapons. I'm afraid that the Tiger Clan deliberately spread the news to lure people here."
When Qianqian mentioned the Tiger Clan, her voice was cold, "I'm afraid even if everyone searches the entire territory, they won't find anything good."
Even with the aid of pills and talismans, it still took the group more than an hour to reach the edge of the wasteland. Finally, a medicinal field that had been looted by other cultivators appeared ahead. At this time, only some unwanted first-tier spiritual herbs remained in the medicinal field, and the empty muddy land was fully displayed in front of the four of them.
"This..." Qianqian said with a troubled expression, "This herb field is completely exposed, how are we supposed to find clues?"
Xu Xing crouched down and touched a first-tier spiritual herb at her feet. The herb was of very poor quality; she certainly wouldn't have bothered to cultivate it in her own space. Why would a powerful being with such profound cultivation deliberately cultivate such a herb? Even if it were meant to be admired as a flower, it was so dusty and unattractive…
Shen Du stood to one side with his sword in his arms, originally keeping watch for any movement around him. But when his gaze swept over the boundless medicinal field, he raised his hand and threw the sword. The flying sword circled the medicinal field once before returning to his hand.
Shen Du walked up to Xu Xing and said in a deep voice, "The scope is wrong."
Xu Xing put down the spiritual herb and stood up. "Senior brother, what did you discover?"
Upon hearing this, Mei Zihan and Qianqian, who was investigating on the other side, both came closer.
"The area of the herb field is larger than what can be seen with the naked eye." Shen Du raised his hand and pointed to a place in the east that seemed to be the boundary of the herb field, where first-tier spiritual herbs were planted. "There's something here."
Mei Zihan immediately went over, closed his eyes and walked around the edge, then released his spiritual power to probe, finally discovering a barely perceptible fluctuation of spiritual power, "It's actually a spatial barrier!"
Whether they are cultivators looking for treasure or keys, they will naturally avoid this place since it is the border and there are only a few first-grade spiritual herbs. Their eyesight is clouded and their senses are noticing that something is wrong.
Qianqian couldn't hide her excitement. "Senior Brother, is there a way to trigger the barrier?"
"Qianqian, take Fellow Daoist Xu further away." Mei Zihan looked at Chen Du, "Please, Fellow Daoist Chen, join forces with me for a try!"
Qianqian quickly pulled Xu Xing away and erected a spiritual energy barrier.
Xu Xing indeed sensed a faint demonic aura within it; Qianqian was clearly restraining herself and hadn't revealed much of it.
"Your senior brother is really amazing. He was able to detect something was wrong so quickly." Qianqian wanted to get closer to Xu Xing, but she didn't know what to say, so she praised Chen Du.
Xu Xing laughed and said, "My senior brother is indeed very powerful, but Fellow Daoist Mei is not far behind. He is already at the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm at such a young age."
Qianqian praised her senior brother, so of course she had to praise Mei Zihan in return; it was only fair.
Qianqian's expression dimmed. "It's a pity that Senior Brother is weak and has to take medicine for a long time. If it weren't for his congenital deficiency, he would have already formed his Nascent Soul."
Knowing that these disciples of Shuiyun Immortal Capital had a very harmonious relationship, Xu Xing asked, "May I ask what medicine Fellow Daoist Mei is taking?"
"It's just a qi-replenishing and essence-nourishing pill. My senior brother's condition is incurable; we haven't found a cure yet. We can only nourish his body and slow down his decline." Qianqian realized after speaking that she had directly informed a cultivator she had only known for a short time about her senior brother's health condition…
Although she felt an instant connection with Xu Xing, she really shouldn't have revealed her senior brother's physical condition. Qianqian was a little confused as to why she could be so close to someone who was cultivating alone.
Xu Xing watched the two people in the distance trying to open the barrier, pondering to himself, "Mei Zihan is a good person. Perhaps I can find an opportunity to touch their bodies and maybe figure out what their illness is."
“I have studied medicine since childhood. If you don’t mind, after we leave the secret realm, you can let me see Fellow Daoist Mei. I…”
Xu Xing's words were interrupted by a sudden explosion.
"boom--"
Dust billowed as Shen Du and Mei Zihan's all-out attack finally revealed half of the spatial barrier hidden in the herb field, while the other half remained concealed underground. A faint light suddenly appeared, and their spiritual power was violently deflected. Fortunately, they were prepared and were only pushed back a few steps. The barrier in front of them only showed a blurry shape and showed no signs of opening, suggesting that it could not be opened by brute force.
Qianqian and Xu Xing rushed forward, "Senior Brother/Eldest Senior Brother, are you alright?"
Just as Shen Du was about to answer, a sudden change occurred. As soon as Xu Xing approached the barrier, the barrier emitted light and sucked her in!
"Xu Xing!" Shen Du's pupils shrank, and he leaped forward to grab Xu Xing's hem. However, the power emanating from the barrier was extremely strong, and it actually sucked Shen Du and Xu Xing into the space of the barrier together!
"Fellow Daoist Shen!" Mei Zihan was a beat slow, and when he raised his hand, he only managed to grab empty air. In just an instant, the two people had already fallen into the space, and the barrier returned to calm and disappeared into the air.
"Senior Brother! What should we do?!"
Qianqian looked nervous. "We don't even know what's inside this space. What if there's danger? Wouldn't that kill them?!"
Mei Zihan frowned. He also wanted to rescue the two, but he was helpless against the barrier...
Xu Xing landed on a grassy field. She looked around and found the air here filled with the rich scent of plants. Breathing here felt much more comfortable than in the Exploration Realm. In the valley not far away, large patches of high-grade spiritual herbs and medicines were growing quietly, swaying gently in the pleasant breeze and emitting a refreshing medicinal fragrance.
Tier 6 Dragon Bone Grass, Nine-Star Illusion Branch, Tier 7 Crimson Rainbow Ginseng, Silent Spirit Immortal Sprout...
Each of these high-grade spiritual herbs and medicines, enough to drive alchemists mad, swayed freely in the valley without any protection. But Xu Xing had no time to care. After checking the surrounding environment and confirming whether there was any danger, she didn't even glance at the valley in front of her.
Despite not finding any danger around them, Xu Xing cautiously took out the Spirit Shield Bead to protect the two of them, then held Chen Du's head on his lap and fed him a spirit pill.
"Senior brother! Senior brother!"
She gently patted Shen Du's cheek, whose eyes were tightly closed, and was unexpectedly sucked here. To her surprise, she was unharmed, but Shen Du, who followed her in, lost consciousness. His spiritual energy surged around him, as if he was being repelled by this space.
Xu Xing was extremely anxious as he called out for a long time but Shen Du showed no signs of waking up. His senior brother clearly showed no signs of injury, so why couldn't he wake up?
Moreover, Mei Zihan and Qianqian are definitely not the kind of people who would stand by and watch someone die. The only possibility for why they didn't come in is that they couldn't get in!
A thought flashed through Xu Xing's mind, and he vaguely grasped something. Could it be because she might be a demon? No, Qianqian is also a demon, and she didn't come in.
What else? There must be something else that makes her different from everyone else!
Secret realms, barriers, repulsion, elixirs, crystal tokens...
The Glazed Token?!
Xu Xing immediately took out the purple glass token. She had both tokens on her body. She placed one of them on Shen Du's chest, and sure enough, the feeling of rejection disappeared the next moment. Soon, Shen Du's eyelashes trembled slightly, and he slowly opened his eyes.
But after a moment of confusion, Chen Du's eyes immediately cleared. He grabbed Xu Xing's hand and asked urgently, "Are you injured?!"
Unexpectedly, her senior brother's first reaction after waking up from his coma was to care about her health. Xu Xing felt a warmth in her heart and for a moment forgot to pull her hand away. She said softly, "Senior brother, I'm fine. We were sucked into the barrier space. It's probably the effect of this Glazed Token."
Seeing that she was indeed alright, Chen Du breathed a sigh of relief. Only then did he realize that he was lying on Xu Xing's lap. His ears burned, and he immediately let go of Xu Xing's hand, stood up and stood to the side, his gaze drifting, "Where is this... Medicine Valley?"
Xu Xing didn't notice anything amiss with her senior brother. After Shen Du was alright, her attention finally focused entirely on the Medicine Valley not far ahead. Unable to hide her excitement, she said, "Yes, I didn't expect there to be such a wonderful place hidden in the secret realm! It's full of high-grade spiritual herbs and medicines! Senior brother, let's go take a look!"
Shen Du lowered his hand, his fingertips still seemingly warm from her touch. He lowered his eyes and exhaled softly. As he put the glass token into his pocket, Shen Du felt his heart suddenly pounding. What was wrong with him?
Without a second thought, seeing Xu Xing rushing towards the Medicine Valley, Chen Du immediately leaped after her, blocking her path behind him, and said in a deep voice, "Be careful!"
With so many high-level spiritual herbs and medicines here, is it really possible to be completely unprotected?
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