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Auspicious clouds clustered beneath the distant dome of heaven. Mists hung in the air.
Mountains stretched into the distance like a dragon, as far as the eye could see, like a line drawn between heaven and earth.
Wen Xinzhao and the others looked over, but they didn’t discover anything of note.
However, Su Yi instantly deduced that there was a treasure of heaven and earth growing in those mountains!
“Come on, let’s go that way.” As he spoke, Su Yi led the way ahead.
His gaze was a bit strange.
The mountain rage twisted and turned like a dragon, the peaks like fangs jutting from the earth. The curtain of heaven hung over the mountains, covering all directions. This was a naturally formed treasure zone of the Grand Dao.
The space surrounded by mountains had the densest spiritual energy of all, making it an auspicious ground.
Under the constant nourishment of spiritual energy, a place like this would inevitably give rise to extraordinary spiritual materials and medicines.
Sometimes they were top-quality minerals or Grand Dao precious medicines, but they could be other rare and precious treasures too.
In summary, treasure zones like this were extremely rare even in the Nine Provinces of the Wilds, and even great orthodoxies would dispatch their forces to vie over them.
Su Yi wouldn’t have guessed that this unknown, mysterious realm would include such a blessed land of opportunity!
“But then, if this hidden realm really is the Sumeru Shrine’s ancestral ground, this isn’t strange after all…” Su Yi thought to himself.
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Any place occupied by an imperial-level faction was surely a top-notch blessed ground for cultivation, with an ambiance suitable for nurturing talent, overlapping spirit veins, and flourishing fortune!
Only then could an imperial-level orthodoxy maintain its legacy in perpetuity.
An ordinary place couldn’t possibly sustain an Imperial Realm expert’s cultivation. Thus, it naturally couldn’t become the base of an Imperial-level faction.
Before long, the group arrived at their destination.
“Isn’t the spiritual energy here a bit too intense?” Ge Qian looked stunned.
They’d only just arrived, but it was immediately obvious how dense and flourishing the ambient spiritual energy was. It filled the air, forming churning currents.
“If I could cultivate here, I’d have no need to worry about failing to transform and break through…” whispered Wen Xinzhao.
By comparison, even the top immortal residences of Cloudsky Divine Palace were far, far inferior.
“No wonder the monsters of the ancient era have such heaven-defying foundations and cultivations. If they cultivated in places of such abundant spiritual energy from a young age, it’d be harder not to grow strong,” sighed Yue Shichan.
The spiritual energy of the Azure Continent was horrifyingly sparse and barren by comparison.
“Cultivating the Grand Dao doesn’t happen overnight. Achieving something requires wealth, companions, methods, and a good location; all are indispensable,” Su Yi said calmly. “The further you wish to walk down the path of the Grand Dao, the more important it is to temper your mental state. You must be focused on the Dao; only then can you avoid external temptation. Without sufficient mental strength, you’re sure to lose your way.”
His companions were briefly stunned, and they seemed to ponder his words.
Shortly after, the group arrived at their destination.
It was a valley surrounded by towering mountains in all directions. Their peaks pierced the clouds, and they formed a barrier, protecting the valley on all sides.
A sea of clouds churned overhead, and wisps of misty light formed of spiritual energy hung overhead, like a dream or illusion.
A curtain of energy hung over the earth, covering all directions. This was indeed a natural Grand Dao Treasure Zone!
The valley was over ten miles across, and it included scattered short hills and forests, as well as a winding, serpentine river.
Faint spiritual mists hung in the air like gauze, adding a mysterious, colorful radiance to the valley’s scenery.
And at the center of a valley, there was a small lake.
The lake was extremely mystical.
An imposing, eerie, icy blue chill hung over the air, and the ground surrounding the lake was covered in thick layers of ice. Nothing grew there, not even an inch of grass.
A single lotus grew at the center of the lake. It looked as if it were on fire.
Its jade-like stem was blood red, crystalline, and clear. The three leaves protecting the flower were arranged like the character 品. Each was bright, fiery red, and they glowed with searing light.
The lotus had two flowers instead of the typical one. One was black as ink, the other as white as snow. Black and white, pure and impure, Yin and Yang. Together, they formed a perfect, sacred whole.
Gazing upon it from a distance, the lotus was bathed in radiant misty light. The crimson leaves and both flowers reflected each other’s light; the flower was resplendently beautiful.
“This is?” Wen Xinzhao, Yue Shichan, and Ge Qian were astonished.
Even if they didn’t recognize the lotus, its appearance was so extraordinary and miraculous that they immediately realized that it was an unparalleled elixir!
“A Yin-Yang Divine Fire Lotus. It takes a thousand years to bloom, and another thousand to bear fruit. It’s a true elixir of the Grand Dao. It naturally grows and exudes the air of three Daos—Fire, Yin, and Yang. Even among Grand Dao Elixirs, it’s rare and precious,” Su Yi said casually.
“If you refine its stem, you can comprehend the Dao Charm of Fire. Refine the flowers, and you can comprehend the charms of Yin and Yang respectively. Even in top ancient orthodoxies, a treasure like this would have been reserved for only their most important core disciples.
“With its help, you can effortlessly master and comprehend the Charm of the Dao. It’s far more precious than any typical spiritual medicine.”
Grand Dao Elixirs were those spiritual medicines that contained the charm of the Grand Dao. Each was a rare treasure of heaven and earth.
In the Nine Provinces of the Wilds, typically, only the territories of Imperial-level orthodoxies could give rise to such Grand Dao Elixirs.
Grand Dao Elixirs!
Wen Xinzhao and the others felt their hearts shake. This was their first time seeing something so miraculous.
When they heard Su Yi’s description, they started to understand. The Yin-Yang Divine Fire Lotus in front of them was unquestionably the type of treasure you could only happen upon by chance!
“Its only imperfection is that it’s not yet fully mature; the flower has yet to truly bloom, and it hasn’t yet produced fruit. Every seed in a mature fruit contains a type of Dao Charm. Had it borne fruit, the lotus would be far, far more precious,” said Su Yi. He found it quite a pity.
In his past life, he’d once created a lotus pond in his personal resonance. In it, he planted all manner of peerless treasure lotuses.
When they bloomed, their fragrance overflowed, and each competed to outshine the others. It was an incredibly beautiful sight.
The pond had included a Yin-Yang Divine Fire Lotus.
However, with the cultivation and standards of his past life, his lotus pool was purely for admiring. From time to time, he’d at most harvest a few seeds and petals to make tea and brew wine.
“No matter what, this is indeed a grand stroke of fortune. I just so happen to need the Dao Charm of Yang. With this elixir, I can save myself quite a bit of time.”
As he spoke, Su Yi hurtled toward the lake.
As he drew near, a piercing chill smacked him right in the face. At the same time, the lotus’s faint floral fragrance permeated the surroundings. One sniff was enough to soothe both mind and body.
“Hm?” Su Yi soon discovered something, and he exerted strength through the tips of his toes.
Crunch!
The thick layer of ice cracked and split, revealing a toppled-over stone stele.
Su Yi stretched out his hand and lifted the stele out of the dirt. As it hovered in midair, he saw a line of ancient yao glyphs carved on its surface:
The Dao-Gazing Lotus Pond!
This discovery left Su Yi a bit melancholy. He sighed, “As I thought, Sumeru Immortal Island most likely really was the Sumeru Shrine’s ancestral ground. Thirty thousand years ago, this lotus pond was under their control. However, the effects of the thirty thousand years of the Prohibition of Ancient Darkness have made these lands ownerless.”
The Sumeru Shrine was once one of the Azure Continent’s three great yao sects.
The text on the stone stele was written in ancient yao glyphs. He didn’t even need to think to know that the Dao-Gazing Lotus Pond was once a treasured location of the Sumeru Shrine.
“Brother Su, you sure know a lot…” Wen Xinzhao couldn’t help but sigh. Yue Shichan and Ge Qian looked astonished too.
Strictly speaking, this was their first time venturing into a hidden realm alongside Su Yi. The intelligence and abilities he’d displayed along the way had already shocked them on countless occasions.
Now, Su Yi even recognized the ancient yao glyphs. Seeing this, they couldn’t help but wonder: Is there… anything in this world he doesn’t know?
This was what it meant to understand both past and present, with knowledge of all fields!
No wonder the old man wanted me to travel with Su Yi. The unbelievable abilities he’s displayed one after another are incredible, like divine skills. Based on that alone, he’s far beyond the monsters of the ancient era… Ge Qian muttered to himself.
If he was certain that Su Yi hadn’t been possessed, and that he wasn’t a monster of the ancient era. He almost suspected that Su Yi was an immortal from on high!
Otherwise, didn’t he know a bit too much? It was like there was nothing he couldn’t do!
“I’ve just seen a lot before,” said Su Yi. His gaze swept across the Yin-Ying Divine Fire Lotus at the center of the lake, and a faint smile tugged on his lips.
“It seems we came at a good time. In less than three days, the lotus buds will bloom fully. Only then will the Dao Charms of Yin and Yang growing within them reach completion.”
Three days!
Ge Qian’s eyelids twitched, and he said with concern, “Your Excellency, three days is too long. If you ask me, we should pick it now, mature or not, and leave as quickly as we can. After all, if something unexpected happens, bitter conflict is sure to follow….”
As soon as he said this—
Su Yi couldn’t help but sigh, “You jinxed us!”
Before his voice finished echoing through the air, he pressed his fingers into a sword and stabbed the air.
A streak of clear sword qi shot forth.
Clang!!
A collision occurred just three feet in front of Su Yi, and something exploded on impact.
Sparks scattered like rain as a seven-inch black arrow burst apart, transforming into shockingly corrosive bloody mists and permeating the air.
The bloody mist was obviously toxic, with a rancid, vomit-inducing stench.
However, before the bloody mist could disperse, Su Yi drew his fingers together, pressed, and grabbed.
Boom!
The bloody mist was suppressed and forcefully condensed into a fist-sized bundle of crimson light. Su Yi trapped it in his hand.
“This…” Wen Xinzhao and Yue Shichan’s expressions shifted. Ge Qian’s eyes widened too.
This ambush had come too suddenly; none of them had sensed it. Now that they realized what had happened, they couldn’t help but shudder.
That seven-inch black arrow was unquestionably sinister and terrifying. It appeared silently and without a trace, as if immaterial, striking while they were off guard.
They couldn’t even bear to imagine what the consequences would have been if Su Yi hadn’t sensed it and reacted immediately!
Was someone lying in ambush!?
Whoosh!
It was then that Su Yi shook his wrist and flung the bundle of bloody light like an arrow. It shot straight toward the base of a distant mountain.