Chapter 525 - 523: The Dangers of the Wood Realm

Lan Yunzhu fell silent at his words. It was just as Li Qiye had said; she had never stayed in a small sect or minor clan. She had joined the Qianli River at a young age, with Elder Yang to guide her, and her master was the Sect Leader of the Qianli River. For a genius like her, she truly didn’t understand the hardships faced by minor sects.

Although this area was overflowing with Spiritual Elixirs and Herbs, covering the mountains and fields, Li Qiye didn’t pause for a moment, leading Lan Yunzhu deeper into the Wood Realm.

In fact, it wasn’t just Li Qiye who wouldn’t stop. Any Cultivator with a slightly higher Dao Practice or from a larger sect wouldn’t linger here either. While Spiritual Elixirs and Herbs were everywhere, the ones here were far too common. Anyone with even a little strength wouldn’t waste their time in this place.

Experts and those from Great Teaching Territories were here for Medicine Kings and Holy Trees. Why would they waste precious time on such ordinary Spiritual Elixirs and Herbs?

As Li Qiye led the way deeper, the Spiritual Elixirs and Herbs appearing in the mountain ranges grew more and more precious. Once they reached a certain depth, rare ones began to emerge.

"That’s a Red Blood Vermilion Fruit!" Lan Yunzhu exclaimed in pleasant surprise, spotting a green tree bearing fiery red fruits by a mountain stream.

WHOOSH— When Lan Yunzhu tried to get closer, the stream suddenly formed a whirlpool. Skeletons emerged from within it, a clear warning for her not to approach.

"Don’t waste time here. There are too many Spiritual Elixirs and Herbs of this Level," Li Qiye said, pulling Lan Yunzhu away.

"Too many here?" Lan Yunzhu couldn’t help but smile wryly. Outside, the Red Blood Vermilion Fruit was an extremely precious Spiritual Medicine. Even their Qianli River’s reserves only had a few.

But just as Li Qiye had said, after they crossed several mountains, they saw Red Blood Vermilion Fruits in several different streams.

"A White Phoenix Tree, a Flame Vine, Five-Change Dragon Coagulation Powder, an eight-hundred-thousand-year-old Cyan Pill Grass..." Following behind Li Qiye, Lan Yunzhu was dazzled by the Spiritual Elixirs and Herbs growing in the deep valleys of the mountain range. These were no ordinary plants; they were all exceptionally precious.

However, harvesting the Spiritual Elixirs and Herbs growing here wasn’t so easy. They were either guarded by Insect Kings and Poisonous Beasts or grew in treacherous locations. To step forward was to step into a death trap.

"Why don’t we pick some?" Lan Yunzhu asked, tempted by the sight of so many precious Spiritual Elixirs and Herbs. She was confident she could harvest them with ease.

"Just wait. You’ll soon see what a real Medicinal Garden looks like," Li Qiye said with a smile. "There are even more precious things ahead. Why waste our time here?"

Sure enough, as they continued forward, even more precious Spiritual Medicines appeared—so precious, in fact, that the word ’precious’ no longer sufficed. They were priceless treasures.

"That’s a million-year-old Red Fat Flying Dragon Tree!" Lan Yunzhu was moved upon seeing the Treasure Tree. Its entire body looked like it was carved from red fat, and strands of splendor cascaded down from it, swaying gracefully.

"A Red Fat Flying Dragon Tree... If one were to comprehend the Dao here, they could be nourished by its Dragon’s Breath." Lan Yunzhu knew her treasures and couldn’t help but comment.

However, as Lan Yunzhu drew near, the sound of grinding bones, CLICK, CLACK, echoed. Skeletons began to crawl out from the ground. Judging by the condition of their bones, it was impossible to tell how many years they had been dead.

"Don’t compete with the dead. Even after death, these people wanted to possess this Treasure Tree forever," Li Qiye said with a laugh as he pulled Lan Yunzhu away.

As the two of them went deeper, the Spiritual Elixirs and Herbs they encountered became increasingly precious. Many experts and Great Teachings Territories were also here, hoping to obtain them.

"You’re not getting away—" The shout came from deep within the mountain range. A formidable Saint Emperor with vast Blood Qi was giving chase. Emperor’s Power surged from his body; he was undoubtedly from an Emperor Immortal Gate. At this moment, this Saint Emperor was pursuing a Medicine King.

"That Saint Emperor is from the War Race. Legend says their clan went into seclusion long ago, after the generation of their Immortal Emperor," Lan Yunzhu commented, watching the Saint Emperor chase the Medicine King.

Without a doubt, the Saint Emperor carried an Emperor Artifact. Although everyone coveted the Medicine King, seeing a Saint Emperor take action made all the Saint Venerables stand aside, even the Heaven-Defying ones. A Saint Emperor was already terrifying enough, let alone one carrying an Emperor Artifact. No one wanted to offend such a powerful figure!

The one fleeing from this Saint Emperor was a three-million-year-old Purple Blood Ginseng King. The Ginseng King had pulled up its roots and was running for its life. Its speed was frighteningly fast, leaving even the pursuing Saint Emperor breathless.

The Purple Blood Ginseng King also knew its pursuer carried an Emperor Artifact it couldn’t possibly contend with, so it fled with unparalleled speed into the deeper regions of the Wood Realm.

BUZZ— On another mountaintop, a Rakshasa Holy Tree erupted with heaven-shaking Divine Light. Beneath it were several hundred experts, disciples from a Great Sect. They had gathered, intending to use their full strength to uproot the Rakshasa Holy Tree.

CLANG! In that instant, the Rakshasa Holy Tree’s countless rays of Divine Light transformed into a terrifying Sword Array that descended upon the experts to annihilate them.

"Retreat—" The Sect Leader was terrified to see that the Holy Tree could form a Sword Array, but it was too late. Blood splattered across the sky. As the Sword Array charged down, mournful shrieks and howls filled the air, and the several hundred experts were instantly annihilated by the powerful Sword Array.

"So powerful." Lan Yunzhu was moved when she saw the Rakshasa Holy Tree’s Sword Array. Coming from an Emperor Immortal Gate, she was a connoisseur; one look at the Sword Array and she knew it was Heaven-Defying.

"Don’t be fooled by the Wood Realm’s appearance," Li Qiye said with a smile. "Although the outer regions are indeed safer than other places, none of the Medicine Kings or Holy Trees here are to be trifled with. Even if they aren’t guarded by Insect Kings or poisonous creatures, and even if they aren’t growing in treacherous locations, they themselves are formidable existences."

Lan Yunzhu was beginning to realize this as well. The Medicine King Holy Trees of the Wood Realm were different from the Divine Stone Treasure Gold of the Gold Realm. One could say that Divine Stone Treasure Gold had no offensive power on its own, but the Medicine King Holy Trees of the Wood Realm were different. They were powerful existences, some even stronger than a Saint Emperor.

"Here, there are even kings among Medicine Kings and the holiest of Holy Trees that are more powerful than a Great Sage. But encountering such things requires fate," Li Qiye reminded her.

Lan Yunzhu followed Li Qiye deeper, and they saw more and more Medicine King Holy Trees and Treasure Spring Divine Wells. Eventually, they even saw flying trees, walking grass, and shapeshifting Spiritual Medicines...

After seeing so much, Lan Yunzhu eventually grew numb to it all. Some of these Medicine King Holy Trees grew in inherently treacherous places, while others were guarded by Spiritual Objects or Insect Kings.

"Is that the legendary Immortal Moon Well?" At the foot of a mountain, Lan Yunzhu saw an ancient well. Within it, a full moon seemed to be faintly rising and falling.

But Lan Yunzhu could only watch from a distance, for a person was sitting cross-legged at the mouth of the well—an old man. He wore a suit of armor, and a Sword Box rested on his lap. Although the box was closed, the terrifying Sword Qi it pulsed with was enough to know it contained a fearsome Treasure Sword.

"Is he dead?" Lan Yunzhu asked, a chill running down her spine as she stared at the old man for a moment.

"That’s right. He’s the current Well Guardian," Li Qiye said with a smile. "Obtaining the well isn’t difficult—just defeat him. But sometimes, even if you defeat him, you might never be able to leave. You’ll become just like him, a corpse, the next Well Guardian."

Seeing this, Lan Yunzhu felt a creeping horror. ’A Great Sage died here for no reason, only to become a Well Guardian. This place is too bizarre.’

As they went deeper, the mountain forests became increasingly dangerous. Although there were more and more Medicine King Holy Trees, it wasn’t just that the Insect Kings and Fierce Beasts guarding them were growing more terrifying; the treacherous mountain peaks and ridges were also becoming ever more perilous.

With the Insect Kings and Fierce Beasts guarding the Medicine King Holy Trees, you would be safe as long as you didn’t try to steal what they protected. However, the dangers of the mountains and ridges were unpredictable; it was impossible to know where was safe and where was dangerous.

"AHHH—" A series of screams erupted. Lan Yunzhu watched with her own eyes as more than a thousand experts from a large clan fell into a deep valley. But it wasn’t the valley that claimed their lives. A dark cloud suddenly descended from the sky, like a Demon returning to its nest, and instantly enveloped the entire valley. For a moment, the valley was filled with unending, miserable screams.

When the dark cloud slowly dissipated from the valley, Lan Yunzhu saw that only skeletons remained. Without a doubt, the thousand-plus experts from just moments ago had all been reduced to bones.

"The Bihe Race is a major clan of the Ghost Race. They had over a dozen Saint Venerables among them!" Lan Yunzhu couldn’t help but be shocked by the scene. Over a thousand experts, including more than a dozen Saint Venerables, all reduced to skeletons in an instant, without any struggle. How could such a thing not be utterly horrifying?

Fortunately, she had Li Qiye. He led her past every danger as if he were a god, seemingly knowing the entire Wood Realm like the back of his hand. He was perfectly clear on where the dangers were and how to avoid them.

Following Li Qiye, Lan Yunzhu felt that he was taking a roundabout path rather than heading straight for the deepest part of the Wood Realm. It was precisely because of this path that they cleverly avoided many dangers.

"Have you been to the First Evil Tomb before?" Seeing Li Qiye so skillfully navigate past one danger after another, Lan Yunzhu found it hard not to be suspicious. It was as if Li Qiye had been here before—and not just once. He was so familiar with the paths, it was like he was a regular visitor.

"Did your sect’s founder not leave you a map? One that marks which parts of the Wood Realm are dangerous and which are safe, for example?" Li Qiye asked with a beaming smile.