Chapter 554 540: Unity of Man and Mountain, Are You a Sentient Spirit Grass?

"This is as far as you need to bring the supplies. You can explore this area. There should still be quite a few Spirit Medicines."

An Inner Master from the Merak Sacred Land led the members of the Cyan Yuan Sect before a large mountain within the Purple Void Secret Realm and spoke slowly.

The world inside the Secret Realm was very different from the outside. Beyond the entrance tunnel, one could say it was another world entirely.

Although the entrance to the Purple Void Secret Realm was located on the slopes of Purple Mountain, the area within was immense. Its borders were nowhere in sight, which was a clear indication of its massive scale.

Some speculated that this Secret Realm was as large as an entire province. Such a vast expanse was rare even for Secret Realms, leading many to believe it must hide countless Treasures.

So far, the explored area of the Secret Realm wasn't very large. Many regions remained completely untouched. It wasn't for a lack of trying; rather, the deeper one ventured, the more dangerous it became. Even the relatively safer paths were littered with various Magic Arrays, making them incredibly difficult to traverse.

To put it simply, there were no easy shortcuts to its depths.

"Alright. We'll leave the rest to the Grandmasters of the Upper Sect."

An External Cultivation Disciple from the Cyan Yuan Sect cupped his hands and said slowly.

Yang Chan, for his part, chose not to venture deeper, instead turning to head toward Gu An and the others.

He had originally planned to go and watch, but because of his Tai Chi Longevity Body, Yang Chan decided to find a suitable place to let his body devour this Spiritual Qi until it was sated.

He had been suppressing it the entire way here. Later, while searching for Spirit Grass in the vicinity, he could find a suitable spot to absorb the Spiritual Qi. Otherwise, his body's intermittent absorption of the energy would be far too conspicuous.

The four Inner Masters from the Merak Sacred Land hadn't noticed anything amiss, thanks to his Concealing Breath Technique and active suppression. A Bone Marrow Cleansing Grandmaster, however, would be a different story.

'Especially with someone like the Merak Saintess among them. Judging by my previous encounter with the Taiyin Saintess, this Merak Saintess might also possess a special physique or unique abilities. If she were to discover the anomaly with my body, it would be disastrous.'

'It's better to be low-key and cautious. When you have something good, you should enjoy it in secret where no one can find out. The last thing I need is another person like the Taiyin Saintess showing up, coveting my body.'

That was why Yang Chan changed his original plan, deciding to search for Spirit Medicine and Spirit Grass in the outer areas with the other Cyan Yuan Sect disciples.

In reality, of course, he was looking for a suitable location.

The people from the Merak Sacred Land carried the supplies up the mountain. On the mountain was the Sixth Wu Array, which the Merak Saintess and her group were still busy trying to break—an Array Yang Chan had never even heard of.

Breaking the Array was proving to be quite troublesome, and the Merak Saintess's group had already expended a great deal of effort on it. As for what kind of Treasure lay within, no one knew.

Yang Chan could only wait for the Array to be broken to find out what was inside. If not for the strange phenomenon with his body, he would have gone to observe the process himself.

"Pharmacist Yang, this area is relatively safe; the Cyan Yuan Sect has already cleared it of danger. This particular spot hasn't been searched yet, so you should be able to find something."

"If you run into any trouble, we'll be in these surrounding areas. Just give a shout, Pharmacist Yang."

The Elite Disciple who had spoken with the Merak Sacred Land members produced a map and carefully explained the layout to Yang Chan. He pointed to a nearby region, outlining a general vicinity and indicating the best part of it for him.

As the Chief Pharmacist of the Cyan Yuan Sect, he naturally received preferential treatment within the Secret Realm. This had been arranged by the Hall Master of the Law Enforcement Hall before they even entered.

"Mm, you go on and search for Spirit Medicine. I'll take a look around here."

Yang Chan nodded, gladly accepting the offer.

'As Chief Pharmacist, I have every right to accept the benefits I'm due. After all, this is the treatment I've earned by demonstrating my abilities.'

After the Elite Disciple had walked some distance away, Yang Chan began to explore the designated area. Sure enough, he found a Spirit Medicine after taking just a few steps.

Nourished by the Spiritual Qi, its medicinal properties were excellent. He promptly stored it away.

As he walked, Yang Chan was also searching for a location that was relatively secluded, far from the other disciples, and rich in Spiritual Qi.

Then he could absorb the Spiritual Qi.

Yang Chan had a feeling that if he absorbed enough Spiritual Qi, his Tai Chi Longevity Body might undergo a metamorphosis. It was just a hunch, but one he couldn't confirm yet.

It felt as though absorbing this Spiritual Qi was the key to unlocking the true potential of the Tai Chi Longevity Body.

Finding such a place was easy enough. After walking for a short time, Yang Chan found several suitable spots. He ultimately chose one that was the furthest from everyone else.

He found a spot near the base of the mountain and quickly dug an opening for a cave.

At his level of Cultivation, digging a cave was an incredibly fast process. It took him hardly any time at all.

He also took a moment to prepare several exits before setting up a Magic Array to conceal his breath. Finally, he sat cross-legged in the center and slowly, bit by bit, released the restraints on his Tai Chi Longevity Body.

Instantly, Yang Chan became a vortex of Spiritual Qi. Streams of energy surged into his body, with an even greater amount flowing out from the mountain itself.

This was precisely why Yang Chan had chosen a spot near the mountain. The Spiritual Qi drawn from the rock itself would be far less conspicuous. Unless someone could achieve the state of Unity of Man and Mountain, they would never be able to clearly perceive this change.

This reduced the amount of Spiritual Qi he had to draw from the open air.

Streams of Spiritual Qi converged within Yang Chan, continuously Tempering his body. He glanced at his status panel and saw that his Lifespan was increasing again. This was an unexpected surprise. 'Could this be the proper way to cultivate the Tai Chi Longevity Body?' he wondered.

'Absorb Spiritual Qi, increase Lifespan.'

'My current state is precisely Spirit Absorption and Body Casting, extending my life toward true longevity. I'm becoming a true Longevity Physique.'

"Black Dragon, come out!"

Yang Chan released the restriction on the Profound Yin Hanging Bead, allowing the Black Dragon to emerge.

"Master, what can I... Holy crap! Master, why are you absorbing Spiritual Qi? Have you become a sentient Spirit Grass or something?"

The Black Dragon emerged from the Profound Yin Hanging Bead and began its usual greeting, only to stop dead when it saw Yang Chan's state. It instantly lost all composure.

The scene before it was simply too shocking.

A Martial Arts Cultivator in the Body Tempering Stage has no ability to actively absorb Spiritual Qi. Even in a place teeming with it, they can only rely on their body's slow, passive absorption—the most instinctive of physical abilities.

It was like a person submerged in water. The body might absorb some moisture through the skin, but it couldn't achieve the same effect as drinking directly with one's mouth.

But what the Black Dragon saw now wasn't someone taking a drink. It was as if Yang Chan had become a lake himself, and an entire river was being poured directly into him. That's why it had lost its composure, unable to process what was happening for a long time.

Only after a good while did it blurt out that comment about him being a sentient Spirit Grass.