In just a single day, a streak of blue-green light tore through the heavy clouds, crossing a thousand miles in the blink of an eye. The whistle of the wind was a constant, sharp roar against the sleek hull of the vessel, though the protective arrays kept the air around the passengers perfectly still.
Mountains and great lakes beneath the flying shuttle blurred into smeared ink, racing backward as the craft maintained its relentless pace. The verdant greens of the peaks and the silver shimmer of the water below were reduced to a chaotic tapestry of colors by the sheer velocity.
Chen Jinshu sat atop the bird head of the Moonchase Loom, her fingers lightly touching the cool, star-infused jade of the prow. Feeling that terrifying speed, her heart was quietly shaken by the power of the high-grade spirit treasure.
Xiao Yin shifted its weight on her shoulder, ruffling its vibrant feathers before it rubbed affectionately against her temple, letting out soft qiang qiang chirps that vibrated against her skin.
She understood at once what the little bird was trying to say. It was bored.
They had traveled nonstop for an entire day, never resting or slowing down, only snacking on sweet spirit fruits along the way to maintain their energy. Anyone would find such a monotonous journey dull, even a divine beast.
She lifted a hand and gently stroked its smooth feathers, her touch calming the restless bird. She spoke softly, her voice barely audible over the hum of the arrays, "Almost there."
"Up ahead should be the outer market of Medicine King Valley. We will rest there for a few days and take a good look around the stalls."
A faint smile curved her lips as her gaze pierced the surging sea of clouds below, landing on the massive valley silhouette at the horizon. The valley was shrouded in a strange and lush greenery that seemed to pulse with a life of its own.
Even from this distance, rich vegetation spiritual energy rolled toward her like an unseen tide, the scent of damp earth and blooming herbs reaching her senses.
That place had to be the key outer hub of the Medicine King Valley, one of the holy grounds of spirit plants and alchemy across the Five Continents—the Medicine King Market.
Ever since the Five Continents Alliance, she had been coveting that secret art that transformed plants into humanoid forms, granting them the intelligence needed to tend spirit fields with precision.
Inside her plant space were over twenty mu of spirit fields awaiting care, each acre requiring specific conditions and constant monitoring. Especially the newly born three mu of Violet Gold Thunder Fields and that slumbering remnant root of an immortal vine needed constant attention that she couldn't always provide.
She barely had enough time for her own cultivation as it was, yet the plant space was the foundation of her growth and future strength. There was no way she could abandon it to the whims of nature.
Ordinary puppets were too stiff and clumsy for such delicate work. They couldn't follow her intent with the necessary nuance and would likely ruin the rare spirit herbs instead of nurturing them.
In the blink of an eye, the Moonchase Loom drew in its radiance, the blue-green glow fading. Its speed dropped sharply as it slipped soundlessly into the forested outskirts of the Medicine King Market, the shadows of the ancient trees swallowing the craft.
The moment she landed and stepped off the shuttle, a wave of plant-infused freshness, so thick it was almost tangible, rushed toward her. The air was heavy with the fragrance of a thousand different medicinal ingredients.
The market followed the natural curve of the valley floor. Pavilions and towers were hidden among ancient trees and exotic flowers that bloomed in vibrant, unnatural hues. Along the stone-paved roads, shops and stalls stood packed tightly together, creating a maze of commerce.
Chen Jinshu put away the shuttle with a flick of her wrist, reined in her Golden Core Zhēnrén aura until she appeared as a common cultivator, and walked calmly into the market. She blended into the bustling crowd, her eyes moving constantly.
Her gaze swept quickly across stall after stall, noting the variety of goods on display.
The quality of spirit plants here was far beyond what Plainwild Market could offer, even in its most exclusive auctions. Her previously calm mood instantly stirred with a spark of excitement.
"A thousand-year Seven Leaf Spirit Nurturing Flower. A holy item for repairing damage to the sea of consciousness and nourishing the Primordial Soul. Only one available in the entire market!" an old cultivator with white hair and a long beard shouted hoarsely, his voice competing with the general din.
Inside the jade box before him, a seven-petaled exotic flower glowed with gentle rainbow light, the colors shifting slowly. Just the aura it leaked was enough to make nearby cultivators feel refreshed and clear-headed.
"Thunderstruck Wood Core. Contains pure Yi Wood Thunder Essence. Top-grade material for crafting wood and thunder-attribute treasures!"
At another stall, a charred core of wood floated quietly in a stasis field, deep blue-purple lightning glimmering within the blackened, jagged surface. The surrounding air crackled faintly with static.
Farther away, clear spring water rippled inside a special jade basin designed to maintain purity. At its center stood a nearly transparent Nine Aperture Exquisite Lotus. A galaxy seemed to flow within its lotus heart, releasing pure energy that cleansed the Dao heart and clarified the spiritual platform of anyone who looked too closely.
Even with her Golden Core perspective and the deep reserves of the Genesis Alchemy Furnace space, the sheer foundation of the Medicine King Market still set her heart ablaze with desire.
"If I had known the spirit plants here were this abundant, I would have come long ago," she thought.
She sighed inwardly, feeling she had missed countless opportunities to expand her collection while she was stuck in the northern regions.
Those twenty plus mu of spirit fields were waiting to be filled with the rarest specimens she could find.
A moment later, she stopped before a stall that specialized in thunder-attribute spirit plants, the air around it smelling faintly of ozone.
The stall owner was a lean, middle-aged man at early Foundation Establishment. He was sharp-eyed, with a faint plant aura about him that suggested he spent his days tending flowers and herbs in a professional capacity.
"Daoyou, how is this Thunder Vein Grass traded?" Chen Jinshu asked, pointing to a spirit herb resting in a padded jade case. Silver-purple lightning traced the jagged edges of its leaves, while its main vein glowed with a deep, pulsing violet light.
This herb could nourish meridians and increase a cultivator's affinity with lightning. It was extremely beneficial for her specific path of cultivation.
The stall owner narrowed his eyes and smiled like he had found a kindred spirit among the shoppers. "Good eye, Daoyou. Second-tier high-grade, grown deep in the Ten Thousand Thunder Valley. It's incredibly hard to gather without being struck. One price. Twelve hundred low-grade spirit stones, or equivalent second-tier fire-attribute materials or pills."
The price was steep, but it was reasonable if the herb was genuine and the potency was as high as it appeared.
She thought briefly about her current supplies, then she flipped her wrist. Three small jade bottles appeared in her palm, their surfaces cool. "Three bottles of Crimson Sun Snowmelt Pills. Second-tier mid-grade. They're excellent for healing, dispelling cold, and stabilizing fire-attribute foundations. What do you think?"
The stall owner swept the bottles with his divine sense and immediately broke into a satisfied grin. "Straightforward, Daoyou. Deal."
He briskly pushed the jade case holding the Thunder Vein Meridian Nourishing Grass toward her, his movements efficient.
Just as the trade concluded and she was about to move on, a faint spiritual fluctuation from an unremarkable corner nearby stirred her heart sharply.
Her spiritual perception was keen, honed by her time in the illusions. She turned at once toward the source.
On a weathered animal hide before an old man lay several dirt-smeared roots and tubers of various shapes and sizes. Among them was a fist-sized piece shaped like a twisted tree root. Its surface held an extremely subdued dark gold sheen. Occasionally, a nearly illusory silver spark flashed beneath the thick skin.
If not for her strong divine sense and her particular sensitivity to thunder, it would have been impossible to notice the treasure hidden beneath the mud.
Her heart jumped with a sudden realization.
That aura shared a trace of the same origin as the pure thunder source absorbed by the Genesis Alchemy Furnace during her Golden Core Violet Gold Thunder Tribulation—the one that had settled deep within her Violet Gold Thunder Fields.
She walked over calmly, crouched down to get a better look, and picked up the unassuming dark gold root.
"What is this called, and how do you sell it?"
"Dug up in the wild. Don't know the name. If you like it, five hundred low-grade spirit stones," the old man said flatly, his voice devoid of any salesman's flair.
She didn't haggle over the price. She took out a small pouch of spirit stones and handed it over without a word.
Only then did the old man look up at her in surprise, his eyes flickering. He weighed the pouch in his hand before waving her off, returning to his silent vigil.
The dark gold root felt warm in her hand, pulsing with a hidden heat. That faint resonance she had felt earlier became clearer now that she held it.
She carefully put it away in her storage, quietly pleased with the find. If nurtured in the Violet Gold Thunder Fields, it might speed up the growth of all nearby thunder-attribute spirit plants significantly.
Just as she was about to head deeper into the market toward the larger buildings, a probing divine sense swept lightly over her. It wasn't particularly strong, around late Foundation Establishment, but it carried a clear sense of scrutiny and suspicion.
In the next moment, a young man wearing the pale green robes distinctive to the Medicine King Valley blocked her path, accompanied by a Foundation Establishment steward who kept his hands tucked into his sleeves.
The young man looked refined and handsome, but the deliberate aloofness and condescension in his eyes ruined the overall impression.
"You look unfamiliar, Daoyou," he said, his voice ringing with a practiced authority.
His gaze swept over the ordinary-looking storage pouch at her waist and the ancient beast-taming bracelet on her wrist. His tone was flat, distant, and unquestionable.
"Ahead is the inner market reserved for core disciples and honored guests of the Medicine King Valley. Idlers aren't allowed in. If you're buying common spirit plants, the outer market is enough for your needs."
The steward beside him bowed slightly to her, polite in his gestures but clearly blocking her way with his physical presence.
Only then did she realize that she had been wandering in the outer market all along.
The inner market likely held something else entirely, perhaps the rare treasures she was actually seeking.
Her heart grew even hotter at the prospect. "It looks like I won't be leaving this market anytime soon."
"May I ask, fellow Medicine King Valley cultivator, I'm seeking traces of a secret art. I have heard your valley excels in this field, so I came to inquire about its availability."
"Oh?" The young man raised a brow, looking mildly interested for a second, yet the arrogance in his eyes only deepened. "What secret art? Speak it. If it's something ordinary, this young master might give you some guidance."
He clearly assumed she was just another loose cultivator or a disciple from a minor sect who didn't know her limits.
"Transforming plants into form, awakening spirits to serve," she said clearly, her voice steady.
The faint interest on his face froze instantly, then it turned into undisguised mockery and cold disdain, as if he had heard a ridiculous joke from a fool.
"Hah. Transforming plants? Awakening spirits as servants?"
He snorted, the sound sharp. His voice wasn't loud, yet it carried clearly in the relatively quiet space, drawing curious glances from nearby stalls.
"This is the foundation of the Medicine King Valley, an unpassed secret of our lineage. Anyone who isn't a core true disciple doesn't even have the qualifications to glimpse a fragment of the manuals. A mere outsider dares covet it? Leave at once. If you keep pestering us, don't blame me for being impolite."
His aura stirred, releasing a faint binding force that formed an invisible barrier between them, trying to push her back toward the outer gates.
"Qiang."
Xiao Yin sensed the pressure and let out an unhappy chirp, its small body tensing. Blue-red light flared briefly in its tail feathers as it glared at the young man.
Chen Jinshu's previously heated expression cooled completely, her eyes turning as cold as the abyss. She had heard of Medicine King Valley disciples being arrogant, but she hadn't expected even an outer disciple to be this overbearing, treating all cultivators under heaven as nothing.