As Wei Zhong traveled, golden runes flickered in his eyes, transforming the surrounding landscape into a vibrant tapestry of colors. Some areas appeared dull and gray, like lifeless stones, while others shimmered with varying hues, their intensity reflecting the concentration of spiritual energy.
This was the effect of the Spirit-Seeking Art.
Spirit-Seeking Art - Mastery (68%)
In less than two years, Wei Zhong had devoted himself entirely to mastering this technique, progressing from novice to expert in a remarkably short time. He had achieved a level of proficiency that many cultivators struggled to attain even after decades of practice.
Strictly speaking, the Spirit-Seeking Art was a specialized spell that condensed runes within the eyes. Activating these runes allowed one to perceive the surrounding spiritual energy, with deeper colors indicating higher concentrations.
A faint crimson hue near the cliff's edge caught Wei Zhong's eye—the Flame Jam Fruit, a common fire-attribute spiritual fruit in these mountains. Though bitter to the taste, its potent spiritual energy made it excellent for brewing wine. Wei Zhong had already harvested a large quantity and stored it in his Storage Pouch.
Without stopping, he continued toward his destination, gliding forward on a cloud of spiritual energy. Earlier on his journey, he had spotted several streaks of escape light, all seemingly heading toward Mist Ridge Cliff.
"Looks like too many cultivators have already entered," Wei Zhong sighed, burying himself in the path ahead. He could only hope that his superior Spirit Arts would give him an edge in discovering the Jade Marrow Mushroom first.
As he drew closer to Mist Ridge Cliff, the number of escape lights increased. He counted seven or eight figures, mostly Azurewood Sect disciples clad in their distinctive blue-white Dao robes, clustered together. Loose Cultivators were rarely seen.
"Could the Azurewood Sect know about some hidden treasure here? Perhaps the previous group left some clues," Wei Zhong mused.
He veered off course, activating his Breath Concealing Technique, and began tailing the sect disciples through the dense forest and rocky terrain below.
Midway through his pursuit, he discovered that some Loose Cultivators had the same idea. Unfortunately, their clumsy tracking quickly alerted the disciples above.
"Senior Brother, some Loose Cultivators are following us," the disciple at the rear reported to the Qi Refining Eighth Layer cultivator leading the group.
The Clear River Secret Realm not only contained the Jade Marrow Mushroom, Thousand-Knot Flower, and Golden Ginseng Essence required for refining Foundation Establishment Pills, but also various other Spirit Medicines needed for other Medicinal Pills.
Therefore, not all the cultivators who entered the Secret Realm were solely focused on achieving Foundation Establishment.
Among the Inner Sect Disciples, only one had reached the Eighth Layer of Qi Refining, while the others were at the Sixth or Seventh Layer.
After a brief discussion, the disciples halted their escape lights. Their leader turned to address their pursuers directly:
"Fellow Daoists who have been tailing us, would you please reveal yourselves?"
Their cover blown, the three Loose Cultivators emerged from hiding.
Each of them exuded a spiritual pressure indicative of the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining.
A shadow of concern crossed the Azurewood Sect disciples' faces. Their leader stepped forward:
"Seniors, I presume you're here for the Foundation Establishment spirit medicine as well. Unfortunately, we don't know its location. We humbly request that you cease following us."
An elderly Loose Cultivator with sunken eyes chuckled dryly:
"This old man and his companions aren't following you. We're simply headed in the same direction."
The other two Loose Cultivators nodded in agreement.
Fire seemed to burn in the eyes of the younger Azurewood Sect disciples, and they moved as if to attack. But their leader raised a hand to restrain them.
"Hold your temper. Though we outnumber them, their cultivation levels surpass ours. We can't win in a direct confrontation."
"Then, Senior Brother, what about the Spirit Medicine?"
"We'll head to the nearest gathering point. There should be a Senior Brother from our sect at the Ninth Layer of Qi Refining there. We'll invite him to join us and then decide on our next move."
"For now, that's our only option."
After a brief telepathic exchange, they quickly reached a consensus.
Though this meant sharing their Contribution points, it was unavoidable. The persistent Loose Cultivators had made it impossible to gather any of the crucial Spirit Medicine.
Wei Zhong watched the standoff from below. Observing the Azurewood Sect disciples' constant communication, he knew there would be no advantage in continuing to tail them.
Secretly changing course, he headed toward a suspicious resource point marked on his intelligence map.
Behind him, the Inner Sect disciples abruptly altered their escape light trajectories, completely abandoning the three Loose Cultivators in pursuit.
"Fellow Daoist Wu, should we still follow them?"
The hollow-eyed elder replied, "Of course we follow them. What if they're bluffing? We'd miss out on a valuable Spirit Medicine. Besides, with our combined cultivation bases, who in this Secret Realm could possibly defeat us?"
The trio transformed into streaks of escape light and resumed their pursuit. Having already revealed themselves, they made no further attempts at concealment, openly tailing the disciples.
As if their earlier encounter with the other cultivators had been a mere coincidence, Wei Zhong encountered no other cultivators on his journey.
Mist Ridge Cliff was a vast region, not a single precipice, but a chain of interconnected mountain peaks. Its name derived from its high altitude and the thick mist that perpetually shrouded the area.
The dense fog obscured distant views, rendering objects indiscernible. Even spiritual sense struggled to penetrate the oppressive atmosphere, unable to extend beyond one's immediate surroundings.
To Wei Zhong's eyes, even the misty air seemed to possess a faint hue, betraying an unusually high concentration of spiritual energy. No wonder spiritual treasures like the Jade Marrow Mushroom thrived here.
Finding them, however, would be a challenge. Wei Zhong casually severed the head of a Demon Snake that had emerged from a crevice in the cliff face above. The region teemed with demon beasts, far more numerous than in other areas.
Wei Zhong continued his search for spiritual treasures along the cliff's edge, traversing peak after peak. His eyes scanned the landscape for flashes of spiritual light. After hours of searching, he had gathered plenty of ordinary Spirit Medicine, but found no trace of the Jade Marrow Mushroom.
Sigh, this haphazard search is pointless. Wandering aimlessly like this, I'll likely come up empty-handed even by the time the Secret Realm closes.
The Jade Marrow Mushroom was originally an ordinary spirit mushroom that grew on decaying Spirit Wood. It underwent a transformation by absorbing the wood's essence. The jade-like substance within its stem, the core of its potency, earned it the name Jade Marrow.
In my mind, it should have the color of pure white jade.
As for the decaying Spirit Wood itself, I've been searching for so long and haven't seen a single piece. The largest spirit plants I've found are no thicker than hemp stalks.
I wonder how those sect disciples manage to find them.
Wei Zhong continued his search when he suddenly heard the sound of water. Following the sound, he discovered a waterfall cascading down the mountainside.
The waterfall was small, only about six meters wide, yet it pulsed with abundant spiritual energy. As the water crashed onto the rocks below, it produced iridescent halos of light.
Such potent spiritual energy! A single day of cultivation here would likely be equivalent to ten days outside.
Wei Zhong felt a pang of envy but knew this wasn't the time for cultivation.
Approaching the waterfall, he noticed two tree trunks growing on either side, their branches slanting into the cascading water.
It's Spirit Wood after all!
Wei Zhong's heart quickened with excitement. He followed the waterfall upstream, where the mist grew increasingly dense.
He could barely make out the faint outlines of trees ahead.
As he drew closer, he realized it was an entire grove of Spirit Wood.
I've found the right place!
Wei Zhong tightened his grip on the magic sword in his right hand, while simultaneously clenching the black orb in his left. Every muscle in his body tensed, ready to activate the Golden Body Technique at any moment.
With utmost caution, Wei Zhong stepped into the grove.