After a long trek through rocky cliffs and gloomy meadows, the two finally arrived at the mysterious pond.
"Wow… there really is a waterfall!" Lang Tian's eyes widened, his voice bursting with awe.
"See? I told you," Yue Ling said with a smug smile. "Though… it's not exactly a grand waterfall, haha."
"But at least the water's clean!" Lang Tian grinned brightly, his eyes sparkling like a youth beholding a wondrous sight for the first time.
The pond wasn't vast, but it was spacious enough for ten people to swim without bumping into each other. Its surface rippled gently, shimmering with reflections of white foam cascading from a small waterfall tumbling down a jagged cliff. In the center of the pond, vibrant red lotus flowers drifted lazily with the current, their petals emitting a faint glow, swaying as if imbued with life.
Surrounding the pond were clusters of exotic herbs clinging to the rocks, radiating a soft luminescence. These spiritual plants had clearly mutated under the prolonged influence of the dense yin energy and lingering demonic aura pervading the valley.
Lang Tian's gaze swept across the cliff, and his eyes suddenly widened.
"Wait… is that Bloodroot Vine?!" He pointed at the dark red tendrils crawling along the rock face. "No way! How can there be Bloodroot Vines this massive?!"
Back at the sect, he had undertaken numerous herb-gathering missions. He had also assisted Yue Ling in sorting medicinal ingredients for alchemy, so he was well-versed in identifying spiritual herbs.
Bloodroot Vine—a renowned spiritual plant prized for its flexibility and potent spiritual essence. Its leaves were typically green, but its roots were always a deep crimson, as if stained with blood. This species thrived in damp, yin-rich environments—exactly like this shadowy valley.
The Crimson Vitality Pill he'd taken earlier used Bloodroot Vine as a key ingredient.
But in all his life, Lang Tian had never seen Bloodroot Vines of such size.
The vines here were as thick as an adult's thigh, coiling tightly around the cliff like slumbering dragons of a thousand years, their roots protruding from cracks in the stone. Some leaves had even turned a deep crimson, emitting a faint glow. When the wind blew, they swayed, resembling smoldering flame lotuses flickering in the darkness from afar.
"You're not wrong. That's Bloodroot Vine," Yue Ling confirmed, her gaze also fixed on the cliff. "But these are a variant—Demonic Bloodroot Vines—transformed after decades of bathing in demonic energy."
"I see!" Lang Tian nodded. "No wonder the pill's medicinal power was so potent… and the side effects so intense…"
"Exactly!" Yue Ling grinned mischievously. "And I even added a drop of Third-Rank Demonic Wolf's essence blood to it."
"Wait, really?! No wonder I nearly lost half my soul." Lang Tian shuddered, recalling the sensation of his entire body boiling after swallowing the pill.
Essence blood was no ordinary blood. It was the concentrated life force of a demonic beast, infused with its soul's aura and primal strength. In the realms of alchemy and artifact forging, essence blood was an exceedingly precious and rare material.
Extracting even a single drop required refining a vast amount of fresh blood while ensuring the beast didn't die too quickly. A beast the size of a Mid-Mountain Wolf might, with luck, yield just one drop.
And the stronger the beast, the more dangerous its essence blood.
So of course, a single drop from a Rank 3 demonic beast was more than enough to supercharge a pill, turning a common one like the Crimson Vitality Pill into something wildly more powerful… and far more dangerous.
"Senior Sister… you're truly incredible…" Lang Tian whispered, his eyes brimming with admiration. "Not only did you create your own martial techniques, but your alchemy has reached such heights…"
"You're flattering me too much, Little Junior Brother~" Yue Ling laughed, but her proud smile said it all.
"Anyway," she pointed toward a cluster of glowing herbs by the pond's edge, "do you recognize those plants?"
"Of course!" Lang Tian stepped closer, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
One by one, he named them.
Right at the water's edge were Ghostshade Ferns. They were translucent ferns that shimmered like stars in the night. Typically silver-blue, these had turned a deep crimson here. They grew only in places where yin energy stagnated, often used in alchemy to craft calming powders or treat demonic nightmares.
Next were Netherdew Ear Mushrooms—dark red mushrooms, originally purple-black, that grew on damp rocks or rotting wood near marshes. They absorbed surrounding yin energy, with a slightly chewy texture like meat, often used in spiritual chicken broth. However, their strong yin nature could cause diarrhea or bloating if consumed in excess.
And finally, the vibrant red lotus flowers, drifting gracefully on the water's surface, spinning with the ripples as if dancing in the mist…
Their name: Spirit Lotus Flowers.