Chapter 230: Blazing Inferno Wood
Chapter 230: Blazing Inferno Wood
The Yaoguifen plant extended a pale gray vine towards Lu Chen, nodding humanely.
"Alright, lead the way."
If a mere fifth-grade Yaoguifen was this interested, it was definitely no ordinary spirit herb. Considering the plant's keen perception of spirit herbs, Lu Chen didn't hesitate to let it guide him forward.
The blessed land was periodically cleared of demonic beasts. Only fellow sect members entered, and with a Golden Core master overseeing the area, the chances of encountering danger were minuscule.
After a moment, he reached the innermost part of the herb garden, where a tall stone wall stood, adorned with a small door etched with intricate talismans.
The pale gray vine pointed excitedly at the door, bobbing up and down.
Lu Chen approached the door. The talismans were simple restrictions, and as he enlarged his Yuanying Seal, it unleashed a mighty force that smashed down on the small door, causing the talismans to flash in resistance.
In an instant, the door shattered into more than ten pieces.
Lu Chen held the Purple Electric Sword in one hand and the fourth-grade Whistling Sea Sword Talisman in the other as he slowly crept inside.
Following the guidance of the Yaoguifen sprout, he turned a few corners and pushed open a heavy stone door.
A wave of scorching heat washed over him, revealing a fiery realm.
The ground was paved with flat, neatly arranged red stones, and the walls were constructed from fiery spirit wood. Countless firebirds of various shapes danced in the air, and as their flaming wings fluttered, tiny sparks drifted down, landing on the ground and merging with the red stones.
At the pinnacle of the palace, a massive fire cloud loomed, its layers enveloping the entire palace.
Within the cloud sea, a pair of fiery phoenix shadows appeared and disappeared, their scarlet wings adorned with faint golden patterns, surrounded by swirling crimson flames.
Lu Chen's sharp eyes noticed a charred piece of wood floating in the fire cloud, inconspicuous against the backdrop of the phoenix pair.
Yet, the illusory phoenix shadows remained within a certain range of the burnt wood.
"So this is the high-grade spirit herb that the Yaoguifen sprout discovered."
Sensing the sprout's eagerness to crawl out from his sleeve, Lu Chen surmised that this burnt wood was indeed what it had perceived as a high-grade spirit herb.
However, Lu Chen had no intention of letting it reveal itself. He glanced at the opposite side of the palace, where three fellow disciples stared at him with curiosity.
Among them was a handsome young man holding a strange-looking flying sword. The sword was slender, and numerous swords of decreasing size extended from it, resembling a peacock's tail when viewed together.
There was also a female cultivator dressed in exquisite robes, exuding an air of elegance.
The third person had ordinary features, but his eyes were sharp as swords.
Of the three, the ordinary-looking young man had the cultivation base of an early Foundation Establishment cultivator, while the other two had reached the mid Foundation Establishment stage.
"Greetings, Senior Brothers and Sister. I am Lu Chen."
"Forgive me for intruding, I hope I haven't caused any trouble for you?"
Lu Chen, who usually kept to himself, was polite and reserved as he addressed them, having never met these three before.
His eyes casually glanced at the strange flying sword in the handsome youth's hand, and he instantly recalled the 'Sword Peacock' he had seen in the hands of an inner sect female disciple within the secret realm back in Fang City.
"Greetings, Junior Brother Lu. We haven't been here long either, so there's no trouble to speak of," the handsome young man replied with a sincere smile, making others feel as warm as if they were bathed in spring sunlight.
"Forgive my rudeness, but how did Junior Brother Lu enter this palace?"
"I was originally planning to gather some Yaoguiven in the herb garden when I found myself venturing deeper and deeper. Eventually, I stumbled upon a small door."
"There was a relatively simple restriction on the door, but it took me quite a few attempts before I could break through it. Then, before I knew it, I had stumbled into this palace and ran into the three of you."
Lu Chen's explanation was a mix of truth and half-truths.
He certainly couldn't reveal that he had been guided there by a newly born Yaoguifen sprout.
The three cultivators were momentarily at a loss for words. They had gone to great lengths to find a way into the palace, never imagining that there was such a straightforward path through the herb garden.
"Brother Lu, you truly have remarkable luck. We are impressed." The handsome young man smiled.
"You flatter me, Senior Brother," Lu Chen replied humbly.
"May I ask about the origin of the fire phoenix pair in the cloud above? Could you enlighten me, Senior Brother?" Lu Chen inquired, feigning ignorance of the charred wood amidst the fiery phoenixes.
"Those fire phoenixes are extremely rare beast spirits. There are also many high-grade fiery minerals and spirit wood within the palace. If you're interested, Brother Lu, you can gather some and take them out of the blessed land. They will surely fetch a good price," the handsome youth explained.
"I see," Lu Chen nodded, indicating that he understood.
The three cultivators exchanged glances, a hint of satisfaction in their eyes.
Although Lu Chen's early Qi Refining stage cultivation didn't pose any threat to their plans, they were concerned that he might, by chance, obtain the charred wood. Thus, the less he knew, the better for them.
"Since you've accidentally stumbled into this place, Brother Lu, you should strive to get your share of the treasures," the elegant woman said.
"I'm just an ordinary spirit herb cultivator with mediocre abilities and no expertise in combat. I hope you three will show mercy and allow me to receive some scraps," Lu Chen said sincerely.
"Haha, Brother Lu, you're too humble," the handsome youth replied.
"Treasures go to those with destiny. Although your cultivation is weaker, you may still gain the favor of the treasures and attain a great opportunity!" he added, seeing Lu Chen's show of weakness.
The other two cultivators also smiled, relieved that Lu Chen's sudden appearance didn't pose a real threat. After sensing that his cultivation was even inferior to the most ordinary-looking youth among them, they relaxed.
The handsome youth's Sword Peacock fan out to its full extent, radiating boundless sword intent. The graceful woman manifested a crescent moon behind her, exuding a chilling light as it circled around her. The ordinary-looking youth gripped a massive, pitch-black longsword, its surface etched with intricate and obscure patterns, occasionally flashing with dusky light.
"Cheep! Cheep!"
Sensing the hostile intent emanating from below, the fire phoenix pair in the cloud let out crisp cries that reverberated through the grand hall. The countless firebirds dancing in the air ignited with layers of flames, their fiery feathers causing endless sparks to rain down, filling every corner of the palace with scorching heat.
The Yaoguifen sprout in Lu Chen's sleeve quietly retreated, hiding behind Lu Chen's Invisible Spirit Robe and inching closer to his chest. It calmed down under the nourishment of the Pure Jade's cool spiritual energy.
(End of Chapter)
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