Chapter 293: Chaotic Continent, Evergreen Continent

Chapter 293: Chaotic Continent, Evergreen Continent

"I'll ask around."

Chen Qiu wasn't sure if Ba Dan could find someone skilled in refining this type of medicine, but he took out his telepathic bracelet and contacted Ba Dan, briefly explaining the situation.

The divine physician before them clearly intended to take advantage of the situation, relying on his unique abilities to make a hefty profit.

Bai Jia Jiuzhu was, after all, Chen Qiu's friend.

He couldn't just stand by and watch his friend suffer such a significant loss.

Just moments after sending the message, a rift appeared in the air, and a surge of spiritual energy poured out. Soon, an elderly man of the same height as a human walked out with a dignified stride. He scanned the area, and his gaze settled on Chen Qiu, his expression respectful as he bowed.

"Greetings, Master Chen. I am a barefoot doctor, sent by the Barbarian King to refine medicine."

"The Barbarian King wanted to come personally, but his cultivation is too high. After restoring his cultivation, it's become difficult for him to reach the Third Rank Continent. Please forgive him, Master Chen."

"Hmm."

Chen Qiu nodded and smiled, "No problem. I appreciate your efforts. The rest is up to you."

"Yes."

The old man's index finger trembled slightly, and the jade slip containing the Shadow Emperor's Fortune in Bai Jia Jiuzhu's hand flew into the old man's grasp. Then, a ten-thousand-jin heavy cauldron appeared in the air and slammed heavily onto the ground.

The temperature rose abruptly, and orange-red flames burst from the bottom of the cauldron.

The old man, seated in mid-air with his legs crossed, closed his eyes, and his ten fingers trembled continuously. These fingers were connected to thousands of faint spiritual lines, controlling the flames within the cauldron. The jade slip melted instantly, and without waiting for Bai Jia Jiuzhu to provide any other auxiliary materials, the old man took out a large handful of medicinal ingredients from his storage ring and placed them inside, one by one. The ingredients gradually melted and formed a liquid in the flames.

The entire process was fluid and captivating.

"This..."

The divine physician standing nearby stared at the scene, his eyes filled with disbelief and awe. The refining technique, known as "Thousand Threads Ten Thousand Flames," was an extremely rare fire control method that he had only heard about in historical records but had never witnessed.

He never imagined he would see it today.

With this fire control technique, even the most ferocious flames could be manipulated with ease, ensuring precise control over the heat. This meant that the "Shadow Emperor's Fortune" and other treasures could be preserved at the ideal temperature, preventing them from being burned to ashes. Instead, their melting point could be found, allowing them to retain the most medicinal properties while becoming liquid.

Furthermore, the spiritual energy emanating from this man when he suddenly appeared indicated that his cultivation was far superior to the physician's. The overwhelming spiritual energy seemed like something only found in the Immortal Realm...

This was an Immortal!

He was from the Immortal Realm, and the physician had no idea how this young man had such terrifying connections, allowing him to bring an Immortal to the Third Rank Continent for medicine refinement. But he knew one thing: if he could become this man's disciple and learn the "Thousand Threads Ten Thousand Flames" fire control technique, he would have an even greater opportunity in the future. This opportunity far surpassed the value of two million spirit stones.

Just then—

"It's done."

The old man, who had been seated in mid-air with his eyes closed, suddenly waved his hand, and the ten-thousand-jin cauldron on the ground was instantly retrieved by him. Only two smooth and radiant pills, emitting a bluish light, remained, slowly spinning in the air.

"The luck is quite good. This batch yielded two pills, Master Chen. Here you are."

Chen Qiu took the two pills, feeling as if they were works of art. He had to admit that he was completely clueless about medicine refinement; he didn't even know the basics.

Such skills were truly extraordinary.

On the back of each pill was a small character: "Bei."

The old man noticed Chen Qiu looking at the character he had inscribed on the pills and felt a bit embarrassed. "Forgive me, Master Chen, for making you laugh. I like to leave my name on the pills as a sort of anti-counterfeiting mark."

"My name is Lin Xiaobei."

"I hope you will continue to look after me in the future. If you could put in a good word for me with the Barbarian King, that would be even better."

"Lin Xiaobei?"

As soon as these words left his mouth, the divine physician standing nearby exclaimed in disbelief, "Are you the Lin Xiaobei from two thousand years ago? It is said that two thousand years ago, on the Fourth Rank Continent, the Jiang Taiping Continent, a peerless genius in medicine refinement appeared."

"He created countless medicinal formulas and produced pills with effects superior to the top-grade medicines on the market, without any side effects."

"Using medicine to enter the Dao, his disciples are spread across the world!"

"Later, historical records gradually stopped mentioning him, only stating that after reaching the peak in the mortal world, Lin Xiaobei ascended to the Immortal Realm. After that, news of him became scarce. I never imagined that you would be Lin Xiaobei."

". . ."

Lin Xiaobei turned to look at the divine physician and smiled lightly, "I didn't expect that after so many years, someone would still remember me. I can't claim to be a peerless genius in medicine refinement; I only know a little. There's no need to flatter me in front of Master Chen; I know my own abilities."

The divine physician was stunned and turned to look at Chen Qiu, who was standing nearby.

Even a fool could see that this young man had an astonishing network and status. But why had he never heard of this Master Chen before?

However, this wasn't the time to ponder such thoughts.

The divine physician took a deep breath and knelt down, his face sincere as he faced Lin Xiaobei, "Your humble junior here also became the top medicine refiner on the Fourth Rank Continent after you left. But I know that I am still far from your level. It was your departure that allowed me to have the opportunity to become the best."

"Here, I am willing to offer everything I have to become your disciple!"

"As long as you agree, from this day forward, all my possessions will be yours. I will not take a single penny, and I only hope to learn the true skills."

"Hehe."

Lin Xiaobei glanced at Chen Qiu, momentarily unsure of the relationship between Chen Qiu and the Dan Xiu, and didn't dare to be too neglectful. He simply shook his head and smiled, "Don't say that. You and I are in two different realms, what's the point of becoming a master?"

"Wait until you can ascend to the Immortal Realm, or when I contract Immortal Cancer and fall to the Fourth Tier Continent. Then we can discuss the matter of apprenticeship."

"Moreover..."

"Dan Xiu's opportunities are mostly snatched, rarely obtained through apprenticeship."

After saying this, Lin Xiaobei had no intention of lingering. Instead, he looked at Chen Qiu earnestly and said, "Master Chen, I have completed the task. If you have no other instructions, this old man will take his leave."

"Go ahead."

As he was leaving, the Divine Physician, still kneeling on the ground, spoke up again with a resentful expression, "Senior, Dan Xiu is not skilled in combat and cannot enter the Heavenly Dao Mystic Realm to seize opportunities. In such a situation, what other methods are there to obtain opportunities?"

At that moment—

Lin Xiaobei had already disappeared from the spot, leaving behind only a faint trail of sound in the air.

"The historical records don't seem to cover everything."

"I, Lin Xiaobei, was most famous for being a Dan Xiu and fighting against a hundred others at the entrance of the Ziling Secret Realm, slaughtering them all and returning unscathed, right?"

"As a Dan Xiu, if you don't cultivate additional skills, how can you compete with others for opportunities?"

Upon hearing these words, the Divine Physician's expression became dazed, and he stood in a trance for a while before staggering out. It seemed like he had suddenly realized something—he had rarely ventured into the Heavenly Dao Mystic Realm all this time.

Dan Xiu was never good at combat.

In battles, he relied on his followers, disciples, talismans, and array plates, but more often, he depended on the prestige and reputation he had accumulated over the years to suppress others.

These were his three axes, which were quite useful most of the time. However, when these axes became ineffective, he was like a lamb waiting to be slaughtered, with no other option but to sit and wait for death.

It turned out that

Dan Xiu also needed to possess their own combat power to continuously seize opportunities for themselves.

Being a pure Dan Xiu had no meaning unless they had the protection of a powerful force; otherwise, it was difficult to make progress.

".”

Bai Jia Jiuzhu sighed softly as he watched the Divine Physician's departing figure, "Let him go. This person doesn't have any ill intentions; he's just trying to take advantage of his unique position and ask for more money. It's understandable."

"After all, he previously helped my daughter with a diagnosis at the normal price."

"It wasn't easy to invite a Divine Physician from the Fourth Tier Continent back then; it took quite an effort."

"Let him go this time."

"Mhm."

Chen Qiu didn't say much more. He had no opinion on the matter; it was Bai Jia Jiuzhu's business, and he could handle it as he saw fit. Chen Qiu was merely an observer and would only intervene when necessary.

He simply tossed the two pills in his hand towards Bai Jia Jiuzhu.

"Here, take these two pills and keep them safe. First, take them to save your daughter."

Bai Jia Jiuzhu didn't say much either. After receiving the pills, he quickly retreated.

".”

Chen Qiu turned his head to gaze at the setting sun in the distance and yawned. Suddenly, he felt like returning to the Celestial Palace for a nap; he was feeling a bit tired. Normally, someone of his cultivation level shouldn't feel tired, but as the saying goes, sometimes ability and action don't align.

Just like how he could have stopped eating grains long ago, but occasionally, he still craved a bite of grain.

At that moment—

He suddenly received a telepathic message from Ba Dan.

"Master Chen, Lin Bei said that although he hasn't personally seen the patient, logically, a celestial illness like Immortal Cancer shouldn't appear on the First Rank Continent. It's a celestial illness that targets immortals and has nothing to do with mortals."

"The specific reason is unclear, but Lin Bei said it might be due to the Heavenly Dao rules becoming more chaotic and disorderly, or perhaps other reasons. Be cautious."

After receiving Ba Dan's message, Chen Qiu glanced at it and replied that he understood, then stopped reading. He had initially thought there might be some conspiracy behind the Bai family head's daughter contracting Immortal Cancer, but now it seemed there was no conspiracy at all. It was simply bad luck for the Bai family head's daughter to contract this illness.

The reason why mortals could also contract Immortal Cancer was that the Heavenly Dao rules had started to become more chaotic and disorderly.

It was similar to the sudden mass death of the entire Drunken Flower Manor.

After a few hundred breaths.

The Bai family head rushed out, his expression excited, "Master Chen, Master Chen, she's cured! Completely cured!"

However, just as he was about to rush out to report the good news to Chen Qiu and express his excitement, he realized that Chen Qiu and the others had already left without his knowledge. He held the storage ring he had just taken out, feeling a bit lost. He had wanted to express his gratitude, but now he was at a loss for what to do.

But soon.

His excitement overcame his confusion, and he didn't think further. He decided to express his gratitude later and continued rushing towards the backyard to embrace his daughter, who had finally recovered completely from her bad luck.

Could it be bad luck? Out of all the people in the Heaven-reaching Continent, only his daughter had the misfortune of contracting this celestial illness.

What terrible luck!

"If..."

In a desolate area of the Fourth Tier Continent, the Jiang Taiping Continent, at an unknown time, Lin Xiaobei appeared outside the Celestial Palace, his expression complex as he looked at Chen Qiu and the others, "Master Chen, if you had a button..."

"If you press this button, you will obtain one Spirit Stone, but the price is that a random person on this continent will die."

"Would you press it?"

After refining the pills for the Bai family, Lin Xiaobei had already returned to the Immortal Realm. However, he received another task from the Barbarian King, which required him to find Chen Qiu and convey his intentions. The Barbarian King would visit personally after finishing his current tasks.

So,

As a result, after parting ways with Chen Qiu and the others on the Third Rank Continent, they found themselves reunited on the Fourth Tier Continent.

"One Spirit Stone?"

Fat Dragon, sitting nearby, pondered for a moment and said, "Of course, but that's only if this continent has hundreds of millions of living beings. If there are only a few million or a few hundred thousand, then it's not worth it. The probability of randomly getting one for yourself is too high, and even if they all died, there wouldn't be that many Spirit Stones."

"Yes, that's right."

Lin Xiaobei looked at the group with a complex expression and said, "If there was such a button, I believe that almost everyone would press it. But recently, a First Rank Continent has suddenly been polluted."

"The entire world has undergone a tremendous change."

"The button I mentioned earlier, the Heavenly Dao gave each living being on this First Rank Continent one."

"Every..."

Fat Dragon quickly realized the seriousness of the matter, his mouth slowly agape, "What the hell? A nuclear weapon for everyone? Is he crazy? How can there be any survivors left on this continent?"

"Nuclear weapon?"

"In our hometown, we have a dialect term for a slingshot with immense power used to shoot down sparrows."

"I understand."

Lin Xiaobei nodded, his expression turning serious, "That's right, just as you thought. When all living beings received this button, many people subconsciously chose to press it to try it out, after all, the probability of it landing on themselves was too small."

"But when such a large number of people pressed the button, the probability increased significantly."

"On that day—"

"This continent was shrouded in blood-red fireworks, and the thick scent of blood dyed the entire sky red. Even the setting sun turned crimson. At the same time, countless Spirit Stones filled the entire continent."

"This news reached the High-Rank Immortal Realm."

"Now, in the Immortal Realm, there are people preparing to lead a team to this First Rank Continent to retrieve all the Spirit Stones. It will be a massive amount, numbering in the hundreds of millions. Such a vast quantity of Spirit Stones is an astronomical figure for any power."

"How can there only be hundreds of millions of Spirit Stones?" Fat Dragon asked in confusion, "There are hundreds of millions of living beings, so there should be at least six or seven hundred million, right?"

"No."

Lin Xiaobei shook his head, "First Rank Continents have an upper limit. The amount of spiritual energy they can contain is limited, and at most, they can only produce hundreds of millions of Spirit Stones at once. Spirit Stones are not created out of thin air, even in the Heavenly Dao."

"The current situation is that after sacrificing hundreds of millions of lives, hundreds of millions of Spirit Stones were obtained."

"Furthermore, due to the sudden excessive consumption of spiritual energy, the balance of this continent has been completely disrupted. It has entered a state of spiritual depletion, where no spiritual energy can be replenished within. If one does not leave the continent before the spiritual energy is exhausted, they will be trapped there until death."

"Not only that."

"Such intense fluctuations have also accelerated the collapse of this continent. At this moment, the underworld is wide open, and the sky is filled with sky caverns. It is on the verge of collapse, and it will only take a few days."

"Many powers in the Immortal Realm are preparing to go to this First Rank Continent to claim this fortune."

"Although the situation is dangerous, if they can successfully bring out the Spirit Stones, it will be a terrifying wealth."

---

After half a day of silence, Chen Qiu finally spoke softly, "It's indeed a fortune built on the blood of others. So, Ba Dan sent you to me, hoping I can help?"

"I'm hoping for your assistance, Master Chen."

Lin Xiaobei felt a bit embarrassed and said, "This First Rank Continent is on the verge of collapse. Therefore, only those with a cultivation level below the Body Integration Stage can enter. Those with higher cultivation levels, no matter how strong, cannot step in."

"Each power is preparing to send their most talented disciples at the Body Integration Stage. With your strength, Master Chen, no one can match you at the same cultivation level."

He truly felt awkward saying this, as the situation sounded a bit like extortion. No one would willingly go to such a dangerous place.

At this moment, Ba Dan, who had been secretly hiding in the air, could no longer remain unseen. With an embarrassed expression, he descended from the sky and landed in front of Chen Qiu, saying in a hushed voice, "Master Chen, forget it. This is a bit inappropriate."

Chen Qiu was indeed the most suitable candidate, as no one could match his cultivation level.

But...

He still owed Chen Qiu a great debt of gratitude, and now Ba Dan was asking for another favor, which felt strange.

"No problem."

Chen Qiu suddenly turned to Ba Dan and smiled, "We're friends, and helping each other is only natural. But how should we divide the Spirit Stones?"

Ba Dan, seeing Chen Qiu's agreement, became excited and delighted, raising three fingers and saying in a trembling voice, "Regardless of how many Spirit Stones we bring out, we'll divide them 70-30. You take 70%, and I'll take 30%!"

"Master Chen..."

"In fact, you should get a larger share, as all the danger will be on your side. But I've just taken over the Maan Clan and urgently need a large amount of Spirit Stones."

"I understand."

Chen Qiu nodded and continued, "How will I get there?"

"I'll personally take you there."

Ba Dan quickly placed his palm on the ground, allowing Chen Qiu to step onto his palm, and then put him on his shoulder. He took out a large map from his chest and explained, "This First Rank Continent is not in the same series as our Fourth Tier Continent, Jiang Taiping Continent. So, it's a bit complicated to get there."

"To be precise, it's not in the series of the Fourth Tier Continent, Jiang Taiping Continent, but it is in our Immortal Realm series. We can travel there from the Immortal Realm, and I'll take you there."

"However..."

"This continent is on the verge of collapse and may crumble at any moment. Once the continent collapses, even the strongest cultivators will find it difficult to survive. It's a phenomenon that erases time and space, and no individual can stop it."

"We must escape the continent before it officially collapses, or death is certain."

"So, I've prepared two treasures for you."

"The first treasure is the Spirit Absorption Stone. This treasure can attract all the Spirit Stones that have fallen within a few dozen li around you and are not yet occupied by others, directly into your embrace. It's a tool used in Spirit Stone mines, and mine is an extremely high-quality version with an extended attraction range."

"In this First Rank Continent."

"Although many Spirit Stones have been scattered, they are all on the ground, and it's impossible to pick them up one by one. It would waste so much time. This item can efficiently help you obtain more Spirit Stones in a short time."

"The second treasure is a Teleportation Talisman. The one in your hand is the secondary talisman, and the one in mine is the primary one. As long as you infuse it with spiritual energy, you can instantly teleport to my side, allowing you to quickly escape this continent."

"This continent has already fallen into a spiritless state. Once the spiritual energy is exhausted, it will be difficult to replenish it through inefficient means like Spirit Stones and restorative pills. It can no longer absorb the spiritual energy from heaven and earth, which also means it's not suitable for prolonged battles."

"You must pay attention to these two points."

Ba Dan paused for a moment before continuing, "Be cautious of others."

"At that time, the entire continent will turn into a slaughterhouse. By killing others, you can seize the Spirit Stones they've collected. This is a great opportunity, so the benefits are naturally significant, but the dangers are also not to be underestimated."

"Mhm."

Chen Qiu nodded without speaking. He sat in the rocking chair, lightly tapping his fingers on the armrest, deep in thought. He was indeed tempted. He genuinely needed a substantial amount of Spirit Stones for his cultivation.

Although he currently possessed a considerable number of Spirit Stones, enough to sustain him for a long time, the Bai Family had been very generous in their support.

But as the saying goes, those who receive gifts are often the passive party. After receiving the Bai Family Patriarch's gift, he felt somewhat embarrassed to continue relying solely on the Bai Family. It would be best to have some of his own resources and savings.

Therefore, he almost had to go to this First Rank Continent.

So many unclaimed Spirit Stones were waiting for someone with the right opportunity to collect them. This chance might not come again.

"Have the other forces already departed?"

"No."

Ba Dan shook his head. "That continent is on the verge of collapse. It's currently inaccessible, but it's estimated that after a day, it will return to calmness, similar to the calm before a storm, or perhaps a final glimmer of light."

"This period will likely last for half a day."

"After that, the continent will completely collapse. So, all the major forces are currently preparing and waiting. Once the continent returns to calmness after a day, they will send people in. At that time, everyone will have half a day to act."

"In this half-day, the number of Spirit Stones one can collect will be theirs to keep."

"Moreover, for some reason, news of this operation has leaked out, attracting many cultivators below the Body Integration Stage who are eager to follow the sect forces. They've offered a 30-70 split, where they take 30% and the sects take 70%."

"After all, without following these sect forces, they wouldn't have the means to reach the First Rank Immortal Realm."

"This time, everyone is following a few sect forces, so they'll have to share the profits with those sects."

"The Maan Clan doesn't need to. They are leading the way, and I have the means to freely travel to the Lower Rank Continents."

"Mhm."

Chen Qiu nodded. "I'll make some preparations. You must have many other matters to attend to, so go and handle them. See you tomorrow."

After sending off the two, Chen Qiu turned to Fat Dragon and asked, "Fat Dragon, if you had this button, would you press it?"

"Of course I would!"

"I mean, if everyone on this continent had such a button, would you still press it?"

"I'd still press it!" Fat Dragon's expression turned serious. "Brother Chen Qiu, think about it. Whether I press it or not, if others press it, I'll still bear the risk. So, it's better to share the risk."

"Why should I bear the greatest risk alone?"

"Moreover, if the world truly descends into such chaos and disorder, an early death might be a relief."

Although Fat Dragon's words seemed to lack empathy, he genuinely felt that way. He sighed and said, "I've realized that the most miserable ones are these polluted continents, and I finally understand what a polluted continent is."

"The Heavenly Dao of this continent has completely descended into chaos and disorder."

"It's entirely different from a normal continent."

"Some completely uncontrollable accidents have occurred. If the chaos were in a harmless continent like the Heaven-reaching Continent, it might still function normally. But in the case of the First Rank Continent we're about to visit, it's a matter of continental collapse and the death of countless lives."

"I always thought that polluted continents were determined long ago. I didn't expect there to be a newly polluted continent."

"The Evergreen Continent."

Chen Qiu learned about this continent from Ba Dan and then contacted the Millstone, the Deceptive Buddha, to inquire about the situation in the Evergreen Continent.

Perhaps this Deceptive Buddha would have a clearer understanding of the Evergreen Continent.

After all, for the Demon Clan, the lower-tier continents were places they frequently visited. Many Demon Clan members resided in these lower-tier continents, and only a few had managed to climb to the higher-tier continents.

The Deceptive Buddha quickly responded.

"The Evergreen Continent? The entire Demon Clan is currently having a team-building activity there. Why do you ask?"

"What are you doing there?"

"Collecting Spirit Stones, of course."

"But isn't this continent on the verge of collapse and currently inaccessible? How did you manage to get in early?"

"We, the Deceptive Buddhas, can freely teleport items and beings across continents. Don't you remember? I've got to go; we're busy collecting Spirit Stones. There are too many to collect!"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end