Volume 10, Chapter 687 – Golden Fate Blossoms (Part 2)

In the cultivation world, strength commands respect. Qi Huang had already naturally taken on the role of the team’s leader, so no one dared oppose her and could only follow as she led the group forward.

Several female disciples from the Honghua Sect took the opportunity to bring out their Cat’s Tears for use. Since they were only at the Body Refining Realm, without this item they would be unable to see spirits and ghosts, which would make the experience far less thrilling.

Qi Huang’s reasoning proved sound. The twenty or so girls who had consumed Golden Fate Blossom seeds advanced in groups, and the fragrance in the surrounding air grew thick and lingering, refusing to dissipate.

Qi Huang took out a stack of talisman papers from her spatial ring and handed them out, explaining: “Although you already have protective talismans, those mainly serve to deter malevolent spirits and cannot defend against direct, physical attacks. Only with these body-protecting talismans attuned to the early Heavenly Tribulation Realm can we ensure absolute safety.”

“Heavenly Tribulation Realm?”

The girls were overjoyed upon hearing this and eagerly accepted the talismans.

“Teacher, may I have one as well?”

Elder Kang, who was walking beside her, pleaded humbly. Although his cultivation had reached the fourth layer of the Divine Realm, in this Kapok Valley Treasure Land, that meant nothing.

“I’ll reward you with one!”

Qi Huang generously tossed one to him. After all, she still needed him as a guide and, more importantly, needed him to return later to “report” on her actions, she couldn’t let him die here so easily.

After receiving the talisman, Elder Kang immediately activated it and found that it indeed formed an impregnable Heavenly Tribulation-level divine sense shield. Astonished, he exclaimed: “I didn’t expect Teacher, at such a young age, to have already reached the Heavenly Tribulation Realm! Compared to you, that newly appointed Holy Maiden of the Huarong Sect is nothing but rubbish! You are the true unrivaled prodigy of the cultivation world!”

Qi Huang’s lips twitched upon hearing this. She really wanted to slap this old fool, but as the saying goes, one shouldn’t strike a smiling face. Considering his flattering words, she decided to spare his “old dog life”.

“By the way, what does this Lightning Hawk look like?”

Qi Huang shifted the topic.

“Indeed,” Yun Fei chimed in from the side, “since we need to find the Lightning Hawk to locate the Golden Fate Blossoms, we should at least know its appearance. Otherwise, even if we encounter it, we might not recognize it.”

“Not a problem, I have a drawing here.”

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Elder Kang took out a portrait from his spatial ring and handed it to Qi Huang.

Qi Huang examined the painting carefully. The Lightning Hawk looked very similar to an ordinary eagle, except its beak and talons were noticeably longer, giving it a much more ferocious appearance.

“This just looks like a normal eagle. Old man, you’re not trying to trick us, are you?”

Tang Yuning, the hot-tempered little chili pepper, leaned in for a glance and immediately snapped.

“I’ve been wronged! How would I dare deceive Teacher?”

Elder Kang waved his hands frantically and explained in detail: “The depiction might resemble an ordinary eagle, but in reality, it’s entirely different. Once fully grown, its size is comparable to a human, with a wingspan over three meters. Its feathers are smooth like forged iron and can reflect sunlight, so when it soars through the sky, it looks just like a bolt of lightning streaking past—that’s how it got its name. Moreover, it has razor-sharp teeth and a deadly beak, making it many times stronger and far more dangerous than any common eagle.”

“So that’s how it is!”

The girls nodded instinctively.

Qi Huang then cleared out a larger spatial ring and instructed the group: “If we encounter danger, I’ll temporarily place you all inside the spatial ring. Don’t panic or frighten yourselves. The same goes for when we chase the Lightning Hawk. Understand?”

“Understood!”

The girls nodded in unison.

As they continued deeper, the surrounding Yin energy grew increasingly dense, and the soil on the ground gradually shifted toward a golden hue. This, Qi Huang knew, was precisely why the Kapok Valley Treasure Land was capable of nurturing so many spirit herbs and medicines.

“This soil is truly remarkable,” Jin Xue, whose cultivation had reached the late Incarnation Realm, remarked with awe. “Even though my divine sense is compressed to just a few meters by the Yin energy, the soil itself remains completely unaffected.”

“That’s because Kapok Valley is one of the rarest Heaven-grade Feng Shui sites on the entire cultivation continent,” Elder Kang explained in detail. “It constantly draws spiritual energy from the heavens and earth, concentrating it here. That’s why the soil can resist the corrosion of Yin energy and has become the most fertile Golden Soil.”

“I see.”

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Jin Xue nodded in understanding.

Qi Huang led the group forward, using her divine sense to constantly survey their surroundings, eliminating potential threats while also searching for traces of the Lightning Hawk.

As they advanced, they occasionally encountered weak evil spirits, which the Honghua Sect disciples eagerly used as practice targets.

Further ahead, the Yin energy became so thick it condensed into mist, visible to the naked eye, shrouding everything in a dreamlike haze.

Naturally, as the land grew more fertile and sunlight barely reached the ground, spirit herbs became more plentiful, though most were of relatively low grade.

“Take whichever spirit herbs you like along the way,” Qi Huang instructed, “and whatever you collect will be yours. But I have two rules: first, do not stray more than thirty feet from me; second, do not delay our journey. If anyone disobeys, I’ll toss her straight into the spatial ring. Understood?”

“Understood!”

The girls were delighted and immediately began harvesting spirit herbs along the path.

“She’s actually letting us freely gather herbs? She’s even more generous than my parents!”

“Exactly! Luckily I was smart enough to follow her.”

“Ha! Don’t flatter yourself. Back then, did you even have another choice? You should be grateful she’s beautiful and kind-hearted!”

“Well, when we get out of here, I’ll even lick her boots to show my devotion! I call dibs on her right foot, no one fight me for it.”

“Then I’ll lick her left foot!”

“I’ll lick her hands.”

“I’ll lick her cheeks.”

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“Her cheeks are already clean. Why would you lick them?”

“Then I’ll smudge them first and lick them after. There’s always a way!”

The girls chatted in low voices as they gathered herbs.

Hearing this, Qi Huang shivered slightly, silently thinking that their conversations were getting increasingly strange.

The Honghua Sect disciples, however, remained indifferent. They munched on melon seeds as they observed their surroundings curiously, like newborn babies, unconcerned with the low-grade herbs. They had received plenty of high-quality ones from Qi Huang already.

“Junior Sister, could you lend me your Shadow-Retaining Mirror?”

Ruan Lingyu suddenly requested.

“What for?”

Qi Huang asked, puzzled.

“Since we’re in a place like this, it’d be a shame not to take a few pictures as souvenirs.”

Ruan Lingyu explained earnestly.

“Souvenirs?”

Elder Kang nearly collapsed when he heard this. To him, this was one of the most dangerous places in the entire cultivation world.

“Yes! Otherwise, when we return, people will think we’re exaggerating!”

Shen Yuan eagerly agreed.

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“Stop messing around!”

Cheng Hongling scolded sternly.

“It’s fine. I’m here.”

Qi Huang reassured calmly, handing over the Shadow-Retaining Mirror to Ruan Lingyu.

Ruan Lingyu beamed and quickly started fiddling with it while the other senior sisters crowded around excitedly.

“You really spoil them,” Cheng Hongling said, glaring at Qi Huang.

As time passed, the Yin energy around them thickened further, visibility dropping to less than ten feet. Even cultivators at the Incarnation Realm could only extend their divine sense about thirty feet, and spirit herbs grew sparse again.

Noticing the growing danger, the girls quickly regrouped around Qi Huang for safety.

“Stay close,” Qi Huang warned. Though confident in her strength, she would never risk the lives of those closest to her.

Qi Huang continued scanning the surroundings as they advanced. Her divine sense still covered several dozen miles, but she knew that any cultivator at or above the Heavenly Tribulation Realm could cross that distance in just a breath or two, she couldn’t afford to relax.

Suddenly, she detected an unusual circular area a few miles ahead.

The place was about a third of a mile wide, with far thinner Yin energy and sunlight piercing through, making it stand out starkly against the oppressive surroundings. Because of this, lush vegetation covered the ground, including many rare and precious spirit herbs.

Qi Huang’s mouth nearly watered at the sight, but she knew that anything this abnormal was bound to be dangerous. She focused her divine sense carefully and soon discovered a Golden Skeleton buried beneath the ground within that area. It was constantly absorbing the surrounding Yin energy, creating this clear patch of land.

“So this is what they call a Sunlit Zone, huh?”

Qi Huang murmured thoughtfully. She then swept everyone into her spatial ring and soared toward the area. After all, it was only a Golden Skeleton, equivalent in strength to a Golden Zombie, posing no real threat to her now.