Chapter 61
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Chapter 61: Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures
The battle in the valley had begun.
On the left, Gongsun Sheng drew his sword and unleashed a fierce sword technique. On the right, Nan Gong Yao was not to be outdone and countered with his blade. It was a clash of titans; both fought with equal skill, and the energy from their blades stirred the air, causing soil to cascade down the valley walls.
The watching cultivators instinctively stepped back, wary of being caught in the crossfire.
Ming He watched intently, unable to tear her gaze away from the dazzling interplay of blade light and sword shadows. The two exchanged blows, each strike bringing them closer to determining the victor.
Both sustained injuries, but as the fight wore on, it became clear that Gongsun Sheng had the upper hand. He held his sword against Nan Gong Yao’s throat, his tone calm yet firm, “You’ve lost.”
“Hmph.” Nan Gong Yao let out a cold laugh, ignoring the sword at his neck. “A fickle-hearted man like you is worthy of marrying Su Su?”
“That’s none of your concern.” Gongsun Sheng retorted indifferently, sheathing his sword and stepping past him.
Nan Gong Yao’s eyes flickered. In a flash, he landed a powerful punch to Gongsun Sheng’s abdomen, deftly snatching his storage ring before darting away. “Thank you for your mercy, Young Master Gongsun!”
“You scoundrel!” Gongsun Sheng roared, immediately giving chase.
Ming He… Ming He felt a pang of restlessness as she stood there, watching the duel between the two esteemed Young Masters. A match was one thing, but deadly moves were unnecessary; after all, the noble families had inherited their legacies for thousands of years, and it was rare for them to do anything that might irreparably sour their relationship.
Chang Sun Su.
She noted the name and turned to leave, heading in the opposite direction. Someone behind her shouted, “Sword Cultivator in Blue, stop!”
Ignoring the call, Ming He continued forward. She had chosen the eastern path, towards the Eastern Region and Dongfeng City. Following this line of thought, she was certain she would find the disciple token.
“Hey, Friend Sword Cultivator, wait up!” A bright, slightly anxious voice called from behind. When Ming He showed no signs of stopping, the voice rushed ahead, blocking her path. “Friend, please pause.”
“What is it?” Ming He replied flatly.
“I am Yu Wen Xi. Friend, we’ve met before. Do you remember?” The young man’s expression brightened. “At the auction in Baiyu Building in Ding Kang City. I remember your voice; you were in the private room next to mine…”
“What do you want?” Ming He interrupted impatiently.
“I wanted to ask about the woman in white.” Yu Wen Xi hesitated, his voice tinged with uncertainty. “I wanted to save her, but I didn’t have enough spirit stones.” He had waited outside Baiyu Building for Ming He and Bai Mengjiao, hoping to at least see them, but like those who had attempted to ambush Ming He to kidnap Bai Mengjiao, he had also waited in vain.
“She’s alive.” Ming He replied succinctly, walking past him.
“That’s good to hear.” Yu Wen Xi sighed in relief, then continued to follow her. “Can you tell me more about the woman in white?”
“She’s alive, her injuries are half-healed, and she is conscious.” Ming He spoke as she walked, “When I last saw her, she was fine.” At least, she believed Bai Mengjiao was fine.
Ming He conveniently ignored the wounds her dagger had inflicted and spoke with unwavering confidence.
“Oh.” Yu Wen Xi seemed momentarily dazed but reflexively kept pace with her.
Ming He stopped. “Why are you following me?” Did he think she carried a token? She narrowed her eyes, assessing the possibility of defeating the young man before her.
Xuan Wei Sixth Level, hailing from a noble clan, would likely be a tough opponent.
Ming He glanced at the storage ring at his waist, her tone light but pointed.
“Since you saved the woman in white, you are my benefactor. I wish to follow you to repay this debt.” Yu Wen Xi declared firmly.
“Repay me?” Ming He laughed. “Then hand over your storage ring!”
“Ah?” Yu Wen Xi was clearly taken aback by her directness, momentarily frozen in place.
“Friend, Young Master Yu Wen, of the Yu Wen clan, surely you don’t think all the cultivators outside are easily fooled?” Ming He’s expression was a mix of amusement and seriousness. “State your intentions, or I’ll make a move.” She placed her hand lightly on the hilt of her sword, poised for action.
“Friend, you are indeed exceptional.” After securing the mermaid at Baiyu Building and evading the watchful eyes of the cultivators, how could she be anything but extraordinary?
“Is your cultivation also fake, Friend?” Yu Wen Xi spoke with certainty. He had no reason to believe someone at the Third Level of Xuan Wei Realm would dare draw a sword before him.
“My purpose is simple.” He met Ming He’s cold gaze and spoke calmly, “I wish to collaborate with you.”
“Collaborate?” Ming He turned to leave. “I have no need for that.”
“Do you know there’s a distinction among the hundred disciple tokens?” Yu Wen Xi’s voice called out from behind her. “Are you aware that the third round of the Small Dragon and Tiger Rankings arena match will feature fifty young talents participating in the ranking battle? Do you realize that the level of the tokens influences the rankings? Do you understand the benefits of being ranked in the Small Dragon and Tiger Rankings? You seem completely unaware of all this, aren’t you?”
Yu Wen Xi saw Ming He pause in her steps and smiled. “I know all of this. I can share the details with you if you agree to cooperate.”
“Why seek my collaboration?” Ming He leaned against a tree trunk, squinting her eyes lazily.
“Because you are extraordinary.” Yu Wen Xi’s eyes were serious. “You exude a strong presence, and I might not be able to defeat you.”
“Cooperate to find the tokens?” Ming He repeated.
Yu Wen Xi’s expression brightened, sensing her agreement. “Yes, we’ll cooperate to find the tokens. Rest assured, the first token will be yours.” He believed that together their strength would certainly secure a second token.
“Alright.” Ming He agreed crisply and began walking east. As they walked, she asked Yu Wen Xi, “About the questions you raised earlier, I want to know the answers. Please enlighten me.”
“Gladly,” Yu Wen Xi said with a light smile. “Aren’t you a cultivator from the Eastern Region’s main state?” The Eastern Region was indeed the First Continent.
“No, I’m not.” Ming He did not deny it.
“Then that explains it.” Yu Wen Xi didn’t press her for details about her background and continued, “The second round of the Small Dragon and Tiger Rankings ranking battle is the Secret Realm Trial, as it has been in previous years, but it wasn’t held in Tian Cang Secret Realm before.”
Ming He frowned, not understanding. “What makes Tian Cang Secret Realm different from others?”
“Of course it’s different. Tian Cang Secret Realm is the first secret realm under the domain lord’s mansion of the Eastern Region. The opportunities and spiritual energy within it far surpass those of other secret realms; it is a chance given to cultivators by the domain lord’s mansion.”
“Do you know there are one hundred disciple tokens in this secret realm? The cultivators who acquire these tokens can participate in the third round of the arena match for the ranking battle. But did you know that at least half of the token holders will fall off the list? Only half of the one hundred can be ranked,” Yu Wen Xi explained patiently.
“Why?” Ming He asked, genuinely confused. The Small Dragon and Tiger Rankings take one hundred participants, and the secret realm had one hundred tokens. She observed the tokens belonged to cultivators below the Dust Dispersal stage, indicating that Tian Cang Secret Realm was a screening ground for the Young Tiger List.
Logically, the third round should be a contest for rankings; no one should be sidelined.
“Because the major sects and noble families have slots to directly enter the third round. Those who receive these slots don’t need to participate in the first two rounds of trials; they can directly enter the ranking battle with a foot-long dragon energy.”
Yu Wen Xi spoke with envy, “The total number of slots available to directly enter the ranking battle is fifty. Generally, the young talents from major sects and noble families are not to be underestimated, so at most, only fifty of the one hundred token holders can be on the list.”
Direct participation in the third round.
Ming He nodded, understanding this. Unwritten rules are everywhere, and this was not her first encounter with them. “So the opportunities in Tian Cang Secret Realm are gifts from the domain lord’s mansion to those participating in the second round of trials, helping them become stronger, thus qualifying to compete for the slots in the Small Dragon and Tiger Rankings held by noble families?”
“Friend, you are indeed clever.” Yu Wen Xi nodded. If he fought hard in his clan, he could also obtain a direct slot into the third round, but he chose to rely on himself to reach the third round. Fortunately, his choice was the right one.
“All one hundred tokens contain a strand of dragon energy. There are three types of tokens: black, white, and gold, with gold being the best.”
“Is it because the gold tokens contain the most dragon energy?” Ming He asked while bending down to pluck a spirit herb and placed it in her storage ring.
“Yes,” Yu Wen Xi replied as he sighed, drawing his sword to block the spirit herb while defending against an attack from a beast. Together, they ended the beast’s life and continued to butcher its corpse.
Seven days later, Ming He skillfully picked a juicy spirit fruit from a tree, while Yu Wen Xi similarly pierced a silver snake sticking its tongue out with his sword, extracting its gallbladder.
“Friend Ming He, are you sure we should keep searching in this direction?” Yu Wen Xi sheathed his sword and wiped his hands. They had been searching for tokens for seven days, collecting quite a few spirit herbs, spirit fruits, spirit liquids, and elixirs, as well as an increasing amount of demon cores, yet they hadn’t seen a single token.
While he found Ming He’s reasoning sound, the spiritual energy grew thinner the further they traveled. The spirit plants were becoming rarer and lower in rank.
“I’m sure.” Ming He’s eyes shone brightly as she looked ahead. “What do you see up there?”
“What?” Yu Wen Xi looked up in puzzlement, then gaped in disbelief.
Before them stood towering trees and swirling spiritual mist, but behind the trees was a waterfall. This was no ordinary waterfall; the cascade was not water but beams of bright light. The lights fell into the rushing river and quickly vanished, only for new beams of light to flow out almost immediately.
That radiant glow was… Yu Wen Xi’s eyes widened, his heart quickening. It was the Nine-Colored Lotus, Glazed Blue Grass, and Moonlight Star Leaves—heavenly materials and earthly treasures he had only read about in ancient texts.
Now, they were right before his eyes, tangible and within reach!
“Friend Ming He…” He turned to share his discovery, only to find her gone. Ming He had already darted toward the waterfall and seized a beam of bright light while he was lost in thought.
In an instant, the light dissipated, revealing a delicate, crystalline petal resting in Ming He’s fair palm. The petal was pure white, exuding a faint icy aura—it was an Ice Petal.
According to the “Record of Three Thousand Spirit Herbs” from the family’s scripture repository, the Ice Petal grows deep within the Southern Region’s vast glaciers. Obtaining it allows one to grasp the profound mysteries of the Great Path, enhance comprehension and cultivation, and even consolidate the true essence of ice, significantly boosting one’s strength. It was an exceedingly rare treasure.
The flower blooms with nine petals, and though Ming He held only one, it was an extraordinary stroke of fortune. If word spread, she would undoubtedly become a target.
Yu Wen Xi steadied his breath and stepped closer, eagerly reaching for another beam of light bursting from the waterfall. But his reflexes failed him; the light grazed his arm and vanished into the river.
He glanced down and realized the river was Xuan Ming Deep Water, known for its immense gravity and corrosive effect on spiritual energy. Retrieving the lost treasure was impossible.
Ming He, unfazed by Yu Wen Xi’s dismay, focused on another beam of light. With a graceful leap, she caught it firmly. As the light faded, it revealed a small porcelain bottle, likely containing a pill.
A pleased smile crossed her lips as she stored the bottle, her gaze returning to the waterfall. “Friend, what about the opportunities to the east?”
Yu Wen Xi was too preoccupied to respond, still striving to catch another beam of light before it vanished into the river. After a moment, he finally secured a dark yet lustrous spirit herb and replied, “Friend Ming He, your wisdom surpasses mine.”
He suspected Ming He concealed her true cultivation level, yet he felt he might be slightly stronger. Still, her effortless handling of the beams of light made their disparity clear.
He couldn’t match her.
Yu Wen Xi watched as Ming He seized another beam of light, a flicker of envy in his heart. But it was merely envy; he understood that opportunities were shared, and one’s gains depended on their own skill. There was no room for jealousy.
“Friend, is this the white disciple token you mentioned?” Ming He asked, holding the bright light. A strange thought crossed her mind—she had always assumed treasure hunting in the secret realm involved life-and-death struggles and fierce competition. Yet here she was, finding a token with such ease.
Am I not the main character? Ming He reflected on their journey and the treasures they’d acquired, feeling a quiet satisfaction. Not being the main character had its perks—gaining wealth discreetly without drawing unwanted attention was truly marvelous.
“Yes,” Yu Wen Xi replied, eyeing the pure white token in her hand, which emitted a faint dragon’s roar. He couldn’t help but marvel at her luck. With a mix of envy and determination, he grasped the next beam of light, only to find a black disciple token.
Yu Wen Xi… Yu Wen Xi broke into a wide grin. “Friend Ming He, I’ve got a token too!” He proudly displayed his find. Though it wasn’t white, it was still a valuable prize.
In the Tian Cang Secret Realm, thousands vied for a mere hundred tokens. He hadn’t been overly confident, knowing not all tokens might be found.
Ming He couldn’t help but smile lightly at his enthusiasm, though she found his joy a bit naive. “Congratulations, Friend.”
“Congratulations to you as well!” Yu Wen Xi’s smile deepened, his excitement palpable. “Let’s stay by the waterfall and wait for more opportunities.”
With tokens secured and bright lights still emerging, they could remain until the secret realm closed a month later, naturally transporting them out while amassing more treasures.
Just as Ming He was about to agree, her expression shifted. “I’m afraid it won’t be that simple.”
Someone had arrived.
“Big Brother, look! There’s a waterfall over there.”
“That is…” another voice paused, brimming with excitement. “Heavenly materials and earthly treasures! Second Brother, hurry, let’s investigate.”
Ming He’s gaze sharpened as two figures emerged from behind the towering trees. One had a rugged, scarred face, while the other was strikingly handsome, with an almost feminine beauty.
The two rushed forward, snatching a beam of bright light, but with a careless flick of their wrists, the light slipped away and sank into the river.
So close, yet lost.
Ming He and Yu Wen Xi, now seasoned in their task, swiftly caught another beam of light and stored it in their storage rings. They resumed their vigil, knowing that every hour, four or five beams of light would emerge. Four had already appeared, so the next would come in about an hour.
“Hand over your storage rings,” one of the newcomers demanded, brandishing a weapon, his tone menacing.
“Killing for treasures!” Ming He and Yu Wen Xi exchanged glances, and in each other’s eyes, they saw the inevitability of it—this was no rare occurrence, but rather a common hazard, clearly not reserved for protagonists alone.
Ming He let out a sharp cry and unsheathed her sword. “Then let’s fight and see who takes whose treasures.”
“Friend Ming He, I’ll take the one on the left,” Yu Wen Xi declared, stepping forward with determination.
Ming He hesitated briefly. The two young men who had just arrived were at the Fourth Level of Xuan Wei and the Sixth Level, respectively. Yu Wen Xi had chosen the stronger one, leaving the weaker for her.
“Fine,” Ming He agreed. With a flick of her wrist, she executed Liu Yun Dance, effortlessly dodging the blade of the unsightly youth and pressing her sword to his throat. “Hand over your storage ring.”
“Alright, I’ll give it to you,” the young man muttered, his face twisted in frustration as he handed over the ring. Ming He promptly kicked him away.
Meanwhile, Yu Wen Xi had also concluded his battle, securing a storage ring of his own. “There’s bound to be more people coming,” he remarked.
They chose not to kill the two men. Having taken their storage rings, the pair would undoubtedly seek revenge.
“Why not kill them?” Ming He asked Yu Wen Xi.
“It’s unnecessary,” Yu Wen Xi replied. He felt no need for it, nor did he wish to take their lives, even though he knew full well that defeat could mean death at their hands.
Ming He smiled faintly; for the first time, she felt she might have found a reliable partner. “Then let’s wait a little longer for another wave of bright lights, and then we’ll leave.”
“My footwork is excellent,” Ming He added. “What about yours?”
“Not bad either,” Yu Wen Xi chuckled. “In life-and-death situations, we’ll just have to escape together.”
“Agreed.”
…
An hour later.
Ming He and Yu Wen Xi had each collected two beams of bright light, but their expressions turned grim as a large, aggressive group approached.
“Friend, let’s split up and escape,” Ming He said, forcing a smile as she turned to face the oncoming threat.
Ahead of them loomed a dark mass of figures, at least several dozen strong, led by a man radiating a formidable aura—clearly at the Eighth Level of Xuan Wei, a level that typically secured a place on the Young Tiger List.
“Friend, is this the only opportunity in the Tian Cang Secret Realm?” Ming He asked, baffled.
“I don’t know,” Yu Wen Xi replied, shaking his head in frustration. Both he and Ming He had expected no more than a dozen pursuers, and certainly not someone of such high cultivation. The bright light from the waterfall was indeed extraordinary, but the Tian Cang Secret Realm was vast, with countless opportunities. This was the easternmost edge; it made no sense for so many to abandon other resources just to ambush them.
“Hand over the golden tokens,” the man in red attire, wielding a curved knife, interrupted their conversation.
Golden tokens? Ming He instinctively retorted, “We don’t have any golden tokens.”
“Hmph!” The red-clothed man sneered. “Impossible. Yin San said he saw you holding golden tokens. Hand them over. You can keep the heavenly materials and earthly treasures; I only want those two tokens.”
Yin San? Ming He’s eyes narrowed as she spotted the young man at the back of the crowd, his lips curled in a sinister smile—the same one Yu Wen Xi had defeated earlier.
Spreading lies? A cold realization washed over Ming He; she had been too naïve to think sparing their lives would prevent retaliation. She exchanged a glance with Yu Wen Xi, seeing the same icy resolve in his eyes.
There was no explaining their way out of this. The red-clothed man might not want the heavenly materials and earthly treasures, but others in the group surely would.
Escape separately.
Ming He tapped her toes lightly, activating Phantom Steps. Her form flickered as she leaped into the treetops, swiftly putting distance between herself and the scene. Yu Wen Xi did the same. “Ming He, head west; there are relatives of the Yu Wen clan there.”
“Can we escape?” The red-clothed man had already reached the treetops, slashing toward them with a wave of knife energy that cleaved the massive tree beneath them in two.
With the tree collapsing, Ming He and Yu Wen Xi had no choice but to dash across the ground, pursued relentlessly by the other cultivators. The red-clothed man landed ahead of them, blocking their path.
“Hand over the golden tokens!” he demanded coldly, his grip tightening on the curved knife.
“Friend, go ahead!” Yu Wen Xi hesitated for a moment before turning back, drawing his sword to confront the approaching cultivator. His aura sharpened, revealing his true cultivation level—Seventh Level of Xuan Wei.
He had been hiding his strength.
“I am the Fourth Young Master of the Yu Wen clan! If you kill me, prepare for the destruction of your clan!” Yu Wen Xi roared, summoning his spiritual energy as he swung his sword.
Seizing the moment, Ming He leaped onto another towering tree, propelling herself over ten miles away. Glancing back, she saw the other cultivators falter at Yu Wen Xi’s declaration, but the red-clothed man remained undeterred, striking Yu Wen Xi with his knife and forcing him back. The man stood ready, unshaken by the threat of clan retaliation.
“The two golden tokens are with me!” Ming He shouted at the red-clothed cultivator before turning to flee.
Hearing her words, the red-clothed man abandoned Yu Wen Xi without hesitation, giving chase.
Ming He blinked, the cold wind whipping past her ears as she ran like an arrow shot from a bow, fleeing for her life. If caught this time, she would surely die.
So thrilling!
