Chapter 152: Chapter 152: Picking Herbs in the Forbidden Area
The orange-red sunset covered the vibrant green bamboo forest, creating a patchwork of colors.
A thick murderous intent gradually spread with the wind.
"Who sent you to kill me?"
Surrounded by men clad in warrior attire, Shi Xiaole questioned.
The man leading the group, a broad-faced, short-bearded middle-aged man, laughed and said, "I never answer the questions of the dead. Attack!"
Leaves rustled on the ground as fifteen men either threw punches or drew swords, producing gusts of wind that targeted Shi Xiaole.
Among these fifteen men, thirteen were at the sixth level of the Qi Absorption Realm. The remaining two were Horizontal Practice Martial Artists in the Qi Absorption Realm, neither weaker than the others.
Most importantly, these men were using an Array System that combined internal and external power. The destructive power it displayed far exceeded that of many peak fighters at the sixth level of the Qi Absorption Realm and was even close to those on the seventh level.
"Overestimating yourselves!"
A stroke of verdant sword aura lit up, generating a momentum like rolling landscapes. Moving around the group, it scattered the next moment. Fourteen severed heads shot up into the sky.
The broad-faced, short-bearded man was horrified.
"Who’s the ringleader?"
A glimmer shone in Shi Xiaole’s eyes.
Overcome by confusion, the broad-faced man murmured, "It’s Elder Wu."
Shi Xiaole instantly connected this information to the gentle old man who had previously exchanged three stalks of Dragon Tendon Grass with him. He thoroughly comprehended the situation.
The other party must have grown greedy upon seeing him offer three secret martial arts scripts so easily, expecting to gain more.
"Just Elder Wu?"
"No, he is just the frontrunner. Behind him, there are other experts from the Iron Bone Sect. Every year on the day of Dragon Tendon Grass exchange, as long as we kill their chosen target, we get thirty percent of the profits. They also cover for us discreetly the rest of the time."
Said the broad-faced man.
Shi Xiaole nodded upon hearing this.
This group of martial artists was potent. If not for having encountered him, how would any average person have survived?
Moreover, unlike martial artists on the seventh level of the Qi Absorption Realm, who were rare and easily managed, this group was ideal as pawns for certain sects’ masters to profit from.
Elder Wu first held back his scripts and then sent men to kill him, which led to Shi Xiaole’s heart growing cold. But not from despair or disappointment—it was the coldness of ruthless indifference.
He didn’t believe that Elder Wu could carry out these schemes without the higher-ups of the Iron Bone Sect knowing anything.
After striking down the broad-faced man without a backward glance, Shi Xiaole left the bamboo forest.
Today’s incidents made up his mind; things couldn’t be left as they were.
He needed to take back what was owed to him. Those who opposed him were also to pay a price.
Not far from the Iron Bone Sect was an odd circular mountain over ten thousand feet tall. With a tiny, incredibly narrow entrance at the border, many experts of the Iron Bone Sect kept guard there.
Two days later, a youth dressed in a green robe quietly approached this location.
"This is where the Iron Bone Sect genuinely cultivates a variety of Horizontal Practice medicinal plants. However, I heard that this year’s Dragon Tendon Grass has mostly been harvested."
Shi Xiaole studied the topography.
Through research, he learned that it was the first Sect Master who discovered a large cache of medicinal plants in this circular mountain. By utilizing it, he expanded his Horizontal Practice skills and established a solid foundation.
The control exerted over the years, along with the lack of competing sects in the Floating River Area and the lack of interest of inner-power martial artists in most herbs, resulted in the Iron Bone Sect claiming this region.
The entire Martial World of the Floating River Area knew that anyone who targeted this circular mountain would engage in a fight to the death with the Iron Bone Sect.
Now it seemed that Shi Xiaole was preparing to take the chestnuts out of the fire, to venture inside for a look.
While most of the Dragon Tendon Grass had been harvested, there could still be some left behind. Moreover, it was possible to discover other precious herbs inside.
However, sneaking in posed a significant challenge.
One option was to scale the ten thousand feet tall circular mountain, but that was clearly unrealistic.
The second was to enter directly through the entrance.
But that would involve confronting three well-trained martial artists in the Qi Absorption realm. These martial artists were equivalent to those on the seventh or even eighth level in the Qi Realm but were only more powerful.
Even if a martial artist at the ninth level of the Qi Realm came, they wouldn’t be able to break in.
After observing the area closely for three days, Shi Xiaole locked onto a large river several miles away.
From the flow of the river and minor changes in soil moisture, Shi Xiaole deduced that it was an endless Living Water River.
Perhaps, this river could provide a solution.
Without hesitation, Shi Xiaole dove into the water and emerged about a quarter of an hour later.
"This won’t work. With my current internal power, I can’t stay underwater for a long time."
While a martial artist’s internal power was strong, it was typically impossible to hold one’s breath for several hours, even for a martial artist in the Xuanqi Realm.
From what he could discern underwater, he found another world down there which made Shi Xiaole slightly hopeful.
The problem, however, was how he could hold his breath to swim to the other side.
"I’ve got it."
A thought crossed his mind, and Shi Xiaole entered the system. He eventually found a stone tablet called Breath-holding Technique in the first floor of the Martial God Hall.
The Breath-holding Technique, which originated from the Nine Yin Scripture, allowed a prolonged period without breathing and was ideal for underwater exploration.
This martial art technique was considered odd. While it was not especially significant, it wasn’t insignificant either. It played a lesser role in a fight than the Soul Transfer Great Method and was thus categorized as a third-class technique.
Originally, Shi Xiaole only had 350 reward points left. But after trading in Dongfang Haoran’s third-class secret scripts, the reward points reached 550, enough to purchase a Breath-holding Technique set.
Three days passed in a flash.
With Shi Xiaole’s comprehension, he had naturally cultivated the Breath-holding Technique to the perfect state of the Transformation Phase. Activating his technique, he once again dived into the river.
One 2-hour period passed.
Two 2-hour periods passed.
Shi Xiaole was quite fast underwater, but the waterway was winding with many exits. Shi Xiaole surfaced several times, only to find himself at different locations.
Gradually, he began to feel dizzy and powerless, he was reaching the limit of the breath-holding technique.
"There’s another exit ahead."
Half a moment later, Shi Xiaole saw the light filtering into the water. Unable to support himself any longer, he rushed up towards the exit.
Swoosh.
The water rippled silently, and Shi Xiaole landed on the ground, gasping for air.
Sizzle.
Surrounding blue miasma rushed in, entering through his pores, but it was unable to do any harm to him.
Stepping out of the miasma, Shi Xiaole quickly observed the massive rocky cliffs around, and at the far end, he saw the narrow entrance guarded by experts.
A grin appeared on his face as he finally entered the forbidden territory of the Iron Bone Sect!
One could not claim the Iron Bone Sect to be careless. Despite knowing that even Xuanqi Realm experts can’t pass, they still set a layer of miasma around, a foolproof defense.
If an expert surpassing the Xuanqi Realm came, they wouldn’t interfere as those would die anyway.
Unpredictably, the Iron Bone Sect didn’t expect someone like Shi Xiaole, a creature blessed with great fortune, to exist.
Moving silently inside their territory, Shi Xiaole was avoiding the patrol teams while noticing some oddly shaped medicinal herbs, each emitting a distinct aroma.
About two-quarters of an hour later, he stealthily arrived near a meadow, finding piles of slender root-like plants.
Dragon Tendon Grass!
It was clear that these Dragon Tendon Grasses were very immature due to their size and color. However, Shi Xiaole was undeterred, and once the patrol team left, he squatted down to search thoroughly.
"Found it."
Soon, he found a mature Dragon Tendon Grass hidden under a rock within the grass patches.
If there was one, then there must be more. He quickly discovered the second, the third...
Eventually, he gathered a total of six Dragon Tendon Grasses. They were more potent than those Iron Bone Sect had offered due to being freshly uprooted.
Shi Xiaole was thrilled!
With these six Dragon Tendon Grasses, his physique would surely make a significant leap, relieving his cultivation constraints.
"There’s more good stuff around, no rush."
Most of the herbs were useless to someone like Shi Xiaole who focused on internal power cultivation. But what had no use now might become useful in the future. At worst, he could trade them for favors or money.
Picking up the wooden box he had prepared, Shi Xiaole began to gather herbs. He avoided over-harvesting and selectively picked a bit of everything.
Taking too many at once could raise suspicion. It would be better to harvest bit by bit and come back to pick more whenever he needed them in the future.
If he played his cards right, this place could become a free supply of medicinal herbs.
...
In the West Courtyard of the Iron Bone Sect, the loud clashing sounds of metal echoed, startling many Horizontal Practice Martial Artists to their feet.
"What is..."
Elder Ma ran outside, saw Yi Nanxiong shirtless, his golden-brown muscular body bulging like an unyielding iron statue. There were remnants of various herbs nearby.
"Dammit, I need more herbs, get me some Golden Ring Grass, Emerald Heart Leaves..."
Yi Nanxiong yelled at Elder Ma, an ominous look on his face.
He’d underestimated his potential.
His preparation of medicine wasn’t enough for his breakthrough, and if he failed now, the backlash would be much more severe for a Horizontal Practice Martial Artist than for an Internal Power Cultivator.
"I don’t have any more time, take me to your forbidden grounds. I’ll reward you handsomely if I succeed!"
Before Elder Ma had a chance to respond, Yi Nanxiong dashed out of the room.
Instantly, the Iron Bone Sect was thrown into chaos.
The forbidden ground was off-limits to outsiders.
But considering Yi Nanxiong’s status, there weren’t many who dared to stop him, fearing it would hinder his breakthrough. Who could bear the wrath of the Returning Vitality Sect and other martial arts eccentrics?
"Let him in."
In the absence of a clear leader, a hearty voice echoed into the crowd’s ears.
"It’s the Suzerain, the Suzerain has spoken."
Upon realizing this, Elder Ma acted quickly. He jumped up, grabbed Yi Nanxiong’s shoulder, and rushed him towards the forbidden territory of the sect.
At the same time, within the forbidden land, Shi Xiaole had swallowed a Dragon Tendon Grass inside a pile of rocks.
Since Dragon Tendon Grass can’t be stored for long, he decided to use it on the spot.
Boom!
Hot medicinal power coursed through his body, with the intensity of molten fire scorning his channels, causing Shi Xiaole nearly to scream out in pain.
He gritted his teeth, concentrated his spirit and guided the medicinal power to different parts of his body using the Purple Light Divine Skill. The channels in Shi Xiaole’s body were gradually becoming more resilient under the relentless wash of the medicinal power.
