Chapter 65: Chapter 65: Bountiful Harvest
"Shen Daoxing, you’re no match for Mo! I’ll be waiting for you on the Path to the Underworld."
Zhou Bu’Er screamed as he was being incinerated by the Demon Fire.
Mo Yunlei was the leader of the Four Heroes and the second-greatest genius of Celestial City Academy. Zhou Bu’Er knew Mo Yunlei’s power better than anyone else.
A cold smirk touched the corners of Shen Daoxing’s mouth as he swept his sword across.
PFFT!
Another student from Celestial City Academy fell to the Great Ming Demon Sparrow, blood gushing out like a spring.
"Wang!"
The other Celestial City Academy students nearby turned deathly pale at the sight.
Within the Demon Fire, Zhou Bu’Er used his last ounce of strength to shout, "Split up! You have to get this information to Mo! He’ll definitely avenge us!"
"Run!"
The Celestial City Academy students finally came to their senses. Realizing they were no match for Shen Daoxing, they scattered in all directions.
’Trying to run?’
Shen Daoxing slashed with his Great Ming Demon Sparrow.
A chilling glint appeared on the blade. That single ray of sword light then multiplied into dozens, rushing forward like a torrential storm.
"SHINK!" "SHINK!" "SHINK!"
In an instant, all the Celestial City Academy students who had tried to flee were killed.
Zhou Bu’Er, meanwhile, had long since been burned to a pile of ash by the Demon Fire.
Suddenly, silence fell over the area.
Shen Daoxing sheathed the Great Ming Demon Sparrow. ’The power of this Demon Soldier is unbelievable,’ he thought.
Not far away, Lin Ke’Er’s face was ashen.
The ground had become a river of blood, littered with corpses—a true Purgatory on earth.
And Shen Daoxing was the reaper of this Purgatory.
She had never imagined that the gentle and refined Shen Daoxing could be so vicious and brutal.
After collecting his spoils from the battlefield, Shen Daoxing walked over to Lin Ke’Er. "Do you think I’m cruel?"
Lin Ke’Er shook her head, her expression serious. "My master taught me from a young age that in the Martial Realm, the strong are respected and death is a common occurrence. Besides, Shen, if you hadn’t killed them, they would have killed us."
Though a woman, she understood certain truths. If Shen Daoxing had lost, not only would he have died, but she would have likely been caught in the crossfire and suffered a terrible, humiliating fate.
Shen Daoxing smiled when he heard this.
If Lin Ke’Er had been some soft-hearted, self-righteous hypocrite, Shen Daoxing would have kept his distance, even if she was his friend.
Lin Ke’Er pointed at Shen Daoxing’s Storage Ring and said, "Sh... Shen, that sword of yours..."
"What about it?" Shen Daoxing asked casually.
Lin Ke’Er whispered, "It seems to have... Demonic Qi!"
"Hm!?"
Hearing this, Shen Daoxing’s expression instantly became dark and uncertain.
’She actually noticed the Demonic Qi on my sword.’
The Demon Path Dongzhou was considered heretical and evil. If word got out, he could be hunted relentlessly. That was why Shen Daoxing had started concealing the Great Ming Demon Sparrow after arriving in the capital of the Martial Kingdom.
After a moment of contemplation, Shen Daoxing asked, "How did you know?"
"I was born with a natural sensitivity to all kinds of auras. The moment that Demon Fire appeared, I sensed the Demon Soldier."
Lin Ke’Er bit her lip. "Shen, don’t worry. I won’t tell anyone this secret."
Shen Daoxing looked at Lin Ke’Er without a word.
Fearing he didn’t believe her, Lin Ke’Er quickly added, "Shen, I swear!"
Shen Daoxing smiled. "Alright, I believe you. Let’s head to the core of the True Dragon Nest."
......
The Primordial Energy in the True Dragon Nest was incredibly dense. Legend had it that a True Dragon was once buried here, and the soil and plants were all stained with its Dragon Blood.
One could say that Celestial and Earthly Treasures were everywhere. The closer they got to the core of the True Dragon Nest, the older and more potent the treasures became.
Soon, the two of them discovered some Celestial and Earthly Treasures.
Lin Ke’Er pointed into the distance, pleasantly surprised. "Shen, look! I think those are hundred-year-old Vermilion Fruits!"
Shen Daoxing followed her finger and saw several thumb-sized red fruits growing on an oddly shaped tree.
They were indeed Vermilion Fruits!
Vermilion Fruits bloom after a hundred years and bear fruit after another hundred, making them exceptionally precious Celestial and Earthly Treasures.
"This is good stuff!"
The two of them promptly picked a good number of Vermilion Fruits and put them away.
Before long, they encountered a demonic beast. Lin Ke’Er whispered, "Shen, look! I think it’s a flying tiger!"
"Let’s be careful. This beast must have mutated after being exposed to Dragon Blood."
Shen Daoxing nodded. He had traveled through the Mist Forest before and knew how terrifying these beasts could be.
The tiger was originally a Crimson Flame Tiger, but it had mutated and grown a pair of wings.
A tiger with wings was, as the saying goes, a tiger made even mightier—far more ferocious and terrifying.
"Huh!?"
Suddenly, they saw a figure flickering up ahead. A closer look revealed that it was a ginseng root, and it was currently running faster than an ordinary person.
"A Thousand-year-old Ginseng! That’s a Thousand-year-old Ginseng!" Lin Ke’Er exclaimed excitedly.
Although the Thousand-year-old Ginseng had gained sentience, Lin Ke’Er was, after all, a Profound Platform Realm Martial Artist. She moved like a cheetah and caught it in an instant.
Lin Ke’Er caressed the ginseng in her hand and couldn’t help but marvel, "A thousand years old... In the outside world, this would cost at least tens of thousands of Gold Coins, right?"
Shen Daoxing shook his head. "Far more than just tens of thousands."
Back when he was with the Shen Family in Baiyun City, a single hundred-year-old ginseng had caused all the great families to fight to the death over it. And now, here was a Thousand-year-old Ginseng.
How could one not be amazed?!
It had to be said, the True Dragon Secret Realm was truly a land of treasures.
The two continued deeper into the True Dragon Nest, and their haul grew larger and larger.
Before long, they were both laden with Celestial and Earthly Treasures.
This brought a huge smile to Lin Ke’Er’s pretty face. "With all these Celestial and Earthly Treasures, I can go back and start refining Elixirs. I’ll be able to break through to the Grotto Heaven Realm in no time."
Shen Daoxing asked in surprise, "You know how to refine Elixirs?"
"Of course!"
Lin Ke’Er proudly placed her hands on her hips. "Fighting and killing isn’t my real forte—refining Elixirs is. I already managed to create a sixth-grade Elixir last year. With a bit more effort this year, creating a fifth-grade one shouldn’t be a problem."
A fervent glint appeared in Shen Daoxing’s eyes upon hearing this.
Pill Masters were extremely popular among Martial Artists. Elixirs were useful for cultivation breakthroughs, as well as for healing during battles.
However, Alchemy not only required immense talent but also vast resources for training. Thus, a true Alchemy Master was exceptionally rare and valuable.
The fact that Lin Ke’Er could refine fifth-grade Elixirs proved she was no amateur. She had already reached a certain level of skill and would be considered one of the absolute elites in any kingdom.
’Could the National Preceptor of the Tang Kingdom be an Alchemy Master?’ Shen Daoxing thought to himself.
At first, Shen Daoxing had wondered why the Tang Kingdom’s National Preceptor would take Lin Ke’Er as a disciple. Now, it all made sense.
