Chapter 190: Chapter 189: The Man in Gray
The Cyan Dragon Divine Wood was a type of Spirit Wood born from the Qi of a True Dragon.
The Cyan Dragon Divine Wood contained immense vitality and exuded a wondrous, unique fragrance. A single whiff could help even the most grievously wounded person begin to heal.
If a piece of it were cut off, ground into powder, and consumed, it could even regenerate severed limbs.
Furthermore, for Barbaric Beasts, the Cyan Dragon Divine Wood possessed another incredibly precious ability: it could purify their bloodlines and awaken their ancestral power.
’This time, his target was Divine Wood Peak. It looks like his next target will be my Heavenly Red Peak!’
Inside Bishui Cave, Qin Feng sat cross-legged, his gaze distant.
"Cave Master, what should we do?" Luan Xiaochuan asked, his expression grim.
"You only need to guard the seven stalks of Spirit Medicine in the Spirit Garden. Your task is to protect them, and you don’t need to worry about anything else. I, for one, would like to see just who is brazen enough to steal our Spirit Medicines one after another!"
Qin Feng’s gaze fell upon Bishui Cave. By the edge of its Lotus Pool, there had always been a seventy-two-layer Earth Evil Prohibition, which was equivalent in power to a Heavenly Gang Prohibition.
Around the outer perimeter of the Lotus Pool, an expert in the Array Dao had also set up a Level 5 Innate Wood Transformation Array!
These defenses were already as solid as Mount Tai.
However, using the time he had, Qin Feng had upgraded this Level 5 Innate Wood Transformation Array.
Following the terrain’s natural Water-Wood synergy, he had directly used the Green Water Golden Lotus as the main Array Hub and the Spiritual Spring as a secondary one to set up a Sixth-level Xuan Yuan Two-phase Spirit Refining Array.
A Sixth-level Array! Even a Martial Arts Giant would suffer a huge blow if caught off guard!
Three days passed in the blink of an eye. Qin Feng sat cross-legged in Bishui Cave, and wisps of faint blue Sword Qi began to emanate from his body.
Slowly, the wisps of Invisible Sword Qi gathered in Qin Feng’s palm. A faint blue longsword, condensed from the Invisible Sword Qi, materialized in his hand.
An eight-foot Formless Sword blade!
’The 8th Layer of the Geng Metal Breaking Killing Sword Technique!’
Qin Feng opened his eyes, and a sharp glint of sword light flashed through them before vanishing.
A hint of joy flashed in his eyes. Qin Feng remained motionless, closing his eyes again to work on deducing the 10th Layer of the Little Cloud Rain Technique. He felt he was close to mastering it.
「Another three days passed quietly.」
Night fell. The stars hid behind the clouds, and the heat of the day receded. On Heavenly Red Peak, lights began to glow from within the various pavilions and towers.
The scattered points of light looked especially magnificent against the Sea of Clouds, carrying with them a hint of warmth.
At the Celestial Pool Lakefront, a patrol of five or six Medicine Boys walked by, holding torches. Their eyes were sharp and alert as they scanned the dark, dense patches of medicinal herbs, inspecting them carefully.
Luan Xiaochuan personally led a team approaching from the direction of the Spirit Garden. At the same time, Xu Jie led a team of Medicine Boys from the other side, and the two groups met at the Spirit Garden.
This patrol pattern left no blind spots.
On the Profound Water Spirit Peach Wood, the Silly Bird had built an enormous nest. Its eyes were wide open, its sharp gaze scanning the surroundings.
Compared to the Medicine Boys, birds like the Silly Bird had a naturally superior vantage point.
’CAW CAW! Another Divine Wood has been stolen! And it was the Cyan Dragon Divine Wood, which is incredibly beneficial to Barbaric Beasts. Who else could be stealing Spirit Medicine?’ Eighth Master wondered from its comfortable nest. Its nest was exceptionally luxurious. The materials used to build it weren’t ordinary branches, but twigs torn from Spirit Trees. The leaves lining it were so tender they looked succulent, flowing with Spiritual Radiance and shining with rich essence. They were clearly Spirit Leaves.
Eighth Master looked extremely odd at the moment. It had a single black feather sticking up from its head and one tail feather, which trembled whenever it wiggled its rear.
Otherwise, its body was completely featherless and plump.
’Who could it possibly be?’
Its beady black eyes darted about as Eighth Master wondered. ’Could it be that I have some long-lost siblings out there?’
Eighth Master flipped over and sat up in the nest, its eyes gleaming with excitement. But the next moment, the light in them dimmed, and it flopped back down, resuming its lazy posture.
It stared at the starry sky. ’Impossible. If they were one of my kin, I would surely be able to sense them!’
’So who is the thief? I only took the Six-leaf Purple Lotus from Purple Mist Peak and the Mahakala Black Sun Flower from Sunset Peak. I haven’t touched a thing otherwise!’
As Eighth Master grumbled to itself, a gentle breeze suddenly blew past, carrying a faint, sweet aroma on the wind.
’What’s that? It smells so good!’ Eighth Master lifted its head. The next instant, however, the expression on its face froze. Its beady black eyes became fixed, as if Space-Time itself had stopped.
The faint, sweet aroma drifted like curling smoke, seeming to emanate from the bright moon in the sky. Carried by the gentle breeze, it transformed into fine wisps that enveloped the entirety of Heavenly Red Peak.
The White Jade Ice Sparrow on the Profound Water Spirit Peach Wood froze mid-motion, just as it was about to spread its wings and fly.
Beneath the tree, the patrolling team of Medicine Boys froze in their tracks. They remained motionless, torches in hand, their eyes rigid and devoid of life. Two of them who had been whispering were even stuck in that posture, heads together.
At the edge of the Spirit Garden, Luan Xiaochuan, who had just been taking out a flask to drink, froze with it raised to his lips. Clear Spirit Water poured from the flask, drenching his clothes.
All the patrolling Medicine Boys froze in an instant, their eyes losing all signs of life.
It was as if time had stopped at this very moment.
From the horizon, a gray cloud descended like a great bird, landing by the shore of Celestial Pool Lake. A mysterious figure within it looked up, watching the scene with a cold, indifferent gaze.
This was a mysterious man in gray. His entire form seemed to be shrouded in a gray robe, and he exuded a chilling aura. Only a pair of cruel, indifferent eyes were visible.
What eyes they were—ancient, unfeeling, and filled with a chilling coldness that could not be concealed.
’I have to move faster. The time incense I refined will only last for a little less than the time it takes an incense stick to burn. I must break the Array Prohibition and obtain the Green Water Golden Lotus within that time!’
The man in gray murmured, his voice ancient and hoarse.
Suddenly, the man’s expression shifted, and a younger voice, entirely different from the first, spoke with reverence.
"Yes, Venerable Elder! You can rest assured!"
Glancing around, a trace of excitement appeared in the gray-robed man’s eyes. He walked silently past a team of Medicine Boys, the very one led by Xu Jie.
However, everyone, including Xu Jie, seemed not to see him, their eyes vacant and their bodies stiff.
’Bishui Cave!’ The man in gray looked up at the two words glowing with a jade-gold luminescence above the Cave Mansion’s entrance. He let out a cold laugh and pushed the main gate open.
’That direction! That spot has the most abundant Spiritual Qi in Bishui Cave. The Cave Guardian Spirit Object must be there!’
An ancient voice echoed from within the gray-robed man’s body. "This Heavenly Red Peak is one of the High-level Spiritual Mountains. There should be more than one Spiritual Object here besides the Green Water Golden Lotus. This venerable one only requires the Green Water Golden Lotus. You may take any other Spirit Medicine for yourself!"
The man in gray nodded and smiled. "Thank you, Venerable Elder!"
A short while later, the man in gray arrived at the garden where the Lotus Pool of the Green Water Golden Lotus was located. At the edge of the garden, a youth in a black robe was meditating peacefully.
The black-robed youth’s eyes were closed and his breathing was calm, as if he hadn’t noticed the gray-robed man’s arrival.
Like the disciples outside, he appeared to be frozen solid.
’So this is the Green Water Golden Lotus!’ The man’s eyes were immediately captivated by the enormous Jade Lotus in the center of the Lotus Pool.
But he quickly snapped back to his senses. His gaze shifted, and he noticed the youth in black robes meditating peacefully.
The man in gray froze. A moment later, a look of venomous hatred and rage flashed in his eyes. "Qin Feng!"
