Chapter 279: Chapter 278: Divine Ability Gourd
Following Ye Qinghua’s gaze, Qin Feng’s eyes fell upon the Stone Forest. This was the place in the entire valley where the Spiritual Qi was most concentrated.
This was the location of the Illusion Array’s Array Hub.
Generally speaking, the Array Hub of a Natural Array would be anchored by a Spiritual Object.
In such a large Gourd Valley, the Spiritual Object within had to be extraordinary.
’This Senior Sister Xuelian truly has great fortune!’
Qin Feng sighed softly. For Senior Sister Xuelian to have barged into such a powerful Natural Array and even safely reached the Array Hub...
With that kind of luck, one could only say that her fated opportunity had arrived.
When luck comes knocking, there’s no stopping it.
"Junior Brother, should we go in and investigate?" Ye Qinghua’s gaze wavered as she looked at the central Stone Forest.
Ye Qinghua could also tell that this was the core Array Hub of the Natural Maze and that an exceptionally rare Spiritual Object was likely hidden within.
Lin Zhiqiu, Hao Liancheng, and the others also looked at Qin Feng, their expressions full of excitement.
Without Qin Feng, this place would have been a land of death, a forbidden zone no living person would dare enter. But with Qin Feng as their backer, it had become their personal treasure-hunting paradise.
Instead of being afraid of this Natural Array’s most dangerous core, they were eager to go inside, have a look, and broaden their horizons.
Long Ling’Er stood about a hundred feet away, her bright eyes fixed on Qin Feng.
"You all should stay here. Don’t go in. The Stone Forest is the very heart of the Natural Maze, and it might have unpredictable dangers. I can’t guarantee your safety in there, so it’s best you remain outside."
Qin Feng glanced around and saw their expressions shift. He said, "There should be some hidden thousand-year-old Gourd Vines in this area, maybe even Gourd Roots that are several thousand years old. If you’re lucky, you can go search for your own opportunities. Just don’t wander carelessly. It will be a huge hassle if you get trapped in the Array."
Thousand-Year Spirit Gourds were exceptionally precious, but finding a Gourd Spiritual Root that was over several thousand years old would be a true jackpot.
If they could bring a Gourd Spiritual Root back to All Stars Academy and plant it in a Spirit Mountain Blessed Land, it would become a veritable, inexhaustible gold mine.
The gourds produced by a several-thousand-year-old Gourd Root were Treasures of Heaven and Earth. They could possess all sorts of incredible Divine Abilities, such as spitting Flame, blowing Divine Wind and Poisonous Sand, or even commanding Thunderbolt.
These were Treasures of Heaven and Earth that would make even great figures see red with envy and fight to possess them!
A Gourd Spiritual Root that was thousands of years old could continuously produce such treasures. If they really managed to find such a Treasure, they would be set for life.
Never mind the future; just in the present, obtaining a single gourd like that could instantly raise one’s strength by several levels.
When facing experts from the Demon God Temple, they would have a much better chance of protecting themselves.
Lin Zhiqiu and Hao Liancheng were instantly tempted, and even Ye Qinghua grew excited.
The group gave up on the idea of following Qin Feng into the Stone Forest. Finding treasure was what mattered most!
The group scattered, setting off to seek their fortunes and test their luck.
Even Zhang Xuan, who rarely took initiative, made a move.
’Hmph. The more Qin Feng talks like that, the more suspicious this Stone Forest seems. The most precious Treasure is probably right here in the Stone Forest, but those hateful idiots were swayed by his words. They’re picking up sesame seeds and dropping the watermelon!’
Long Ling’Er stared at Qin Feng. Unlike the others, she instinctively felt that he was just trying to get rid of them so he could hunt for the Treasure by himself.
Long Ling’Er was indignant, but she didn’t dare follow Qin Feng by herself.
Qin Feng was far too powerful, and he was a master of Arrays. In here, this was his domain.
Qin Feng’s gaze swept past, pausing on Long Ling’Er’s face for a moment. With a single glance, he had figured out most of what the woman was thinking.
Qin Feng sneered. ’This woman’s greed is truly insatiable.’
’If it weren’t for me, it’s doubtful they could have even entered this place. And now she wants to compete with me for Treasure?’
Qin Feng turned and started walking toward the Stone Forest.
The moment he entered the Stone Forest, Qin Feng felt as if he had stepped onto a massive chessboard of heaven and earth. The surroundings were a complex maze, and a hazy white fog blotted out the sun.
Qin Feng walked for two hours, only to find himself right back where he had first entered the Stone Forest.
’A little interesting. What a complex Illusion Array. But it’s not enough to stop me!’
After a moment of thought, Qin Feng took one step forward, then two steps back, then three steps forward again. Each step was exactly the same length, not an inch more or less. He then took one final step, and with that single motion, the world transformed. The fog dissipated, and a small path of bluestone appeared before him.
A smile touched the corners of his mouth. Qin Feng stepped onto the bluestone and followed the small path deeper, where a forest of towering stone pillars gradually came into view.
A giant Gourd Vine, as thick as a thousand-year-old tree, appeared before him. Its roots were like Qiu Longs, coiling around a massive, towering stone pillar. Its branches and leaves spread out, the leaves themselves as large as lotus pads and dancing in the air.
It seemed to pierce the clouds.
’The roots are so thick! How many years old must this be!’ Qin Feng was stunned. This Gourd Vine was immense, its roots stretching out as if reaching for the heavens.
Qin Feng swallowed hard. This was a true Gourd Root.
He’d actually been right. There really was a Gourd Spiritual Root here that was thousands of years old. Judging by the Gourd Spirit Vine’s growth, it had to be at least two thousand years old.
’I’ve struck it rich! I’ve really struck it rich this time! If I can just pick one or two Spirit Gourds, why would I need to fear being besieged by some geniuses from the Demon God Temple?’
With a single leap, Qin Feng used the Gourd Vine’s large green leaves for footing. He shot up the stone pillar like an arrow loosed from a bow, a black shadow streaking upward.
An hour later, with a flash of black light, a figure rushed down from the stone pillar.
’There’s nothing!’
Qin Feng’s expression was grim as he stared at the massive, thousand-year-old Gourd Vine. The Gourd Spirit Vine bore none of the Spirit Gourds he had expected.
There were only a few small, green gourds, but they were still unripe and not of much use.
’Could it be that the Spirit Gourds were eaten by insects before they could mature?’
He speculated internally, feeling a bit helpless. Qin Feng knew that some natural treasures born of Heaven and Earth’s Creation were often accompanied by tribulations.
The gourds produced by this Gourd Spiritual Root were especially prone to being gnawed on by Exotic Insects. Before a Spirit Gourd ripened, it was at its weakest. Only upon full maturity would its texture become as hard as Vajra, blessed by the Heaven and Earth Power, and possess incredible Divine Power.
Qin Feng glanced at the Gourd Spiritual Root with covetous eyes. However, his Blue Sea and Heaven currently lacked Vitality, so he couldn’t transplant the Gourd Spiritual Root into it yet.
Qin Feng continued forward. A quarter of an hour later, he came across a second Gourd Spiritual Root. This one was even thicker, with plump leaf veins, and it looked even older. However, after a thorough search, Qin Feng still came up empty-handed.
Wringing his wrists in frustration, Qin Feng paused for a moment before continuing to explore. A hundred paces later, his eyes lit up. He saw a Gourd Spiritual Root that was a hundred feet tall. Its entire body was a brilliant green, like agate and jade, and its leaf veins emitted a mellow Spiritual Light.
Compared to the previous two, it looked quite petite. One could tell at a glance that it wasn’t very old—two thousand years at most.
However, Qin Feng knew with a single look that, in terms of quality, this Gourd Spiritual Root was superior to the other two. This was an Exotic Gourd Spirit Root.
It was a natural-born Spiritual Root, not a Postnatal one.
Qin Feng simply raised his head and saw, nestled among the large green leaves of the Spirit Vine above him, a large, azure-blue gourd. The gourd’s Spiritual Light shimmered brightly as it swayed in the wind, a truly delightful sight...
(This is the third update. Three more to come.)
