Departure

Inside the cave dwelling, Zhang Tie sat upright and properly at the stone table in the main hall, his expression focused, his gaze fixed on the borrowed books. This time, he had put in considerable effort, borrowing over a dozen ancient texts at once. Among them were pharmacopoeias meticulously compiled by orthodox Sects, as well as handwritten copies circulating throughout the cultivation world, imbued with a certain mystique. There were even some that specifically recounted the legends of various rare and exotic herbs in the cultivation world and their captivating stories.

Thus, Zhang Tie was completely absorbed, lost in a state of rapturous study, for a full eight days.

Finally, he finished flipping through every page of these books. After this period of diligent, all-consuming study, he had gained a preliminary, yet quite systematic and comprehensive understanding of the spirit medicine within this mysterious and unfathomable cultivation world.

It turned out that in this world of cultivation, the classification of spirit medicine followed a rigorous standard. The key basis for this classification was the age of the medicine, meaning the years the spirit medicine had grown.

Generally speaking, only medicinal materials that had endured the baptism of a hundred years were qualified to be honored as spirit medicine. First-tier spirit medicine referred to spirit plants that had grown for more than one hundred years but less than five hundred years.

By extension, second-tier spirit medicine was for those between five hundred and one thousand years, third-tier spirit medicine was for those between one thousand and five thousand years, and fourth-tier spirit medicine was for those between five thousand and ten thousand years.

As of now, the highest-tier spirit medicine that had appeared in the entire cultivation world was a fifth-tier spirit medicine, the Ancient Green Fruit, which a disciple of the Crimson Fire Sect had brought out from the Secret Realm over a hundred years ago. It was over thirteen thousand years old.

This peculiar spirit medicine initially had no specific name. It was simply called the Ancient Green Fruit because its appearance bore some resemblance to the common spirit fruit Green Fruit. As for its miraculous medicinal effects, no one had been able to ascertain them definitively to this day.

Furthermore, Zhang Tie finally clarified that the spirit medicine he had obtained from the old man at the Hundred Treasures Pavilion were indeed all second-tier spirit medicine.

At present, he carefully took out these precious spirit medicines one by one and began to concentrate on determining their age, names, and unique effects.

In just the short time it took to brew a cup of tea, Zhang Tie successfully completed the identification.

These six second-tier spirit medicines turned out to be Crimson True Grass, Dark Essence Ginseng, and White True Flower. Based on the spirit medicine knowledge he had accumulated through his recent diligent studies, these three spirit medicines were all indispensable ingredients for refining the Foundation Establishment Pill at present. In particular, the Crimson True Grass was a key primary ingredient, valued at at least three thousand low-grade spirit stones.

Zhang Tie put away these spirit medicines as if they were treasures, then turned and slowly walked into the bedroom, preparing to get some good rest. The continuous high-intensity study of the past eight or nine days had left his spirit quite exhausted, almost at its limit.

By noon the next day, Zhang Tie slowly sat up, stretching luxuriously. He muttered to himself, "It's been so long since I've slept so soundly. I feel completely refreshed." Zhang Tie secretly calculated that with the limited time remaining before heading to the mysterious Secret Realm, any further cultivation would yield only negligible improvements. Therefore, he decisively decided to focus more of his energy on preparation.

Zhang Tie walked out of the cave dwelling and took out the stealth formation he had obtained from Senior Brother Duan. He muttered incantations. Then, with a flick of his wrist, he tossed out eighteen blue formation flags.

The formation flags shot out like meteors, instantly disappearing into their designated positions without a trace. Next, Zhang Tie focused his attention, skillfully forming seals with one hand, his fingertips lightly touching the formation disk, while a surge of immense spiritual power continuously flowed into it like a tide.

With a low, drawn-out hum, the entire cave dwelling was instantly enveloped by a transparent light barrier.

Zhang Tie's figure flickered, and he darted away like a phantom for several thousand feet behind him.

He looked back at his cave dwelling again, and sure enough, the cave dwelling that was originally clearly visible had now vanished without a trace. All that met his eyes were the rolling peaks and lush trees.

Zhang Tie quickly returned to the front of the cave dwelling and observed it carefully, but still couldn't see any sign of it. If he hadn't just walked out of the cave dwelling himself, Zhang Tie wouldn't have believed that a cave dwelling had ever stood here.

"This stealth formation is truly miraculous," Zhang Tie exclaimed inwardly with genuine awe.

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Zhang Tie quickly formed seals with both hands, his movements fluid and natural, completing them in an instant. He retrieved the formation flags and the formation disk, carefully storing them in his storage bag.

Then, he exerted force with his feet, leaping a few times, his figure vanishing like an illusion in the distance.

In the following days, Zhang Tie's figure appeared frequently in various important locations within the Sect. He first went to the Alchemy Hall to purchase a batch of Qi Recovery Pills, which had a very rapid recovery speed. Then, he went to the Talisman Crafting Hall to buy concealment talismans that could subtly hide one's form, and Earth Evasion Talismans specifically for emergency escapes.

After that, he rushed to the Artifact Refining Hall without delay, selecting and purchasing a shield for defense and a small flying sword.

Although the sturdiness of the shield might not match his own tempered body, and the damage caused by the flying sword might not compare to his fists. However, doing so would at least allow him to outwardly give the impression that he was just an ordinary cultivator at the ninth layer of Qi Refining.

One day, Zhang Tie was engrossed in studying the Way of Talismans inside his cave dwelling when suddenly, his heart trembled slightly. He received an urgent message from his Master. The message clearly instructed him to make thorough preparations and to gather at the plaza on Hundred Blossoms Peak, the main peak of the Sect, early the next morning.

Upon receiving the message, Zhang Tie did not dare to slack off in the slightest. He immediately stopped his research, meticulously organized his storage bag, and then quietly began to close his eyes and rest, adjusting his state.

This was a magnificent and vast plaza, with both length and width exceeding a thousand feet. In the center of the plaza stood a majestic and spectacular human-shaped statue, reaching a hundred feet high, like a towering mountain. The statue wore a dazzling golden crown, a flowing scholar's robe, a well-defined square face, a prominent nose exuding authority, and a pair of deep eyes that were firm and distant, as if gazing into the endless expanse.

Zhang Tie secretly guessed that this must be the founding ancestor of the Hundred Blossoms Sect.

In the middle of the plaza, twenty disciples dressed in Hundred Blossoms Sect attire had already assembled neatly. Each of them was spirited, their eyes filled with anticipation and nervousness.

Just then, three figures slowly emerged from the solemn and grand main hall of the Hundred Blossoms Sect, located directly behind the statue. The person on the right was his respected Master, True Lord Jing Ling.

The one on the left was an old man holding an ancient walking stick. His white hair was casually spread out, and his sunken eye sockets held a hint of mysterious light. His withered lips trembled slightly, and the crisscrossing wrinkles on his face were like the texture on tree bark, deep and weathered.

He wore a black robe, embroidered with the Sect's unique dark patterns, which fluttered gently in the breeze, appearing mysterious and solemn. The collar was tightly fastened, accentuating his long and straight neck. A gray belt was tied around his waist, giving him an ancient and somber aura.

In the center was a middle-aged man dressed as a scholar. His build was as straight and upright as a green bamboo, giving an impression of unwavering resolve. His features were regular, his brows like painted ink, his eyes like stars, his nose straight like a mountain peak, and his thin lips slightly pursed with a hint of seriousness.

He wore a moon-white long gown, his robes flowing, as if he were an immortal descending to earth. A pale blue belt adorned his waist, with a piece of warm white jade attached. In his every movement, he exuded an elegant and proper demeanor, radiating a reverence-inspiring authority.

"Disciples, today you will embark on a trial in the Secret Realm. This Secret Realm is both a severe test for you and a rare opportunity. This is a comprehensive trial of your strength, intellect, and courage. Do not harbor fear, for only through the tempering of life and death can you achieve greatness. I hope you all return safely from this trial, and I hope you all gain enlightenment and harvest something." The middle-aged man's voice was loud and impassioned, like a great bell, resonating throughout the entire plaza. Upon hearing this, everyone felt a surge of excitement, and their fighting spirit was instantly ignited.

"This time, True Man Zhao and True Man Miao will lead you to the Secret Realm," the middle-aged man continued, his gaze sweeping over every disciple present, his eyes filled with anticipation and encouragement.

At this moment, True Man Zhao on the left waved his arm, casually tossing out an exquisite flying boat. This flying boat actually had a five-story small building built on it, with carved beams and painted pillars, beautiful and magnificent. The flying boat rapidly grew larger in the wind, instantly transforming into a massive vessel thirty feet long and over ten feet wide.

True Man Zhao and True Man Miao, with their graceful figures, leaped onto the flying boat one after another.

Then, a dense black mist surged out like a spirit snake, instantly and smoothly bringing everyone onto the deck of the flying boat.

As soon as everyone had steadied themselves, they saw the flying boat ascend rapidly like an arrow released from a bowstring. A brilliant golden light barrier instantly appeared around it, completely enclosing the entire vessel.

In just a few breaths, the flying boat had reached an altitude of a thousand feet, its speed as fast as a shooting star chasing the moon. The distant mountain peaks flashed by in an instant, and the flying boat soared directly towards the vast and boundless sky.