Departure

Inside his cave dwelling, Zhang Tie sat upright before the stone table in the main hall, his expression focused as his gaze remained fixed on the borrowed books. This time, he had truly put in considerable effort, borrowing more than a dozen volumes at once. Among them were medicinal classics meticulously compiled by orthodox sects, handwritten copies circulating throughout the Immortal Cultivation World with a touch of mystery to them, and even some books devoted to the legendary rare treasures and exotic herbs of the cultivation world, along with their fascinating tales.

Zhang Tie shut out all distractions and immersed himself in them as if spellbound, reading continuously for eight whole days.

At last, he had finished going through every page of those books. After this period of tireless study, he had gained an initial yet fairly systematic and comprehensive understanding of the spirit medicines found in this mysterious Immortal Cultivation World.

It turned out that in the world of Immortal Cultivation, spirit medicines were classified according to rigorous standards. The crucial basis for this classification was their age—the years they had spent growing.

Generally speaking, only medicinal herbs that had endured a hundred years were qualified to be called spirit medicines. First-tier spirit medicines referred to spirit plants that had grown for more than one hundred years but less than five hundred years.

By the same logic, second-tier spirit medicines were those over five hundred years old but under a thousand years old; third-tier spirit medicines were over a thousand years old but under five thousand years old; and fourth-tier spirit medicines were over five thousand years old but under ten thousand years old.

To date, the highest-tier spirit medicine to appear in the entire Immortal Cultivation World was a fifth-tier spirit medicine more than thirteen thousand years old—an Ancient Green Fruit brought out of a secret realm by a Crimson Fire Sect disciple over a hundred years ago.

This strange spirit medicine initially had no exclusive name. It was only called an Ancient Green Fruit because its appearance somewhat resembled the common spirit fruit Green Fruit. As for its miraculous medicinal effects, no one had ever been able to determine them with certainty.

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

He carefully took out the precious spirit medicines one by one and began focusing intently on determining their age, names, and unique effects.

In the time it took to drink a cup of tea, Zhang Tie had successfully completed the appraisal.

The six second-tier spirit medicines turned out to consist of three varieties: Crimson True Grass, Dark Essence Ginseng, and White True Flower. Based on the spirit medicine knowledge he had diligently accumulated recently, all three were indispensable materials for refining Foundation Establishment Pill. Crimson True Grass in particular was one of the key main ingredients, worth no less than three thousand Low-grade Spirit Stones.

Zhang Tie put away those spirit medicines as though they were priceless treasures, then slowly entered his bedroom to get some proper rest. Eight or nine consecutive days of intense study had left him mentally exhausted, nearly at his limit.

At noon the next day, Zhang Tie leisurely sat up and stretched lazily. "It's been so long since I've slept that soundly. I feel completely refreshed." Zhang Tie silently calculated that there was not much time left before heading into the mysterious secret realm. Even if he cultivated now, the actual improvement he could gain would be negligible. Thus, he decisively chose to devote more of his energy to preparations.

Zhang Tie walked out of his cave dwelling and took out the concealment formation he had obtained from Senior Brother Duan. He muttered an incantation, then flicked his wrist and threw out eighteen blue formation flags.

The formation flags shot out like meteors, instantly sinking into their respective positions and vanishing without a trace. Zhang Tie then focused his attention, forming hand seals with one hand and lightly tapping the formation plate with his fingertips. At the same time, a vast stream of spiritual power poured into the formation plate like an endless tide.

With a low, prolonged hum, the entire cave dwelling was instantly enclosed within a transparent barrier of light.

Zhang Tie's figure flashed, and he flew several thousand zhang away like a phantom.

When he looked back at his cave dwelling again, it had indeed vanished without a trace. All he could see were rolling mountain peaks and lush green trees.

Zhang Tie swiftly returned to the front of the cave dwelling and examined it carefully, yet he still could not see even the slightest trace of it. Had he not just walked safely out of it, he truly would not have believed that a cave dwelling had once stood there.

"This concealment formation is truly marvelous," Zhang Tie exclaimed inwardly.

Zhang Tie quickly formed hand seals with both hands, his movements smooth and seamless. In the blink of an eye, he recalled the formation flags and formation plate, then carefully stored them in his Storage Pouch.

Then he pushed off the ground, and after a few leaps, his figure disappeared like an illusion into the distance.

Over the next several days, Zhang Tie frequently appeared in various important locations within the sect. He first went to the Alchemy Hall and purchased a batch of Qi Recovery Pills that restored spiritual power extremely quickly. Then he visited the Talisman Hall to buy concealment talismans that could cleverly hide his figure, Earth Evasion Talismans meant specifically for emergency escapes, and more.

After that, he hurried to the Artifact Refining Hall and selected a defensive shield and a small flying sword.

Although the shield might not be sturdier than his own tempered body, and the flying sword might not inflict more damage than his fists, these items would at least make others believe on the surface that he was merely an ordinary Immortal Cultivator at the ninth layer of Qi Refining.

One day, while Zhang Tie was studying the Dao of talismans in his cave dwelling with complete concentration, his heart suddenly trembled slightly as he received an urgent message from his master. The message explicitly instructed him to make thorough preparations and gather at the plaza of Hundred Blossoms Peak, the sect's main peak, early the next morning.

After receiving the message, Zhang Tie did not dare slack off in the slightest. He immediately stopped his studies, carefully organized his Storage Pouch, then quietly closed his eyes to rest and adjust his condition.

This was an imposing and enormous plaza, measuring over a thousand zhang in both length and width. At its center stood a majestic humanoid statue, a hundred zhang tall and as towering as a mountain. The statue wore a dazzling golden crown and flowing scholar's robes. Its square face was sharply defined, its high nose conveyed authority, and its deep, steadfast eyes seemed to gaze toward the endless distance.

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

In the plaza, twenty disciples dressed in Hundred Blossoms Sect robes had already assembled in neat formation. Each was full of spirit, their eyes filled with both anticipation and tension.

Just then, three figures slowly emerged from the solemn and magnificent main hall of the Hundred Blossoms Sect behind the statue. The man on the right was his respected master, True Lord Jing Ling.

The man on the left was an elderly man holding an ancient walking stick. His white hair hung loosely around his head, while a mysterious gleam shone from his sunken eye sockets. His shriveled lips trembled faintly, and the crisscrossing wrinkles on his face resembled the patterns of tree bark, deep and weathered.

He wore a black robe embroidered with the sect's distinctive dark patterns along its hem. It fluttered gently in the breeze, making him appear mysterious and solemn. His collar was tightly fastened, emphasizing his long, upright neck. A gray belt circled his waist, and his entire bearing was bleak and gloomy.

The man in the center was middle-aged and dressed like a scholar. He stood as straight as a proud bamboo stalk, giving off an unwavering impression. His features were regular, his brows dark as painted ink, his eyes bright as stars, his nose high and straight as a mountain, and his thin lips were pressed together with a trace of sternness.

He wore a moon-white robe with flowing sleeves, like an immortal descended to the mortal world. A piece of warm white jade hung from the pale blue belt around his waist. Every gesture he made was elegant and upright, radiating an awe-inspiring authority.

"Disciples, today, you will embark upon a trial in the secret realm. This secret realm will be both a severe test and a rare opportunity for you. It will thoroughly test your strength, willpower, and courage. Do not let fear arise in your hearts, for only after being tempered by life and death can one achieve something. For this trial, I hope every one of you returns safely, and I hope each of you gains insight and harvests something." The middle-aged man's voice was loud and impassioned, like a great bell resounding throughout the entire plaza. Upon hearing him, everyone felt their blood surge as the fighting spirit in their hearts 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 swept across every disciple present, his eyes filled with expectation and encouragement.

At that moment, True Man Zhao on the left waved his arm and casually tossed out an exquisite flying boat. A five-story pavilion had actually been built atop it, complete with carved beams and painted rafters, magnificent beyond compare. The flying boat rapidly expanded in the wind, instantly transforming into a massive flying vessel thirty zhang long and over ten zhang wide.

True Man Zhao and True Man Miao lightly leaped into the air one after the other, landing aboard the flying vessel.

Then, a thick black mist swept out like a spirit serpent and instantly carried everyone steadily onto the flying vessel's deck.

The moment everyone found their footing, they saw the flying vessel shoot into the air like an arrow leaving its bow. A brilliant golden barrier instantly appeared around it, tightly enveloping the entire vessel.

In only a few breaths, the flying vessel had already reached an altitude of a thousand zhang. It moved as swiftly as a meteor chasing the moon, distant mountains flashing past in an instant as it charged straight toward the vast, boundless sky.