Seizing Treasure

Ye Xiwen's lean body was soaked with sweat, and black impurities covered him from head to toe. These were all impurities hidden within his body.

"Great! I've broken through to the Houtian Fifth Stage and gained Five Tigers Strength. With the eight strikes of Thunderclap Hand added in, I'll be able to blow apart even Houtian Sixth Stage experts. This is simply a leap forward!" Ye Xiwen said joyfully.

Of the Houtian Ninth Stage, each stage differed enormously. Someone who had just entered the Houtian Fifth Stage possessed only Two Tigers Strength, while the Houtian Sixth Stage possessed Five Tigers Strength—over two thousand five hundred jin!

In terms of combat power alone, Ye Xiwen, who now had the strength to blow apart Houtian Sixth Stage experts, could already rank among the first-rate Inner Disciples. However, it was still not enough for him to advance to become a Core Disciple.

Unless Ye Xiwen could break through to the Houtian Sixth Stage. Then, he would have a considerable chance of advancing into the Core Disciples.

Having successfully reached Five Tigers Strength, Ye Xiwen casually threw a punch, and even the air trembled. It was worlds apart from before.

However, although his strength had soared at breakneck speed, the price was enormous. The Earth Core Fruit had been completely digested, and even the forty Spirit Stones had been exhausted in deducing the final strike of Thunderclap Hand. The consumption was far greater than when he had deduced the eighth strike.

Of course, after the eighth strike of Thunderclap Hand had been deduced, its power was no longer something it had once been. In one stroke, it had reached the power of a mid-grade cultivation technique.

If he wanted his strength to advance by leaps and bounds in a short time, whether for deducing martial arts or advancing his realm, he could not do without Spirit Stones and heavenly treasures such as Earth Core Fruits. After all, such things could only be encountered, never sought. For now, the most reliable method was to hunt demon beasts and exchange them for crystals. It would also increase his combat experience, killing several birds with one stone.

Having made up his mind, Ye Xiwen swiftly left the Yi Yuan Sect encampment and headed deeper into Green Peak Mountain.

Time passed day by day. Ye Xiwen had already spent three days in Green Peak Mountain and had ventured quite deep into it. Now, he could see demon beasts at the Houtian Fifth Stage, and even the Houtian Sixth Stage, appearing from time to time.

Yesterday, Ye Xiwen had encountered a Houtian Sixth Stage Peak demon beast and had nearly died in its jaws.

At that time, his life had hung by a thread. Ye Xiwen had also deeply realized that being without a weapon was indeed tremendously inconvenient. It was still manageable when fighting people, but when battling these demon beasts, he suffered losses at every turn. After all, human hands could not compare with the claws and fangs of demon beasts.

That day, Ye Xiwen crossed a gorge and discovered a blood-colored ginseng growing on a cliff face. He had once read about this sort of blood-colored ginseng in a collection of miscellaneous records. It was a variant among ginseng. Ordinary ginseng could increase one's cultivation, but this blood-colored ginseng was several times more effective than ordinary ginseng.

Judging from the appearance of this Crimson Blood Ginseng, it had at least over a hundred years of maturity. If he could consume it, Ye Xiwen could at least break through directly to the Houtian Sixth Stage. Then, he would be certain to advance to become a Core Disciple. He wanted to see who would dare look down on him then.

Ye Xiwen hesitated no longer and hurriedly climbed up. His movements were incomparably agile, like a nimble ape, and he soon reached the Crimson Blood Ginseng.

Ye Xiwen spread out his large hand and grabbed at the Crimson Blood Ginseng.

Bang! Ye Xiwen only grabbed a handful of dirt, failing to catch the Crimson Blood Ginseng. Looking up, he saw that it had somehow appeared over a hundred meters away.

"This Crimson Blood Ginseng actually possesses a hazy consciousness!" Ye Xiwen was greatly astonished. All things between heaven and earth possessed spirit. Even a stubborn stone, after hundreds of millions of years, might not lack the hope of Dao Proofing. Heavenly treasures such as ginseng gathered the essence of heaven and earth all the more. A thousand-year-old ginseng king could develop a hazy consciousness; even if ordinary people discovered one, they would be unable to catch it. Ginseng was born with earth-element divine abilities. If necessary, it could travel hundreds of li in a day. If a ginseng king attained ten thousand years of maturity, it could even transform into human form and become a spirit of the mountains.

This Crimson Blood Ginseng truly deserved to be called mutated ginseng. Though it had only a hundred years of maturity, it had already developed a hazy subconsciousness. It seemed that it might not even need a thousand years to take human form. But since Ye Xiwen had seen it, he naturally would not let it go.

Ye Xiwen exerted strength throughout his body, his true qi bursting forth. His body immediately shot through the air, pouncing toward the Crimson Blood Ginseng like a great eagle swooping down on prey.

Bang! Ye Xiwen's hand sank into the cliff face, and he seized the Crimson Blood Ginseng. Before it could flee, he yanked it out of the cliff in one grasp. Once separated from the earth, its hazy earth-element divine abilities became useless.

A smile appeared on Ye Xiwen's face. He climbed down the cliff, intending to find a secluded place to consume it, when a thunderous shout suddenly came from behind him.

"Hand over the Crimson Blood Ginseng!"

Ye Xiwen turned around and saw three young men staring coldly at him.

Two of the three young men appeared to be in their twenties, dressed respectively in green and purple. The youth in the middle looked around seventeen or eighteen, about Ye Xiwen's age. He wore a white robe and had an arrogant expression. The one who had spoken was the green-clothed young man.

"You're a disciple of the Yi Yuan Sect, aren't you?" the green-clothed young man said arrogantly as he looked at Ye Xiwen.

"You're from the Zhang Family?" Ye Xiwen saw the family emblem at their shoulders and immediately became wary. Green Peak Mountain stretched for hundreds of li and was a branch of the Yue Yi Mountain Range in the Dayue Kingdom. There were two forces in Green Peak Mountain: one was the Yi Yuan Sect, and the other was the Zhang Family.

The Yi Yuan Sect was a branch of the Yi Yuan Sect Main Sect in the Dayue Kingdom, while behind the Zhang Family stood another great power of the Dayue Kingdom, Tianfeng Hall. Its strength was not inferior to the Yi Yuan Sect in the slightest. Because they belonged to different forces, the relationship between the two sides had always been tense.

Out in the open, both sides remained outwardly cordial out of consideration for each other's backing forces. Yet in the shadows, filthy dealings never ceased. Deep in Green Peak Mountain, disciples from both sides trained there. It was nothing new for them to kill without mercy over a single disagreement.

"That's right. This is the young master of our Zhang Family. Hand over that Crimson Blood Ginseng from earlier!" the green-clothed young man shouted.

"I found it," Ye Xiwen said warily, secretly pondering whether he had truly encountered such a thing as murder and treasure-snatching.

"Didn't you hear what our young master said?" the green-clothed young man said.

"Why are you still wasting words with him? He's nothing but Yi Yuan Sect trash. Kill him, and won't the Crimson Blood Ginseng be ours?" the purple-clothed young man said impatiently, a few traces of savagery appearing on his face.

A strong first update—please vote and bookmark!