Innate Spiritual Root, Yellow Central Plum!

Before long.

Qin Mu and Duobao had already reached the depths of the valley.

Up close, the Innate Formation shrouding the cliff face could be seen more clearly.

The Sword Qi Qin Mu had unleashed earlier had already activated this Innate Formation.

One must understand, this Innate Formation was one that formed naturally when heaven and earth first split open, far beyond compare to formations set up by later-generation cultivators.

Within the Innate Formation, there was a manifestation of the Great Dao, a condensation of laws.

What's more, within a powerful Innate Formation, there was even contained the might to split heaven and open earth.

As Qin Mu and Duobao drew near.

They saw that at the central position of the Innate Formation, a yin-yang pattern was actually spinning.

Immediately after, yin qi sank down to become earth, yang qi rose up to become heaven, and the space between was clear and turbid, distinctly separated.

Within the formation, a scene of heaven and earth being born was actually unfolding.

"Oh?"

Qin Mu, upon seeing this, furrowed his brow slightly.

Vaguely, he felt that this Innate Formation seemed even more powerful than the one that had appeared when the Fire Spirit Pearl manifested.

"With such an Innate Formation guarding it."

"There must be a heavy treasure within!"

As he watched, Qin Mu couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.

At his words, Duobao beside him nodded noncommittally:

"Daoist Qin Mu, that's true enough."

"But this Innate Formation is clearly extraordinary at a glance."

"With our strength, can we break this formation?"

Duobao spoke hesitantly.

Although Qin Mu's strength was not weak, possessing the cultivation of a Primordial Unity Golden Immortal.

In his view, this Innate Formation before them was no ordinary thing.

Even Qin Mu's Primordial Unity Golden Immortal power might not necessarily be able to break it.

"Boom!"

Before Qin Mu could even reply, a series of rumbling sounds suddenly rose from within the Innate Formation.

Then, a terrifying oppressive aura instantly swept out.

Under the assault of this oppressive aura, Duobao couldn't help but furrow his brow tightly, a trace of pain showing on his face.

"Oh?"

Qin Mu was also enveloped by the formation's oppressive aura at this moment, his expression solemn as he said in a low voice:

"Duobao, fall back!"

Hearing Qin Mu's words, Duobao quickly nodded, then retreated a hundred zhang, watching the front nervously.

After Duobao had withdrawn, Qin Mu didn't delay either, joining his fingers like a sword.

"Boom! Boom!"

The next moment, a vast sword intent burst forth from around him.

The sword intent soared into the sky, directly shattering the oppressive aura pressing down from the formation.

At the same time, the green lotus phantom within Qin Mu's body swayed slightly.

Then, Qin Mu pointed a finger at the Innate Formation on the cliff face.

In an instant, a wisp of Chaos Sword Qi burst forth from his fingertip.

"Grass Sword Art!!"

To break this Innate Formation, Qin Mu held nothing back, directly executing his inherited sword technique.

"Boom!"

As the sword art was unleashed, the sword light was like a rainbow, tearing through the void.

Wherever it passed, space shattered inch by inch!

Although the Innate Formation was strong, under Qin Mu's sword strike, the formation patterns broke inch by inch, revealing the entrance to the hidden cave heaven within.

"Ah?"

Duobao, upon seeing this, was completely dumbfounded, his face full of disbelief.

"This?"

"Daoist Qin Mu's sword strike, with such power, even an ordinary Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal probably couldn't withstand it, right?"

The more he spoke, the more shaken Duobao's heart became.

Just moments ago, he had thought this Innate Formation was extraordinary—even if Qin Mu possessed the cultivation of a Primordial Unity Golden Immortal, it wasn't necessarily certain he could break it. Who would have guessed that Qin Mu, forming a sword with his fingers, would pierce straight through the Innate Formation in a single strike?

Just as Duobao was stunned, Qin Mu's voice rang out: "Go!"

The moment the words fell, Qin Mu's figure unfurled, and he flew first toward the entrance on the rock wall.

Seeing this, Duobao collected himself and hurriedly followed Qin Mu.

Before long, the two had flown inside the entrance and arrived in a small independent world.

This was a separate minor realm, its spiritual energy of heaven and earth incomparably dense. Even taking a few small breaths here made one feel refreshed and invigorated.

At the very center of this small world stood a towering ancient tree. Its trunk coiled like a dragon, and between its branches and leaves hung fruits gleaming with golden light, each one radiating a Dao resonance that stirred the heart.

Qin Mu and Duobao had only to smell the fruit's fragrance to feel their internal mana seethe, and the bottlenecks in their cultivation faintly loosened!

"Could this be... the Yellow Central Plum?"

Suddenly, Qin Mu's mind shook violently as he recognized what this spiritual root was. He knew that the Yellow Central Plum was one of the ten great Innate Spiritual Roots. Legend had it that this tree bloomed once every ten thousand years, bore fruit once every ten thousand years, and took another ten thousand years to ripen. Its flowers resembled lotuses, its fruits resembled pearl stamens, and both flower and fruit bore the characters "Yellow Central." A single fruit could make a mortal ascend directly to Golden Immortal, and it was of immense benefit even to a Zenith Heaven Golden Immortal.

"Daoist Qin Mu—this time, we've struck it rich!"

Duobao exclaimed excitedly. Though he did not know what the Yellow Central Plum was, merely smelling the golden fruits on the tree told him they were extraordinary.

Qin Mu nodded and said, "Duobao, this is the Yellow Central Plum! An ultimate-grade Innate Spiritual Root! Its fruits are naturally beyond the ordinary! And by the look of it, they've just reached the point where they can be picked."

Hearing this, Duobao grew even more thrilled and quickly said, "Then what are we waiting for?"

Next, Qin Mu and Duobao prepared to step forward.

But just then, a sudden change occurred.

"Boom!"

A figure abruptly descended into this small world, and a terrifying aura of pressure instantly enveloped everything. The newcomer was a Middle-Aged Daoist, his face dark and sinister, his entire being radiating surging energy. His cultivation had actually reached the Primordial Unity Golden Immortal Late Stage. After appearing, he stared greedily at the Yellow Central Plum and said in shock, "To think such a supreme treasure exists here! Two ants, get lost at once! I am a man of the Immortal Court—this thing belongs to the Immortal Court!"

The Middle-Aged Daoist was ecstatic, paying no heed to Qin Mu and Duobao at all. A Primordial Unity Golden Immortal Early Stage and a Mystic Immortal were no match for him.

"Immortal Court?"

Hearing this, Duobao's expression changed. He naturally knew that the Immortal Court was the force of East King Duke. After a brief pause, Duobao quickly looked at Qin Mu and said in a low voice, "Daoist Qin Mu, perhaps we should... avoid the edge and leave for now?"

In Duobao's view, the Immortal Court was powerful, and East King Duke was a Quasi-Saint Great Expert—not someone they could easily provoke. Moreover, the newcomer's strength was not weak, at Primordial Unity Golden Immortal Late Stage. Though Qin Mu was also a Primordial Unity Golden Immortal, he was only at the Early Stage.

But what Duobao hadn't expected—

Qin Mu paid no heed to his words at all. Instead, he looked toward that Primordial Unity Golden Immortal and sneered:

"Just a mere Primordial Unity Golden Immortal."

"Let alone you—even if the Immortal Court's East King Duke himself came in person today, he wouldn't be able to take this thing!"

Hearing Qin Mu's words, Duobao's mind jolted, and he was thrown into a flustered panic.

"Fellow Daoist Qin Mu, isn't that a bit too arrogant?"

Duobao sighed inwardly.

At the same time, that Primordial Unity Golden Immortal from the Immortal Court heard this and flew into a rage, bellowing:

"Arrogant brat!"

"You're... asking for death!"