Before long.
Qin Mu and Duobao had arrived deep in the valley.
From up close, the Innate Formation covering the rock wall was even clearer.
The Sword Qi Qin Mu had unleashed earlier had already activated the Innate Formation.
One had to know that this Innate Formation had formed naturally when heaven and earth first opened. It was far beyond any formation arranged by cultivators after the fact.
Within an Innate Formation were manifestations of the Great Dao and condensations of laws.
In fact, powerful Innate Formations even contained the power to create heaven and earth.
As Qin Mu and Duobao drew closer.
They saw an Yin Yang symbol rotating at the very center of the Innate Formation.
Then, the Yin Qi sank to form the earth, while the Yang Qi rose to form the sky, with the clear and turbid energies distinctly separated between them.
Within the formation, the scene of heaven and earth coming into being was actually unfolding.
"Hmm?"
Qin Mu furrowed his brow slightly at the sight.
He vaguely felt that this Innate Formation seemed even more powerful than the one that had appeared when the Fire Spirit Pearl emerged.
"Such a powerful Innate Formation guarding it."
"There must be a treasure inside!"
Qin Mu couldn't help exclaiming as he watched.
At his words, Duobao nodded in agreement:
"Daoist Qin Mu, that may be so."
"But it's obvious at a glance that this Innate Formation is extraordinary."
"Can we really break it with our strength?"
Duobao asked hesitantly.
Qin Mu's strength was certainly formidable, and he had the cultivation of a Taiyi Golden Immortal.
But in Duobao's eyes, the Innate Formation before them was no ordinary thing.
Even Qin Mu's Taiyi Golden Immortal power might not be enough to break it.
Boom!
Before Qin Mu could reply, a series of rumbling sounds suddenly erupted from within the Innate Formation.
Then, a terrifying pressure swept out in an instant.
Under the onslaught of that pressure, Duobao furrowed his brow, pain showing on his face.
"Hmm?"
Qin Mu was also enveloped by the formation's pressure. His expression turned solemn as he said in a low voice:
"Duobao, fall back!"
At Qin Mu's words, Duobao quickly nodded and retreated a hundred zhang, watching the area ahead tensely.
Once Duobao had withdrawn, Qin Mu wasted no time and brought his fingers together like a sword.
Rumble!
The next moment, a vast sword intent burst forth from around him.
The sword intent shot skyward, directly shattering the pressure bearing down from the formation.
At the same time, the shadow of a green lotus within Qin Mu's body swayed gently.
Then, Qin Mu pointed a finger at the Innate Formation on the rock wall.
In an instant, a wisp of Chaos Sword Qi burst from his fingertip.
"Grass Sword Art!"
To break the Innate Formation, Qin Mu held nothing back and used the sword technique he had inherited.
Boom!
The moment the technique was unleashed, sword light streaked like a rainbow, tearing through the void.
Everywhere it passed, space shattered inch by inch!
The Innate Formation was powerful, but under Qin Mu's strike, its formation patterns broke apart one after another, revealing the hidden entrance to a grotto-heaven.
"Ah?"
Duobao was utterly dumbstruck at the sight, disbelief written all over his face.
"This?"
"Was Daoist Qin Mu's strike so powerful that even an ordinary Great Principle Golden Immortal might not be able to withstand it?"
The more Duobao thought about it, the more shocked he became.
Just moments ago, he had thought the Innate Formation was formidable.
Even with Qin Mu's Taiyi Golden Immortal cultivation, he might not be able to break it.
Who would have expected Qin Mu to pierce straight through the Innate Formation with a single sword strike formed by his fingers?
As Duobao stood there stunned, Qin Mu's voice reached him:
"Let's go!"
As soon as the words fell, Qin Mu surged forward, flying first toward the entrance in the rock wall.
Seeing this, Duobao gathered himself and hurried after Qin Mu.
Before long, the two had flown through the entrance and arrived in a Small Heaven and Earth.
It was an independent Small World, filled with incredibly dense spiritual energy.
Even a few breaths here left one feeling refreshed and invigorated.
At the very center of this Small Heaven and Earth stood a towering ancient tree.
Its trunk coiled like a dragon, and its branches hung with brilliantly golden fruits. Each fruit emanated an unsettling Dao resonance.
Just the fragrance of the fruit made the spiritual power within Qin Mu and Duobao surge, and their cultivation bottlenecks seemed to loosen!
"Could this be..."
"The Yellow Central Plum?"
Qin Mu's mind shook as he recognized the spiritual root.
The Yellow Central Plum was one of the Ten Great Innate Spiritual Roots.
Legend had it that the tree bloomed once every ten thousand years and bore fruit once every ten thousand years, with another ten thousand years passing before the fruit ripened.
Its flowers were shaped like lotuses, and its fruits resembled pearl-like stamens.
The words "Yellow Central" appeared on both the flowers and the fruits.
A single fruit could turn an ordinary mortal into a Golden Immortal on the spot, and it was of immense benefit even to a Great Principle Golden Immortal.
"Daoist Qin Mu."
"We've struck it rich this time!"
Duobao exclaimed excitedly. Though he didn't know what the Yellow Central Plum was, the mere scent of 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 extraordinary!"
"And it looks like they're just ripe for picking."
At that, Duobao grew even more excited and hurriedly said:
"What are we waiting for?"
Then, Qin Mu and Duobao prepared to approach.
But just then, an unexpected change occurred.
Boom!
A figure suddenly descended into the Small Heaven and Earth, and a terrifying aura instantly spread across it.
The newcomer was a Middle-Aged Daoist with a sinister face. His aura surged around him, and his cultivation had actually reached the late stage of the Taiyi Golden Immortal realm.
After appearing, he stared greedily at the Yellow Central Plum, his face filled with shock.
"I never expected such a treasure to be hidden here!"
"You two ants, get out of my way at once! I am of the Immortal Court. This belongs to the Immortal Court!"
The Middle-Aged Daoist was ecstatic and didn't take Qin Mu and Duobao seriously at all.
One was an early-stage Taiyi Golden Immortal, and the other a Mystic Immortal. Neither stood a chance against him.
"The Immortal Court?"
At the newcomer's words, Duobao's expression changed.
He naturally knew that the Immortal Court was East King Duke's faction.
After a brief pause, Duobao hurriedly looked at Qin Mu and said in a low voice:
"Daoist Qin Mu, how about we... avoid a direct confrontation and leave for now?"
In Duobao's view, the Immortal Court was powerful, and East King Duke was a Quasi-Saint. They couldn't afford to provoke him lightly.
Besides, the newcomer was strong, a late-stage Taiyi Golden Immortal.
Qin Mu was also a Taiyi Golden Immortal, but only at the early stage.
What Duobao hadn't expected, though, was this:
Qin Mu paid no attention to his words. Instead, he looked at the Taiyi Golden Immortal and sneered:
"You're nothing but a mere Taiyi Golden Immortal."
"Forget you—even if East King Duke of the Immortal Court came here himself today, he still wouldn't be able to take this treasure!"
Hearing Qin Mu say this, Duobao's heart jolted, and he grew flustered.
"Isn't Daoist Qin Mu being a little too bold?"
Duobao thought to himself.
At the same time, the Taiyi Golden Immortal from the Immortal Court flew into a rage at his words and shouted furiously:
"You insolent brat!"
"You're... asking to die!"
Before you continue