Immortal Herb, Nether Shore Flower

Nether Ridge was a Soul Beast habitat unknown to the world. Most of the Soul Beasts and creatures living here possessed dark or undead attributes.

The weather here seemed perpetually gloomy, without a trace of sunlight. Human tracks were scarce, and it resembled a primeval forest untouched by mankind. The Spirit Beast Clan ruled this place.

Qian Xunji and Man Yao emerged from the passage and carefully surveyed their surroundings. The Soul Beasts here were all quite powerful, even slightly stronger than those in the Star Dou Great Forest.

Qian Xunji had never heard of this place before. Like a primeval forest, it had never been developed or used by humans. The air was as sweet and fresh as mountain dew, while the open, pleasant surroundings complemented the gray mist. It was an excellent place for seclusion.

But what Qian Xunji could not understand was how this place had formed, and why it was located on the Douluo Continent yet had never been discovered by humans. His mind was filled with confusion and doubt.

It seemed this place held many secrets. Qian Xunji was already eagerly anticipating what would happen next.

For now, the most urgent matter was finding the Immortal Herb. Everything else could wait.

Qian Xunji led Man Yao onward for nearly a full day and night. They encountered several Ten-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts along the way, but he did not want to waste time killing Soul Beasts, so he hurried onward with Man Yao.

Yet they still had not seen the legendary Immortal Herb, leaving Qian Xunji frustrated.

They could not keep going like this, or they would eventually collapse from exhaustion.

Qian Xunji stopped and had Man Yao use her Martial Soul to carefully sense the Immortal Herb's location. Her Martial Soul was highly compatible with that Immortal Herb, so she should be able to detect some information.

"Brother Qin, my Martial Soul senses that the Immortal Herb should be within a kilometer ahead, but an extremely powerful aura is guarding it. That must be the Soul Beast," Man Yao said to Qian Xunji.

"Good. We've finally found it. Let's go." Qian Xunji took Man Yao's small hand and released his Martial Soul. Two pairs of Golden Wings carried them slowly into the air as they flew into the distance.

There was a cave not far away, its entrance wide and open. A gigantic Monster lay sprawled within it.

This Monster had two enormous fleshy azure wings and a massive head covered in black cracks, making it look utterly terrifying. At the Corner of Mouth was a long, sharp beak still stained with specks of blood. It had clearly just finished lunch and was lying at the entrance basking in the sun.

Qian Xunji hid some distance away, using his Mental Power to observe the Monster. Information about it flashed through his mind.

Azure Feather Ghost Falcon. It was exceedingly ugly and exceptionally rare, feeding primarily on the souls of its prey. Occasionally, it also consumed flesh and blood for digestion.

Azure Feather Ghost Falcons generally pierced an enemy's head with their long beaks first. Only after killing the enemy and waiting for its soul to disperse could they absorb it.

Otherwise, if the enemy's solidified soul had yet to scatter, the Azure Feather Ghost Falcon risked suffering a backlash.

As a result, Azure Feather Ghost Falcons constantly consumed the souls of dead enemies and inevitably became tainted with large amounts of Death Qi, which clung to their own souls.

After an Azure Feather Ghost Falcon died, the immense Death Qi would erupt, keeping any Soul Beasts that wished to devour its corpse from approaching. Soul Beasts that came too close would be affected by the Death Qi, becoming deranged before dying. It was an extremely cruel Soul Beast. Whether Soul Beasts or Soul Masters, all regarded it as a foremost enemy and hunted it relentlessly.

Only once the Death Qi had completely dissipated into heaven and earth would other Soul Beasts dare to step forward and consume the Azure Feather Ghost Falcon's corpse.

Soul Beasts like the Azure Feather Ghost Falcon carried far more Death Qi than other Soul Beasts due to their distinct diets and living habits.

Qian Xunji also used his Mental Power to determine that the Immortal Herb was likely in the cave behind the Azure Feather Ghost Falcon. To obtain it, he would have to kill the Azure Feather Ghost Falcon first. However, this Soul Beast was roughly ninety-five thousand years old, its strength nearing the Hundred-Thousand-Year Stage. It absolutely possessed combat power at the level of a Titled Douluo.

Although Qian Xunji currently had seven rings and the cultivation of a Soul Douluo, he had yet to obtain his Eighth Spirit Ring and could not kill this Soul Beast. Still, he could hold it back.

Qian Xunji pondered carefully, considering how to deal with this Soul Beast.

Suddenly, the Soul Beast awoke from its light sleep, its ugly face fixed tightly on the sky.

A piercing cry rang out, releasing waves of sound that tugged at the heartstrings and made one feel irritable.

The Azure Feather Ghost Falcon answered with its sharp beak, then climbed up from the cave entrance. It hurriedly flapped its pair of azure-feathered wings and flew into the sky, vanishing in the blink of an eye.

Qian Xunji stared blankly at the scene before suddenly thinking of something. He immediately took Man Yao and flew toward the cave.

It seemed this Azure Feather Ghost Falcon had run into some trouble. Perhaps another powerful Soul Beast was calling it.

But none of that had anything to do with Qian Xunji. He was busy taking advantage of its absence to seize the Immortal Herb and escape.

The two hurried into the cave, passing through layer after layer of obstacles before finally finding the Immortal Herb.

The Immortal Herb grew atop a worn stone. It was actually a flower, with Black-Red stamens—black on the outside and red within. Its petals spread outward, flickering with a Nether aura that gave off an icy sensation leading straight into the Nine Netherworlds.

Qian Xunji knew the name of this Immortal Herb. It was called the Nether Shore Flower, a powerful Immortal Herb that bloomed on the shores of the Netherworld.

Legend said it grew beneath the Nine Netherworlds, remaining unfaded after a thousand years. It grew by absorbing the yin energy of the Nine Netherworlds and contained an immensely potent Extreme Darkness attribute. It could devour all living things and convert them into its own cultivation. It was an invaluable divine treasure for those with dark-attributed Martial Souls. Consuming it could evolve one's Martial Soul into a Super Martial Soul and grant one an extreme attribute.

Man Yao's Martial Soul was the Shore Flower, which was extremely compatible with this Nether Shore Flower. If the two were combined, Man Yao's future would surely be limitless. Her future accomplishments would far surpass those of a Titled Douluo—she might even Become God.

"Man Yao, this is the Immortal Herb we were searching for—the Nether Shore Flower. It is exceptionally suited to you. Your Martial Soul is also the Shore Flower, so meeting it can be considered fate," Qian Xunji said with a smile.

Qian Xunji then explained the Nether Shore Flower's effects to Man Yao. She was immediately shocked. She had not expected such a small Immortal Herb to possess such tremendous effects.

"Brother Qin, then let's pick it quickly. It'll be troublesome if that Monster comes back," Man Yao said anxiously.

Qian Xunji nodded and walked straight ahead. As he went, he said, "Harvesting an Immortal Herb is not so easy. You must use the proper harvesting method to fully preserve its effects."

Qian Xunji quickly wrapped his hand in Soul Power, golden light slowly emerging over his palm. His two nimble fingers moved in tandem, sometimes pinching and sometimes plucking. Before long, the Immortal Herb had been completely harvested.

Qian Xunji had found this harvesting method in a book on a shelf at the Top Floor of the Martial Soul Hall Library. When he discovered it, the book was covered in dust. Clearly, no one had looked through it for years, and it had been left there gathering dust. Moreover, not just anyone could enter the Top Floor of the Martial Soul Hall Library. Only those loyal to the Angel Family who had made great contributions to Spirit Hall were qualified to consult its books.

Qian Xunji had only been allowed to look through them because he bore the title of Saint Son and was the only son of Pope Qian Daoliu.

The pages of the book had already yellowed, and the author's name was too blurred to read.

The author had written that the Immortal Herbs of this world were heaven's greatest blessing to humanity. Regardless of one's foundation or talent, Immortal Herbs could bring a Soul Master's potential to its utmost limit. They were a path to heaven.

We humans must remember to protect and make good use of every Immortal Herb.

This old man was once fortunate enough to encounter two Immortal Herbs, but due to improper handling, I lost one of them. It made my heart bleed.

Thus, I traveled across the continent, gathering materials on Immortal Herbs from every corner and compiling them into this book to serve as an explanation for those who came after.

This old man spent a lifetime in vain and only saw two Immortal Herbs. I have specially recorded some of my insights regarding Immortal Herbs for future generations to appreciate.

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