In the northwest corner of the Myriad Races Battlefield lay a valley shrouded year-round in seven-colored rosy clouds. Spiritual Energy gathered into mist, even condensing into droplets of spiritual liquid that fell from the air. This was the renowned Seven-Colored Medicine Valley, also known as the Ancient Medicine Garden.
It was said that this place had once been a corner of a certain Medicine Saint's private medicinal garden in ancient times. After falling into the battlefield, it had formed a world of its own. Countless rare Spiritual Medicines grew within, and there might even be Saint medicines or half-divine medicines! Every time the battlefield opened, this was a fiercely contested place.
By the time Xuanyuan Che's group of four arrived, the natural restriction at the medicine valley's entrance had already weakened. More than a hundred people had gathered outside, belonging to over a dozen teams. They watched one another warily, yet none dared rashly take the lead in entering the restriction where seven-colored light flowed.
The strength of these teams varied greatly. The stronger ones were led by Tai Xu Realm cultivators, while the weaker ones consisted merely of Wu Xiang Realm cultivators banding together. Clearly, all of them had come to try their luck.
"Quite a crowd." Xuanyuan Che smacked his lips and swept his gaze across the crowd. He did not spot anyone particularly noteworthy, though he did see several teams dressed in the uniforms of other academies from the Eastern Wasteland Domain. They were hiding far off in the corners, looking extremely cautious.
Those Eastern Wasteland teams also noticed Xuanyuan Che's group. Upon recognizing Thunder Roar Ravine and Yun Mengyao in particular, they immediately revealed reverent expressions and instinctively retreated even farther away. The reputation of these fiends from Eastern Xuan Academy had long spread throughout the Eastern Wasteland teams.
Xuanyuan Che could not be bothered with them. He focused his attention on the seven-colored restriction.
"This restriction combines an illusion array, trapping array, and killing array. It also draws upon the Spiritual Energy of the earth veins, forming its own cycle. Whoever laid this array possessed no shallow attainments in the Dao of arrays—at the very least, a Saint-tier Array Master," he assessed.
Yun Mengyao nodded slightly. "Yes, and it has existed for far too long. Parts of the array have already merged with the earth veins. Breaking it through brute force may trigger a backlash from the earth veins, making the loss outweigh the gain. We need to find its operational nodes to enter safely."
Hearing their conversation, those nearby could not help glancing over. This youth had identified a Saint-tier array at a glance and spoken about it so knowledgeably. Where had he come from? Many had only heard of Xuanyuan Che and the others, but had never truly seen them before.
"Isn't that simple?" Xuanyuan Che smiled. An imperceptible glimmer of Chaos light flashed through his eyes. In his sight, the seven-colored restriction instantly became transparent, its nodes laid out with perfect clarity.
He could even see the rough scenery inside the restriction—the valley carpeted in strange flowers and exotic herbs, medicinal fragrance rushing at his nose. Several Spiritual Medicines even breathed out rosy light, clearly having developed intelligence!
"Follow me."
Xuanyuan Che called out, then headed straight toward a patch of rosy light within the restriction.
"Hey! Is that kid courting death? That's where the restriction is strongest!" someone could not help crying out.
"Hmph, he doesn't know the immensity of heaven and earth. Does he think a little insight lets him barge in wherever he wants? Just wait for the restriction to grind him to death!" someone else gloated.
Yet the next sight made their eyes widen.
Xuanyuan Che strolled leisurely, his figure flickering several times through the seven-colored rosy light in seemingly irregular movements. At times he advanced, at times retreated, at times shifted sideways. The restriction's originally violent energy actually flowed automatically around him like tame water, unable to harm him in the slightest!
Yun Mengyao and the other two followed closely behind him, their steps not the least bit disorderly. They trusted Xuanyuan Che completely.
In the blink of an eye, the four passed through the fearsome seven-colored restriction without a scratch and entered the medicine valley!
"H-How is that possible?!"
"They just went in like that?!"
"Quick! Remember his footwork just now!" Someone attempted to imitate Xuanyuan Che's route, but after taking merely two steps, he immediately triggered the restriction's backlash. A sweep of seven-colored rosy light struck him. He screamed and was instantly blasted flying, heavily injured and coughing blood.
Everyone was horrified and no longer dared try lightly.
Inside the valley.
Dense Spiritual Energy and medicinal fragrance, so rich they seemed impossible to dissolve, rushed toward them, making every pore on their bodies open. Looking around, they saw all kinds of Spiritual Medicines rarely found outside growing everywhere, their ages so great they were frightening.
"Thousand-Year Purple Cloud Ganoderma! Ten-Thousand-Year Blood Ginseng! That's... a Soul Condensing Flower!" Thunder Roar Ravine's eyes gleamed, and he was practically drooling. These Spiritual Medicines were tremendous supplements for both his physical body and soul radiance!
"Split up and gather what you need. Be careful. There may be medicinal beasts guarding the valley, as well as... others who entered ahead of us," Yun Mengyao reminded them. She had already sensed several not-weak auras deep within the valley.
The four scattered, each taking what they needed. Xuanyuan Che had little interest in most Spiritual Medicines. His goal was clear: the several sentient Saint medicines with the strongest auras within the valley.
His figure shot forth like lightning, heading directly toward the deepest part of the medicine valley.
The farther in he went, the higher the quality of the Spiritual Medicines became. Some Saint medicines that gave off faint Saint might had even begun to appear.
Xuanyuan Che ignored them and went straight for a small pool deep in the valley.
The pool was only about ten feet across, yet it emitted astonishing life essence. On a protruding piece of green stone in its center grew a plant with only three leaves and a red fruit at its tip.
The plant was only a foot tall, yet it gave one the illusion that it stood between heaven and earth.
"The Three Talents Soul Returning Root—and it's about to transform into a Divine Medicine." At last, a trace of interest appeared in Xuanyuan Che's eyes.
The Three Talents Soul Returning Root was a Saint medicine that gathered the qi of heaven, earth, and man. Its fruit contained boundless vitality. It was a main ingredient for life-saving divine pills and could further nourish a Saint Soul, making it immensely useful even to Saint Realm experts! This one had clearly accumulated power over countless years and was at the critical moment of transforming into a Divine Medicine. Its value was immeasurable!
Just as Xuanyuan Che approached the pool, a sudden change occurred!
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Three incomparably fierce attacks shot at Xuanyuan Che from three separate directions! One was a blazing fire sword, one an icy water arrow, and one a heavy earth spear!
The attacks were perfectly coordinated, sealing off every route of escape. Their might was also terrifyingly great, each having reached the peak Tai Xu Realm!
"Hmph, hiding your heads and showing your tails." Xuanyuan Che snorted coldly. He neither dodged nor evaded, not even turning around.
Just as the three attacks were about to strike him, the space around him twisted slightly, and an invisible barrier emerged.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The three attacks, each capable of severely injuring a peak Tai Xu Realm cultivator, struck the barrier like mud oxen vanishing into the sea. They could not even stir a ripple before silently dissipating.
"What?!"
Three startled cries came from the shadows.
Three figures emerged from the shadows beside the pool. They were three old men, all at the peak of the Tai Xu Realm. Their Spiritual Power was refined, showing that they had been steeped in this realm for a long time, only one step away from glimpsing the Saint Realm.
"I've taken a liking to this Spiritual Medicine." Xuanyuan Che turned around and looked at them calmly. "Will you leave on your own, or shall I send you on your way?"
The old man in red had a fiery temper. He roared, "Arrogant junior! This is something my Three Talents Sect has guarded for a thousand years. How dare you covet it! Leave at once, or do not blame this old man for showing no mercy!"
The other two old men also looked unfriendly. They vaguely formed a formation, their auras connecting as one, giving the impression that one was facing the Saint Realm.
"Three Talents Sect? Never heard of it." Xuanyuan Che shook his head. "Guarded it for a thousand years? Does it have your names written on it? Heavenly treasures belong to the virtuous. I'd say you lack virtue. You guarded it for a thousand years, and it still didn't acknowledge you as its master."
"You!" The red-robed old man was so furious that his beard and hair stood on end. "You're courting death!"
The three stopped wasting words and attacked simultaneously! Fire, water, and earth Spiritual Power surged forth, intertwining in the air to form a massive wheel of shifting three-colored light. Carrying terrifying force capable of crushing everything, it descended to suppress Xuanyuan Che!
Three Talents Rotation Array!
This was the Three Talents Sect's secret joint attack technique. With the three joining forces, they could battle experts who had just entered the Saint Realm!
"Flashy but useless." Xuanyuan Che offered that evaluation, raised his right hand, and lightly pointed forward with his index finger.
At his fingertip, a point of sword light suddenly appeared!
The seemingly indestructible three-colored giant wheel instantly lost balance in the three types of Spiritual Power composing it the moment it touched the sword light. It collapsed and disintegrated with a thunderous crash!
Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!
The three old men sprayed blood and flew backward at the same time, their faces filled with terror. They felt as though their own Dao laws had nearly collapsed beneath that single finger!
"Saint... Saint?!" The blue-robed old man cried out in shock, his eyes full of fear. Only a Saint could so effortlessly dismantle their combined technique!
Xuanyuan Che could not be bothered to explain. He took one step forward, his figure blurring as he instantly appeared before the three old men and rewarded each with a chop to the neck.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The three peak Tai Xu Realm old men did not even have time to grunt before their vision went black and they passed out directly.
Having dealt with the nuisances, Xuanyuan Che turned his gaze once more toward the Three Talents Soul Returning Root.
He slowly approached the pool and forced out a drop of pale golden Chaos Blood from his fingertip. It radiated a supreme Dao rhythm as it slowly dripped toward the Spiritual Medicine.
Sensing the exceedingly powerful Bloodline Pressure within that drop of blood, the Three Talents Soul Returning Root's three leaves trembled violently. The red fruit at its tip pulsed even more intensely, radiating a powerful emotion of yearning!
The blood fell onto a leaf and was absorbed in an instant.
The next moment, the entire Three Talents Soul Returning Root erupted with brilliant three-colored divine light! The Spiritual Energy throughout the medicine valley frantically gathered toward it. Its form began to become increasingly divine before the naked eye!
It was actually using Xuanyuan Che's drop of Chaos Blood to complete its final transformation, taking that crucial step and thoroughly advancing into a Divine Medicine!
A moment later, the divine light withdrew.
The transformed Three Talents Soul Returning Root had a perfect form. Its entire body emitted a faint Chaos aura and brimmed with spirituality. It voluntarily detached itself from the green stone, its roots stepping like tiny legs as it ran to Xuanyuan Che's feet and affectionately rubbed against his trouser leg. Then it turned into a streak of light and entered his wrist, forming a three-colored leaf mark.
It had actually acknowledged him as its master of its own accord!
Xuanyuan Che paused briefly, then smiled. "You do know what's good for you. Follow me, and you won't be mistreated."
Having obtained a Divine Medicine that had voluntarily acknowledged him as its master, he was in excellent spirits. His gaze swept over the pool, and he discovered that there seemed to be something else at its bottom.
He reached out and grabbed. Mud at the bottom of the pool churned as a palm-sized token covered in ancient medicinal herb patterns flew into his hand.
"Medicine Saint Token?" Xuanyuan Che sensed the information within the token. "Its holder can open the cave abode left behind by the Medicine Saint? Interesting."
Before you continue