The blades of Infernal Delicate Apricot moved automatically in the absence of wind, and the red flames rose up several inches.
Fine ice crystals condensed on the grass blades of Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass.
Even the golden light of Aromatic Silk Beauty swayed slightly.
The petals of Aromatic Silk Beauty became stiff for a moment.
"You... know what?" Fragrant Silk Luo's thoughts were no longer peaceful, with a trace of uncontrollable fluctuations.
"I don't know much, but I can guess." Lin Ciyan shrugged.
"A god took great pains to leave such a treasured land, laid out a poison array that even Titled Douluo could not overcome, and also left behind targeted exercises and pharmacopoeia..."
"It would be too generous to say that it is just for the benefit of future generations."
"The greater possibility is to use this place as a high-end 'medicine cultivation base', and you are the most precious 'main medicine' among them."
"When the time comes, it will either be taken away directly, or... Soul Ring Soul Bone will become its inheritor or descendant and help it go further. Is what I said correct?"
Silence.
A deathly silence spread in the spring valley.
Only the eternal convection and transpiration of the red and white spring water made the silence even heavier.
After a long time, Aromatic Silk Beauty let out an almost imperceptible sigh. The sigh was full of helplessness, resignation, and a hint of relief after the truth was exposed.
"... You are very keen, human." Its mind admitted, "That person...Tang San, indeed arranged it like this."
"We were born here, grew up here, and were nourished by the ultimate aura of this place, allowing us to break through the 100,000-year limit. But this gift is not free."
"The Poison Array is both a protection and a prison; the breath and rules he left behind secretly guide our growth direction, evolving towards the 'most useful' state for him or his successors."
"Every long period of time, when a new 'destined person' or his blood descendant arrives, it is... the harvest period."
Zhang Lexuan's pupils shrank as she listened. Although she noticed an abnormality from Lin Ciyan's previous words and the transaction with Immortal Herb, she did not expect that the truth behind it was so naked and cruel.
Looking at these Immortal Herb's eyes, I couldn't help but feel a little more complicated.
"So, my promise is," Lin Ciyan answered the topic with a slightly solemn tone, "If one day in the future, I have enough ability and the time is right, I will try my best to find a different path for you."
"It may not be possible to completely lift the shackles, but at least it will give you more power to choose, instead of being destined to become someone's qualifications on the road to promotion."
"How can you win trust by making empty promises?" Infernal Delicate Apricot's thoughts directly intervened, fiery and violent, "You humans are the best at deceiving!"
"Just because I am standing here now, using trade instead of force." Lin Ciyan looked at the flame Immortal Herb with a calm look, "Just because I can bring out Life Essence, Starlight Soil and other things that are beneficial to you. And because I... do not agree with the approach of that 'Gardener'."
"My Tao is 'Relaxation Domain', which is freedom and mutual benefit."
"Melons that are forcibly harvested are not sweet, and herbs that are forcibly harvested are probably filled with resentment, right?"
His words were a bit teasing, but they wonderfully eased the tense atmosphere.
Plant-type Soul Beast, especially high-level ones, have an instinctive attachment to "growth", "nature" and "will".
"... What do you need <Mysterious Heaven Skill> and the pharmacopoeia for?" Fragrant Silk Luo asked the key question.
"Research, learn from it, and then..." Lin Ciyan grinned, "Find out the backdoors and traps inside to prevent my companions or myself from accidentally stepping into the trap in the future."
"By the way, let's see if we can improve a version that is more suitable for ordinary people and has no hidden costs. Knowledge itself is not guilty, but the person who puts shackles on it is guilty."
This answer obviously exceeded Immortal Herb's expectations.
They expected that the human beings in front of them wanted to make their skills stronger and to hunt for treasures in the pharmacopoeia, but they did not expect that this kind of "turning the table" purpose was.
Another moment of silence and exchange of ideas.
Finally, Aromatic Silk Beauty made a decision. "It can be traded. The remaining Life Essence and Starlight Soil must be kept."
"Promise... we will write down the exercises and pharmacopoeia and give you a copy."
Its huge flower center emits soft light.
An inconspicuous and strange plant next to it that looked like a jade carving (transformed by Soul Power's mimicry) trembled slightly, and two soft balls of light slowly floated out and flew towards Lin Ciyan.
The ball of light fell into the hands of Lin Ciyan, and the light disappeared, turning into two thin books made of neither gold nor jade, and made of unknown materials.
The cover of one volume is simple, with the title <Mysterious Heaven Skill Record>.
The other volume is thicker and the cover is <Illustrated Record of Hundred Herbs>.
"This is a replica that we condensed with our own Soul Power and the special materials of this place. The content is exactly the same as the original version and will last for hundreds of years." Fragrant Silk Luo explained.
Lin Ciyan nodded without any delay, placed the two small jade bottles prepared in advance (containing the remaining Diluted Life Essence and Starlight Soil) and a few pieces of excellent quality Soul Power crystals (as extra) on the ground, and gently pushed them in front of Fragrant Silk Luo with Soul Power.
The transaction is completed.
Lin Ciyan immediately sat down cross-legged, and under the gaze of Zhang Lexuan and Immortal Herb, he opened <Mysterious Heaven Skill Record>.
He did not rush to memorize them all, but relied on the terrifying mental power enhanced by Dew of Forget-River Autumn Water, combined with [Auxiliary Analysis Module] that the system automatically opened when exposed to the content of the exercise, to conduct high-speed browsing and key point screening.
Purple Demon Eye's visualization diagram and mental power training method... are relatively inefficient and tend to guide the mental power closer to a specific frequency, which is suspected to facilitate the induction or influence of some high-level existence.
Mysterious Jade Hand's energy execution and material strengthening principles, Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track's pace and Soul Power's flow, Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon's energy micro-management...
Lin Ciyan complained quickly in his heart, but his face remained calm.
It wasn't until he saw a supplementary explanation about "absorption and refining of foreign object energy" in the appendix to the general outline of the exercise method, as well as the "taboos" marked in a very obscure way, that his eyes suddenly froze.
That description clearly stated that when cultivating Mysterious Heaven Skill, when absorbing certain "external high-purity energy containing the characteristics of life and soul", they need to follow specific routes to "filter and precipitate", otherwise it will easily lead to energy conflicts and damage the foundation.
The system analysis module instantly highlighted the so-called "filtering" route - it was simply an exquisite energy extraction and diversion structure!
It will quietly guide the most essential part of the absorbed energy, which is most likely to carry the original will or special rules, to a virtual acupoint that is not stated explicitly in the exercise and seems to be just a "buffer". The execution trajectory of that acupoint vaguely resonates with some higher-level energy frequency that is full of order and judgment!
Good guy...
Lin Ciyan sneered in his heart.
Not only does the technique itself have backdoors and restrictions, but the way to absorb top-level resources is also blocked?
This "filtering" route is clearly plundering the most precious insights, rule fragments and even hidden opportunities that the absorber may obtain from top resources!
The filtered "dross" is left to the cultivators, but the essence is led to unknown places through this hidden channel...
I'm afraid they all ended up going to that Lord Sea God, right?
You really eat it all and wipe it clean, leaving no residue at all for those who come after you!
He raised his head and looked at Aromatic Silk Beauty, his tone was calm but meaningful. "The technique... is very interesting."
"Especially the 'warm reminder' about absorbing energy from foreign objects, which is very 'thoughtful'."
Fragrant Silk Luo's petals trembled slightly, and thoughts came with a hint of complicated emotions. "You also discovered... the things left by that person, even if they seem to be gifts, always have invisible threads."
"When we gain strength, we are also shackled. This is why we have mixed feelings about it."
Lin Ciyan closed the book, put it away together with <Illustrated Record of Hundred Herbs>, and stood up.
"Thank you for your honesty, senior. I feel the weight of this 'gift'." He nodded slightly.
"It's not a good place to stay for a long time. Let's take our leave now. I will keep my promise in mind."
Zhang Lexuan also nods to Immortal Herb.
Just when the two were about to turn around and leave Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well along the original road, Aromatic Silk Beauty's thoughts came again, this time softer, almost whispering, and only aimed at Lin Ciyan:
"Be careful... the poisonous formation has the ability to 'mark'. That person might be able to 'see' it."
Lin Ciyan paused in his steps imperceptibly, and turned his back to Immortal Herb, with a clear sneer on his face.
Sure enough...
He remained calm and sent back a thought, "Thanks for reminding me."
Immediately, side by side with Zhang Lexuan, we walked towards the canyon filled with colorful poisonous miasma when we came.
The red and white spring behind him was still magnificent. Immortal Herb watched in silence, and the valley fell into eternal silence again, as if the transaction and revelation just now were just an illusion.
Only in Lin Ciyan's heart, the recognition of Sea God Tang San, who has been at the top of the Divine Realm and has been laying plans for thousands of years, is no longer a vague complaint and displeasure, but has become a clear, cold, and urgent need to break - shackles.
And in the sky above Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, outside the sky shrouded in eternal twilight and poisonous miasma.
In the distant depths of the void dimension that ordinary people cannot reach, there seemed to be a will that was extremely indifferent and as vast as the sea of stars, fluctuating ever so slightly for a moment.
It seemed to sweep across the valley marked by it as a routine, passing by the red and white springs and many Immortal Herb.
And the two unexpected human figures in the valley...
He paused for a billionth of a second on a certain boy, and then disappeared quietly as if he had never appeared before, leaving no trace.
Only at the core of Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, the hazy boundary where the red and white spring water met, seemed to have almost imperceptible strange ripples following the sweep of the will, and then calmed down in an instant.
The valley is still quiet, Immortal Herb is silent.