Yet what truly drew the three of them was the lake at the center of the valley.
It was a most unusual lake.
Some invisible force seemed to divide its waters into two utterly different regions.
On one side, biting cold rose from a thin veil of icy mist. On the other, the waters churned like raging flames, their heat faintly warping the surrounding air.
Ice and fire, two diametrically opposed forces, had somehow reached an uncanny balance here.
Red and white intertwined like two peerless jewels born of heaven and earth, set into the heart of the valley.
The valley's overwhelmingly rich aura of life came from this lake where ice and fire mingled, and from the countless Immortal Herbs and medicinal plants growing around it.
Long Xiaoyao and Tang Ya could not hide their astonishment as they felt the immense life force here.
Even the well-traveled Long Xiaoyao could not help but marvel.
"What a wonder of heaven and earth."
"I've lived many years and seen more hidden realms and treasured lands than I can count. But a place that gathers the utmost powers of ice and fire while nurturing so many rare treasures? I fear there isn't a second one in the world."
His gaze swept the surroundings. The precious medicinal plants hidden among the flowers and grasses stirred even this Ultimate Douluo's desire.
"If I'd found this place in my youth and cultivated with its Heaven and Earth Origin Energy, perhaps my path to becoming an Ultimate Douluo wouldn't have been so difficult."
Beside him, Tang Ya was equally overwhelmed by this treasured land.
She looked down at her Blue Silver Grass Martial Soul, and a strange feeling rose in her heart.
If she could cultivate here for years, nourished by this pure life force, perhaps her Blue Silver Grass would never need to fall into corruption or rely on devouring to awaken its potential.
Its own growth alone might carry it to an entirely new height.
Tang Ya wandered about, looking at the dense profusion of strange flowers and grasses underfoot. The delight in her eyes gradually gave way to hesitation.
There were simply too many medicinal plants. Some had crystal-clear petals, some had scale-covered stems, and others grew in crooked shapes, strange-colored sap continually seeping from their surfaces.
By appearance alone, she could not tell which were precious medicines and which could kill her.
Tang Ya had already learned a painful lesson outside the poisonous miasma. She would not touch anything rashly now.
"Master, how do we tell these apart?"
She pointed toward a purple flower nearby, her expression wary.
"There are so many kinds of Immortal Herbs and spiritual fruits here. I've never seen or even heard of most of them."
"If a few deadly poisonous plants are mixed in, we might kill ourselves before we get any benefit. That would be a miserable waste."
With that, she looked toward Long Xiaoyao. He had lived so long and traveled all across the continent. Perhaps his experience would help him recognize some of them.
To Tang Ya's disappointment, Long Xiaoyao soon shook his head.
"I recognize only a very few of the plants here."
He pointed to several scarlet plants growing near the rock wall. "Those look almost identical to Fire Lingzhi, but they're frighteningly old, and the fire-attribute energy stored within them far surpasses anything found outside."
"As for the rest, many are new to me as well."
Long Xiaoyao's expression grew grave as his gaze moved slowly around them. "These plants have absorbed the power of the Icefire Spring and grown for over ten thousand years. Many have gone beyond the bounds of ordinary medicine."
"Take the wrong one, and its medicinal power could burst even a Titled Douluo apart, let alone you."
Tang Ya's face fell at the severity of his warning. "If it's as you say, Great Enshrined, then we went to all this trouble to get in here for nothing."
"We know there are treasures all over the ground, but we don't dare touch or eat them. That's crushing."
Long Wushang chuckled at her words.
Did the little girl think I'd come here without preparing?
Before deciding to raid Shrek, he had already included the Icefire Yin Yang Well in his plans for this operation. He simply could not tell the people of the Holy Spirit Cult.
Over the years, aside from cultivating his Martial Soul in the Dragon Tomb, he had spent nearly all his time studying Soul Tools and reading ancient texts.
The Holy Spirit Cult had branches across the continent. All he had to do was issue an order through the Worship Hall, and its members would secretly gather medicinal plant catalogs, fragments of ancient manuscripts, and sect texts, then send them back to headquarters through covert channels.
An ordinary Soul Master might go a lifetime without seeing more than a handful of precious ancient texts.
But if such a text still existed somewhere, the Holy Spirit Cult could find a way to obtain it.
Long Wushang turned his wrist and took out a thick old book.
Its cover had yellowed, its corners bore the marks of repeated repairs, and many newly added pages were tucked inside.
Tang Ya hurried over when she saw him take it out.
"What's that?"
"The Immortal Herb Catalog."
Long Wushang opened it to the first page, revealing meticulously detailed illustrations of medicinal plants.
"The earliest surviving fragment dates back to Spirit Hall. After the Spirit Hall Empire fell, the Three Great Empires divided up Spirit Hall's remaining treasures, including its countless cherished texts and secret manuals. They say Chrysanthemum Douluo Yue Guan, whose Martial Soul was an Immortal Herb, compiled this book himself ten thousand years ago. It's a genuine antique."
"Only the first half survived. Over the years, I've had people search the continent and compare it against other ancient texts. We've restored quite a bit of what was missing."
Tang Ya quickly flipped through several pages. Each recorded a plant's appearance, growing conditions, medicinal properties, and precautions for consumption.
For some, the entries even specified the color of their roots, the number of their petals, and how their scent changed upon ripening.
Much of Tang Ya's worry faded as she read.
She looked at the plants around her with growing excitement.
Every Immortal Herb here could potentially transform a Soul Master's Martial Soul and foundation.
Even if each of them took only one, the benefits would be beyond measure.
And there were far more than one or two before them.
There was an entire valley!
Long Xiaoyao took the catalog and studied several pages. His tightly knitted brows eased.
"With this catalog, the rest will be much easier."
"We'll identify their properties first, then decide how to harvest them without damaging the roots."
"These plants are far too valuable. If we can preserve their seeds and roots, we should avoid destroying them. Let's leave some blessings for those who come after us."
Long Wushang nodded and was about to head deeper into the valley to gather medicinal plants when Long Xiaoyao's expression suddenly changed.
He spun around and seized the air behind him. A pitch-black dragon claw formed in midair and caught several thick vines lashing out from behind the rock wall.
The vines were as thick as barrels, their surfaces covered in serrated leaves.
Even caught in the grip of his dark Soul Power, they writhed wildly. Their immense strength sent ripples through the surrounding air.
"Get back! There really is a high-level Soul Beast in here!"
Long Xiaoyao seemed to have expected it. He tightened his fingers and shattered the vines in an instant.
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