Secret Realm (1)

After dealing with the demon beast that had rashly launched an attack, Shen Yuxi had no intention of lingering where he was. Since he already had a clear goal in mind, he strode without hesitation in the direction where he remembered a certain spirit plant growing.

Mist curled through the surroundings like gauze, while strange rocks and ancient trees loomed vaguely within it, like mysterious beasts hidden in the fog that might pounce at any moment. Yet his steps remained firm, without the slightest hesitation.

As he walked, Shen Yuxi's keen hearing caught a faint sound coming from ahead. It was as subtle as a falling leaf, easily overlooked without careful listening.

He instinctively tightened his grip on his sword and slowed his pace. Holding his breath and focusing his mind, he cautiously approached the source of the sound.

Only when he drew closer did he discover that Wen Jian, so absorbed in spirit plants that he could not pull himself free, was squatting on the ground and studying an unknown spirit herb with total concentration.

At times, Wen Jian extended a finger and gently touched the herb's leaves, his movements as soft as a breeze brushing past. At other times, he slowly leaned closer, eyes wide as he carefully observed the herb's patterns. He looked so focused that it seemed the entire world contained only him and this mysterious spirit herb, while everything else had nothing to do with him.

Shen Yuxi could not help sighing inwardly. He had merely wandered according to his memories, yet somehow stumbled upon Wen Jian by sheer coincidence.

He sheathed his sword and quietly stepped forward. Looking at Wen Jian's serious profile, the thought of startling him flashed through his mind. But then he caught sight of a demon snake silently creeping up behind him like a ghost, which led to the scene just now.

Since they had met, the two traveled together.

Whenever Wen Jian saw an unfamiliar spirit plant, he could not move on. He stopped and started all along the way, and whenever he paused to inspect, harvest, and collect something, he unknowingly delayed them for quite some time.

When they reached a clear stream, Wen Jian suddenly realized his own discourtesy. He secretly glanced at Shen Yuxi beside him and saw that his second senior brother remained calm throughout, neither urging him onward nor showing impatience. That only made Wen Jian feel more guilty.

"Second Senior Brother entered the secret realm to seek opportunities too, yet now he has to accommodate me..."

Wen Jian felt uneasy. He rarely had chances to go out and train, and whether in cultivation or in experience handling various situations, he was far inferior to his second senior brother.

Take this time, for example. They had encountered danger the moment they entered the secret realm. If not for his second senior brother, who knew what sort of situation he would have ended up in?

His second senior brother had likely traveled with him because he wanted to look after him. Yet Wen Jian had only buried his head in digging up spirit herbs, completely disregarding his second senior brother and failing to consider the overall situation of exploring the secret realm. It was truly inappropriate.

As he thought this over, Wen Jian asked, "Second Senior Brother, where are we going next?"

Shen Yuxi gave him a faint glance, seeing through what Wen Jian was thinking. Then he looked away and said evenly, "It's fine. If you want to look, then go look."

If the child wants to look, let him look! This secret realm won't yield much anyway. With the family fortune we have, do we care about this little bit of money? It's not like I'm looking down on him—let him look! Just treat it as an outing!

As they continued onward together, Wen Jian secretly observed Shen Yuxi for a while and was surprised to find that his second senior brother did not seem especially interested in exploring the secret realm. He merely walked quietly ahead, like a silent guide.

Yet what truly astonished Wen Jian beyond measure was that although Shen Yuxi appeared uninterested on the surface, he seemed to possess fiery golden eyes when it came to identifying the more valuable spirit plants. One glance was enough for him to distinguish them accurately.

Not only that, he also knew perfectly well what dangers they might face in this region.

Wen Jian was overjoyed. With his second senior brother by his side, his great undertaking of exploring spirit herbs was simply like receiving divine aid. Thus, he no longer held himself back and, under Shen Yuxi's lead, threw himself once more into searching for spirit herbs.

The two moved through the mist-shrouded secret realm. Whenever Wen Jian found a spirit herb he had never seen before, he would excitedly squat down to study it carefully.

Shen Yuxi, meanwhile, vigilantly watched the surroundings. From time to time, he reminded Wen Jian of key information about spirit herbs, such as the special environments in which they might grow or matters requiring attention during harvesting.

"Second Senior Brother, look at this spirit herb. Its leaves are diamond-shaped, its edges have serrated patterns, and its stem gives off a faint blue glow. I've never seen it before." Wen Jian pointed at a spirit herb, his eyes full of curiosity and anticipation.

Shen Yuxi bent slightly, sweeping his gaze over the herb. Information about it instantly sprang into his mind as naturally as a reflex. "This is Blue-Ridged Sawtooth Grass. It usually grows in places rich in spiritual energy and heavy in yin energy. It is quite helpful in refining pills that strengthen the divine soul.

"But be careful when harvesting it. Its serrations contain a mild paralytic toxin. Once touched, they can make your fingers lose feeling for a short time."

"Watch the serrations. Poisonous." Though countless thoughts and considerations had flashed through Shen Yuxi's mind, those few brief words were all that came from his mouth in the end.

Hearing that, Wen Jian could not help feeling that his second senior brother was truly rather reservedly flirtatious. Even so, warmth still welled up in his heart.

When the secret realm opened, who did not enter hoping to seize the finest opportunity possible? Only his second senior brother was so different from the rest, willing to spend time accompanying him in his search for spirit herbs. That bond moved Wen Jian deeply.

Carefully following his second senior brother's instructions, he harvested the Blue-Ridged Sawtooth Grass and stored it away properly.

And so, they continued steadily onward.

Throughout this process, Wen Jian gained enormously. Not only did he discover several rare spirit herbs seldom seen in ordinary times, but he also learned much knowledge from Shen Yuxi that he had never heard or seen before.

As for Shen Yuxi, although his expression remained as calm as ever, as though nothing in the world could stir a ripple in his heart, whenever his gaze fell upon Wen Jian's excited and focused appearance, a trace of gratification still rose within him.

Suddenly, Shen Yuxi's previously calm expression turned sharp. With his keen perception, he caught a faint yet chilling aura of danger.

Almost at the exact instant he noticed it, he acted without thinking. His hand swiftly and precisely caught Wen Jian at the back, then his palm exerted force and yanked him hard. Their bodies crouched down like phantoms, and the thick weeds conveniently concealed them completely.

"Second Senior Brother?" Wen Jian was startled by the sudden movement and immediately realized something was wrong. Lowering his voice so as not to draw attention, he quietly asked.

Without shifting his gaze, Shen Yuxi stared hard in the direction from which the aura had come, his voice low and grave. "Don't move. Wait here."

The moment he finished speaking, he rose to his feet. Cold light flashed from the sword in his hand as he strode without hesitation toward the source of danger.

Seeing this, Wen Jian immediately understood. His second senior brother was determined to engage the incoming enemy in a fierce battle.

He knew well that his strength was limited. If he acted carelessly now, not only would he fail to help his second senior brother, he would very likely become a burden instead.

With that thought, he immediately focused with all his might and suppressed his aura to the utmost. Even his breathing became exceedingly faint, as though he wished to merge completely into the surrounding environment.

In the blink of an eye, fierce sounds abruptly erupted not far away—the rapid clanging of metal against stone, dense and urgent, like a torrential storm pouring down without pause.

Every collision seemed to send invisible force rippling through the air.

At the same time, savage, hoarse beast cries mingled with the clamor. Sharp and ear-piercing, they seemed capable of piercing straight through one's eardrums and striking the depths of the soul. The cries carried primal savagery and ferocity, making one's hair stand on end.

Those two entirely different sounds intertwined, composing a soul-stirring symphony of battle.

The sounds of battle continued for roughly three or four quarters of an hour. To Wen Jian, every second felt like a year.

As time passed, his heart tightened further, and fine beads of sweat unknowingly appeared on his forehead. After all, the longer the battle continued, the more it proved that the opponent was no easy foe, and the greater the chance that his second senior brother was in danger.

At such a moment, concern flooded Wen Jian's heart like a breached dam. His mother-hen heart could not help acting up again, and his feet, driven by some invisible force, stirred restlessly, wishing he could rush out at once to help his second senior brother.

Just as he was about to lose control and rush out regardless of everything, the fierce sounds of battle finally ebbed away like a receding tide.

Then his second senior brother's familiar, steady voice drifted over. "It's all right. Come over."

That voice was like sweet rain after a long drought, instantly easing Wen Jian's taut nerves somewhat.

Wen Jian let out a long breath and tried to calm his somewhat panicked emotions.

He slowly stood and carefully reached out to part the thick weeds before him. Fine burrs clung to the grass, scraping across the back of his hand and leaving shallow red marks, but he did not notice them at all.

The ground beneath his feet was damp and slightly soft. Every step made a faint squelching sound, which seemed especially clear in the silence.

As he concentrated on locating the source of the voice, he suddenly saw the enormous corpse of a tiger-shaped demon beast lying sprawled not far ahead.

Its massive body occupied a large patch of ground, stretching across the middle of the path like a small hill.

Its mottled fur was stained with blood, and the dried blood had darkened its once-vibrant coat, as though recounting the brutal battle it had endured in life. Its limbs were stiffly outstretched, its claws deeply embedded in the earth, as though it had still been struggling desperately at the very last moment of its life.

The surrounding rock walls were covered in dense sword marks. Their depths varied, and some even cut deep into the stone, scattering rock chips across the area.

The ground, too, was crisscrossed with claw marks. The soil had been churned into chaos, with gullies running in every direction. These sword and claw marks intertwined, clearly outlining just how intense the battle had been.

Seeing such brutal traces of battle, Wen Jian grew even more worried about his second senior brother's safety and involuntarily quickened his steps.

As he gradually drew closer to the voice's source, that familiar figure finally entered his sight. Shen Yuxi stood quietly at the edge of a cliff, his back to Wen Jian.

Wen Jian recognized that upright back at once. A trace of relief surged through him, mixed with even greater concern.

His heart burned with anxiety. His already hurried steps sped up in an instant, and he practically covered three steps in two as he rushed toward Shen Yuxi.

The moment he saw Shen Yuxi, he looked him up and down repeatedly as though trying to see straight through him. His mouth kept asking, "Second Senior Brother, are you hurt anywhere?"

Without even asking Shen Yuxi's opinion, he quickly gave him a simple full-body examination.

He first grasped Shen Yuxi's arms and carefully felt along the lines of his muscles, checking for fractures or serious wounds. Then he crouched down to inspect Shen Yuxi's legs, refusing to overlook any place that might be injured.

After a thorough inspection, Wen Jian finally confirmed that Shen Yuxi had only suffered superficial injuries and had not damaged his tendons or bones. Only then did he let out a slight breath of relief.

His tense shoulders slowly relaxed as he hurriedly took out the medicine chest he always carried in his storage ring. He had prepared it carefully, stocking it in advance with medicine for most injuries and illnesses. It could not guarantee a cure for everything, but preserving one's life would not be a problem.

He skillfully opened the medicine chest, selected suitable medicines from within, and carefully treated Shen Yuxi's wounds.

Shen Yuxi stood calmly in place, allowing Wen Jian to bustle around checking and treating him like a mother hen anxious to protect her chicks. Only after Wen Jian had fully set his mind at ease did Shen Yuxi signal for him to look up.

Wen Jian followed the direction of his finger in confusion. On the cliff wall, faint streams of seven-colored light seeped out. Yet because it was too far away and obscured by swirling mist, he could not see what it was at all.

Without another word, Shen Yuxi reached out, wrapped an arm around his waist, and leapt up with a fierce burst of breath. He easily landed on the cliff wall with Wen Jian in tow.

The scene before Wen Jian's eyes changed in an instant. Once he steadied himself, he finally saw the mysterious object in full. It was an incomparably dazzling spirit flower, like a divine object fallen from the immortal realm into the mortal world, breathtakingly beautiful—

Its pistil resembled a blazing sun, a rich orange-yellow that radiated scorching yet warm light. Yet at the center of the petals closest to the pistil was a ring of transparency, like mountain lotus leaves soaked by rain, carrying an ethereal and pure beauty.

Its petals curved slightly and spread outward. Their edges shifted in a purple-black gradient, as dazzling as the finest ore, while their patterns resembled splashing streams of water, lively and rhythmic.

Under the sunlight, those patterns refracted seven-colored radiance, brilliantly varied and so beautiful that they took one's breath away.

Wen Jian recognized this spirit flower at a glance. Wild joy surged through his heart, and his heart seemed ready to leap from his throat.

This spirit flower was called Phantom Flow Flame. Its pistil was a supreme treasure among peerless medicines, capable of repairing a damaged divine soul. Even a small amount of its pistil would be a priceless treasure for which countless people outside would spare no enormous price to obtain.

Its petals appeared soft and delicate, yet their texture was harder than black iron. They also contained incomparably pure spiritual energy, making them a rare treasure coveted in the dreams of countless smiths.

"Second Senior Brother, is this really Phantom Flow Flame? I'm not dreaming, am I?" Wen Jian's voice trembled with excitement. His eyes remained fixed on the spirit flower, full of disbelief and ecstasy, as though afraid it would vanish like a phantom in the next moment.

"You're not dreaming." Shen Yuxi spoke with an utterly calm expression, as though he had discovered nothing more than an ordinary flower growing by the roadside. He seemed to feel little excitement over the spirit flower that countless people would scramble after.

"You pick the flower. I'll deal with the demon beast." As Shen Yuxi spoke, he turned to look at the huge tiger-shaped demon beast corpse not far away, considering how to strip away its precious materials intact.

"Second Senior Brother, that won't do. You found the spirit flower." Wen Jian hurriedly declined.

The spirit flower was worth a fortune, and his second senior brother had not hesitated at all while leading the way here. If Wen Jian had guessed correctly, his second senior brother had come for this flower from the start. How could Wen Jian seize another's beloved? Though he longed intensely for the spirit flower, he still had his principles.

"Pick the flower first. We'll discuss everything else after we return to the sect."

Shen Yuxi really had come for this spirit flower, but its value would certainly be diminished in his hands. He was no expert. Even if he took the flower, he would only pry off the petals to refine his spirit sword. As for how to use the pistil, he truly had no idea. He could not exactly shove it directly into his mouth and gnaw on it, could he?

Besides, one more or one less of a flower like this made little difference to him. If his junior brother liked it, then he could have it—after all, it cost nothing. And the flower-guarding demon beast he had just dealt with was a treasure from head to toe. No matter what, this trip would not be a loss.

After considering it carefully, Wen Jian felt that his second senior brother made sense. He would store it for him first, then hand it over intact after they returned. Besides, they were still in a secret realm full of danger. As the saying went, wealth should not be flaunted, and possessing jade invites guilt. Such a precious spirit flower would be safer dealt with as soon as possible, lest it attract unnecessary trouble.

With that thought, he hurriedly suppressed his excitement, took a deep breath, and gradually calmed himself.

Then he crouched down and began carefully observing the spirit flower's growing environment. His eyes swept over the soil, rocks, and nearby plants one by one as he seriously considered the best harvesting method, striving to pick the flower whole without damaging it.

Wen Jian concentrated completely as he carefully examined where the spirit flower connected to the soil. Following the roots' veins, he used a specialized tool to gently loosen the surrounding earth, minimizing damage to the flower's root system.

Once the soil had loosened, he held his breath and steadily gripped the flower's stem with both hands. Applying force slowly, he harvested the spirit flower intact, then swiftly placed it in the specially prepared jade box to prevent its spiritual energy from dispersing.

At the same time, Shen Yuxi walked toward the tiger-shaped demon beast's corpse. He skillfully drew the sharp blade at his waist, his gaze calm and focused as he began dealing with the demon beast.

Though he called it dealing with it, he had no habit of dissecting prey in unsafe places. He merely took the beast core and roughly placed the rest into his storage ring.

Once both had finished tidying up, they changed directions and headed toward their next destination.

The surroundings were exceptionally quiet along the way, with only the occasional sound of wind and their faint footsteps.

Complete Compendium of Spirit Herbs:

○ Blue-Ridged Sawtooth Grass

Its leaves are diamond-shaped, with serrated patterns along the edges. Its stem emits a faint blue glow, and spiral-shaped buds grow where the stem joins the leaves. The serrations contain a mild paralytic toxin; once touched, they will cause the affected area to lose feeling for a short time.

The seedlings are blue and gradually turn green as they mature, leaving only the stem in its original color.

It is actually a spirit herb with very gentle medicinal properties. It prefers environments rich in spiritual energy and heavy in yin energy. Adding it during pill refinement allows various spirit medicines to fuse more smoothly and prevents their medicinal properties from dissipating in the process.

The part used in pill refinement is the tender buds.

○ Phantom Flow Flame

An extremely precious spirit flower. Its pistil is a rich orange-yellow and genuinely gives off scorching light and heat.

Its petals curve slightly and spread outward. Their edges display a purple-black gradient, and their patterns resemble splashing streams of water. Yet the center of the petals closest to the pistil is a ring of transparency.

Its texture resembles ore. Under sunlight, it reflects light and refracts seven-colored radiance, making it exceptionally splendid.

Its pistil is a supreme treasure among peerless medicines and can repair a damaged divine soul. Though its petals seem like only a thin layer, they are exceptionally hard, even harder than black iron, and contain incomparably pure spiritual energy, making them well suited for forging weapons.

Its long leaves can be plucked off as a snack when one is bored. They are very crisp, contain exceptionally pure spiritual energy, and taste quite good.