The jade token was not large. One side was carved with grass, trees, bamboo, and rocks; the other bore the three words "Passage Token."
"Passage Token? A passage token to where?"
Turning the jade token over in his hand, Su Shi'er thought for a moment and tried injecting True Yuan into it.
The next instant, the jade token suddenly trembled, and a beam of light projected out.
The shifting light formed a map, marked with several locations. On it were two points of light, one near and one far.
One of the points flickered, its location marked as a cluster of enormous boulders.
The other rested on a simple building symbol, above which floated the character "Spirit."
"Hmm? Spirit? Spiritual Plant Garden? Could this... be a Passage Token for entering the Spiritual Plant Garden?!"
"That's right. If that Spiritual Plant Garden was truly filled with spiritual herbs and even had Hundred-Year Vermillion Fruit, how could it possibly have no safeguards at all?"
Lowering his head to look at the jade token in his hand again, Su Shi'er was beside himself with joy and immediately understood.
"This means that even if the others get there, they might not be able to enter. I need to heal up quickly, then go take a look!"
With that thought, Su Shi'er swiftly put everything away.
He sat cross-legged on the meditation cushion, healing his injuries while practicing the Minor Heavenly Breath Concealment Technique.
A technique capable of concealing one's cultivation was like being handed a pillow when one was sleepy. What troubled him most, what he feared most, was being recognized by those familiar with him.
A kid with nothing but Mixed Spiritual Roots cultivating so quickly—no explanation would make that easy to explain.
Ten days later.
A figure emerged from the center of the Boulder Forest.
Su Shi'er wore a green Disciple Robe. The moment he appeared, he swept his gaze over the surroundings.
Only after confirming there was no danger did he identify his direction, step into Shadowless Illusionary Steps, and hurry east through the Boulder Forest.
By then, not only had his injuries fully healed, but his Qi Refining Stage Four cultivation had also become more stable.
Yet from the outside, others would only take him for a disciple at Qi Refining Stage Three.
And
This was naturally the work of the Minor Heavenly Breath Concealment Technique.
Su Shi'er rode the wind, moving at astonishing speed. When he passed through an area of shattered rocks, he spotted two corpses lying on the ground.
They were the sword-bearing youth and the menial disciple he had killed.
"Hmm? The corpses are still here? Could it be... Zhao Yan was killed instead?"
In his heart, he raised the danger level of the female cultivator surnamed Chu by another notch.
Zhao Yan was no weakling, and his foundation was solid. He was certainly not an easy opponent.
Startled inwardly, Su Shi'er activated the Object Manipulation Technique, taking the useful items from the two bodies.
With a flick of his hand, he threw out two Fireballs, burning the corpses to ashes before continuing onward.
After racing nearly a hundred li in one breath, a blurry estate gradually appeared before his eyes.
The estate was enormous, covering at least a hundred mu.
The entire estate was shrouded in dense mist, leaving only its vague outline visible.
Outside the estate, groups of cultivators could be seen patrolling back and forth in twos and threes.
Altogether, there had to be around a hundred of them.
These cultivators were all below Qi Refining Stage Six and wore the same clothing as Su Shi'er.
The only difference was that Tianhua Peak's emblem was embroidered on their robes.
"As expected! Tianhua Peak's people got here first?"
Muttering softly, Su Shi'er turned his gaze toward the main entrance of the Spiritual Plant Garden.
There, over a hundred Tianhua Peak disciples had gathered together, jointly casting techniques.
The sky was filled with techniques weaving together into a dazzling tapestry, crashing without end toward the gates of the Spiritual Plant Garden. The spectacle was vast beyond measure, its shocking momentum stretching for several li.
Yet when the attacks sank into the mist, they erupted in bursts of astonishing energy.
They only made the dense mist churn endlessly, unable to inflict even the slightest damage upon the Spiritual Plant Garden.
With so many people joining forces, if they targeted me, they could probably turn me to dust in an instant.
But the Spiritual Plant Garden remained completely unscathed. It was simply unbelievable!
It seems that if I want to get inside, I'll have to find a way through the Passage Token. But... I don't know how to use it. I need to get closer and observe it at close range!
Su Shi'er stood atop a small hill several li away, watching from afar.
An invisibility talisman was attached to his body, while his aura was completely concealed by the Minor Heavenly Breath Concealment Technique.
Feeling the astonishing aura in the air and listening to the unceasing thunderous blasts, he watched for an entire day and night.
The Spiritual Plant Garden remained completely unharmed, leaving him deeply shaken.
As his thoughts turned, he was about to find a less crowded place and try approaching the Spiritual Plant Garden.
Just then, faint footsteps suddenly came from afar.
Su Shi'er's ears twitched slightly. He hurriedly fixed his gaze on a giant tree behind him and silently leaped up into it.
At that moment, he pushed the Minor Heavenly Breath Concealment Technique to its limit, thoroughly hiding his aura.
A moment later, two graceful figures entered his sight.
"It's them?"
Su Shi'er's pupils contracted when he saw who it was, and he was greatly surprised.
One was the female cultivator surnamed Chu. The other was the extraordinary peerless beauty he had seen on Tianyin Peak before the trial began.
The peerless beauty stood with her hands clasped behind her back, her entire body exuding a cold, noble air.
The moment she arrived, her icy eyes fixed upon the distant estate, glimmering with light.
An enigmatic, ancient aura radiated from her body, wondrous and indescribable.
At that moment, the female cultivator surnamed Chu followed behind the peerless beauty, her waist slightly bent in a respectful posture.
"Martial Uncle, this is the Spiritual Plant Garden recorded on the map. Aren't Tianhua Peak's people being far too domineering?"
"They already knew the location of the Spiritual Plant Garden and kept it completely under wraps—that alone would have been one thing. Now they're using their numerical advantage to occupy the Spiritual Plant Garden. This is simply outrageous!"
"Martial Uncle, why don't you show yourself and drive them all away?"
The female cultivator surnamed Chu pouted as she complained, then grinned as she made the suggestion.
"The matter of my entering here absolutely cannot be known by the other Peak Masters. As for this Spiritual Plant Garden, it is protected by layers upon layers of formations. Breaking them will not be easy."
"Even if Fu Boren came prepared, they will not be able to break it within one or two months."
The peerless female cultivator spoke expressionlessly, her tone carrying a chill.
Martial Uncle?
Who was this peerless beauty? The female cultivator surnamed Chu actually called her Martial Uncle! It seemed her identity was far from ordinary!
Su Shi'er's heart skipped a beat, and all sorts of wild guesses began racing through his mind.
The next instant, he held his breath tightly and did not dare move in the slightest.
No matter who this peerless beauty was, it meant her true cultivation was at least at the Foundation Establishment stage. The crucial thing was that he absolutely could not let her discover him.
"One or two months? Then are we... going to wait here?" The female cultivator surnamed Chu looked shocked, and her expression became conflicted.
One month would have been manageable, but two months would practically mean the end of the trial.
And though the Spiritual Plant Garden was said to contain many spiritual herbs, no one knew what it was truly like inside.
The peerless beauty calmly shook her head and said lightly, "No. Breaking this formation is difficult, but getting one person inside is not. I need some time to prepare. Go wait for me at Thunder Drum Peak first. Once I obtain the herbs inside, I will naturally come find you."
"Thunder Drum Peak?" The female cultivator surnamed Chu leaned closer and asked softly.
"That place is... Hmm? Someone's coming. Let's withdraw first."
Just as the peerless beauty was about to speak, her brows suddenly lifted slightly, and she turned to leave.
The female cultivator surnamed Chu's expression changed abruptly, and she hurriedly followed after her.
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