About two hours passed before a plump disciple dressed in a blue Daoist robe arrived at the Outer Sect Hall.
"Senior Brother Wang, you're here... I found you a disciple who primarily cultivates with a Fire Spirit Root. Have a look!"
"All right!" Senior Brother Wang looked rather displeased.
He looked at He Pingsheng and asked, "Only the fourth level of the Qi Refining Stage? Can he manage?"
The disciple's face immediately fell. "Senior Brother Wang, it's been so long, and nobody has even asked about it. You know the situation in your Spirit Medicine Valley yourself!"
"How about you give him a try first? If he doesn't work out, you can keep waiting!"
Senior Brother Wang's name was Wang Dun!
He was at the sixth level of the Qi Refining Stage!
After hearing the blue-robed disciple's words, Wang Dun took a deep breath. "Fine, fine... We'll do it that way!"
"You..." Wang Dun looked at He Pingsheng. "Release some of the fire spiritual power in your body. Let me check its quality first."
"If it measures up reasonably well, I'll take you to the valley for another test!"
"Yes!" He Pingsheng dared not delay. He slowly extended his right hand and circulated the Lihuo True Method within his body. In an instant, a plume of Fire Attribute spiritual power burst from his palm.
The flame was crimson, with a little white mixed into it.
"Oh..." Slightly startled, Wang Dun said, "That looks quite good. This fire spiritual power is extremely pure!"
"Come, come... Withdraw your magic power and follow me to Spirit Medicine Valley. We'll test it again!"
Hearing Wang Dun say this, He Pingsheng breathed a sigh of relief.
He then followed Wang Dun back up the mountain.
The entire Inner Sect of the Great Void Sect was on the mountain.
Last year, He Pingsheng had climbed up and down several times while at the Great Void Sect, and every trip had left him half-dead with exhaustion.
Now that he had reached the fourth level of the Qi Refining Stage, however, climbing the mountain was much easier. A single leap could carry him dozens of yards, and he could scale roofs and walls as though walking on level ground.
By mortal standards, he was already a bona fide martial arts master.
After about an hour, Wang Dun and He Pingsheng arrived at a valley.
Huff...
He Pingsheng took a deep breath and felt that the spiritual energy here was more than ten times as dense as outside.
For him, however, it was of little use.
His spiritual roots were too weak. No matter how good the spiritual energy was, it was useless if he could not refine it fast enough.
"He Pingsheng, was it? Follow me. Watch your step, and don't wander off!"
Wang Dun led He Pingsheng through the valley.
Plots of spirit fields lined both sides of the valley.
Various plants grew in the spirit fields.
Most were spirit rice.
A small portion were medicinal herbs.
The farther they went, the denser the spiritual energy became. By the time they reached the innermost part of the valley, the plants in the spirit fields on either side had all become spirit herbs.
Seven-leaf spirit herbs, spirit apricots, vermilion fruits, immortal bamboo shoots-everything was there.
They were all merely first-grade medicinal ingredients, however.
He Pingsheng recognized all of them, having already read through the Thirty-Six Alchemy Formulas once and learned every herb described in it.
At the innermost end of the valley lay a patch of fiery-red plants.
"These are blazing sun flowers!" Wang Dun pointed at the fiery-red plants. "They're in their flowering season now. There are five hundred and sixty plants here, all second-grade spirit herbs!"
"Come over here!"
Not far from the blazing sun flowers stood a massive stone.
Wang Dun said, "Release some of your spiritual power onto this stone. It will display the purity of your spiritual power on its own!"
"If you pass, you can stay!"
"Begin!"
"All right!" He Pingsheng took a deep breath, then circulated the spiritual power within his body.
He drew fire spiritual power from his dantian, sent it flowing through his meridians, and finally released it from his palm.
This time, however, He Pingsheng took a precaution. Rather than releasing his spiritual power at full strength, he used only about half and directed it over the stone.
Hum, hum, hum...
As though enchanted, the stone suddenly changed color when He Pingsheng's fire spiritual power washed over it.
It turned from gray to crimson, then from crimson to yellow, and from yellow to gold.
Under Wang Dun's astonished gaze, He Pingsheng withdrew the fire spiritual power from his hand.
"Impressive..." Wang Dun clapped his hands. "Impressive, impressive..."
"Junior Brother, you're remarkable! You're only at the fourth level of the Qi Refining Stage, yet the quality of your fire spiritual power has actually reached high grade?"
"The cultivation method you practice must be extraordinary!"
He Pingsheng's heart trembled. This is bad... I've exposed myself.
Fortunately, Wang Dun continued, "Some of the previous disciples had reached the seventh or eighth level of the Qi Refining Stage, but their fire spiritual power still couldn't reach high grade. Of course, middle grade is enough for us here!"
"Junior Brother... Come with me to see Senior Withered Wood!"
"He's the elder in charge of our Great Void Sect's Spirit Medicine Valley!"
"Yes!" He Pingsheng hurried after Wang Dun.
The two continued deeper into the valley. At some point, a hazy mist began rising around them.
The deepest part of the valley looked like a dream, like an illusion.
Wang Dun explained, "The senior set up a formation here, which is why these illusions appear. You won't need to come here to attend to him ordinarily!"
"Whatever you do, don't blunder inside!"
"Yes!" He Pingsheng replied.
As they spoke, the two suddenly arrived before a Mountain Cave.
"Senior Withered Wood!" Wang Dun cupped his hands before the Mountain Cave and said with a respectful expression, "This disciple has found someone to tend the blazing sun flowers. Please grant him a token, Senior Withered Wood!"
The moment Wang Dun finished speaking, the thin veil of mist at the Mountain Cave entrance vanished.
A short, scrawny old man walked out.
His skin resembled withered wood, and his hair and beard were entirely white.
He glanced at He Pingsheng. "The fourth level of Qi Refining. Can he withstand it?"
Wang Dun gave a bitter smile. "Senior, I've searched for many candidates these past few days. He's the only one who qualified!"
"Very well!" Withered Wood True Person took out a Black Token and handed it to He Pingsheng. "This is a token for Spirit Medicine Valley. With it, you can enter and leave both the valley and the Great Void Sect freely!"
"But remember, don't wander about. If you stray onto another peak and get soundly beaten, it will have nothing to do with me!"
He Pingsheng accepted the token. "Yes... This junior will keep that firmly in mind!"
"Mm!" Withered Wood True Person continued, "The previous lad was doing quite well. Unfortunately, the fool went outside to swagger and fight with others, and got himself killed!"
"The blazing sun flowers have three months left in their flowering season. You'll finish the rest!"
"Do it well, and I'll reward you!"
"If you're careless and make mistakes, heh heh..."
Withered Wood True Person looked at He Pingsheng and gave two cold chuckles, then waved his hand. "Go... Wang Dun will teach you how to tend the blazing sun flowers and harvest their pollen!"
"Get lost!"
With that, before He Pingsheng could speak, the old man turned and went back into the Mountain Cave.
Before you continue