He stepped into the vortex, and the next instant, he felt his body being torn at from every direction.
Terrifying spatial forces bore down on him, as though a divine mountain were pressing upon his body.
Had the Xuanhuang Divine Furnace not protected his body, the spatial pressure alone would have been more than he could bear.
Only now did he realize that what he had done on the steps outside the entrance had been somewhat unnecessary.
Under this terrifying pressure, even ferocious beasts would struggle to pass unless they had exceptional achievements in tempering their physiques.
"This should be the second trial."
Feeling the crushing force all around him, Li Dao struggled to open his eyes. Everything around him was pitch-black.
Only a point of light shining black and white kept drawing closer.
Whoosh-
The point of light drew nearer and nearer, until crimson and white radiance filled his eyes. When he opened them again, he found himself in another world.
Mountains and rivers stretched across the land, and lush ancient trees rippled like waves of green. The blue sky and white clouds were little different from those outside.
Only the spiritual energy here was richer, and the essence drifting between heaven and earth constantly seeped into his body.
Most remarkable of all were the two utterly different Sky-Supporting Mountains towering within this Pocket World.
One was blanketed in snow, while the other churned with magma.
They stood facing each other, one yin and one yang, a truly wondrous sight.
"Could the master of this place have been a cultivator of the Dao of yin and yang?"
Though he phrased it as a question, Li Dao already had his answer.
That was the only explanation for someone establishing such a Pocket World within the Taiyin River.
"With such rich worldly essence, there must be plenty of treasure medicine growing here!"
"It should be enough for my body to undergo a transformation!"
A sharp gleam flashed through his eyes, and he immediately began surveying his surroundings.
He stood atop a mountain peak, where the cool breeze quickly calmed his thoughts.
Just as he looked toward the valley between the two mountains, a flash of golden light caught his eye.
"What is that?"
Hum-
Golden wings unfurled behind him. With a slight beat, they immediately carried him toward the valley floor.
As he approached, the divine radiance grew clearer and clearer.
Once he drew close, he could finally make out what it was.
A formation giving off wisps of golden light covered the ground like an overturned golden bowl.
Li Dao landed before the formation and reached out to touch it. Ripples immediately spread across the golden barrier.
Seeing no danger, he stepped inside.
Whoosh-
The world before him changed once again, revealing a lush expanse of treasure medicine.
A rich medicinal fragrance filled the air, and even the soil gave off wisps of golden light.
"Have I... entered an immortal realm?"
"Could this be a Medicine Garden left behind by an immortal?"
Li Dao swallowed as he took in everything before him.
At the center of the Medicine Garden lay a pool where black and white endlessly revolved.
Yin and yang energies continually drifted from it, nourishing the treasure medicine within the Medicine Garden.
He slowly approached the Yin-Yang Pool, his eyes filling with delight as he felt the energy gushing from it.
What delighted him most was the lotus growing at the center of the pool, shining with five-colored light.
Judging by the divine radiance it emitted, it had already transformed into half-saint medicine!
"With this half-saint medicine, I'll have more than enough for Flesh-and-Blood Seed Dao, and even enough to break through to Cave Heaven!"
Rather than rashly plucking it, he inspected the surroundings again. The Medicine Garden covered roughly a li of land and was filled with all manner of medicinal plants.
Even treasure medicine rarely seen in the outside world could be found here.
Beyond the Medicine Garden, however, there was nothing else.
Still, he was thoroughly satisfied. This entire garden of treasure medicine would be enough to quench his most pressing need!
Returning to the Yin-Yang Pool, he formed a hand seal without further hesitation.
The next instant, golden runes shot out of his body and linked together before him, forming a Xuanhuang Divine Furnace.
His divine sense spread outward, instantly covering the entire Medicine Garden, and he reached out to draw its plants toward him.
Stalks of treasure medicine flickering with divine light immediately flew over to him.
"Mystic spirit grass, crimson sun flower, three-foot wood, four-leaf flower..."
Before long, the divine radiance from the treasure medicine floating before him illuminated half the sky.
Just a gentle breath of their rich medicinal fragrance refreshed his spirits and cleared his mind.
He intended to use the treasure medicine in the Medicine Garden to refine a furnace of supreme treasure elixir, providing enough energy for Flesh-and-Blood Seed Dao.
He drew water from the Yin-Yang Pool into the furnace, then placed the treasure medicine inside, one stalk after another.
Dao flame rose beneath the divine furnace, and in an instant, rich, mingled medicinal scents began drifting from within.
He was not finished yet. Knowing full well the difficulty of Flesh-and-Blood Seed Dao, Li Dao screened every medicinal plant in the Medicine Garden.
Anything useful went into the divine furnace as though it cost nothing.
Bubble, bubble-
Bubble, bubble-
Time drifted by, and golden medicinal liquid soon churned within the divine furnace.
The divine essence within it roiled endlessly through the treasure elixir.
While Li Dao was still brewing the medicinal liquid, the two Beast Kings continued waiting outside the secret realm.
Yet as they watched the ferocious beasts behind them freeze into ice sculptures before even reaching the vortex,
Or explode into bloody mist the moment they stepped through its entrance, their eyes filled with fury.
With a roar, they stopped sending beasts inside and settled down to wait at the entrance to the secret realm.
The atmosphere grew oppressive once again. The moment Li Dao emerged, he would be met with towering fury!
Naturally, Li Dao knew nothing of this, wholly focused as he was on refining the treasure elixir.
He slowly opened his eyes, a fiery gleam flashing through them as he watched the constantly churning elixir.
Reaching out, he released his Divine Power, preparing to pluck the lotus shining with five-colored divine radiance in the Yin-Yang Pool.
But when the great hand formed from his Divine Power settled upon it, he felt an immense weight.
It was as though the roots of the five-colored divine lotus were firmly anchored to this very world, making it incredibly heavy.
Li
Dao raised his brows and moved directly above the Yin-Yang Pool. His wings beat behind him as his fair little hands gripped it tightly.
The next instant, the blood and qi within his body erupted, unleashing a mighty force of one hundred and ten thousand jin.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Even space was compressed into a series of sonic booms, and as he exerted his full strength,
The five-colored divine lotus in his hands slowly loosened.
Pop! Pop! Pop!
Bubbles rose one after another in the Yin-Yang Pool, and the five-colored divine lotus was suddenly pulled free.
The next instant, its five-colored radiance gradually dimmed, and its blooming petals slowly closed.
This prevented its essence from escaping and preserved its vitality.
What drew Li Dao's attention, however, were the pieces of crimson-white bone caught among the roots of the five-colored divine lotus in his hands.
"Could there be something else hidden down there?"
Before you continue