Blood-Colored Forbidden Land

Next, Xiao Yu walked over to the shelves marked for talismans and examined the items on them one by one.

The books and bamboo slips at the front contained various insights and experiences related to talismans, such as Notes on Making Fireball Talismans, Views on the Power of Talismans, Handy Tips for Using Talismans... and so on. He gave each only a cursory glance and quickly continued searching.

Only when Xiao Yu picked up a jade slip, pressed it to his forehead, and saw the Complete Guide to Making Beginner Talismans did his expression brighten. He stopped to examine it carefully. The jade slip contained methods for drawing a variety of low-, middle-, and high-grade beginner talismans, as well as methods for making blank talisman paper for beginner and intermediate talismans. It truly lived up to the words "Complete Guide."

This was precisely the knowledge he urgently needed. With the Purple Gourd, he could accelerate the maturation of seven-star grass and make paper for crafting talismans.

After browsing a little longer, Xiao Yu reckoned his time was nearly up. He took that jade slip, along with the three pill-related slips he had chosen earlier, and turned to head downstairs.

Arriving at the long table on the first floor, he respectfully addressed the old man. "Martial Uncle, this disciple has finished choosing. Sorry for the trouble, but please help me copy these!"

The old man slowly raised his head and glanced at Xiao Yu.

When he saw the jade slips in Xiao Yu's hand, his eyes lit up again. "You wish to copy four jade slips, Martial Nephew?" he asked with a smile.

"Yes, Martial Uncle! These are the jade slips this disciple wishes to copy," Xiao Yu replied without hesitation.

"Mm, copying one jade slip costs ten Spirit Stones. That makes forty Spirit Stones in total!" The old man rubbed his wrinkled hands together and chuckled.

"Forty! That's so expensive..." Xiao Yu's heart lurched at the old man's words. He had known before coming that he would need Spirit Stones, but had never expected to need so many.

Seeing the old man rubbing his hands and watching him with a beaming smile, Xiao Yu could only glumly take out forty Spirit Stones. That was his entire fortune; he could not have produced even one more.

At the sight of the Spirit Stones, the old man flipped one hand and swept them into his bag. He casually took out four blank jade slips and began pressing them to his forehead one after another to make the copies.

Standing to one side, Xiao Yu noticed the old man frowning from time to time. After copying all four jade slips, the old man handed them over with a peculiar expression.

Once Xiao Yu had put the jade slips into his storage pouch, the old man spoke. "Martial Nephew, rather than choosing cultivation arts or secret techniques to improve your cultivation and abilities, you insist on taking pill formulas that cannot possibly be used. You're abandoning the roots to chase the branches! This will seriously affect your cultivation!"

Xiao Yu's heart stirred at those words. He wondered why this Spirit Stone-loving old man had suddenly begun caring about his cultivation.

Then his eyes shifted slightly, and he said, "Martial Uncle, this disciple has some interest in pill refining and wishes to take copies back to study!"

"Martial Uncle, this disciple just heard you say these pills cannot be refined at all. Why is that?" Although Xiao Yu knew the reason, he still put on the air of a complete novice and respectfully asked the old man.

Seeing Xiao Yu's humble, respectful manner, the old man sighed softly. "Although the medicinal herbs needed for the Beauty-Nourishing Pill aren't rare, most must be several hundred years old. Herbs of that age are spiritual treasures that even Golden Core and Foundation Establishment cultivators find difficult to gather. Whenever they obtain one, they immediately refine it into pills that improve their cultivation. Who would pass up a chance to improve their cultivation just for their looks?

"As for the Foundation Establishment Pill, many of its medicinal herbs are exceedingly rare and practically impossible to find in the outside world. Here in the Yue Kingdom, they can only be found in a secret realm left behind by ancient cultivators, which the seven sects jointly control!"

"A secret realm left behind by ancient cultivators?" Xiao Yu looked puzzled at the old man's words.

Perhaps for the sake of the Spirit Stones, the old man went on to explain the legends of ancient cultivators. Supposedly, in ancient times, Core Formation and nascent soul cultivators had been as numerous as hairs on an ox, and there had even been many cultivators of immense power at the Deity Transformation Stage.

Moreover, spiritual energy had been extraordinarily abundant in ancient times.

There had been no need to take a Foundation Establishment Pill to reach Foundation Establishment successfully. Yet for some unknown reason, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth had later diminished sharply, making breakthroughs between stages exceptionally difficult. Foundation Establishment Pills had only appeared then. At the time, the medicinal herbs used to refine them had also been plentiful. But with so many cultivators plundering them without restraint, those herbs had dwindled by the day, until demand gradually outstripped supply.

By then, some mighty cultivators had realized the severity of the situation. To ensure their sects could continue developing, they had used their great powers to create secret realms where medicinal herbs could grow.

They had also decreed that cultivators could enter only once every few decades to harvest herbs. No one knew what secret techniques those mighty cultivators had used, but whenever cultivators entered after several decades, they could always find some medicinal herbs that were hundreds of years old.

Even so, medicinal herbs had grown scarcer by the day, and the major cultivation sects had gone to war to seize more secret realms! In the end, all had suffered grievous losses. Some small and medium-sized sects had then joined forces to wipe them out and divide their secret realms among themselves.

After turning this over in his mind, Xiao Yu asked the old man again, "May I ask, Martial Uncle, are the secret realms you mentioned places like the Blood-Colored Forbidden Land?"

The old man glanced at Xiao Yu and said with some surprise, "Oh, it seems you know something about the Blood-Colored Forbidden Land. That's right. The Blood-Colored Forbidden Land now controlled by the seven sects of our Yue Kingdom is one such secret realm established by ancient cultivators. It contains the medicinal herbs needed to refine Foundation Establishment Pills.

"The Covering Moon Sect discovered this secret realm first. Thanks to it, they gained considerable benefits early on, greatly strengthening their power and resources. Later, the other six sects learned of it. Naturally, they wanted a share of the feast, and after intense maneuvering on all sides, the realm came to be jointly controlled by all seven sects.

"Moreover, this secret realm doesn't require a wait of several decades. Usually, every five years, the restrictions placed upon it weaken somewhat. When that happens, the major sects can seize the opportunity to force it open and enter to harvest medicinal herbs.

"However, repeated tests have shown that only disciples at the Qi Refining Stage can enter. Foundation Establishment cultivators, Core Formation cultivators, and even nascent soul patriarchs will all be forcibly expelled if they go inside!"

At this, Xiao Yu's heart stirred. "Thank you for clearing up my doubts, Martial Uncle. When will the forbidden land's restrictions weaken again?"

"It has now been more than two years since the forbidden land last opened. It can be opened again in less than three years!" The old man seemed not to have chatted with anyone for a long time. With just one question from Xiao Yu, he began talking again.

As he spoke, the old man noticed Xiao Yu's eyes shifting slightly and his thoughtful expression. He immediately smiled. "Lad, I advise you not to set your sights on that secret realm. When the forbidden land opens, the sect does send disciples inside to search for medicinal herbs, and anyone who finds them and hands them over to the sect will be rewarded with a Foundation Establishment Pill.

"But the dangers within are tremendous. Quite apart from attacks by all kinds of demonic beasts, the greatest danger is the slaughter between disciples of the various sects. Countless people have perished that way. Over the years, innumerable disciples have entered the secret realm for the sake of a Foundation Establishment Pill, never to emerge again!"

At this point, the old man's eyes suddenly dimmed considerably, as though he had recalled something sorrowful.

Seeing his expression, Xiao Yu also felt a pang of emotion. Wherever there are people, there are rivalries. When disciples of the various sects enter the secret realm to gather medicinal herbs, who wouldn't want to pick a few more and earn greater rewards? Naturally, the fighting is merciless!

Cruel though it was, he had to make a trip into the forbidden land for the main ingredients of Foundation Establishment Pills. Even if he obtained one in the sect competition six years later, that single pill might not be enough for him to reach Foundation Establishment. In cultivation, falling behind by one step meant falling behind at every step thereafter. He had to take the gamble.

Just then, the old man's voice rang out again. "Lad! You'd best go back and devote yourself steadily to cultivation. With your cultivation level, entering the forbidden land would mean certain death, with not a shred of hope!"

Warmth stirred in Xiao Yu's heart at the old man's words, and he nodded in agreement. After chatting with him a little longer, he left the scripture library.