Stone-in-the-Grass

When cultivators broke through to mid-stage Qi Refining, they could awaken Divine Sense, a special kind of mental power.

The Divine Sense of an ordinary Fourth Layer of Qi Refining cultivator covered a radius of about one foot. Upon advancing to the Fifth Layer, it could extend to three feet, while at the Sixth Layer of Qi Refining, it could reach five feet.

As the saying went, within five feet, one could sense everything.

A Sixth Layer of Qi Refining cultivator using Divine Sense could completely dodge Talisman Bullets with their physical body.

As for Late Qi Refining cultivators, the range covered by their Divine Sense would undergo a transformation according to their Innate Talent. The stronger their talent, the wider the area their Divine Sense could cover.

An ordinary Seventh Layer of Qi Refining cultivator's Divine Sense covered a radius of about one zhang, an Eighth Layer cultivator's about two zhang, and a Ninth Layer cultivator's about three zhang.

But with the support of the Nine-Breath Qi Ingestion Divine Ability and the Nine-Breath Chaos Treasure, Chen Beiwu's Divine Sense had undergone a terrifying transformation. Its range far surpassed that of cultivators at the same stage, reaching a massive five zhang.

It was no exaggeration to say that, in terms of the range and strength of their Divine Sense alone, even Cheng Yun, a Ninth Layer of Qi Refining cultivator, could not match Chen Beiwu. But that was not even the most terrifying part.

Perhaps because the Nine-Breath Chaos was of such a high level that it could obscure the heavens and capture Fortune, the Divine Sense Chen Beiwu had cultivated also possessed an utterly outrageous trait: Concealment. His Divine Sense was so stealthy that cultivators of the same realm could barely detect it.

You dared to set up a honey trap right under my Divine Sense. If you don't die, who will? Chen Beiwu shook his head in disbelief, picked up the Storage Bag from the ground, and turned toward the smoke.

Amid the smoke and dust, a headless female corpse had lost all its flesh and blood, revealing a nail marked with faint bloodstains.

What a vicious magic artifact! Chen Beiwu's pupils contracted slightly.

With his experience, he could naturally tell that Lin Yu had not died from Iron Egg's sneak attack, but from the backlash of her own magic artifact.

"Seal!"

Without hesitation, Chen Beiwu stuck on an Artifact-Sealing Talisman and carefully put away the Soul-Seizing Nail.

This magic artifact was sinister. Until he figured out exactly how to use it, he would not use it lightly.

"Time to go, Iron Egg."

After briefly cleaning up the traces of the fight, Chen Beiwu immediately used Wind Manipulation to hurry away, lest he run into other cultivators.

Inside a cave dozens of li from the battlefield, Chen Beiwu cut off a large piece of Illusion Weasel Wolf meat and handed it to the impatient Iron Egg, then began sorting through his spoils.

This bunch of Bandit Cultivators is so poor! Chen Beiwu shook the Storage Bags a little, puzzled.

They said that killing and arson made a golden belt, so how could these Bandit Cultivators have so few Spirit Stones? The three Storage Bags together held only ninety-seven Low-Grade Spirit Stones-not even enough to make a hundred.

There was also a pile of worn-out, damaged talismans and magic artifacts, bottles and jars of unknown origin, all sorts of books and Jade Slips, and miscellaneous bits of gold and silver.

After sorting out some useful talismans and magic artifacts, Chen Beiwu turned his gaze to the labels on the medicinal pills.

Well, they were all a bunch of indecipherable scribbles. He couldn't recognize a single character.

But it didn't matter. Even if Chen Beiwu could read, he wouldn't take these pills of unknown origin.

He wasn't an Alchemist. He could neither determine the exact level of Pill Toxin in these pills nor tell whether they had been laced with poison.

Unless one of these bottles and jars contained a particularly precious pill, it wasn't worth catching a lab rat to test them.

I really can't rush this. I still need to learn to read first. Chen Beiwu shook his head and took out a Jade Slip to study.

He rode the wind along steep mountain walls, gliding through swirling clouds and mist.

Relying on his Divine Sense to cross mountain after mountain, Chen Beiwu arrived at a perilous cliff and stopped, a hint of surprise appearing on his face.

He had discovered a rare spirit medicine called Stone-in-the-Grass.

Stone-in-the-Grass was a Second-Tier Spirit Medicine that grew in the cracks between rocks. Its roots formed clusters of semi-transparent crystals, and its leaves were only as large as Copper Coins.

The upper surface of its leaves had the patina of bronze, while the undersides were covered in white Lotus patterns, making it easy to identify.

Foundation Establishment Cultivators could take it to stabilize their foundations, strengthen their meridians, and improve the efficiency of Body Tempering.

Qi Refining cultivators who ate it might be unable to handle the nourishment, causing parts of their meridians and Dantian to turn to stone.

Furthermore, because this spirit medicine was good at hiding its aura, it would crack open and scatter its seeds on its own once it matured, then disappear without any unusual signs or fragrance. It was therefore extremely rare.

On the Immortal Alliance Official Website, its price was even higher than that of Bloodface Vine. It could fetch at least six hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones.

Chen Beiwu had not expected to be so lucky as to encounter a Second-Tier Spirit Medicine while traveling.

Back then, he had spent seven days and seven nights sightseeing at the Immortal Alliance's Purple Radish Mountain, yet he hadn't come across a single Second-Tier Spirit Medicine. Every one he could see was inside a Nature Reserve designated by the Immortal Alliance.

Those spirit medicines were completely visible but impossible to touch; basically, no one dared to set their sights on them.

Any cultivator daring to sneak in and pick them would be in for a world of trouble. In the end, they would all end up wearing silver bracelets and enjoying a life of mining in the mountains.

This young girl's Fortune is pretty good. She actually found such a spirit herb.

Following Chen Beiwu's gaze, he saw a Maiden dressed in hemp clothes and straw sandals standing on an ink-colored cliff face.

She carried a bamboo basket on her back and held a medicine hoe in her hand, carefully tapping at a crack in the rock, producing a series of crisp sounds.

It was precisely because of this Maiden gathering herbs that Chen Beiwu had discovered the Stone-in-the-Grass hidden in the crevice, which could not be detected by Divine Sense.

But Fortune and Misfortune Rely on Each Other. A mere mountain girl couldn't withstand the consequences of obtaining such a spirit herb!

This herb looks so pretty. It really resembles the Blue-Crystal Exotic Herb described in the book. Once I sell it, I'll surely have enough for Dad's medical expenses.

Thinking this, the Maiden gathering herbs took a deep breath and tapped at the rock faster.

Because the Desolate Mountain was too dangerous at night, she had to finish gathering herbs and descend the mountain before You Hour.

"Hiss, hiss, hiss!"

Just then, a strange noise from the right chilled the girl to the core.

She turned her head and saw a strange snake with a triangular head and crimson-bronze eyes, flicking its tongue in warning.

Five-Scarlet Snake! The girl's face immediately darkened.

The Five-Scarlet Snake was a famously venomous snake on the Desolate Mountain. Its poison was so fierce that no medicine could cure it.

Why was it called Five-Scarlet? As the name suggested, anyone bitten by this venomous snake would have their blood and qi surge upward, turning their face red as blood. In the end, they would bleed from all five orifices and die.

I finally found an Exotic Herb. I can't run away!

Mo Li gritted her teeth, forcibly suppressing her fear, and took a packet of powder from her clothes with her right hand.

Since she dared to go up the mountain alone to gather herbs, she naturally had ways to protect herself. Otherwise, the village ruffians would have targeted her long ago.

Seeing that Mo Li still wasn't retreating, the Five-Scarlet Snake glinted fiercely and let out a hiss. Its body shot through the air like a streak of red light.

"Get away from me!"

Mo Li threw the powder with all her strength, and it struck the snake's open jaws as it lunged toward her.

Still not enough?

Seeing that the snake's momentum remained unchanged, Mo Li's eyes filled with despair.

She nervously closed her eyes and quietly waited for death to come.

Strange, why doesn't it hurt at all?

Mo Li cautiously opened her eyes. What came into view wasn't the foul-smelling Five-Scarlet Snake, but the unfamiliar face of someone so beautiful that words couldn't describe it. She was completely transfixed.

(End of Chapter)