The Thousand-Year Vermilion Fruit Tree, Ten-Thousand-Year Earth Core Milk

After leaving the Purple Firmament Holy Land, Han Yuyao stirred her mind slightly, changing the color and style of the purple dress that marked her as a true disciple of the Purple Firmament Holy Land into a moon-white gauze dress with shimmering, subtly patterned flowers, concealing every trace of her status.

She intended to temper herself through her experiences along the way, so it would be inconvenient to continue bearing the identity of a true disciple of the Purple Firmament Holy Land.

Sword Qi wreathed Han Yuyao as she became a long rainbow of Sword Qi racing through the sky. Looking down upon the beautiful mountains and rivers below and feeling the biting astral winds sweep past her ears, she gained a different sort of insight.

The mountain ranges near the Purple Firmament Holy Land were all nourished to some extent by the holy land's fortune and possessed extraordinary splendor.

Mountains stretched on without end, ancient trees towering into the sky.

Countless sheer cliffs rose above secluded valleys and deep abysses shrouded in clouds and mist.

Thousand-zhang waterfalls crashed down from the nine heavens like cascading rivers of stars, while magnificent lakes lay scattered like stars across a chessboard.

Rare treasures and wondrous fruits covered the land, and spirit birds and beasts abounded.

A dazzling profusion of colors filled the landscape.

Where the mountains joined, countless caves and stone terraces dotted the slopes.

Ancient pines spread tangled roots across the cliffs, verdant bamboo stood tall, orchids bloomed, and immortal flowers blossomed. Any spot chosen at random would have been a natural grotto-heaven blessed land.

Rosy light and treasure radiance drifted around many of the caves and stone terraces, with formation patterns resembling dragons and phoenixes flashing from time to time. Clearly, they were already occupied.

"Splash!"

A dark-green flood dragon a thousand zhang long soared from a lake a hundred li across, accompanied by clouds and mist. It breathed in and out the essence of the sun and moon in midair, its Yao Qi surging into the heavens.

"Whoosh!"

In the distance, a dazzling divine eagle that seemed cast from gold leaped into the clouds. In the blink of an eye, it became a tiny golden speck, battling astral winds and divine lightning in the infinitely distant heights.

A mountain giant ape snored atop a peak, a hundred-zhang black tortoise lazily basked on a beach, a golden lion king swallowed a small river dry in one gulp, and a heaven-reaching black tiger's roar shook the mountains and rivers...

Reflecting them with her Flawless Sword Heart, Han Yuyao discovered that most of these great demons bore little trace of sin.

Han Yuyao nodded inwardly at the sight.

This place was not far from the Purple Firmament Holy Land. The great demons that dwelled here year-round were not vicious creatures guilty of countless evils, merely ordinary demon cultivators. Some of them probably even knew the peak masters and elders of the Purple Firmament Holy Land.

Just as humans could be good or evil, so could demons. Han Yuyao harbored no ill feeling toward these ordinary demon cultivators.

Of course, not all the great demons near the Purple Firmament Holy Land were benevolent. Incidents of great demons devouring cultivators occurred from time to time.

However, those great demons had all been placed on the Purple Firmament Holy Land's trial mission board.

The vast majority had already lost their heads. Only a tiny number of evil demons clung to life, lurking in the shadows.

The Ice Scorpion King that Han Yuyao had slain not long ago was one such evil demon king. It had been listed on the Purple Firmament Holy Land's mission board, and she had executed it.

These nearby great demons were mostly ordinary demon kings, unable to withstand even a single strike from Han Yuyao's sword. Dealing with them would hardly count as tempering herself, so she ignored them.

Han Yuyao rode her sword through the air, her Flawless Sword Heart reflecting every fluctuation of Qi within a hundred li clearly in her mind.

She was searching for heavenly materials and earthly treasures in this primeval mountain forest. How could she travel without funds?

Although she had picked thirty-three leaves of Dao Comprehension Tea from her master before descending the mountain, those were treasures that would make even divine spirits green with envy and could not be used lightly. It was better to find some heavenly materials and earthly treasures along the way to fund her travels.

At the bottom of a large lake, a stalk of Ice Heart Grass swayed gently, releasing wisps of ice-blue Dao resonance that naturally cooled the heart and calmed the mind.

Unfortunately, a large blue-black snake lay coiled beside it. Judging by its presence, it was probably a demon king.

Han Yuyao acted as though she had not seen it, riding her sword light past.

In truth, Han Yuyao could have finished off that large blue-black snake with a single strike, but she did not.

There was no other reason: if she acted that way, her thoughts would not flow freely!

Many people would say that in an age of great contention, cultivators had to contend.

But in Han Yuyao's eyes, this was not contending. This was robbing!

Han Yuyao disdained such behavior!

This region was not far from the Purple Firmament Holy Land. Most of its heavenly materials and earthly treasures had long since been collected by the holy land's disciples, and nearly everything that remained was guarded by great demons.

In a secluded cave, a stalk of Golden Dragon Cloud Mist Grass swayed, bearing twelve leaves. Each leaf curved like a dragon and exuded hazy mist, while a black pangolin guarded it nearby;

On a treacherous cliff grew a stalk of Nine-Leaf Spirit Lingzhi Grass, crystalline and translucent amid hazy purple qi, with a Golden-Crowned Blood-Feathered Eagle standing guard nearby;

In a deep gorge, a lotus as red as fire bloomed, fiery heat curling upward and flames billowing around it, while a Crimson Flame Poison Centipede lay coiled beneath it...

Without slowing, Han Yuyao became a long rainbow of Sword Qi and vanished into the horizon.

Although most spirit herbs were guarded by great demons, some treasures excelled at concealment. Along the way, Han Yuyao managed to dig up several dozen thousand-year spirit herbs.

As for the hundred-year spirit herbs, Han Yuyao did not think much of them.

Several days later, Han Yuyao had traveled eighty thousand li.

"Hmm? Something's strange!"

Han Yuyao raised her brows slightly. The long rainbow of Sword Qi abruptly stopped, traced a graceful arc through the sky, and plunged toward a waterfall below.

Without slowing her flight light, Han Yuyao passed through the curtain of water and appeared inside a deep cave.

Jagged rocks filled the cave, and countless natural stalactites hung overhead. The entire cavern wound downward, pitch-black and fathomless, leading to an unknown destination.

"Oh? A natural formation that blocks perception? Even my Flawless Sword Heart was nearly fooled. No wonder no one has discovered this place in all these years!"

A trace of surprise flashed through Han Yuyao's eyes. Using her Flawless Sword Heart to reflect the cave's interior, she walked deeper at an unhurried pace.

Before long, Han Yuyao discovered a vivid red treasure glow ahead.

Han Yuyao soon reached the deepest part of the cave, where a Vermilion Fruit Tree twisting like a dragon came into view.

The tree stood three chi tall, its leaves lush green and its branches laden with thumb-sized red berries. Each was like a pearl, so vividly beautiful that it seemed ready to drip, their fruity fragrance filling the air.

The red treasure glow Han Yuyao had seen was precisely the luster of these fruits.

A Vermilion Fruit Tree!

It had grown for at least two or three thousand years!

Yet Han Yuyao's gaze did not linger on the Vermilion Fruit Tree, instead moving directly beneath it.

Beneath the Vermilion Fruit Tree was an irregular hollow roughly a zhang across, filled with milky-white liquid that bubbled almost imperceptibly. Spiritual Qi hung over it like thick fog, and every drop exuded a refreshing fragrance that seeped into the heart.

Ten-Thousand-Year Earth Core Milk!

Only one drop could condense in ten thousand years, gathering the mighty power of the earth's core. Every drop contained an immense amount of vital essence!

No matter how severe the injury, a single drop could restore someone completely!

Taken without illness, it could extend one's lifespan by a hundred years!

Of course, this hundred-year extension only applied to the first dose. The second dose had half the effect. The third dose had half that again. And so on.

Even so, this Ten-Thousand-Year Earth Core Milk was exceptionally precious!

A single drop of Ten-Thousand-Year Earth Core Milk was worth as much as all the fruits on an entire thousand-year Vermilion Fruit Tree combined!

The value of such a large pool was simply unimaginable!

"Clang, clang..."

Sword Qi surged as Han Yuyao cut out the entire stone hollow holding the Ten-Thousand-Year Earth Core Milk. She put it away along with the nearby thousand-year Vermilion Fruit Tree, then drifted away.

Just as Han Yuyao flashed out of the waterfall, she saw a young woman in a purple dress drifting toward her.

The purple-dressed girl held an ancient-looking brass compass in her left hand, seemingly searching for something.

Judging by her attire, she was a true disciple of the Purple Firmament Holy Land!

Han Yuyao and the girl came face-to-face, and both froze slightly.

The purple-dressed girl glanced at the brass compass, then at the waterfall below. Her expression instantly darkened, her willow-leaf brows bristled, and a baleful look filled her pretty face as she barked coldly, "Leave the treasure and get lost!"