The Dao Realm's Human Race, Lightning Spirit Ginseng!

Shi Xiao raised an eyebrow. The newcomer was a middle-aged man with a thin face, wearing a gray robe, and his Spiritual Qi fluctuations were only at the Foundation Establishment Perfection.

He carried a bamboo basket containing several purple spiritual herbs; the roots of the herbs had faint lightning patterns and emitted a faint aura of Dao of Lightning.

The middle-aged man seemed to sense the faint presence outside as well, and when he looked up, a hint of wariness flashed across his face.

Shi Xiao did not conceal his cultivation level; he directly released the aura of the Nascent Soul Early Stage.

The middle-aged man's expression changed, and he nearly dropped the bamboo basket.

To a Foundation Establishment cultivator, Nascent Soul Cultivator is like a god in the heavens; he quickly put down the bamboo basket and bowed deeply through the barrier.

"Senior, I was unaware of your arrival in my humble abode; I have failed to greet you properly."

Shi Xiao didn't answer, his gaze falling on the few spiritual herbs in his hand.

The Thunder-Patterned Spirit Grass is not of high grade, roughly a second-tier high-grade spiritual object; however, the Dao of Lightning aura contained within it is extremely pure, far surpassing that of wild spiritual objects, clearly indicating that it has been carefully cultivated.

"Did you cultivate this spiritual herb yourselves?"

The middle-aged man nodded, his wariness lessening slightly. "Yes, senior; our clan has cultivated this for thousands of years."

Shi Xiao's heart skipped a beat.

"Your race? What race?"

"We call ourselves the Dao Spirit Human Race, a branch of the Human Race," the middle-aged man said respectfully. "Our race numbers only a few thousand, and we live in seclusion in this valley, daring not to contend with the outside world."

Dao Spirit Human Race?

Shi Xiao had never heard of this name before, but in the Dao Realm, there are countless races and hidden clans, so it's normal not to have heard of it.

Especially this branch of the Human Race, Shi Jian couldn't see any difference between this so-called Dao Realm Human Race and the Human Race.

His gaze then fell once again on those few spiritual herbs.

"Does this medicinal herb have a name?"

"Reporting to Senior, it is called Purple Lightning Ginseng," the middle-aged man replied. "This substance is nourished by the energy of the Dao of Lightning Spirit Vein and requires our clan's unique cultivation method to be successfully grown."

"If taken, it can help those who cultivate the Dao of Lightning to purify their Daoist aura and accelerate their comprehension."

"Although its grade is not high, if consumed in large quantities over time, its effects are excellent; our clan can cultivate it to a fourth-tier spiritual object at most."

Shi Xiao's expression remained unchanged, but his heart was already churning.

It helps those who cultivate the Thunder Dao of Lightning to comprehend the Immortal Foundation.

His father, Shi Jian, is currently comprehending the Righteous Yang Lightning, and what he lacks most is this kind of auxiliary material; while the Lightning Bear Line manages the Lightning Plain, planting a large number of Dao of Lightning Spirit Plant, precisely in order to exchange quantity for quality and accumulate little by little.

If we could bring this tribe under our control and bring the cultivation method of Purple Lightning Ginseng back to Lightning Plain...

"Are your clan elders in the valley?" Shi Xiao asked.

The middle-aged man hesitated for a moment, but finally nodded in agreement. "The clan leader and several elders are all here. What does Senior think?"

Shi Xiao leaped down the low hill and landed in front of the barrier.

"Lead me to see him."

The middle-aged man's face was slightly pale, but he ultimately dared not disobey the wishes of a Nascent Soul Cultivator. He put away his bamboo basket and respectfully led the way.

Guided by the token in his hand, the restriction cracked open, creating a passage.

Shi Xiao stepped inside.

The scenery inside the valley is completely different from the outside world.

The mountains and fields were covered with purple spiritual herbs, swaying gently in the breeze, their rhyme drifting away with the wind.

In the field of spiritual herbs, dozens of Human Race were working with great skill; most of them were not highly cultivated, mostly at the Qi Refining Foundation Establishment, dressed simply, but with very ruddy complexions.

Clearly, the Spiritual Qi in this valley has greatly nourished them.

The deeper you go, the higher the grade of the spiritual herbs become.

In the deepest part of the fields, there were dozens of third-tier Purple Lightning Ginseng, their thunderous aura intense, and the thunderous patterns on their roots seemed to move slowly as if they were alive.

Shi Xiao Dao of Darkness: This kind of cultivation method is indeed quite ingenious.

The Human Race's ability to cultivate and nurture Spirit Plant is truly unparalleled in all realms; even the Beast Realm cultivates medicinal herbs.

However, its output is far less than one-tenth of that of the Human Race.

Before long, Shi Xiao was led to a simple stone hall in the valley.

The stone hall was not large and did not exude any sense of grandeur. Two Golden Core Human Race stood at the entrance. Upon seeing Shi Xiao arrive, their expressions changed slightly, but they still respectfully bowed.

"The clan chief is inside the hall," the middle-aged man said in a low voice.

Shi Xiao nodded slightly and stepped inside.

Inside the stone hall, an old man with gray hair sat cross-legged on a futon; the old man's face was gaunt, and his aura of Nascent Soul Late Stage was restrained as water.

Two other people were sitting beside him, a man and a woman, both at the Nascent Soul Early Stage.

Three Nascent Soul, plus dozens of Golden Core cultivators.

This is the entirety of the Dao Spirit Human Race's high-end combat power.

The gray-haired old man opened his eyes and looked at Shi Xiao. His gaze held no fear, but rather a hint of scrutiny and wariness. He then spoke:

"Chen Yan, the patriarch of the Dao Spirit Race." The old man rose and bowed respectfully. "May I ask where this fellow Daoist comes from, and what brings you here?"

Shi Xiao sized up the other party for a moment, then said nothing more.

"Shi Xiao, of the Lightning Bear Line, from the Giant Bear Clan of the Beast Realm."

As a series of titles were announced, the atmosphere in the hall changed abruptly.

The Giant Bear Clan.

This name is no small fry in the Dao Realm these days.

More than a hundred years ago, in the struggle for that Treasured Earth, the various races of the Beast Realm joined forces to destroy the Li Yuan Giant Beast, Giant Bear Clan obtained a territory of thirty million miles in Li Bear Plains.

The madman who, with only the Early Spirit Transformation, forced his way through the aftermath of the Dao Venerable's attack, further spread the name of the Giant Bear Clan throughout the Dao Realm.

Chen Yan's expression shifted slightly. The two Nascent Soul beside him exchanged a glance, both seeing deep apprehension in each other's eyes.

Shi Xiao sat down on the stone bench in the hall without any ceremony.

"Your clan's Purple Lightning Ginseng is useful to my Lightning Bear Line." He looked directly at Chen Yan. "Old man, let's be honest, the restrictions in your valley can't stop Spirit Transformation cultivators, or even a few Nascent Soul have designs on it."

"Occupying this place alone will only bring trouble sooner or later."

The hall fell silent.

Chen Yan remained silent for a long time, a bitter smile curving his lips.

"What you say, fellow Daoist, is something I am well aware of."

He slowly sat back down on the futon, his withered fingers rubbing his knees. "Our clan has lived in seclusion here for over three thousand years, relying on the remote location of this valley and the restrictions that conceal our presence."

"However, in the last hundred years, various clans from the Dao Realm have poured in, leading to frequent conflicts..."

"We probably can't hide here for much longer."

Shi Xiao didn't reply, he just looked at him.

Chen Yan nodded and looked up to meet Shi Xiao's gaze.

"I understand what you mean, fellow Daoist; it's easy to find a powerful backer by joining the Giant Bear Clan, but I have a question."

His gaze was deep, his voice calm. "After submitting, will my clan's cultivation methods revert to our ownership?"

Shi Xiao was silent for a moment, then said, "The law belongs to your clan, the people belong to your clan, my Lightning Bear Line only needs the spiritual resources produced."

"This item is of great use to my Thunder Vein."

Chen Yan's expression softened slightly, but he did not immediately agree.

"This matter is of great importance; please allow me some time to discuss it with the clan."

Shi Xiao got up without urging him.

"You may discuss this at your leisure." He turned and walked towards the exit of the hall, but suddenly stopped at the door.

"But let me make this clear from the start."

Without turning his head, he said calmly, "If I can find this place, so can others; the Dao Realm is in utter chaos right now, and who knows who will be next."

As soon as he finished speaking, a beam of light shot into the sky and disappeared above the valley.

The three Nascent Soul in the hall looked at each other in bewilderment. Chen Yan closed his eyes and let out a long sigh.

"Go and summon all the clan elders."

His tone was weary, yet carried a sense of relief, as if he had made a decision long ago.

"It's time to find a powerful patron. We traitors can't go back to the Human Realm anyway; if we could find a royal family to protect us, we could at least survive."