"Put on your protective suit; there might be abnormal energy radiation in some areas." Qin Cheng led Wang Xuan to the experimental zone for mutated medicinal fields he was responsible for.

The area was quiet, with several robots standing still and various precision monitoring devices in clusters. Although some ancient planting methods were referenced, it had a distinctly modern feel. Qin Cheng explained, "The protective shields above some of the fields don't completely block cosmic rays but allow a small amount to penetrate, hoping to promote mutations in the herbs." The monitoring instruments indicated that certain particle data in the area was severely exceeded, making prolonged stays unwise.

Soon, Wang Xuan was astonished. The experimental fields before him were densely packed with herbs, cultivated like crops. Legends said that ancient sects only planted dozens or hundreds of sentient herbs per field. Here on the moon, each plot had at least tens of thousands of plants, giving Wang Xuan the sensation of being in a vegetable greenhouse.

In the fields, various herbs thrived: the blue-leaved Teng Snake Grass, the bright red Fire Ginseng resembling agate, and the golden Solar Vine. "You should try these herbs later and see if they're useful for you," Qin Cheng suggested.

He detailed the situation: the moon's research focused on promoting herbal mutations for mass cultivation and shortening their maturation time. Some powerful herbs, which would typically take decades or even a century to achieve optimal efficacy, were hoped to be compressed into just a few years, or even a yearly harvest.

"After referencing various documents and repeated adjustments, the lab has identified the ideal nutrient soil for each herb and analyzed their preferred environments. Mass cultivation and early maturation are inevitable trends." Currently, the experimental results were promising, with most nearing success. Once certain herb traits stabilized, seeds would be taken for larger-scale planting elsewhere.

Wang Xuan was in a daze. If this continued, the long-term plans of some conglomerates and large organizations might indeed succeed in approaching longevity. Qin Cheng shook his head. "Unfortunately, these aren't extraordinary herbs. It's tough enough to grow those; let alone scale them up or have them mature early."

Wang Xuan was surprised to learn that some conglomerates had obtained extraordinary herb seeds. Qin Cheng sighed, "So, some organizations on the New Star are quite impressive. In pursuit of longevity, they've conducted various experiments. Herbs are just one aspect. I've heard they recently made breakthroughs in genetics. Despite the current fuss over the New Technique, it might soon be overshadowed by several life research institutes."

"What's going on?" Wang Xuan asked, astonished.

"They found a section of a flesh-and-blood finger from a finger of a bodhisattva preserved in an ancient temple's underground chamber. After analysis, they suspect it might belong to a certain bodhisattva…" Qin Cheng continued, some of which Wang Xuan was already aware. Those life research institutes had previously studied the Six-Armed Bodhisattva Superbody, which appeared in Green Ridge and exhibited master-level strength, but was crushed by Old Chen.

Now, there were new developments regarding the Moonlight Bodhisattva Superbody, enveloped in white light as if standing within a full moon, possessing even more terrifying strength. This indicated a trend: through studying that finger, continuous progress could lead to the eventual emergence of the Ultimate Bodhisattva Superbody. According to the projections, this was feasible; the so-called Ultimate Bodhisattva Superbody was the true body of a bodhisattva!

Wang Xuan gasped. Some laboratories on the New Star were indeed frightening. Were they really going to mass-produce the true bodies of bodhisattvas? If this continued, the major life research institutes could indeed crush the thriving New Technique!

However, he then considered the issue of the soul and murmured, "The physical body can be analyzed, but researching the spiritual level will be a significant problem."

Before leaving, Qin Cheng naturally received a large package from a researcher, filled with about twenty to thirty herbs. Wang Xuan looked on with an unusual gaze, thinking his friend was being somewhat opportunistic.

Qin Cheng shook his head. "Don't look at me like that; I didn't accept a bribe."

This area had twelve different medicinal fields, each with tens of thousands of herbs. Daily tests were required to check efficacy and analyze mutation levels, allowing for some losses. "These herbs were going to be disposed of anyway, but usually, we share them among ourselves."

Qin Cheng was quite personable and was familiar with the people here; he had given them a heads-up and had accumulated this amount over two days, which was now gifted to him.

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

Once back at their residence, both men were left staring blankly at the thirty-odd herbs, some fragrant and some emitting strange odors, making it difficult to swallow. Qin Cheng had psychological trauma; after previous experiences with powerful herbs, he either couldn't sleep for days or suffered from nosebleeds for four or five consecutive days.

Wang Xuan was worried. These were mutated herbs, maturing early—would there be side effects? Ultimately, he tried a few fragrant petals. He felt a warmth surging within, his metabolism speeding up, but for him as a master, the effects weren't very pronounced.

Primarily, he had experienced the Inner Landscape and encountered the Heavenly Herb, so he wasn't too satisfied with herbs that required long-term consumption for effectiveness. "For the future, I should at least try a bit of everything," he murmured, recalling Old Chen's warning. Ancient texts recorded this as a preparation for the Gathering Herb realm in the extraordinary field.

Having more contact with various herbs would be beneficial for stepping into that realm later.

Wang Xuan sensed something subtle after consuming twelve different herbs at once. If not for having formed a spiritual domain in advance, he wouldn't have perceived it, but it was just a fleeting sensation, quickly returning to normal.

He felt assured; the ancient texts of the great sects deserved attention, and the experiences of the ancients should be studied and analyzed seriously.

"Let's go see the excitement," Qin Cheng said, receiving a call about another group venturing into the Moon Pit. This place had always been shrouded in mystery, with numerous incidents over the years prompting adventurers to continue risking it.

The Moon Pit was no longer shielded within the base, having been isolated due to repeated accidents. Its location formed an equilateral triangle with Baima Temple and the Millennium Ancient Taoist Temple, not far from each other.

As Wang Xuan and Qin Cheng arrived, they watched from behind a protective barrier as a group of over twenty individuals donned the latest space suits and entered the Moon Pit. The area was pockmarked with ancient meteorite craters, with a central section covered by alloy panels.

"That's the Moon Pit, long sealed. These people have some guts to explore such a deadly place," Qin Cheng remarked, puzzled by their thrill-seeking mindset. Nearby, someone chimed in, "Back in the day, adventurers were like this. They've evolved to enjoy dancing between life and death."

"Old Earth, huh?" Qin Cheng was surprised; that term felt outdated, rooted in Old Earth culture. "Yeah. You're probably here in transition to New Moon, preparing to head to New Star?"

When the alloy panel was opened, the long-sealed Moon Pit was revealed, a dark abyss swallowing the group. Hundreds watched, many unaware of the Pit's true horrors, but specialized organizations like the Dingwu Association certainly knew, and most viewers were affiliated with such internal groups.

An old monk from Baima Temple appeared, looking serious, holding a demon-slaying staff, while a solemn Daoist brandished a charred peach wood sword, staring at the Moon Pit like an enemy.

Wang Xuan was intrigued. The monk's staff and the Daoist's sword radiated a mysterious energy, which his spiritual domain picked up as peculiar fluctuations. He was sure that both the Buddhist and Daoist ancestral teachings had left behind extraordinary artifacts.

"There's a problem; their emotions are unstable as they descend," someone shouted from a distance. Monitoring devices tracked the underground explorers, and even regular teams had to report in and carry tracking equipment for real-time updates.

Suddenly, a watcher gasped, pale-faced, stumbling back as the screen filled with blood. All monitoring devices malfunctioned instantly, mirroring previous incidents.

Silence enveloped the Moon Pit until, minutes later, a dozen blood-soaked individuals emerged, some clearly injured, with blood splattered across them. They frantically ran toward the barrier.

Behind them, there was nothing but eerie quiet, and the terrified group scrambled back, rolling and crawling in fear.

They reached the protective layer, crashing into the isolation area, then the buffer zone, and finally entered the transition layer, before collapsing inside the secure area.

Panting heavily, they stripped off their gear, faces ashen, falling to the ground, completely exhausted, drenched in sweat.

"What happened?" Many onlookers demanded, eager to learn the real situation inside the Moon Pit to report back to their organizations.

Suddenly, eleven of the sixteen who escaped erupted in a shower of gore, blood splattering several meters away, leaving bone fragments everywhere.

The scene was gruesome; despite escaping, they perished violently, their deaths horrifying.

"Step back!" the Daoist shouted, waving his blackened sword in agitation. The old monk joined him, swinging his demon-slaying staff wildly.

"I've never seen such bloody chaos in my life," Qin Cheng remarked, shaken by the plight of the adventurers. Wang Xuan tugged him back, his expression serious. Just because others couldn't see it didn't mean he lacked perception; with his spiritual domain, he grasped the world's truths.

He noticed faint white lights rising from the eleven shattered bodies, converging into a hazy figure glowing with white. This was the reality his spiritual domain captured!

Realizing that something mysterious was emerging from the Moon Pit, he understood why the Daoist and monk were frantically swinging their weapons—they sensed the unseen threat.

"There's truly an immortal…" The twelfth individual screamed before exploding as well, sending another pale light into the air, merging with the figure.

The mysterious entity in the air looked down, spotting Wang Xuan and lunging toward him. Was this the so-called celestial being? Wang Xuan felt a chill as he noticed a bloody ancient character for "immortal" emblazoned on its forehead.

He pushed Qin Cheng aside and drew a blade resembling an ancient fish intestine sword, striking like lightning.

Swoosh!

He cleanly severed the entity's head, white light bursting forth and a fierce wind whipping around them!

Wang Xuan's heart raced—had he just killed… an immortal?!