The moment Wang Xuan grasped the shiny object, he felt a surge of vibrant life energy flow through his palm, invigorating his flesh as if it were celebrating.
This was definitely a good find!
He quickly stored it in the fragment of his blessed land.
Was there more? He had to admit this place was peculiar; the special rock wall blocked mental probing, and he had seen it with his own eyes.
In the last moment, Wang Xuan used his short sword to widen the opening. He quickly thrust his upper body in and pulled out the remaining glowing crystals.
The Earth Immortal Spring dampened his clothes and flowed over his wounds, making him feel a tingling sensation as the rich life substance nourished him, dramatically enhancing his cellular activity.
"Quick!" Zhao Qinghan urged Master Ma. "If we don't leave now, it will really be too late! There's a terrifying aura rising from the mountains, like monstrous waves crashing against the sky."
Master Ma tilted its head, opened its large mouth, and gulped down half a mouthful of the falling spring water without daring to hesitate before launching into the sky.
It felt exhilarated, grinning widely, soaked through as if it had bathed in the Earth Immortal Spring. This was something it could brag about for a lifetime—many transcendent beings in the Secret Realm never had such treatment.
"Roar!"
A massive lion's roar, more terrifying than thunder, exploded in the ears of the trio, causing Master Ma to stumble in the air, almost plummeting down.
The black lion, over ten meters long, stood amidst the mountains, its huge yellow eyes as large as basins, glinting like blades. With its roar, many trees shattered, energy rampaged, and dust flew, heralding the emergence of a typical monstrous being!
The lion's roar shook the heavens, sending waves of dark energy crashing upwards. Several birds that had flown past were instantly obliterated, their flesh torn apart.
Wang Xuan's chest unleashed thunder, blocking the waves of dark energy. His internal organs resonated forcefully, activating secret powers, causing the blood hole in his chest to spurt blood again. The wound on his back also tore open, leaving a crimson mess.
Fortunately, they had managed to escape to a high altitude by then, and the waves of dark energy had thinned out, becoming mere aftershocks.
Even so, both Wang Xuan and Master Ma felt uneasy, their chests heavy. Some of Master Ma's wounds had reopened, blood streaming.
"Fly to the right!" Wang Xuan shouted. He extended his mental field and saw that the tail of a white scorpion emitted a beam of light, resembling a spear hurled into the sky.
There was no need to think—if hit, they would either be blasted apart by transcendent energy or die from the potent poison.
"That elephant can fly!" Zhao Qinghan warned.
Amidst the mountains, a massive red elephant, surrounded by fiery light, flapped its large ears. Its tusks were sharp, and the runes on its big ears sparkled, intertwining into dazzling patterns that expanded. The energy-infused ears resembled blood-colored wings that flapped, lifting it into the air.
It actually flew by flapping its ears, and the surrounding flames roared as a terrifying wave of red fire shot upwards, reaching an alarming temperature.
Fortunately, its speed was not that fast, unable to catch up with Master Ma.
The transcendent flames were somewhat terrifying, melting parts of the mountains nearby.
Master Ma, scared out of its wits, fled for its life, yelping as the flames licked its tail. Wang Xuan quickly swung his sword, severing a chunk of its tail hair.
Wang Xuan was also feeling the heat; the remnants of fire that surged towards him tore at his wounds all over again.
Zhao Qinghan applied the Earth Immortal Spring to his injuries, preventing them from worsening.
Finally, they managed to escape. The red elephant couldn't keep up, roaring angrily as it trampled a mountain peak, causing lava to flow from the ground.
In an area rich with herbivores and devoid of monsters, Master Ma landed heavily. It was in a sorry state, with numerous wounds opened, blood oozing everywhere.
It lay in the grass, feeling too weak to move, exhausted to the point of nearly foaming at the mouth. If it hadn't taken a sip of the Earth Immortal Spring earlier, it wouldn't have made it back at all.
Zhao Qinghan carefully held the large gourd, using the Earth Immortal Spring to wash Wang Xuan and Master Ma's wounds—this was a luxurious use of the precious liquid.
"Old Zhong must have transcended before; that's why he went to steal the Earth Immortal Spring. He's been hiding so deep," Wang Xuan speculated. If Old Zhong were merely a grandmaster, even if he prepared well and led away a large group of monsters, he wouldn't have survived.
"Why are you always thinking about Old Zhong?" Zhao Qinghan asked with a smile.
"To be honest, I'm thinking about the things in Old Zhong's house," Wang Xuan admitted candidly without a hint of embarrassment.
"Zhong Qing?" Zhao Qinghan shot him a glance with her beautiful eyes.
"With a goddess by my side, why would I think about little Zhong?" Wang Xuan quickly shook his head, resolutely denying it at such a critical moment. He straightforwardly confessed that he was eyeing Old Zhong's study and the various secret classics he had collected.
"Which book do you have your eyes on? I could try to swap it with little Zhong later," Zhao Qinghan said confidently.
"The golden bamboo slips and the five-colored jade book," Wang Xuan replied.
Upon hearing this, Zhao Qinghan felt the difficulty was enormous. There were only two complete volumes of the golden bamboo slips, and Old Zhong had one of them, which he had never shown to anyone.
"I'll give it a try," Zhao Qinghan decided, undeterred.
Wang Xuan shook his head. "Not for now; I'll have a way after I transcend!"
He didn't want Zhao Qinghan to risk her interests for a deal, knowing that Old Zhong was notoriously shrewd and would never engage in a losing bargain.
"I already said I'd find little Zhong," Zhao Qinghan smiled. "We have the Earth Immortal Spring here; we can't drink this much. If we meet little Zhong… You'll never understand a woman's obsession with youth and beauty. I believe if little Zhong knew I had the Earth Immortal Spring, she would dare to rummage through Old Zhong's study!"
However, she sighed again. "But it's a pity; the life-giving properties of the Earth Immortal Spring don't last long. I hope we can return to New Star soon."
"Let's divide the spoils!" Wang Xuan declared. They had risked their lives to collect the Earth Immortal Spring, and it was time to reap the rewards, extending their lifespans.
Master Ma, who had originally been lying on the ground looking lifeless, suddenly sprang up, eyes shining with excitement, saliva almost dripping.
Wang Xuan found a large piece of blue stone and directly used his short sword to carve out a stone basin, pouring twenty pounds of Earth Immortal Spring into it.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Master Ma was very satisfied, gulping it down in large swallows. The astonishing life force immediately took effect; the Earth Immortal Spring that had dripped on its body had already closed some of its wounds.
Now, after drinking twenty pounds in one go, the radiant essence spread through its pores, and its vitality surged, healing rapidly.
Then, it glanced back, somewhat unsettled. Why were the two drinking from silver cups while it was given a stone basin?
"With that big mouth of yours, how could you use a silver cup?" Wang Xuan pushed its big head aside.
"Next time, I'll bring you a silver basin," Zhao Qinghan smiled, her refined utensils clearly something she always carried with her.
Although Goddess Zhao moved with elegance, she truly had consumed a lot, being almost obsessed with this fragrant divine liquid that could preserve youth. Every time she took a sip, she closed her eyes as if savoring it, her red lips shining and looking vibrant and seductive.
Wang Xuan was also drinking heartily, feeling his wounds heal rapidly, even sensing that his torn lung lobes were regenerating, greatly enhancing his physical condition.
Though Wang Xuan could drink quite a bit, he had only consumed a few liters, while Zhao Qinghan had drunk even less. But that was enough; just one or two jin of the Earth Immortal Spring was sufficient to achieve the desired effect—more wouldn't make much of a difference.
"Is this how I can extend my life by fifty years? Life is truly marvelous!" Zhao Qinghan thought to herself, filled with joy at the prospect of enjoying an extra fifty years of youthful beauty.
"If you work hard to cultivate and advance to the extraordinary realm, you can maintain your youth even longer," Wang Xuan said with a smile.
Zhao Qinghan nodded, then picked a few small gourds that could hold several liters of water, filled them with the Earth Immortal Spring, and handed them to Wang Xuan, saying, "Take these back for your parents and friends."
Then, she looked puzzled and asked, "Why do you have several more bundles? Are those armors?"
Goddess Zhao was very observant and noticed that Wang Xuan had several extra packages.
To store the Earth Immortal Spring, Wang Xuan had cleaned out the fragments of the blessed land, so those armors and miscellaneous items were naturally slung over his back.
He pushed a few small gourds back toward Zhao Qinghan and said, "You keep these; I have more."
After hesitating for a moment, he decided to show her the wonders of the blessed land fragments. Zhao Qinghan was astonished—was this the reappearance of legendary items from ancient times? Even with advanced technology in the New Star, such mythical artifacts did not exist.
When Master Ma learned that he still had a large amount of Earth Immortal Spring, he immediately perked up, indicating he wanted more.
Wang Xuan poured him over thirty jin; without him, Wang Xuan wouldn't have been able to collect the Earth Immortal Spring, so he fully satisfied his desire, allowing him to drink as much as he wanted.
In the end, Master Ma's belly swelled, and he lay on the ground glowing all over, motionless—he had drunk too much.
Wang Xuan took out two shiny objects, the size of pigeon eggs, radiating astonishing life vitality!
He handed one to Zhao Qinghan and kept one for himself, examining it closely. "I dug this out from the mountain's core; it feels like concentrated life essence. Could it be a crystallization of the Earth Immortal Spring?"
"This... it could really be!" Zhao Qinghan replied.
Wang Xuan put the crystal in his mouth and discovered it gradually dissolved, transforming into a torrent of life energy flowing into his body.
He couldn't help but tremble as various external injuries healed at an astonishing speed, scabbing over, and his metabolism surged violently.
Wang Xuan looked inward, and his lung lobes were also healing!
At this rate, it wouldn't be long before he fully recovered. After a good sleep, he would likely wake up feeling as lively as a dragon!
Zhao Qinghan also held her piece in her mouth, filled with joy as she said, "I believe these two instances could add a hundred years to my life!"
In fact, the life vitality contained in these crystals was far greater than that of the Earth Immortal Spring, but due to the body's resistance, absorbing more vitality would be wasteful.
Otherwise, in terms of total quantity, these crystals were incredibly impressive!
"What a pity that this kind of life essence has a saturation point; otherwise, it would be even more astonishing!" Wang Xuan marveled, feeling that life could indeed be extended by a hundred years—this was truly an incredible transformation.
At his young age, receiving such a cleansing for his body would greatly enhance his potential!
This life essence wouldn't allow one to break through, but it replenished the body's fundamental source, making it more significant and valuable!
"I feel slight changes in my body; my latent strength seems to have become more substantial," Zhao Qinghan spoke up, her beautiful eyes glowing with a faint purple hue.
Her New Star indigenous bloodline had been partially activated!
Master Ma stared wide-eyed; after the horse driver fed him so much Earth Immortal Spring that he couldn't move, these two went and consumed glowing divine crystals? And didn't share any with him!
Struggling, he finally managed to stand up, then spat out some water—he had drunk too much. He started neighing, feeling that with such great contributions, he deserved a piece of glowing stone too!
Wang Xuan intended to leave two pieces for his parents and still had quite a surplus, so he wouldn't neglect Master Ma. Without saying anything, he directly shoved one into its mouth.
He sighed, saying, "If you don't transform into a heavenly horse or become an extraordinary demon after all my nurturing, I'll be disappointed in you."
After eating one piece, Master Ma didn't break through, but the inherent source and potential within him surged dramatically; his wings and the runes on his body became more complex and profound than before, purifying his bloodline.
Meanwhile, in a well-known area of the external region of the Secret Realm—Black Horn Mountain—three extraordinary beings, including Xiong Kun, were visiting the local lord.
Here dwelled a powerful demon, stronger than most extraordinary monsters, with very few rivals in the external region.
It was called the Black Horn Beast, under the command of the White Peacock, responsible for a certain area to ensure that extraordinary beings would not emerge from the depths of the Secret Realm to cause chaos.
In a sense, it was one of the law enforcers in the external region of the Secret Realm.
At this level, it could communicate with humans mentally, and its lair was quite expansive, deliberately mimicking the legendary demon caverns.
Its lair was excavated in the mountain's core, spacious inside, and the Black Horn Beast resembled an old jackal, entirely black, with wings growing on its back and a single horn on its head.
"Greetings, uncle!" Upon arrival, Xiong Kun directly called him "uncle," making the other two extraordinary beings stiffen and step forward to greet him.
"How is your father?" the Black Horn Beast inquired, transmitting its thoughts.
"My father is about to break through again; everything is well. He asked me to bring you a cultivation map, a rare treasure of the demon race."
Xiong Kun presented an ancient map and added, "Although I saw you in the depths of the Secret Realm last time, there were too many people, and it was not convenient to give it to you in person."
The Black Horn Beast received it, its eyes instantly lighting up as it repeatedly praised, "Your father is thoughtful!"
Soon, Xiong Kun explained his intention; he wanted to get involved in the external region's fortunes—the opportunities contested by those young people—the Strange Mist.
He aspired to become someone like his grandfather, soaring to great heights.
The Black Horn Beast frowned; this would require it to break the rules, and if discovered, the consequences would be severe.
It sighed, "This is a bit difficult. You should return to the depths of the Secret Realm for now; I will have my little beasts keep an eye out. If anyone obtains the Strange Mist... we'll see then."
"Please, uncle, make sure to inform me promptly!" Xiong Kun bowed deeply, pleading with the Black Horn Beast for assistance.
Then he added, "Also, there is a person and a horse; please 'take care' of them and find out their whereabouts in the external region—they make me feel uneasy."
"You're being a bit excessive; they're just mortals. Is it really necessary to care so much?" The Black Horn Beast glanced at him, finding it difficult to comply.
"Uncle, that young man wields a short sword, and I suspect it could be an Earth Immortal-level weapon!" Xiong Kun said.
"Uh, I see," the Black Horn Beast nodded.
The next day, Wang Xuan and Master Ma had indeed fully recovered, their spirits soaring and their conditions even better than before. Zhao Qinghan, having sustained no injuries, looked more radiant than ever, her beauty in full bloom.
The goddess Zhao was quite pleased with her fair and delicate skin, noticing it had grown even more luminous and elastic. She softly mused, "Is this the power of a hundred years of youth?"
As they headed toward the deceased land, Wang Xuan prepared to elevate himself!
On the way, they sensed something was off, as various strange birds occasionally appeared, watching them from a distance.
"This doesn't feel right; turn back!" Wang Xuan called out.
However, it was too late. Silent as a shadow, a creature resembling an old wolf appeared, with horns atop its head and a pair of black wings fluttering behind it, manifesting right behind them.
"You all come here," it said coldly.
Wang Xuan's hair stood on end; a creature capable of communicating through thought was definitely terrifying. It had set its sights on them!
Master Ma felt disheartened. He was nowhere near as fast as this creature and could only helplessly follow as it descended into a mountain forest, leading them to a vast extraordinary nest carved into the mountainside.
"I've heard you all have been quite restless, repeatedly provoking the extraordinary and exploiting loopholes in the rules. You know they can't dare step out of the depths of the Secret Realm, yet you've galloped about outside, shouting in defiance. I am the enforcer of this outer region and need to ask you some questions to understand the situation," the Black Horned Beast said slowly.
Upon hearing this, Master Ma's anger flared; such a reversal of truth was simply outrageous!
"Where's that short sword of yours? Show it to me! Have you discovered a celestial cave?" the Black Horned Beast demanded.
Wang Xuan felt his anger boiling over. How could this extraordinary creature consider itself an enforcer? This was utterly absurd.
The Black Horned Beast continued with a calm tone, pressing, "You haven't found some entrance in the area of the celestial spring, have you? Discovered that celestial palace? Some treasures are beyond your capacity to bear."
Wang Xuan thought to himself, at such a close distance, perhaps it would be better to... just kill this old wolf!