Dashing Student Chapter 1367 1367: Abandoned Medicine Garden

"Little Snake!"

A delighted Zhong Ling cradled the small serpent, nuzzling it. The King of Ten Thousand Gu, sensing a familiar aura, offered no resistance.

"We'll count on the little snake from here on," Chen Nan remarked with a smile. The King of Ten Thousand Gu, equipped with its Treasure Eye, was the most suitable guide for their current predicament.

However, Shi Zhongsheng, perched on Chen Nan's shoulder, felt slighted and began to chirp aggressively at the King of Ten Thousand Gu. It only ceased its protest after a swift pat from Chen Nan.

Resting in Zhong Ling's palm, the King of Ten Thousand Gu slowly opened the vertical eye adorning its forehead. Moments later, its tail gestured in a particular direction.

"Let's move!"

Chen Nan's gaze fell upon the cultivators diligently clearing debris in the distance, a gleeful grin gracing his features.

With all the attention drawn to this area, no one would dare compete with them for other hidden treasures!

The mentor and disciple pair traversed the ruins, facing intermittent assaults from ferocious demon beasts. To foster Zhong Ling's growth, Chen Nan deliberately intervened minimally.

"Our lineage flourishes most vigorously through combat; thus, the more engagements you face, the more advantageous it proves for your development."

Having just managed to dispatch a demon beast with considerable effort and storing its carcass within the Blood Gourd, Zhong Ling responded, "Understood, Master. I shall endeavor my utmost!"

Witnessing Zhong Ling's invigorated spirit filled Chen Nan with a profound sense of satisfaction. Recalling their earlier encounter in the Library Pavilion, he noted that while Zhong Ling's combat performance wasn't spectacular, she had nonetheless survived assaults from several cultivators wielding superior cultivation. Furthermore, her adept use of spirit talismans to inflict damage on her adversaries hinted at the burgeoning development of his own combat philosophies within her.

He mused that perhaps, in time, Five Sounds Sea might witness the emergence of a female counterpart to the fearsome Life-taking Yama.

...

Following the serpentine guide, Chen Nan and his disciple safely reached a location eerily devoid of any ruined structures, appearing as if it had always been an open clearing.

Now, it was densely populated with a diverse array of flora, exhibiting a vitality even more pronounced than that found elsewhere.

An equally peculiar observation was the utter absence of any demonic beast presence or aura.

Despite his curiosity, Chen Nan trusted the King of Ten Thousand Gu's guidance and drew his Sword Chenyuan, carving a passage through the overgrowth and thorny thickets.

These thorns suggested an ancient lineage, possibly existing for tens of thousands of years. What were once ordinary plants had, over the vast expanse of time, transformed into potent Spirit Plants.

Even Chen Nan found himself exerting significant effort to cleave through the dense brambles. Among them were numerous species unfamiliar to him, their effects even extending to the suppression of his divine sense.

Any attempt to probe with his divine sense met with resistance akin to striking sharp spikes, rendering extended exploration impossible.

After a strenuous hundred-meter advance through the thorny labyrinth, Chen Nan abruptly halted, causing Zhong Ling, taken by surprise, to collide with his back.

"Master, is something amiss?"

Chen Nan gestured forward, indicating, "Observe!"

Following his pointed finger, Zhong Ling observed a small, open space ahead, at the center of which grew a single Spirit Grass plant, its fruit a vibrant, succulent red.

"What is this?" Zhong Ling inquired, her brow furrowed in confusion.

Chen Nan lightly smacked his forehead; he had instructed Zhong Ling in cultivation but had neglected to impart his specialized knowledge in alchemy.

"That is a Blood Jade Ginseng. A thousand-year-old specimen is indeed a rare Seventh Grade Spiritual Medicine, but this one appears to be over a hundred thousand years old!"

"A hundred thousand years! The medicinal potency within this Blood Jade Ginseng is comparable to that of a Fifth Grade Spiritual Medicine!"

Zhong Ling struggled to comprehend the source of her master's exhilaration, yet the mention of "Fifth Grade Spiritual Medicine" sparked a similar excitement within her.

After all, the Fifth Grade is recognized as being intrinsically linked to the Nascent Soul Realm.

Chen Nan let out a sigh, realizing his young disciple might not fully appreciate the magnitude of this discovery.

The presence of a Blood Jade Ginseng dating back a hundred thousand years strongly indicated that no sentient being had set foot in this area for a correspondingly immense period.

Moreover, despite the lack of any structures, the proliferation of plant life was astonishing, with even common thorns having undergone a transformation into tough, Spirit Plant-grade vegetation.

He surmised that this potentially served as the imperial family's spirit medicine garden in ages past!

If his suspicion held true, he might very well discover the crucial spiritual materials required for concocting the Breaking Infant Pill within this very location. Locating materials for the Breaking Infant Pill had been the primary objective for venturing into this ancient relic!

Chen Nan moved with haste, perplexed by the anomaly of the Blood Jade Ginseng's potent aura failing to attract any predatory demon beasts. Such a situation was highly unusual.

Nonetheless, his immediate priority was to unearth the Blood Jade Ginseng, intending to investigate the surrounding peculiarities later.

With extreme care, he began excavating the soil, his movements deliberate and gentle. Even a single root from a hundred-thousand-year-old Blood Jade Ginseng held immense value.

Zhong Ling stood silently behind him, hesitant to disturb the delicate process. Unbeknownst to her, a creeping vine had begun to subtly entwine itself around her feet.

Caught off guard, a vine snaked around her, constricting like a python and muffling her cries.

In a flash, Zhong Ling was whisked away, completely unnoticed by the deeply engrossed Chen Nan.

Finally, he unearthed the entire Blood Jade Ginseng.

"Ling'er, come see. If this Blood Jade Ginseng is refined into elixir pills, its medicinal efficacy can be amplified twofold!"

Chen Nan shouted excitedly, but no response came. Turning, he discovered Zhong Ling had vanished.

His heart plummeted as he swiftly secured the Blood Jade Ginseng. Moving forward, he only found trailing marks upon the ground.

"Could this be... a tree vine?"

Chen Nan was struck with sudden apprehension. Having lowered his guard due to the absence of demonic beasts, he had neglected the potential danger posed by monstrous plants.

"Ling'er!"

Spotting the direction indicated by the drag marks, Chen Nan bellowed in fury. His Sword Chenyuan erupted forth, impaling the dense thicket with piercing ferocity, its formidable aura shredding through the thorny barrier!

Driven by rage, he charged forward, his sharp Sword Qi slicing through every encroaching plant in his trajectory, yet he couldn't close the distance.

"Leave me alone!"

Chen Nan roared, his anxiety for Zhong Ling's safety escalating. His mana surged like a tempestuous tide, coalescing into fiery droplets that rained down with intense force.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The flames descended upon the vegetation, igniting instantly and transforming the landscape into an inferno within mere moments.

Chen Nan manifested his Thunder Wings, his form a blur as he streaked into the conflagration. Ahead, he finally spotted Zhong Ling, ensnared by the relentless vines.

"Hurry!"

His Void Breaking Sword shot out, reaching Zhong Ling's side in an instant and severing the vine that held her captive.

The severed vine writhed, attempting to re-entwine her, but Chen Nan had already arrived, the intense heat deterring the plant's assault.

Assisting Zhong Ling to her feet, Chen Nan suddenly froze.

He perceived a multitude of vines surging relentlessly towards them!