Rebuilding the Immortal Cultivator Clan Chapter 2131 1535: Spirit Plant 2

Had it not been for the Purification Principle activating and repelling him directly, he might not have uncovered this until now!

"Fellow Daoist, be cautious! This mist carries poison."

Fu Chengguang, already well-off, had no need for him to spare a Detoxification Pill.

Heeding the warning, he promptly retrieved a pill, consumed it, and simultaneously employed his Divine Sense for introspection, detecting the dissipated mist.

"It appears the spiritual objects within this valley are truly exceptional, reaching such a degree!"

"Indeed, yet we must remain vigilant and not let our guard down."

As he spoke, Li Zhirui summoned a Purification Spiritual Light, enveloping himself completely. It formed a thin film, adhering to his attire.

Fu Chengguang then produced a talisman, transforming it into a defensive light shield.

With each step deeper into the valley, the mist grew thicker, and the potency of its toxins intensified.

Throughout this progression, Li Zhirui conducted an initial analysis, identifying the mist as a highly effective illusion-inducing toxin. Excessive inhalation, he deduced, would inevitably lead to vivid hallucinations, indistinguishable from reality.

This toxin possessed a dual nature: potent yet vulnerable.

Its primary danger lay in its insidious nature; most cultivators might succumb without even realizing they were poisoned. However, once recognized and with appropriate countermeasures in place, its threat diminished considerably.

Consequently, Li Zhirui and Fu Chengguang navigated the valley swiftly, arriving at its innermost sanctum.

A stretch of unassuming, flat terrain lay before them within the valley.

"Ha!"

Li Zhirui suddenly emitted a chilling laugh.

Ahead, on the flatland, a multitude of precious spiritual objects were flourishing. But the crucial point was, he wasn't disoriented by poison. How could he fail to notice such a glaring deception?

The Primordial Frost Fruit and the Earth Element Fire Lotus, two diametrically opposed spiritual objects, growing side-by-side? This was an outright mockery!

"Let's not prolong this charade. We shouldn't waste further time," Li Zhirui declared, shaking his head. A wisp of spirit light shot from his fingertip, instantly dispelling the illusory spiritual objects.

Following this, he focused on the deceptively ordinary small tree, denying it any further opportunity to employ its tricks.

The tree's body began to tremble, unleashing a dense wave of mist. However, it proved incapable of breaching the Purification Spiritual Light.

Upon realizing its subterfuge had failed, the ground beneath them suddenly convulsed. Countless resilient roots erupted, thrashing furiously towards the duo.

Though Li Zhirui and Fu Chengguang hadn't anticipated such a capability, these attacks posed no real threat to them.

As Fu Chengguang made his move, a restriction materialized from thin air. The might of the Forbidden Technique bore down upon the small tree, utterly immobilizing it, leaving it standing inert.

"Intriguing. This Spirit Plant appears to have already developed Spiritual Intelligence?"

Li Zhirui responded with a nod of agreement.

"Fellow Daoist, can you ascertain this Spirit Plant's origins?" Fu Chengguang inquired, his curiosity piqued.

Within the Secret Realm, the laws were fragmented. Yet, here, a spiritual object had birthed Spiritual Intelligence. Even with their extensive knowledge, they had only heard of such occurrences, recognizing their extreme rarity.

"This Spirit Plant seems to have undergone some inexplicable mutation; its true lineage cannot be determined," Li Zhirui stated after a thorough examination, shaking his head.

"Oh? It seems we have acquired another valuable spiritual object."

A faint smile graced Fu Chengguang's features. "Let us extirpate its Spiritual Intelligence, making it easier to transport."

The Spirit Plant, which had been feigning lifelessness, abandoned its act upon hearing this. It swiftly projected a plea via Divine Sense: "I implore the two esteemed seniors to spare my life."

The two exchanged a glance, a flicker of amusement evident in their eyes. They remained uncertain if the Spirit Plant had truly achieved Spiritual Intelligence.

They had found no concrete indicators of its sentience. However, its preceding actions had exhibited a degree of cunning that raised significant suspicion.

Their preceding conversation had, in fact, been a stratagem to test it.

After all, flourishing within the Secret Realm and claiming the lives of countless cultivators, yet lacking exposure to sentient beings, it was akin to a child ignorant of "human wickedness," easily revealed with a bit of probing.

"Introduce yourself," Fu Chengguang commanded, genuinely intrigued by its genesis.

"My creation was the result of a serendipitous encounter. Countless years ago, an ancient cultivator perished before me, and I absorbed his power..."

The narration caused both individuals' expressions to shift subtly. It transpired that this entity originated from a dying cultivator, whose demise upon it led to the absorption of a fragmented Spiritual Soul, thus gradually developing sentience.

Throughout the ensuing centuries, it continuously bolstered its Divine Power by luring cultivators, consuming their life essence and flesh to augment its own strength and growth.

"Esteemed Daoist, might I request this Spirit Plant?"

Fu Chengguang pondered for a moment, then proposed, "Should we fail to procure a spiritual item of equivalent worth before this Secret Realm concludes, I shall offer you compensation, Fellow Daoist."

"Very well," Li Zhirui readily concurred. While the Spirit Plant appeared unique, its appeal was limited for him, as it offered no direct advantage to his personal cultivation. Furthermore, he harbored a suspicion that the plant's account held a degree of fabrication.

"Fellow Daoist, I harbor concerns that this Devil Spirit's narrative may be steeped in falsehoods; let us not be misled by its words."

A knowing smile played on Fu Chengguang's lips as he glanced over. He nodded and reassured, "Have no fear, Fellow Daoist. I have long perceived its true nature and have already formulated my strategy."

Li Zhirui's eyebrows arched slightly, but he chose to remain silent on the matter. Since the other party was aware, he saw no need to interfere further, deeming it inappropriate to meddle.

"Fellow Daoist, I implore you to withdraw the Spirit Light."

Upon these words, the surrounding Purification Spiritual Light promptly vanished.

Subsequently, Fu Chengguang advanced, extending his hand to carefully extract the Spirit Plant from its rooted position.

One should not be deceived by its modest stature of merely five or six feet; its subterranean root system plunged dozens of feet deep, intricately intertwined!

This fact alone was sufficient to illustrate that the Spirit Plant was far from possessing the guileless innocence of a novice.

Despite the forceful nature of his actions, the cultivator's calm demeanor and the Spirit Plant's subsequent compliance ensured that no harm befell it.

In the following instant, the Spirit Plant dematerialized, its current location unknown, presumably secured by him.

As for the companions Wang Ping had mentioned, they were nowhere to be found, having likely met an end similar to the collection of white bones discovered within the pristine spring.

"Fellow Daoist, this clear spring is also a spiritual treasure trove, containing numerous intact Storage Magical Treasures and a variety of Spiritual Objects within," Fu Chengguang announced abruptly.

"Oh?"

A flicker of intrigue sparked in Li Zhirui's eyes. He swiftly moved closer to the spring's edge, and only then did he detect a faint trace of Spirit Light emanating from the water.

After a thorough examination, he remarked with a hint of regret, "This water is remarkably enigmatic; one wonders about its classification as Spirit Water."

"Nevertheless, the spoils from this expedition are exceptionally bountiful, surpassing the sum total of all our prior acquisitions."

Fu Chengguang, however, remained unperturbed by such speculations. His sole concern was understanding the Spirit Water's properties and applications, relishing the prospect of such an abundant yield.

With a broad grin, he proceeded to retrieve the white bones, Storage Magical Treasures, and Spiritual Objects from the spring water, setting them aside for subsequent segregation and appraisal.

Even with the spring littered with skeletal remains, presenting a rather unsanitary and unpleasant spectacle, neither individual displayed the slightest sign of revulsion, their indifference evident.

Adorned with flesh and blood, submerged alongside bone fragments—so what? As long as an item possessed utility, its superficial condition was of no consequence.

Moreover, having attained their current level of cultivation, were they not accustomed to utilizing Spiritual Objects that bore the indelible marks of other beings' life expenditures?

The task of sorting through the amassed Storage Magical Treasures and Spiritual Objects alone occupied them for a full two hours, after which further time was dedicated to dividing the spoils into two equitable portions.

Initially, each cultivator selected the Spiritual Objects pertinent to their individual needs. Subsequently, all remaining items were distributed based on their appraised value, ensuring that the worth of the Spiritual Objects acquired by each party was remarkably similar.