The Supreme Wild Young Master Chapter 655: Old Man Gui Appears_1

"No, I see no reason to conceal anything from you."

Zhang Xian let out a soft laugh, stating, "Let's proceed. We didn't arrive here without purpose; treasures must be waiting for us within these grounds."

"Haven't we already scoured everything?"

Zi Yu managed a strained smile, lamenting their misfortune. "Initially, I harbored hopes that finding our Sect's location would yield abundant treasures, but it proved to be rather disheartening—the place had already been completely looted."

"There remains one location we have yet to explore," Zhang Xian declared with a chuckle before turning and walking in a different direction.

Indeed, they had conducted a thorough search of the entire Sect premises, finding nothing of value. However, the medicinal garden was an area they had not yet visited.

A Sect of such magnitude would invariably possess a medicinal garden; it served as the very foundation of their resources.

It was possible the garden had already been thoroughly plundered during the Sect's relocation, but all they required were some basic herbs, which surely would be plentiful. This had been precisely the situation with the last Sect they had investigated.

"This fellow..."

Mo Shaoyun trailed behind Zhang Xian, a slight furrow in his brow, growing somewhat irritated by the lack of explanation.

"He's definitely keeping something hidden."

Fu Meiting harbored a growing suspicion. "When the opportunity arises, I will uncover the secrets that Zhang Xian is concealing."

"Elder Sister Meiting, what are you plotting?"

Dong Qian inquired of Fu Meiting, noting, "Why does your smile suddenly carry such a cunning glint?"

Fu Meiting playfully rolled her eyes at Dong Qian. "Qianqian, are your eyes playing tricks on you? I wasn't smiling at all, understand?"

Dong Qian responded with a pout and remained silent.

"We should be close now."

Abruptly, Zhang Xian detected a subtle flow of spiritual energy and immediately moved towards its source.

Soon, he arrived at a secluded courtyard adorned with numerous peculiar and exotic plants, their varied shapes and vibrant colors presenting a truly captivating sight.

"Wow, look at all these strange plants!"

Dong Qian darted into the herb garden like an excited little bird. "Brother Zhang Xian, is this the medicinal garden? Do we have any of the medicinal herbs we need here?"

"What do you think?"

After a swift scan with his spiritual sense, Zhang Xian let out another chuckle. "While nothing of personal use has surfaced yet, there are indeed a multitude of medicinal herbs, even more than what I acquired during our previous expedition."

"Are these useful for our cultivation?" Zi Yu inquired with curiosity.

Zhang Xian appeared surprised. "You're unaware?"

"I am indeed. I don't recognize a single one of these herbs," Zi Yu admitted, shaking her head.

A moment of surprise flickered across Zhang Xian's face before he grasped the underlying reason.

The understanding of alchemy among ancient martial artists was rather limited. They were only familiar with contemporary herbs that had been discovered. Herbs from ancient eras had either vanished into extinction or remained unidentified.

Furthermore, ancient martial artists held the belief that anything bolstering their strength must be edible and directly augment their power.

Apart from the exceedingly rare alchemists, they seldom considered the transformation of non-edible substances into potent, consumable enhancements.

Pills, while considered mystical within the ancient martial world, were not widely utilized.

During his time immersed in the ancient martial world, Zhang Xian had only observed Elder Qi actively seeking alchemical resources.

Zhang Xian turned to Zi Yu with a smile. "Elder Sister, do you believe there are many resources beneficial to ancient martial arts?"

"Not a great deal..."

Zi Yu responded, "And even if we stumble upon any, they offer little aid to cultivation. For instance, the peculiar fruit my master bestowed upon me was renowned as a once-in-a-millennium treasure."

"Hehe..."

Zhang Xian chuckled softly. "In truth, the quantity of resources is quite substantial, but you simply lack the knowledge of how to utilize them. With the very items present here, I could cultivate numerous Innate experts."

"Are you jesting?" Zi Yu expressed disbelief. "Do you genuinely believe reaching the Innate Realm is that effortless?"

Zhang Xian gestured pointedly. "Isn't it evident? Are Elder Sister Shaoyun and the others not Innate experts? Moreover, they haven't even been cultivating for a full year."

"Really... Really?"

Zi Yu questioned, her voice laced with disbelief. "Less than a year, how could one possibly achieve the Innate Realm?"

"Pills."

Zhang Xian elaborated, "The Body Refining Realm merely marks the initial stage of cultivation—it is but the foundation. If one cannot overcome this initial hurdle, what point is there in contemplating the future?"

"This..." Zi Yu felt her entire understanding of cultivation had been profoundly overturned.

Prior to this, she had inquired of her master the reasons behind their assistance to Zhang Xian. Her master had merely offered an approving smile, devoid of any detailed explanation. Few individuals had managed to garner her master's approval; even her own ascent to the Legendary Realm at the age of thirty had not elicited such enthusiasm. Since that moment, she had developed a certain degree of interest in Zhang Xian. Upon discovering Zhang Xian's formidable strength, she experienced a slight astonishment, especially considering her own power had been augmented through external aid.

Zi Yu’s mind was in a whirl today. Zhang Xian indeed kept a massive secret from her.

This world was home to cultivators, remnants of a distant, ancient civilization that once flourished.

"Let's begin gathering the herbs," Zhang Xian declared.

He started to collect the medicinal herbs.

After a short trek, his eyes caught sight of a tiny, white flower, and he hurried towards it. "Eh? Could this be a Flower Fairy?" he exclaimed.

"Wow! What a beautiful little flower," Dong Qian exclaimed, rushing over as soon as she spotted the so-called 'Flower Fairy'.

Mo Shaoyun and the other girls were equally astonished upon seeing the 'Flower Fairy'.

It wasn't that the 'Flower Fairy' possessed an overwhelmingly alluring beauty that captivated everyone's aesthetic sense, but rather, its appearance resembled that of a celestial being descending from the heavens, making it exceptionally remarkable.

The 'Flower Fairy' is a type of exquisite flower that possesses a humanoid form, hence its peculiar name.

"It seems my fortune isn't too shabby."

Zhang Xian crouched down, carefully plucking the 'Flower Fairy'.

With this particular medicinal plant secured, he had obtained the primary ingredient he required. The accompanying auxiliary medicinal materials were easily managed, as he already had them in his possession.

However, there was a significant drawback to the elixir concocted using the Flower Fairy and beast blood as its core components. With his current cultivation level, consuming this elixir would guarantee a hundred percent chance of breaking through to the Spiritual Origin Realm. Yet, an elixir derived from the Flower Fairy comes with an unpredictable incubation period; it's impossible to know when it might suddenly take effect, a fatal flaw inherent to the Flower Fairy.

"Is this thing of any use to you?" Zi Yu inquired, her curiosity piqued.

Zhang Xian grinned, "Certainly. With this, I should be able to breach the Spiritual Origin Realm. However, the timing of its effect remains uncertain."

The women exchanged puzzled glances, asking, "What do you mean?"

"The elixir refined from this type of medicinal ingredient comes with a latent period, which differs from person to person. Some individuals might experience the effects within a day or two of consumption. For others, it could take a month or two without any apparent reaction. The majority typically see the elixir's power activated around the three-month mark," Zhang Xian explained with a sigh. "I need to find an alternative; three months is simply too long."

Yao Rao chuckled, "It can't be that bad, surely? Perhaps you'll break through in a day or two after consuming it? Your luck has always been exceptional."

"I wouldn't dare take that gamble," Zhang Xian replied, shaking his head with a smile.

As he finished speaking, he resumed his search, delegating the task of herb gathering back to the women.

Regrettably, he failed to discover any other medicinal substance capable of substituting the 'Flower Fairy', leaving him somewhat disheartened. Time was the most critical resource he lacked at present.

The ancient martial arts world had effectively become a mere formality, and the Spokesperson of God's next objective was undoubtedly Lingxiao Island. The defensive formations protecting his island were insufficient to withstand a concentrated assault from multiple cultivators at the Legendary Realm.

"You didn't find it?" Zi Yu asked, noticing Zhang Xian's crestfallen expression, a frown creasing her brow.

Dong Qian pouted in agreement, "Looking at Brother Zhang Xian's face, he must not have found what he was looking for. If that's the case, perhaps we should explore a different location?"

"There's no need..."

Zhang Xian shook his head. "Let's head back."

"We're leaving already?" the women inquired in unison, their gazes fixed on Zhang Xian.

Clearly, they had harbored significant expectations for this ancient site, and the meager results were proving difficult for them to accept.

This location was, after all, an ancient relic.

"Let's go..."

Zhang Xian nodded and took the lead, walking towards the exit.

...

Time seemed to vanish in the blink of an eye.

Lingxiao Island remained as vibrant and orderly as ever, the routines undisturbed.

Following the fragmentation of the ancient martial arts world, the Spokesperson of God had not yet initiated any hostile actions against Lingxiao Island.

"Whether I can stand my ground or not hinges entirely on you now."

Within a secluded chamber on Lingxiao Island, Zhang Xian gazed at a fragrant elixir displayed before him. After murmuring these words to himself, he opened his mouth and consumed it.

This potent elixir had been crafted using beast blood and the 'Flower Fairy'. If fortune favored him, he could ascend to the Spiritual Origin Realm with remarkable speed; otherwise, the outcome remained uncertain.

"You meddling old rabbit, come out here."

Suddenly, a gruff voice boomed from outside.

"Uh..."

Upon hearing the voice, Zhang Xian paused momentarily before instantly springing to his feet and rushing out. "Hehe, Old Man, you've finally decided to show yourself."

"Did the elixir turn out alright?"

Outside the secret chamber, a man clad in gray robes, with his hands clasped behind his back, inquired with a knowing smile.

This individual was none other than Zhang Xian's master, Old Man Gui.

"What do you mean by that?"

Zhang Xian met Old Man Gui's gaze and chuckled, "How did you know I was refining an elixir?"

"Are you trying to fool me by pretending ignorance?"

Old Man Gui shot Zhang Xian a furious look, declaring, "Do you really think you can deceive me? Every single move you make is completely observed by me."

"Well..."

Zhang Xian rubbed the bridge of his nose and turned to Old Man Gui, inquiring, "What wonderful news has brought you to seek me out so suddenly today?"

"Indeed..."

Old Man Gui gave a slight nod and instructed, "Bring Zi Yu along and accompany me to a certain location."

"What location is that?" Zhang Xian queried, a sense of bewilderment in his voice.

Old Man Gui explained, "I’ve been delving into the mysteries of your ancient lineage during this time. While substantial breakthroughs eluded me, I did uncover a place that might pique your interest."

"Another ancient ruin?" Zhang Xian's eyes widened in astonishment.

Old Man Gui countered with a shake of his head, stating, "Whether it qualifies as an ancient relic, I cannot definitively say; you must witness it firsthand. However, the site is shielded by intricate formations."

"There are formations involved?"

A spark ignited in Zhang Xian's eyes, and a grin spread across his face. "Where there are formations, it must surely be a treasure trove from antiquity!"