Yellow Court Daoist

Lu Qingfeng transformed into a sword light and appeared eight miles away in the blink of an eye, then suddenly stopped and frowned slightly, "Speed is suppressed, True Qi consumption increased tenfold, seems like I can only honestly walk!"

Lu Qingfeng, after all, was merely at the Eighth Layer of the True Qi Realm. Although his True Qi was tens of times thicker than others at the same level, it couldn't withstand such consumption.

Holding the Jade Scroll, he checked the map of the Hundred Herbs Garden.

Lu Qingfeng determined the direction and while heading towards Sky Sun Mountain as shown on the map, he explored the nearest mountain.

Sky Sun Mountain is one of the locations where a Returning Yang Fruit Tree grows, and according to over three hundred years of Luoxia Sect experience, it's the first to mature during this opening of the Hundred Herbs Garden.

In the upper layer of the Hundred Herbs Garden, there are nine Returning Yang Fruit Trees.

Each Returning Yang Fruit Tree blooms, bears fruit, and matures every twelve years, yielding twelve Returning Yang Fruits every thirty-six years.

With the Hundred Herbs Garden opening every twelve years, three of the Returning Yang Fruit Trees' fruits mature.

The total number of matured Returning Yang Fruits is thus thirty-six.

Based on past experiences, the Returning Yang Fruit Tree on Sky Sun Mountain is the first to mature, with the fruits ripening three months after the opening of the Hundred Herbs Garden.

Thus, Lu Qingfeng is not in a hurry.

The Hundred Herbs Garden is full of Spiritual Medicines, and gathering them quickly is the rightful path.

The hill nearest Lu Qingfeng is gently sloped, only about thirty to fifty zhang high. But from the base to the summit, layered prohibitions are tightly packed. From the outside, it appears unremarkable, but stepping into it is sure to bring calamity.

"The shorter the mountain, the fewer the Spiritual Medicines, the weaker the prohibitions."

Lu Qingfeng entered the mountain, and wind gathered while thunder and fire surged, all swooping towards him.

This is the prohibition.

Set by Great Mana, once triggered, it activates.

"Daluo Cave Temple!"

Lu Qingfeng's eyes twinkled with spirit light, illuminating all directions.

In an instant, the wind and clouds disappeared, the thunder and fire ceased, and in the Void, only patterns of twinkling spirit light appeared in Lu Qingfeng's sight. The nature's spiritual energy within, constantly circulating, supported the operation of the prohibition.

"Immortal Dao prohibitions, fundamentally similar."

"With Daluo Cave Temple, I can shatter illusions and gain insights, easily breaking them!"

Lu Qingfeng smiled slightly, stepped forward, and a Sword Qi burst forth from his fingertips, landing on a weak spot of the prohibition.

Bang!

With a loud bang, the prohibition shattered instantly, clearing the path ahead.

Lu Qingfeng marched up the mountain, with each Sword Qi that fell, breaking through the layers of prohibitions, his pace was no different from normal walking.

[Divine Power: Daluo Cave Temple]

[Grade: Ordinary]

[Derivation Technique: Enhanced twenty times, fused five times]

[Description: Gains insight into the essence and traces the origin of all things and events. Passive effects: Insight, Breaking Illusion]

Daluo Cave Temple!

This Divine Power was enhanced from the Heavenly Eye Skill by Lu Qingfeng, enhanced twenty times, consuming 1,048,750 Experience Value, before deriving it from a low-level technique to the level of Divine Power.

Originally, the Heavenly Eye Skill was an investigation technique. Lu Qingfeng then found five other investigation techniques ranging from low to middle-level and fused them with it, eventually achieving [Divine Power: Daluo Cave Temple].

Divine Powers are precious, containing the essence of the Great Dao.

Lu Qingfeng, possessing Daluo Cave Temple, can effortlessly probe the cultivation of cultivators, and the attributes of Breaking Illusion and Gaining Insight bring about earth-shattering changes.

If he can cultivate the 'Daluo Cave Temple' to its utmost, all illusions will be unable to confound Lu Qingfeng, and the essence of all things will manifest before his eyes.

In the game, when he slew the Hun Mountain Demon King, it was this Divine Power that allowed him to discern the true location of the Demon King while escaping.

Divine Skills are mysterious.

Lu Qingfeng has studied at Daluo Cave Temple in the game for hundreds of years, yet he is far from mastering it completely.

However, he is able to insightfully break through the cultivation of Jiedan True Man, ordinary array barriers, and techniques of illusion. Even unknown spiritual medicines and minerals, he can discern their essence and discover their applications.

The barrier on this mountain couldn't trap Lu Qingfeng; it couldn't block the probing essence of Daluo Cave Temple.

Effortlessly shattered.

On the way up the mountain.

Lu Qingfeng saw a spiritual medicine on the mountain—

[Spiritual Medicine: Earth Pear Fruit]

[Grade: First Rank]

[Description: The favorite food of the Dual-Pupil Rat, has the effect of replenishing True Yuan, can be refined into elixirs for restoring True Yuan]

"Earth Pear Fruit."

Lu Qingfeng saw in a medicine garden near the mountaintop, numerous Earth Pear Fruits shaped like small calabashes, the lower part buried in the soil and the upper half exposed, adorned with two green leaves.

This is the Earth Pear Fruit, the favorite food of the Seventh-Order demon beast Dual-Pupil Rat. Direct consumption can recover a small amount of True Yuan, and it can be used to refine True Yuan recovery elixirs.

"A fully matured Earth Pear Fruit can be sold for about ten to twenty spirit stone fragments each. There are thirteen Earth Pear Fruits here in total, worth at least over one spirit stone. If they can be refined into elixirs, their value could increase several folds."

"And the barrier on this mountain, a normal Foundation Establishment cultivator coming here could break it in half a day to a day at most."

"It's indeed lucrative."

Lu Qingfeng, being an Alchemist, is very clear about the value of various spiritual medicines. The Jade Scroll bestowed by the Luoxia Sect also contains information on gathering and valuing various spiritual medicines in the Hundred Herbs Garden.

According to Lu Qingfeng's calculations, a normal Foundation Establishment cultivator would need at least half a day to break through the barrier methodically. In half a day, thirteen Earth Pear Fruits, a bit more than one spirit stone. If able to break through two such mountains in a day, despite the consumption of one spirit stone, at least double the value of spiritual medicines can be gathered.

These spiritual medicines are hard to find in the outside world, unavailable even for purchase with spirit stones.

Entering the Hundred Herbs Garden, even if the total value of the gathered spiritual medicines is not up to the consumed spirit stones, as long as the difference is not too substantial, it still constitutes a huge profit and benefits the sect greatly.

Refining these spiritual medicines into elixirs can enhance the sect's strength and foundation.

"Truly a good deal, no wonder the Juyun Four Sects tightly control the Hundred Herbs Garden. Even amid significant risks, they are unwilling to let Loose Cultivators enter."

Lu Qingfeng thought inwardly.

He had previously inquired Yue Lingxi.

Since the Hundred Herbs Garden is so dangerous, and the Juyun Four Sects can secure the entrance, why not select strong Loose Cultivators to enter the Hundred Herbs Garden?

This could avoid the loss of sect disciples and still secure the spiritual medicines in the garden, only requiring some remuneration to be paid to these Loose Cultivators.

The explanation given by Yue Lingxi was—

Attempts had been made before, but there were many issues.

Such as how much compensation to give, whether Loose Cultivators meticulously gather spiritual medicines, whether they consume them privately in the garden, or due to likely only being able to enter once, Loose Cultivators might destroy not yet matured spiritual medicines during collection…

Due to potential or past issues, the Juyun Four Sects reached an agreement to prohibit Loose Cultivators from entering the Hundred Herbs Garden.

This continues up to today.

Today, having entered personally, Lu Qingfeng could understand—

The Hundred Herbs Garden had spiritual medicines covering the ground.

A small hill alone could yield two to three times the profit.

With so much profit, if shared with those Loose Cultivators, how could they be satisfied with just a small portion? If given more, how could the Juyun Four Sects bear it?

Might as well exclude Loose Cultivators and employ only their own sect members, also serving as a form of cultivation exercise!

"In the Hundred Herbs Garden, aside from the Returning Yang Fruit Tree, the Third-rank Spirit Medicine is the most precious. The Juyun Four Sects, Three Elements Demon Sect, and the Sky Sun Demon Clan vying most fiercely in the garden are for Returning Yang Fruit and Third-rank Spirit Medicines."