Bachelor [EN]: Chapter 1014

In the Spirit Realm, the Corrosion Poison Herb was a precious spirit herb that had gone extinct a million years ago. As its name suggested, it contained extreme poison, and even cultivators above the Composite Body stage [a high level of cultivation] would lose their lives if they consumed it unknowingly.

However, coincidentally, the poison contained in the herb’s branches, roots, and fruits was an essential ingredient for refining a dozen or so top-grade spirit medicines. Some of these spirit medicines were so potent that they could elevate one’s cultivation to the Composite Body stage upon consumption.

Wasn’t it because the Corrosion Poison Herb was indiscriminately harvested in the Spirit Realm that it had gone extinct?

It was difficult for Spirit Realm cultivators to transplant and cultivate this spirit herb in large quantities. No matter what they tried, once the environment changed, it would rot and turn into black water within a few years.

Because they only harvested and couldn’t cultivate it, the Corrosion Poison Herb went extinct after tens of thousands of years, and no one in the Spirit Realm had seen this spirit herb since. Yet, there were 70 or 80 of these Corrosion Poison Herbs planted right before his eyes.

Refining spirit medicines with this would surely increase their potency by 30%. Han Li didn’t hesitate and shook the bracelet on his wrist, summoning a blue aura.

*Whoosh!*

The blue aura spread, and 30 or 40 jade boxes, each emitting various colors of light, floated in the air above the herb field.

“You have work to do, so come out.”

“Yes, Young Master!” A youthful voice immediately responded to Han Li’s command, and a girl of six or seven years old appeared. It was Qu’er, who had taken on a human form with the help of the Earthly Fiend [a powerful being]. Qu’er bowed respectfully and looked up at him with sparkling eyes.

“I saw earlier that you could harvest spirit herbs in an instant. Could you help me put all the spirit herbs here into these jade boxes?”

“Yes! It will only take a moment.”

Qu’er obediently answered Han Li’s command and flew up. The child, who appeared above the herb field with a flash of white light, flicked her ten fingers.

*Swish, swish, swish!*

Emerald threads shot out from Qu’er’s fingertips and seeped into ten spirit herbs. As she pulled her fingers up, the emerald threads tightened, pulling the spirit herbs out by their roots.

Surprisingly, even the fine roots were pulled out without any soil attached. It was as if someone had carefully picked and trimmed the spirit herbs. The emerald threads guided the spirit herbs into the jade boxes, and Qu’er’s hands moved without pause.

The spirit herbs were pulled out in groups of ten and quickly placed into the jade boxes.

Qu’er finished one of the three fields in an instant and moved on to the next.

Meanwhile, Han Li walked to the other side and was examining the spirit herbs there. This time, there were relatively few spirit herbs growing, about a dozen to 50.

Half of them were ones he had never seen in the scriptures of the Human Realm or the Spirit Realm, and the spirit herbs he did recognize were all extraordinary.

There were spirit herbs that had already gone extinct in the Spirit Realm, like the Corrosion Poison Herb, and rare spirit herbs that were difficult to find. Some of them were even spirit herbs that Qing Yuanzi had wanted him to obtain.

Han Li calmed his excitement and carefully bent down to harvest a small amount of spirit herbs, placing them in jade boxes.

By the time he had finished collecting the spirit herbs, Qu’er had already finished her work and was quietly standing beside him, waiting.

Han Li was delighted to see that all three types of spirit herbs that were being cultivated in large quantities were in the jade boxes, and he praised Qu’er. At his praise, Qu’er’s eyes turned into crescent moons, and she smiled bashfully.

He collected all the spirit herbs he could see and turned his gaze to a corner of the herb field. There, there were about a dozen spaces surrounded by wooden fences.

Inside were spirit herbs, spirit trees, spirit flowers, and a spring. It was quite mystical to see a lotus seedpod with silver, radiant lotus seeds floating on the rather wide spring.

He checked the separately cultivated spirit herbs one by one. However, his face hardened slightly.

If the owner of the herb field was cultivating and managing them separately, they must be extremely precious, but he couldn’t recognize any of them, not even the tree with the cyan fruits or the strange flower that emitted 13 colors.

He guessed that they were likely spirit herbs unique to the Immortal Realm that did not originally grow in the Spirit Realm. If so, he would have to take them and study them to find out their uses. Even if he only found the uses for two or three of them, it would be a huge gain.

Han Li summoned a white jade box and a small jade shovel. The jade shovel flew towards the tree with the cyan fruits, attempting to dig into the ground.

*Clang!*

A green light flashed, and the shovel bounced back with a grinding sound. Startled, he boosted his magic power again and moved the shovel. However, the jade shovel, which flew with a gust of wind, was mercilessly bounced back again.

Han Li’s eyes narrowed. He had been so focused on checking the spirit trees that he hadn’t paid close attention to the soil inside the fence. He immediately activated his Brightsight Spirit Eyes [a special vision ability] and looked down at the ground.

Surprisingly, there were numerous golden threads mixed around the spirit trees. They were golden threads formed by the condensation of pure metal-attribute spiritual energy.

It was unclear whether this was done because metal-attribute spiritual energy was needed to cultivate the spirit trees or to protect them.

Han Li pondered for a moment and then summoned a gray aura, sending it towards the roots of the spirit trees. He believed that the Primordial Magnetic Light [a powerful force] suppressed the power of the five elements, so it wouldn’t be hindered by the pure metal-attribute spiritual energy.

However, contrary to his expectations, the golden threads did not allow the gray aura to pass through smoothly but formed a golden net to block it. Even if the Primordial Magnetic Light surged in fiercely, it didn’t seem like it would be able to penetrate the golden net in a short time.

Han Li’s expression changed slightly.

With a cautious look, he wriggled his pitch-black palm, and a small mountain phantom formed on the back of his hand. A gray aura condensed on his palm, turning into a viscous liquid that flew out. He had maximized the power of the Primordial Magnetic Light by borrowing the power of the Primordial Polar Mountain [a powerful artifact].

Finally, the metal-attribute spiritual energy in the soil began to scatter, unable to withstand it.

Han Li sent the jade shovel again, digging a circle around the base of the spirit tree. The jade shovel returned to his sleeve, and a blue light bloomed in the dug-out area, slowly lifting the spirit tree.

Han Li’s expression relaxed, and a smile gradually appeared on his face.

*Whoosh!*

However, the moment the roots of the spirit tree left the soil, green flames suddenly erupted on the surface of the tree trunk and began to burn. In the blink of an eye, the tree trunk and even the fruits turned into blue smoke and disappeared.

Han Li was dumbfounded and speechless. After a long while, he sighed and looked at the empty fence with a gloomy expression before moving towards the place where the strange flower was.

There was no golden restriction under the flower, so the jade shovel easily dug into the ground. However, the moment the flower was pulled out of the soil, it turned into a green liquid and fell to the ground.

Even the experienced Han Li was truly taken aback by this. He stared at the ground where the green liquid had seeped in before walking to the next fence.

Afterward, as soon as the roots of the other three types of spirit herbs left the ground, they either withered, dried up and turned to powder, or were struck by lightning and disappeared in flames.

Han Li, who had watched five types of precious spirit herbs self-destruct before his eyes, stood there in a daze, lost in thought. There was definitely something going on.

It wasn’t that the spirit herbs couldn’t be transplanted, but rather that the owner of the herb field had clearly done something. So, he began to carefully examine the flower with 13 colors.

Since he couldn’t find anything unusual with his consciousness, the only thing he could rely on now was his Brightsight Spirit Eyes. With a sharp flash of navy blue light, he scrutinized everything from the roots to the petals.

However, no matter how meticulously he observed, he couldn’t find anything strange. If he couldn’t find the golden restriction that the owner of the herb field had set up, it would be impossible to break it.

Han Li was too reluctant to just give up, so he pondered and pondered. However, only after a long while did he sigh deeply and mutter,

“If they made it disappear as soon as the roots left the soil, then the restriction is likely spread around the root area. This way, even if I can’t take it whole, I can preserve the fruits and seeds.”

Han Li threw a jade box at the colorful flower and slashed through the air with his snow-white hand. At the same time as a sharp sword thread cut the stem below the flower, five-colored flames appeared.

The flower was sealed in a five-colored ice block the moment it was cut off and fell straight into the jade box.

Han Li took out several talismans, attached them to the jade box, and put it into his sleeve. The process of ejecting the sword thread and putting the flower into the jade box was as fast as lightning.

He glanced at the flower tree for a moment before hurriedly walking towards another fence. He used the same method to collect all the spirit herbs in the remaining fences.

He cut off the fruits or seeds with sword threads, froze them with five-colored flames, and then sealed them using talismans. Thanks to this, the lower parts of the spirit herbs remained intact without self-destructing.

The problem was the last spirit herb. When he tried to cut off the lotus seedpod floating on the spring, a silver light exploded and bounced back the sword thread. There wasn’t even a tiny scratch on the seedpod.

Han Li, who had been observing the seedpod, narrowed his brows and flicked his ten fingers. Blue threads shot out from his ten fingers, cutting the silver lotus stem. However, the same thing happened again.

The silver seedpod emitted a bright light that collided with the blue light. Seeing the silver and blue lights disappear simultaneously, Han Li’s expression darkened.

What on earth was the identity of the seedpod that it possessed such heaven-defying abilities?

The sword threads transformed from the Azure Bamboo Cloudswarm Swords [a powerful weapon] were difficult for even a Composite Body stage cultivator to withstand with their bare bodies. Yet, the seedpod in front of him not only bounced back the sword threads but also emitted light to counterattack.

Han Li’s gaze turned to the spring where the seedpod was floating. Judging by the white spiritual energy rising from it, it was no ordinary spring.

Under the spring, the lotus roots were shimmering in silver, but strangely, the fine roots of the lotus roots were not embedded in the ground below the spring but were floating in the air.

“In that case…”

Han Li didn’t hesitate for long and summoned a large navy blue jade bottle, shooting several formation flags around the spring. The formation flags disappeared into the air around the spring, and soon, a dozen or so pillars of light rose up.

The pillars of light contained various colors of spiritual energy and incantation characters. After confirming this, Han Li immediately flicked his fingers, sending out a magic seal. Navy blue dots appeared around the spring, emitting dense water-attribute spiritual energy, and ripples formed on the calm spring.

Han Li’s eyes gleamed coldly as he pointed at the large navy blue jade bottle.

*Whoosh!*

A navy blue aura flowed out of the jade bottle, and the dozen or so pillars of light simultaneously buzzed, emitting intense restriction waves. The spring was completely covered by the navy blue dots and the navy blue aura in the air.

*Bang!*

With a loud bang, the spring swirled around the silver seedpod. Han Li’s hands, which were shooting out magic seals, became busier, and the incantation sounds grew louder.

The spring vortex wrapped around the seedpod and surged like a water dragon, eventually being sucked into the navy blue jade bottle. Seeing that the seedpod, lotus leaves, and even the lotus roots in the spring had all been sucked in, Han Li retrieved the jade bottle.

When he checked inside the jade bottle with his consciousness, everything from the lotus roots in the spring to the silver seedpod was safely stored.

Han Li cheered. It seemed that the gloominess from ruining the spirit herbs one after another was finally fading. He collected even the miscellaneous spirit herbs in the corner of the herb field during the remaining time.

Even if they were nothing special here, they might have great value in the Spirit Realm. He called Qu’er and looked around the herb field one more time.

Then, he strode out. Just as he was about to leave the door, a rumbling sound echoed from the main hall, and a powerful spiritual energy fluctuation was felt.

‘Tsk, tsk…’

Han Li wore a strange smile.

It was clear that Shi Kun and Liu Shui’er had been thoroughly tormented by the illusions in the plaza and, unable to endure it any longer, had broken the restrictions with brute force. With this level of spiritual power fluctuation, the plaza illusions would have been shattered as well.

It was a power that could not be produced without using secret techniques or treasures that surpassed one’s own cultivation. Han Li glanced at the remaining two side halls and quickly dashed towards the main hall.

*Clang!*

A moment later, when he arrived in front of the main hall, he saw Shi Kun, who was sparkling in purple light, retreating a dozen steps from the main door. The giant twin hammers he had been holding had melted into purple lightning, leaving only the handles. Shi Kun was staring at the purple lightning snakes with a surprised expression.

Before he could use another method, Liu Shui’er stepped forward from behind. She emitted blue light pillars from a silver mirror, temporarily blocking the purple lightning. In that gap, Shi Kun retreated to the side, and the blue light pillars shattered, unable to withstand the purple lightning.