Black Dragon continued to clear the way in front of it.
Mou Wenjie and his Dao Couple followed closely behind.
The Black Dragon stopped in front of a valley and said, "Brother, as the president of the One-Dan Research Association, you should be interested in this place. This is the Medicinal Immortal Valley, where all kinds of spiritual herbs can be found!"
Upon hearing this, Mou Wenjie's eyes were filled with excitement. He stepped forward, looking towards the valley inside. What he saw through the clouds and mist was a faint glimmer of spiritual light, indeed depicting the scenery of a gathering place for spiritual herbs.
His Dao Couple members also revealed expressions of anticipation. Xiao Yawen whispered softly, "However, the Medicinal Immortal Valley must also have many guardians or restrictions."
Mou Wenjie nodded slightly, his expression becoming serious. The Black Dragon, however, laughed heartily, "That's natural, but with your expertise in alchemy and my strength, it should be feasible to venture in and gather some spiritual herbs. Just be cautious of the spiritual deer in the valley. They may seem gentle and adorable, but they are extremely fast and can cast a maze enchantment."
Mou Wenjie smiled and said, "There's nothing to worry about. I have my own ways to deal with it." After saying that, he took out several pills and distributed them among the others, "These pills can resist enchantments." Then, everyone cautiously advanced towards the deeper parts of the Medicinal Immortal Valley, discovering rare spiritual herbs every few steps. Mou Wenjie was overjoyed as he began to collect them while keeping a sharp eye out for potential dangers that might appear at any moment.
Suddenly, they were attracted by a group of spiritual rabbits.
Mou Wenjie looked at Huang Ling'er and her friends, "Don't move, let me catch these spiritual rabbits. I'll roast them for you; they're sure to be delicious!"
As Mou Wenjie was about to start, a spiritual rabbit with pure white fur and faint blue light in its ears slowly stepped out. Its eyes were lively, and it spoke in human language, "You bunch of greedy people, who only know to kill and loot, don't even think about moving forward today."
Mou Wenjie was momentarily stunned, but then he smiled and said, "Little rabbit, we are just passing through this place and hunting some food."
The spiritual rabbit coldly hooted, "Everything here is the livelihood of the spiritual deer in the Medicinal Immortal Valley. It's not something for your table." After saying that, a blue glow surrounded it, and in an instant, all the other spiritual rabbits were on high alert.
Mou Wenjie's brow furrowed slightly as he sensed the noticeable spiritual power emanating from the spiritual rabbits. The Black Dragon beside him whispered softly, "Brother, it seems these spiritual rabbits are not easy to deal with. Perhaps we should give up?"
Mou Wenjie shook his head and formed a seal with his hands, causing a flame to appear in his palm. "I'll have to see just how dangerous these little spiritual rabbits really are." As the two sides were at their most tense, a melodious flute sound suddenly came from afar. Upon hearing this sound, the spiritual rabbits immediately abandoned their hostility, and the leader among them said, "Today, you're lucky. Don't expect such an easy pass next time." After saying that, the spiritual rabbits quickly left with their group.
Mou Wenjie looked at the newcomer, quickly bowing in respect, Mou Wenjie had met Han Xiangzi before!
Han Xiangzi looked at Mou Wenjie and smiled, nodding. "Since you recognize me, you must have ascended from Earth. No matter how it is, we're fellow compatriots. This Medicinal Immortal Valley is my territory. In the interest of our kinship, you may gather some medicinal herbs!"
Mou Wenjie was overjoyed, quickly thanking, "Thank you, Senior." Han Xiangzi waved his hand and said, "However, you can't take too much. Each type of medicinal herb is limited to one stem." Mou Wenjie agreed and led his companions to search for medicinal herbs.
They ventured deeper into the Medicinal Immortal Valley and found that the medicinal herbs here were rare in the outside world, each emitting a rich aura. As Mou Wenjie bent down to gather a thousand-year-old lingzhi, the ground suddenly trembled. A huge earth qilin emerged from beneath, roaring, "Who gave you permission to gather medicine here?" Mou Wenjie hurriedly explained that it was Han Xiangzi who had permitted it.
After hearing this, the Earth Qilin's eyes flickered with a hint of fear, "Hmph, if it's as Han Xiangzi said, then I'll let it go. But if you take even one more stem, don't blame me for being harsh." Mou Wenjie and his companions continued to carefully gather the herbs. It didn't take long to gather the required ingredients. Before leaving the Medicinal Immortal Valley, Mou Wenjie bowed again to Han Xiangzi's residence and felt in his heart that although there were dangers everywhere in the Dao World, there were also kind-hearted people. Afterwards, he set off on his journey back home.
The Black Dragon continued to lead the way, and without realizing it, they arrived at a valley. The valley was shrouded in misty vapor, its depth invisible. The dragon murmured to itself: "This might be the mausoleum of a great sage!"
The Black Dragon took a deep breath and slowly flew downward into the valley. As it went deeper, the pressure grew greater, but its eyes were filled with determination. Suddenly, a melodious flute sound echoed, and the dragon became alert, stopping in its tracks.
In the mist, a figure appeared and then vanished. The Black Dragon roared, "Who dares disturb?" The figure gradually became clearer, revealing a white-robed youth. The youth smiled and said, "I am the guardian of this mausoleum. Why have you come?" The Black Dragon explained his intentions to admire the remains of the great sage and seek a destiny.
The white-robed youth furrowed his brow slightly and said, "The legacy of a great sage cannot be coveted. However, considering your sincerity, if you can pass my three tests, I will let you enter." The Black Dragon readily agreed. For the first test, the youth blew out icy wind, and the Black Dragon countered with flames. For the second test, the youth summoned a sword array, and the Black Dragon stood firm with its entire body's scales raised. For the third test, the youth formed a seal and released a powerful spiritual force attack. The Black Dragon struggled to break through with all its might.
The white-robed youth nodded approvingly and said, "You may enter, but you can only stay for half an hour." The Black Dragon was overjoyed and quickly led Mou Wenjie and his Dao Couple into the suspected tomb of the sage, eagerly anticipating the upcoming adventure.
Mou Wenjie and Huang Ling'er, Qin Xiaodie, Jiang Yu Rou, Xiao Yawen, Ding Yan, and Tuobaying set off together towards the valley floor!
As soon as they stepped into the valley, an ancient and mysterious aura enveloped them. Surrounding them, strange character markings were shining like messages from the past, telling the tales of the great sages' glory.
Mou Wenjie vigilantly scanned the surroundings, and the others followed closely behind. Suddenly, the ground trembled, and stone statues emerged from the earth one by one. These statues were lifelike yet exuded an overwhelming aura.
The Black Dragon let out a low howl, "Be careful, these might be protective mechanisms." Just as he finished speaking, the stone statues began to move, brandishing weapons and charging towards the group.
Mou Wenjie was the first to take action, casting several spells to temporarily block the stone statues' attacks. Huang Ling'er and the others also began to cast spells, creating a chaotic scene with intertwining colorful light beams.
Yet, the statues kept coming in waves. Mou Wenjie's mind raced, recalling a method he had seen in the Medicinal Immortal Valley to break an array. Perhaps it could be tried here. He quickly directed his companions to change their positions, forming an unusual formation. As their powers flowed into it, a light shield spread outwards, immobilizing each stone statue in place.
The group let out a sigh of relief and continued to venture deeper into the valley to explore the remains of the great sage, not knowing what kind of opportunities or dangers awaited them.
Xiao Yawen looked at Mou Wenjie and asked, "Husband, will we encounter any dangers here?"
Mou Wenjie gently patted Xiao Yawen's hand and comforted her, "My wife does not need to worry too much. As long as we work together, we can definitely face any danger." Although he said that, he actually had no full confidence in his heart.
At this moment, a shining golden door suddenly appeared in front of them, with countless complex and difficult-to-understand characters carved on its surface. The Black Dragon exclaimed excitedly, "There must be extraordinary treasures inside!" Mou Wenjie approached the door and carefully examined the characters, trying to find a way to open it. Suddenly, a voice echoed among them, "To enter this door, you must solve the riddle of the characters on its surface. Otherwise, triggering the prohibition will lead to certain death."
Upon hearing this, their expressions turned serious. Mou Wenjie took a deep breath and, relying on his extensive knowledge of characters, started to solve the riddle. Time ticked by second by second. Just as the last bit of time was left, Mou Wenjie successfully solved the riddle. The door began to slowly open, releasing a gentle beam of light that enveloped the group, followed by their disappearance from the doorway. All that remained was an empty valley filled with the sound of wind.
The Black Dragon gave Mou Wenjie a thumbs up, "I really didn't expect you to know so much, brother. We've successfully entered. This place is where that great sage dwelled, and there must be many treasures in here!"
As the group entered the door, they found themselves in a place where light flickered, as if they were amidst the stars. At the center of a large stone pedestal floated a gem emitting seven colors of light, surrounded by various ancient magical artifacts.
The Black Dragon rushed forward eagerly, but as soon as he got close to the pedestal, a mechanism was triggered, and a series of laser-like restrictions shot towards him. Seeing this, Mou Wenjie quickly cast a spell and conjured up a protective shield to block the attack.
Mou Wenjie said gravely, "Don't move around carelessly, as there are dangers lurking everywhere here." Everyone looked around cautiously. Mou Wenjie noticed that there were some strange footprints and grooves on the pedestal, which seemed to be crucial parts of a certain array.
After a moment's consideration, following the layout of an ancient array, he had everyone stand in their designated positions. Once everyone took their places, the glow of the multi-colored pearl intensified, and the ancient artifacts around them flew up one by one, circling around the group. These artifacts seemed to be recognizing their owners and stopped in front of each person one by one. The group was overjoyed to have received treasure suited to their needs. Meanwhile, the multi-colored pearl floated slowly above Mou Wenjie's head and merged with his body, filling him with a powerful energy instantly.
Mou Wenjie clenched his fists, feeling the power surge through his body. He knew that the multi-colored pearl brought him not just strength, but also a sense of responsibility.
At this moment, the space around them began to shake violently, as if their actions had touched off deeper restrictions. The Black Dragon shouted urgently, "Quickly! The ground might cave in! We have to get out of here!" Mou Wenjie focused his mind, attempting to find clues to an exit. Suddenly, a series of mysterious characters appeared before him, a kind of intuition that he felt after gaining the new power.
Following the guidance of the characters, Mou Wenjie swiftly made a seal with his hands and fired a beam of spiritual energy in a specific direction. A hidden door began to slowly open, releasing a chilly gust of wind. Without hesitation, the group charged towards the dark door.
Just as they were about to step out, Mou Wenjie felt a pulling force from behind, as the stone pedestal, unwilling to lose the multi-colored pearl, sought to pull him back. Mou Wenjie gritted his teeth and summoned all his strength to resist. With the help of the others' tug, he finally broke free from the pull and successfully escaped. As soon as they left the valley, the entrance behind them thunderously closed, everything returning to calm. Mou Wenjie knew in his heart that his journey of cultivation had just begun.
