Chapter 177 - 174 Nine Curves Yin Spirit Grass

Chapter 177: Chapter 174 Nine Curves Yin Spirit GrassAfter they left the stone chamber, the two of them continued to walk along the corridor, unaware that a demon head had inadvertently been released by them. As they progressed, the environment around the corridor became darker and darker, and a very damp and rotten smell wafted over, stinging their nostrils. The number of stone chambers around them had diminished, leaving behind only ruins and rubble. It seemed this sealed realm had been undisturbed for a considerable amount of time. Drip, drop! Filthy droplets of water fell from the rock walls, landing on their robes. Ling Qianxue’s originally spotless white dress was getting increasingly dirty. For Ling Qianxue, who always liked to be clean, this was undoubtedly torture. But at that moment, she could only bear with it, occasionally taking out a handkerchief to wipe the filth that had stained her body. "This place is a bit creepy..." While walking, Ye Xuan also slightly furrowed his brows. Suddenly, a violent disturbance came from the corridor ahead, and the next moment, a mass that resembled a black cloud flew out, emitting a chilling "squeak, squeak" sound. Inside the black cloud, there were indeed bats, each one baring its fangs and appearing terrifyingly fierce with its crimson-opened mouth. Seeing the swarm of bats swooping towards them, Ye Xuan’s expression changed, and his hand holding the Spiritual Edge Sword swiftly formed sword flowers, sending out dense Sword Qi into the black cloud, tearing it apart in an instant. Large chunks of blood and flesh fell from the sky, scattering all around. The almost nauseating stench of blood spread through the air. However, under Ye Xuan’s slaughter, more and more bats appeared, filling the entire field of vision. Even Ye Xuan’s sword could not completely annihilate them. Many bats landed on Ye Xuan, gnawing at the True Qi defense on his body surface. Ling Qianxue took shelter behind Ye Xuan, her own sword moving continuously. However, compared to Ye Xuan, she clearly lacked a sense of lethality and was somewhat flustered by the bats. "What are you waiting for? Use the Demon Suppressing Gold Seal!" Ye Xuan was somewhat speechless. She had been so quick to grab the Demon Suppressing Gold Seal just before, but now that trouble had struck, she hid behind him like a scared kitten, completely losing her composure. Hearing Ye Xuan’s words, Ling Qianxue’s beautiful eyes brightened, then with a flip of her wrist, the radiant Demon Suppressing Gold Seal appeared. Powered by True Qi, a golden Light Shield rapidly expanded from it, protecting both of them within. Bang, bang, bang! The Light Shield released by the Demon Suppressing Gold Seal, which was especially effective against dark and unclean beings, caused the bats that struck it to shatter explosively, turning into a mist of blood. Nevertheless, the sheer number of the bats and their relentless, fearless collisions put significant pressure on Ling Qianxue, who was activating the Demon Suppressing Gold Seal. Maintaining the Demon Suppression Light Shield required a considerable amount of True Qi. "Let’s go!" Knowing this could not go on, Ye Xuan held the Spiritual Edge Sword in one hand, its blade quivering as he forced a path through with his Sword Qi. Then he grabbed Ling Qianxue’s smooth jade hand and broke into a sprint towards the depths of the corridor. Taken by surprise when Ye Xuan suddenly grasped her hand, Ling Qianxue was about to pull away. But when she saw the serious expression on Ye Xuan’s face, she didn’t struggle and let Ye Xuan pull her along, rapidly navigating through the dim corridor. It wasn’t easy, but the two finally broke through the obstruction of the bats. After rushing for over ten minutes, the corridor ahead suddenly opened up. "We’re here." Ye Xuan’s eyes lit up; they had reached the final destination of this underground network of corridors. Both of them quickly sped up and burst out of the corridor. What came into view was a majestic and extraordinary sight. "What is this..." Ling Qianxue’s mouth opened slightly in surprise, her pretty face showing an undeniable look of shock. Reflected in her eyes was a vast subterranean space. The most striking feature in the space before them was a towering ancient tree almost a hundred zhang tall. But the tree had lost its vitality, its withered trunk and the numerous roots tangled and embedded into the floor of this underground space. Besides that, there were many other plants growing here; flowers, grass, and lush trees, all giving off an air of antiquity and gloominess. This place could truly be called a miniature underground world! Swoosh! Ye Xuan moved and slid down from the entrance, grabbing a vine, then landing on the ground below. Immediately, a decayed smell rushed into his nose, and within it was a faint whiff of rotting corpses. This place was probably nowhere good. Ye Xuan surveyed his surroundings and felt a slight sinking in his heart, as he had a faint feeling that this land was imbued with ominous fluctuations. "What’s wrong? Is there something off about this place?" Ling Qianxue also landed beside Ye Xuan, and seeing his somber expression, she couldn’t help but ask. All along their journey, she had also sensed some peculiar atmospheres. This place likewise made her feel rather uneasy. "It’s nothing, perhaps I’m just being overly cautious." Ye Xuan couldn’t quite put his finger on what exactly was wrong. He had a kind of premonition, similar to intuition, but nothing concrete. He could only be more cautious and on guard to avoid being caught off guard. Both of them continued with guarded hearts, slowly making their way towards the side of the space. After progressing for about five or six minutes, they began to notice something amiss. The plants in this area were growing so lushly, yet there was not a single sign of life. They hadn’t seen any Demon Beasts along the way, though there were insect-like creatures, moving in swarms, marching over the ground like ants. Although on alert, as nothing peculiar had occurred, Ye Xuan didn’t dwell on it. After scanning the surroundings, his gaze settled on a small black plant in the distance. "Hmm, is this Yin Spirit Grass?" Ye Xuan’s eyes lit up. Yin Spirit Grass typically grew where the yin energy of heaven and earth converged, absorbing the yin qi from beneath the ground. It was a kind of Spiritual Medicine that provided considerable benefits to one’s Cultivation. This stalk of Yin Spirit Grass did not seem very old, and its Grade was probably high Earth-grade, still some time away from becoming Heavenly Grade. With a gesture from his palm, the Yin Spirit Grass emerged from the soil and flew into Ye Xuan’s hand. Seeing Ye Xuan retrieve the Yin Spirit Grass, Ling Qianxue didn’t say anything. After all, she had already obtained the Demon Suppressing Gold Seal, and having reaped the main benefits, it was only fair for Ye Xuan to enjoy some bounty as well. "Is that... Nine Curves Yin Spirit Grass!" Just as Ye Xuan had collected the Yin Spirit Grass, his pupils suddenly narrowed, his gaze firmly fixated on the central plant with nine leaves, its form winding, and exuding a cold yin aura. This plant looked somewhat like a centipede, with black stems covered in crystals formed entirely from condensed yin energy. The branches and leaves twisted with the meaning of nine curves, earning it the name Nine Curves Yin Spirit Grass. This Nine Curves Yin Spirit Grass was much more precious than regular Yin Spirit Grass. Its Grade had already reached Heavenly, and it was extremely rare in the outside world. Moreover, it was a key ingredient for refining Nine Curves Yin Pills. Successfully creating one would give Ye Xuan an additional certainty in his breakthrough to the Martial Sect Master Realm. To think that this haunted place held such a high-level treasure was an unexpected discovery. "Is that thing valuable?" Not very knowledgeable about herbal medicine, Ling Qianxue saw Ye Xuan’s excitement and guessed that the Nine Curves Yin Spirit Grass must be extraordinarily valuable. His expression was even more excited than when he encountered the Demon Suppressing Gold Seal. However, it was not that the Demon Suppressing Gold Seal was less valuable than the Nine Curves Yin Spirit Grass, but that the latter was more attractive to Ye Xuan. After all, this divine treasure could help him break through to Martial Sect Master more quickly, providing a better guarantee for condensing an Upper Grade Golden Core. "Of course it’s precious. Don’t you compete with me for it this time." Ye Xuan hurried over to the Nine Curves Yin Spirit Grass and carefully dug around the soil. Finally, he gently placed the plant, along with the soil, into a brocade box. Sssh sssh sssh... Just as Ye Xuan had finished collecting the Nine Curves Reversing Spirit Grass, a rustling of footsteps suddenly came from opposite them. Soon enough, more than a dozen figures gradually entered their line of sight—it was Liu Sha and a group from the Earth Evil Sect. Catching sight of Ye Xuan putting the brocade box into his ring, a hint of excitement still lingering on his face, Liu Sha and the others could guess that Ye Xuan had indeed acquired some kind of treasure. Their eyes revealed a flash of envy. Seeing that these people were not leaving immediately, Ye Xuan and Ling Qianxue both placed their hands on their sword hilts. Although the Earth Evil Sect had more people, neither he nor Ling Qianxue were pushovers. If a fight broke out, they would have no major problem in making a full retreat. Among the members of the Earth Evil Sect, there were only three Martial Sect Masters, and the rest were Half-step Martial Sects and Seventh Grade Martial Masters. Even if they formed an attack formation, their combat power would not be too strong. "There’s no need to be nervous, just passing through. We’ll be on our way." Seeing Ye Xuan and Ling Qianxue’s move, Liu Sha hurriedly laughed and clasped his fists. He was mainly wary of Ling Qianxue, the top genius Disciple of Heavenly Martial Hall and a Second Grade Martial Sect. If it really came to blows, they would likely fare poorly against her. As for Ye Xuan, neither Lu Yan nor Fang Ziyue knew that he had defeated Fang Ziyue, let alone Liu Sha. In Liu Sha’s eyes, Ye Xuan was merely a mundane person. Fortunately, he didn’t make a move. If he did, this ’mundane person’ Ye Xuan might have given him quite a shock. "Liu Sha is quite perceptive." Watching the retreating Earth Evil Sect figures, Ling Qianxue slowly lowered her guard. If they didn’t start a fight, there was no need for them to act either. Clashing with the Earth Evil Sect here wouldn’t be beneficial. "With the Earth Evil Sect here, other Sects will probably arrive one after another. We have to speed up and find out the whereabouts of the Heavenly Origin Ancient Seed before the other Sects." Ye Xuan’s expression grew solemn. Both the Wildfire Sect and the Xingyun Pavilion were not to be trifled with, especially Ouyang Lie of the Third Grade Martial Sect, who currently seemed unmatched. And that was just the open forces; who knew what the covert Black Demon Sect was up to? That was the most dangerous faction and the one they needed to be most on guard against.