No Need to Steal, It Will Be Given to You!

On a desolate plain, where the vast expanse of land was covered in shades of ochre. Occasionally, small patches of green added a touch of life and vitality. Small magical beasts would sometimes burst out, kicking up a puff of yellow dust before disappearing into the distance.

After a period of quiet, the void space suddenly rippled. Soon after, two figures- one tall and one short- emerged from the void. These two figures were, of course, Gu Fei and Zi Yan.

"So this is the Pill Realm…" Gu Fei hovered mid-air, scanning his surroundings. In the distance, he could barely make out the outlines of some mountain ranges. He noticed that the energy here was much denser than in the outside world, but it was filled with a violent element that was not conducive to human absorption.

Beside Gu Fei, Zi Yan curiously examined the area.

"Zi Yan, it's your turn to shine!" Gu Fei signaled to Zi Yan.

"Alright!" Zi Yan grinned and closed her eyes to begin sensing. Her ability to detect natural treasures far surpassed that of ordinary people. This was the primary reason Gu Fei had brought her along to the Pill Realm for treasure hunting.

"I've sensed six spots. The herbs in those places should be quite good!" After a brief moment, Zi Yan opened her eyes and pointed out several special locations to Gu Fei.

With Gu Fei's current speed, traversing the entire Pill Realm wouldn't take long, so searching these six spots wouldn't be a problem.

An hour later, Gu Fei and Zi Yan arrived at the sixth location she had sensed as a possible treasure spot.

"Strange, there isn't even a green leaf in sight here. Could it be hidden underground?" Zi Yan wondered aloud as she slowly descended closer to the ground.

"Be careful!" Gu Fei immediately sensed something unusual and quickly warned Zi Yan.

At that moment, what seemed like a sand dune suddenly erupted as a massive serpent, over ten meters long, shot out like lightning, its ferocious mouth aiming directly at Zi Yan's head.

"Courting death!" Seeing this, Gu Fei clenched his hand towards the serpent, and its head exploded as if crushed by immense pressure. The massive body then plummeted to the ground.

"Damn ugly legless creature! How dare you try to bite me!" Zi Yan angrily kicked the serpent's headless body. Her strength was so great that with a light kick, she sent the massive body flying.

As Zi Yan voiced her frustration, Gu Fei noticed some movement from the colorful snake hidden in his sleeve.

"It seems that Zi Yan's words unknowingly offended Medusa," Gu Fei thought, stifling a laugh.

As the serpent's body was flung away, a concave pit appeared under the sand dune. Inside the pit was a deep yellow root the size of a child's head.

"It was hidden underground after all! This thing looks like Earth Yellow Essence, and it seems to be quite old…" Zi Yan muttered as she picked up the child-sized root. Though she hadn't formally studied medicinal herbs, she recognized some from all the ones she had consumed.

"Zi Yan, step aside for a moment!" Gu Fei indicated for Zi Yan to move away.

A thousand-year-old Earth Yellow Essence was indeed precious, but it wasn't enough to interest Gu Fei. He was more intrigued by what lay deeper underground.

Earth Yellow Essence forms from the pure and heavy energy of the earth, but this also limits its growth. Once it surpasses a hundred years, it stops increasing in size due to energy saturation. Hence, Earth Yellow Essence over a hundred years old is rare.

According to ancient texts, if Earth Yellow Essence greatly exceeds a hundred years, it must be nourished by something other than earth energy—some other form of spiritual essence! Therefore, beneath this thousand-year-old Earth Yellow Essence, there must be something extraordinary.

"It must be here!" With Zi Yan out of the way, Gu Fei aimed his palm at the pit and a powerful suction force pulled the dirt out, quickly revealing a ten-meter-deep hole. A snow-white jade stone gradually came into view.

"What's this?" Zi Yan's eyes lit up as she hurried over to examine the snow-white jade stone that Gu Fei had just pulled from the ground.

"This is not something you can eat!" Gu Fei admonished Zi Yan.

The item in Gu Fei's hand was Core Mother Jade, a miraculous jade stone formed over countless years by the earth's energy. When used during cultivation or alchemy, sitting on a seat made of this jade could significantly suppress violent energies within the body, reducing the risk of qi deviation.

"It's quite large…" Gu Fei observed the jade stone, which stood about half a meter tall and as wide as an arm span. Such a large piece of Core Mother Jade was nearly impossible to find in the outside world.

Next, Gu Fei's attention was drawn to the viscous liquid seeping from the edges of the jade.

"Brother Gu Fei, what's this liquid? Can it be eaten?" Zi Yan had also noticed the liquid, thinking it must be delicious.

"If you want to eat medicinal herbs, I'll let you have your fill later. See those mountains over there? They're full of herbs, most of which have been hoarded by an eighth-rank magical beast. You won't even have to search for them…" Gu Fei pointed to a distant mountain range.

"Really?"

Zi Yan's eyes sparkled at the thought of so many herbs. Meanwhile, Gu Fei conjured a fire blade and carefully sliced across the surface of the Core Mother Jade. A thin slice of jade peeled away, revealing a walnut-sized cavity. Inside the cavity, faint white mist began to seep out. Gu Fei took a deep breath, and immediately felt a silent sigh of comfort emanate from his soul.

Swoosh! Swoosh! Gu Fei's hand moved swiftly, slicing away at the jade with his fire blade. After removing about half of the jade, a bowl-sized depression appeared, revealing a shallow pool of white liquid no deeper than a finger.

"It's really the Core Soul Marrow!" A smile spread across Gu Fei's face as he gazed at the viscous white liquid. All the effort had finally paid off.

Core Soul Marrow was an extremely rare treasure, capable of strengthening the soul. Even for someone like Gu Fei, with his advanced soul cultivation, it was highly beneficial.

"Brother Gu Fei, when are we going to steal that eighth-rank magical beast's herb stash?" Zi Yan's mind was still fixed on Gu Fei's earlier promise. She didn't dare to go alone against an eighth-rank magical beast.

"Don't worry, this time we won't need to sneak around. When we get there, that beast will willingly offer the herbs to you!" Gu Fei replied with a grin.