"Follow him, but you must locate thirty-six different types of spirit grasses and twenty-six varieties of flavored medicinal herbs, or else we'll return empty-handed."
Ji Yu stared fiercely at the small figure of Su Qi, never imagining that one day he would be competing with a five-year-old child.
"Ji Gongzi, I truly can't identify these thirty-six types of spirit herbs and twenty-six varieties of flavored medicinal materials. I'm not familiar with the formula for the Heavenly Soul Shou Pill," Helan Min said, feeling embarrassed. She had seen it once, but she couldn't recall the names of the herbs. She knew Ji Yu's father had a good relationship with her own father, and she believed Ji Yu would definitely help her. That's why she decided to accompany him up the mountain.
Ji Yu furrowed his brow and glanced at Helan Min.
He spoke lightly, "You're quite audacious. An alchemist who isn't familiar with the formula of the pill, do you understand the consequences?"
"Of course I do, but if you make one or two mistakes, the herbs can't be consumed," Helan Min argued reasonably, not feeling the humiliation of an alchemist who couldn't remember a pill formula.
"Hurry up, Nasuzi is already gone," Helan Min said anxiously. She furrowed her forehead, revealing fine lines that added several years to her appearance.
"Keep up. The reason the Pill Pavilion chose this location is because this mountain is rich in Xuan Qi, making it very suitable for the growth of spirit grasses and medicinal herbs. It shouldn't be a problem to find these herbs within an hour. Cuihua Mountain opposite is an even better place for these herbs. Su Qi should have gone there," Ji Yu explained.
"Then let's hurry. As long as Su Qi doesn't return, you and I will be the top two, unrivaled," Helan Min said, her face filled with anticipation for a bright future. She trotted behind Ji Yu.
After they left, Su Qi emerged from behind a large tree.
He made a grimace at the departing figures of Ji Yu and Helan Min.
"You ugly, wicked woman. You want to harm me, but you don't have that ability yet. I'll make you cry in the end," Su Qi muttered to himself. A mischievous smile appeared in his big, sparkling eyes. Just as he turned around, he felt two knives pressed against his tiny neck.
Su Qi pouted and looked left and right before meeting the gazes of the two people holding the knives to his neck.
Seeing their smiling faces, Su Qi's pink, jade-like face displayed confusion. Weren't they the alchemists competing against him? Were they here to rob him or...?
"Brothers, are you here to rob me?" Su Qi asked, appearing uncertain.
"Rob... Rob... Robbery!" Mo Wu and Mo Tong exchanged glances, their mouth corners twitching. Robbing a child was no longer something they could bring themselves to do.
"Su Qi, we're not here to rob you of your wealth or harm you. We just want you to lead us to find the spirit grasses and medicinal herbs for the Heavenly Soul Shou Pill," Mo Wu, dressed in white with slightly tanned skin, said. He had an elegant demeanor.
Mo Tong, short in stature but delicate in appearance, added, "That's right, Su Qi. We only ask for your help in finding the herbs."
Su Qi widened his eyes, having long realized the humiliation and shamelessness of their request. The alchemist couldn't even remember the pill formula, so accompanying him as an alchemist was out of the question.
"You've only found a few types of spirit grasses. Hand them over quickly," Mo Wu said, bringing the sword closer to Su Qi's neck. Su Qi felt a slight tingling sensation and caught a whiff of the faint scent of blood.
His narrowed eyes quickly turned cold.
The Soul Eater Bell hidden under his sleeve trembled softly.
"I'll give you the spirit grasses, but make sure to spread the word about how you snatched them from me," Su Qi said with a cold smile.
"Yes."
"Yes." Mo Wu and Mo Tong withdrew the sword from Su Qi's neck, turned around slowly, and headed toward the Pill Pavilion.
Su Qi sneered, "No one can harm me. Su Qi can still come out unscathed." Ignoring the blood trickling down his neck, he flew in the direction of Cuihua Mountain.
In the darkness, a man dressed in dark green witnessed everything. His eyes were filled with surprise, unable to conceal it.
What method did Su Qi use to make the two brothers lose their senses in an instant?
Then he glanced in Su Qi's direction and quickly followed.
"How is it? Did you find any trace of Su Qi?" Helan Min asked Ji Yu in astonishment as he searched for spirit grasses at an incredible speed. She was also searching for any signs of Su Qi. "We haven't seen any trace of him along the way. Did he go against us?" Helan Min nagged in Ji Yu's ear, unable to hold back her other concerns.
Without raising his gaze, Ji Yu carefully plucked the spirit grasses using Xuan Qi.
He spoke coldly, "Haven't you been looking for him? Find all the spirit grasses and medicinal herbs before anyone else arrives. We'll have time to deal with Su Qi slowly."
"I don't even know where that smelly boy is, so how can I deal with him?" Helan Min held the hem of her skirt with both hands, walked in front of Ji Yu, and pouted.
"What do you understand?" Ji Yu disdainfully replied. He believed dealing with Su Qi, a single person in the winding mountains, would be easier than dealing with anyone else.
However, Ji Yu didn't plan to act right away. He wanted to find all the herbs first before he could focus on other matters. He had been suppressed by Mu Yunhan for many years and couldn't miss this opportunity.
Helan Min noticed Ji Yu's cold gaze and sensed his recognition.
"Ji Gongzi, if you agree to help Lan Min find the herbs, I'll be grateful," Helan Min changed the subject, following closely behind Ji Yu. She felt relieved in her heart, and at the same time, Ji Yu's favor towards her grew stronger.
Ji Yu continued walking and said casually, "Helan Min, as an alchemist, the most important thing to avoid is distractions. If you want to cultivate properly, you must find every spirit grass yourself to become a true alchemist. Every ordinary person has to spend their whole life on this, not to mention that you're an alchemist and a Xuan Qi master. The effort you put in must be three times more than others. Have you considered this?"
"Ji Gongzi, I spend all my time on cultivation! I don't do anything else!" Helan Min felt ecstatic. Ji Gongzi was concerned about her.
Ji Yu shook his head disapprovingly, still speaking casually, "If you were truly focused on cultivation, you would have already learned the formula for the Heavenly Soul Shou Pill, which is highly sought after in the world. As an alchemist, it should be the pinnacle of your expertise. But cultivation requires more time and effort than Xuan Qi cultivation alone. Not to mention refining the Great Dan Master, if you can't devote yourself fully, it will hinder both your pill refining and Xuan Qi cultivation. And here comes Su Qi, cultivating both Xuan Qi and alchemy at the age of five. How did he manage that?"
Ji Yu felt a mix of jealousy and envy in his heart. Even with his undivided attention, refining medicine required medicinal materials, and cultivating Xuan Qi demanded time and dedication. How could such a young child be so diligent?
Su Qi, hidden in the shadows, listened to their conversation, feeling a sense of pride. The qualifications of a genius were destined to make others envious, but without resources, it would be impossible. Su Qi had been personally provided for by his master, but he had to rely on his own efforts. He cultivated day and night, alternating between cultivation and alchemy.
Meanwhile, more alchemists arrived at Cuihua Mountain to search for spirit grasses. Su Qi retreated to the side of a large tree. Indeed, Cuihua Mountain had better spirit grasses than other places. In a short time, he had already found twelve different types of spirit grasses. The most challenging ones to find were the Earth Flame Fire Lotus and the Soul Melting Ginseng. With these herbs, he could truly refine the Heavenly Soul Shou Pill.
"If Su Qi, a five-year-old child, can cultivate at such a speed, Lan Min guessed that there must be some treasure with the two Su Qi brothers," Helan Min said, her jealousy and envy evident.
As the topic shifted to Su Qi's cultivation, Helan Min's heart burned with jealousy. Her father favored her as an alchemist and Xuan Qi cultivator, providing her with a steady stream of valuable medicinal resources for cultivation. She knew the level of cultivation her father expected from her, and she wouldn't allow anyone to impede her progress. If Su Qi wasn't eliminated, she would, at best, be in third place. But if Su Qi was eliminated, she would only be behind Ji Gongzi.
"Let's go. We should head to Jade Mountain now, where the last two spirit herbs and medicinal herbs we need are located. Others can continue searching as we go," Ji Yu said, quickly getting up and brushing off the dirt from his robe. However, his white robe was still scratched by thorns.
"Where is Jade Mountain?" Helan Min asked, feeling depressed. She had personally come to search for the spirit grasses, but it seemed like they had to cross many mountains.
"You'll find out when we get there," Ji Yu replied with an evil smile, hoping that this delicate lady wouldn't be frightened.
Ji Yu's smile had a reason behind it. Jade Mountain was home to extremely dangerous Earth Beast Stage and Saint Beast Stage demon beasts. Elder Liu had designed this challenge, not merely to embarrass the participants, but to eliminate many of them.
Jade Mountain? Su Qi's cunning eyes blinked, a wide smile appearing on his face. Ji Yu seemed quite familiar with the mountains here. No, he had to reach Jade Mountain before them. With that, the small figure quickly disappeared from the spot.
Ji Yu glanced in the direction where Su Qi had vanished and smiled proudly.
"Ji Gongzi, why are you smiling?" Helan Min asked, looking at his attractive smile. Her face flushed, even though Ji Yu wasn't as handsome as Mu Yunxuan and Mu Yunhan, in her opinion, he was still an exceptional person. Her heart couldn't help but flutter.
"Su Qi was just behind that big tree," Ji Yu said, his expression turning extremely sinister.
"Oh!" Helan Min exclaimed.
"Ji Gongzi, did he overhear our conversation? Will he reach the spirit herbs and medicinal herbs before us?"
"Hmph! If he wants to get the Earth Flame Fire Lotus and Soul Melting Ginseng, he'll need more than just ability! Let's take our time."
Although over a hundred people had entered the mountain, once they dispersed, they became scarce in the vast forest.
The birds in Jade Mountain were singing, but those who hadn't been there didn't know about the hidden dangers lurking within.
Su Qi had just entered Jade Mountain when the ground shook, and a Holy Beast Stage Nickel Pig Long-Eared Demon Beast approached him.
"Oh... Oh... Su Qi retreated hastily, "You'll scare me to death." He jumped back and landed on a large tree, patting his little heart. He pointed at the Nickel Pig Long-Eared Monster and roared, "You damned monsters, get ready to die."
The Nickel Pig Long-Eared Monster flapped its enormous ears, slapping away the trees on either side.
"Death? You're quite confident! If you want to eat me, you're mistaken!"
Su Qi sat on the branch with his legs crossed, looking proud as he faced the restless Nickel Pig Long-Eared Monster.
This was his second encounter with a Warcraft creature, and Su Qi grinned, remembering the thrill of killing the previous one. His heart raced with excitement.
"Damn humans, you were born to die! We Warcraft have been killed too many times by you. You all deserve to die!"
"You Warcraft creatures dare to say that humans deserve to die? Have you ever thought about why your kind has been killed by humans? It's because you always crave the taste of human flesh."
Su Qi took out chicken legs from a small cloth bag and began to eat them with relish. He was hungry and needed to replenish his energy before he could fight the Warcraft creature.
"Mmm! It's delicious. Grandma Mo prepared these chicken legs for me. It's perfect for a cheerful meal." Su Qi mumbled to himself as he nibbled on the chicken legs.
"Gee, brace yourself for the attack from Xiao Ye, who single-handedly killed a Holy Beast Stage Demon Beast before," Su Qi mumbled to himself, still gnawing on the chicken leg. He occasionally glanced at the slowly approaching Nickel Pig Big-Eared Demon Beast, an ugly creature with formidable defense. It was a fifth-order Holy Beast Stage demon beast, and ordinary cultivators below the fifth-order Golden Xuan Period wouldn't stand a chance against it.
The Nickel Pig Big-Eared Monster continued its slow climb towards the tree where Su Qi sat, its eerie footsteps sending shivers down his spine. However, Su Qi remained unfazed, calmly observing its approach.
The Nickel Pig Big-Eared Monster bared its terrifying fangs.
Su Qi swung his short legs, resembling a carefree posture, as he held his head high. A cold gleam flickered in his eyes, and a clear bloodstain appeared on Bai Xi's neck.
"Nickel Pig Warcraft, aren't you most proud of your defense? Even with such an advantage, Xiao Ye can still defeat you! Eat him! Eat him!" The Nickel Pig Big-Eared Monster shouted internally, infuriated by Su Qi's taunting. Its greatest desire at that moment was to devour the fragile human before it.
Despite its slow pace, the Nickel Pig Big-Eared Monster finally reached the tree where Su Qi perched.
Su Qi's lips curled up slightly. In an instant, his small hand enlarged, transforming into a smelting bow and arrow. Four arrows appeared in his hand and were released simultaneously, carrying the power of thousands of gold as they mercilessly struck the back of the Nickel Pig Big-Eared Monster. The monster let out a mournful howl, its tough back shell pierced by the arrows, resulting in splattering blood.
Before the Nickel Pig Big-Eared Demon Beast could react, it was already defeated. After rolling its eyes twice, its massive body crashed to the ground.
Su Qi leaped down from the tree and swiftly extracted the demon beast's spar, absorbing its power into his dantian.
Observing the fallen Nickel Pig Big-Eared Monster, Su Qi realized that its life was as resilient as a palm tree. It could only be defeated through numerous strikes. Without giving it much thought, Su Qi disappeared from the spot in an instant.
The man in the dark green clothes who had been following behind was shocked, freezing in place. Was this really a five-year-old child? In an instant, Su Qi's figure left a deep impression on the man.
Not far away, Ji Yu and Helan Min widened their eyes, staring at Su Qi in disbelief.
Ji Yu's initial plan was to deliberately let Su Qi overhear their conversation, hoping that when they reached Jade Mountain, he would be devoured by countless evil monsters, thus putting an end to everything. Now it seemed that Ji Yu's plan was too naive.
Helan Min was dumbfounded. The Nickel Pig Big-Eared Monster she had witnessed from a distance was effortlessly slain by Su Qi. It appeared that she had underestimated Su Qi's capabilities. Su Qi seemed even more formidable than Ji Yu beside her! No, that couldn't be. How could she compare Ji Gongzi with a mere child?
"Ji Gongzi, does Su Qi seem difficult to deal with?" Helan Min asked, her voice tinged with worry.
"Aren't you showing your pants while farting? What's the use of Ben Gongzi worrying?!" Ji Yu replied with a gloomy face.
"Ji Gongzi...!" Helan Min stamped her foot unhappily. A grown man like him should be mindful of his words and not forget his identity when speaking in front of women.
"Let's go. We need to find Su Qi. He's a God-level third-grade alchemist, and locating the Earth Flame Fire Lotus and Soul Melting Ginseng will be a piece of cake for him."
"Okay!" Helan Min nodded and followed Ji Yu.
In the arena of the Dange, spectators watched as the two brothers, Mo Wu and Mo Tong, returned.
Shang Shu Mozhai, seeing his two sons return before anyone else, couldn't help but smile proudly, his face radiating satisfaction.
"Lord Mo, aren't those your two sons? They returned within half an hour. They must have found the spiritual herbs and medicinal herbs for the Heavenly Soul Shou Pill, right?" He Qing said with a smile. Even those with discerning eyes could see that He Qing was seeking praise, but his hypocritical nature was evident.
"Hehe!" Mozhai chuckled heartily. "Although my boys are not extraordinary, they do possess some talent in alchemy."
"Madam, it seems that someone who went to find the spiritual herbs and medicinal herbs has returned," Mu Yunxuan said, noticing Mo Wu and Mo Tong. However, he couldn't help but notice that the two were still holding swords, with blood stains on the tips.
"They should have found the spirit grass..." Mu Zimo began to say but was interrupted by Mo Tong's voice.
Suddenly, a smile that was uglier than crying appeared on Mozhai's face, and he sat up straight as if frozen.
The crowd was stunned.
They had witnessed someone snatching something from others and then proudly announcing it to the world. Strange things happened, but they had never seen anything quite like this.
Everyone exchanged bewildered looks, shaking their heads. They had encountered peculiar situations before, but nothing quite as bizarre as this.
Simultaneously, everyone came to the realization that with the Haoyue Emperor present, these two brothers, Mo Wu and Mo Tong, were incredibly audacious. It was akin to a grasshopper challenging a rooster—there was no escape!
The Haoyue Emperor's face instantly darkened, glaring angrily at Mo Wu and Mo Tong. How could there be such shameless individuals in the presence of the Haoyue Emperor?
The queen narrowed her eyes slightly, perplexed by Mo Wu and Mo Tong's behavior. They were not the type to act recklessly, so what could have caused them to make such a spectacle?
"Yunfan, didn't you describe these two brothers as bumbling fools?" Murong Xingchen looked at the Mo Wu brothers with disbelief.
"What do you understand? When it comes to honor, people can do anything. They are willing to go to any length for the sake of their reputation. They're just acting foolishly and recklessly," Mu Yunfan said, shaking his legs. He had been waiting so long that his legs had gone numb, but he was finally treated to this incredible show.
Su Zimo, Mu Yunxuan, and Su Li stood up abruptly from their seats.
The three of them teleported to the side of Mo Wu and Mo Tong.
Mu Yunxuan immediately grasped Mo Wu's neck, demanding, "Tell me, what happened to my son?"
"Naturally, we held a knife to his delicate neck and forced him to hand over the spirit grass. Surprisingly, he obediently complied," Mo Wu replied, his neck still being squeezed by Mu Yunxuan. Although it was painful, he failed to grasp the danger of the person choking him.
"Yunxuan, release him first. Look at the bloodstains on his sword. Qi Er should be fine," Su Zimo suggested, understanding that her son was controlling them using the Soul Devouring Bell.
"Holy Lord, spare our lives!" Mo Zhai, finally realizing the gravity of the situation, pleaded for Mu Yunxuan's mercy.
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