89: Chapter 89: The Eerie Courtyard

"Look over there!"

Someone exclaimed.

Everyone followed his gaze and looked!

In the center of the sea of fire, there was a path!

No, it wasn't a path. It was pillars of stone emerging from the sea of fire, neatly arranged and extending all the way to the opposite shore.

The opposite shore was shrouded in mist, making it hard to see what was there, but a glowing door could be faintly seen.

"Walking across those stone pillars will lead to the opposite shore?" someone muttered.

"Nonsense! Why else would those pillars be set up?"

"But this sea of fire... falling down would definitely cost a life!"

Everyone looked at each other in dismay, none daring to be the first to try.

Xiao Yuan carefully observed those stone pillars.

Each one was about a zhang in radius, and faint lights flowed across their surfaces, clearly blessed by a Formation.

However, the distances between the stone pillars varied; some were close, some far, and the furthest apart was a full three to four zhang.

For a Qi Condensation Stage Cultivator, a distance of three to four zhang was not hard to leap across. But the problem was—what if their spiritual power failed midway, or they were interfered with by the flames and fell down...

"Hehe, a bunch of cowards."

A cold sneer rang out.

The Late Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator from Jing Country stepped forward, glanced at the crowd, paused his gaze on Xiao Yuan with a trace of dread flashing in his eyes, but quickly looked away.

"Those who don't dare to go up, get lost to the side. Don't block the way."

He waved at his two companions behind him and leaped forward, landing steadily on the first stone pillar.

Those two hurriedly followed.

The three of them jumped one after another, quickly disappearing into the mist deep within the sea of fire.

The Foundation Establishment Cultivator from the Yinluo Sect narrowed his eyes and also led two subordinates to follow.

The two Qi Condensation Stage Cultivators from Spirit Beast Mountain exchanged a glance, gritted their teeth, and also jumped onto the stone pillars.

By the edge of the sea of fire, only the six people from Jade Maiden Palace, Xiao Yuan, and Su Li remained.

Su Ruotong looked at the sea of fire and slightly frowned. She turned around and instructed her fellow sect members behind her: "Be careful and stay close to me."

Just as she was about to jump, Ye Qingcen suddenly grabbed her and whispered: "Senior Sister, that person..."

She puckered her lips toward Xiao Yuan's direction. Clearly, the aura on Xiao Yuan made her notice something was wrong.

Moreover, even though Su Li had changed her clothes and was no longer wearing the attire of the Jade Maiden Palace, she clearly still recognized Su Li.

Su Ruotong took a glance, failing to recognize the disguised Xiao Yuan, and casually swept a glance at Su Li, evidently not recognizing Su Li. She said indifferently: "They should be Loose Cultivators, never mind them."

Finished speaking, she leaped forward and landed on the first stone pillar.

Ye Qingcen bit her lip, her eyes filled with hesitation, but ultimately, she also followed.

The other four Jade Maiden Palace Disciples closely followed behind.

By the edge of the sea of fire, only Xiao Yuan and Su Li remained.

Xiao Yuan looked at the sea of fire, the corners of his mouth curving slightly.

"Let's go, we'll go too."

Above the sea of fire, the stone pillars were like stairs leading to Hell.

Xiao Yuan pulled Su Li, jumping with ease.

With his current strength, this distance was simply not a problem. Although Su Li's injuries had not yet healed, with him protecting her, she was steady as well.

Those people in front were not so lucky.

The Late Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator from Jing Country took the lead, protected by a top-grade Spiritual Artifact, so the flames couldn't get close to him at all.

His two companions also had High Grade Spiritual Artifacts; although they were a bit disheveled, they could barely keep up.

The Foundation Establishment Cultivator from the Yinluo Sect also had a top-grade Spiritual Artifact, but his two Qi Condensation Stage subordinates had it miserable.

"Ah—!"

With a miserable scream, a Qi Condensation Stage Disciple of the Yinluo Sect slipped and fell directly into the magma. After only a few bubbles surfaced, he disappeared without a trace.

The other Qi Condensation Stage Disciple was so scared his face turned pale, and he jumped forward frantically, only to be coiled by a suddenly surging tongue of flame, disappearing into the sea of fire amidst miserable screams.

The Yinluo Sect's Foundation Establishment Cultivator glanced back and continued forward expressionlessly.

In his eyes, these Qi Condensation Stage Cultivators were originally just cannon fodder.

The two Qi Condensation Stage Cultivators from Spirit Beast Mountain had it even worse.

They only had Medium Grade Spiritual Artifacts, and their protective spiritual light was as thin as a sheet of paper in front of the flames.

Jumping halfway, one of them lacked spiritual power, slowed down a step, and was swallowed by the magma. The other was so scared his legs went soft, jumped crookedly, and also fell down.

Two miserable screams, and both were completely wiped out.

On the side of the Jade Maiden Palace, Su Ruotong was protected by a top-grade Spiritual Artifact, moving with ease.

Ye Qingcen used a High Grade Spiritual Artifact; although it was strenuous, with Su Ruotong pulling her from time to time, she managed to hold on.

The remaining four female Disciples of the Qi Condensation Stage were not so lucky.

"Senior Sister, save me!"

The stone pillar beneath one female Disciple's feet suddenly shattered, and her whole body plummeted downward.

Su Ruotong frowned, waved her hand to fling out a white silk ribbon that wrapped around the female Disciple's waist, pulling her back up.

"Thank you, Senior Sister..."

Before she finished speaking, another tongue of flame lunged over. Another female Disciple failed to dodge in time, half of her body was scorched, and she fell into the magma amidst miserable screams.

Su Ruotong's expression changed slightly, but there was no time to grieve; she could only lead the remaining people to continue forward.

When everyone finally crossed the sea of fire and tallied the headcount—

Jing Country: All three survived.

Yinluo Sect: Only the Foundation Establishment Cultivator remained.

Spirit Beast Mountain: Completely wiped out.

Jade Maiden Palace: Originally six people, now only Su Ruotong, Ye Qingcen, and two Qi Condensation Stage female Disciples remained.

Together with Xiao Yuan and Su Li, a total of nine people.

Everyone panted heavily, looking back at that sea of fire with lingering fear.

But soon, their attention was attracted by the scene in front of them.

Ahead was a courtyard.

Antique architecture with blue bricks, dark tiles, and flying eaves and brackets. The air was filled with a rich fragrance of medicine, refreshing anyone who took a single breath.

Beside the courtyard was a huge medicine garden!

In the medicine garden, the soil was dark brown, radiating astonishing Spiritual Qi. However, most of the medicine plots were empty, with only a small patch right in the center where a dozen or so stalks of Spirit Medicine grew desolately.

Each of those Spirit Medicines radiated a terrifying aura!

Age—at least ten thousand years or more! Some were even over a hundred thousand years old!

"This... This is..."

Someone's voice was trembling.

"Ten-thousand-year Spirit Medicine! All of them are ten-thousand-year Spirit Medicines!"

"We're rich! We're rich!"

"Snatch them!"

Not knowing who shouted, everyone's eyes instantly turned red, and they frantically rushed toward the medicine garden!

The three Foundation Establishment Cultivators from Jing Country rushed to the very front, and the Foundation Establishment Cultivator from the Yinluo Sect was not willing to fall behind either. Su Ruotong gritted her teeth and also led Ye Qingcen and two Junior Sisters to charge up.

Instantly, a chaotic battle broke out in front of the medicine garden!

Swords flashed and lights flickered, Spells roared!

The three from Jing Country joined forces, forcing the Foundation Establishment Cultivator from the Yinluo Sect to retreat step by step.

Su Ruotong protected Ye Qingcen and the other three, wanting to detour from the side, but was forced back by a palm strike from the Late Foundation Establishment Stage Cultivator of Jing Country.

"Get lost! These Spirit Medicines belong to our Jing Country!"

"Bullshit! Finders keepers—everyone present gets a share!"

"Then die!"

Boom!

The chaotic battle became increasingly intense.

Yet Xiao Yuan stood in place, motionless.

Su Li looked at him strangely: "Why aren't you going to snatch them?"

Xiao Yuan shook his head, narrowing his eyes as he stared at those dozen or so stalks of Spirit Medicine.

"Something is wrong."

"Something is wrong?"

"Look," Xiao Yuan pointed at the medicine garden, "the whole medicine garden is so big, the Spirit Medicines in other places are all gone, leaving only these dozen or so stalks. And they are all over ten thousand years old—don't you find it strange?"

Su Li was stunned, and looking closely, indeed it was so.

Everywhere in the medicine garden were traces of being dug up, clearly having been swept clean by someone. Yet precisely these dozen or so stalks right in the center were left completely intact.

"Also," Xiao Yuan continued, "from the ancient times until now, it's at least starting from a hundred thousand years. The Spirit Medicines here are only a lowest of ten thousand years?"

Su Li's pupils slightly constricted.

That's right! In relics of the ancient primordial era, the Spirit Medicines should at least be at the level of a hundred thousand years! Ten thousand years? That's too young!

"And look at the soil..."

Xiao Yuan pointed at the soil in the medicine plot. The dark brown soil looked very fertile, but looking closely, there were some traces of renovation at the edges.

What was most bizarre was that on the soil beside one of the Spirit Medicines, there were a few shallow marks.

Those were—claw prints?