674: Fragments of "Explanation of the Way of Plants and Trees"

Even with his god-like mastery of the Dao of Pills, he could no longer see through them at a glance as he had before. He needed to:

Examine carefully: Observe the textures and veins, and deduce the growth environment.

Deeply inhale the medicinal fragrance: Distinguish the thousands of subtle scents contained within, peeling back the layers like silk.

Taste and analyze in trace amounts: Take a tiny bit of root or leaf onto the tip of the tongue, wrap and refine it with his own vigorous spiritual power, and savor the impact of its most primal medicinal power and Law fragments.

Pill Fire calcination: Raise a wisp of pure Life-Generating Creation Fire at his fingertips, carefully burn a tiny part of the medicinal herb, and observe the changes in flame, smoke color, residue form, and even perceive the Law fluctuations emitted during the burning!

His movements remained composed, but his focus and occasionally shifting expression revealed the extraordinary nature of these medicinal herbs.

Identifying each one cost him several times more mental effort than before!

The pressure on the Savage Demon Green Dragon side increased sharply!

His Wood Spirit Sacred Body, which he took great pride in, became blurry and strained when facing these medicinal herbs containing otherworldly Laws or ancient dao rhyme!

It was as if separated by a thick layer of fog! His speed slowed down visibly, and fine beads of sweat even seeped from his forehead!

He stared fixedly at Yao Delong's record number, which was still steadily increasing (eighty-nine, ninety...), and for the first time, disbelief and a trace of... panic appeared in his eyes!

When time was about to run out, and the hourglass was about to drain its last grain of sand—

The Jade Slip in front of Yao Delong finally settled at one hundred!

He let out a long breath of stale air and moved his fingertip away from that last strange medicinal herb, which emitted terrifying medicinal power, was shaped like a Nine-Aperture Exquisite Heart, and constantly shifted with seven-colored light.

In order to identify this fragment of the main ingredient for at least a top-tier ninth-grade Medicinal Pill—the "Nine Aperture Spirit-Communicating Grass"—he had exhausted almost all his means, even going so far as to waste a trace of his Origin Pill Fire to calcine a thread of its veins, only managing to complete it at the very last moment!

And the Savage Demon Green Dragon had only just finished the ninety-seventh!

Looking at the remaining three medicinal herbs in front of him, his face was livid, filled with unwillingness and frustration!

Hum! The assessment time ended!

All participants' Jade Slips instantly broke free from their control and flew into the air.

The Pill Venerable Phantom of Xuanyang flickered slightly, instantly dividing into thousands of slightly smaller figures, like strict examiners, landing precisely in front of every examinee, picking up the corresponding Jade Slip, and beginning to review!

Reviewing began!

The entire Medicine Valley was dead silent, with only the faint sound of flowing light emitted by the Pill Venerable Phantom as he flipped through the Jade Slips.

Soon, the results appeared! Large swaths of white light flashed! Those Cultivators and Yao Race whose identification was less than eighty percent, along with the medicinal herbs in front of them, were instantly teleported out of the valley and returned to the white jade square outside.

The original seven or eight thousand examinees were instantly reduced to just over one thousand!

For those who passed: The Pill Venerable Phantom would be much gentler, like a patient teacher, pointing out a few errors or omissions in the Jade Slip records, and explaining their correct medicinal properties and deeper applications in the Dao of Pills in simple terms.

Those who were guided all felt enlightened, their faces filled with ecstasy, and their understanding of the Dao of Pills instantly improved by a level!

Afterwards, they were also teleported away to the next assessment point.

Liu Ruyan, Elder Chen, and others all successfully advanced. Before Liu Ruyan was teleported away, she specifically looked at Yao Delong, who was still waiting, her eyes full of encouragement and pride, conveying with both her mouth movements and spiritual sense: "Junior Brother Delong, keep it up! You are the best!"

Han Yun, because the Dao of Pills was not her main discipline, stopped at eighty percent. Although she was eliminated, she was not discouraged and was currently standing in the Myriad Sword Valley team, looking at the void image with burning eyes.

Inside the Medicine Valley, there were fewer and fewer examinees. In the end, only two people remained! Yao Delong, and the Savage Demon Green Dragon!

On the square outside, everyone who saw this scene through the huge void image held their breath!

The Sky-Rending Demon King's huge body leaned forward slightly, his blood-red eyes staring fixedly at the Azure Dragon's image, and his fan-sized claws unconsciously crushed a piece of the incredibly hard jade throne armrest beside him, turning it into powder!

He roared in his heart: "Azure Dragon! Hold on! You must not lose to that Human Race brat! My nine aperture spirit nurturing pill!!"

Myriad Sword Valley's Li Canglan, Nine Nether Sect's Tu Wanxiong, and all the other experts from top forces focused their gazes on Yao Delong.

They all knew that those who could remain until the end had identified a number and difficulty of medicinal herbs far exceeding others! This was not just an assessment, but the ultimate showdown between two Geniuses of the Dao of Pills!

In the arena. The Pill Venerable Phantom in front of the Savage Demon Green Dragon spoke first, his voice carrying a hint of approval: "Wood Spirit Sacred Body, uniquely gifted in sensing the nature of herbs and trees, identified ninety-seven, with an accuracy of ninety-one percent, passable. However, you rely too much on your talent and lack a Foundation for otherworldly Law medicinal herbs; your errors are here, here, and here..."

He quickly pointed out several key errors, which benefited the Azure Dragon immensely, but at the same time declared his final result—ninety-one percent, excellent, but not perfect.

The Azure Dragon's expression shifted, and finally, he bowed deeply to the phantom: "Thank you, Senior Pill Venerable, for your guidance!"

He looked at the still-calm Yao Delong beside him with a complex gaze, the last shred of pride in his heart completely crushed, and he was teleported away, filled with unwillingness and a faint, hidden awe.

At this moment, in the entire Medicine Valley, only Yao Delong remained!

Everyone's gaze was focused on the Pill Venerable Phantom in front of Yao Delong.

The phantom picked up Yao Delong's Jade Slip and read it extremely carefully; time seemed to have solidified.

On his face, composed of light, a hint of extremely rare emotion seemed to appear.

Finally, the phantom raised his head, and a grand voice, carrying undisguisable amazement, resounded throughout the entire Secret Realm space: "One hundred! Including twelve types of ancient relics, eight types of otherworldly treasures, and three types of immortal-grade fragments!"

"All medicinal properties, fully under control!"

"Identification accuracy..." The phantom paused for a moment, as if confirming this incredible result, then spat out two words that made everyone's Soul tremble: "Perfect!"

Boom! Silence! After the dead silence, there was an uproar like a landslide and tsunami!

"Perfect?! Not a single one wrong?!"

"Good heavens! Those last twenty, I've never even heard of them!"

"He... how on earth did he do it?!"

The Sky-Rending Demon King was struck by lightning, his huge body swayed violently, his blood-red eyes filled with unbelievable rage and a trace of... fear!

The Azure Dragon had lost! Lost completely!

And Yao Delong just calmly cupped his hands towards the Pill Venerable Phantom: "Thank you for your recognition, Senior."

The Pill Venerable Phantom looked at him deeply, that gaze seeming to pierce through time: "The younger generation is to be feared. Your talent in the Dao of Pills is rare in ten thousand years. The reward for this stage..."

The phantom waved his hand, and a stream of light containing rich Origin essence of herbs and trees and profound information merged into the center of Yao Delong's forehead.

"This is the 'Ten Thousand Medicine Origin Qi' and the 'Herbal Path Comprehension' fragment, to help you solidify your Foundation and comprehend the Origin of herbs and trees."

"Go, next stage, I look forward to your performance."

Light enveloped him, and Yao Delong's figure disappeared from the Medicine Valley.