67: Chapter 67 Dew-Condensed Immortal Mushroom

"We didn't even touch that thing! It's clear they saw us alone and realized we had a good harvest, so they wanted to kill us and seize our treasures!"

"We relied on Talismans and Puppets to fight while retreating. Uncle Mingyuan took a hit from a sinister Magical Artifact to protect us, which is how his arm got injured," Ye Changfeng added.

"In the end, we threw out a 'Thousand-Mile Escape Talisman' to barely manage to shake them off, and we almost didn't make it before the exit closed."

After listening, Ye Changge's expression remained calm as water, though a cold glint flashed in the depths of his eyes.

He naturally knew of the Chen Family of Liuyun Valley.

This was a False Core Family with deep roots within the Lingxiao Sect's territory, with a False Core Immortal Master presiding over the clan.

They also had many Foundation Establishment Cultivators, and their influence was far beyond what the current Ye Family could compare to.

The fact that they chose to make a move in the Secret Realm clearly showed they had noticed the Ye Family's recent rise.

Having annexed the Li Family, we were riding high, so they intended to suppress us and also test our strength.

"I have noted this matter."

Ye Changge spoke slowly, while mentally keeping a tally of this debt.

"The Chen Family... I will deal with them later. It is good that you all came out safely; the harvest is secondary."

Upon hearing this, the three felt warmth in their hearts, and they were even more convinced by the composure and sense of responsibility of their young Old Ancestor.

Ye Changge recalled something else and asked:

"By the way, did you see Miss Xiaotang while you were in the Secret Realm? What happened to her later?"

The three—Ye Mingyuan and the others—exchanged glances. Ye Changfeng took out a small jade box carefully wrapped in a clean silk handkerchief from his robes and handed it to Ye Changge:

"Old Ancestor, we did indeed meet Miss Su just before we were chased by the Chen Family. She seemed to... have had some other encounters, and her condition was much better than ours.

Before we parted ways, she insisted on giving this to us, saying it was to thank you, Old Ancestor, for the gift of Talismans and Puppets previously. She had no other way to repay you and thought this might be useful to you. We couldn't refuse, so we had to accept it."

Ye Changge took the jade box, feeling a slight chill upon contact.

He opened it gently, and a burst of crisp, refreshing Spiritual Qi mixed with a faint, exotic fragrance immediately permeated the air.

Inside the jade box, lined with soft Spiritual Plants, lay a Spiritual Plant about three inches long. It was pure white like jade, shaped like a ganoderma, with a few drops of liquid, as transparent as morning dew, condensed on the edge of its cap.

"This is... a nourishing dew immortal ganoderma?"

A look of surprise flashed in Ye Changge's eyes.

The nourishing dew immortal ganoderma is a rare Spirit Medicine native to the cloud mist mystic realm and is one of the three essential main ingredients for refining the foundation establishment pill.

Because its growth conditions are harsh, it only exists in the most Spiritual Qi-rich and dangerous secret locations at the center of the Secret Realm, and it is extremely difficult to preserve after being picked, making it priceless.

When it occasionally circulates in the outside world, it is always at an astronomical price and is often unavailable even if one has the money.

The reason a single foundation establishment pill is exceptionally expensive is largely because the main ingredients are hard to find.

"Miss Su is only at the Mid Qi Refining Stage, yet she was actually able to penetrate into the center of the Secret Realm and successfully harvest this item..."

Ye Changge felt a sense of wonder and grew a bit more curious about the young girl named Su Xiaotang.

This girl either possesses special means or treasures, or she has astonishing Luck, or perhaps she has some unknown secrets.

Her insistence on entering the Secret Realm back then was likely not just for ordinary training or resources.

However, she is gone now, so there is no use in overthinking it.

Ye Changge put away the jade box and said to the three:

"This item is indeed precious; Miss Su is very thoughtful. Your injuries need to be treated as soon as possible, so let's return to the Family first."

He swept his Divine Sense toward the exit, but the crowd had already thinned out, and he did not find Su Xiaotang's figure; it seemed likely she had already come out.

"Let's go." Ye Changge did not delay, using his Spiritual Qi to lift the three of them up, and leaped onto Xiao Jin's back once again.

The giant golden eagle let out a long cry and took flight, carrying the four of them as they rapidly returned toward Longmai Mountain.

Meanwhile, about a hundred miles from the Secret Realm entrance, on the backside of a remote and desolate hill.

A subtle ripple of spatial distortion, like water ripples, appeared, and immediately after, a slightly petite figure stumbled out—it was Su Xiaotang.

Her appearance now was different from three months ago; although her clothes were still simple, her eyes held a bit more determination forged by hardship, and her aura had also become much more solid, faintly touching the Bottleneck of the sixth level of Qi Refining. However, her face was slightly pale, clearly showing that the previous teleportation had consumed a lot of her energy.

She looked around vigilantly, and only after confirming the surroundings were safe did she heave a sigh of relief, taking out a brocade pouch she kept close to her body.

She opened it cautiously. Inside was not Spirit Stones or Medicinal Pills, but a strange Gu insect the size of a fingernail, with a dreamy pink-purple body and transparent thin wings on its back, which was currently emitting a soft halo of light.

"The 'Phantom Tracking Gu' left by my grandmother is truly miraculous; it can actually perform short-distance random teleportation to avoid the inspection at the exit..."

Su Xiaotang whispered to herself, her expression complex.

She gently stroked the Gu insect, her mother's dying instructions echoing in her mind:

"Xiao Tang... Mother's mother, your grandmother, was not a Cultivator from the Zhao State... She was a Core Formation Stage envoy from the 'Five Poisons Valley' of the Yu Kingdom... She ended up here due to certain reasons years ago and met Mother's father... Later, your grandmother returned to her Sect, leaving behind a token and part of her Legacy... Mother's Spiritual Root was low, and I had no fate with the immortal path,"

"but you are different... You possess the special Hidden Spiritual Root of your grandmother's lineage, which needs to be manifested in conjunction with the secret techniques of the Five Poisons Valley... Go to the Yu Kingdom, go to the Five Poisons Valley, and find your grandmother... That is your true home and the place where you will rise..."

So, the blood of a Demonic Path Sect from the Yu Kingdom flowed in her veins.

No wonder her mother insisted that she risk entering the cloud mist mystic realm; besides looking for an opportunity to activate her Hidden Spiritual Root, she probably also wanted her to adapt to the cruelty of the Cultivation World in advance and obtain some resources for traveling to the Yu Kingdom.

"Mother, don't worry."

Su Xiaotang gripped the brocade pouch tightly, her pink lips pressed together as she looked toward the northwest.

That was the general direction of the Yu Kingdom, and her gaze was incredibly firm.

"Your child will definitely become stronger! I will definitely reach the Five Poisons Valley and find Grandmother! One day, I will possess enough power to uncover the truth of what happened back then and repay all the kindness!"

She identified the direction and took one last look at this land of the Zhao State, then moved, casting a not-very-advanced but sufficiently stealthy light-body technique, heading toward the depths of the mountains, moving quietly toward the direction of the border between the two countries.

Her figure moved further and further away, eventually disappearing into the vast mountain forest.

Ye Changge, accompanied by his three clan uncles, steered the Golden Feather Thunder Eagle, turning into a golden stream of light that soared over the towering mountains, speeding toward Longmai Mountain.

The wind howled, and the scenery below flew backward rapidly.

Although Ye Mingyuan and the others were not lightly injured, their spirits were greatly lifted because they had escaped danger and seen their Old Ancestor.

Ye Changge used pure Spiritual Qi to protect their hearts and fed them Medicinal Pills to stabilize their injuries, and only then did the three's complexions improve slightly.

Ye Changge stood on Xiao Jin and began to calculate.

Now that he had the main ingredient for refining the foundation establishment pill, he could actually refine a few of them.