37: Wu Tiehun, make your move!

In this desolate, gray forest, few Yao Beasts existed.

The two advanced over ten miles, only encountering two Peak First-tier Gray-line Snakes.

As they approached the central area, Yun Qingluan paused and looked at Su Ling. "A Third-tier Demon Beast!"

She was already at the Late Foundation Establishment Stage, and her Divine Sense range reached five miles.

"Let's go take a look."

Su Ling pondered for a moment and made a decision.

Both of their strengths had improved; even if they encountered an Early Third-tier Yao Beast again, it wouldn't be like before.

Moreover, this place was filled with Death Qi, and that unknown Third-tier Demon Beast was currently fighting someone.

Perhaps they could even pick up some easy gains.

"Alright."

Yun Qingluan nodded and moved forward once more.

After a moment, the battle fluctuations in the distance became increasingly obvious.

With great tacit understanding, the two retracted their Divine Sense probes to avoid alerting the enemy.

They silently crept near the battlefield and hid behind a massive boulder to look ahead.

"Wu Tiehun?!"

"yin gui fungus!"

Both whispered at the same time, though their gazes were fixed on different things.

"The personal disciple of the Artifact Refining Hall Revered Master, Wu Tiehun?"

Su Ling shifted his gaze from a pool of black swamp at the edge of the battlefield to the gray-robed youth fighting countless ink-black vines.

He had only heard rumors of Wu Tiehun and didn't know the Immortal Master personally, so he could only ask via Divine Sense transmission.

"Yes, a top-grade Fire Spiritual Root. He Cultivates the Nether Flame Art, exclusive to the Artifact Refining Hall."

Yun Qingluan replied in a low voice, her transmission somewhat solemn. "This fire can smelt and corrode Magical Artifacts; its power is extraordinary."

"What is his Spiritual Fire?"

Su Ling's expression darkened. As the personal disciple of the Artifact Refining Hall Revered Master, how could Wu Tiehun not have a Spiritual Fire?

"Where would so many Spiritual Fires come from?"

Yun Qingluan rolled her eyes at him and explained, "The Nether Flame Art can Cultivate a special flame, with power even more terrifying than the Soul Devouring Flame."

"Alright, your Junior Brother is ill-informed."

Wu Tiehun, a personal disciple of Artifact Refining, didn't have a Spiritual Fire, yet Yun Qingluan did.

This made Su Ling feel greatly surprised.

So, Spiritual Fire was actually such a precious thing!

"Boom!"

As they spoke, Wu Tiehun once again released over a dozen dark-red fire snakes, incinerating a large area of vines.

Wisps of dark-red threads burned along the vines toward the roots of the Vine Demon plant.

But a flash of black light passed, and all those fire lines were dispersed.

The incinerated vines actually grew back within a few breaths, thrusting toward Wu Tiehun along with other intact vine branches.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

A series of metallic clashing sounds rang out.

The small copper bell hovering beside Wu Tiehun projected a pale yellow phantom image that covered the surroundings, blocking all the vine branch attacks.

Wu Tiehun remained motionless, his hand seals changing as several dark-red fireballs, condensed to the size of a fist, flew out.

Although most of them were blocked by a large net formed by the vines.

Three fireballs still managed to bypass the blockade at extremely tricky angles, smashing into the Vine Demon's exceptionally thick root system.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Continuous roars sounded as dark-red flames rose into the air.

Most of the surrounding desolate ancient trees were incinerated, except for a bowl-sized, pale-white lingzhi with over a dozen patterns on its surface at the center of the black swamp, which remained intact.

yin gui fungus is produced in places of extreme Yin, growing by absorbing the Death Qi of rotting corpses; it matures in a hundred years and withers in two hundred.

Its medicinal potency is at its Peak around one hundred and fifty years.

Unlike other Spirit Medicines, its potency doesn't necessarily increase with age.

Comparing it with the information provided by Mo Jinghun, Su Ling judged that this yin gui fungus should be around one hundred and forty years old.

Although not in its optimal state, it was already extremely rare.

"Senior Sister, we must obtain this hundred-and-forty-year-old yin gui fungus."

Su Ling thought for a moment and looked at Yun Qingluan seriously.

Several months had passed, and besides this yin gui fungus, they hadn't encountered any of the spiritual items Mo Jinghun required.

The Cuiye Secret Realm had a three-year time limit; who knew if they would ever encounter it again if they missed this chance.

But as everyone knew, Wu Tiehun possessed the strength of Peak Foundation Establishment.

Seeing his current composed manner, one could tell the rumors were true.

That small copper bell was definitely at the Magic Treasure level!

As the personal disciple of the Artifact Refining Hall Revered Master, it was hard to say if Wu Tiehun had other Magic Treasures on him.

If Su Ling were alone, he wouldn't even consider it unless Wu Tiehun was gravely injured and on the verge of death.

But with Yun Qingluan by his side, Su Ling would look down on himself if he didn't try to take this yin gui fungus.

Originally, Su Ling was somewhat worried that Yun Qingluan would be unwilling to strike because of Wu Tiehun's status.

"Alright!"

Unexpectedly, upon hearing his question, Yun Qingluan nodded in agreement without hesitation.

So readily?!

Yun Qingluan's attitude made Su Ling see her in a new light.

"Can we kill him?"

But Su Ling immediately thought of another problem.

As a Nascent Soul Elder of the Merit Hall, Mo Jinghun's rank was one level lower than the Artifact Refining Hall Revered Master's.

If he could leave a life-saving trump card for Yun Qingluan, the Artifact Refining Hall Revered Master certainly could as well.

If they couldn't kill him, they would offend Wu Tiehun to the death.

"We can't kill him!"

Yun Qingluan shook her head and explained, "He is at Peak Foundation Establishment and has at least two Magic Treasures on him. He is also protected by Junior Martial Uncle Zheng's soul imprint. Unless I also activate Revered Master's soul imprint... even if we kill him, Junior Martial Uncle Zheng would still know it was us."

"Then, choosing the lesser of two evils, we'll snatch the yin gui fungus amidst the chaos!"

Since they couldn't kill him, they could only grab the item and run.

An Elementary Third-tier Vine Demon and a Peak Foundation Establishment quasi-true disciple with many trump cards.

Trying to snatch the yin gui fungus from both of them was like pulling a tooth from a tiger's mouth.

Su Ling immediately made deployments for the upcoming battle. "In a moment, you first..."

...Currently, the Vine Demon mainly relied on vine branch thrusts, entanglement, and attacks with poisonous corrosive liquid covering the vine surfaces.

As the battle reached a fever pitch, countless eerie flowers bloomed on the vine branches, and wisps of poisonous mist began to spread in all directions.

While Wu Tiehun unleashed a large-scale Nether Flame burn, he took out a crescent-shaped Magical Artifact from his storage bracelet.

With a casual toss, the crescent-shaped Magical Artifact made a whistling sound as it sliced toward the Vine Demon's root system.

No matter how the Vine Demon frantically waved its branches to block, they were all easily sliced like tofu before that crescent blade.

Finally, it slashed heavily into the base of one of the Vine Demon's main trunks, making a violent cutting sound.

"Swoosh!"

The Vine Demon let out a sharp cry, its three main trunks thrashing wildly.

Countless branches and leaves shot out, accompanied by corrosive liquid and poisonous mist covering toward Wu Tiehun.

Wu Tiehun remained motionless with a single-handed seal, letting all those attacks fall upon the copper bell's phantom image.

"Clang, clang, clang..."

The branch thrusts and the shooting leaves all failed to have any effect.

But the corrosive liquid and poisonous mist were constantly eroding the copper bell's phantom image.

Countless tiny indentations could be faintly seen appearing on the phantom image.

Seeing this, Wu Tiehun not only didn't worry but instead breathed a slight sigh of relief.

"At your wit's end?"

The corners of Wu Tiehun's mouth curled slightly as the crescent Magical Artifact glowed intensely.

Within a few breaths, that main trunk, stretching dozens of feet and a full zhang thick, was severed at the root and crashed down.

Having suffered such a heavy blow, the Vine Demon let out an even sharper screech.

Spear-like roots erupted from beneath Wu Tiehun's feet.

Unfortunately, the copper bell's phantom image even encompassed the area beneath his feet.

The massive force only knocked Wu Tiehun into mid-air without harming him in the slightest.

"Move!"

Su Ling, who had been silently waiting for an opportunity, gave a low shout and shot out without hesitation.

His direction was aimed straight at the yin gui fungus in the center of the black swamp!