308: Chapter 308 Hand over your primordial spirit, and I'll spare your life!

The gold box felt warm, smooth, and solid in his hand.

The faint vibration inside had already subsided, as if the spiritually aware ten-thousand-year-old spirit plant had finally recognized reality and given up its futile struggle.

Lu Qiu carefully inspected the Seal runes on the box. After confirming everything was correct, he cautiously tucked the gold box containing the nine-curved spirit ginseng into his robes for safekeeping.

"The nine-curved spirit ginseng... it's finally in my hands." A weight lifted from Lu Qiu's heart, and a satisfied smile appeared on his face.

For this trip to the Void Heaven Palace, just obtaining this item alone made the journey worthwhile.

His mind quickly recalled an ancient Pill Formula he had obtained from the relics of Master Xuan Gu—the nine-curved spirit ginseng pill!

The main ingredient for this Pill Formula was precisely this ten-thousand-year-old nine-curved spirit ginseng!

Supplemented with several other rare Spirit Medicine, and refined using a special technique, the pill could be formed.

The effects of this pill could be called Heaven-Defying!

It could not only greatly purify and strengthen a Cultivator's Qi, but also cleanse the marrow and improve a Cultivator's Innate Aptitude. It could even provide a powerful yet gentle boost when a Cultivator was charging at a Bottleneck, greatly increasing the success rate of a Breakthrough!

For a Cultivator at the Late Core Formation Stage charging at the Nascent Soul Realm, this nine-curved spirit ginseng pill was absolutely a peerless Spirit Pill that one would dream of!

Its effects were in no way inferior to the "nascent soul condensing pill," and in some aspects, it was even superior!

"This pill will be perfect for Ruyin." Lu Qiu thought to himself.

Xin Ruyin had outstanding Aptitude and was currently at the Pseudo-Nascent Soul Realm, only one step away from the Nascent Soul Realm.

But this step was a natural chasm that had trapped countless Genius Cultivators.

If he could refine the nine-curved spirit ginseng pill, with Xin Ruyin's foundation and talent, the possibility of successfully condensing a Nascent Soul would greatly increase!

At that time, both of them as husband and wife would be Nascent Soul Cultivators, and in this Chaotic Star Sea, they would finally have a true foundation to stand upon and would no longer need to care about anyone else's opinion.

"I have already memorized the Pill Formula, and the main ingredient, the nine-curved spirit ginseng, is in hand. Now, I am only missing the last key supplementary ingredient—the Companion Yao Herb." Lu Qiu calculated in his mind.

The Companion Yao Herb was also an extremely rare spirit plant, usually growing near the nests of powerful Yao Beasts, absorbing the aura and scattered Essence Blood of the Yao Beasts to grow. It had the miraculous effect of harmonizing Yin and Yang and neutralizing medicinal properties.

Although this item was rare, it was not extinct. With his current abilities and connections, as long as he searched diligently, there would always be a way to obtain it.

He composed his mind and temporarily pushed these thoughts aside.

The most pressing matter was to make good use of this last day to collect as many resources as possible.

After obtaining the nine-curved spirit ginseng, Lu Qiu did not rush to enter the treacherous and unpredictable Ice-Fire Path. According to the Star Palace Elder, this Spirit Medicine garden would be open for three days to Cultivators who passed the first trial. Only two days had passed, and there was still a full day of time to utilize.

This space, opened up by the ancient masters of the Void Heaven Palace, was rich in Spiritual Qi and vast in territory, and it must surely still hide many Heaven And Earth Treasure and Opportunity.

With his powerful Divine Sense and the assistance of his intelligence panel, not scavenging a bit more would simply be a waste of natural resources.

He sat cross-legged again, closed his eyes to regulate his breathing, and restored his state to its Peak, while waiting for the arrival of the new day.

The next morning, when the first glimmer of light illuminated the grassland again, Lu Qiu opened his eyes right on time.

Without the slightest hesitation, he immediately submerged his consciousness into his Sea of Consciousness to inspect the newly organized intelligence panel for the day.

A translucent gold intelligence panel slowly emerged, and the intelligence entries on it had been updated. His gaze swept over them quickly, filtering out the irrelevant gray and white information, and finally rested on three pieces of news.

silver information: [About fifteen miles to the due north, a piece of "geomagnetic dark iron" has been found. It is of excellent quality and can be used to refine high-grade Magic Treasure.]

gold intelligence: [About thirty miles to the east, a demonic Cultivator at the Late Core Formation Stage known as "Blood Fiend Immortal Master" has been found. He is currently fighting with others and possesses a powerful top-tier ancient treasure.]

gold intelligence: [About fifty miles to the northeast, a five-thousand-year-old "Heaven Marrow Lotus" has been found. It is nearing maturity and can be harvested.]

"Hmm? Geomagnetic dark iron?" Lu Qiu's gaze lingered on the first silver information for a moment, and his heart stirred slightly.

This geomagnetic dark iron was an excellent material for refining certain special Magic Treasure. Especially since it contained strong geomagnetic force, it had an irreplaceable role in refining certain treasures with gravity and binding effects.

He remembered that Xin Ruyin had been researching and perfecting the refining plan for her Lifebound Treasure, the "eight-gate golden light mirror," which seemed to require a material with special magnetic properties to serve as one of the core components. This piece of geomagnetic dark iron might be just what was needed!

"It came just in time!" Lu Qiu was delighted. He noted the location, his figure flickered, and he sped off in the due north direction.

The fifteen-mile distance was covered in an instant. In a pile of rocks, he quickly found the "geomagnetic dark iron," which was the size of a human head, pitch black all over, emitting faint magnetic fluctuations, and having natural patterns on its surface like water ripples. The quality was indeed excellent, more than enough to be used as a core component for the eight-gate golden light mirror. He put it away with satisfaction.

Subsequently, he did not linger at all, changed direction, and quickly swept towards the east indicated by the gold intelligence.

The thirty-mile distance was also covered in an instant for him. He did not appear immediately, but after approaching the target area, he concealed his entire aura and, like a ghost, lurked behind a huge rock, quietly releasing his Divine Sense to observe the situation ahead.

He saw two figures fiercely dueling with Spells in a relatively open valley ahead! The sounds of Magic Treasure clashing, Spells roaring, roars, and screams were intertwined; dust was flying, and spiritual light was splashing everywhere, turning that area into a mess.

One of them was a middle-aged Cultivator wearing a blood-red Daoist robe with a sinister face and high cheekbones. His body was surrounded by thick blood-colored mist, emitting a pungent smell of blood and cold Evil Qi; one look and it was clear that he was a demonic Cultivator who practiced some kind of vicious Demonic Technique.

At this moment, he was controlling an ancient treasure with a strange shape—it was a bone sword that was blood-red all over, seemingly condensed from countless blood-colored bone needles as fine as cow hair, with a hideous ghost head embedded at the tip! This blood-colored bone sword circled and flew above his head, and every time it slashed out, it was accompanied by the shrill sound of ghosts wailing and wolves howling, with blood light bursting forth, its power astonishing!

The other person fighting him was an old Daoist wearing a gray Daoist robe, looking quite like an immortal with a refined air, but currently full of shock and anger, struggling to cope. The old Daoist's cultivation was also at the Late Core Formation Stage, and he waved a whisk in his hand, emitting streaks of green light, attempting to block the attacks of the blood-colored bone sword, but he was clearly outmatched; the green light from the whisk was constantly torn apart and shattered under the fierce offensive of the blood-colored bone sword. He already had multiple wounds on his body, blood had stained his Daoist robe red, and his aura also appeared somewhat chaotic; he was clearly already at a disadvantage.

"Hahaha! Old Daoist Xuanmu! Hand over that 'Purple Sun Herb,' and this Daoist can still consider leaving you a whole corpse! Otherwise, I will definitely let your body and soul be destroyed, and you will never be reborn!" That blood-robed Cultivator—Blood Fiend Immortal Master, while controlling the blood-colored bone sword to attack fiercely, let out a triumphant and rampant laugh.

"Blood Fiend! Don't even think about it! I discovered this herb first! You rely on the power of an ancient treasure to rob and plunder; what kind of skill is that!" The old Daoist Xuanmu was trembling with anger, but facing that astonishingly powerful blood-colored bone sword, he had no way to deal with it and could only struggle to hold on.

"Hmph! You refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit! Then go to hell for this Daoist!" A fierce light flashed in Blood Fiend Immortal Master's eyes, and he suddenly spat out a mouthful of Essence Blood, which submerged into the blood-colored bone sword. The blood-colored bone sword suddenly burst with blood light, emitted an even sharper shrill whistle, its speed increased drastically, turning into a streak of blood-colored lightning, and stabbed fiercely towards the old Daoist Xuanmu's chest!

The old Daoist Xuanmu's face changed drastically; he wanted to dodge, but it was already too late! He could only close his eyes in despair, frantically injecting the remaining Qi in his body into the whisk in his hand, attempting a final death struggle.

Just at this critical moment— "Puchi!" A soft sound of a sharp blade entering flesh came.

The intense pain the old Daoist Xuanmu expected did not arrive. He opened his eyes in astonishment, only to see that the blood-colored bone sword that was about to pierce his chest had suddenly stopped just three inches from his chest! It was as if it had been firmly grasped by an invisible large hand!

And that originally rampant and triumphant Blood Fiend Immortal Master now had his eyes wide open, his face revealing an expression of unbelievable shock and fear! At his throat, he did not know when, but an extra blood hole as thick as a finger had appeared! Blood was gurgling out from that blood hole!

"Uh... uh..." Blood Fiend Immortal Master opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but could only make a few incoherent wheezing sounds. He looked down at the blood hole in his chest, then struggled to lift his head, looking behind the old Daoist Xuanmu at a gray figure that had appeared from who knows where, his eyes filled with unwillingness and despair.

"Who... who are... you..." He asked hoarsely with his last bit of strength.

Lu Qiu slowly walked out from behind the old Daoist Xuanmu, his expression calm, as if he had just done a trivial thing. He didn't even look at the dying Blood Fiend Immortal Master, but just waved his hand, and the blood-colored bone sword hovering in the air obediently flew into his hand. He flicked his finger, and the sword body emitted a clear hum; the Blood Fiend Evil Qi stained on it seemed to have encountered a nemesis, and it quickly receded a bit.

"Nascent Soul... Senior!" The old Daoist Xuanmu only then reacted. Looking at this gray-robed Cultivator before him whose aura was unfathomable and who had killed Blood Fiend Immortal Master with a casual wave, he quickly turned over and knelt, his voice trembling with the fear and awe of having survived a disaster: "Thank you, Senior, for saving my life! Junior Xuanmu is endlessly grateful!"

Lu Qiu waved his hand, signaling that he didn't need to be so polite. His gaze then fell upon the dying Blood Fiend Immortal Master, who was about to completely lose his life force. His tone was calm, yet carried an unquestionable majesty: "Hand over your Primordial Spirit, and I will spare your life."

His voice was not loud, but like a thunderclap, it exploded in Blood Fiend Immortal Master's Sea of Consciousness! Blood Fiend Immortal Master's eyes, which had originally begun to lose focus, suddenly burst with a final glimmer of desire to survive! He suddenly lifted his head to look at Lu Qiu, his lips trembling violently, his eyes filled with struggle and fear.

Hand over his Primordial Spirit? That meant that from then on, his life and death would be completely in the other party's hands, becoming the other party's slave, never able to rise again! For him, who had always been arrogant and domineering, this was humiliation even worse than killing him! However, if he didn't hand it over... He had no doubt that this unfathomable Nascent Soul Cultivator before him would absolutely, without hesitation, completely erase him, not even leaving him a chance for Reincarnation! The fear of death, like a cold tide, instantly submerged all his pride and unwillingness. Between survival and dignity, he ultimately chose the former.

"I... I am willing... to hand over my Primordial Spirit..." Blood Fiend Immortal Master said hoarsely with his last ounce of strength. Immediately, a flash of spiritual light appeared at the center of his brow, and a thumb-sized, slightly dim phantom emitting a faint blood light slowly floated out; it was his Primordial Spirit! This Primordial Spirit phantom, in front of Lu Qiu's vast and abyssal pressure, trembled, filled with fear and submission.

Lu Qiu looked at Blood Fiend Immortal Master's Primordial Spirit, with no pity in his eyes. He reached out, and a complex and profound gold rune condensed at his fingertip, which he gently pressed onto the Primordial Spirit phantom. After the gold rune submerged into the Primordial Spirit phantom, Blood Fiend Immortal Master's Primordial Spirit immediately let out a painful hiss, but it quickly subsided and became a bit more solid, only with an extra layer of faint gold halo on it, as if it had been branded with an invisible mark. From this moment on, Blood Fiend Immortal Master's life and death were completely controlled by Lu Qiu in a single thought. As long as Lu Qiu was willing, a single thought could make his Primordial Spirit perish and completely dissipate between heaven and earth.

"Very good. From now on, you are a member under my command." Lu Qiu said calmly, his tone devoid of joy or anger. He waved his hand, and a gentle force of Qi wrapped around Blood Fiend Immortal Master's broken body, temporarily stabilizing his injuries. The blood-colored bone sword ancient treasure with decent power naturally also fell into his hands.

After finishing all this, Lu Qiu's gaze turned to the old Daoist Xuanmu, who was still in a state of shock. "Senior... I..." The old Daoist Xuanmu opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but didn't know what to say. The methods of this Senior before him were truly too crisp and neat, and also too... cold. Without a second word, he directly killed a Late Core Formation Stage Cultivator, took his Primordial Spirit, and took him as a slave. Such methods and such mettle made him terrified.

"You may leave." Lu Qiu had no intention of making things difficult for him, but just said calmly, "Since you discovered that Purple Sun Herb first, it belongs to you."

"Thank... thank you, Senior! Thank you, Senior!" Upon hearing this, the old Daoist Xuanmu felt as if he had been granted amnesty, and quickly thanked him again, then did not dare to linger for a moment, hurriedly put away the Purple Sun Herb he had just obtained, turned around, and transformed into a streak of light, quickly leaving this place of trouble.

Lu Qiu watched the old Daoist Xuanmu's departing back, his gaze calm. He was not a bloodthirsty person, nor was he unreasonable. That Blood Fiend Immortal Master was ruthless, robbed and plundered, and possessed an ancient treasure; since he bumped into his hands, he naturally would not be polite. As for that old Daoist Xuanmu, he had no grudge or enmity with him, so he would not bully him without reason.

He re-examined the intelligence for the day, confirmed there were no omissions, and then stopped lingering. Taking Blood Fiend Immortal Master with him, he sped off towards the last piece of gold intelligence—the direction of the five-thousand-year-old Jade Marrow Ganoderma, fifty miles to the northeast. He still had to seize the time of this last day to harvest as many resources as possible.