High above, mountains and valleys rushed past Lu Xuan's feet. At that moment, he was sitting on a giant black eagle. This eagle was about ten to twelve meters long, with wings that spread over thirty meters. Its feathers were as sharp and dark as blades, and it flew at an incredible speed. This was a second-tier spirit beast known as the Iron Feather Eagle, raised by the Wang family. Lu Xuan had seen a third-tier Iron Feather Eagle in the market, which was much larger than this one.
The eagle was surrounded by a protective barrier of spiritual energy, shielding them from the harsh winds of the high altitude. It flew smoothly, and there was no bumpiness at all on its back. Along with the two high-level cultivators from the Wang family, nearly twenty people were seated on the eagle's back.
"Lu Dao friend, I didn't expect to run into you here," said a kind-looking cultivator who slowly moved closer to Lu Xuan.
"Hello, He Dao friend," Lu Xuan replied with a smile.
The cultivator's name was He Ping, a Spiritual Plant Cultivator. Lu Xuan had met him once at the Hundred Herbs Hall. It was said that he had connections with a Foundation Establishment alchemist and managed a medicinal garden for the hall. Among the fifteen Spiritual Plant Cultivators invited by the Wang family to assist with spiritual plants in the secret realm, three, including Lu Xuan, had ties to the Hundred Herbs Hall.
Lu Xuan observed the group and noticed that most of the fifteen cultivators were at the mid-level of Qi training, with only one elder at a high level. At least, that was how it appeared on the surface.
"I saw you observing others just now. You might not be familiar with the Spiritual Plant Cultivators here. Would you like me to introduce them?" He Ping offered with a smile.
"That would be great, thank you," Lu Xuan said, happy to accept.
"All these cultivators are skilled in planting spiritual plants, which is why the Wang family invited them here," He Ping explained. "The elder at the front is actually a member of the Wang family."
He Ping introduced each cultivator, confirming what Wang Ruhai had said earlier: most of them had impressive backgrounds, which made Lu Xuan feel a bit more at ease.
"Could you tell me about the secret realm?" Lu Xuan asked.
"Surely, you haven't entered a secret realm before?" He Ping asked, a strange look in his eyes.
"Honestly, I haven't," Lu Xuan admitted. "Due to my ordinary skills and not being good at fighting, I avoided the idea of entering a secret realm for opportunities and focused solely on cultivating spiritual plants."
"You must have given up a lot to have such outstanding skills at a young age," He Ping said, adjusting his expression.
"The secret realms come from two main sources. One is ancient remains, which may offer great opportunities but also carry huge risks. The other is a natural formation that happens by chance, creating its own world. If it has just appeared, it usually has plenty of cultivation resources, but there are also many spirit beasts and evil spirits. Opportunities and risks coexist. The one we are going into is of the second type," He Ping explained.
After half a day, the Iron Feather Eagle slowly descended into a valley. Several Wang family cultivators were already waiting there. As the eagle folded its wings, one of them approached with a large piece of spirit beast meat.
"This is the edge of the secret realm. From here, my friend Li Jianfeng and I will take you to your destination," said the elegant Wang Ruhai with a smile.
Curious, Lu Xuan looked around. The towering mountains and towering trees surrounded him, and he could sense some unknown spiritual energy blocking his perception. This valley was a base for the Wang family, and other cultivators would need to find their own way in.
At Wang Ruhai's signal, a mid-level Qi training cultivator stepped forward and used a magic mirror to open the barrier to the secret realm. Spiritual energy surged, and a small door appeared that could fit two people.
Lu Xuan and the other Spiritual Plant Cultivators followed the two Wang family members and entered one after another.
In a blur, Lu Xuan found himself in a strange space. Before him was a desolate scene, with a few odd-looking plants growing on the black-red soil under a dark and gloomy sky.
"This is the outer edge of the secret realm. Let's speed up and head straight to our destination," said Li Jianfeng, who had been silent until now. He shot off like an arrow into the distance.
The more than ten Spiritual Plant Cultivators either used their techniques or activated their artifacts to keep up closely behind.
Lu Xuan applied two swift talismans to his legs and stayed in the middle of the group, towards the back. As they moved, the barren land gradually showed signs of life. The deeper they went into the secret realm, the more Lu Xuan began to notice the presence of other cultivators.
However, when those scattered cultivators saw the large group led by a high-level Qi training cultivator, they fled in a panic like startled birds.
After about half an hour, Lu Xuan and his group arrived at a mountain filled with strange rocks. They wound their way through the rocks until they finally reached their destination.
"This is it," Wang Ruhai pointed to a spot on the mountainside.
On the mountainside, many black-red strange stones were covered with inconspicuous dark red grass. The grass was about two feet long, drooping over the rocky surface, with a curved shape and thin tips, densely clustered together like a bunch of odd tentacles.
"This is Dragon Beard Grass, a second-tier spiritual plant. However, due to the special environment of the secret realm, this Dragon Beard Grass has undergone some mutation. Many of the dark red tendrils can be aggressive. Normally, it looks just like regular Dragon Beard Grass, but when harvested or after being harvested, it can suddenly attack cultivators."
"The attack strength isn't very high, roughly equivalent to a second or third-level Qi training cultivator. But because it mixes with the harvested Dragon Beard Grass, it often injures normal spiritual plants, which can be quite troublesome."
"Moreover, the normal Dragon Beard Grass also contains some strange components that are hard to detect and separate, making it difficult for the second-tier spiritual plant to have corresponding value."
"Therefore, we need your help, Spiritual Plant Cultivators, to use your experience and knowledge to identify the mutated Dragon Beard Grass and separate the normal Dragon Beard Grass from it, so we can properly harvest it."
"Here are one hundred spirit stones as part of your advance payment. After we leave the secret realm, there will be more spirit stones and spiritual medicine as a thank you for everyone."
"The Spiritual Plant Cultivator who handles the most Dragon Beard Grass will also receive a generous bonus."
Wang Ruhai took out a large number of spirit stones from his storage bag and divided them into fifteen small piles, floating them in front of Lu Xuan and the others.
"One hundred spirit stones are worth between a first-tier and second-tier artifact, which is quite good," Lu Xuan accepted the one hundred spirit stones with a smile and put them in his storage bag.
"However, it's not worth risking my life for. I can just follow behind the other Spiritual Plant Cultivators and take it easy," Lu Xuan thought to himself.
The few mid-level Qi training cultivators from the Wang family began to set up a camp. Among the Spiritual Plant Cultivators, some had already approached the Dragon Beard Grass, holding shield artifacts and carefully examining it.
A few others gathered together, quietly discussing how to identify the normal Dragon Beard Grass. Lu Xuan followed behind them, occasionally nodding in agreement, while watching the several Spiritual Plant Cultivators who had ventured deeper into the Dragon Beard Grass territory, a smirk on his face.
"One hundred spirit stones, what are you risking your life for!"
(End of Chapter)