"Miss Su, are you sure the path we need to take is behind this wall?" Shang Xie Shaoqing asked skeptically.
"Of course. Otherwise, how did I find that palace just now?"
Su Luo, seemingly oblivious to his reluctance, nodded with a smile and urged him on, "Didn't Young Master Shang Xie say he wanted to help? I saw you break through a wall just now, so mighty and powerful. That's why I thought I'd trouble you."
Shang Xie Shaoqing immediately chuckled. "Since the path lies behind this wall, and I, this young master, have offered my help, I won't let Brother Li do such a small task. Everyone, step aside, watch me."
As soon as he spoke, everyone retreated.
Shang Xie Shaoqing put away his folding fan, circulated his hands, and his palms quickly lit up with a bright white light.
A powerful energy gathered in his palm, surging and condensing into a ball of spiritual light the size of a watermelon. He struck out fiercely, the spiritual light slamming into the greyish-white mottled wall, exploding with a roar, and sending debris flying.
With a clatter, bricks and stones fell, revealing a hole as tall as a person.
Du Wei exclaimed, "As expected of the Young Master, truly amazing!"
Su Luo also offered a compliment, then turned to Li Tianjue and said, "Let's go, Senior Brother, Xiao Guo."
Without further ado, the two followed Su Luo through the breach.
Shang Xie Shaoqing and Du Wei, along with over a dozen cultivators eager to benefit, also quickly squeezed through the hole and continued along the passage.
Before long, they found themselves at another dead end.
Su Luo spoke again, smiling sweetly, "Young Master Shang Xie, it's your turn to help again. Thank you!"
Shang Xie Shaoqing's face stiffened.
Su Luo blinked her eyes and said, "You've only broken one wall, is Young Master Shang Xie not capable anymore..."
How could that be?
A man could never say he wasn't capable!
"Miss Su, step aside, leave this to me!"
Shang Xie Shaoqing immediately stepped forward, channeled his palm energy, and once again condensed a powerful spiritual light ball, blasting it towards the wall in front of them.
Amidst a startling roar, another large hole appeared.
After the smoke and dust dispersed somewhat, and no more bricks or stones fell, Su Luo quickly scrambled through, followed by Li Tianjue, who remained silent, with Tang Xiao Guo close behind. Everyone followed suit.
Thus, winding and turning, half an hour passed. They were now only ten meters in a straight line from the garden, and Shang Xie Shaoqing had already broken five walls. He was so exhausted his face was pale, and he had even consumed a spiritual recovery pill. He could no longer maintain his air of nonchalance.
He finally realized that this mischievous girl was deliberately using him, yet he could only comply.
How could the esteemed Young Master of the Longevity Hall admit defeat after breaking only a few walls?
It would be too embarrassing!
With a thunderous crash, the last wall finally broke. Shang Xie Shaoqing was so exhausted he nearly collapsed, relying entirely on willpower to hold himself up. He quickly took out another spiritual recovery pill, thinking to himself that he had made a terrible loss this time.
Su Luo looked through the hole and saw the scenery ahead.
Indeed, it was the garden of Emperor Haotian!
It was desolate. Countless spiritual flowers and grasses lay scattered on the ground like weeds in winter. Only a very small portion still retained a hint of green, showing that no one had tended to it for who knows how long.
"I wonder if there's still any Scarlet Blood Divine Dragon Grass," Su Luo's heart sank. Li Tianjue also showed a trace of worry. They both walked through the broken hole.
When everyone entered the garden, they were stunned by the sight.
There were innumerable precious spiritual herbs and flowers, a truly awe-inspiring spectacle. Some they could name, and many more they couldn't. It was as if they had stumbled into a treasure trove of celestial wonders, leaving them all deeply shocked, though most were withered.
Tang Xiao Guo looked at a dried-up spiritual grass with great regret. "This looks like Jade Coral, a ninth-grade spiritual fruit. It's wilted, what a shame..."
It had likely withered for thousands of years. With a gentle touch, it turned to powder and fell into the soil.
Li Tianjue surveyed the area. Fire Lotus, Purple Dan Shen, Nine-Leaf Dragon's Breath Grass, Seven-Colored Moon Orchid, Silver Silk Peony, and other top-grade spiritual grasses he recognized were all withered. Each was a priceless treasure, rarely found.
Although they still had some effect, their medicinal properties were almost completely lost compared to when they were fresh.
Everyone searched the area for any remaining treasures, constantly moving through the garden.
After a moment, someone spotted a hint of green near a nearly dried-up pond and immediately shouted, "Look ahead! There should be something good!"
Su Luo's eyes were sharp. In front of them, amidst a patch of dry flowers and grasses of yellow and green, she saw a spiritual grass with slender, scarlet leaves growing by the edge of the pond, full of vitality. It was precisely the Scarlet Blood Divine Dragon Grass they were looking for.
"Excellent, it hasn't withered yet!"
But before Su Luo could step forward, she heard a dull, angry roar coming from behind a rockery.
A beast, three zhang tall, appeared before everyone's eyes.
Its massive body brushed against the rocks of the mountain, causing debris to fall. It looked almost identical to the Chi Dragon iron puppet they had encountered earlier, but it was more than twice its size. The oppressive aura emanating from it froze everyone. They stared in shock as it opened its gaping maw, revealing sharp teeth, and its saliva continuously dripped.
"It's, it's real... it definitely is! It, it's appeared..."
Everyone was terrified. Anyone could see at a glance that this ferocious, awe-inspiring behemoth was undoubtedly a true ten-thousand-year-old Chi Dragon.
"Roar—"
It began to move its heavy limbs, roaring as it charged forward.
At the same time, Su Luo's Divine Eye Mirror displayed four words: Ten-thousand-year Chi Dragon???
Su Luo's cultivation was insufficient, she could only see its name. Any other information was inaccessible.
This was terrible. The Chi Dragon iron puppet had been so difficult to deal with, and now a more terrifying ten-thousand-year-old Chi Dragon had appeared. If they didn't know its weakness, how could they possibly snatch the Scarlet Blood Divine Dragon Grass?
Just then, a figure shot up into the sky and charged forward.
Unlike everyone else who was panicking, Li Tianjue not only didn't retreat but charged forward like lightning. His movements were swift as the wind, like a swimming dragon. Even with the terrifying ten-thousand-year-old Chi Dragon present, his eyes were only on the Scarlet Blood Divine Dragon Grass, regardless of the cost.
"Senior Brother!" Tang Xiao Guo cried out anxiously.
She grabbed Su Luo and said in a panic, "Sister Su, what should we do? Senior Brother has charged forward."
Su Luo, only at the ninth-rank Xuan Master level, had even less cultivation than Tang Xiao Guo, but she quickly calmed down and thought of a plan.
Li Tianjue didn't necessarily have to kill the ten-thousand-year-old Chi Dragon. As long as he could distract it temporarily, she could seize the opportunity to pick the Scarlet Blood Divine Dragon Grass, and then everyone could quickly leave. Escaping should not be a problem.
Before Su Luo could remind him, Li Tianjue had already reached the same conclusion.
"Su Luo!"
He floated in mid-air, his robes billowing, holding the Cold Light Sword, like a celestial being descending from the heavens. As he struck down at the ten-thousand-year-old Chi Dragon, he shouted, "I'll lure this beast away. You quickly pick the Scarlet Blood Divine Dragon Grass later."
What a telepathic connection!
Su Luo immediately replied, "Alright!"