Chapter 1416: Gravestone

The rhythmic pattering, like rain on bluestone, echoed. Thump, thump, thump...

'Boom! Boom!'

One sword strike followed another, each hitting a different spot.

The Nascent Soul Talisman Puppet hadn't given a warning, so Old Man Hunmo hadn't entered yet.

Qin Sang acted without restraint, unleashing his full power.

The purple mist in the medicinal garden churned, and strange phenomena frequently appeared.

Finally, the purple mist before Qin Sang slowly parted, revealing a faint golden glow.

Qin Sang sheathed his spirit sword and focused his gaze. He saw that the golden glow was a protective barrier shaped like a pagoda, and within it was a spirit tree!

The barrier, serving as protection, had been severely dimmed by the impact of the crimson flame aura, making it easy to break and retrieve the fruit.

The spirit tree was rooted in a jade altar, from which its protective power originated. The tree itself was tall, easily three times a person's height, yet it resembled a withered tree.

Its bark was dry and cracked, revealing a charred color.

A few scattered leaves hung listlessly from its branches, their surfaces dull and grayish-white. Only at the very top of the branches could a precious hint of green be discerned, indicating that the spirit tree was still stubbornly alive.

Qin Sang took a look, and his eyes lit up with surprise.

Despite being on the verge of dying, this spirit tree had actually borne a considerable number of fruits!

Qin Sang recalled that Valley Master Mu had mentioned that the Myriad Spirit Fruit Tree took a long time to bear Myriad Spirit Fruits, and they were scarce.

Spirit insects could consume Myriad Spirit Fruits directly, but more wasn't necessarily better. Spirit insects below the Fourth Transformation could only consume one fruit. After breaking through the Fourth Transformation and fully digesting its medicinal power, they could consume one more.

The tree actually had as many as nine fruits!

And all of them were ripe.

However, due to being scorched by the crimson flames, the Myriad Spirit Fruit Tree was on the verge of withering, and the Myriad Spirit Fruits themselves appeared dull.

"My three spirit insects only need four fruits for now, which is more than enough. There's still a large portion left."

Qin Sang was overjoyed, having not expected such a substantial harvest.

Without hesitation, he swung his sword, breaking the dimmed barrier. He took out nine jade boxes, carefully plucked all the Myriad Spirit Fruits, and then lightly tapped his Thousand Jin Ring.

"I didn't expect it to go so smoothly. Surely the Pure Ocean Sect's medicinal garden has more than just Myriad Spirit Fruit Trees? Since I'm here, I might as well explore everything. Perhaps there are other survivors..."

Just as Qin Sang was about to move elsewhere, he suddenly paused, scrutinizing the Myriad Spirit Fruit Tree and wondering if he could dig it up as well.

The Myriad Spirit Fruits could enhance spirit insects and be used to refine Spirit-Calming Incense. Perhaps they had other uses too.

He could transplant it back to Azure Goat Temple.

Even if he didn't need it himself, it could serve as a treasure of the sect.

However, the Myriad Spirit Fruit Tree was on the verge of withering and was extremely fragile. Digging up the tree was different from simply picking the fruits; it would require destroying the entire jade altar. Qin Sang worried that a forceful attempt to break it would cause the Myriad Spirit Fruit Tree to die immediately.

He didn't have time to decipher the method for breaking the restriction here.

"Never mind! If it stays here, it will only fall into someone else's hands. Besides, the discoveries I've made so far give me an ominous feeling. I'm afraid the Pure Ocean Sect won't last much longer."

Qin Sang made up his mind. After gazing at the jade altar for a moment, he waved his hand, summoning demonic flames that surged downwards, engulfing the altar and burning fiercely.

'Crack...'

Qin Sang's hand seals changed rapidly, and the golden light flickered precariously.

Cracks appeared on the jade altar from the burning.

Just then, an astonishing sight occurred: without the slightest warning, fierce flames suddenly erupted from the spirit tree's roots, engulfing the entire tree in the blink of an eye.

Qin Sang's expression shifted slightly. He commanded his sword to strike swiftly, plunging it deep into the shattered jade altar and forcefully digging out a section of the tree root.

Fortunately, the root section Qin Sang salvaged still retained some vitality. With careful nurturing after he left, it might be possible to cultivate it.

He glanced regretfully at the spirit tree, now reduced to ashes, then his gaze swept over the fractured jade altar, lost in thought.

Just now, while destroying the jade altar, Qin Sang's perception became clearer. The affected area seemed to be more extensive than just the altar itself.

Without time to ponder further, Qin Sang cast a restriction to seal the tree root, placed it into a jade box capable of preserving its vitality, and then withdrew, beginning to search elsewhere in the area.

Soon, Qin Sang discovered another intact medicinal field.

Although the spiritual herbs here were ancient, they weren't as valuable as he had anticipated.

Qin Sang realized that the survival of a medicinal field depended on luck. The purple mist restrictions nearby were relatively intact, and the area had sustained less impact, allowing these herbs to be preserved.

He wouldn't waste time on such spiritual herbs. He moved swiftly, breaking through layers of restrictions, traversing various medicinal fields, until he finally made a new discovery!

"Spirit Lamp Flower! Thunder Serpent Vine..."

Qin Sang's figure suddenly froze. He gazed at the pristine medicinal field ahead, and at the strange glow radiating from the spiritual herbs within it, a peculiar glint flashing in his eyes.

The spiritual herbs before him, cultivated and protected by various restrictions, were also withered like the Myriad Spirit Fruit Tree, but a portion of them had survived.

Even some Nascent Soul cultivators would be tempted and wouldn't want to miss out on these.

Qin Sang's gaze was drawn to a spiritual flower shaped like a jade cup, about the size of a baby's fist. He remembered that the Spirit Lamp Flower could be refined into Stealth Incense Pills. When consumed, these pills could strengthen one's spiritual sense and even had some effect on Nascent Soul cultivators, making it a rather rare spiritual herb.

He was close to breaking through the second layer of the *Golden Lotus of Fire Seeds* technique, and consuming Stealth Incense Pills would certainly accelerate his progress.

Other spiritual herbs also had their uses. While less important to Qin Sang than the Spirit Lamp Flower, other Nascent Soul cultivators would likely be interested.

If he plundered all these spiritual herbs, even if he left immediately afterward, his trip would not have been in vain.

Qin Sang's gaze swept over each of the spiritual herbs, marveling at the Pure Ocean Sect's wealth, when his eyes suddenly narrowed, fixed intently on the depths of the medicinal field.

There were several empty spots there.

Judging by the marks, it wasn't that the spiritual herbs had withered and died; it looked more like they had been dug up.

"No!"

Qin Sang's pupils suddenly constricted.

These marks weren't ancient; they appeared to be recent.

Someone had arrived before him and dug up some of the spiritual herbs!

Qin Sang's mind instantly tensed. Demonic flames flew from his sleeve, he scanned his surroundings, his spiritual sense spread out abruptly, and the Heavenly Eye Divine Ability of his Heavenly Eye Butterfly was activated to its limit.

"Someone's already come in and taken the most precious spiritual herbs. Was it Valley Master Mu or Old Man Hunmo? Why didn't I detect any signs earlier? Where is he now? Has he noticed me?"

Countless thoughts flashed through Qin Sang's mind.

Just then, he suddenly sensed a warning from the Nascent Soul Talisman Puppet outside.

Through the puppet, Qin Sang 'saw' intense fluctuations above the Pure Ocean Sect, followed by a violent explosion. Amidst the chaotic flowing flames, a crack appeared in the spirit formation.

Old Man Hunmo and Precept-Holding Daoist flew out first, looking somewhat disheveled.

Behind them, other figures seemed to be present.

The purple flowing flames in the air were disrupted, becoming incredibly chaotic and temporarily obscuring his view.

"It's not Old Man Hunmo!"

Qin Sang's heart eased slightly, but his doubts deepened. Could Valley Master Mu have gotten here first? But why didn't he search for Myriad Spirit Fruits?

Qin Sang ordered the Nascent Soul Talisman Puppet to hide well and continue observing.

As for himself, he took a deep look at the medicinal field, resisted the urge to take the spiritual herbs, maintained his vigilance, concealed his aura, and slipped into the depths of the purple mist.

He walked an unknown distance.

The purple mist suddenly dispersed, and the view before him opened up. A mountain cliff appeared, and between the cliff and Qin Sang, there was a stretch of undulating hills.

He immediately spotted a lone tombstone standing on the desolate hills.

It read:

"Tomb of my Younger Brother, Tan Jie."