Chapter 298: Guarding the Spirit Beast

Yun Youzi's messages contained not only the path to break the restrictions, but also information about Luo Xingnan and his group, as well as the situation inside the mountain.

To break through the restrictions as quickly as possible, they paid the price of two lives.

One person was Wu Chen, and the other was a man surnamed Yin.

The man surnamed Yin, desperate to survive, betrayed Sheng Yuanzi without hesitation. His ruthless and decisive actions made others even warier of him, so when Luo Xingnan forced him to scout ahead, no one spoke up for him.

Yun Youzi was helpless to intervene.

Their potential allies had diminished, while Luo Xingnan's side remained completely unscathed.

With Yun Youzi's intelligence, Qin Sang and Ge Yuan had a much easier time than Luo Xingnan's group.

However, Yun Youzi hadn't sent back any messages since entering the mountain. If they waited for him, they might not get any share of the spoils. Therefore, Qin Sang and Ge Yuan had to break through the final two layers of restrictions on their own.

Though fraught with peril, they managed to pass through the restrictions without major incident, arriving at the foot of the mountain where they were met by swirling clouds and mist.

The scene was identical to what they had observed from outside.

Immersed in the mist, unlike when they had a comprehensive view from afar, they couldn't see the glow of the spiritual herbs at all. They had to rely on their memory to recall the herbs' locations.

However, Qin Sang and Ge Yuan did not act rashly.

To Qin Sang's surprise, the mountain did not seem to be riddled with restrictions and dangers at every step, as he had previously imagined.

As far as the eye could see, there was no danger.

Qin Sang activated his spiritual sense, probing into the thick fog. Even at the limit of his spiritual sense, he found no trace of any restrictions.

Luo Xingnan and his group were nowhere to be seen at this moment.

"This..."

Ge Yuan had clearly noticed the same thing. Highly surprised, he said with some disbelief, "Could it be... this is truly the cave master's medicinal garden, sealed only at the foot of the mountain without any other measures? Are the spiritual herbs here... free for the taking?"

Both Qin Sang and Ge Yuan's expressions grew somber.

This was completely contrary to their previous estimations. They had expected the mountain to also be heavily restricted, making herb collection very difficult.

Only under such conditions would they have a chance to get a share.

But now they discovered that there were no formations or restrictions here, and the spiritual herbs could be picked freely. Even a towering mountain was traversable in an instant for cultivators.

There were only twenty-one spiritual herbs.

It was entirely possible that Luo Xingnan and his group had already plundered them all!

Ge Yuan's face was filled with indignation.

After enduring countless hardships and endless scheming to reach this point, with the spiritual herbs right before their eyes, returning empty-handed would be unacceptable to anyone.

*Whoosh!*

Ge Yuan's figure flickered as he rushed up the mountain.

Qin Sang's speed was no less than Ge Yuan's. Ignoring Ge Yuan, he headed straight for the direction of the profound yellow qi.

The Profound-Patterned Huangjing held significant importance for him. If that spiritual herb wasn't it, then so be it, but if it truly was this herb, he absolutely could not give up easily.

Yun Youzi had also mentioned that not many truly understood the effects of the Profound-Patterned Harmony Pill; most might believe it only served to restore one's foundation.

Among cultivators, those with damaged foundations were a rare few.

He didn't know who might have obtained this herb, but there was a possibility of a trade.

Just as Qin Sang and Ge Yuan made their move, before they had even covered ten feet, a colossal sound suddenly erupted from above.

*Boom!*

The deafening sound was followed by a sudden, violent tremor that shook the entire mountain.

*Crash!*

It was the sound of crumbling rock.

Then, an extremely piercing shriek suddenly resounded across the sky.

The sound was incredibly sharp, filled with intense rage and savagery, like a demonic melody that could pierce eardrums. Even from a distance on the mountaintop, it was still extremely unsettling to hear.

Simultaneously with the shriek, several angry shouts erupted, one of which belonged to Luo Xingnan!

Immediately afterward, chaos erupted on the mountaintop.

Fluctuations from clashing spiritual energy rippled across the distance, causing the clouds and mist within the mountain to churn violently.

Similar shrieks followed, one after another. Though far less powerful than the initial one, their combined clamor was astonishing, making Luo Xingnan and his group's roars sound thin and weak in comparison.

Luo Xingnan and his opponents were clearly some kind of demonic beasts, and they seemed to be both numerous and very powerful. From the sounds, their voices grew increasingly urgent, suggesting they were not gaining the upper hand.

However, without witnessing it firsthand, they couldn't ascertain the true situation.

Qin Sang and Ge Yuan abruptly halted, exchanged glances, and felt a mix of doubt and surprise, but more so, delight.

They simultaneously recalled the group of hook-serpents guarding the entrance.

No wonder there were no restrictions on the mountain; it turned out there were guardian spirit beasts here too.

This was good news for them. Luo Xingnan and his group were clearly entangled in battle with the guardian spirit beasts, indicating that the spiritual herbs had not yet been harvested.

"Did you recognize what kind of demonic beasts they are, Daoist?" Ge Yuan asked via voice transmission.

Qin Sang tilted his head, listening intently. There were countless types of demonic beasts, making it difficult to identify them by sound alone. He shook his head and said, "I can't tell, but these demonic beasts must be extremely ferocious. I hear Senior Yun Youzi's voice; he's also caught by the beasts!"

Yun Youzi usually acted with composure, but now he was roaring repeatedly, which likely meant he was trying to send them a signal.

"Gather the herbs!" Ge Yuan immediately made a decision.

Luo Xingnan's group and the demonic beasts were preoccupied with each other, presenting an excellent opportunity for the two of them. If they didn't quickly gather the herbs now, when would they?

Ge Yuan was about to dart towards a spiritual herb he remembered, but Qin Sang stopped him.

"Senior Yun Youzi and I analyzed that the brightness of the glow is likely related to the quality of the spiritual herbs. Most of the glows at the foot of the mountain are faint and slender, while the most valuable herbs are all at the summit. The battle situation can change in an instant; don't waste time down here."

With that, Qin Sang soared towards the mountaintop.

Listening again to the sounds from the mountaintop, Ge Yuan wondered if it was his imagination, but the roars of the demonic beasts did seem to have weakened slightly.

However, whether it was an illusion or not, he understood that Qin Sang's reasoning was sound and quickly followed him.

Both tried to conceal their aura as much as possible, fleeing at maximum speed.

"Daoist Ge, did Senior Yun Youzi ever mention which spiritual herb he needed?" Qin Sang asked urgently.

It looked like Yun Youzi was also trapped by the guardian spirit beasts.

After obtaining the Profound-Patterned Huangjing, Qin Sang intended to help Yun Youzi retrieve the spiritual herb he needed as well.

After all, Yun Youzi had played a crucial role in their success in reaching this point; they couldn't abandon him now.

"I don't know." Ge Yuan shook his head, then his gaze fixed on the front-left. He said with unconcealed joy, "I remember there's a spiritual herb aura there, one of the brightest among all the herbs!"

With that, Ge Yuan bypassed Qin Sang and dashed directly towards the front-left.

*It seems I'll just have to search later to see if there are any spiritual herbs that can repair the soul. Fortunately, I recognize quite a few myself.* Qin Sang mused to himself.

Watching Ge Yuan's retreating figure, Qin Sang pondered for a moment, then also changed direction, following behind him.