Chapter 80: Mysteries in the Herb Garden

## Chapter 80: Spirit Grass Garden in the Profound Machine

Standing before the alchemy furnace, Ye Chen took a deep breath, then summoned forth his True Fire and poured it into the furnace.

Xu Fu followed him out, sprawling onto a chair. Though feigning sleep, his eyes were keenly observing Ye Chen's every move.

*Buzz!*

Soon, Ye Chen's alchemy met with its first setback. The spirit grass he had thrown in was completely consumed by the flames.

Helplessly shaking his head, he pressed on.

A full day of alchemical endeavors saw him exhaust his entire remaining stock of spirit grass, yet he only managed to refine three Return Profound Pills.

"This lad's progress is truly astonishing," Xu Fu, lying on the chair, secretly marveled at Ye Chen's talent.

In his own youth, his first attempt at refining the Return Profound Pill had consumed over ninety portions of spirit grass, more than double Ye Chen's expenditure. On his second attempt, he had used over eighty portions, while Ye Chen had astonishingly succeeded with only a dozen.

"With such terrifying alchemy talent, Old Man Dan Chen, you are surely in for a shock one day," Xu Fu murmured with a smile.

Exhaustion consumed Ye Chen, leaving him slumped beside the alchemy furnace, panting heavily.

"Three pills, hehe." Clutching the three Return Profound Pills, a smile bloomed on his face. He didn't seek overnight success, but rather consistent progress each day.

"Have you not sensed the changes in your soul force?" A voice echoed, and Xu Fu slowly approached.

Ye Chen nodded gleefully. "I've noticed that my soul force is subtly strengthening with constant alchemy, and my mind feels much clearer."

"It seems you're not completely dense after all!"

"Elder Xu, do you happen to have any pills that nourish soul force?" Ye Chen asked, rubbing his hands together with a chuckle.

"If I have them, they are mine. If you want them, refine them yourself."

"But I don't have the pill formula!" Ye Chen's eyes sparkled as he looked at Xu Fu.

Xu Fu cast an unamused glance at Ye Chen, then produced an ancient scroll from his robes and handed it over.

Ye Chen eagerly accepted it.

Opening it and scanning through, he discovered that this spirit pill, named the Soul Pill, was also a patterned pill. However, judging from the description, its rank seemed higher than the Return Profound Pill, and its refining method was exceedingly complex.

"I'm showing you the pill formula, but you must not reveal it," Xu Fu warned Ye Chen. "Pill formulas are of utmost importance to us alchemists. Do not treat them lightly."

"Understood, understood." Ye Chen replied casually, already engrossed in the pill formula.

"Take your time," Xu Fu said, then rose and headed towards the inner hall. Before leaving, he placed a token on the table. "If you're short on any spirit grass, take my token to the Spirit Grass Garden to procure it."

"There's such a good thing?" Clutching Xu Fu's token, Ye Chen's eyes lit up. This was a pass card!

As night fell, he, with the token tucked away, made his way to the Spirit Grass Garden.

Returning to the Spirit Grass Garden, he felt a surge of confidence. With the token in hand, he could afford to be less restrained.

*Ah oh... ah... ah oh.....!*

Just as on his first visit, he had barely entered the Spirit Grass Garden when he heard the sounds of a woman's delicate moans emanating from the small pavilion.

Ye Chen cleared his throat dryly, touching the tip of his nose. The woman's sounds involuntarily reminded him of that beautiful spring dawn in the demon beast forest. That voice seemed to echo in his ears, stirring a restless energy within him.

Shaking off his thoughts, he coughed softly.

Immediately, a voice filled with panic came from the small pavilion, "Quick, put on your clothes!"

Soon, the male disciple named Li San emerged, his belt still not properly fastened.

"Is there something?" Li San asked, feigning calmness.

"Elder Xu sent me to pick spirit grass," Ye Chen said, displaying Xu Fu's token.

"Oh, hehehe..." Upon seeing Elder Xu's token, Li San's demeanor instantly changed. His face was etched with a fawning expression, as if he were looking at Xu Fu himself, not just the token.

"Please, carry on with your duties," Ye Chen said, not bothering to waste time with him. Clutching the token, he walked directly into the garden.

Before him lay patch after patch of spirit grass, each one brimming with spiritual energy, vibrant and competing for attention.

Without delay, he took out the pill formulas for the Return Profound Pill and the Soul Pill and began to pick the necessary ingredients.

Unlike his last visit, he felt quite confident this time. He opened his storage bag and began harvesting as if he were reaping a field. As he walked, bare patches were left behind him, a true display of a pilferer's behavior.

*Buzz!*

As he walked, the True Fire in his Dan Sea trembled slightly.

"I almost forgot about this." Ye Chen quickly stopped and looked in one direction.

On his first visit, the True Fire had trembled, indicating the presence of a treasure in the Spirit Grass Garden. However, due to the urgency of the situation then, he hadn't had time to investigate. This time, with the token in hand, he was determined to explore thoroughly.

He temporarily abandoned picking spirit grass and followed the direction the True Fire had indicated.

It wasn't until he reached a corner in the depths of the Spirit Grass Garden that he finally stopped. There was no path forward, only a cliff so deep that its bottom could not be seen.

He frowned slightly and looked down.

Upon seeing the depth, he quickly averted his gaze. The cliff was unfathomable, and even a quick look gave him the feeling of his heart and spirit being swallowed whole. Unable to fly, he was certainly unable to descend.

"It should be just below," he murmured, looking around the surroundings.

This was the edge of the Heng Yue Sect's spirit mountain. Even cultivators in the Ling Xu Realm would find it difficult to fly up this cliff, let alone the protective formations that were in place. Enemy sect members would not be foolish enough to attempt infiltration from here.

"What exactly is down there?" Ye Chen touched his chin and threw a stone down.

Even after a full quarter of an hour, he heard no echo.

*Buzz!*

*Buzz!*

The True Fire began to tremble violently once more.

"It's no use even if you keep moving. I can't go down!" Ye Chen waved his hand helplessly. "If you want to go down, go down yourself!"

Unexpectedly, the True Fire in his Dan Sea actually shot out, like a golden ray of light, and plunged downwards.

"You actually went down!" Ye Chen reacted too late, and the True Fire had already vanished from his sight.

Helplessly, he lay at the edge of the cliff and looked down. All he could see were hazy clouds and mist, let alone the form of his True Fire.

A long time passed, and the True Fire did not return.

"Begone!" Suddenly, Ye Chen seemed to hear a sound. He wasn't sure if it was transmitted from below the cliff, or from the hazy void, or if he had simply misheard.

Soon, a golden light flashed from below.

"It's coming back!" Ye Chen's eyes brightened.

*Whoosh!*

The True Fire returned, and with a swoosh, it rushed back into Ye Chen's Dan Sea.

This time, it became obedient, hiding quietly in Ye Chen's Dan Sea, looking completely dejected. It still trembled from time to time, but it was not the trembling of discovering a treasure, but the trembling of fear.

"What exactly was down there?" Ye Chen looked at his True Fire in astonishment. This was the first time he had seen his True Fire so downcast.

However, his True Fire had intelligence but could not speak. Even if it had discovered something below the cliff, it was unable to inform Ye Chen.

Ye Chen was helpless. He finally took one last look at the cliff, then turned and left.

Carrying his storage bag, he embarked on another round of enthusiastic picking, humming a little tune until his storage bag was completely full, before finally walking out of the Spirit Grass Garden.

After he left, in the deepest part of the Spirit Grass Garden, at the location of that cliff, an illusory large eye suddenly materialized.

However, it dissipated just as quickly.