Chapter 2054: Eating the Immortal Herb

Tian Shu Hall.

The Grand Elder looked at Kuixiao, who stood before him. “Sect Master, the Seven-Star Immortal Herb is a peerless treasure that suppresses the fortune of the Seven-Star Pavilion. However, it has an unusual temperament. When you visited it in the past, it often ignored you. If Elder Liu goes, it won't attack him, will it?”

The immortal herb has existed since the sect was founded, living for thousands of years, and has long developed an arrogant personality. Previous sect masters, when paying their respects, weren't always well-received. Elder Liu is so young, and his cultivation is only at the peak of the True Immortal realm; it will certainly be displeased.

“You’ve interacted with the immortal herb before,” Sect Master Kuixiao smiled, “It merely enjoys teasing people. Once it's finished playing, it will naturally release the power that nourishes the soul!”

Sect Master Kuixiao continued, “Elder Liu reached the peak of the True Immortal realm at such a young age and possesses such formidable combat strength; it’s inevitable that he might develop a sense of arrogance. Allowing him to undergo some tempering and refinement will be highly beneficial for his soul's growth!”

“Understood!” After a moment of thought, the Grand Elder nodded. To increase soul power, mere sharpness is insufficient. Sometimes, that sharpness needs to be refined, becoming profound and substantial, to accumulate momentum and progress further.

“It’s fine if the immortal herb teases Elder Liu… I’m worried Elder Liu might destroy it; that would be troublesome…”

Elder Hong Wu, standing to the side, couldn't help but interject. Although he had limited contact with Elder Liu, it was clear at first glance that the man was no pushover. Otherwise, it would have been impossible for him to cause such a commotion in the Transcendent God Hall, effortlessly defeating them all.

“Don’t worry,” Sect Master Kuixiao stroked his beard, “The immortal herb has lived for thousands of years and is located where the Seven-Star Pavilion’s power converges. Even I wouldn’t be able to catch it, let alone Elder Liu, who is only at the True Immortal realm… It only ever teases others; no one can harm it. Across the entire continent, aside from Hall Master Kong, I truly can’t think of anyone who could achieve that!”

The Seven-Star Pavilion has seven towers, each occupying a star’s position, with all their power converging at the North Star. The immortal herb’s courtyard is precisely this location. Therefore, the immortal herb nourishes everyone in the Seven-Star Pavilion, and in turn, everyone’s essence, qi, and spirit also nourish it, allowing a plant to reach the peak of the Immortal King level.

Elder Hong Wu breathed a sigh of relief. The Sect Master was a powerful figure in the Pseudo-God realm; if even he couldn't grasp it, then the immortal herb was certainly safe.

“If you’re still worried,” Sect Master Kuixiao smiled slightly, “I discreetly left a communication and recording jade crystal inside. It can transmit the images in real-time, so we can see how he cultivates and how the senior immortal herb teases him…”

With a slight smile, Sect Master Kuixiao tapped his finger, and a recording jade crystal materialized before them. Immortal energy flowed, and light shimmered, immediately displaying the situation in the immortal herb’s courtyard within the hall. However, dense fog filled the area, obscuring everything.

“Is that a formation that blocks auras?” Sect Master Kuixiao was stunned. Previously, they could see whenever they wished, but now it was blocked. Could Liu Yang have set this up? But… the courtyard already contained countless formations. Adding a formation to block auras would be layering; even he would need extensive research to succeed. How did the other party manage this? And in such a short time? The speed of setting up formations was far too fast!

“Since it’s blocked, we can’t see anything. Elder Liu probably doesn’t want us to witness any embarrassing scenes,” Sect Master Kuixiao shook his head. Just as he was about to put away the recording jade crystal, he noticed the Grand Elder’s grave expression nearby.

“Look quickly, the fog is moving…” Looking up, they indeed saw the fog constantly shifting, as if someone was fighting inside. Soon, cracks appeared on the ground, accompanied by the chirping of a chick, and streams of air continuously shot outwards, indicating an extremely fierce battle.

“This…” The Grand Elder and Elder Hong Wu exchanged bewildered glances. They knew the immortal herb would tease others; they had experienced it themselves. But… what was with the chick’s chirping? Did Elder Liu bring a chick with him?

“Don’t worry, the immortal herb knows its limits; it won’t harm Elder Liu…” Seeing their expressions, Sect Master Kuixiao chuckled. Before he finished speaking, the fog before them slowly dissipated, revealing the scene inside…

Zhang Xuan, disguised as Liu Yang, sat cross-legged on the ground, a scarf tied around his chest, chopsticks in hand. Before him, a cast-iron pot had appeared at some point, with flames raging beneath it. The water inside was already boiling, and a seven-colored immortal herb floated within, boiled until it was translucent red, clearly on the verge of being cooked through.

The immortal herb struggled incessantly, attempting to leap out of the pot, when a small yellow chick, swimming around in the water, pecked at it. With just one peck, the immortal herb obediently lay flat, becoming as still as cooked kelp.

Elder Liu paused, then took out a small bowl containing sesame oil, sesame seeds, chili sauce, peanuts, and vinegar… He used his chopsticks to pick up one of the immortal herb’s leaves, dipped it, and swallowed it.

Sect Master Kuixiao and the others’ eyes widened. “Oh no… quickly, save the immortal herb…” After a moment, they realized what was happening, unable to restrain themselves, and quickly rushed out.

They arrived at the courtyard in the blink of an eye, immediately seeing Zhang Xuan, who was covered in sweat. “You’ve come at just the right time! It tastes great; let’s eat some together…” Seeing their arrival, Zhang Xuan, chopsticks in hand, gestured hospitably.

“You…” Without another word, Sect Master Kuixiao rushed forward and reached into the pot, pulling out the immortal herb… At this moment, four of the immortal herb’s seven leaves were gone; it was utterly wilted and unwilling to move. He hastily placed it on the ground, finding that it wasn’t dead, but severely damaged, having lost nearly half its life.

Unable to contain himself, he turned and looked at Elder Liu: “Elder Liu, the Seven-Star Immortal Herb is the treasured artifact of the Seven-Star Pavilion… How could you eat it…?” I sent you here to absorb the power released by the immortal herb for cultivation and soul nourishment. Why did you treat it like a hotpot, boiling it? More importantly… Even he would struggle to catch the Seven-Star Immortal Herb. How did the other party put it into the pot? And at that boiling water temperature, which wouldn’t even harm an ordinary True Immortal, how did the immortal herb, which had reached the peak of the Immortal King, get cooked?

“I wanted to absorb its power to nourish my soul, but it not only refused but also attacked me… I warned it several times, but with no other choice, I had to boil it and eat it!” Zhang Xuan nodded. That thing had been constantly teasing him, even trying to grab him. If not for the little yellow chick appearing and pecking it several times, he might not have even been its match! As for boiling it, that was the little yellow chick’s suggestion. Waiting for it to release that aura could take who knows how long, whereas eating it would yield better results. Just as the chick had implied, after eating one leaf, his spirit soul successfully broke through to the True Immortal realm. After eating three more, even without cultivation techniques, his spirit soul’s power reached the peak of the True Immortal realm. In other words, now, as long as his soul power and immortal energy perfectly merged, he could attempt to break through to the Immortal King realm!

Sect Master Kuixiao was on the verge of going mad: “The Seven-Star Immortal Herb is incredibly precious! Boiling it to eat… do you, do you… have nothing to say?” It was the sect’s most treasured artifact, which all previous sect masters had revered like a deity, daring not to offend it. Yet this fellow simply boiled it… Did he feel no guilt whatsoever?

“Something to say?” Zhang Xuan paused. “Honestly, it tastes pretty good… A bit like kelp, but with more chewiness!”

“…” Sect Master Kuixiao was going crazy.

“Don’t worry, since I’ve eaten it, I’ll definitely help it recover…” Knowing what they were anxious about, Zhang Xuan smiled. With a grasp of his hand, he collected the little yellow chick swimming in the pot into his beast pet bag. With a gentle flick, the cast-iron pot, filled with boiling water, immediately moved to stand before the Seven-Star Immortal Herb.

Sizzle! The boiling water poured down. The withered immortal herb in the soil was not scalded to death. Instead, as if it had absorbed some special energy, its wilted leaves unfurled, and new buds appeared where the four eaten leaves had been, ready to regrow at any moment.

Sect Master Kuixiao, the Grand Elder, and the others were all stunned.

An immortal medicine of the Seven-Star Immortal Herb’s caliber, eaten, and it could still regrow? And so quickly?

“It will probably fully recover in about a month,” Zhang Xuan shook his head. “This immortal herb is actually like a vegetable; you can cut it and eat it, and it will regrow. Why leave it uneaten?” Before touching the immortal herb, he hadn’t known its properties. But once he made contact and a book was formed, everything naturally became clear. This thing, which appeared incredibly arrogant, was, in fact, merely a medicinal herb. And since it was a medicinal herb, it was naturally meant to be eaten.

Normally, if four leaves were eaten, it would take hundreds of years for it to fully recover and sprout new buds. However, with the little yellow chick’s bathwater nourishing it, the damage was repaired in just a few breaths.

“This…” Sect Master Kuixiao’s mouth twitched.

In truth, he knew the immortal herb could be eaten, and consuming it had immense benefits for the soul. But one had to be able to catch it first! He, a Pseudo-God, couldn’t even catch it, yet the other person not only caught it but even boiled it in a pot… He couldn’t believe his eyes.

“I wonder… what effect did eating the immortal herb have on Elder Liu?” Since the immortal herb was fine, everyone breathed a sigh of relief, and Sect Master Kuixiao couldn’t help but look over.

“The effect was quite good; my soul has been nourished…” Zhang Xuan replied truthfully.

“That’s good then… It’s light outside now, let’s depart…” The other party had already obtained what he wanted, and there was no point in staying longer, so Sect Master Kuixiao said with a sigh of relief.

After a night of commotion, the sun was now rising from the horizon, illuminating the surroundings.

Zhang Xuan said nothing more. The Seven-Star Pavilion’s eight flying immortal beasts pulled a massive carriage, soaring into the sky. Everyone boarded it, and it remained spacious.

Looking out the window, Zhang Xuan noted that its speed was indeed faster and more stable than the flood dragon’s. Knowing they were flying towards the Sea of Pursued Stars, Zhang Xuan ceased paying attention, sat down, and began cultivating. Two days later, he completely merged his spirit soul and immortal energy.

“It’s time to attempt a breakthrough to the Immortal King realm…” With a flick of his wrist, the barrier-breaking pill given by Sect Master Kuixiao appeared in his palm. His True Qi, physical body, and spirit soul had all reached the peak of the True Immortal realm and were perfectly integrated. It was time to push for a higher realm. Once he reached the Immortal King realm, he would truly possess self-preservation capabilities in the Upper Heavens, and even if a Pseudo-God realm expert from the God Hall launched a sneak attack, he wouldn't need to worry excessively.