Chapter 45: The Herbal Essence

Chapter 45: Hundred Herbs Liquid

Ye Fan and Pang Bo overpowered Han Feiyu, leaving everyone stunned. In the eyes of the onlookers, these two eleven or twelve-year-old boys were incredibly fierce. Despite not having cultivated a divine power source, they beat a clan elder's descendant into a daze, almost crippling him, which left many people present dumbfounded.

"These two are too strong!" people murmured. "How can they have such divine strength at only eleven or twelve years old?" "Fighting bare-handed, they overpowered Han Feiyu and even blasted away the Azure Wood Seal bestowed by Elder Han. It's truly incredible!"

The crowd around them buzzed with discussion. Even the more senior disciples with higher cultivation from other peaks noticed the commotion. When they learned that Elder Han's grandson, Han Feiyu, had been severely beaten, it caused an uproar.

"Those two boys look quite delicate-looking, yet they're so formidable. You really can't judge a book by its cover..." Ye Fan and Pang Bo had always been low-key, but now they were the center of attention. Upon hearing the news, disciples from other peaks also gathered, eager to see these two powerhouses.

"What? That Pang Bo is an Immortal Seed?" Everyone gasped in surprise when they heard this news. More senior disciples understood what an Immortal Seed signified: they were the future inheritors and hope of the Spirit Void Cavern Heaven, influential figures capable of leading the sect to glory.

"So he's an Immortal Seed! No wonder he's so divinely brave and possesses extraordinary talent." "Han Feiyu has truly met his match this time. He won't be able to retaliate in the future; he'll just have to swallow his pride..."

Now, when people looked at Pang Bo, their expressions were complex, filled with a mixture of emotions. Many quickly decided to befriend him in the future.

Meanwhile, Ye Fan and Pang Bo were not idle. Ignoring the gazes of those around them, they picked up the small jade bottles from the ground, collecting over thirty bottles of Hundred Herbs Liquid. The youths who had initially caused trouble had been stuck headfirst into the mud by Ye Fan and Pang Bo, but the Hundred Herbs Liquid they had stolen was all left behind.

Newly initiated disciples only received one bottle of Hundred Herbs Liquid every three months, highlighting its rarity. Yet, these two had suddenly acquired over thirty bottles, instantly making the surrounding crowd envious.

"Those guys who cultivated divine patterns must have better things on them..." Ye Fan and Pang Bo were not satisfied. They turned their attention to the young men still stuck in the mud. These individuals had cultivated strands of divine power and nurtured a divine pattern within their Sea of Bitterness, making their cultivation a cut above ordinary disciples. They were certainly "richer" than the younger boys.

The two exchanged a glance, then began to "pull them out," successively dragging five young men from the muddy pond and searching them one by one.

"How is it that each person only has a few bottles of Hundred Herbs Liquid?" Ye Fan and Pang Bo searched them thoroughly, finding only five bottles on each person, less than what they had just acquired. Their dissatisfied expressions instantly left the onlookers speechless.

Hundred Herbs Liquid had been distributed to all peaks that day, and the quantity received naturally varied based on cultivation level. These young men each receiving five bottles was already considered quite good.

Li Fei and Wang Jing had not yet left and witnessed all of this. They exchanged glances, unsure what to say. They had never encountered such unconventional junior disciples before.

At that moment, the young men lay collapsed like rag dolls on the ground, still too weak to get up. After thoroughly searching them, Ye Fan and Pang Bo exchanged a look, then rather shamelessly threw them back into the lotus pond. This time, however, they didn't put them in headfirst, fearing that prolonged submersion might lead to a fatality. Afterward, they also pulled out the younger boys and casually tossed them into the muddy water.

Finally, Ye Fan and Pang Bo approached the Azure Wood Seal. They tried to push it with effort but found it too heavy; even if they could lift it, it would be useless in combat. After giving it two kicks, they strode off.

The crowd was left dumbfounded. These two were like locusts, brazenly looting everyone in broad daylight without batting an eye, and even attempting to take the Azure Wood Seal with them...

"Senior Brother Li Fei, Senior Sister Wang Jing, thank you!" Ye Fan and Pang Bo shouted loudly from a distance after squeezing out of the crowd, then quickly departed.

Han Feiyu's face was ashen, fuming internally. Without even retrieving the Azure Wood Seal, he walked directly towards a valley deep within the Spirit Void Cavern Heaven.

The valley floor was vast and filled with medicinal fields, teeming with exotic flowers and rare herbs. The rich scent of herbs wafted through the air, permeated by spiritual energy. The entire valley was filled with precious medicinal ingredients and no other vegetation. The aromatic and herbal essences released by the growing spirit medicines had transformed this place into a Spiritual Valley.

Along the way, some medicinal apprentices bowed to Han Feiyu, but he ignored them completely, walking with a gloomy expression directly to a cave dwelling deep within the valley. Here, the herbal scent was even more intense. In front of the dwelling, eighteen medicine cauldrons, each over half a person's height, were arranged side by side. Crafted from an unknown metal, they appeared ancient and heavy.

"Yu'er, how did you end up like this?" an ancient voice asked from deep within the cave dwelling. The speaker did not emerge but seemed fully capable of perceiving everything outside.

"One of those two is an Immortal Seed..." Han Feiyu stood outside the cave dwelling, gritting his teeth as he explained the entire incident in detail to his paternal grand-uncle.

"If I had known earlier that those two had consumed divine medicine, it would have been enough to just let them shed a little blood. Unfortunately, I received the news too late; now it's a bit troublesome." After saying this, Elder Han inside the cave dwelling fell silent. A long time passed before he spoke again: "Do not provoke that Immortal Seed... as for the other one, let's wait and see."

"Grand-uncle, do you mean...?" Two sharp glints immediately shot from Han Feiyu's eyes.

"My meaning is that you should do nothing for now; just focus on your cultivation." After these words, the cave dwelling fell silent again.

"Yes!" Han Feiyu was very unwilling but dared not defy Elder Han. He bowed to the cave dwelling, then turned and left.

Back in their lodgings, Ye Fan and Pang Bo began to count their spoils. They had collected a total of sixty-six bottles of Hundred Herbs Liquid, an absolute windfall.

"That Han fellow is truly a good person..." Both of them praised him with irony.

After examining the small jade bottles, Ye Fan and Pang Bo slowly calmed down. Although they had defeated Han Feiyu and his group that day, they developed a strong sense of crisis. A robust physical body with the strength of a flood dragon and an elephant might allow them to dominate among mortals, but against those who had cultivated strands of divine power and could unleash mystical techniques and divine skills, they ultimately lacked versatility and were difficult to match.

They realized they must now cultivate diligently, open up their Sea of Bitterness, connect with the Wheel of Life, and allow their divine spring to gush forth. Only by utilizing a source of divine power could they truly become stronger, as that was the fundamental essence of a cultivator.

With this sense of crisis, both were eager to grow stronger and began to cultivate even harder. Over the next two days, Pang Bo continuously drank six bottles of Hundred Herbs Liquid, cultivating with the mystical methods recorded in the Dao Scripture. His Sea of Bitterness finally expanded. However, after drinking the seventh bottle, he immediately felt unwell. The essence and qi within his Sea of Bitterness surged wildly, causing a piercing pain as if being pricked by needles.

"Oh no, haste makes waste," Pang Bo groaned, sweating profusely and enduring with great difficulty. "The Elder of Transmitted Laws said that newly initiated disciples cannot withstand the impact of too much Hundred Herbs Liquid. Distributing only one bottle every three months really does make sense..."

"I'll go get help," Ye Fan said, about to push the door open.

"No need, I can grit my teeth and get through it," Pang Bo insisted, refusing help. He endured with great difficulty for most of the day before the pain slowly subsided. He then smiled wryly, "It seems you can only eat a meal one bite at a time and walk a path one step at a time. Ordinary disciples drink one bottle every three months, and I, an Immortal Seed, drank six or seven in two days. That's already defying nature."

At this point, Pang Bo showed a strange expression. "You've also drunk six or seven bottles, but why don't you feel any pain? Instead, your essence, qi, and spirit are becoming fuller. What's going on? Is there still no ripple in your Sea of Bitterness?"

Ye Fan shook his head. His Wheel of Life and Sea of Bitterness remained completely silent, without a single ripple. The only benefit he gained from cultivating the Dao Scripture was that his spirit and vitality grew increasingly abundant.

"You've drunk six or seven bottles with no abnormalities at all. It seems you're still well within your tolerance range. Ye Fan, keep increasing the dosage; perhaps it will produce some peculiar effects."

"How can I do that?" Ye Fan replied. "It would be a waste for me to drink any more Hundred Herbs Liquid with this constitution of mine. Rather than that, it would be better for you to use it for your breakthroughs, so your divine spring can gush forth sooner and you can reach a higher realm."

"Don't worry," Pang Bo said. "Since they've identified me as an Immortal Seed, they certainly won't withhold this Hundred Herbs Liquid in the future. Old Man Wu Qingfeng has said more than once that a cultivator's state of mind is very important. The fact that he knew my potential but didn't want me to develop a sense of superiority, and sent me to Spirit Void Cliff to learn cultivation, speaks volumes. The current situation is definitely meant to temper my character. I believe everything will change in the future, and Hundred Herbs Liquid will certainly not be scarce."

Pang Bo's words made sense, so Ye Fan no longer declined. There was no need for pleasantries or formality between them, and they began consuming large quantities of Hundred Herbs Liquid.

One bottle, two bottles, three bottles... Ye Fan silently circulated the mystical methods recorded in the Dao Scripture. At this moment, he didn't feel any abnormality himself, but a peculiar transformation was slowly taking place within his body...