Chapter 30: The Little Medicine Kings

"Back when I was traveling the Central Continent, I made quite a name for myself. If it weren't for someone publicizing my aphrodisiac properties, which forced me to seek refuge in Dao Seeking Sect, I’d still be out there traveling."

"The person who traveled with me was a highly respected powerful figure among humans, known as Layman Shuiyue. When he brought me to Dao Seeking Sect, he even mentioned he would write about me in his book, ensuring I would be remembered by all."

Layman Shuiyue was a renowned traveler of the Central Continent, fond of exploration and journeys. His footsteps graced the Central Continent, the Demon Realm, the Buddhist Kingdom, and more, leaving behind legends wherever he went.

Legend has it that he served as a historian in the Great Xia Dynasty, meticulously documenting Emperor Xia's romantic liaisons among the populace and the number of his illegitimate children.

In the Demon Realm, he was abducted by a Dragon Princess. He eloped when forced into marriage and was pursued all the way to the Buddhist Kingdom.

In the Buddhist Kingdom, he impersonated a monk and engaged in deception. Whenever someone found a logical flaw or posed an unanswerable question, he would simply declare, "The Buddha says it cannot be spoken of." This phrase later became widely popular in the Buddhist Kingdom.

Layman Shuiyue compiled his experiences and observations into books, which were quite popular in the cultivation world.

Although no ancient texts explicitly documented Layman Shuiyue's cultivation level, Lu Yang figured it must have been considerably high—anyone with slightly less power would have been killed long ago.

The Ginseng Doll was an excellent teacher. Many of the stories it recounted were personal experiences from its past. In fact, several herbs in the medicine garden had been discovered by it and Layman Shuiyue during their travels. Lu Yang listened with keen interest, nodding along.

The person and the ginseng arrived at a small hut built from flowers and plants. The closer they approached, the more Lu Yang could feel the almost tangible life force emanating from within, which made his heart pound.

"Something's wrong!" Lu Yang clutched his chest, his body trembling uncontrollably.

*Thump, thump, thump...* Lu Yang's heartbeat accelerated rapidly, as if countless tiny insects were buzzing endlessly around his ears.

Listening closely, a chill ran through Lu Yang's heart and down his spine. It wasn't the sound of tiny insects at all; it was countless voices speaking inside his body!

The voices claimed they were trapped inside his body, demanding to leave, to leave...

The Ginseng Doll was the first to notice Lu Yang's distress, shouting, "Hey, hey, hey, an outsider's here! You guys, pay attention, quickly retract your life force!"

Lu Yang circulated his cultivation technique, calming his agitated blood, and the voices gradually faded.

Lu Yang knelt on the ground, gasping for air. None of what just happened was an illusion; there was truly something inside him. What could it be?!

The Ginseng Doll put down the ethereal stone and wobbled over to Lu Yang, its voice apologetic.

"My apologies, I didn't realize you haven't reached the Nascent Soul stage yet."

Unlike humans, Medicine Kings don't cultivate based on cultivation level but on their age. The Ginseng Doll couldn't discern Lu Yang's cultivation level; it simply found him pleasant.

"What was that just now?" Lu Yang asked, still shaken, as if he had just returned from the Nine Nether Hells.

"Little Ba and the Demoness have such high cultivation among your human race that I overlooked the impact of our life force on you."

"Our life force is so robust that it's enough to cause every one of your organs to develop its own will, transforming them into new, independent entities. You will only be unaffected by our life force once you reach the Nascent Soul stage, with fully developed acupoints and an impervious golden body."

Hearing the Ginseng Doll, countless three-inch-tall herbs hopped and skipped to Lu Yang's side.

"Ginseng King, is this a human? Why is he so small?"

"What do you mean 'so small'? He's clearly as tall as us. Are you small yourself?"

"It must be a spell! Human spells are quite magical. What's strange about changing size? I've even seen spells that change gender or transform people into demons."

"This person's cultivation doesn't seem very high. Hasn't he reached the gestation period?"

"What gestation period? King Lin, your memory is getting worse. It's called the Nascent Soul stage."

"He seems unable to stand steadily. Let's carry him into the hut."

The small Medicine Kings chattered amongst themselves in low voices, their buzzing making his ears uncomfortable.

They lifted Lu Yang over their heads and carried him into the hut built from flowers and plants.

The Dao Comprehension Tree King stood outside, scratching its trunk, its leaves rustling. It was too large to fit inside the hut.

Only upon entering the hut did Lu Yang realize it wasn't built from flowers and plants, but from ancient wood. Under the influence of the small Medicine Kings' life force, the ancient wood had rejuvenated, sprouting new leaves and vibrant flowers that completely obscured its original appearance.

Lu Yang felt much better. He slowly stood up and tried to identify the Medicine Kings.

As luck would have it, he didn't recognize a single one.

"Human, what is your name?" asked a small, entirely silver blade of grass with three tender leaves. Speckles of starlight adorned its leaves, resembling a miniature universe.

"This junior is Lu Yang. May I ask who Senior is?" Lu Yang asked politely. By age, the small Medicine Kings were not only his seniors but also the seniors of everyone in Dao Seeking Sect.

"That's the Three-Leaf Star Herb; we all call it Star King," another small Medicine King quickly interjected. This one was a seven-colored flower, its petals displaying the five colors of the Five Elements. The flower's center was divided into black and white, with a white speck in the black and a black speck in the white, forming a Taiji symbol. It resembled an exquisite ink wash painting, incredibly beautiful and captivating.

"I am the Flower of Temporal Demise. You can just call me King Terminus. Everyone says I'm the most beautiful flower, but I believe that's just jealousy of my charm, an attempt to kill me with praise. As a humble Medicine King, I'd say I'm only the second most beautiful flower in the world..." The Flower of Temporal Demise babbled on incessantly.

Lu Yang stared at the Flower of Temporal Demise for two seconds, his pupils gradually widening in disbelief. Though he didn't know its appearance, he was well aware of its formidable reputation.

"The Flower of Temporal Demise—is that the one rumored to bloom in its most magnificent form only when the world ends and all living beings are annihilated, even freezing time itself?!"

Lu Yang's reaction was understandable. Ancient texts recorded that the blooming of the Flower of Temporal Demise was equivalent to the end of the world, a complete upheaval for the entire realm.

Yet, according to historical records, no such cataclysmic event had ever occurred in the world!

The Flower of Temporal Demise scratched its nectar thoughtfully. "Someone did say that," it mused, "but I recall blooming during a very peaceful time when everyone was getting along. I didn't see any disaster. Perhaps the stories about my blooming are just rumors."

Just as Lu Yang was about to ask another question, he heard another small Medicine King speak.

"Lu Yang, what are you doing in the medicine garden? Did Little Ba send you to pick herbs?" asked a small jade-green Qilin, exquisitely carved like a piece of jade, appearing utterly unworldly.

Lu Yang was startled once more. "A Qilin?!"

What was a Qilin? They were the most mysterious of all demonic beasts, almost impossible to find even one or two in the entire world, far rarer than cultivators at the Tribulation Crossing stage. Their traces were only mentioned in fragmented ancient texts. How could Dao Seeking Sect possess one?

The profound heritage of Dao Seeking Sect was terrifying, far exceeding Lu Yang's imagination.

The Ginseng Doll explained, "That's the Qilin Undying Herb. Its current form is its Dharma Aspect. Your cultivation isn't high enough yet. Once you reach the Soul Transformation stage and cultivate a Heavenly Eye, you'll be able to see its true form."