I Practice Farming While the Rest Cultivates

Within the abandoned palace.

Lu Xuan’s figure darted across like a stream of light.

He had detected something amiss in this secret land as early as his time in the medicine garden.

From the anomaly of the spiritual seeds, he learns that the fifth-rank Longevity Pan Peach has been affected by mysterious energy for a long period, thereby mutated into a Strange Longevity Peach.

This clearly indicates the existence of a peculiar force in the secret land, and it is not an ordinary one at that.

After entering the Jade House, the four treasures incited much competition, but Lu Xuan also discerned something mysterious within.

Rather than saying that the prohibitions were sealing the four treasures, it was more accurate to say that they were sealing the countless black gases that lay beneath.

The four treasures, judging from their unusual external features, functioned respectively in absorbing, suppressing, and refining the black gases. Combining these aspects, it implies that within the black gas at the bottom hides an incredibly powerful, peculiar existence. Breaking the prohibition and taking out the treasures would naturally release this peculiar aura.

Lu Xuan did not offer it a chance to recover its strength. He directly activated the Five-Rank “Pure Yang True Fire Talisman,” and used the remnant soul of the golden crow inside to release the pure yang flames, which were of absolute positivity and firmness, to incinerate this peculiar aura.

As for using the precious opportunity of the golden crow remnant soul in the secret land in such a manner, Lu Xuan did not feel much regret. After all, he could recharge it with the pure yang flames afterward.

Most importantly, preserving his life takes precedence.

During the process of leaving the deserted island, Lu Xuan discovered the figures of many family cultivators and loose cultivators on the island.

He found a remote corner, removed the Fourth Grade Mask of a Thousand Shadows, and resumed his ordinary identity as a Spirit Plant Master.

Without further delay, he passed directly through the broken water wall and returned to the Song Family’s Treasure Ship.

“Uncle Lu, you’re finally out!”

Upon catching sight of Lu Xuan, Song Yu, the head of the Song Family, immediately relaxed.

Even though he had great confidence in Lu Xuan, he had always been uneasy at heart.

If Lu Xuan were to encounter an accident in the secret land and suffer serious injuries or even fall, it would be difficult for him to answer to the Sky Sword Sect.

“Hmm, I survived by a hair’s breadth,” Lu Xuan sat down and calmly said. Uncle Lu, did you find anything fortuitous in the secret land?” Song Yu

inquired with a hint of probing.

“There were too many cultivators at the Foundation Establishment stage Moreover, many of them were far more advanced than me. It’s already quite fortunate to have escaped safely.

As for fortuitous encounters, I merely dealt with a few third-rank demonic beasts and obtained some spiritual medicine and spiritual seeds,” Lu Xuan casually said.

He gave a detailed account to the cultivators from the Song Family about the Ice Illusion Toad and the Strange Stone Array, hoping to spare them some detours when they entered.

‘Daoist Song, I did not expect to see you again outside the secret land,” Not long after Lu Xuan returned, Shi Zhong and Zhou Bing Yu both arrived, their expressions visibly relaxed upon seeing Lu Xuan.

“Friend Lu, where did you go after passing through the stone maze? How come we could not find any trace of you?” After exchanging their experiences in the secret land, Zhou Bing Yu asked curiously.

“After painstakingly finding my way out of that strange stone array, I originally planned to directly enter the palace and rendezvous with you two to search for treasures.

“However, something unexpected occurred. The spirit bug that I usually raise suddenly reacted abnormally.”

“I followed the direction pointed out by the spirit bug and entered a remote medicine garden, where I discovered quite a few spirit drugs and spirit seeds,” Lu Xuan said without batting an eye.

“After thoroughly searching the medicine garden, the timing for entering the palace was already much later than the majority of the cultivators, so I only roamed the lower floors of the palace.”

“Afterwards, I wanted to go above to see the core areas, but I accidentally discovered that in one of the pathways, more than one Foundation Establishment cultivator had perished. There was a powerfully fluctuating aura above the palace. After weighing the pros and cons several times, I had to reluctantly give up and turn to other parts of the secret land to hunt demon beasts and search for spiritual medicine,” Lu Xuan said half-truthfully.

“We indeed stayed on the top floor of the palace for quite some time,” Shi Zhong lightly nodded.

“Both of you, worthy of being the cream of the crop from renowned sects, could seize opportunities and treasures from cultivators in the middle of the Foundation Establishment stage, even with just the cultivation base of the early phase of the Foundation Establishment stage.”

“I wonder what kind of opportunities and treasures the two of you obtained inside? Could you give Lu someone a chance to learn from them?” Lu Xuan praised, before inquiring.

Friend Lu, you flatter us.” A subtle hint of awkwardness flashed across Shi Zhong’s eyes.

“Although we two ventured into the core area of the secret land together, our strength was among the weakest compared to several other cultivators. Despite our best efforts, we still couldn’t outcompete those powerful loose cultivators in the middle and late stages of Foundation Establishment,”

Is that so, then it is quite a pity,” Lu Xuan said, his tone filled with regret.

“The treasures were just within our reach, but we missed them by a hair’s breadth. Both of you, sigh…”

“It’S a shame that I, with my low cultivation base, didn’t have the qualifications to compete for the treasures. Otherwise, had I joined forces with both of you, we might have been able to seize one or two high-grade treasures,” he ultimately sighed.

Friend Lu, having this consideration already speaks volumes,” Shi Zhong gently said.

“Regarding the regret, it is unavoidable but still bearable. After all, the gap in strength is too vast. We also have quite a few treasures on hand, so we are not that desperate.”

The most important thing is to save our lives.”

“Friend Lu, you have no idea how critical the situation was at that time. Apart from us two, the rest were all cultivators in the middle to late stages of Foundation Establishment.”

There was one particularly despicable person, who appeared to be at the same stage as us, but in reality, held a powerful sword talisman capable of easily slaying middle-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators. He dealt with a middle-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator in just a single encounter!” Shi Zhong said through gritted teeth, finding the unknown cultivator’s feigned weakness to mislead others highly objectionable.

“A sword talisman capable of easily slaying those in the middle stage of Foundation Establishment? Even in the Sky Sword Sect, it is a rare treasure. I didn’t expect it to appear here in this Secret Land,” Lu Xuan chimed in, his heart seeing Shi Zhong’s attitude as envy and jealousy.

“Who knows what the result of their fight was in the end? Who did the four treasures ultimately go to…”

“Seeing the might of the pure white flames at the end, quite a few cultivators must have perished,” Shi Zhong lightly sighed.

“According to what Shi Daoist said, more than one cultivator in the middle to late stages of Foundation Establishment perished in the secret land,” Lu Xuan lightly shook his head.

“The secret land is indeed too dangerous. For someone like me, it is more suitable to cultivate spiritual plants and raise spirit beasts,” A trace of lingering fear crossed his face as he self-deprecatingly said, seemingly very grateful for safely returning from the secret land, it’s as if he picked up an extra life.

“Most of the main things in the secret land have been found out already, even if we reenter, we can only hunt some demon beasts and obtain some spiritual medicine and materials. It’s better not to nurture any unrealistic expectations,” Shi Zhong concluded.

Friend Lu, both of us need to go back and recuperate for a while. After some time, when the fluctuations in the secret land calm down, we’ll look for you again to go fishing for sea fish and sea beasts.”

“Oh right, there’s also the Spirit Gathering True Liquid that I promised you before. We found it on a small island just before entering the secret land. It’s a good opportunity to give it to you now,” Shi Zhong took out a bottle of clear spirit liquid from his storage bag.