Mortals get a golden finger for immortal cultivation every year

Chapter 521 Each Makes Their Own Choice
"Are we just going to stay here and let them get that sacred herb?"

When Zhao Shuang led everyone onto the island, the hidden saints gathered together again, their voices filled with resentment.

After all, they went through countless hardships and paid a heavy price to get here. It can be said that every one of them who was able to get here was backed by the sacrifices of their companions and relatives.

Under these circumstances, they were unwilling to leave just because of Zhao Shuang's words. Although they were wary of Zhao Shuang's existence, they also believed that there must be something on this island left behind by the Great Sage who could deal with Zhao Shuang.

This was also the source of their confidence in staying; they relied on what the Great Sage had left behind on this island. They were also certain that it wouldn't be easy for Zhao Shuang to obtain that 100,000-year-old sacred herb; otherwise, wouldn't the restrictions left by the Great Sage be useless? They also absolutely didn't believe that Zhao Shuang could handle the restrictions left by the Great Sage.

"It's pointless to say all this now. What we need to do is get onto the island. He's already on the island, and if we don't go now, we might really miss out. If we can get that sacred herb first and then leave, what can he do, no matter how strong he is? Maybe we can use the island's restrictions to keep him here permanently. We might even be able to kill him here and get everything he has. It's said that he's the reincarnation of a god. If we can get his divine soul, even just a fragment, we'll have a chance to become gods in the future. Are you really willing to give up like this? I certainly am not."

These are the words of a Saint of the Tongtian Realm from the Black Market's First-Class Hall. This Saint doesn't have much time left before he dies of old age, which is why he is determined to fight to the death.

He knew very well that even if he didn't perish on this island or at Zhao Shuang's hands, he wouldn't live much longer. Therefore, he had to seize every opportunity, even the slightest glimmer of hope. If he had made a move earlier, he would have certainly died, but now, as long as he entered the island, he would have a way to live, a chance to survive.

This was his only chance, and he had to seize it; otherwise, death would be his only fate.

“That’s right, we absolutely cannot let him get that sacred herb. If we do, his strength will surely increase greatly in the future, and with his ambition, he might even seize the Empress’s throne. Compared to the Empress, his personality is far too cruel. Those of us who have offended him, our families and sects, will definitely not have a good end. So, under no circumstances can we let him leave here alive.” Another saint spoke up, and his words were even more threatening. He was also the vice leader of a major sect with a grudge against Zhao Shuang.

Of course, Zhao Shuang probably didn't even remember who he was, and wouldn't care about his words. To Zhao Shuang, these guys entering the island were simply courting death; he didn't need to pay them any attention.

The dangers encountered on this island far outweigh any dangers encountered before.

Under these circumstances, Zhao Shuang naturally wouldn't care about the lives or deaths of these guys.

Because these guys pose no threat to him whatsoever. If they insist on courting death, he won't have any objections. He's already said what he should and shouldn't have said. If they insist on courting death again, then it's none of his business.

"You can go if you want, but I will absolutely not go. Not only is the Heavenly King on this island, but there are also restrictions left by the Great Sage. Going into the island is just courting death."

A female saint spoke up. She was a beautiful woman who still retained her charm. After witnessing Zhao Shuang's actions, she completely lost her desire to obtain the 100,000-year-old holy medicine. Since she still had more than 200 years of life left, she didn't need to worry about dying in the short term. Therefore, she chose to leave.

“Mrs. Qiao, if you give up like this, you will miss this tremendous opportunity.”

"Even if this is an incredible opportunity, you need the strength to seize it. And I don't want to lose my life here. Neither the Heavenly King's strength nor the restrictions left behind by the Great Sage are something we can't possibly overcome. If the Heavenly King hadn't come, perhaps we would still have hope, but now there's absolutely no hope. You all know the Heavenly King's reputation and strength; he even killed a Saint King, let alone us. Besides, the Heavenly King has already made it clear that he will obtain the sacred medicine on this island at any cost. If we compete with him, what's the difference between that and courting death? If you want to die, don't drag me down with you; I don't want to stay here with you."

After saying this, the beautiful woman left without hesitation, as if fearing that even a second's hesitation would mean certain death. Following her departure, the others seemed to find their reason as well, silently leaving without further discussion. Their thoughts were similar to the woman's; they didn't want to die. They still had two or three hundred years left to live, and there was no need to waste them in such a place. Moreover, not only did they have two or three hundred years left to live, but their cultivation levels had also reached at least the Transcendent Realm. Under these circumstances, their future held infinite hope, and there was even less reason to waste their lives here. Those who chose to stay were those with limited lifespans who wanted to fight to the death.

Because if they didn't choose to fight to the death, they would also face certain death, leaving them with no other choice.

Within just five or six minutes, only five or six saints remained willing to risk entering the island, because they were all beings whose lifespans were about to run out.

In other words, they had absolutely no choice; they either awaited death or fought to the death. If they succeeded, they might become Saint Kings; if they failed, they would still face certain death.

In this situation, they had no choice at all.

So, after discussing it, these five or six saints gritted their teeth and entered the island.

Upon entering, they were immediately struck by lightning. This strike was devastating; two of the weaker Saints perished instantly, their bodies completely destroyed, leaving only a Saintly Artifact behind. The artifact was then collected by the surviving Saints.

It's too late for them to regret leaving now; they have to grit their teeth and keep going.

At the same time, Zhao Shuang led everyone to a forest filled with the fragrance of flowers. The forest was filled with the fragrance of flowers, but there were no flowers in sight. The fragrance was all coming from the leaves of the trees.

"Hold your breath, everyone. This is the Flowerless Illusion Tree, one of the Eight Illusion Trees. Its fragrance has the ability to induce illusions, meaning that as long as you inhale it, you will see all sorts of illusions. If you get too deeply immersed in the illusion, you will kill yourself, so you must be careful." After Zhao Shuang finished speaking, the others used various methods to seal off their five senses to avoid getting too deeply immersed in the illusion.

Even so, the weakest of the female saints saw a sacred herb. It was a sacred herb with three colors, very similar to a lingzhi mushroom, but much larger, a full meter in size, radiating a three-colored glow.

Following her reminder, the others also saw this sacred herb. However, Zhao Shuang shook her head and said...

"This is fake. Don't believe it. Everything here could be fake, so you absolutely cannot trust anything, or you won't even know how you died. There are still restrictions left behind by the Great Sage here. Once you touch them, it could cost you your lives. So you must be careful."

After saying this, Zhao Shuang continued to lead the way, and soon they discovered many more sacred herbs, but they did not pick any of them because they were afraid they were illusions.

After walking for about half an hour, they finally left the illusionary forest. Beyond the forest lay a vast medicinal garden, over a thousand acres in size. The garden was surrounded by a fence covered with vines, and within it, medicinal herbs grew densely, including rare and precious herbs that were difficult to find elsewhere. There were crimson berries, herbs resembling red-crowned cranes, and vibrant, colorful flowers; a gentle breeze carried an incredibly rich medicinal fragrance.

"Young master, we've finally arrived! This is a medicinal garden left behind by a founding master of alchemy. If we can harvest all of them, our strength will definitely increase greatly, and we will surely be able to break through to the Great Saint realm within a hundred years."

At this moment, Gu Songzi was probably the happiest person. He couldn't help but laugh out loud and made a promise to help Zhao Shuang break through to the Great Sage realm within a hundred years. However, Zhao Shuang shook his head and said...

"If I were to break through to the Great Sage realm within a hundred years, I don't know how horribly I would die. A hundred years is too long, far too long. I simply cannot wait that long."

What Gu Songzi said about a hundred years actually meant that it would take at least eighty or ninety years to break through to the Great Sage realm. However, Zhao Shuang was very clear about what they would face next, so there was no time like a hundred years for them to wait.

"Even if you are a reincarnation of a god, breaking through to the Great Sage realm is not an easy thing. In the history of the Kunlun Realm, very few people have been able to break through to the Great Sage realm within a hundred years. Even the former Empress Qian Gu, and even the current Empress, have not broken through to the Great Sage realm within a hundred years."

Gu Songzi is now extremely loyal to Zhao Shuang.

"I have at most thirty years. Within thirty years, I must break through to the Great Sage realm, and within fifty years, I must break through to the God realm. Only in this way can I gain a sliver of hope for the Kunlun Realm. If I cannot even do this, then it is almost impossible for the Kunlun Realm to have any hope at all. Of course, the hope of the Kunlun Realm does not rest solely on me, but also on others, such as my younger brother. He can also gain some hope for the Kunlun Realm. Of course, our Empress also has hope, but achieving this will not be an easy task."

Zhao Shuang's words immediately dampened everyone's initial joy. They believed Zhao Shuang's words wholeheartedly, but it was precisely because they believed that they felt distressed, because they knew very well that if that time came, Zhao Shuang would die, let alone them.

They could accept their own deaths, but the Kunlun Realm was destined for destruction, something they absolutely did not want to see.

"Alright, I was just saying that casually. Although the Kunlun Realm is about to face a great calamity, as long as we unite as one, we can still seize a glimmer of hope. But the prerequisite is that we need to improve our strength, otherwise we won't even know how we died. Now is the best time to improve our strength. Gu Songzi, you take them to pick these sacred herbs, and I also need to go to a place."

Gu Songzi naturally obeyed Zhao Shuang's orders without question. Although he really wanted to find that 100,000-year-old sacred medicine, he knew that he had no choice in the face of Zhao Shuang's orders, so he immediately agreed.

"Young master, rest assured, leave them to me. But you must be careful with that 100,000-year-old sacred herb. After all, I have not yet detected the aura of that 100,000-year-old sacred herb, and I do not know where that Great Sage has hidden it. So please be extra careful and do not be careless in any way."

Gu Songzi offered another reminder.

"Don't worry about that. Others may not know where that 100,000-year-old sacred herb is, but I know it very well. So just relax and take them to pick other sacred herbs. You don't need to worry about anything else."

After saying this, Zhao Shuang went straight into the herb garden.

As soon as he entered the herb garden, he was met with an incredibly powerful lightning attack. This lightning attack was so terrifying that even an ordinary Saint of the Heavenly Realm would only face certain death.

But it had no effect on Zhao Shuang at all. He simply waved his hand and unleashed a beam of holy light, instantly destroying it and making it disappear completely.

This scene astonished the others, but they quickly recovered, knowing full well that with his abilities, achieving this was effortless and there was nothing to worry about. However, Zhao Shuang's situation served as a warning, reminding them that the herb garden was not a safe place; one wrong move and they could truly die, without a proper burial.

(End of this chapter)