Perfection: I have a Tree of Ten Thousand Paths

Chapter 58 The Herb Garden (Please continue reading! A 6000-word chapter!)

Qi Shi'an and Shi Hao were discussing the ultimate realm of the cave heaven, while Huo Ling'er listened in a daze. What the two were saying sounded utterly absurd to her.

But she had to admit that what they said seemed to make some sense. After all, there was someone right in front of her who had successfully entered this path, which proved the feasibility of the ten grotto heavens merging into one.

Shi Hao murmured, "So that's it, the belief of living in the face of death?"

Seeing Shi Hao's seemingly enlightened expression, Qi Shi'an couldn't help but smile faintly. He believed that it wouldn't be long before Shi Hao would break through to this realm.

Flames danced around them as the nine-headed lion, the great red bird, and others feasted on the roasted ape. The golden chunks of meat emitted a rich aroma, and the group of remnants almost bit their tongues off.

The giant ape, over ten meters tall and robust, left behind a great deal of flesh and medicinal treasures, but these remnants ate it until they were stuffed, leaving not even bones behind.

The stewing fat relic meat and the roasted green-feathered elephant bird meat slowly released their aroma.

Qi Shi'an, Shi Hao, Huo Ling'er, and several sealers showed no regard for appearances; their translucent flesh melted in their mouths, delicious and fragrant.

Shi Hao wanted to eat and drink to his heart's content, storing up more essence to break through to the realm of unity with the celestial realm, while Qi Shi'an was also enjoying a hearty meal.

Finally, Huo Ling'er couldn't take it anymore and couldn't eat anymore. Especially that hateful little bean, who kept reminding her to lose weight while she was eating because her breasts were too high and her butt was too big, which made her furious and angry.

In the end, even the sealers dared not eat any more. Although they were powerful, they could not digest so many precious medicines.

"Waste is shameful!"

Qi Shi'an and Shi Hao said in unison, and then continued to eat heartily, devouring the remaining golden-brown roasted bird body and fat relic. During this time, they also continuously refined their essence and forced it into their flesh and blood.

The group of people stared in disbelief, unable to comprehend how two such small bodies could possibly consume so much food!

Even the nine-headed lion, the big red bird, the sable and other remnants were terrified, their appetites were much larger than their own, and were completely disproportionate to their size.

"No wonder those two drooled as soon as they saw us. We really need to stay away from them in the future. If they get hungry one day, they might just swallow us whole."

A group of remnant species secretly wiped away cold sweat. They even suspected that the two teenagers were using them all as reserve food, to be eaten when they ran out of food.

Qi Shi'an rubbed his round belly and said contentedly, "Ah, this was so satisfying! If it weren't for the fact that I can't break through from Hundred Broken Mountains, I would have already done so!"

The rules within Hundred Broken Mountains were too restrictive, preventing him from directly breaking through to the Spirit Transformation Realm. He could only refine all his essence into his flesh and blood to further enhance his physical strength.

"My current essence is not enough. I need more spiritual herbs to surpass the limit!" Shi Hao said angrily, his eyes burning with rage.

The large red bird asked in confusion, "Aren't you already at the tenth level of the Heavenly Realm? How can you possibly surpass this level?!"

"You wouldn't understand even if I told you! The Ten Heavens are your limit, not mine!" Shi Hao said confidently.

Looking at his radiant, confident face, everyone was speechless. Beyond the Cave Heaven?

They had never even heard of it. The Earthly Cave Heaven Realm was already the strongest Cave Heaven Realm they knew of; there was no other way, unless—

They seemed to have thought of something, and their eyes all turned straight to Qi Shi'an!

They had seen the grotto-heaven that Qi Shi'an had created, and it seemed to be different from what they knew.

While it's said to be ten grotto-heavens, they're connected into a divine ring; while it's not quite ten grotto-heavens, his strength easily crushes everyone in the grotto-heaven realm.

"Why are you all staring at me?" Qi Shi'an wiped the grease from his mouth.

"you----"

The words were on the tip of everyone's tongue, but they didn't know what to say.

Qi Shi'an knew what they wanted to know, but what good would it do to tell them this path? How many people would dare to walk it? How many could actually walk it? A slight misstep could lead to certain death.

Many beings cultivate simply to live longer; not everyone has the courage to risk their lives and act on matters of life and death.

Qi Shi'an said calmly, "You guys should just focus on your cultivation. Why think so much? The path to transcendence is not one you can walk."

"You have truly transcended this realm?"

Everyone was incredibly shocked and wanted confirmation, because this was something that had not been recorded in ancient books, and now there was someone before them who seemed to surpass even the sages of ancient and modern times!

"Transcending life and death, surpassing limits, the great path can now be followed!"

Qi Shi'an did not give a definite answer, but his words confirmed what everyone was thinking.

This young man before us has truly surpassed the sages of the past; in the realm of the Cave Heaven, no one can rival him! Even Shi Yi is probably far inferior!

"By the way, Xiao An, there should be some benefits after your breakthrough, right?"

Shi Hao's eyes were so bright that Qi Shi'an could hardly look directly at him.

"After breaking through the unique grotto-heaven, the body also becomes a grotto-heaven, capable of actively absorbing external spiritual energy to nourish the body," Qi Shi'an said with a smile.

Shi Hao's eyes widened in surprise. "So, you're cultivating all the time?!"

"That's right. Besides, each of the ten grotto-heavens can cultivate a unique and powerful technique within their own grotto-heaven," Qi Shi'an said proudly. "And the unique grotto-heaven, by commanding ten with a single command, cultivates its own unique and supreme divine power!"

Upon hearing this, everyone was shocked. How could a unique supernatural power be nurtured?! This was bound to astound even the strongest.

Moreover, they could imagine how powerful the unique divine ability would be if they collected ten supreme treasure techniques. It would be capable of destroying the heavens and the earth.

"Looking at the envious looks in your eyes, you're all pretty fearless, the only one among you who dares to face this life-or-death situation is this little one. I doubt the rest of you would dare, right?"

"If they fail, at best their cultivation will be completely destroyed, and unless they obtain a miraculous elixir, there will be no cure; at worst, they will die and their cultivation will be extinguished!"

"Don't just think about the benefits; also consider whether you have the qualifications and the courage!"

Qi Shi'an's words were not an exaggeration. He himself almost lost his life. If it weren't for his tenacious willpower and the Myriad Dao Tree, he would have survived long ago and would be buried somewhere by now.

Among this group, no one but Shi Hao could succeed. The first step, the Ten Cave Heavens, alone stumped many people, not to mention the excruciating pain of the Ten Cave Heavens merging into one.

The group fell into deep thought. They knew the child was right; none of them were qualified to embark on the path of transcendence. They might not even reach the level of the Tenth Heaven, let alone transcend it.

As the night deepened, it took them a long time to calm down, but they kept thinking about what Qi Shi'an had said earlier that day.

They were unwilling to give up. If they hadn't known, it would have been fine, but now that they not only knew, but there was also a successful example in front of them, no one wanted to give it a shot.

The following day, the sun, which was transformed from the corpse of the ancient golden crow, rose from the horizon, shining down through a hazy mist and casting a dim light.

"Let's set off for the Hundred Herbs Garden! For the sake of the spiritual herbs, for the sake of collecting the medicinal formulas, and for the sake of devouring the Golden-Winged Roc, let's head towards those herb gardens!" Shi Hao shouted with great enthusiasm.

"So passionate?"

Qi Shi'an smiled helplessly, saying that Shi Hao's words had gotten him all fired up.

A group of people grimaced, but none of them left, because they were all thinking about the rare and precious medicine and the Ten Heavenly Caves.

This ancient small world has many special places, such as the land where saints fell, the forbidden zone of celestial bones, and the ruins of treasures. Many geniuses who entered it are scattered in all directions.

The Hundred Herbs Garden is the spiritual herb field of this ancient small world. It is said that it is full of spiritual herbs, many of which are rare treasures. There are even rumors that there may be sacred herbs there!

But besides the elixirs, there is also a mysterious field there that can imprison magical techniques and easily shred the bodies of living beings, making it extremely dangerous.

Qi Shi'an had to go to the Heavenly Bone Forbidden Zone because there lay the important treasure left to him by Supreme Luo Xiu—the complete Ten Fierce Treasure Techniques!

This is the most powerful of the Ten Fierce Treasure Techniques. The Luo Xiu Supreme's family was largely destroyed because of this.

However, no one could have imagined that Luo Xiu would not pass on such precious techniques to his clan members. Perhaps he had foreseen what would happen next, and therefore did not leave behind the inheritance of the Ten Fierce Techniques.

Therefore, he absolutely had to go to the Heavenly Bone Forbidden Zone.

"What's there to be afraid of? I'm invincible within the Hundred Broken Mountains!" Qi Shi'an said confidently.

"No, it's the two of us within Hundred Broken Mountains who are invincible!"

"Don't you want to eat chicken stew with mushrooms? Now that we have the Golden-Winged Roc, where will we pick the mushrooms? The Hundred Herb Garden, of course!"

Shi Hao's passionate speech and Qi Shi'an's confident response left the group in a dilemma. That place was definitely a blood-stained demon land, a place from which there was no return. They didn't have the strength of these two kids.

"We can help you get to the Hundred Herbs Garden, but only from the outside."

The nine-headed lion told the truth: he didn't want to go into that demonic land to die; he didn't have the strength for that yet.

"I've heard that only those with extremely strong physical bodies can enter that place. Historically, only pure-blooded ancient offspring dare to go in in search of heaven-defying opportunities."

One of the sealers beside Huo Ling'er spoke the truth, without any exaggeration.

"What?!"

Upon hearing the name of the Primordial Relic Cub, Shi Hao's eyes lit up with excitement: "The Primordial Relic Cub is my favorite!"

"Perfect timing! Let's catch a few to keep in captivity, and eat the ones that misbehave!"

Qi Shi'an blinked his big eyes and grinned.

The group of people were speechless. While other creatures avoided them like the plague, these two were eager to get closer.

But they also began to feel sad for those ancient remnants; anything that these two incredibly cruel guys set their sights on, they could get.

"These two are powerful enough, no less so than those pure-blooded creatures. Besides, given what happened yesterday, it might be another massacre once we go in," Huo Ling'er muttered to herself.

Upon hearing this, the big red bird's eyes gleamed with a wicked light, and it pounced forward, wrapping its wings around Shi Hao's arm: "Take this with you—"

"Have you thought it through? Let me take you with me?" Shi Hao said with a smile.

"How could that be? I'd definitely be eaten by a pureblood beast if I went in." The big red bird shook its head vigorously.

"What I meant was, bring my pot. You two are so ruthless, you'll definitely be able to kill and eat an ancient cub. I don't ask for anything else, just give me some soup later."

The big red bird thought to itself that it only wanted to rely on people in this life, not on itself. As long as it clung to the legs of these two vicious children, it would surely have good food and drink in the future, without having to do any work. It would be a perfect bird life.

"when!"

Shi Hao picked up its black pot and slammed it onto the back of its head.

"I'll put up with you!"

The big red bird wanted to fight you, but after thinking about it carefully, it realized it wasn't realistic. In order to avoid being eaten, it could only swallow its anger in the end.

After leaving the ruins, they headed towards the Hundred Herbs Garden. The sight of such a powerful group of people frightened many creatures along the way, causing them to flee.

However, a very few powerful beings coveted them, staring at them intently and wanting to attack several times.

Not to be outdone, Shi Hao roared loudly at the terrifying eyes in the darkness. His voice was like thunder, and the terrifying creatures in the dense forest ultimately dared not step forward and chose to retreat.

Qi Shi'an originally wanted to take direct action and kill the pure-blooded creature on the spot, but their goal for this trip was the Hundred Herbs Garden, so this matter had to be the priority.

He spared all creatures that did not actually attack them.

The closer the group got to the Hundred Herbs Garden, the more pure-blooded creatures they encountered; they had already sensed several similar beings.

Although they were still some distance from the Hundred Herbs Garden, they could already feel its sacred aura; the surrounding vegetation was lush and the trees towered into the sky.

The mountains and forests were lush and verdant. Standing on a high ground, they looked out and saw that the misty air was rising and flowing, and the Hundred Herbs Garden was like a pure land, peaceful and serene.

"Snap!"

Suddenly, a strange sound came from the mountains, and they felt a chilling killing intent that sent shivers down their spines.

Everyone turned to look, for in the primeval forest a ferocious creature was staring at them with chilling eyes.

It has three heads: the middle one is a human head with long, blood-red hair; the left shoulder has a roc head covered with golden feathers; and the right shoulder has a devil head covered with black scales. It has a bizarre appearance.

This creature was five meters tall and had a strong physique. Both of its hands were bleeding, and it was holding an extremely powerful ancient species, the Azure Scale Leopard, in its hands!

-

The creature's eyes were filled with extreme ferocity. It brutally tore open the Azure Scale Leopard and shoved the flesh into its mouth, swallowing it greedily with utter cruelty.

"roar!"

After quickly devouring the Azure Leopard, it threw the blood-stained bones on the ground and roared at the crowd with a voice like thunder.

"I hate it when people disturb me while I'm enjoying my food!"

The head in the middle of the creature opened its mouth, its red hair flying wildly, its eyes flashing with bloodlust, and then it pounced directly at the enemy, its murderous aura surging forth and stirring up a cloud of black mist.

Everyone's expression changed drastically. One of the sealers next to Huo Ling'er wielded a blue bone knife and slashed forward, trying to stop the creature that was rushing towards them.

However, that creature was too fast and incredibly powerful. In the blink of an eye, it was right in front of him, and with a "clang," it extended a sharp claw and struck the bone knife.

The bone knife was instantly knocked away, and the creature then pulled hard, with a "crack" sound, the sealer's forearm was separated from his body, and blood spurted out with a "plop".

The crowd gasped in surprise, never expecting this creature to be so audacious as to charge into the crowd with such domineering intent to kill.

The sealers around Huo Ling'er were all furious and attacked together. However, this creature was as swift as the wind, breaking through the encirclement and standing not far away, looking at them with cold eyes.

Qi Shi'an sensed the creature's gaze, a hint of killing intent flashing in his eyes, and glared back with a cold, chilling look.

The creature with three heads had icy eyes. It sensed the killing intent and was enraged. It immediately charged towards Qi Shi'an.

How dare such a young human harbor murderous intent towards it? It's courting death!

"How dare you!"

Qi Shi'an shouted, fearless of any enemy, and immediately pounced forward, using his physical body to meet the palm strike of the three-headed creature head-on. The runes intertwined rapidly like burning flames, kicking up a cloud of dust.

The ancient trees around them all fell down, and a three-foot-wide black crack appeared in the earth, with huge rocks shooting into the sky, causing everyone to retreat.

"Being able to withstand one of my palm strikes with your bare body, that'll be something to brag about for a while!" Qi Shi'an said with a contemptuous laugh.

Upon hearing this, the creature's face darkened, and it angrily retorted, "How dare you insult me! You have no sense of right and wrong!"

It flew into a rage, its ferocious aura surging forth, its precious radiance spreading far and wide.

Qi Shi'an chuckled, his body radiating a dazzling, blood-black light like a small sun, and suddenly unleashed a Thunder-Devouring Palm strike.

This Thunder-Devouring Palm technique incorporated the devouring power of the True Roar Treasure Technique, the sharp intent of the White Tiger Treasure Technique, and the thunderous power of the Suanni Treasure Technique. He mastered these three techniques and created his own unique divine power.

The Thunder-Devouring Palm struck the creature's chest, instantly producing a cracking sound as bones broke and blood splattered. A soul-stirring, bone-corroding demonic lightning bolt invaded the creature's body, rapidly devouring its life force.

It clutched its wound, coughing up blood, and tried to turn and run away, but Qi Shi'an would not let it go.

"burst!"

He activated the demonic lightning within the creature's body. The lightning was activated and exploded inside its body, leaving only a charred corpse lying on the ground.

"Xiao An, your use of the Thunder Dao Treasure Technique is even more underhanded than mine," Shi Hao teased.

"What kind of talk is that? I just want to keep my body intact; I can exchange it for a lot of good stuff."

Qi Shi'an couldn't help but roll his eyes. He had already shared the precious techniques he knew with Shi Hao. What he knew, Shi Hao also knew, and what Shi Hao knew, he also knew. The only difference between the two was their understanding of the precious techniques.

There's not much difference otherwise, except that he possesses the Myriad Paths Tree, making it easier for him to comprehend the true meaning of the treasure technique, and he's also stronger than ordinary people when using supernatural powers.

"By the way, what kind of creature is this?" Shi Hao stepped forward and examined it carefully.

"They should belong to the Spirit Race, and be descendants of the strongest ancient royal lineage!"

Huo Ling'er's big eyes shone brightly; her spiritual blood was extremely precious and could help people comprehend the Dao.

Upon hearing this, everyone was taken aback. No wonder this creature was so powerful; the spiritual blood within its body must be even purer.

"Human-shaped ones, just looking at them makes me lose my appetite." Shi Hao pouted.

"I think so too. Let's trade it out and exchange it for some treasures we need."

Qi Shi'an also couldn't accept humanoid beings, because they made him feel disgusted, just like eating people on Earth before he transmigrated, which was frightening and repulsive.

Upon hearing this, a group of ancient remnants were speechless. Such a powerful spirit race was being disliked simply because it was humanoid!

This is the Spirit Race! Their spiritual blood can help people comprehend the Dao. It's incredibly difficult for ordinary people to even dream of obtaining it. And now these two kids are actually looking down on it. Who would believe it if word got out?

"Hehehe, you two big brothers, if you don't want it, why don't you let me eat it? I don't mind the human form!" the big red bird said with a sly smile.

"when!"

Shi Hao grabbed its black pot and slammed it on the back of its head, angrily saying, "This is for trading for treasures, you're not allowed to eat it!"

"Junior sister, do you want this Spirit Clan corpse?"

Shi Hao immediately changed his expression to one of fawning, a speed at which even Qi Shi'an admired him.

"Then I'll trade you three spiritual herbs."

Huo Ling'er agreed. To her, these treasures that help people comprehend the Dao were the most precious, especially since the blood of the ancient royal lineage of the Spirit Clan was even more valuable.

Using three rare spiritual herbs is within an acceptable range. Even if three rare spiritual herbs are more precious, obtaining the Enlightenment Blood is already making the best use of them.

Furthermore, she could see the talent and potential of these two little ones, and making a small investment and becoming friends with them wouldn't be a bad idea.

"Okay! Let's change it that way then."

Qi Shi'an didn't care about the value of the treasure; he simply didn't want to see that humanoid spirit again.

Besides, even if the treasures obtained in exchange are not a good match, the Hundred Herbs Garden is right in front of us, so why not just go in and rob it?

He didn't want to waste time on transactions either. After clearing out the Hundred Herbs Garden, he still had to go to the Heavenly Bone Forbidden Zone to find the Nine Netherworld Treasure Bone.

With a serious expression, the sable said solemnly, "This area is terrifying. We must be careful. Anyone who dares to come to the Hundred Herbs Garden must be a top-tier expert."

Indeed, that is the case. Those who dare to come here are the strongest, and there are even pure-blooded ancient ferocious beast cubs.

They encountered an extremely powerful Spirit Race member as soon as they arrived, and there will be many more in the Hundred Herbs Garden, making the competition even more intense.

"roar!"

In the dense forest, a ferocious roar echoed, and terrifying creatures were engaged in fierce battle. Ancient trees were broken, mountains collapsed, and dust billowed, creating a truly horrifying scene.

"You should leave first, don't go into the Hundred Herbs Garden. Xiao An and I can manage." Shi Hao also showed a solemn expression.

Once inside the Hundred Herbs Garden, runes, treasures, and magical techniques become unusable, no matter how high the sealer's cultivation level; they can only rely on their physical strength.

However, there might really be ancient ferocious beast cubs lurking here. Among their group, only Shi Hao and Qi Shi'an have extremely strong physical bodies. The rest of them are not strong enough. Even if they go in, they will only become food. It is better not to go in.

The group nodded in agreement. They were well aware that this place was a battleground for those with strong physical bodies, and ordinary beings could not set foot here.

Just like the forbidden zone of celestial bones, only those with profound mastery of runes are qualified to try their luck and search for celestial bones. Otherwise, anyone else who enters will only be obliterated by the mysterious runes.

Huo Ling'er, the Nine-Headed Lion, the Big Red Bird, and others acted decisively. After agreeing on a meeting place with the two, they quickly left.

Qi Shi'an and Shi Hao exchanged a glance, then arrived at the Hundred Herbs Garden. The place was radiant with light and color, and looking inside, one could see all kinds of plants, with a rich and refreshing fragrance wafting through the air.

This place is like a dream, so unreal. Even ordinary plants growing here are sparkling and radiant, surrounded by a halo of light, with the glow of the sunset spilling out.

"Legend has it that this is the medicinal garden opened up by the sages, where divine soil was sprinkled. It seems that the saying is true," Shi Hao said to Qi Shi'an.

"That's perfect, let's pick them all!" Qi Shi'an said with a smile.

Shi Hao wiped his drool and laughed, "Haha, they're all ours!"

As soon as they stepped in, their bodies trembled. They felt an inexplicable pressure. There was a strange field in this space-time, and the void seemed to be distorted.

As I moved forward step by step, the pressure I felt grew greater and greater, until finally it felt like I was carrying a huge mountain on my back, and my bones were cracking.

The two mobilized their physical strength, their skin became crystalline and glowing, and then they returned to calm, as if the pressure had lessened considerably.

With each powerful step they took, their pace quickened as they ventured deeper into the Hundred Herbs Garden.

This is just the outer perimeter; the area isn't even the most terrifying part. The most deadly place is right at the very center, and the fountain of immortality they're searching for is located right there in the center.