Mortal Cultivator: Lin Tianzun

Chapter 31: At dawn, we rush to find the spiritual land, and fight the viper to get the treasure.
On the second day, the sky was just beginning to turn pale, and strands of morning light, like fine golden gauze, gently fell on the cave where Lin Fan was.

Lin Fan slowly woke up from his meditation in the silence. The faint light of spiritual energy lingering around his body flickered and danced like a lively firefly as he moved.

He finished his training swiftly, stood up, and stretched his slightly stiff body, with crisp "cracking" sounds coming from his joints.

Then, with a sharp gaze, he carefully examined his condition. The spiritual energy in his body flowed smoothly, without any hindrance. Every meridian seemed to be cleansed by spiritual energy, exuding a sense of refreshment.

Then, he meticulously checked the magical instruments, talismans, and other items he carried with him. The Hunyuan Shield was ancient and heavy, and the runes shone as brightly as ever. The runes engraved on the shield seemed to speak of ancient mysterious power.

The Star-Breaking Sword is sharp and gleaming with a cold light. With a slight wave of it, one can feel the indestructible sharp sword energy; the talismans are neatly stacked, each emitting a unique spiritual power fluctuation, as if ready to obey the master's orders at any time and release powerful spells.

After confirming everything was correct, he quickly tidied up the cave's simple layout, his movements quick and methodical. He folded up the futon, straightened the scattered items, and took a last look at this temporary shelter.

Lin Fan cautiously stepped out of the cave. The forbidden area in the early morning was like a mysterious beauty draped in a veil, exuding a unique coolness. A thin mist, like soft cotton wool, drifted slowly through the forest, casting a dreamlike veil over this mysterious place.

Lin Fan took a deep breath of the moist air, the freshness instantly seeping into his lungs and lifting his spirits. He narrowed his eyes slightly, discerning the direction, tapped his feet lightly, and set off again like a ghost.

After more than half an hour of sprinting, Lin Fan, like a nimble deer darting through thorns, deftly dodged several waves of harassing low-level monsters. With his butterfly-like agility, each leap perfectly timed, and his exquisite control of spiritual energy, he always managed to evade the monsters' attacks with ease at the critical moment.

He would either sidestep the beast's claws or, with the help of his spiritual power's counter-thrust, flip in the air to avoid the venom it was spewing. He would then quickly withdraw, not giving the monster even the slightest chance to entangle him.

Finally, he successfully arrived at a magical medicine location designated by Chen Minghui.

What comes into view is a quiet valley, surrounded by mountains, one after another, like a natural barrier carefully carved by nature, gently protecting the valley.

The valley was thick with spiritual energy, reminiscent of a fairyland. Wisps of spiritual energy, like curls of rising smoke or wisps of gauze as thin as a cicada's wing, drifted leisurely through the air. They intertwined and converged, ultimately forming a small area in the valley's center, a spiritual energy so dense it was almost tangible. From afar, it resembled a dazzling spiritual mist.

Lin Fan looked up and saw the place where the spiritual medicine grew. Several rare spiritual herbs were scattered around, like a colorful painting.

There are Lingxing grasses whose leaves are as crystal clear as emeralds, shimmering with tiny stars in the dim light. The starlight is like the stars in the sky falling to earth, embedded in the leaves, swaying gently in the breeze, and the light flickers and changes.

The stem is in a strange spiral shape, like a mysterious stairway winding upwards, with pale blue flowers blooming at the top. The flowers sway gently in the wind, as if whispering an ancient mystical spell, and the elegant fragrance wafts away, lingering in the air.

There was also the Yuehuazhi, which emitted a soft halo all over its body, like a bright moon, and had magical healing properties... Each of these spiritual herbs would attract many cultivators to fight and scramble for it, even to the point of bloodshed. But now they were all gathered here, and Lin Fan felt an irrepressible surprise in his heart.

However, Lin Fan had been in the world of immortal cultivation for many years, and his rich experience prevented him from being overwhelmed by this sudden joy. He knew that a place with such precious spiritual medicine would definitely be well-protected.

So, he activated his spiritual awareness and carefully observed his surroundings. His spiritual awareness was like an invisible net, slowly spreading through the air, searching for every trace of abnormality.

As expected, he was vaguely aware of several faint fluctuations of spiritual energy around him. Those fluctuations were like poisonous snakes lurking in the darkness, warily watching him, the uninvited guest who had rashly intruded.

Lin Fan's nerves instantly tensed, his muscles tensed, and he entered a state of high alert. His eyes became extremely sharp, as if he could see through any disguise. He was fully focused on preparing for the danger that could come at any time.

At the same time, his eyes searched around like a radar, trying to find the guardian hiding in the dark.

Not long after, Lin Fan's gaze focused, and his sharp eyes finally caught sight of the guardian hiding in the dark - a top-level level demon beast, the Red Flame Viper.

This red viper's body was covered in crimson scales, and in the sunlight, each scale seemed to be burning with flames. The flames were not ordinary orange flames, but rather carried an eerie crimson glow, emitting a chilling aura.

Its slender figure coiled and twisted upon a massive bluestone, spitting out a long tongue. The tip of the tongue gleamed with a cold, eerie light, as if ready to deliver a fatal blow. Its icy, vertical pupils gleamed with cruelty and vigilance, like two dancing balls of ghostly fire, seemingly capable of scorching the very soul.

Lin Fan knew that this top-tier demon beast was no ordinary creature. While their realm was equivalent to a human's thirteenth level of Qi training, their naturally robust physiques far surpassed those of humans. They possessed immense demonic power and unique, unpredictable magical abilities.

When fighting against a cultivator of the same realm, human cultivators would often be at a disadvantage and suffer significant losses. Therefore, this Scarlet Flame Viper was undoubtedly an extremely formidable opponent, and successfully slaying it was no easy task.

Lin Fan's mind raced with thought, not daring to act rashly. He quietly channeled his spiritual energy, swiftly coursing through his meridians, heightening his alertness and reaction speed. The spiritual energy within him surged like a surging river, ready to erupt at any moment.

He silently observed the Crimson Flame Viper's every move. It seemed to be acutely aware of Lin Fan's presence, slightly raising its triangular head and gently swaying it in Lin Fan's direction. As if carefully assessing the threat posed by this uninvited guest, the air seemed to be filled with tension.

A moment later, the red-flame viper suddenly opened its bloody maw and let out a sharp, piercing hiss. The sound was like a blade slicing through the air, echoing through the valley for a long time, like a battle horn.

Then, it suddenly sprang forward, like a blazing arrow, shooting towards Lin Fan at lightning speed. Its speed was so swift that it sent a whistling sound through the wind. The flowers and plants along its path were instantly scorched and curled by the scorching heat, as if ravaged by a raging fire.

Lin Fan's expression suddenly changed, a flicker of determination in his eyes. He quickly slapped his storage bag and summoned the Primordial Shield. The Shield instantly shone with dazzling light, swelling with the wind and firmly blocking him. A faint spiritual glow rippled across the shield's surface, forming an impenetrable protective barrier. Simultaneously, he formed a series of hand seals, muttering something to himself. As if at the beckoning of its master, the Star-Breaking Sword whistled from its scabbard, charging towards the oncoming Red Flame Viper. Runes gleamed on the blade, emanating a sharp aura that seemed to cleave the very air, attempting to intercept the oncoming attack mid-air.

In an instant, the Star-Breaking Sword and the Scarlet Flame Viper collided violently, emitting a deafening roar, as if the sky were collapsing and the earth was splitting. The powerful spiritual energy surged like a surging tide, spreading wildly in all directions.

The surrounding spiritual herbs were tossed here and there by this force, some fragile ones even uprooted, swirling through the air and flying away like drifting leaves. Lin Fan involuntarily took several steps back before he could finally steady himself.

The attack caused the Red Flame Viper to pause in mid-air, but as a top-tier demonic beast, it possessed a tenacious fighting spirit and powerful recovery abilities. It quickly adjusted its stance, twisting its body once again, and launched a new round of fierce attacks at Lin Fan with its fangs and claws bared. Its ferocious appearance made it seem as if it would not stop until it had torn Lin Fan to pieces.

Lin Fan's heart trembled, knowing full well that this demon beast was far too powerful. If the fight continued like this, it would be impossible to determine the winner in a short period of time. Furthermore, the longer it dragged on, the more variables there would be, and the more disadvantageous it would be for him.

It seems that I have to use my best skills today, otherwise I will be in trouble today.

Lin Fan gritted his teeth, his expression resolute, and quickly pulled out two primary and high-level talismans from his storage bag. As soon as the talismans appeared, they faintly emitted extraordinary spiritual energy fluctuations, and the runes shimmered with mysterious light, clearly containing considerable power.

Lin Fan threw out the talisman called "Dungeon Technique" without hesitation. After the talisman left his hand, it instantly turned into a dazzling yellow light and shot towards the swiftly attacking Red Flame Viper like lightning.

In the blink of an eye, a massive shield emitting an earthy yellow light appeared from nowhere, trapping the Crimson Flame Viper firmly within. The shield seemed to possess an endless suction force, and the Crimson Flame Viper twisted its body wildly within, repeatedly colliding with the shield's inner walls. Each impact caused the yellow light to flicker violently, as if it would shatter at any moment.

Lin Fan quickly threw out the "Wood Vine Technique" talisman. This talisman transformed into streaks of green light, and upon landing, countless thick vines instantly sprouted.

The vines seemed to have life, quickly spreading towards the trapped red-flame viper and tightly wrapping around its body, circle after circle, like a tough rope, slowing its struggling movements.

After completing this, Lin Fan didn't dare slack off. He quickly sat down cross-legged, took out a piece of yellow talisman paper, and placed the Hunyuan Shield firmly in front of him to further strengthen his defense. The spiritual energy on the surface of the Hunyuan Shield became increasingly rich, like an indestructible armor, firmly protecting Lin Fan.

This yellow talisman paper was no ordinary one; it was a treasured talisman. Facing such a powerful demon beast, ordinary methods would not be effective for a short while.

He held his breath, concentrating on pouring all his magic power into it. In just a few breaths, as Lin Fan continuously poured in his spiritual power, the talisman was fully activated. In an instant, it transformed into a dazzling sword shadow. With an incomparably fierce momentum, it roared towards the Red Flame Viper trapped by the talisman.

The sword's shadow was incredibly fast, like a flash of lightning across the sky, arriving in an instant. It fiercely slashed at the Red Flame Viper, which struggled desperately in pain, but was firmly trapped by the Dungeon Technique and the Wood Vine Technique, unable to evade at all.

The sword shadow slashed down again and again without any pause. Each blow carried a powerful force like a tidal wave, leaving deep wounds on the red flame viper that could be seen to the bone. Blood splattered, dyeing the surrounding land dark red.

After just a few strikes, the red-flame viper was cut in two by the sword shadow, and its huge body fell to the ground with a bang, raising a cloud of dust.

Seeing this, Lin Fan let out a long sigh and slowly stood up, a tired but relieved smile on his face. The fierce battle had consumed a great deal of his spiritual power and physical strength, but successfully killing this powerful monster was a great reward.

Lin Fan stepped forward and carefully dissected the demon beast. The Red Flame Viper was a treasure trove. Its scales were as hard as iron and could be used to refine top-tier magical instruments. Its gallbladder, rich in demonic energy, was an excellent material for refining high-level elixirs. Its tendons were incredibly tough and could be crafted into powerful magical weapons. Its skin could be made into highly defensive spiritual armor. Each of these pieces was invaluable and could be exchanged for numerous cultivation resources.

After packing up, Lin Fan turned his gaze to the precious spiritual medicine field not far away, his heart full of anticipation, ready to pick rare spiritual herbs, which was one of the main purposes of his trip.

Lin Fan, filled with excitement, walked quickly towards the spiritual medicine field. Before him stood seven or eight mature spiritual herbs, each emitting an enchanting luster. A faint medicinal fragrance permeated the air. Centuries of age had imbued them with an extremely rich and mellow medicinal power.

Lin Fan first came to a Lingxing grass. The leaves of this Lingxing grass looked like they were carved from the purest jade, with a warm and delicate texture. The twinkling stars on it became brighter and brighter, as if they had gathered the power of the stars in the sky.

Lin Fan carefully removed the specially crafted jade box from his storage bag and gently pulled out the Spirit Star Grass by its roots, his movements as gentle as if he were protecting the most precious treasure in the world. He then quickly placed the medicine in the jade box and closed the lid to ensure that the medicinal properties would not dissipate.

Next, he walked toward the Convolvulus, whose stems swirled in a strange spiral, crowned by pale blue flowers. Its petals swayed gently in the breeze, like the dance of a shy fairy, its delicate fragrance filling the air.

Lin Fan also carefully picked the flowers and put them in a jade box, thinking that if he used these Xuanling flowers to make pills, he would be able to make high-quality pills, which would be of great help to his future cultivation.

In this way, Lin Fan picked seven or eight mature spiritual herbs one by one, placed each one properly in a jade box, and put it into a storage bag for safekeeping.

Then, his eyes fell on a dozen or so immature seedlings. Although these seedlings had not yet grown, they exuded a vibrant aura. If they were dug up and brought back, they could be ripened and would become an endless supply of precious elixirs in the future.

Lin Fan pulled out some specially crafted small jade basins from his storage bag. These were filled with spiritual soil suitable for growing spiritual herbs. He then carefully transplanted the seedlings one by one, watering them with spiritual spring water. He hoped that they would continue to thrive under his careful care and be of use to him in the future.

After doing all this, Lin Fan looked around the spiritual medicine land again. After confirming that nothing was missed, he prepared to leave and continue exploring deeper into the forbidden area. After all, there might be more opportunities waiting for him to discover in the forbidden area.

(End of this chapter)