Shocking the Nine Heavens With My Sword
Chapter 280 - 268 Divine Medicine Emergence (2/3)

Chapter 280: Chapter 268 Divine Medicine Emergence (2/3)

Nothing remains hidden in the Imperial Capital, especially when it comes to the gossip of the great noble houses, which quickly spreads to every corner.

Sometimes it’s just trivial matters, like someone taking another concubine, someone getting into a fight over jealousy, or someone making a breakthrough. But the news that has been circulating in the Imperial Capital over the last two days is quite shocking.

The first piece of news was that Ying Cheng’en had suddenly announced his intention to marry Han Yulian, a newly advanced Spiritual Sea Realm Expert of the Han Family, with the wedding set to be in two months.

Compared to the second piece of news, however, the first piece was merely gossip, insignificant in the extreme.

That is, a Divine Medicine had appeared in the Death Forest!

This Divine Medicine, called the "Nine Suns Vitality Grass," allows one to communicate with heaven and earth after consumption, gaining enlightenment of a Great Realm, and even adds an extra thousand years of lifespan!

As soon as the news was out, it caused a sensation throughout the world!

Just the ability to gain insight into a Great Realm was enough to make heads turn for the Nine Suns Vitality Grass, not to mention the additional thousand years of lifespan. Experts in the Divinity Transformation Realm only had a maximum of a little over four thousand years of lifespan; what did this thousand years represent?

Freaks of nature like Zhou Heng, Zhao Duotian, and Ying Cheng’en were not common. Which of the experts above the Nascent Soul Realm on the continent right now isn’t nearing the end of their lifespan? The Nine Suns Vitality Grass was an immense temptation for them.

But the Death Forest!

It was a famous land of death and absoluteness on the continent, said to be formed from the remains of a Divinity Transformation Realm Expert from ancient times, and only those in the Divinity Transformation Realm could venture deep within! However, now that the Martial Path was in decline and the strongest were only Divine Infant Realm Experts, the four great forbidden zones had never been conquered.

It was a dangerous venture indeed!

Yet, who could resist the temptation of such a treasure, who wouldn’t want to try their luck?

Zhou Heng had initially suspected it to be a conspiracy, another trap laid by the Mao Family people, but he soon learned that this had nothing to do with the Mao Family.

Although the Death Forest was deadly, it wasn’t so lethal that one would die upon entering. There were many precious materials inside; if one could luckily obtain even a single plant, it would be top grade for alchemy!

The Death Forest was located at the border between the Heavenly Dragon Empire and the Night Demon Dynasty. A Spiritual Sea Realm Expert from the Heavenly Dragon Empire had entered to gather herbs and happened to encounter a Martial Artist from the Night Demon Dynasty. They clashed after a disagreement.

In the heat of their battle, they both discovered the Nine Suns Vitality Grass, but this Divine Medicine had developed a sense of spirituality and managed to burrow into the ground to escape!

After chasing for a while, both Experts encountered the lethal death fog within the forest, a toxin that could exterminate even Divine Infant Realm Experts, forcing them to retreat helplessly and watch as the Divine Medicine got away.

Because of the involvement of a hostile Empire, the Spiritual Sea Realm Expert naturally didn’t dare to conceal the encounter, and upon his return, he reported the incident to the elders of the Heavenly Dragon Empire, from where the news began to spread.

"Zhou, let’s hurry and set off!" Feng Lianqing tugged at Zhou Heng’s arm. She was completely infatuated with the so-called treasures because treasures meant money, and money meant delicious food.

As a member of the Gluttonous Tribe, her life was all about eating!

Zhou Heng had yet to decide whether or not to go, as he was more concerned about Han Yulian.

It wasn’t that he had any particular feelings for Han Yulian, but he was crystal clear about what Ying Cheng’en was up to.

The Mysterious Yin Physique!

In his battle with Zhao Duotian, Ying Cheng’en surely hadn’t come out on top, so if he wanted to break through to the Nascent Soul Realm quickly, Han Yulian was undoubtedly the best crucible for him!

Not to mention that Han Yulian was Han Yiyao’s aunt—if there hadn’t been this connection, Zhou Heng would not have sat back and let Ying Cheng’en advance into the Nascent Soul Realm so easily!

He must thwart his scheme!

If Ying Cheng’en was the first to break into the Nascent Soul Realm, then destruction awaited both him and the Zhao Family. Ying Cheng’en was a man with enormous ambition and ruthlessly decisive; how could he tolerate a potential threat growing stronger?

He decided to first seek out Han Yulian.

This time, Xiao Huoshui and the others insisted on coming along. Ying Mengfan was especially persistent, insisting on sleeping with him every night—how could he possibly shake her off?

So, he brought them all along.

Within the Nine Mystic Trial Tower, Xiao Huoshui, Orchid Concubine, Nangong Yuerong, Ying Mengfan, and Feng Lianqing lived comfortably, eating and drinking what they wanted, lying down or sleeping whenever they wished. Poor Zhou Heng could only serve as a beast of burden, hurrying along the way.

Not even ten days had passed before he arrived in Yuhua City, only to find that Han Yulian had already gone to the Death Forest!

Zhou Heng grabbed a clan member of the Han Family and demanded information.

—Han Yiyao still had not returned, and Han Yulian did not agree with the marriage to Ying Cheng’en, intending never to return after leaving. This information had already reached Ying Cheng’en’s ears, prompting the scion of the Ying Family to set out for the Death Forest personally, determined to bring Han Yulian back.

Based on Zhou Heng’s estimate, there was a 99% chance that he wouldn’t bring her back but would instead "use" her right away; once "used," she’d be discarded!

If Ying Cheng’en found Han Yulian first, by the time he returned, he would very likely be a Nascent Soul Realm peerless expert!

That really is ’those who obey me prosper, those who oppose me perish!’

I absolutely cannot let him succeed!

Though Zhou Heng is still young, and adding a thousand years to his lifespan isn’t urgent for him, it’s clear he’ll break through to the Nascent Soul Realm, Divine Infant Realm, and even the Divinity Transformation Realm in time, granting him a virtually endless life.

However, he doesn’t need it, but he can give it to his parents!

Zhou Dinghai and Zhao Kexin are not martial path geniuses, and their future potential is, at most, reaching the Land Cleaving Realm, which means a lifespan of at most seven hundred years.

If he could obtain the Nine Suns Vitality Grass, then by letting his parents share it, not only could they each gain five hundred years of lifespan, but they might also gain an understanding of a Great Realm, perhaps even breaking through to the Open Heaven Realm!

All things considered, that’d be a difference of nine hundred years of lifespan!

I must give it my all!

Zhou Heng made up his mind, without the slightest hesitation, and set out for the Death Forest.

Knowing the enemy and knowing oneself is the key to victory in every battle. The Death Forest is the most notorious deadly place on the continent, and naturally, Zhou Heng had to understand where the dangers lay; otherwise, blundering in would mean death without understanding how it happened.

But to his frustration, none of the girls in the Treasure Pagoda had any clue about it.

Indeed, being limited by their status, Xiao Huoshui and the two other girls from Cold Blue Country naturally had no idea about the Death Forest. Feng Lianqing was a wild girl, and naming herself was already quite an achievement. As for Ying Mengfan... a normal Ying Mengfan might know something, but definitely not this five-year-old equivalent.

Long hair but short on knowledge!

Zhou Heng inwardly scoffed, but at night he didn’t have such feelings. He made Feng Lianqing and Ying Mengfan take their respective challenges, and from then on, allowed them to stay on any floor outside the first, so they wouldn’t disturb him.

Feng Lianqing’s brutal strength was formidable and she showed remarkable talent in martial arts, naturally sweeping through the challenge. The rewards she received were hidden away by her, with no intention to share with the others.

Ying Mengfan, however, fared much worse. Under the suppression of her realm, she barely managed to pass the first challenge.

The important thing wasn’t the prize, but that from then on she could stay on the second level!

But this child was very stranger-shy. After sleeping alone the previous night, she clung to Zhou Heng’s arm the next day, crying all day, unwilling to sleep alone at night. Zhou Heng, having no other choice after placating Xiao Huoshui and the other two at night, would then go to the second floor to accompany her until dawn.

That finally turned Ying Mengfan’s tears into laughter.

For Zhou Heng, this was both tantalizing and grueling. Each morning when he woke up, his little brother was hard as a rock, pressed between Ying Mengfan’s thighs, fiercely wanting to charge through, and his hand would inadvertently land on those two super-sized bosoms, nearly spurring him on to take action each time.

He had to reduce his sleep time, pressing on day and night toward the Death Forest. After months of travel, he finally arrived at the outskirts of the Death Forest.

Although the Death Forest is located at the border between two great empires, this forest is so vast it is at least one-tenth the size of the Heavenly Dragon Empire! And how big is the Heavenly Dragon Empire? It’s akin to a dozen Bright Moon Countries put together.

In other words, the Death Forest is actually larger than the entire Bright Moon Country!

To search for merely one Divine Medicine in such an immense forest is like looking for a needle in a haystack, especially since this Divine Medicine can move around on its own, making the task even harder. How on earth can one search?

It’s not as difficult as it seems. Although the Nine Suns Vitality Grass has become sentient and can move underground, according to several grandmasters of the alchemical arts, every Divine Medicine has an area of activity and will never move beyond this range.

For the Nine Suns Vitality Grass, this range is around a thousand miles.

The location where the Nine Suns Vitality Grass was initially spotted has been made public, and even with the maximum error accounted for, the search area would not exceed a two thousand-mile radius. For high-tier martial artists, although this area is vast, it is not without a solution.

It used to be like looking for a needle in the ocean; now it is like looking for a needle in a pond—the search area has shrunk to an acceptable extent.

However, reaching that location is not easy. The Death Forest is treacherous at every turn, and even a Nascent Soul Realm Old Ancestor could perish at any moment. Moreover, if it were not for the involvement of foreign races this time, the news of the Nine Suns Vitality Grass would certainly not have leaked.

——Even if I cannot acquire it, I absolutely cannot let it fall into the hands of foreign races, that’s everyone’s consensus!

If a foreign Divine Infant Realm expert managed to break through to the Divinity Transformation Realm because of it, all of humanity would be enslaved, or even annihilated!

Feng Lianqing and Ying Mengfan emerged from the Nine Mystic Trial Tower and strolled with Zhou Heng through the forest, the two being somewhat stronger among the girls, able to give it a try. However, Zhou Heng didn’t dare to let his guard down for a second, always ready to tuck the two into the Treasure Pagoda.

He dared to brave the forest "alone," precisely because he had the Nine Mystic Trial Tower at his disposal.

"It’s so dark!" Ying Mengfan moved even closer to Zhou Heng, her voluptuous body almost completely pressed against him, offering a delightful sensation.

Gripping her slender waist, Zhou Heng comforted her, "Don’t be afraid, don’t be afraid!"

She wouldn’t stay in the Treasure Pagoda and insisted on clinging to Zhou Heng, shivering with fear here; her utter dependence on him amused and endeared Zhou Heng greatly, such a beautiful woman indeed!

They had barely stepped into the forest when the whole place darkened, and ghostly flickers like will-o’-the-wisps shimmered among the trees and bushes, causing an involuntary shudder. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, you’re welcome to vote and provide monthly support at Qidian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)