After Wang Hong left the group, he proceeded cautiously, releasing a hundred Poisonous Bees along the way to help him search for Spiritual Medicine. This significantly increased his harvest.
At this moment, Wang Hong was inspecting a tea tree on the cliff. A Spirit Bee had led him here earlier.
The tea tree was about three feet tall, with several branches and dozens of vibrant green shoots. Below the tree was a small mountain cave, and from below, the edge of a Giant Bird Nest was visible.
Picking up a stone, Wang Hong threw it towards the nest's edge. There was no reaction from inside, indicating that the bird was likely away hunting.
Guiding his Windsoar Boat to the edge of the cliff, Wang Hong observed the tea tree. Although not tall, its stem was robust, and the branches twisted like dragons, with roots deeply embedded in the rock crevices.
Judging by its appearance, it seemed to have grown here for many years. Wang Hong plucked a piece of fresh tea leaf and tasted it.
As the tea touched his tongue, a refreshing fragrance spread throughout his body. Instantly, his mind cleared, and worries dissipated. He felt rejuvenated, his thoughts becoming remarkably clear.
"What a fantastic thing!"
Drawing his Flying Sword, Wang Hong carefully cut open the rock, muttering as he dug. Digging up a small tea tree shouldn't be considered reckless destruction of the secret realm, right?
After uprooting the tea tree, a three-foot tall plant with roots extending a yard, he left some roots behind, hoping they would grow again in the future.
Transplanting the tree to his spatial storage, he descended to the Giant Bird Nest he had seen earlier. Perhaps due to childhood habits, he felt compelled to explore bird nests.
The nest was about five to six feet in diameter, and Wang Hong felt like he could fit inside. The most conspicuous item inside was an egg the size of a baby's head.
Picking up the egg and sensing its strong life force, he carefully stowed it away. After securing the egg, he swiftly departed on his Windsoar Boat. Moments later, sharp bird cries echoed from behind.
On a mountain peak, a colorful Spirit Herb grew, and not far away, a group of Giant Apes battled several cultivators.
Meanwhile, a Daoist Master sneaked up to the Spirit Herb, pulled it out, and hastily ran off.
The battling Giant Apes roared angrily, abandoning their opponents to chase the thief.
The cultivators left behind, realizing they had been used as pawns, grew furious. They too pursued the fleeing figure.
The thief who stole the Spiritual Medicine was none other than Wang Hong. The Rainbow Grass he had just seized was one of the crucial main ingredients he lacked.
Having eyed this Spiritual Medicine for a while, he had planned to lure the Giant Apes away. Unexpectedly, a group of cultivators arrived, sparking a fight with the Giant Apes. Seizing the opportunity, he chose to snatch and run.
Wang Hong led the way in a frantic escape, pursued closely by the Giant Apes and the group of cultivators.
The Giant Apes were not slow; in fact, they were slightly faster than Wang Hong. When they closed in, he used shifting positions to create distance again.
However, shifting positions were meant for combat and not an ideal escape skill. It drained both physical and spiritual energy rapidly.
If used solely for traveling, even a short distance would deplete his entire spiritual energy, and replenishing with Spirit Wine wouldn't keep up.
Wang Hong gulped down Spirit Wine while sprinting for his life.
Suddenly, he spotted a group of cultivators ahead and rushed towards them.
Seeing him approach, the cultivators brandished their Magical Weapons, ready to strike. It seemed that if he continued forward, they would not hesitate to kill him.
Helpless, Wang Hong had to change direction, continuing his escape. However, this delay brought the Giant Apes even closer.
In desperation, Wang Hong summoned his Flying Boat and flew upward. In the sky, the Giant Apes below roared in frustration, unable to pursue into the air.
Just at that moment, Wang Hong noticed that the pursuing cultivators behind him had summoned a flying Magical Weapon in the shape of willow leaves. Surprisingly, it was larger than his Windsoar Boat, capable of carrying several people and much faster. In no time, it flew above Wang Hong.
Laughter echoed from the flying Magical Weapon above, and a few Magical Weapons were sent his way.
Wang Hong employed the Dragon Serpent Escape technique to dodge the attacks while wielding a Long Spear to counterattack the flying Magical Weapon.
However, the opponent's Magical Weapon had a defensive mechanism. Ripples appeared on the Magical Weapon, blocking the Long Spear.
Dodging the attacks and preparing to unleash his Spiritual Weapon, the Flying Sword, Wang Hong couldn't believe that the flying Magical Weapon could withstand a Spiritual Weapon.
Just then, a loud shout came from below.
"Who dares to harm a disciple of our Qingxu Sect?"
Wang Hong turned to see a group of cultivators in dark robes from Qingxu Sect on a nearby mountain. The leading figure was none other than their Kaiyang Peak senior brother.
Wang Hong immediately flew towards that mountain, and the Giant Apes below followed in pursuit.
As Wang Hong landed on the mountain, the senior brother and his group were already engaged in battle with the Giant Apes.
Without time for formalities, Wang Hong joined the fight.
These Giant Apes stood at eight feet tall, robust and powerful. Despite being struck by Magical Weapons, they only suffered minor injuries.
Seemingly devoid of Magical Arts, their combat style was wild. They picked up massive rocks from the ground and hurled them directly into the crowd or used small trees as makeshift clubs.
Wang Hong didn't hold back; after all, he was the one who instigated the situation, and everyone was helping him. The previous group of cultivators hadn't left yet and was watching from the sidelines, ready to reap the benefits.
Using the shifting positions technique, Wang Hong rushed to a Giant Ape, piercing its heart with a spear before engaging in combat with another, the largest among them.
The senior brother wielded a large Spiritual Weapon, cutting one Giant Ape in half with a single swing before cleaving another.
Seeing this, the Giant Ape that was currently battling Wang Hong roared at the others. They all turned and fled. The cultivators who had been observing discreetly also left as the battle concluded.
"Thank you, senior brothers, for saving my life!"
After the skirmish, Wang Hong expressed his gratitude. There wasn't much to clean up as these Demonic Beasts were not rich.
Apart from some materials from their bodies, there wasn't much valuable loot. They even used stones picked up from the ground as weapons.
"Junior Brother Wang, no need to be polite. We're all fellow sect members and should help each other. If you feel awkward, just treat us to a Spirit Meal and some wine when we return!"
The senior brother said cheerfully. Wang Hong now noticed that the group consisted of eight cultivators, mostly from Kaiyang Peak, including his neighbor Cheng Zan. He hadn't expected the old man to venture into this dangerous central region.
"Sure, sure! I'll treat you all to a feast later. I happen to know a bit of Spiritual Cooking."
Wang Hong always carried plenty of food in his Space, collecting various ingredients whenever he encountered something delicious outside.
So, the idea of a feast appealed to him. Besides, he couldn't think of any other way to express his gratitude.
When they reached a relatively flat area to rest, Wang Hong got busy.
First, he set up a large pot. The last time he killed that few-thousand-pound pig demon, he hadn't had the chance to eat it yet.
Putting it in the pot with various ingredients to balance Spiritual Energy, adding aromatic spices like spirit ginger, and pouring in some hundred-fruit brew, he also added a 300-year-old mutated Astragalus.
Using spirit charcoal to light the fire, this large pot was also a middle-grade Magical Weapon he custom-ordered from Gao Yue's Refinery Workshop in Azure Void City. At that time, he ordered ten such pots and kept two for himself, giving the rest to his subordinates.
Additionally, he roasted a succulent Demonic Beast for barbecue. After preparing the seasoning, everyone could grill their own.
From his Space, he took out a jar of tier-one low-grade Spirit Wine. For cultivators in the later stages of Qi Cultivation, this wine could only satisfy their taste buds.
He couldn't bring out anything better, as it was just a treat and not a lavish display.
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