Chapter 399

Lu Qing activated his spiritual powers and gazed intently at the Five-Colored Lotus.

Before long, a dense purple glow emanated from the lotus, accompanied by several strips of floating text.

“Purple light!”

Lu Qing was startled and quickly read the floating messages.

[Five Elements Lotus: A supreme spiritual medicine born from the purest Five Elements Spirit Liquid.]

[This spiritual medicine contains the essence of the Five Elements. Fully refining it holds a high probability of bestowing the Five Elements Dao Body.]

[The spiritual medicine is fully mature and ready for harvesting.]

[Such a spiritual medicine, rich in the pure essence of the Five Elements, must be stored in a container of jade essence or higher quality to prevent the loss of its medicinal properties.]

[The immense potency of a supreme spiritual medicine carries innate Dao Rhythms. Only those at or above the Golden Core Realm can consume and refine it. Otherwise, the risk of body explosion is extreme.]

[Rare spiritual medicines are almost always guarded by spirit beasts. Exercise caution during harvesting.]

…

“A Five Elements Lotus, a supreme spiritual medicine!”

Lu Qing’s face lit up with joy as he finished reading the messages.

To think that the secret realm could nurture such an extraordinary treasure.

It was well known that spiritual medicines, like magical artifacts, were categorized into lower-grade, middle-grade, upper-grade, and supreme-grade. Among these, supreme spiritual medicines were the most precious, coveted even by Nascent Soul cultivators.

To encounter such a peerless spiritual medicine within this secret realm was beyond his wildest expectations!

“This lotus embodies the harmony of the Five Elements and contains Dao Rhythms. It’s a supreme-grade spiritual medicine!”

The figure of

Yan

appeared beside Lu Qing, his face brimming with astonishment.

As the artifact spirit of the Li Huo Sect’s sole sacred artifact, the Li Huo Cauldron, Yan was incredibly knowledgeable. His expertise in refining pills and crafting artifacts was unparalleled—a true master of the craft.

In the ancient cultivation era, the Li Huo Sect had used the Li Huo Cauldron to refine countless magical artifacts and pills. Even though Yan had never seen a Five Elements Lotus before, he could immediately discern its grade and value.

“Little Master, quickly! You must not miss this chance. Harvest it at once!”

Yan was visibly excited.

Even during the heyday of the Li Huo Sect, he had only encountered a supreme spiritual medicine once. On that occasion, after refining it into a pill, he had gained insights into a higher law of existence, allowing him to break through and become a mid-grade spiritual artifact.

Despite Yan’s urging, Lu Qing didn’t act rashly. Instead, he scanned his surroundings carefully.

He hadn’t forgotten the warning in the floating text—rare spiritual medicines were often guarded by spirit beasts.

Considering how precious the Five Elements Lotus was, any guardian beast would surely be formidable.

After observing for some time without finding anything unusual, Lu Qing picked up a small stone. With a flick of his finger, he sent it hurtling toward the Five-Colored Lotus, accompanied by a sharp burst of force qi.

“Little Master, you—”

Yan was taken aback and started to speak, but suddenly, a streak of light shot out from the nearby pool, intercepting the stone mid-flight.

Snap!

The stone shattered instantly upon impact, and the streak of light landed on the shore, revealing its true form.

It was a snake, about as thick as a man’s arm. Its back was adorned with a pair of wings, and its head bore two small, sharp horns. Its scales shimmered with dazzling colors as it glared at Lu Qing and Yan with hostility.

“A guardian spirit beast?!”

Yan exclaimed again, stunned that he had failed to detect this winged serpent hiding beneath the water.

Lu Qing immediately activated his spiritual powers, focusing on the serpent. Within moments, more floating text appeared before his eyes.

[Five Elements Winged Serpent: A unique spirit beast nurtured by the secret realm.]

[Cultivation: Peak Foundation Establishment Realm, just one step away from transforming into a flood dragon.]

[Tempered by the Five Elements’ power, its physical body is exceptionally strong, comparable to a cultivator at the early Golden Core Realm.]

[This spirit beast has lived for over a thousand years, guarding the Five Elements Lotus while awaiting the lotus seeds to mature for consumption and transformation into a flood dragon.]

…

“A spirit beast at the peak of the Foundation Establishment Realm with a body as strong as the Golden Core Realm!”

Reading the information, Lu Qing didn’t hesitate. He immediately retrieved the Heaven and Earth One Qi Bag.

The originally small bag expanded rapidly, growing to the size of half a person. A yellow beam of light shot out toward the serpent.

The winged serpent, sensing danger, shuddered instinctively. Fear flickered in its eyes as it tried to retreat into the pool.

But the speed of a spiritual artifact was far beyond its ability to evade, especially since Lu Qing’s attack was almost a sneak assault. The yellow light struck the serpent before it could react, freezing it in place.

“Yan, quickly!”

At Lu Qing’s command, Yan immediately understood. The Li Huo Cauldron flew from Lu Qing’s neck, enlarging to the size of a water tank as it descended toward the serpent.

The serpent’s vertical pupils filled with terror, but with its soul bound by the artifact’s light, it could do nothing. It could only watch as the cauldron enveloped it, plunging it into darkness.

After Yan successfully sealed the serpent within the Li Huo Cauldron, Lu Qing exhaled in relief and retrieved the Heaven and Earth One Qi Bag.

He couldn’t help feeling fortunate. His recent breakthrough had enhanced his control over the One Qi Bag; otherwise, subduing the winged serpent would have been far more challenging.

After all, based on the information from his spiritual powers, the serpent’s physical strength was indeed comparable to a Golden Core cultivator. If it had launched a full-scale assault, Lu Qing wasn’t confident he could suppress it.

Fortunately, spirit beasts, despite their intelligence, were still inherently simple-minded, especially those raised in isolated secret realms. That simplicity had left the serpent vulnerable to his ambush.

“What a creature! Its physical strength is astonishing!”

Yan’s exclamation broke Lu Qing’s train of thought.

“Yan, what is it?” Lu Qing asked.

“The serpent you just captured has an incredibly powerful body. Even though it’s only at the Foundation Establishment Realm, its physical strength rivals that of a Golden Core spirit beast.”

Yan sounded genuinely amazed.

“Can you keep it suppressed, Yan?”

“Rest assured, Little Master. This creature’s strength lies only in its body. It hasn’t truly reached the Golden Core Realm. Once it entered the Li Huo Cauldron, it lost all chance of escaping.”

Yan’s tone was brimming with confidence.

If the serpent had truly reached the Golden Core Realm, Yan wouldn’t have dared make such assurances. After all, the Li Huo Cauldron had not yet regained its peak state.

Golden Core cultivators wielded the mysteries of magical power, and their strength, perception, and techniques underwent a qualitative transformation. In his current condition, Yan might struggle to contain such a being.

However, the winged serpent was merely brute strength without the comprehension of Golden Core techniques. Trapping it was relatively easy.

“That’s good to hear.”

Lu Qing nodded, turning his attention back to the pool.

This time, however, his gaze was not solely on the Five-Colored Lotus. He also scrutinized the vibrant liquid in the pool surrounding it.