Chapter 577 - 318: Panacea

Once the Spirit Tide outside had subsided,

Lü Zhong and Shuini finally left the cave.

The moment they stepped outside, they felt as if they were immersed in an ocean of Spiritual Qi.

The concentration of Spiritual Qi in the surroundings was extremely high, manifesting as a five-colored Spiritual Light. It was so dense it was nearly tangible, making one wonder if it would coalesce into Spirit Liquid at any moment.

’A Spirit Tide like this must occur periodically. No wonder the Outer Hall is covered in Spirit Medicines!’ A question in Lü Zhong’s mind was finally answered.

Encountering no trouble along the way, the pair flew swiftly toward the massive black mountain. They ran into other cultivators on several occasions, but they were mostly Core Formation and Foundation Establishment Cultivators.

Soon, a dark Stone Hall could be seen in the distance.

The Stone Hall was built in the typical style of Witch Cultivators. Resting on a triple-tiered foundation carved with images of Exotic Beasts, the entire structure was a thousand zhang wide and over three hundred zhang tall. All nine of its great doors were open, revealing a hall filled with Witch Arrays as numerous as the stars. In the very center, a massive vortex swirled, emitting a deep blue light.

’If I’m not mistaken, that vortex must be the entrance to the Little World,’ Lü Zhong thought.

As they drew closer, they could see numerous cultivators scattered throughout the hall, each with a different expression. They kept their distance from one another, and their clothing varied greatly.

Yun Yan and Mu Guan Daoist of the Daoist Sect were already there, along with Wanmu, Huoyaozi of the Eternal Life Hall, and others. Between the two factions, there were nine Nascent Soul cultivators, making up more than half the people present. The other six cultivators were clearly from outside the Southern Barbarian lands; not a single one of them had an aura below the Nascent Soul realm.

At this moment, everyone noticed an Escape Light flying over from the distance.

"Lü Zhong!" Wanmu shouted with a dark expression the moment Lü Zhong appeared.

Zhuyuan and Huoyaozi’s expressions also turned hostile. After exchanging a look, their auras began to swell, making it clear they were ready for a fight.

Nearby, Fire Dragon appeared perfectly composed, seemingly content to watch from the sidelines.

The other cultivators watched on, their expressions revealing they were eager to see a show. A cultivator who could kill another of the same Nascent Soul realm was exceedingly rare, no matter where you went. They were just as curious about Lü Zhong, hoping to learn something from the confrontation and wondering if they could ever accomplish such a feat.

Just as the tension reached a breaking point, a voice suddenly rang out.

"Fellow Daoist Zhuyuan, have you forgotten we are here?" Nan Cang asked with a faint smile.

Behind him, the auras of the Daoist Sect’s Nascent Soul cultivators, including Yun Yan and Mu Guan, flared. They summoned their Magical Treasures, ready to attack Zhuyuan’s group at Nan Cang’s command.

Seeing the Daoist Sect’s actions, Zhuyuan’s expression turned ugly.

But inwardly, he was hoping for just such an interruption.

His posturing just now had only been to appease Wanmu.

Right now, the "Primordial Saint Crystal" was more important.

Zhuyuan and Nan Cang exchanged a look before Zhuyuan found a new spot to sit. He then closed his eyes to meditate, completely ignoring Lü Zhong and Shuini.

Meanwhile, Lü Zhong and Shuini took out their Divine Witch Orders.

In an instant, they passed through the barrier enveloping the Stone Hall and landed smoothly on the plaza floor.

Shortly after they landed, a streak of rainbow light shot over from the distance, arriving above the Stone Hall in no time. It was Feng Miao, who was theoretically supposed to be in the same camp as Lü Zhong and Shuini.

Lü Zhong looked at the spot she flew out from and instantly understood why she had only just appeared.

She must have been worried about being ambushed by Wanmu’s group.

"Fellow Daoist Lü, Fellow Daoist Shui!" Feng Miao landed and took the initiative to greet them.

Because of the incident with Feng Huanyu, she and Shuini were now like strangers. Still, appearances had to be maintained. Besides, it wasn’t without its benefits for her to continue playing the part of an ally.

At the very least, it would deter the others.

The cultivators in the hall all had their own agendas, their minds buzzing with schemes against one another.

Just like that, time passed bit by bit.

When the appointed time arrived, the vortex in the center of the Stone Hall suddenly erupted with brilliant light, from which tentacle-like ribbons of light emerged. Any cultivator holding a Divine Witch Order was swept up by a ribbon and vanished.

Lü Zhong was no exception!

...

He felt the world spin around him.

When Lü Zhong came to his senses, he was standing before a flight of bluestone steps. To his left and right were bottomless abysses, while the steps before him stretched upward, disappearing endlessly into the Cloud Qi.

’Where is this?’

Lü Zhong was curious.

Seeing there was no way back, he began to climb the steps.

After walking for the better part of an hour, he finally reached a platform at the end. The platform was about a hundred zhang across, with three turquoise stone doors standing upon it, their surfaces also carved with patterns of flowers, birds, and beasts.

In the middle of the circular platform stood a small stone tablet.

After reading the inscription, Lü Zhong understood the purpose of the three stone doors. They existed as a reward for those who had obtained a Divine Witch Order. Each door led to a separate secret chamber, and each chamber offered a different kind of reward: a Cultivation Technique, a Magical Treasure, or a Secret Medicine.

The types of rewards seemed familiar.

Lü Zhong didn’t find this strange.

After all, what cultivators needed always boiled down to the same things: resources, companionship, techniques, and a place to cultivate.

’Once I claim my reward, the path to the Little World will appear.’

Lü Zhong hadn’t forgotten his purpose for this trip. Slaying Qingding for revenge was merely a secondary objective. His true goal lay within the thousands of Little Worlds created by the Ancient Witch God. He sought the rare Spirit Medicines that had grown there for untold years—herbs so potent they could cause a Nascent Soul True Monarch’s cultivation to advance by leaps and bounds, and so rare they were almost impossible to find in the outside world.

Regarding the choice of reward...

He didn’t make a decision immediately, but instead prepared to use True Retrospection.

The process cost him some of his Divine Sense, but the retrospection went smoothly. Soon, the treasures hidden within the secret chambers behind the three stone doors appeared before his eyes, one by one, with nothing omitted.