Chapter 594 - 590: Purple Patterned Spirit Flower

Chapter 594: Chapter 590: Purple Patterned Spirit Flower

"Junior Brother Luo, Steward, you two go on ahead," Fang Han said.

"I have a small matter to attend to. I’ll catch up with you shortly."

Luo Yuntian’s expression changed. His gaze grew serious as he asked, "Senior Brother Fang, did you discover something?"

The Qingxuan Sect Steward also turned back, a look of confusion on his face.

"It’s nothing bad. I’ll catch up soon."

Fang Han offered no further explanation. He simply gave the two a slight nod, then his figure blurred, and he shot out of the carriage.

WHOOSH—

His green robes whipped in the wind. Fang Han’s figure, like a streak of pale green light, shot toward the dense forest to the right of the main road. After just a few bounds, he vanished among the trees.

Luo Yuntian stared in the direction Fang Han had vanished, a flicker of confusion in his otherwise calm eyes.

Although the Qingxuan Sect Steward was also puzzled, he didn’t press the matter. With a gentle shake of the reins, the White Tiger continued its gallop along the main road.

Meanwhile, Fang Han was already several miles deep into the dense forest.

The closer he drew to the source of the strange fragrance, the richer the scent became.

The fragrance was crisp with a hint of sweetness, and every breath was invigorating.

Fang Han’s figure moved silently through the trees. A moment later, the terrain ahead suddenly opened up.

A clearing in the forest appeared before him.

In the center of the clearing, a peculiar plant grew quietly.

The plant was about a foot tall, with a stem as slender as a chopstick. It was a pale green color all over, and its surface was covered in fine, silvery patterns that spiraled upward, resembling some kind of natural runes.

At its top grew three long, narrow leaves with serrated edges. They had a translucent quality, and a faint silver light seemed to flow within them under the sunlight filtering through the canopy.

Nestled in the center of the three leaves was a flower the size of a walnut.

The flower was a pale purple, its surface shimmering with a faint, almost imperceptible luminescence.

That sweet, exotic fragrance was emanating from this very flower.

However, the clearing was anything but peaceful.

Amidst flurries of Qi Force, two figures were locked in a fierce battle.

On the left was a middle-aged man in gray martial attire, wielding a Thick-Backed Machete. A faint yellow glow of Inner Qi flowed along the blade.

The cuff of his left sleeve was torn, revealing a shallow bloody scratch beneath it. He had clearly sustained a minor injury.

On the right was a middle-aged woman dressed in dark cyan martial attire, wielding a slender Soft Sword whose blade quivered faintly, like a snake.

Her sword hand was trembling slightly, and her breathing was somewhat ragged, a clear sign of her significant exertion.

As they fought, both kept glancing toward the Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasure in the center of the clearing, their eyes filled with unconcealed possessiveness.

Fang Han’s arrival startled them both.

Their gazes fell upon Fang Han in unison, a hint of alarm and wariness appearing in their eyes.

Fang Han glanced at the Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasure, then turned his gaze to the two combatants.

Judging by the auras they had revealed during their fight, both were Third Grade Martial Artists.

He wasted no words.

His right hand rested on the hilt of the sword at his waist—

CLANG!

The Cloud Splitting Sword left its sheath, its clear ring echoing through the forest.

With a casual swing of his sword, a cyan-gold stream of Sword Qi detached from the blade. It expanded in the air, transforming into a massive ten-zhang-long energy wave that swept past the middle-aged man and woman.

BOOM—!!!

The Sword Qi slammed into the ground, producing a deep, thunderous boom.

The ground trembled violently, and dirt and gravel shot into the air.

A hundred-meter-long gash appeared on one side of the clearing. It was several feet deep, and its edges were as smooth as glass.

The air filled with the coppery smell of earth and the sharp scent of sundered plants.

The faces of the middle-aged man and woman instantly turned deathly pale.

They both froze, their weapon hands trembling.

Their gazes, now fixed on Fang Han, held nothing but profound dread and terror.

The power of that strike was at least at the First Grade level.

If Fang Han had intended to kill them, they would already be corpses.

Fang Han sheathed his sword and looked at them. His voice was placid, yet it carried an undeniable authority.

"This Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasure belongs to me. Any objections?"

The man and woman exchanged a look, then glanced at the hundred-meter-long gash on the ground. A chill ran down their spines, and they spoke almost in unison:

"N-No objections!"

"Please, Sir, feel free. We will take our leave immediately!"

Without a moment’s hesitation, the pair sheathed their weapons, turned, and scurried off into the depths of the forest.

They moved quickly, as if fearing that a moment’s delay would bring a cyan-gold beam of Sword Qi down upon them.

Fang Han didn’t stop them.

He maintained *Netherworld Guide*, tracking their auras as they fled. Only when they were several miles away and he was certain they wouldn’t return did he retract his gaze and walk over to the Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasure.

Fang Han crouched down and carefully examined the Spiritual Object.

"Purple Patterned Spirit Flower."

Fang Han recognized this particular Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasure.

It was a rare Low-grade Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasure. According to the Sect’s records, the flower’s effects were similar to a Secret Technique Fruit, capable of improving the consumer’s Secret Technique Talent.

’While it isn’t a Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasure that boosts Body Hardening or Body Technique Talent, it’s still quite useful.’

Fang Han murmured to himself as he reached out. He gently pinched the pale purple flower between his fingers and applied a slight pressure.

The flower snapped off.

The moment the flower separated from the plant, an even richer, sweeter, and more exotic fragrance burst forth.

He formed a protective barrier with his Inner Qi, enveloping the flower to prevent its fragrance from escaping.

Once that was done, Fang Han turned and sped back the way he had come.

SWOOSH—

His green robes left a pale green afterimage among the trees. Fang Han’s speed was astonishing.

About ten minutes later, Fang Han had already caught up to the White Tiger Demon. In the distance, he spotted the pure white beast.

The White Tiger was still proceeding along the main road at an unhurried pace. Inside the carriage, Luo Yuntian was leaning against the wall, resting with his eyes closed.

With a flicker, Fang Han floated silently back onto the White Tiger’s back like a falling leaf. He lifted the curtain and slipped into the carriage.

"Senior Brother Fang, you’re back so soon?"

Luo Yuntian opened his eyes. His gaze fell upon Fang Han and immediately landed on the extraordinary-looking purple flower in his hand.

"Is that... a Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasure in your hand?"

Fang Han nodded slightly, making no attempt to hide it.

"I got lucky. I happened upon a Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasure, so I picked it up."

Upon hearing this, a flash of surprise crossed Luo Yuntian’s eyes, quickly replaced by a sense of awe.

"Senior Brother Fang, your Perception Technique is truly enviable. To find a Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasure even while traveling... It’s a shame not everyone can learn a Perception Technique, or I would want to cultivate one as well."

The Qingxuan Sect Steward turned back as well, his voice tinged with admiration:

"True Inheritor Fang, your tracking and perception abilities are truly remarkable. If you have the time in the future, you could make a few trips to this Central County. You’d probably make a fortune just by finding Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures."

Fang Han smiled and said nothing more.

’Although Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures are more common in Central County, they certainly aren’t lying around everywhere. It’s impossible to just pick them up off the ground.’

Fang Han said no more. He held the pale purple flower in his palm, his gaze fixed upon it.

The reason he hadn’t placed the Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasure in a Jade Box was that he intended to consume it immediately.

Its effects were most potent when consumed fresh. Storing it in a Jade Box, even for a short time, would cause some degradation.

He gently picked up the purple flower with his fingertips and put it in his mouth.

The instant the purple flower entered his mouth, a sweet, crisp juice melted on his tongue and slid down his throat.

At first, he felt nothing, but after only a few seconds—

An icy sensation suddenly rose from his abdomen.

The cold wasn’t bone-chilling. Instead, it was like taking a drink of cool spring water on a hot summer day—a refreshing chill that seeped deep into his being.

This cool sensation spread rapidly, like an invisible tide, surging through his limbs and body before finally converging in his brain.

Fang Han closed his eyes, allowing the icy sensation to roam and circulate within his brain.

He could clearly feel his brain undergoing a subtle transformation.

Time passed quietly amidst this silent metamorphosis.

About an hour later, the icy sensation gradually subsided, receding from his brain like an ebbing tide.

Fang Han slowly opened his eyes, and an extremely faint, sharp light flashed within them before vanishing.

He gently exhaled a breath of turbid air. The exhalation hung in the carriage, solid and unmoving, before finally dissipating a moment later.

’This is the second time I’ve consumed a Secret Technique-type Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasure. I wonder how strong the effect will be?’

Fang Han tried to activate *Netherworld Guide*.

The moment he activated the Technique, an unprecedented sense of clarity washed over him.

The Heart Method Mantra for the Secret Technique flowed through his mind. The circulation routes for his Inner Qi, with which he was already quite familiar, now felt even smoother.

He instinctively knew how to make his Inner Qi flow more smoothly, as if he were born to use Secret Techniques.

A mystical sensation flowed from his nostrils as his perception spread out silently in all directions, like an invisible spiderweb.

The auras of the trees lining the road, the scent of the wild grasses in the fields, the bustle of life in the distant village.

The auras of all living things, both plant and animal, appeared in his perception with distinct, layered clarity.

As time passed and his comprehension of the Secret Technique deepened, these auras slowly grew even clearer within his perception.

He could feel that his aptitude for Secret Techniques had grown stronger.

The speed at which he comprehended Secret Techniques would increase by a considerable margin.

’The time required to reach Mastery in *Netherworld Guide* would be shortened by at least a third.’

Fang Han opened his eyes, a trace of satisfaction rising in his heart.

’How could I not be satisfied with a Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasure I’d gotten for free? Especially since this one was so well-suited for me, improving my Secret Technique Talent.’

「Ten days later.」

As the afternoon sun broke through the clouds to shine upon the land, the silhouette of an incomparably magnificent city finally appeared on the horizon.

Fang Han lifted the carriage curtain, his gaze falling on the giant city, and his breath hitched involuntarily.

The towering city walls were built from massive, gray-blue stones. They were at least thirty zhang high by visual estimation and stretched endlessly to either side, their ends lost to the horizon.

The gatehouse was majestic, with soaring, upturned eaves, and a roof of golden-glazed tiles that shimmered brilliantly in the sun.

The gate itself was immense, roughly ten zhang wide and fifteen zhang high. The gateway tunnel was so deep and wide that dozens of people could walk through it side-by-side with room to spare.

Above the gate hung a massive plaque, upon which were engraved two large, gilt words, written with powerful, vigorous strokes—

"Imperial Capital."