Li Bai and Qi Jiguang bypassed several spirit herbs that bore no fruit. The basin was not small, but there were only a few dozen spirit herbs. Perhaps due to the passage of time, these herbs lacked sufficient nutrients and had not yielded any fruit.
Li Bai turned around and walked to a fruitless spirit herb. After several inspections, he shook his head in disappointment, thinking that even if he took it outside, it would likely not survive.
Walking a few more steps inward, some of the ground showed signs of cultivation by living beings. Further in, the immortal energy began to thicken, some of it even liquefying on the leaves and shimmering slightly.
"This one is still well-preserved, full of vitality!"
Qi Jiguang's gaze shifted to a spirit herb beside him, no taller than his neck. Its leaves were luxuriant, but it bore only three blue fruits, speckled with numerous red dots. Li Bai stepped forward to examine it. Having frequented the Dan Hall in Chang'an City and asked Sun Simiao to concoct various medicinal wines, he had, over time, gained some knowledge of medicinal herbs and pills.
Li Bai gazed intently. The spirit herb, barely reaching his neck, exuded a rich fragrance. The scent he had smelled from afar originated from this very plant.
"This is the Blue Nethergrass, not a particularly precious spirit herb!" Li Bai said, looking at the three blue fruits and shaking his head. "It's merely the main ingredient for refining the Guiling Pill!"
Qi Jiguang casually plucked the three fruits. After wandering around, the two had gathered quite a few fruits. Some Li Bai could identify, while others were unknown to him. They paid no mind to the harvesting techniques, forcefully plucking them and storing them away. Upon returning to Chang'an, Sun Simiao would handle them.
"General Qi, look!"
Li Bai suddenly froze, his trembling arm pointing forward. Qi Jiguang followed his gaze, his pupils contracting sharply, his face turning pale and listless.
Not far away, a tall spirit herb, resembling a tree with lush branches and leaves, stood there. What terrified them both was the pile of bones at the herb's roots. One skeleton still had some flesh and blood clinging to it, its fibrous roots seeping into the bone's blood vessels, absorbing the life essence of the being.
"Golden Immortal!"
"It's a Golden Immortal creature!"
Seeing the remaining drop of blood, Li Bai exclaimed. To cultivate this spirit herb using so many Golden Immortal creatures as nourishment, what a tremendous cost! However, Li Bai soon shook his head. Who was Emperor Burial Dragon Immortal? He was a supreme Immortal Emperor. Even if this pile of bones belonged to Quasi-Emperor realm beings, it would be normal.
Qi Jiguang looked down. Many of the bones had already merged into the soil. It was unknown how many Golden Immortal creatures had been used, but there were no fruits on the spirit herb. Only two streams of golden light flowed back and forth upon it. The drop of blood quickly evaporated.
Whoosh!
As the blood was depleted, the spirit herb suddenly trembled. With extreme speed, its lush leaves turned withered and yellow, and patches of golden leaves fell, covering all the bones.
In the golden world, to their eyes, it was so cruel and terrifying!
As a gentle breeze flowed past, all the leaves fell, and the entire branch withered, as if dehydrated. The only things left on the spirit herb were those two wisps of golden light, resembling a breath. For some reason, the moment Li Bai and Qi Jiguang saw the two golden wisps, they felt a dazed sensation.
Li Bai took a step forward, his foot landing on the thick layer of spirit herb leaves. Just half a step further, he stepped on a bone. Instantly, his body trembled violently, and a golden light flashed in his eyes.
"Lord Li!"
Seeing this, Qi Jiguang panicked. No matter how he called out, Li Bai showed no response. He rushed forward and saw several large characters flash on the withered spirit herb trunk: "Golden Immortal Dao Fruit, Golden Immortal Achieved!"
"Golden Immortal Dao Fruit!"
"Golden Immortal Achieved!"
Unable to decipher the meaning of the words, and with no time to ponder, Qi Jiguang placed a hand on Li Bai's shoulder. Just as he was about to speak, he felt a surge of golden light ahead. Like Li Bai, his body trembled, and then a stream of golden light flashed in his eyes.
The two stood there calmly, without consciousness, nor sight or hearing, as if they had been knocked unconscious by a creature.
Rumble!
Golden light suddenly filled the sky above the spirit herb, and dull thunder rumbled. The two entwined golden wisps on the spirit herb suddenly surged into the bodies of Li Bai and Qi Jiguang.
Whoosh!
The withered spirit herb instantly returned to its appearance when Li Bai and Qi Jiguang first discovered it. The spirit herb shook its lush leaves, which suddenly began to move like living beings, embracing them and enveloping Li Bai and Qi Jiguang in the middle.
Outside, layers of warm golden light rippled outward, and the entire basin fell silent. Only the sound of two strong, powerful heartbeats could be heard.
Thump!
Thump!
Thump!
...
Inside the Xuanzheng Hall of the Imperial Palace in Chang'an City, Great Han Immortal Dynasty, Yang Hao suddenly stood up, his eyes fixed in the direction of Burial Dragon Island.
Although he did not know what Li Bai and Qi Jiguang had experienced, he could sense their changes through the Summoning Platform. In a single breath of life and death, it was like a cosmic shift.
"Ding! Congratulations to the Host, heroes Qi Jiguang and Li Bai have found the Golden Immortal Dao Fruit and successfully advanced by a minor realm, reaching the sixth level of Profound Immortal!"
"Ding! Congratulations to the Host, heroes Qi Jiguang and Li Bai have found the Golden Immortal Dao Fruit and successfully advanced by a minor realm, reaching the seventh level of Profound Immortal!"
"Ding! Congratulations to the Host, heroes Qi Jiguang and Li Bai have found the Golden Immortal Dao Fruit and successfully advanced by a minor realm, reaching the eighth level of Profound Immortal!"
...
"Ding! Congratulations to the Host, heroes Qi Jiguang and Li Bai have found the Golden Immortal Dao Fruit and successfully broken through the barrier of the Profound Immortal realm, reaching the first level of Golden Immortal!"
In an instant, it was like an information bombardment. The realms of heroes Li Bai and Qi Jiguang, from the fifth level of Profound Immortal, had leaped directly into the Golden Immortal realm!
Golden Immortal!
Since Yang Hao had summoned the two experts, Chang Yuchun and Meng Juehai, half a day ago, the Great Han Immortal Dynasty had gained two more Golden Immortal powerhouses!
Yang Hao smiled slightly. With this, they would be safe within the secret treasure of Emperor Burial Dragon Immortal.
Whoosh!
Inside the secret treasure, Li Bai and Qi Jiguang let out a long sigh of relief and awoke. The world was bathed in golden light. The spirit herb before them had completely withered, and the two swirling golden wisps had disappeared.
Qi Jiguang and Li Bai exchanged glances. The words "Golden Immortal Dao Fruit" and "Golden Immortal Achieved" now made sense. This spirit herb, which used Golden Immortal creatures as fertilizer, bore fruit that was essentially those two golden wisps. Upon entering a being's body, it was like a muddled divine infusion, a direct path to the Golden Immortal realm.