<b>Chapter 525: Ultimate Alchemy Location</b>
Li Qiye nonchalantly responded: “You don't need to know this. However, if the secret among secrets appears, then I'll take you to experience it.”
Having heard that, Lan Yunzhu didn't ask anything more. She only knew that this secret must be really amazing.
“Let us go.” Li Qiye brought her into the garden. They didn't get too far before a soulgrass jumped out. This soulgrass was like a little coiling dragon. If it wasn't for the dragon's tail being linked to the mud, making it seem like a type of grass, then people would actually think that it was a dragon.
Lan Yunzhu knew her stuff, so she exclaimed: “A Silkworm Dragon Soulgrass! This is already an eight transformations soulgrass; it's only one step away from becoming a dragon grass!”
Soulgrass was the essential primary leading ingredient for refining fate pills. Without soulgrass, one wouldn't be able to refine fate pills at all. There were many types of soulgrass, but the Silkworm Dragon Soulgrass was one of the best. It had a very potent medicinal effect, so it was sought after far more than the others.
Soulgrass could have nine transformations and the ninth transformation would be the limit. It was the same for the Silkworm Dragon Soulgrass that had nine different stages. In the three initial stages, it would take on the form of an insect flower; the middle three stages were ones where it would be in the form of a soulgrass; the last three stages was when it would take on the shape of a dragon grass. Legend states that after reaching the ninth transformation, it would completely metamorphose into a real little dragon!
Li Qiye reached down and plucked the soulgrass. It was unwilling, but Li Qiye's hand covered everything so it had no chance to escape.
Outside of the grave, this soulgrass was considered priceless as it only grew in the most dangerous of locations and was protected by poisonous creatures. However, in this lost garden, this type of soulgrass was only a common spirit medicine.
Li Qiye put it away and told Lan Yunzhu: “Remember, there are three rules in this lost garden. First, one can only pick ordinary spirit medicines.”
“What does 'ordinary spirit medicines' entail?” Lan Yunzhu asked.
Li Qiye replied with a smile: “Ordinary means little King Medicines, basically ones that are three million years old or younger, or ones that have nine or fewer transformations.”
“Could there be a soulgrass with ten transformations?” Lan Yunzhu found the answer puzzling.
This was impossible since the world knew that nine transformations was the limit for soulgrass.
To this, Li Qiye only smiled and continued on: “Second, Emperor Medicines, Immortal Medicines, and True Immortal Medicines as well as divine trees that are at least five million years old can only be plucked if they are willing. If they agree to go with you, then you can take them. However, if you forcefully do so, then prepare to face the punishment!”
“How are the Emperor Medicines, Immortal Medicines, and True Immortal Medicines classified?” Lan Yunzhu asked in confusion.
Li Qiye shook his head and grinned: “The truth is that there is no real standard. Some people consider King Medicines with three million years of age as Emperor Medicines, but this is the classification used by the weaker alchemists. Once an alchemist reaches a certain level, they will be able to interact with King Medicines that belong in the legends, so the majority of these alchemists consider the ones that are at least five million years old as Emperor Medicine. As for rarer spirit medicines, such as the Immortal Phoenix Grass, they call them Immortal Medicines.”
“What about True Immortal Medicines then?” Lan Yunzhu asked: “How could medicine be fake and real?”
Li Qiye responded: “True Immortal Medicines are divided into several levels. A spirit medicine like the Immortal Phoenix Grass is indeed very rare, but it is not a real immortal grass. Real immortal grasses come from a very ancient era and were cultivated by immortals. Some people even say that True Immortal Medicines hide the true secret to immortality!”
“Do they really exist in this world?” Lan Yunzhu asked: “A True Immortal Medicine capable of granting eternal life…?”
Li Qiye didn't answer her question since he was digging up a two million year old Silver Maple Grass. It was a type of supporting ingredient for Longevity Medicines. A two million year old spirit medicine like this was very rare and absolutely priceless.
“The third rule is that one cannot be too greedy. At this place, you can pick any ordinary spirit medicines without any danger. However, if you are too greedy and pluck too many, then the alchemy garden will sanction you. If there are three, then take two and leave one behind — you should consider this as the maximum. This is already pushing it to the limit.”
Lan Yunzhu couldn't help but smile at this point. In this place, little King Medicines and King Medicines were only called ordinary spirit medicines. These were priceless items that could start countless conflicts.
However, she then remembered that Li Qiye was cautious about this threat from the garden, so she curiously asked: “What will happen if you are sanctioned by the garden?”
“Very simple.” Li Qiye answered with a grin: “If you are not an Immortal Emperor, then don't even think about leaving alive.”
Lan Yunzhu immediately lost her colors. Immortal grasses were already so heaven-defying that even Heavenly Kings wouldn't mess with them. And yet, being sanctioned by the alchemy garden was even worse, according to Li Qiye. One that wasn't at the emperor level wouldn't be able to dream about these immortal grasses unless they were willing to go with you.
“Don't stand there in a daze. First come first serve, I'm not going to give you any!” Li Qiye casually dug up another nine transformations Jadeblood Bamboo.
Lan Yunzhu regained her wits and yelled: “Uncle, you are bullying this girl. You already started digging before me without saying anything!” She let go of all her feminine manners and screamed while rushing to dig out medicines with Li Qiye.
Li Qiye only smiled and let her have a King Medicine root.
She had quite a great harvest while digging with Li Qiye. The more she dug, the more speechless she became. Here, King Medicines were not any different from radishes; one could easily pluck them since they were everywhere.
She was not an alchemist so her digging skills were much worse than Li Qiye's. If it wasn't for him taking it easy on purpose, she wouldn't be able to win anything in front of him. Although the amount she gathered was far less than that of Li Qiye, she was already very satisfied.
Think about it, a Heavenly King from the Zhan Clan chased with an emperor's weapon while panting and sweating for ten thousand miles just for one King Medicine. In the end, no one even knew if he caught it or not. However, Li Qiye and Lan Yunzhu were digging up King Medicines as if they were radishes in such a simple manner. This was such a joyous occasion!
After digging and moving for a long time, Li Qiye finally looked ahead and said with a smile: “We are finally here.”
Lan Yunzhu was taken aback. She now understood that digging up King Medicines wasn't Li Qiye's goal, it was just a convenient venture. If this wasn't his goal, then what was attracting his attention?
She stood up after digging out another King Medicine, but she was startled after she saw the scene before her. She was so shocked that she couldn't close her mouth.
Before them was a medicine field with a blue radiance like a jade with blue smoke. However, a more careful look would show that it was not smoke and instead was an extremely refined and precious worldly energy.
Immortal Medicines and divine trees were growing in this medicine field. Each of them spewed out mists while absorbing worldly energy just like a real living being.
The two of them were about to step inside, but they had to stop due to a dragon's roar as a dragon landed in front of them. It was not huge, but it emitted a draconic aura and roared before Li Qiye as if it was warning them not to step into this place.
“Hold on, hold on.” Despite being roared at by the dragon, Li Qiye leisurely smiled and said: “This is not how you treat a guest.”
“This is not a place for you to visit. It's not a place meant for little existences like you.” A voice appeared from an old tree; this tree had the face of an old man. Any coward would have a heart attack after seeing this existence.
“Of course I have my reasons for coming here.” Li Qiye replied in a laid-back manner.
“What are these things?” Lan Yunzhu whispered and asked Li Qiye after seeing how this dragon seemed as if it was about to attack them.
Li Qiye smiled and gently touched the dragon flying before him and replied: “This is a ten transformations Silkworm Dragon Soulgrass. That tree over there is an eight million year old Soldier Tree.”
“That over there is a Reincarnation Heavenly Soulvine…” Li Qiye continued to call out the names of these immortal vegetation that sucked in the mists with a leisurely expression.
A few needed no introduction from Li Qiye since Lan Yunzhu could tell what they were with a more careful glance: “Is that a seven million year old Violetblood King Ginseng?”
“No, my name is Ginseng Ancestor.” The ginseng that was emitting a violet light faintly spoke. A ginseng that knew how to talk was quite scary!
Lan Yunzhu couldn't help but take a calming breath. An ancestor ginseng such as this was the finest ingredient to prolong one's life span; even an Immortal Emperor would need this. If an Immortal Emperor came here, he would forcefully take it away even if he had to suffer the sanctioning of the garden.
“This is our territory!” The Soldier Tree warned Li Qiye and Lan Yunzhu: “Leave now. We don't care what you do in the other parts of the garden, but you can't enter here!”
“Whether I can come or not, you guys do not have the final say.” Li Qiye narrowed his eyes and said: “The truth is that you guys are not the real masters of this place, correct? I am a peace-loving person and I don't want to fight. I do have this thing, so maybe I can borrow a medicine field?”