Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
After they crashed to the ground, horror dawned on Gu Li and Zhu Lu Qi.
Before the owner of the voice had even shown himself, he had already made them fall in such a wretched manner. Even a powerhouse at the peak of the Quintessential Saint Stage might not be able to do so! It was very likely the person who had spoken was a Saint Celestial Stage powerhouse!
When both of them thought about how they had offended a Saint Celestial Stage powerhouse the moment they arrived in the Upper Province, terror rose in their hearts as horror filled their eyes.
“Senior, we didn't mean to offend you… We didn't mean to trespa.s.s into your garden as well,” Duan Ling Tian took a deep breath and calmed the chaotic vital energy and blood in his body before said to the air politely, “We've just arrived from the Lower Province. After we enter the Inter-Province Transportation Formation, we were sent here. I swear that we didn't touch a single plant at all since we got here.”
Upon hearing Duan Ling Tian's words, Gu Li quickly said, “That's right, Senior! After we realized this herb garden has an owner, we immediately decided to leave this place since we didn't want to cause any trouble. Since we didn't mean to offend you, could you please let us leave, Senior?”
Although Zhu Lu Qi remained quiet, a hint of antic.i.p.ation could be seen in his eyes. It was not that he was unwilling to speak. However, the words he wanted to say had been said by Duan Ling Tian and Gu Li.
Although they had spoken, they did not receive a response.
Three of them immediately looked at each other with a wry smile and anxiety in their hearts.
The powerhouse was able to cause them to fall in such a wretched manner without even revealing himself. This was enough to prove his strength was not something they could fight.
'Even if I unleash all my techniques and use the Jasper Celestial Sword, it'll still be impossible for me to be a match for this powerhouse!' Duan Ling Tian thought to himself.
“From the Lower Province?” After a long while, the ancient-sounding voice sounded again. It sounded as though he was interrogating them.
“Senior, we're really from the Lower Province. If we didn't suddenly appear in your herb garden but came in from outside, you would've discovered us based on your ability,” Gu Li said as he tried to flatter the owner of the voice.
“Since all of you trespa.s.sed into this place by accident, I can't blame you for it so I'll spare your lives!” The ancient-sounding voice said again. Duan Ling Tian and the other two sighed in relief when they realized their lives were safe.
The other person could have easily killed them with his strength.
“In that case, we bid goodbye to you, Senior!” Duan Ling Tian and his two companions stood up. Gu Li even respectfully cupped his hands together in front of his chest. Without waiting for the powerhouse to response, he rose into the air.
Boom!
However, the moment Gu Li rose into the air, he was sent cras.h.i.+ng down again by the same energy that had appeared out of nowhere. It angered him a little. “Senior, d-didn't you say that you don't blame us and will spare our lives? With your strength and ident.i.ty, you won't go as far as to joke with us, right?” It seemed as though Gu Li was complaining when he spoke.
Duan Ling Tian and Zhu Lu Qi could not help but frown as well. The powerhouse who was concealing himself would not go back on his words, right? However, they were powerless to do anything even if the powerhouses decided to go back on his words.
After all, even if three of them joined forces, it was not even enough to leave a scratch on the powerhouse.
“I said that I don't blame you, and I'll spare your lives. However, since you're sent here by the Inter-Province Transportation Formation, this means that you're fated to meet me. As it happens, a few workers who tend to this garden for me had died sudden unexplained deaths a few days ago. For this reason, all of you will help me tend to this garden for the time being. You can leave as you like after I find new workers,” the ancient-sounding voice said.
Duan Ling Tian and his two companions were horrified when they heard the powerhouse's words.
He wanted them to stay back and tend to his garden? Not only that, but his workers had died sudden explained deaths? From his tone, it seemed like he wanted them to remain behind to become his workers?
“What? You're unwilling? If you're unwilling, I'll send you to the otherworld right now!” The voice said coldly. Then, he changed his tone and said, “Don't be so ungrateful! You've just arrived at the Upper Province, if you stroll about casually outside, n.o.body knows when you'll be killed. If you stay in my herb garden, apart from being safe, the cultivation environment here is much better than it is outside. Many people want to cultivate here, but I've rejected them!”
It seemed like the powerhouse decided to use the 'Carrot and Stick' approach.
When they heard the first half of the sentence, Duan Ling Tian and his two companions were horrified. They knew it was impossible to leave even if they were unwilling to tend to the garden.
When they heard the second half of his words, they instinctively sensed the Heaven and Spirit Energy here. They quickly discovered that the Heaven and Earth Energy here was indeed very rich. It was far richer that it could not compare to the Lower Province at all.
However, since they had not gone anywhere else in the Upper Province, they did not know whether the cultivation environment here was better than it was outside.
“Huh?” Duan Ling Tian who was sensing the Heaven and Earth Spirit Energy soon discovered that the Heaven and Earth Spirit Energy here resonated with the Spirit Medicines in the herb garden.
The aura that was occasionally released by the Spirit Medicines also fused with the Heaven and Earth Spirit Energy, making it even richer.
'It seems like he didn't lie to us,' Duan Ling Tian thought to himself.
Even if that was the case, Duan Ling Tian did not intend to remain here to cultivate even if the cultivation environment here was the best in the Upper Province. He did not want to stay here for a second longer if possible.
The reason he had left the Lower Province and came to the Upper Province was to look for his fiancee and daughter who were imprisoned in the Fire Wors.h.i.+p Sect.
What he wanted to do was to go to the Fire Wors.h.i.+p Sect to save his fiancee and daughter.
Although with his current strength it was impossible for him to charge into the Fire Wors.h.i.+p Sect to save his fiancee and daughter, he planned to sneak into the Fire Wors.h.i.+p Sect and plan from there. He believed with his current strength, it would not be difficult for him to join the Fire Wors.h.i.+p Sect.
However, if he was imprisoned here, he would not be able to go to the Fire Wors.h.i.+p Sect for the time being. Not only that, but he might even die here. How could go to Ke'er and his daughter's rescue if he died? After all, according to the owner of the herb garden, the previous workers had died suddenly without any explanation.
If one worker died without any explanation, it might just be a coincidence. However, a few workers had died abruptly without any explanation. It made one wonder if the problem lay with the herb garden or its owner.
“Senior!” Duan Ling Tian spoke to the air after he took a deep breath, “The reason I came to the Upper Province is due to an urgent business I have here. If you're willing to let us leave, I, Duan Ling Tian, will be forever grateful and return this favor in the future!”
“We'll owe you a favor as well, Senior,” Gu Li and Zhu Lu Qi chimed in. Although they had no particularly urgent business here, they knew it would not be good for them to work here and tend to the garden. If it was possible, they wanted to leave as soon as they could.
For some odd reason, they felt that the owner of the herb garden was a little strange. Especially when he spoke about his previous workers who had died sudden unexplained deaths. Chills ran up their spines immediately when they thought about how they might follow in those workers' footsteps.
“I know what you're thinking. The previous workers haven't even entered the Eminent Saint Stage yet, they couldn't endure the rich Heaven and Earth Spirit Energy in the herb garden after spending some time here. In the end, all of them exploded and died after staying here for ten years.” The herb garden's owner still did not reveal himself, but his voice resonated clearly in Duan Ling Tian and his two companions' ears. “With your cultivation base, it won't be a problem for you to stay for ten years! After ten years, I'll naturally let all of you leave! Alright, it's decided then! If I find out any of you dare to escape before ten years are over, don't blame me for not showing any mercy!”
After that, the voice no longer spoke.
No matter how loud Gu Li yelled, the herb garden's owner no longer responded. It was as though he had gone away.
In the end, Gu Li could only look at Duan Ling Tian helplessly and ask, “Junior Brother Ling Tian, what should we do now?”
“What else can we do? Since he has already said such words, we can only obediently remain here for the time being.” Duan Ling Tian smiled wryly.
Among the three of them, he was definitely the most eager to leave this place. He was desperate to go to the Fire Wors.h.i.+p Sect to rescue his fiancee and daughter.
Who knew when the Sect Leader of the Fire Wors.h.i.+p Sect would come out of closed-door cultivation? At that time, his fiancee and daughter's lives would be in danger.
The moment he thought of this, his heart burned with anxiety! However, in this current situation, what use was there even if his heart burned with anxiety?
The strength of the herb garden's owner was not something they could go against. It was impossible for them to leave by force.
For this reason, they could only go with the flow and see if they could find a chance to leave.
“Let's stay for now. Who knows, we might find a chance to leave in a few days' time,” Zhu Lu Qi transmitted his voice to Duan Ling Tian and Gu Li's ears, and they nodded.
Currently, this was all they could do. They had no choice at all.
For this reason, Duan Ling Tian and the other two remained in the herb garden.
Initially, they thought nothing of the Spirit Gra.s.ses and Spirit Medicines in the herb garden, but after staying for some time, they realized that these Spirit Gra.s.ses and Spirit Medicines were not low-grade ones.
In fact, even Elder Huo said if these Spirit Gra.s.ses and Spirit Medicines were given to him, he would be able to completely repair the fourth level of the Seven Treasures Exquisite PaG.o.da.
Even with the help of the entire Azure Cloud Mansion, he only managed to restore a small fraction of the fourth level of the Seven Treasures Exquisite PaG.o.da.
“Elder Huo, you're not mistaken, right? These Spirit Gra.s.ses and Spirit Medicines are not in the list of materials you told me before,” Duan Ling Tian grumbled to Elder Huo.
This was because he felt as though Elder Huo was trying to get him to steal all of the Spirit Gra.s.ses and Spirit Medicines in the herb garden.
“My strength has recovered a little more now. If these Spirit Gra.s.ses and Spirit Medicines are refined by my Sun True Origin, they can be transformed into the purest state of energy and be used to repair the fourth level of the Seven Treasures Exquisite PaG.o.da!” Elder Huo replied.
When Duan Ling Tian heard this, he only smiled wryly. “Even so, I can't touch even one plant here at all. If I did, I'll definitely die without a doubt! Even Senior Brother Gu Li and Palace Master Zhu would be implicated as well!”
