Chapter 730 - 680: Bandits! (1)
Beneath the bright moonlight, Yao Junxian led the way. Qin Fan, wearing a mischievously sly smile, silently led the group of over fifty people as they shuffled toward the Spiritual Medicine Garden.
It seemed like a reluctant gesture of welcome. The outskirts of the Spiritual Medicine Garden had been tidied up immaculately; even the previously sprawling vines had their roots pruned into an exquisite disarray.
However, when Qin Fan released his Divine Sense to survey the inside of the Spiritual Medicine Garden, he couldn’t help but chuckle bitterly. He shook his head as he turned to Yao Junxian walking beside him and teased, "Valley Master Yao, in your heart, am I just like a bandit?"
What the heck? Like a bandit? Damn it, you *are* a bandit! A completely reprehensible one!
Alas, Yao Junxian only dared to grumble these thoughts to himself. Hearing Qin Fan’s playful tone, he had no choice but to suppress his frustration. He forced a chuckle and said obsequiously, "Divine Envoy, you must be joking!"
"Am I joking? If I wasn’t a bandit in your eyes, would Medicine Valley have gone as far as to pluck all those rare treasures from the Spiritual Medicine Garden? If I’m not mistaken, they weren’t mature or old enough yet!" Qin Fan replied with a wicked smile. Originally, he hadn’t intended to plunder the rare Spirit Plants in the Spiritual Medicine Garden again, as they were of little use to him now. But upon discovering what Medicine Valley had done, he couldn’t help but find it amusing.
"Divine Envoy, you don’t understand! Our Medicine Valley has fallen on hard times, and we often fail to produce top-quality medicines. So we have no choice. Even knowing we’re wasting precious resources, we have to harvest immature Spirit Fruits and Spirit Plants to complete our refinement!" Yao Junxian said, looking aggrieved. He had prepared this excuse well in advance, so not a hint of embarrassment showed on his face as he spoke.
As he finished, they arrived at the entrance to the Spiritual Medicine Garden. Afraid that Qin Fan might dwell on the issue, Yao Junxian quickly spoke again before Qin Fan could respond. "Divine Envoy, we’ve arrived at the Spiritual Medicine Garden! We won’t disturb you any further. Please, go on in!"
"Alright, thanks. I owe you one for this," Qin Fan said, patting Yao Junxian on the arm with a faint smile. He had seen right through Yao Junxian’s thoughts but chose not to point them out needlessly.
"Then, Divine Envoy, we shall take our leave. If you need anything, just say the word. You are our guest, and Medicine Valley will do its utmost to satisfy your needs!" Yao Junxian rattled off the pleasantries with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. Then, after Qin Fan nodded with a smile, the group from Medicine Valley quickly departed.
"Master, what is this Spiritual Medicine Garden?" Amber, who had been listening to their conversation the whole time, stepped closer to Qin Fan and asked in a low voice once the Medicine Valley members were gone.
"A place for accelerated cultivation, containing the purest essence of heaven and earth," Qin Fan explained as he pushed open the gates to the Spiritual Medicine Garden.
A place for accelerated cultivation? The purest essence?
Amber was baffled by his words and was about to ask for more clarification when Qin Fan pushed the gates open. The instant the overwhelming wave of Spiritual Energy washed over them, she froze, completely stunned. She wasn’t the one. The reaction from the other fifty-two people was even more pronounced.
All of them suddenly stood frozen in place, their mouths agape. As the dense Spiritual Breath rushed over them, they felt as if they were undergoing a complete rebirth, the legendary process of Washing Marrow and Chopping Bones!
This—this—what kind of place is this?!
For a moment, everyone except for Qin Fan was rooted to the spot, lost and bewildered.
"Don’t just stand there gawking. Let’s go," Qin Fan said without looking back. He could guess their reactions even without seeing them. With that, he strode deeper into the garden.
"Y-yes, Master!" the crowd responded in a daze, shaking themselves from their stupor and quickly following. As they ventured deeper, the sensation grew stronger, and a feeling of ethereal emptiness, as if they were adrift in a misty void, filled their bodies. The looks of disbelief on their faces became more and more pronounced.
After walking straight for about two or three minutes, Qin Fan stopped. Behind him, the others instinctively halted as well, raising their stunned eyes to stare intently at Qin Fan as he turned around.
"Master, how can a place like this exist? This... this is unbelievable!" Amber was the first to speak, unable to contain her overwhelming shock.
"You don’t need to concern yourselves with that," Qin Fan said, shaking his head lightly. "Go. Take them and find places to sit cross-legged. They must clear their minds of all distractions and properly absorb the essence here. Have them spend the night in meditation."
"Yes!" Amber nodded. She turned and gave a few instructions to the fifty-two people. Immediately, they scattered in small groups, finding empty spaces amidst the thick Spirit Grass to sit down cross-legged.
In less than two minutes, the Spiritual Medicine Garden fell silent. Following Qin Fan’s instructions, everyone calmed their minds and focused on gathering energy, entering a state of deep, selfless meditation as if they had emptied their minds completely.
Glancing at the figures scattered in meditation, Qin Fan turned his gaze toward the entrance gate of the Spiritual Medicine Garden. He muttered a few words under his breath, then channeled True Qi to his fingertips and flicked a finger toward the gate.
BUZZ—
An invisible, faint hum emanated from the gate, which otherwise appeared unchanged.
Qin Fan withdrew his hand, walked over to a stone chair, and sat down. He took out paper and a pen from his storage space, laying them flat on the stone table before him. He closed his eyes, and the Cangqiong Refining Body Decision materialized in his sea of consciousness. Pen in hand, without even opening his eyes, he began to rapidly transcribe the contents of the technique onto the paper.
He lost track of time. When Qin Fan finally opened his eyes, the pages on the stone table were covered in dense script. This was the essence of the first three layers of the Cangqiong Refining Body Decision. Although the Cangqiong Refining Body Decision had nine layers in total, if these ordinary folks could master the first three, it would be enough for them to command the wind and rain in the Martial Arts World. As long as they could comprehend its contents and nurture themselves with the Spiritual Energy in the garden, reaching the Transformation Realm would not be difficult at all. The only question was how long their innate talent would require to master these first three layers of the Cangqiong Refining Body Decision.
After glancing at the copy he had written, Qin Fan paused for a moment, then seemed to come to a decision. He picked up the pen again and quickly began to write on a fresh sheet of paper. The lengthy text was filled with many obscure and difficult terms. This was the essence of the Cangqiong Refining Body Decision from the third to the fifth layer—the part he was preparing specifically for Amber.
Since he intended to form a mass-produced squad of Transformation Realm phantoms, it was essential that the team had a leader. Amber was the only candidate in his mind. If all fifty-two members reached the Transformation Realm, how could Amber possibly command them without possessing Gang Realm cultivation herself?
With the final stroke written, Qin Fan’s gaze drifted toward Amber’s direction. Amber, I hope you won’t disappoint this Heavenly Venerate.