Chapter 49: The Green Tide Valley Duel

“Medicine God Valley?” Mu Yuan muttered to himself.

The name of Medicine God Valley was quite famous in the Cultivation World. Nearly all the pills and spiritual medicines needed by the Cultivation World came from Medicine God Valley. Although Medicine God Valley itself was not strong in combat power, no sect dared to provoke it!

There was actually another sect famous for alchemy called the Dan Ding Sect, which had an even longer history than Medicine God Valley, tracing back to the ancient Fang Xian Dao. However, this sect traditionally disliked interacting with other sects, so it was actually less popular than Medicine God Valley, with a much narrower social circle. Still, whether from the Dao, demon, Buddhist, or Confucian paths, no one dared to provoke them either.

“Aunt-Master Qinghua just started teaching me our sect’s divine abilities these past few days. I’m afraid I cannot accompany you on your journey, Senior. How about after matters here are settled, I visit Medicine God Valley on my own to pay my respects?” Mu Yuan said respectfully to Old Daoist Danhuo.

“No matter, no matter! You go and focus on learning your divine abilities. I am not in a hurry to return anyway. I will stay in Longevity Palace for some time. Old Daoist Tiemu, you won’t find me a nuisance and forbid me from staying here, will you!”

True Lord Tiemu laughed heartily. “I would be delighted, absolutely delighted! It’s rare for you to be willing to stay. I must host you properly!”

With that, the gathering dispersed. Mu Yuan pocketed the jade box and exited the Azure Dragon Hall. Hua Zhenzi approached him and said coldly, “A disciple of Cloud-Capped Peak only dares to bully the weak, seizing others’ magic treasures. Now you shrink back and hide. Truly, it’s a passed-down tradition, a profound inheritance!”

Mu Yuan originally intended to ignore whatever Hua Zhenzi said, but the other’s words subtly mocked his master. He suddenly turned his head and glared fiercely at him, gritting his teeth as he said, “Do you think you are the strong one? Strange Abode Peak’s nature of overestimating itself, being arrogant and complacent, has indeed been passed down quite a lot, never broken off!”

Neither of them yielded. Sparks seemed to fly between their gazes.

The disciples from the other four peaks, including those from Flying Dragon Peak, were already accustomed to the conflict between Strange Abode Peak and Cloud-Capped Peak. Seeing the two about to clash, Chen Taiyi, who was also on duty at the Azure Dragon Hall that day, exited the hall simultaneously. Seeing the tension between them, he frowned and shouted, “How dare you! What do you think you are doing? Do you take Flying Dragon Peak’s Azure Dragon Hall for your own backyard?”

Chen Taiy was in charge of Longevity Palace’s discipline, and many disciples feared him. Hua Zhenzi also did not want to defy this senior brother. He said quietly to Mu Yuan, “I will be waiting for you in Green Tide Valley at midnight. If you have no courage and are content to be a cowardly turtle, you don’t have to come!”

After saying this, Hua Zhenzi drifted away gracefully. Mu Yuan’s expression changed several times, his face darkened, and he left as well.

Returning to Cloud-Capped Peak, Mu Yuan handed over the pills. Seeing that there was still time, he went to the stream in the forest behind the peak to draw in spiritual energy. He waited until the Longevity Qi and Tide True Qi in his body reached a perfect state of balance and fullness before rising to leave.

Green Tide Valley was a remote corner within Longevity Palace’s Grotto-Heaven. Because it was close to the East Sea, during the construction of the Grotto-Heaven, a sea tide was artificially drawn into the palace. Although the streams and lakes within the Grotto-Heaven contained fresh water, Green Tide Valley held a pool of seawater. Furthermore, because it was connected to the East Sea, tides often surged in, vast and magnificent. However, because it was somewhat out of the way, few people usually went there!

Mu Yuan arrived there early. Although he had lived in Longevity Palace for over ten years and had toured almost every place in the palace, Green Tide Valley had extremely high humidity and was secluded and dim. A carefree young person like him would not often visit such a slightly gloomy and accumulated place. But now, before the fight, Mu Yuan naturally came to scout the area!

Unlike Zhou Huasheng or Wu Dejun, this Hua Zhenzi was a genuine Spirit Refining expert. His Yin-Yang Dual Spirits were vast and mighty, just one step away from Elixir Formation. He was two levels higher than Mu Yuan. However, Mu Yuan was not afraid. After all, he had the Longevity Sword, a False Elixir, as his reliance. Even if he couldn’t win, losing to a Spirit Refining expert wasn’t something shameful!

But regardless of winning or losing, he had to go. It was a matter of face, a matter of dignity. If he could not stand up to face humiliation, what would be the point even if he achieved Primordial Spirit!

Standing on the ridge beside Green Tide Valley, Mu Yuan looked down against the wind. He felt a sea breeze with a slight fishy smell hit his face. The valley was thirty zhang wide, but its depth was unknown. It was full of churning seawater, and creatures that swam in from the sea occasionally surfaced, adding some life to the dead silent Green Tide Valley.

“This Green Tide Valley is quite good. It’s just that the wood spiritual power isn’t very abundant. Instead, water vapor pervades the area, giving a big advantage!” Mu Yuan finally felt he had gained a bit of an edge. He sat down peacefully on the mountain ridge and carefully thought about the few divine abilities he had just learned today.

After handing over the pills, Mu Yuan went to Cloud Brilliance Peak to listen to True Lord Qinghua’s teachings on the principles of divine abilities. Having a Primordial Spirit expert carefully instruct him naturally brought many benefits. Although the time wasn’t long, Mu Yuan managed to learn a powerful divine ability called “Heaven and Earth Reincarnation.”

Originally, the Longevity Art was about stimulating vitality and enlivening life force, aligning perfectly with the Daoist tenet of “cultivating life to attain longevity.” However, this “Heaven and Earth Reincarnation” was a supreme divine ability that annihilated life force, devouring others’ vitality and soul power to replenish oneself. Yet its main principle was still a form of manipulating life force!

Mu Yuan gently circulated his zhenqi. Faint emerald green light drifted out from all the acupuncture points throughout his body, spinning rapidly. In the blink of an eye, it condensed into a thin, green revolving wheel in front of Mu Yuan. Although it was formed from condensed zhenqi, it felt substantial, like jadeite, quite beautiful!

Once this wheel formed, it kept spinning and trembling lightly in mid-air. Countless arcs of light flew off from it, whirling and swirling, stirring up a strong wind. Immediately, grass and trees swayed, branches danced, forming numerous swirling vortices of light that sucked in all the wood attribute spiritual energy from the surrounding heaven and earth, creating even larger wind vortices and light swirls!

Mu Yuan released it and immediately withdrew it, amazed by its power. He whispered to himself, “No wonder they only taught me this divine ability now. This Heaven and Earth Reincarnation is truly domineering. Only someone who has reached the third level perfection and has integrated their meridians can perform it!”

“However, this Heaven and Earth Reincarnation technique is too vicious. Although Hua Zhenzi is hateful, he is still a fellow disciple. It’s not good to go all out against him!” Mu Yuan saw the seawater churning in Green Tide Valley, waves crashing against the steep cliffs on both sides, splashing countless white foam. Suddenly, he remembered a type of magic array from the Tidal Flow.

Magic arrays were cultivators’ comprehension of the rules of heaven and earth. They often unleashed powerful forces that one could not achieve alone. The Tidal Flow also recorded many complex array formations. One of them was called the “Mysterious Water True Dragon Array.” It wasn’t particularly complicated itself. By leveraging the geographical advantage and setting up the formation, its power was also considerable. Most importantly, this magic array combined the essence of “flowing water is formless, the true dragon hides concealed,” making it most suitable for secret schemes, preventing others from detecting any clues!

“Alright, Hua Zhenzi, you chose this place, Green Tide Valley, of all places. Then don’t blame me, your junior brother, for not playing fair. You, a Spirit Refining expert, come to bully a third-level junior brother. You were disloyal first, so don’t blame me for being unrighteous!”

Mu Yuan chuckled slyly, full of enthusiasm. He descended into Green Tide Valley, rolled up his sleeves, mobilized his zhenqi, moved rocks, and took out a few crystals he had unintentionally obtained earlier from his Black Water Gourd. He embedded them into the rocks, positioning them correctly according to the formation. He immediately sensed that the piled rocks of the formation disturbed the seawater, drawing out strands of Mysterious Water spiritual energy. A faint black dragon phantom rose above the formation, flashing briefly before disappearing!