CHAPTER 903: CHAPTER 902: CONFLUENCE SPACE

"Forget it, I won’t charge you for this one, I didn’t really help you much anyway."

Hou Niao wasn’t waiving the fee out of generosity, but because ten pieces of great medicine meant nothing to him; he might as well save the goodwill.

But Fairy Fei Bai wouldn’t have any of it, throwing over ten pieces of great medicine, "I keep my word!"

She was serious, and so was Hou Niao, "That answered more than one of your questions!"

Fei Bai was frustrated and threw over another ten pieces, "Can I count on your word?"

Hou Niao responded playfully, "I have a big mouth!"

Watching the woman drift forward, it seemed she had made up her mind to discuss with others; she had no one else to turn to, except Yan Guan and Qi Zheng; the rest were unfamiliar. This is the sorrow of cultivators, perhaps each person is anxious about the Inner Secret within them, yet no one openly discusses it, each harboring it in their hearts, hoping to solve the problem with their efforts.

He didn’t have such worries, but it didn’t mean he could ignore everything. The mysteries inside Hell Star were perplexing, difficult for him to untangle, so he could only bury it in his heart and wait to grow.

He didn’t even have the ability to leave the universe yet, so why trouble himself with the worries of Innate Spiritual Treasures? If all went well, he’d soon return to his familiar domain; Jinxiu Continent was where he belonged, not drifting through the universe probing ancient secrets.

More than half a year later, they finally found a massive passage, like the main artery of a city. Once entering, there was no more confusion about direction. A strong fluctuation of spiritual energy came from ahead, as if a group of people was battling, and everyone unconsciously quickened their pace, eager to see what awaited them at the end.

Ahead, a battle raged; nearly a hundred human Golden Core cultivators, from the group that entered before them. Judging by their numbers, they were undoubtedly top disciples from the Upper Realm. For Hou Niao, who was relying on luck, others handled it with ease; of course, they might have banded together from the start.

They moved closer, to find a colossal space ahead. In the center stood a giant pillar, looking a bit like...

"An elongated mushroom?" Fairy Fei Bai observed.

"Could it be some kind of fertility totem?" Hou Niao’s thoughts always differed from others.

"It’s a pestle for pounding medicine!" A nearby cultivator couldn’t bear to listen any longer and interjected.

Fairy Fei Bai felt her face flush, this rascal had embarrassed everyone with him.

She had to smooth things over, "A pestle for pounding medicine? What’s that? Comparable to the Medicine King Cauldron?"

The cultivator explained, "It’s a part of the same alchemy tools as the Medicine King Cauldron, belonging to that ancient immortal. An Innate Spiritual Treasure. However, while the Medicine King Cauldron remains dutiful, it seems this pestle has other intentions?"

A few people began to understand, but one ignorant fellow still babbled,

"That immortal even in death left so much trouble, the Elixir Furnace, the pestle, who knows if a fan-waving boy or a guardian Immortal Beast will appear next?"

After a brief exchange, the situation became clear. This main passage led to Jinxiu Continent, and this vast space was an essential waypoint.

The Elixir Furnace and the pestle, both ancient alchemy tools of the immortal, parted ways after their owner’s demise, turning against each other. One worked for the owner’s homeland, while the other stirred trouble. Of course, it might be the other way around, and no one dared to assert it with certainty.

"Brotherly discord is common among humans, yet even spiritual treasures cannot escape it. How tragic." Fairy Fei Bai sighed.

But someone disagreed, "Why couldn’t it be a couple’s quarrel?"

Fairy Fei Bai moved aside, embarrassed to associate with such a person. Could two Innate Spiritual Treasures be a couple? Though their appearances did pair well.

In the space, the monsters were endless, though all suppressed to the Golden Core Realm, they made up for weaknesses with sheer numbers. One alone might not rival human elites, but in hordes of thousands, anyone entering would face a hundred monsters each, turning it into a different matter altogether.

Currently, dozens of cultivators plunged into the space in formations, but with little effect; Hou Niao saw the flying sword group swirling above the formation, and his heart relaxed; he finally found his senior sister.

The battle persisted for an hour before a lull, Hou Niao clearly saw that among the retreating cultivators were Zhi Xuan, Rong Guang, Wei Yi, and others. Their retreat was orderly, with no significant losses, indicating the fight was still in the probing stage.

After they fell back, the monsters immediately counterattacked, and the resting cultivators had to form formations and push back, tightly containing the monsters within the space to ensure the passage’s safety.

Yue Duo’s expression was calm, but when she saw the new arrivals in the passage, her expression subtly shifted, and she walked straight over.

Hou Niao chuckled, "Senior Sister."

"How did you get here? The green mist of the Medicine King Cauldron only permits guests from the Upper Realm, even Anchor Chain cultivators can’t pass through, how did you..."

"I don’t know either, I just walked and walked until I was in. No one told me I couldn’t enter, nor that only guests from the Upper Realm were qualified; then I kept walking until I reached that vertical-eyed black hole, and having come this far, I had no time to retreat, so I entered the spatial rift and, like a blind cat hitting a dead mouse, stumbled right here..."

Yue Duo gave him a skeptical look; this guy had many secrets, but she chose not to question him further; now that he was here, could he even be sent back?

She actually didn’t want Hou Niao to get involved, for many reasons, mainly viewing him as an immature junior. How could they let him partake in something even they weren’t confident in?

However, his ability to find his way here was truly astonishing.

"This way, you need to listen to my instructions no matter what you do. No playing hero, no volunteering, no showing off..."

Hou Niao was speechless, "Senior Sister, I’m not a child anymore..."

Yue Duo glared at him, "If you were really an adult, you wouldn’t be here! This is our matter, from our journey across the universe we understood this; why did you come? In a hurry to die?"

Hou Niao didn’t want to argue with her; what he wanted to confirm most was, "Senior Sister, when you passed the Medicine King Cauldron’s green mist, you didn’t absorb the Spiritual Plant Essence, did you?"

Yue Duo smiled faintly, "Do you think I’m foolish? That stuff accelerates Purple Mansion, until I understand it, I won’t take it, but you’re different, it’s beneficial for you."

Hou Niao gave a thumbs up, "Senior Sister, you’re wise!"

From Yue Duo’s account, he gradually understood everything about this place.