Legacy of the Spirit Stone

Chapter 2 – Minor Secret Realm of Earth Treasures

Chen Yang was practicing Qi Condensation as usual, glancing at the small four-leaf grass beside him, estimating that in about ten days, it would produce the next drop of Spirit Liquid.

Boom—

Suddenly, the ground shook violently, pulling Chen Yang out of his meditative state.

"An earthquake?"

Chen Yang released his consciousness to survey the surroundings.

Boom—

Boom—

The tremors continued, but they were strange, unlike ordinary earthquakes; they were intermittent.

Chen Yang, with his clear mind, immediately realized that something might be happening.

After more than ten tremors, the ground returned to calm.

"The flow of Spiritual Energy has changed."

Having practiced Qi Condensation for years, Chen Yang was exceptionally sensitive to the fluctuations of Spiritual Energy.

He noticed that after the tremors ceased, the Spiritual Energy, which had been drifting aimlessly, was now flowing towards the west.

As Chen Yang pondered, the sounds of a fight came from the west.

The distance was too far for his consciousness to see, but from the sounds, he could discern a three-way battle.

"One side is a demonic beast, sounds like a wolf demon."

"The other is a one-eyed mountain ghost, common in this area, and the third side..."

Chen Yang listened carefully, suddenly startled.

"It's humans! Two of them!"

There was no mistake; he clearly heard someone shouting "Be careful" and "Die, beast."

Chen Yang's heart surged with excitement; after lying here for twenty years, he finally had a chance to see living people!

The battle lasted over twenty minutes, and from the sounds, it ended with the wolf demon and the one-eyed mountain ghost both perishing.

Soon, the footsteps of the two human cultivators approached, heading towards the eastern mountains.

Chen Yang stopped his Qi Condensation practice and lay quietly on the ground.

Though excited to see humans, he remained rational, as he did not know whether encountering these cultivators would be good or bad for him, so he decided to observe further.

***

Before long, the two human cultivators arrived in the area, and the lush vegetation quickly caught their attention.

Chen Yang looked over; neither of the two were young.

One was tall, wearing a gray wide-sleeved robe, with a stern face, appearing to be a middle-aged man around forty.

The other was an elderly man with graying temples, wearing a yellow-brown robe, slightly hunched.

"Elder Yu, look at the vegetation here, isn't it growing a bit too well?" said the tall cultivator.

The elder called Elder Yu nodded, "Indeed, there's something unusual. Patriarch, please wait while I go check."

Elder Yu held a circular talisman plate in his hand and cautiously explored forward.

Upon reaching the central area, his gaze instantly locked onto the small four-leaf grass.

"This is!"

Chen Yang saw the elder's eyes become somewhat fervent, and after confirming the origin of the grass, his face lit up with joy.

"Patriarch! Come quickly! It's a Four-Leaf Spirit Grass!"

"What!?"

The patriarch exclaimed in surprise and hurried over.

Upon seeing the small four-leaf grass clearly, he couldn't suppress the smile on his face.

"It's truly a Spirit Herb! Excellent, excellent, now the younger generation of the Yang Clan has hope in their cultivation!" The patriarch praised repeatedly.

He lifted his leg to get a closer look at the Spirit Herb but worried that his rashness might affect it, so he quickly stopped.

"Elder Yu, I'll leave it to you."

"Rest assured, Patriarch."

With that, Elder Yu took out a Black Vinewood Box from his sleeve.

He concentrated Spiritual Power at his fingertips, pointed to the ground, and drew a circle three inches from the Four-Leaf Spirit Grass.

"Rise."

He softly chanted, then carefully extracted the Spirit Herb along with its roots buried in the soil, placing it into the Black Vinewood Box.

"This will do. This box can temporarily preserve the Spirit Herb without losing its essence," Elder Yu said.

Seeing this, Patriarch Yang replied, "Thanks to Elder Yu's foresight in preparing this box in advance. If I had come alone, I wouldn't have been able to take this opportunity."

"No need for modesty, Patriarch. I've merely lived a few decades longer and gained some experience."

Elder Yu waved his hand, "It's the Patriarch's courage that stands out. If it were me, I wouldn't dare venture into this Minor Secret Realm of Earth Treasures and would miss this opportunity."

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Patriarch Yang smiled and sighed.

"I'm just a gambler defying fate. The clan finally has a few promising seedlings, and for the future of the Yang Clan, I must take risks, regardless of the danger."

As he spoke, Patriarch Yang's expression grew resolute.

Elder Yu's eyes showed a hint of regret upon hearing this.

With the Patriarch's talent, if he focused on cultivation, he could advance further.

But over the years, for the clan's development, he had been seeking opportunities outside, often facing life-threatening situations, yet he always managed to pull through.

Considering the Secret Realm's entrance appeared less than thirty miles from the Yang Clan, Elder Yu felt that their Patriarch was indeed a person of great fortune.

"Alright, since we've gained something, let's quit while we're ahead and leave quickly."

"Yes, Patriarch."

Though Patriarch Yang called himself a gambler, he was not greedy.

He knew well that he and Elder Yu were merely taking advantage of the terrain to gain early access to the Secret Realm.

Otherwise, with their mere Mid Qi Condensation cultivation, they wouldn't even have a chance to enter, let alone benefit.

As the two were about to leave, Elder Yu's eyebrows suddenly twitched.

He frowned and turned back, his eyes immediately showing a peculiar expression.

Throughout, neither Patriarch Yang nor Elder Yu noticed Chen Yang's presence, and Chen Yang silently observed.

From their conversation, he learned that the place of his birth was a Minor Secret Realm.

This answered the question that had puzzled him for so long.

No wonder he hadn't seen a living person in twenty years; it was because the Secret Realm hadn't been opened yet.

Moreover, through their dialogue, Chen Yang roughly understood their backgrounds.

The tall man was the Patriarch of the Yang Clan, and the elder named Yu was likely a family elder.

Their cultivation levels weren't high; Chen Yang could sense they were only slightly stronger than the forest's demonic beasts and ghosts.

It seemed the Yang Clan had just embarked on the path of cultivation and was still in its early stages.

Chen Yang considered his situation.

He was essentially a Spirit Stone, but currently, he only had the ability to gather and condense Spiritual Energy, unable to move or attack.

Since the Secret Realm was now open, more cultivators would surely arrive.

Though he didn't know his quality, he was sure it wasn't high, merely serving as an aid for cultivation.

If discovered by a powerful cultivator, he wouldn't be valued, possibly ending up in a warehouse or, worse, used as material for crafting other magical tools.

After careful consideration, Chen Yang decided to release a slight fluctuation of Spiritual Power to attract the two's attention.

Not only because their cultivation was low, but also because he judged from Patriarch Yang's words.

This person was steady by nature, not bound by formalities, and most importantly, he had courage and ambition.

Proofreader & Editor: Peter Pan