Chapter 4

It's almost like a fairyland!

Zhong Wen looked at the scenery before him, and the words of Tao Yuanming's "Fragrant grass is fresh and beautiful, fallen flowers are colorful..." instantly came to his mind.

After passing through the stone gate, there was initially only a narrow path wide enough for one person, but gradually, the path widened, and the area ahead became brighter and brighter.

Suddenly, his field of vision opened up, and vast fields of medicinal herbs came into view, stretching endlessly. The fields were terraced, rising layer by layer, and the spiritual energy in the valley was so dense that it almost seemed to have taken on a physical form, slowly drifting through the air.

Just standing in the valley, Zhong Wen felt his fatigue vanish, and he was filled with boundless energy.

At the end of the medicinal fields, there was a cluster of pavilions and buildings, shrouded in a thick mist of spiritual energy, giving off an ethereal aura like the heavenly court of the Jade Emperor.

Zhong Wen slowly walked through the medicinal fields. Perhaps due to a long period of neglect, most of the herbs in the fields had withered, but a few had grown extremely robust, and some had even taken on human forms.

In front of the cluster of buildings, a grand ancient-style hall stood with the four large golden characters "Medicine King Temple" shining brightly above its entrance. Zhong Wen felt a sense of familiarity in his heart.

Entering the temple hall, he saw twelve lamp stands on a long table, each holding a spirit crystal. The lamp stands did not emit any light, perhaps because the spirit energy inside the crystals had been depleted.

Behind the long table hung several portraits, but without the light from the spirit crystals, Zhong Wen could not see the faces clearly in the moonlight. He did not know whether the people of Medicine King Valley worshipped immortals or deities.

Walking around the main hall and exiting through the back door, Zhong Wen came to another building, which had the three characters "Spirit Medicine Pavilion" written on it.

Pushing the door open, he saw rows of shelves in front of him, each filled with drawers of medicinal herbs. Looking closely, the drawers were labeled with names like "Nine-Leaf Spirit Grass," "Seven-Star Grass," "Dragon-Breaking Grass," "Blood Essence Grass," "Thousand-Year Ginseng," "Thousand-Year Red Fruit," and so on.

Pulling open the drawer labeled "Thousand-Year Ginseng," he found that the herbs inside had long withered and turned to dust. Inside the drawer, there was a spirit crystal. Having read "The Annals of Medicine King Valley," Zhong Wen knew that at the bottom of the drawer, there was a special spirit pattern designed to preserve the herbs, which was activated by the spirit crystal above it to protect the herbs.

Now that the spirit crystal's energy was depleted, the spirit pattern no longer functioned.

Pulling open a few more drawers, he found that the herbs inside had also turned to dust. Disappointed, Zhong Wen closed the drawers and left the Spirit Medicine Pavilion.

Next, he came to a triangular building with the words "Spirit Crystal Vault" written above it.

Zhong Wen's eyes lit up. Based on the information he had gathered over the past two days, the term "spirit crystal" in this world was almost equivalent to "gold" in his previous life, and the "Spirit Crystal Vault" was automatically translated in his mind as a "bank vault."

As he stepped into the Spirit Crystal Vault, Zhong Wen was so excited that he almost cried. Having died unexpectedly and been transported to this world, his constant anxiety was finally relieved for the first time.

He had struck it rich!

Looking at the first floor of the Spirit Crystal Pavilion, where the spirit crystals were piled up like a small mountain, faintly glowing, Zhong Wen could hardly contain his excitement.

He touched the spirit crystals, feeling them, and then, in a display of newfound wealth, he grabbed a handful and threw them into the air, watching them clatter down the slope of the mountain and roll to the ground.

After a long while, he reluctantly left the pile of spirit crystals, picked up a spirit crystal lamp by the door, removed the depleted spirit crystal, and replaced it with a new one from the ground.

The spirit crystal lamp instantly illuminated the entire vault, and this time, Zhong Wen could see more clearly the number of spirit crystals on the first floor. The area was about the size of half a football field, completely covered with spirit crystals, leaving no space to stand.

Swallowing hard, Zhong Wen finally turned and climbed to the second floor of the Spirit Crystal Pavilion.

The second floor was much smaller than the first, and there was no mountain of spirit crystals. Instead, rows of shelves were lined with smaller spirit crystals, each emitting a much stronger light than the ordinary ones.

"Core spirit crystals?" Zhong Wen read the characters on the shelves.

Zhong Wen had no idea what core spirit crystals were, but he could guess that they were more precious than ordinary spirit crystals.

He took a core spirit crystal from the shelf, put it in his pocket, and then climbed to the third floor.

The third floor was the top, and it was even smaller, more like a room. In the center was a square table about one meter wide and long, with a wooden box on it.

With the feeling of having defeated a boss and opened a treasure chest, Zhong Wen approached the table. The spirit pattern lock on the wooden box had already failed, and he easily opened it.

Inside, he found a milky white sphere about the size of a billiard ball, emitting a faint, soft glow that was not dazzling but gave a comfortable feeling.

Definitely a treasure!

Zhong Wen quickly made up his mind.

He put the treasure sphere in his pocket and turned to leave, planning to continue exploring the ancient sect.

Before leaving the bottom floor of the Spirit Crystal Vault, he glanced back at the mountain of spirit crystals one last time.

Estimating the time, it was almost the hour of the Ox. To return to the Floating Flower Palace before dawn, Zhong Wen had to skip the "Spirit Pill Pavilion," "Spirit Weapon Pavilion," and other buildings, heading straight for the "Library Pavilion."

As a prestigious major sect, the Medicine King Valley's library was far superior to that of the Floating Flower Palace. As soon as he pushed the door open, the scent of books filled the air, and row after row of bookshelves were filled with various books, neatly organized and categorized.

Zhong Wen carried the spirit crystal lamp and browsed the labels on the bookshelves: "Spirit Herbs," "Pill Making," "Diagnosis," "Medical Theory," "Pharmacology," "Nourishment," "Acupuncture," "Spirit Patterns," and so on.

The more he walked, the more disheartened he became. The Medicine King Valley had an extensive collection, but most of it was related to medicine and pharmacology. He had yet to find any powerful cultivation techniques or secret manuals.

Just when he was about to give up, he finally found a shelf marked "Cultivation Techniques and Spirit Skills" in a corner.

Zhong Wen was overjoyed and quickly approached the shelf with the spirit crystal lamp.

This... so few?

Seeing the content on the shelf, Zhong Wen's mood felt like a roller coaster.

The entire "Cultivation Techniques and Spirit Skills" section had only two books!

For such a large sect, this was a bit embarrassing.

Zhong Wen almost burst out in anger.

After calming down, he reluctantly took one of the books, and seeing the five elegant characters on the cover, his mood improved somewhat.

"The One Qi Longevity Technique."

Closing his eyes, the "New Hua Zang Jing Pavilion" appeared in his mind, and the familiar words appeared on the panel:

"Discovered 'Cultivation Technique' book 'The One Qi Longevity Technique.' Do you want to record it? Yes/No."

Zhong Wen decisively chose "Yes," and soon, a copy of "The One Qi Longevity Technique" appeared on the "Cultivation Techniques" shelf in his mental library, categorized under "Diamond Grade."

Zhong Wen put the book back on the shelf and picked up the other one.

"Discovered 'Spirit Skill' book 'Cloud Walking.' Do you want to record it? Yes/No."

"Yes!"

Another book appeared on the "Spirit Skills" shelf in his mental library, categorized under "Diamond Grade."

Turning to the other books, Zhong Wen was reluctant to leave but did not have time to record them all. He went to the "Spirit Herbs" and "Pill Making" sections, and without looking closely, he ran his hands over the rows of books.

"Discovered 'Spirit Herbs' book 'Spirit Herb Identification' Volume 1. Do you want to record it? Yes/No."

"Discovered 'Spirit Herbs' book 'Spirit Herb Identification' Volume 2. Do you want to record it? Yes/No."

"Discovered 'Spirit Herbs' book 'Spirit Herb Cultivation Techniques' Volume 1. Do you want to record it? Yes/No."

"Discovered 'Spirit Herbs' book 'Spirit Herb Cultivation Techniques' Volume 2. Do you want to record it? Yes/No."

...

"Discovered 'Pill Making' book 'Basic Pill Making Techniques' Volume 1. Do you want to record it? Yes/No."

"Discovered 'Pill Making' book 'Basic Pill Making Techniques' Volume 2. Do you want to record it? Yes/No."

"Discovered 'Pill Making' book 'Advanced Pill Making Techniques' Volume 1. Do you want to record it? Yes/No."

...

"Phew!"

Recording just these two sections of books consumed a lot of Zhong Wen's time and energy. After finally recording them all in the "New Hua Zang Jing Pavilion," he wiped the sweat from his forehead.

After reading these books, he would probably have something in common to talk about with the cold and beautiful goddess Yin Ning'er!

He thought happily, not because he had any ulterior motives towards Yin Ning'er, but because he felt it was necessary to build good relationships with the disciples of the Floating Flower Palace to stay there temporarily.

As for any other hidden desires, that was a different matter.

A short while later, Zhong Wen appeared in a residential area at the back of the valley. The buildings were all one-story houses, with rooms on the east, south, and west sides forming a rectangle around a central lake, with the north side being the mountain.

According to "The Annals of Medicine King Valley," this was where the sect leader and disciples of Medicine King Valley lived.

Without hesitation, Zhong Wen went to the largest room on the south side, which was the residence of the sect leader, the author of the annals.

Pushing the door open, the spaciousness of the sect leader's residence surprised Zhong Wen.

The room was about five to six times the size of his temporary quarters in the Floating Flower Palace. The interior was very simple, with only a landscape painting in the entrance hall and no other decorations. Beyond the entrance hall, there was a large square table in the center, a bed in one corner, and a desk in another corner.

On the large square table, there were some medical books scattered, and on the desk in the corner, there were paper, pens, and several notebooks. Zhong Wen flipped through them, which contained the sect leader's notes on his medical practice.

Neither the Floating Flower Palace nor the people of Medicine King Valley used brushes for writing, but a type of hard pen made from unknown materials, which was faster than a brush and darker than a pencil.

Closing the notebook, Zhong Wen went to the bed and slowly pulled back the curtain.

The scene before him was completely unexpected.

In front of Zhong Wen was a complete human skeleton!

It was a crystal-clear, jade-white skeleton sitting cross-legged on the bed, with no signs of decay. The skeleton was dressed in pure white robes, and its hands, extending from the wide sleeves, were resting on its legs.

On the middle finger of the right hand, there was a simple black ring.

This must be the sect leader of Medicine King Valley!

Looking at the jade-white skeleton on the bed, Zhong Wen felt a mix of emotions—admiration, fear, and gratitude.

After standing there for a while, Zhong Wen stepped forward and bowed deeply to the skeleton of the sect leader.

"Senior, thank you for your annals that brought me here. Although I don't know why the ancient civilization was destroyed or why you were not buried, since I have come here and we are both inheritors of the Chinese characters, I will carry on the legacy of Medicine King Valley in this era!"

After speaking, he boldly reached for the black ring on the skeleton's right middle finger, without any regard for the feelings of the skeleton's owner.

According to "The Annals of Medicine King Valley," the sect leader possessed a divine artifact.

A treasure that Zhong Wen had always envied in novels in his previous life.

A storage ring!

According to the annals, even in ancient times, spirit pattern masters skilled in spatial spirit patterns were extremely rare, and those who could inscribe spatial spirit patterns on a small ring were even rarer.

Due to the difficulty of creating spatial items, this master only managed to create five rings, two bracelets, and one necklace in his entire life.

Therefore, in ancient times, owning a spatial item was a symbol of status.

The sect leader of Medicine King Valley received a storage ring as a gift from the head of the Wujian Sect, Wuhen Dao Ren, in gratitude for saving his life from severe injuries.

Even as the head of one of the seven major sects, Wuhen Dao Ren felt the pain of parting with the ring for a long time.

It's a perfect match!

Putting the black ring on his own finger, Zhong Wen admired his right hand, feeling that the size and style were perfectly suited to him.

In the annals, the sect leader mentioned that the material of the storage ring was very special, capable of absorbing spiritual energy from the air to power the internal spirit patterns, so it would never run out of energy. The user only needed to input a small amount of spiritual energy to open the space inside the ring.

Zhong Wen closed his eyes calmly and summoned the "New Hua Zang Jing Pavilion."

Just as he was about to review the cultivation techniques he had collected, he noticed a small line of text on the panel below the bookshelf:

"Recorded 100 books. Please draw a reward: 1. Huang Rong's Recipe Book; 2. The Invincible Body Technique; 3. Ancient Sect Distribution Map."

There's actually a reward! Zhong Wen was overjoyed, feeling like a true穿越者 (穿越者 means "穿越者" in Chinese, which translates to "time traveler" or "穿越者" in English) for the first time.

The Invincible Body Technique, I must draw the Invincible Body Technique!

Looking at the three reward options, Zhong Wen silently prayed and said, "Draw!"

The panel displayed another line of text:

"Congratulations, you have received the reward: Huang Rong's Recipe Book!"

Immediately, a recipe book appeared on the "Miscellaneous Studies" shelf in his mental library.

Damn! Zhong Wen couldn't help but curse.

Before he could throw a tantrum, another line of text appeared on the panel:

"Recorded 100 'Spirit Herbs' books. Please draw a reward: 1. Ancient Sect Distribution Map; 2. The Great Sun Dragon Technique; 3. The Whirlwind Goose Sword Technique."

"Draw!"

"Congratulations, you have received the reward: Ancient Sect Distribution Map!"

Just as Zhong Wen was complaining about his bad luck, another line of text appeared on the panel:

"Recorded 100 'Pill Making' books. Please draw a reward: 1. History of the Great Qian Empire; 2. Great Qian Beauty Rankings; 3. The Whirlwind Goose Sword Technique."

"Draw!"

Zhong Wen had little hope for his luck, but the panel displayed the reward information:

"Congratulations, you have received the reward: The Whirlwind Goose Sword Technique!"

A "Platinum Grade" sword manual appeared on the "Spirit Skills" shelf in his mental library.

At least I got a spirit skill.

Zhong Wen sighed in relief, feeling that it wasn't too bad.

After a moment, seeing no more reward messages on the panel, Zhong Wen returned to his original intention and immersed himself in the newly acquired "The One Qi Longevity Technique."

"Heaven has its cycles, one qi sustains longevity..."

The characters flew by quickly, and soon, the diamond-grade cultivation technique was firmly etched in Zhong Wen's mind.

"The One Qi Longevity Technique," although diamond-grade, was not a cultivation method focused on offensive power but a technique aimed at health and longevity.

The cultivation speed in the early stages was average, but the spiritual energy generated was self-sustaining and harmonious, benefiting the body. At a high level, the spiritual energy could be used to heal wounds, detoxify, and extend life.

Additionally, the spiritual energy from "The One Qi Longevity Technique" was gentle and did not conflict with any other cultivation techniques, instead complementing them.

Although it wasn't an overwhelmingly powerful technique, it was the best option available for now.

Zhong Wen thought, following the description in the book, he contorted his body into a specific posture, silently recited the incantation, and began his first step in cultivation, guiding spiritual energy into his body.

According to the author of "The One Qi Longevity Technique," guiding the spiritual energy from the surroundings into the body was a long process, and the time required varied from person to person. Even the most talented cultivators needed about a week to complete this step.

So Zhong Wen was not in a hurry. He planned to experience the feeling of cultivation and then return to the Floating Flower Palace to study it further.

However, after a short while, he felt a faint breath of energy enter his body through his nose and mouth, slowly flowing down his chest and finally stopping at his dantian.

Then, a second breath of energy followed.

As time passed, more and more energy entered his body, and the flow of energy became faster.

Zhong Wen felt the energy in his dantian increasing, gradually creating a sense of fullness, and his body became warmer.

Just as he felt thirsty and wanted to stop cultivating, the energy in his dantian began to merge, and the fullness gradually subsided.

After a while, Zhong Wen felt the energy in his dantian form a half-circle, and a gentle energy spread from the half-circle to his limbs, replacing the heat with a cool, refreshing sensation, making him feel comfortable all over.

Is this... the Human Wheel Realm?

After reading "The One Qi Longevity Technique," Zhong Wen had a basic understanding of cultivation. To cultivate a technique, one first needed to guide spiritual energy into the body, then gradually open the twelve Human Wheels, nine Earth Wheels, and six Heaven Wheels as the spiritual energy accumulated.

Cultivators who had opened the Heaven Wheels were no longer ordinary people, possessing great power and a lifespan of over two hundred years.

As for the realms beyond the Heaven Wheels, such as the Spirit Respected and the Sage, they were too distant for Zhong Wen to