Chapter Sixty-Four: The Star Lingzhi

Shen Wan followed Wu Xi through the winding tunnels. Though the passageways gradually widened, every few steps they would encounter a new opening; countless tunnels crisscrossed, weaving a dense network like a web.

Shen Wan felt fortunate—had he not encountered this handsome junior uncle, he would have been trapped here sooner or later. Practitioners possessed remarkable memories; every detail of the path seemed engraved in Wu Xi’s mind. Retracing their steps, he did not make a single wrong turn and soon led Shen Wan out of the mine.

The other disciples of the Qianxuan Sect, aside from Lin Bufan and a few others who had split off for the Sky-reaching Tower, were still searching for traces of the Black-ringed Snake in the mine. Eventually, Zhao Dongsheng of the Seal Formation Pavilion discovered the panicked snake deep within one of the tunnels.

There, tightly coiled by the Black-ringed Snake, lay a star spirit fungus the size of a palm. Overjoyed, Zhao Dongsheng quickly called over a few nearby disciples to help him slay the serpent; only then was he able to pick the celestial herb.

They emerged from the mine and saw daylight once more. Shen Wan stood under the radiant sun, breathing deeply. Though he had spent less than a day underground, it felt as though years had passed; had he remained any longer without sunlight, his eyes might well have begun to degenerate.

Wu Xi used his transmission talisman to summon the disciples. In less than half an hour, all had assembled.

“Senior brother! Senior brother! I found it!” Zhao Dongsheng ran up, beaming with excitement, and opened his palm to reveal the star spirit fungus.

Wu Xi was taken aback by the sight of the herb. The star spirit fungus, a celestial herb of the heavenly rank, was of exceptional quality—grade seven, bordering on supreme. It seemed wherever the Red-spotted Black-ringed Snake appeared, rare treasures would be found as well; this was no idle legend.

In the Sealed Heaven Realm, though the star spirit fungus was not entirely unheard of, it was exceedingly rare. Not only was it absent from ordinary shops—even the vast emporiums controlled by the great clans seldom saw such herbs.

In terms of value, a grade-seven star spirit fungus could fetch at least a million top-grade spirit stones—enough to support a child’s reincarnation tens of thousands of times over.

As the eldest senior brother, Wu Xi’s entire fortune was perhaps only a few hundred top-grade spirit stones. Seeing such a celestial herb, even the steadiest heart would be fiercely shaken.

Seeing Wu Xi’s expression, Zhao Dongsheng’s pride swelled; his neck stretched so tall, it seemed he might tilt his head up to the sky.

Shen Wan stood aside, smacked his lips, and eyed the half-transparent, jellyfish-like herb with a sense of familiarity. Stroking his hairless chin, he patted Wu Xi’s shoulder and said:

“Nephew, help me fetch my large cloth bundle.”

With that, he unfastened his storage pouch and handed it to Wu Xi.

The other disciples, their attention fixed on the star spirit fungus, had not noticed Shen Wan’s presence. Only when he spoke did they realize he was there. Puzzled as to why Elder Nine was present, they nonetheless all greeted him with respect.

Shen Wan waved his hand, indicating they need not be so formal. Wu Xi, thinking nothing of it, followed instructions and pulled out a large bundle, wrapped many times over with oilcloth.

Shen Wan squatted down and began rummaging through the bundle. The disciples gathered around, puzzled by the bottles and jars scattered across the ground, but as the collection grew, their eyes widened in disbelief.

Leaving aside the jade tokens and scrolls, at the very bottom lay over a dozen star spirit fungi, each the size of a human head, piled together as if of no consequence.

Finally finding what he was seeking, Shen Wan picked one up and turned to ask:

“Here, is this the same thing?”

Wu Xi swallowed hard. Each of these fungi was grade nine or above—truly supreme specimens. Compared to these, the one in Zhao Dongsheng’s hand lost all its appeal.

Damn, the lot of us spent nearly the whole day searching for that tiny scrap, thinking we’d stumbled upon a great opportunity. Now it seemed our scope was far too narrow.

“U-Uncle, did you find all these yourself?” Wu Xi’s throat was dry, his words stumbling out in shock.

Shen Wan paid it no mind, comparing the two—identical in every way. Hearing Wu Xi’s question, he surmised it was indeed the same type of herb. Nodding, he counted the number of people present, then grabbed a handful of the fungi and said:

“Come, one for each of you—you see it, you get a share.”

The disciples froze, dumbfounded, staring at the celestial herbs extended to them by Elder Nine, none daring to reach out.

Seeing this, Shen Wan assumed they were simply being shy. He raised a brow, stood up, and said:

“Oh, come now, there’s nothing to be embarrassed about. If your elder gives it to you, just take it. Here, hold it well.”

As he spoke, he began stuffing the herbs into their hands, one by one, making sure no one was left out.

When he reached Zhao Dongsheng, he glanced at the fungus in his hand, hesitated a moment, then gave him a look of praise before moving on to the next disciple.

“Here you go, one for you, and you—don’t worry, there’s enough for everyone.”

Zhao Dongsheng’s jaw hung slack, his mind spinning, sensing something amiss but unable to pinpoint exactly what.

While he was still puzzling over it, Shen Wan finished distributing the star spirit fungi.

Wu Xi stared at the herb in his hands, heart pounding, only after a long moment remembering himself and clasping his fists in a respectful salute:

“Thank you, Uncle, for your generosity.”

The other disciples, caught up in joyful surprise, quickly bowed and offered their thanks as well.

“Thank you, Elder Nine, for your gift.”

Looking at their flushed, delighted faces, Shen Wan truly felt the pride of an elder. He smiled and nodded, telling them to rise.

Wait, why is one expression so different from the rest?

Zhao Dongsheng looked as though he’d lost his dearest kin, forcing a smile through his grief as he bowed with the others. For he had finally realized—

Of course, Shen Wan, somewhat oblivious, remained entirely unaware.

Wu Xi helped repack the bundle, glancing at the astonishing array within, and felt his impression of his junior uncle soar yet again.

After putting away the storage pouch, not seeing Lin Bufan or his two female bodyguards in the crowd, Wu Xi asked and learned they had already set off in another direction.

Having secured the celestial herbs, there was no need to linger. The disciples, at Elder Nine’s instruction, gathered their things and set off straight for the third Sky-reaching Tower from the left.

Meanwhile, beneath the third Sky-reaching Tower, Lin Bufan, Zhu Qianqing, Han Yuchan, and the others had already found a spot to sit cross-legged.

The crowd numbered in the thousands; though their spot was not on the outermost edge, it wasn’t particularly close to the tower either. Even at this distance, the spiritual resonance emanating from within could be faintly felt.

Lin Bufan closed his eyes, beginning to merge his consciousness with the spiritual resonance, seeking to comprehend the Dao within.

Elsewhere, Gu Zhiping and Yun Yi had also discovered the natural tunnel behind the reservoir. Presumably, Shen Wan had exited from this very place. The two did not hesitate and entered the tunnels at once.

Yet within, the passages branched endlessly—hundreds of corridors crossing each other, making it impossible to distinguish the main path.

Unlike Wu Xi, who had entered from the proper entrance, they soon lost their way, wandering through twist after turn.

For reasons unknown, the paths became narrower the farther they went. After retracing their steps several times, they still could not find the true exit.

Time slipped by, and thus, the two gradually realized—within this labyrinth of tunnels, they were hopelessly lost.