Having shaken off the threat of the Winged Black Bear, Tang Xiaoqi dared not linger for even a moment. He pushed the Light Body Technique to its limits, racing through the dense ancient forest until he was certain no pursuers followed and his own spiritual energy was significantly depleted. Only then did he halt before a narrow crevice concealed by hanging vines.
Cautiously, he extended his spiritual sense to probe the interior of the crevice. Confirming no danger lay within, he then squeezed his way inside sideways. The space within the crevice was not large, barely enough for a single person to sit cross-legged, but it was dry and well-hidden—a good spot for temporary rest.
Leaning against the cold stone wall, Xiaoqi let out a long sigh, his taut nerves finally relaxing. The battle with the Winged Black Bear, though brief, had been exceptionally perilous. If not for the wok's unexpected concussive effect, he could never have emerged "easily" victorious. Recalling it now still left him with lingering fear.
He took out several Qi Recovery Pills and swallowed them, then grasped a low-grade spirit stone in his hand. He began circulating the Long Spring Art, slowly restoring the consumed spiritual energy. The Long Spring Art's energy was balanced and peaceful, rich in vitality, offering distinct advantages in recovery. Coupled with the aid of pills and spirit stones, in just half an hour, his depleted energy had recovered more than seventy or eighty percent.
After his spiritual energy was restored, he did not leave immediately. Instead, he took out the jade box containing the Golden Heart Grass. Opening the lid, the golden flower bud emitted a soft yet sharp radiance within the dim crevice, accompanied by a surge of pure, metallic sharp energy.
"At least the risk wasn't in vain." A satisfied smile touched Xiaoqi's lips as he carefully resealed the jade box and placed it in the most secure spot within his storage bag. This Golden Heart Grass, whether turned in to the sect for contribution points or kept for future use, represented a considerable gain.
Having rested and returned to peak condition, Xiaoqi set out once more on his journey of exploration. He became even more cautious, his spiritual sense acting like an intangible radar, continuously scanning the surroundings.
After proceeding for roughly another hour, passing through a low-lying area filled with faint purple miasma (he had taken an Anti-Miasma Pill in advance), the scenery before him suddenly opened up.
It was a small valley where the spiritual energy was exceptionally rich, even forming a faint mist of spiritual energy. In the center of the valley grew a peculiar tree, no more than ten feet tall, its entire body a deep purple. The tree's branches were sparse, but each one drooped heavily, laden with fruits the size of an infant's fist, glowing with a purple crystalline luster. The surfaces of the fruits were smooth as jade, and inside, purple flowing light seemed to slowly rotate, emitting an enticing sweetness and a strange undulation that cleared and sharpened one's spiritual sense.
"Purple Spirit Fruit!" Xiaoqi's eyes lit up; he recognized this spirit fruit from records in the sect's texts.
The Purple Spirit Fruit was not a pill that directly boosted cultivation. Its greatest effects lay in nourishing and strengthening the soul spirit, enhancing the power of spiritual sense, and accelerating the recovery rate of spiritual energy. For cultivators requiring prolonged battles or heavy expenditure of spiritual sense, this fruit was nothing less than a treasure! Judging by the color and spiritual energy of the fruits on this tree, they were at least thirty years old, making their efficacy even better.
To have just obtained the Golden Heart Grass and now encountered Purple Spirit Fruit! The Cloud Mist Secret Realm truly lived up to its reputation!
Xiaoqi felt joy in his heart but maintained his vigilance. He carefully observed the surroundings but found no obvious traces of guardian demon beasts. Perhaps Purple Spirit Fruit, unlike Golden Heart Grass, did not require a specific attribute demon beast to guard it. Or maybe the guardian here was temporarily absent?
A rare opportunity, not to be missed.
He quickly walked to the base of the Purple Spirit Fruit tree. The rich fruit fragrance and the soul-nourishing aura refreshed his spirit. He reached out and carefully plucked a single Purple Spirit Fruit. The fruit felt slightly cool to the touch, its texture delicate.
After a moment's thought, he did not immediately harvest a large quantity. Instead, he first placed this Purple Spirit Fruit into his mouth. The fruit melted instantly upon entry, transforming into a stream of cool, sweet juice that slid down his throat into his abdomen.
In the next moment, an indescribable cool energy surged straight toward his sea of consciousness! Xiaoqi felt a "hum" in his mind, as if washed by clear spring water. All fatigue and distracting thoughts vanished instantly; his spiritual sense became unprecedentedly clear and transparent! The range of his spiritual sense, originally covering only twenty zhang, now faintly expanded outward by about half a zhang. Moreover, his perception of objects within that range became sharper and more acute!
Simultaneously, a gentle yet abundant stream of spiritual energy dispersed from his abdomen, rapidly integrating into his limbs and bones. Any lingering sluggishness from the journey and battle disappeared in an instant; even the circulation speed of his Long Spring Art seemed to have increased slightly!
"Truly marvelous!" Xiaoqi's eyes flashed with pleasant surprise. The Purple Spirit Fruit's effects on nourishing spiritual sense and recovering spiritual energy far exceeded his expectations! With this fruit's assistance, his endurance in exploration and combat, as well as his early-warning capability, would be greatly enhanced for what lay ahead!
Without further hesitation, he immediately set to work, carefully plucking the ripe Purple Spirit Fruits from the tree one by one. He harvested over twenty fruits in total. He kept a few readily accessible for emergencies and carefully stored the rest in a jade box.
Just as he placed the last Purple Spirit Fruit into his storage bag and prepared to leave this spiritual energy-rich valley, his ear twitched slightly, catching an extremely faint rustling sound from a nearby bush.
Someone? Or a demon beast?
Xiaoqi's heart tightened in alarm. Instantly on guard, he directed his spiritual sense toward the source of the sound while his right hand already rested on his storage bag.
However, the scene returned by his spiritual sense left him stunned.
The bush rustled, and a familiar furry white head poked out—a pair of ruby-like eyes fixed intently on him... or more accurately, on the tree from which he had just harvested the Purple Spirit Fruits, and on the storage bag at his waist that still carried a trace of the fruit's fragrance.
The rabbit spirit?!
Xiaoqi widened his eyes, almost thinking he was hallucinating. This little thing... how did it get here?! Teleportation into the Cloud Mist Secret Realm was random. How could it have followed? Could it have been secretly hiding on him all along? Yet he had been completely unaware!
Seeing that Xiaoqi had spotted it, the rabbit spirit showed no fear. Instead, it fully emerged from the bush. Its three-lip mouth twitched continuously, its short tail quivered rapidly, and its gaze remained locked on Xiaoqi's storage bag, its drooling appearance exactly like when it begged for food in the little courtyard of Qingxu Temple.
Looking at its greedy expression and recalling the Purple Spirit Fruit's soul-nourishing effects, a sudden thought occurred to Xiaoqi: This rabbit spirit possessed such high intelligence; could Purple Spirit Fruit also be of great use to it?
He experimentally took out a Purple Spirit Fruit and waved it before the rabbit spirit's eyes.
The rabbit spirit's eyes instantly shone with remarkable brightness. With a kick of its hind legs, it transformed into a white blur and pounced forward, moving so fast that Xiaoqi almost didn't react in time.
Xiaoqi hastily raised his hand higher, both amused and exasperated. "You gluttonous little thing, how did you follow me? This fruit has potent medicinal effects; can you withstand it?"
Having missed its lunge, the rabbit spirit landed at Xiaoqi's feet. It stood upright on its hind legs, clasped its front paws together, and continuously bowed toward Xiaoqi, its red eyes filled with longing and supplication. It emitted urgent "gugu" chirps.
Seeing its deeply human-like manner, Xiaoqi's heart softened. Fine, this little fellow had some fate with him. Moreover, it always seemed able to find some rather good spirit herbs. Giving it one fruit to taste wouldn't hurt.
Carefully, he broke off a small half of the Purple Spirit Fruit and offered it before the rabbit spirit.
The rabbit spirit couldn't wait, snatching it with one bite, swallowing it in two or three gulps without even spitting out the pit.
After swallowing the Purple Spirit Fruit, the rabbit spirit trembled slightly all over. Its soft, glossy fur seemed to gain even more sheen, and its ruby-like eyes grew more vibrant and profound. It smacked its lips in satisfaction, affectionately rubbing its head against Xiaoqi's trouser leg, then didn't leave but simply curled up at his feet, squinting its eyes as if digesting the medicinal power of that half Purple Spirit Fruit.
Xiaoqi looked at the little creature at his feet, then at the now-empty Purple Spirit Fruit tree in the valley, and shook his head helplessly.
Exploring this perilous secret realm with an obviously extraordinary rabbit spirit? This feeling was truly... peculiar.
He put away the remaining Purple Spirit Fruits and confirmed his direction once more. With Purple Spirit Fruit enhancing his spiritual sense and recovery, this miraculous wok, plus this seemingly lucky little follower, he actually felt a bit more confidence about the journey ahead in the secret realm.
"Let's go, little fellow. Keep up." Xiaoqi said quietly, then activated his Light Body Technique and sped toward the valley exit.
The rabbit spirit immediately opened its eyes, transforming into a white shadow that followed nimbly behind him, not leaving even half a step.
One human, one rabbit—their figures soon vanished at the valley's exit, continuing onward into the depths of the secret realm, toward the unknown regions where opportunity and danger coexisted.