Yellow Court Daoist

"""All for naught."""

Lu Qingfeng chuckled lightly as he swiftly moved away, descending Sky Sun Mountain.

As for the safety of Yue Miaoyin and the others—

Without the Returning Yang Fruit, it was uncertain whether these people would still fight or not, let alone fight to the death, so there was no need for concern.

What mattered now was to quickly head to Earth Sun Mountain, ascend the peak, and wait for the fruit of the second Returning Yang Fruit Tree to mature.

Seven days later.

Lu Qingfeng descended Earth Sun Mountain.

He saw cultivators from the Golden Wave Sect, Luoxia Sect, and others, as well as those from the Demon Clan and the Demon Sect, all dusty from travel. As soon as the restrictions on Earth Sun Mountain were lifted, the cultivators rushed up the mountain. Lu Qingfeng quietly slipped away.

Heading to Xuanyang Mountain.

Another seven days.

On Xuanyang Mountain, Lu Qingfeng collected twelve Returning Yang Fruits, adding to the two Heavenly Star tokens he had obtained from Sky Sun Mountain and Earth Sun Mountain, he now had three Heavenly Star tokens in his possession.

"The restrictions on Sky Sun Mountain, Earth Sun Mountain, and Xuanyang Mountain, even for a cultivator of average talent who has studied array formation restrictions for one or two thousand years, would take several months or even longer to unravel."

"Foundation Establishment cultivators live for three hundred years, and even those with high talent, who could compete with those who have studied for one or two thousand years of average talent, would ultimately have less experience and might take even longer. The Hundred Herbs Garden opens once, providing just over three months for them to break the restrictions. Once the restrictions are lifted after more than three months, failing to reach the summit beforehand means all previous efforts were in vain."

"Therefore, someone like me, who can traverse the restrictions and ascend the mountain in merely half an hour, is probably an encounter that comes once every few thousand years."

Lu Qingfeng smiled, evaded the crowd, and went down the mountain to depart.

Next was Yellow Sun Mountain.

As Lu Qingfeng was aware, the Returning Yang Fruit Tree on Yellow Sun Mountain was far from maturity, and the restrictions had not yet been restored, so he had no way to break them and acquire the Heavenly Star token.

"Three tokens are enough."

"The remaining six tokens can be left to those with destiny."

Heavenly Star Sect's Ancestor Master Qin Feng left behind the Hundred Herbs Garden and the Heavenly Star tokens to select an inheritor. It was conceivable for Lu Qingfeng to take all the opportunities for himself.

But considering the original intention of Qin Feng in establishing the Hundred Herbs Garden, Lu Qingfeng lost interest in the remaining six tokens.

With three tokens, it would be enough for him and his siblings to join the Heavenly Star Sect and become its True Inheritors.

Why ruin the chances of the younger generation and disappoint the intention of Ancestor Master Qin Feng?

"As for the Returning Yang Fruits, if I can refine them into Lifespan Extension Pills before leaving Juyun Mountain Range, I will gift some Spirit Pills to the Luoxia Sect. If not, I'll leave some Returning Yang Fruits."

Lu Qingfeng gathered all thirty-six Returning Yang Fruits, which surely made the trip of the cultivators from the Demon Clan, Demon Sect, and from the Golden Wave Sect and Demon Extermination Castle in vain, as did the three Foundation Establishment members from the Luoxia Sect.

Lu Qingfeng, who had entered with the help of the Luoxia Sect, now monopolized the benefits, causing the Luoxia Sect to suffer losses while withholding information, which inevitably brought him shame.

Gifting some Returning Yang Fruits or Lifespan Extension Pills would also serve as compensation.

However, while still within the Juyun Mountain Range, it was not the right time to give away the Returning Yang Fruits and expose his secrets.

Otherwise, freely entering and exiting the Hundred Herbs Garden and acquiring the ability to obtain Returning Yang Fruits, once known and leaked, would surely lead the Juyun Four Sects to not let Lu Qingfeng off easily.

After leaving the Juyun Mountain Range, the sky's the limit. Overlooking the Three Mountains and nine waters, what do a few Returning Yang Fruits or Lifespan Extension Pills amount to?

There would be no concerns for future troubles.

"Next, I will tour the remaining Third-rank Medicine Mountains before exiting the Hundred Herbs Garden."

Within the Hundred Herbs Garden, there were not many Third-rank Medicine Mountains.

Previously, Lu Qingfeng had swept over more than ten, and other cultivators from the upper levels of the Hundred Herbs Garden had broken through quite a few. Those left unexplored were in the minority.

Lu Qingfeng collected a round and only found six unexplored Third-rank Medicine Mountains, from which he harvested the Third-rank Spirit Medicine.

Twelve days later.

He exited the Hundred Herbs Garden.

...

Wind Roar Cliff.

Lu Qingfeng emerged from the Void, his feet carrying him to the top of the cliff.

Upon arrival, he immediately felt the atmosphere was a bit peculiar.

From the Luoxia Sect's camp, Yue Lingxi, Zhang Qingyuan, and Yue Miaoyin had all come out safely, and by their expressions, there were no signs of injury.

Then he looked towards the Golden Wave Sect and Demon Extermination Castle.

All four Foundation Establishment Cultivators who had entered the Hundred Herbs Garden were unharmed. Yet for some reason, Lu Qingfeng sensed that the looks from these two factions were rather unfriendly.

"I wiped out the Red Rainbow Sect, what is this behavior from your two factions about?"

Lu Qingfeng felt a strange sensation in his heart, and upon closer inspection, he saw that the Foundation Establishment Elders of the two sects were fine, exercising restraint.

But the True Qi Realm disciples of both sects were either angry or sullen.

"Could it be—"

A flash of insight struck Lu Qingfeng, and he guessed the reason, involuntarily letting out a mute laugh.

It seems these disciples must have been bullied mercilessly by Qingshan and Qingyu in the lower levels of the Hundred Herbs Garden, hence their expression, even projecting their resentment onto Elder Lu.

With a chuckle in his heart, Lu Qingfeng did not bother to concern himself.

While walking towards the Luoxia Sect array, he glanced at Red Rainbow Sect.

There he saw Yang Bufan of Red Rainbow Sect, who was known for his deep calculations, staring expressionless at the exit of Hundred Herbs Garden at the bottom of Wind Roar Cliff. The sect's elders and disciples all wore ugly expressions, far grimmer than those of Golden Wave Sect and Demon Extermination Castle.

The atmosphere was oppressively tense.

The disciples didn't even dare to breathe heavily.

"Four Foundation Establishment Elders dead, nothing gained from this excursion into Hundred Herbs Garden. The True Qi Realm disciples look dejected, obviously having faced setbacks in the lower levels."

"This expression is not surprising."

"But the hidden attack against me, this isn't over."

Lu Qingfeng pursed his lips, his gaze sweeping over Yang Bufan before shifting to the Luoxia Sect array.

"Squeak, squeak, squeak."

Yue Miaoyin's sparrow on her shoulder chirped upon seeing Lu Qingfeng, fluttering up and down in front of him. Lu Qingfeng reached out and let it perch on his shoulder.

"Elder Lu is unharmed; this puts us at ease."

Lu Qingfeng's return caused Zhou Yuan, Yue Lingxi, and others to breathe a sigh of relief.

"Lu intended to refine a batch of Spirit Pills and was short a few herbs of the second and third rank, hence the delay in the Hundred Herbs Garden," explained Lu Qingfeng with a hint of apology.

"As long as you are safe."

Mei Qingyan laughed heartily, finally relaxing.

Inside the Luoxia Sect, Lu Qingshan, Lu Qingyu, and the other True Qi Realm disciples had not yet come out. Lu Qingfeng looked at the other Three Sects and 'curiously' asked, "Did something happen? The atmosphere of these Three Sects seems a bit off."

An expression so innocent it almost seemed true.

"Ha ha!"

"Having faced a setback, of course, they don't feel too good!"

Mei Qingyan laughed unreservedly, as happy as if he'd stolen honey. Even if Lu Qingfeng hadn't asked, he would have boasted about it anyway.

"Oh?"

Lu Qingfeng listened.

Mei Qingyan began to briefly describe the strange situation in the upper level of Hundred Herbs Garden—

Not a single Returning Yang Fruit was harvested.

The Demon Clan and Demon Sect had sustained serious casualties in the past three months.

No sign of the four Foundation Establishment members of Red Rainbow Sect.

Putting these three matters together was indeed odd.

There must be some connection between them.

However, nobody suspected Lu Qingfeng.

Firstly, as an Alchemy and Artifact Master, it didn't make sense for him to have such skills in Array Formation Restrictions.

Secondly, many strange incidents had indeed occurred in the upper levels of Hundred Herbs Garden.

Not only had the Demon Clan and Demon Sect suffered serious losses, but the four Foundation Establishment Cultivators of Red Rainbow Sect were nowhere to be found under Sky Sun Mountain, Earth Sun Mountain, and Xuanyang Mountain.

They were still missing now and most likely met with misfortune.

To achieve all this, one's combat power could not be weak. As a mere Alchemy and Artifact Master, what could Lu Qingfeng possibly do?

For this reason, the Four Sects had no leads and would not focus their attention on Master Lu, the 'Dan and Artifact Double Extreme.'

Of course.

Perhaps some were overly suspicious and, seeing that Lu Qingfeng did not meet with Yue Lingxi and the others upon entering Hundred Herbs Garden, might have developed doubts.

But Lu Qingfeng's claim of gathering medicinal herbs for alchemy had no flaws.

After returning to Silver Horn Mountain and refining a batch of Foundation Establishment Pills, his account would be consistent and watertight.

On the contrary, those Demon Clan and Demon Sect cultivators who had not appeared from the beginning to the end were more suspicious than Lu Qingfeng. It was illogical to disregard them and instead doubt Lu Qingfeng, who was 'harmless to humans and animals.'