Lin Feng grabbed the rabbit meat and ran towards the anomaly.
Swish, swish, swish.
The sound of breaking air echoed as figures streaked by.
With the descent of an anomaly, it was either a celestial treasure or an exotic item. Even near a small town, it attracted countless cultivators.
Lin Feng trailed far behind the crowd.
As more and more people gathered, the anomaly slowly retracted, revealing a transparent vortex gate before everyone's eyes.
No one dared to act. Zhao Lifang couldn't help but sneer,
"A bunch of cowards, afraid to even claim celestial treasures. I'm going in."
Lin Feng looked at Zhao Lifang. With sharp sword-like eyebrows, a face full of righteousness, and a moon-white long robe, he was truly a man of imposing presence and graceful demeanor.
He shook his head slightly and headed straight for the vortex. In no time, he was inside.
There was no reaction. Only then did everyone else rush in.
Lin Feng mingled with them. He had to admit that this secret realm was too remote. There were few cultivation families here. Otherwise, it wouldn't be the turn of a bunch of rogue cultivators.
As soon as he passed through the vortex gate, he felt a wave of dizziness.
When he regained his senses, Lin Feng found himself in an unknown place.
Willow catkins danced in the air, peach blossoms adorned the branches, and the fragrance of flowers wafted through the clear wind.
Yet, a subtle, lingering scent filled the air, butterflies and bees danced, and as far as the eye could see, it was a sea of flowers, pink, orange-red, and sky blue blossoms intertwined.
Butterflies and bees fluttered gracefully, while a stream gurgled nearby. Sunlight streamed down, painting the ground with resplendent colors.
Willows swayed gracefully, green waters flowed serenely, and the willow catkins, carried by the gentle spring breeze, soared upwards towards the blue sky, occasionally scattering onto the water, drifting without a trace.
For a moment, Lin Feng couldn't even tell the season here.
However, what most caught Lin Feng's eye was the tree in the center of the meadow. He had only seen this tree in his sect's illustrated guide. It was called the Ansixi tree.
As the name suggests, the Ansixi tree was an evergreen arbor that could treat insomnia.
It grew extremely slowly, known as the "thousand-year ruler," hence its wood was as hard as iron. It typically did not grow very tall.
Its petals, when dried, could be brewed into tea or wine, inducing good sleep.
Besides the petals, the Ansixi tree also had leaves that could cure insomnia.
These leaves were extremely light and thin, a deep green with a hint of transparency, shaped like butterfly wings, palm-sized, and emitted a calming, faint fragrance.
It was truly a boon for insomniacs.
However, the Ansixi tree before Lin Feng was as tall as a tall building, suggesting it was ancient.
He took a small amount of petals and leaves. Lin Feng had nothing to carry them in. Though unwilling, he had to accept it.
Even the flowers and grass on the ground contained many medicinal ingredients, but it was a pity he had no containers to collect them.
If he had known, he should have brought that large backpack when he left Guan Tongtong's house.
"Look! It's an Ansixi tree!"
A shout reached him. Lin Feng's heart jolted. He instantly applied a concealment charm to himself and scrambled up the tree.
"What's with all the shouting? Are you afraid people won't know we're here?"
Liu Zhengqing reprimanded in a low voice, finding his sister too thoughtless.
This was a secret realm where killing and arson went unnoticed. She had been too sheltered at home, and was so naive outside.
Fortunately, they had stayed close when entering, and with the guidance of their family's secret treasure, they were able to reunite so quickly.
"Brother, I know I was wrong! Don't be angry, okay?"
Liu Yu Jiao tugged at Liu Zhengqing's arm, acting coyly. This disarmed Liu Zhengqing completely.
The siblings were traveling across provinces on their cloud boat when they happened to pass by this place, just as a treasure was appearing. Seeing no powerful cultivators present, they were secretly delighted.
Lin Feng watched quietly from the tree. The cultivation of these two, given their age, could be considered that of geniuses.
As Liu Zhengqing and his sister began collecting petals and leaves, a middle-aged man in a black robe appeared in the distance.
A sudden attack! If the Liu siblings hadn't possessed defensive artifacts, they would have been invincible at that moment.
"How despicable! You don't even dare to fight a fair battle, only thinking of ambushing. I, this young lady, look down on you."
Liu Yu Jiao's chest heaved with anger. She and her brother had nearly been sent to see Yama.
"Heh heh heh, don't be in a hurry! Would this old man make a mistake when he attacks? I truly wonder how long your defensive artifacts can last?"
The middle-aged man's attacks were fierce and lethal. Liu Zhengqing and his sister were struggling to defend themselves.
"Why don't we make a deal? You two obediently hand over your artifacts and money, and I'll let you go."
The middle-aged man was self-aware. He wasn't sure what he could gain in the secret realm, so it was better to rob a few fat sheep. This secret realm! It was a natural place for robbery.
"Dream on."
Liu Zhengqing gritted his teeth and responded, charging forward with his sword. Soon, he was panting.
"As expected of disciples from a prominent family! How many pills have you consumed? Your foundation is so unstable!"
"You..."
Liu Zhengqing was too enraged to speak. Liu Yu Jiao also charged forward.
"Oh? Is this a war of attrition?"
The middle-aged man was also annoyed. His cultivation technique was not meant for frontal combat. If not for encountering these two "medicine jars," he might not have...
The middle-aged man looked at his chest in disbelief. He couldn't believe he would be defeated by two green novices.
Liu Zhengqing smiled slightly:
"The treasure sword in my hand is a dual sword. I use one sword to fight you, and the other to sneak attack from behind. Is there a problem?"
"You..."
The middle-aged man raised a finger, wanting to say something but unable to. He then fell straight to the ground.
"We won!"
Liu Yu Jiao jumped up happily. As expected, her brother was the best.
"Alright, we should leave quickly too! Who knows if there are ferocious beasts in this secret realm? If we attract them, it will be troublesome for us."
Liu Zhengqing and his sister left. Lin Feng, from his perch in the tree, had witnessed quite a show.
However, he had to admit that the Nine Li Realm, due to the greater number of cultivators, had far superior artifact refining compared to Earth.
But it was fortunate that they were just two rookies. Lin Feng triumphantly jumped down from the tree and began his looting.
Spirit Replenishing Pills, Qi Restoration Pills... In total, there was a large pile, but they weren't worth much.
The only thing that satisfied Lin Feng was the storage bag on the middle-aged man. After a simple refining, he put the items back into his storage bag. With the petals and leaves of the Ansixi tree also collected, Lin Feng headed towards the direction Liu Zhengqing and his sister had left.
The secret realm was vast. Lin Feng walked cautiously. Not long after, he heard sounds of dispute ahead. The voices were familiar, and Lin Feng couldn't help but chuckle. Could these two have a knack for trouble?
He stealthily approached and hid behind the bushes. He had to admit that the area where Liu Zhengqing was located was a vast grassland, offering an unobstructed view.
Lin Feng's current hiding spot was the closest patch of bushes to Liu Zhengqing, and it was still several hundred meters away.
Fortunately, Lin Feng had good eyesight and hearing, otherwise, he wouldn't have understood what was happening.