’It really is Thundering Grass!’

A fire ignited in Lü Zhong’s heart, and he immediately shot toward the Spirit Field.

Seeing this, the remaining Ice Jade Bees swarmed in to attack. However, Lü Zhong quickly summoned a large number of Spiritual Insects. After a fierce battle, the Ice Jade Bee Swarm was forced back. He then continued flying forward and soon saw the Spirit Medicine he had been longing for.

On a patch of purple Spirit Field, flashes of lightning occasionally erupted. This was where the Thundering Grass grew.

Its branches and leaves were shaped like lightning bolts, a bewitching purplish-blue.

Lü Zhong carefully unleashed a Palm Thunder, and just as he expected, the plant absorbed it completely.

’This is it. The Thundering Grass that can resist a Thunder Tribulation!’

’No wonder Li Wuzhen fought with all his might to drive us back. He must have come specifically for this grass. In the end, though, he lost everything and even had to use his life-saving Transmission Jade Talisman to escape.’

Beneath the Thundering Grass were many grayish-white branches, some old and some new. Clearly, this plant had withered and flourished through many cycles of Reincarnation. It currently had nine segments on its branches, indicating that it was nine hundred years old.

According to ancient texts, Thundering Grass undergoes a Metamorphosis every thousand years. When that happens, its ability to resist Thunder Tribulations is greatly enhanced, and it gains all sorts of other miraculous uses.

At this thought, Lü Zhong’s breathing grew a little heavier. The importance of this grass to him was self-evident. He glanced at the Prohibition remaining on the Thundering Grass’s leaves before turning to check on the two people behind him.

Chengg Danan was still lying on the ground, his condition unknown. However, judging by the steady rise and fall of his chest, he was probably fine. As for Chen Xiaohe, she had deployed a Yellow Umbrella Magical Artifact and was sitting cross-legged beneath it to heal, her face deathly pale. Clearly, neither of them was in any condition to pay attention to what was happening here.

’Excellent!’

Lü Zhong looked away and focused his attention on the Prohibition on the Thundering Grass’s surface.

Streaks of Thunder Patterns flickered in and out of sight, a physical manifestation of the Prohibition.

Generally, the Spirit Medicines in a Spirit Medicine Garden are protected by Prohibitions. This is to prevent theft by Thief Cultivators and also to stop the gardens’ own keepers from stealing what they guard. The type of protective Prohibition used also varies depending on the rarity of the Spirit Medicine.

Once triggered, a protective Prohibition often emits a loud noise and may even self-destruct the Spirit Medicine. The protective Prohibition on this Thundering Grass was exactly this type of self-destructing Prohibition.

Therefore, he needed to be extremely careful, or all his efforts would be for naught.

After standing in place and pondering for a moment, Lü Zhong formed a hand seal and quickly sent several Technique Mantras toward the Thundering Grass. Immediately, some of the Thunder Patterns flowing across the leaves dissipated, while the remaining ones dimmed, looking highly unstable.

’It’s working!’ Lü Zhong rejoiced inwardly.

The one who placed the Prohibition on the Thundering Grass was clearly an expert, extremely skilled and experienced. Lü Zhong had originally thought his only option was to break it by force, but that would have likely damaged the plant’s branches and leaves. This would have severely affected its ability to absorb lightning and greatly diminished his harvest.

Fortunately, he was able to reap the benefits of a new era.

As the stars shifted and time passed, the art of Prohibitions in the Cultivation Realm did not remain stagnant. More precise and formidable techniques were always evolving. The Prohibition on the Thundering Grass might have been extremely difficult to break in the past, but in the current Cultivation Realm, there were quite a few ways to crack it.

For instance, Lü Zhong was now using a Secret Technique created by Lianxing True Monarch, one designed specifically for breaking Ancient Prohibitions.

Finally, all the Thunder Patterns on the Thundering Grass dispersed!

Almost simultaneously, three black shadows shot out from nearby.

Lü Zhong’s expression didn’t change, as if he had anticipated this. With a flash of lightning from his left hand, he shot out bolts of thunder, striking down the black shadows one by one with pinpoint accuracy.

"SQUEAK SQUEAK SQUEAK!" The black shadows, struck by lightning, fell to the ground. They were actually small, dark-colored snakes.

The small snakes’ scales were split open, their bodies charred and cooked through.

Lü Zhong withdrew his gaze from the snake corpses and looked toward an empty spot nearby. He let out a cold snort and once again unleashed a Palm Thunder.

Suddenly, a transparent figure appeared there. It was none other than the Loose Cultivator, the Child, who had fled earlier.

Ma Cheng’s face was grim. He hadn’t expected to be discovered by Lü Zhong, even though he had mastered the Concealing Breath, Concealing Trace, and Invisibility Three Techniques. Logically, when all three techniques were used together, only a Golden Core Master in person should have been able to detect him.

His gaze shifted to the Copper Mirror in Lü Zhong’s hand, and he suddenly had a realization.

The truth was just as the Child Ma Cheng had guessed. Lü Zhong had indeed relied on the Qingyang Mirror’s Illusion-Breaking Divine Technique to discover the hidden enemy. Otherwise, a moment of carelessness would have led to him being ambushed.

His first strike having failed, Ma Cheng’s expression changed slightly, and he prepared to retreat.

But how could Lü Zhong let him get his wish? His Star Shifting Step left a trail of starlight.

In the blink of an eye, he was in front of his opponent.

The Qingyang Mirror circling his body shot out beams of Mirror Light, but Ma Cheng’s reaction was just as fast. His body dissolved into wisps of black smoke; he had clearly mastered a profound Instant Body Technique as well. He easily dodged the incoming Mirror Light and launched a counterattack at the same time.

The two clashed, their Magical Artifacts colliding with a shower of sparks.

"BZZZZZZZ!" The buzzing of wings intensified.

It turned out that Lü Zhong, during a lull in the fight, had summoned the Insect Swarm that had been besieging the Ice Jade Bees.

A moment later, a headless corpse fell to the ground.

He reached out his hand, and a Storage Bag flew into his grasp. After dealing with the troublemaker, he returned to the Thundering Grass. Lightning quickly gathered around his left hand—this was the proper way to harvest it.

Then, he placed the uprooted Thundering Grass, along with some of its Spiritual Soil, into a jade box.

"Phew!" Lü Zhong let out a long sigh of relief.