"Elder Du, stop teasing me. Even though my luck is quite good, it's not to the point of being ridiculously so," Zi Linling said, rolling her eyes.
"Girl, I have a feeling that the Samsara Flower can only be found by you!"
Elder Du's gaze held a deep, far-reaching sentiment.
"I don't deserve such praise! Let's talk about the Blood Origin and the Vein Origin!"
Zi Linling didn't want to argue further on that topic and changed the subject.
Elder Du also knew it was too early to discuss luck at this moment.
He nodded and continued as Zi Linling had guided him.
"The Blood Origin refers to a powerful bloodline. My estimation is the primal essence blood of a divine beast."
Elder Du's words were so shocking that they almost shattered Zi Linling's heart into four pieces.
"The primal essence blood of a divine beast? Elder Du, are you sure you're not joking?"
Elder Du puffed his beard and glared. "I'm discussing serious matters, who has the time for jokes?"
Zi Linling's blood pressure soared, almost sending her to her death.
She cursed, "You old fool, do you think the primal essence blood of a divine beast is like cabbage? Divine beast essence blood is already as rare as a giant panda, let alone primal essence blood? Why don't you just ask me to help you hunt a divine beast?"
It turned out that the primal essence blood of a divine beast was the very lifeline of the beast.
Even if a divine beast was hunted, it would only yield three drops of primal essence blood.
Therefore, the preciousness of divine beast primal essence blood was no less than dragon liver or phoenix marrow.
This was why Zi Linling was so angry.
Elder Du said sheepishly, "It's just my estimation, you know? If that doesn't work, divine beast essence blood can be used as a substitute!"
Zi Linling said irritably, "You old fool, you should just stay as the artifact spirit of the Nine Spirits Ring!"
With that, she was about to sever her connection with the Nine Spirits Ring.
She feared that if she continued talking with Elder Du, she would explode from anger.
"Wait!"
Elder Du quickly stopped Zi Linling.
He hadn't finished speaking and wouldn't let Zi Linling sever her connection with the Nine Spirits Ring.
Otherwise, who knew when he would get another chance to mention the rest.
Zi Linling said impatiently, "Fine, continue."
Elder Du smiled and said, "There is also the Vein Origin."
Zi Linling took a deep breath before saying, "Go on, what heaven-defying item do you estimate for the Vein Origin?"
Elder Du chuckled, "This one isn't as heaven-defying. It's the heart of the Earth Sacred Lotus."
"The heart of the Earth Sacred Lotus?"
Although Zi Linling had prepared herself, her heart still thumped violently upon hearing those seven words.
She sighed heavily and tried to speak calmly, "You old fool, I only have one thought now!"
"What thought?" Elder Du asked in surprise.
He had expected Zi Linling to be angry as before, but he hadn't anticipated her saying something completely irrelevant.
"I want to..."
A furious expression appeared on Zi Linling's face, and she roared, "Kill you!"
Seeing her enraged appearance, Elder Du finally breathed a sigh of relief, as this was the expression Zi Linling should have.
The Earth Sacred Lotus, despite its name, was not a lotus but the manifestation of the earth's脈络 (mài luò - veins/meridians) that had developed sentience. It was a truly unattainable treasure, let alone its heart.
Zi Linling cursed again, "You old fool, not only do you want me to kill divine beasts for you, but you also want me to help you refine the earth? Why don't you just say you need the Eye of Heaven's Dao?"
"I've decided, the Nine Spirits Ring doesn't need an artifact spirit anymore. I'll just send you to reincarnation!"
Of course, she only said it and didn't act.
"Girl, I..."
Just as Elder Du was about to heap more praise on Zi Linling, he found that the connection between the Nine Spirits Ring and the outside world had been severed.
He shook his head helplessly, "This girl..."
Zi Linling, having severed the connection with the Nine Spirits Ring, had eyes that seemed to be spewing fire.
Whether it was the Samsara Flower, the primal essence blood of a divine beast, or the heart of the Earth Sacred Lotus, these were all life-threatening items. It was no wonder she was filled with rage.
However, this didn't mean she wouldn't help Elder Du seize them if she encountered them.
Meanwhile, Xuanyuan Xun, Rong Guang, and Shangguan Yulin, with the help of the Nine Poison Yin Phosphorus Python, found the safe passage and reached the checkpoint of the second stage.
As Rong Guang was about to lead the Nine Poison Yin Phosphorus Python to sense each of the nine passages, Xuanyuan Xun stopped him. "Wait!"
"What's wrong?"
"What's wrong?"
Rong Guang and Shangguan Yulin asked in unison, confused.
Xuanyuan Xun looked at the saber mark on the second passage from the left and smiled knowingly. "No need to search, this King already knows which is the safe passage!"
Shangguan Yulin asked in surprise, "You know?"
Rong Guang also froze, and said cautiously, "Ninth Uncle, are you sure?"
Xuanyuan Xun nodded and said seriously, "I'm sure! Not only have I found it this time, but I believe I've also found the paths for the remaining seven stages!"
Seeing Xuanyuan Xun's serious demeanor, Rong Guang and Shangguan Yulin knew he wasn't boasting.
The two exchanged a glance and said in unison, "How did you know?"
Xuanyuan Xun smiled profoundly. "Of course, it was... Miss Zi who told me!"
"Miss Zi?"
Rong Guang and Shangguan Yulin asked in disbelief.
Xuanyuan Xun nodded. "Follow me!"
He then led the two to the second passage from the left, pointing to the saber mark on the ground. "Sense it carefully!"
Although Rong Guang and Shangguan Yulin were unsure, they followed Xuanyuan Xun's instructions.
Soon, a look of pleasant surprise appeared on both their faces.
Shangguan Yulin exclaimed happily, "This is Miss Zi's aura!"
Rong Guang added, "Exactly, this aura is very special, only the President has it!"
Xuanyuan Xun nodded. "I surmise that Miss Zi will leave a marker at each subsequent stage. Let's speed up!"
Rong Guang and Shangguan Yulin nodded and said in unison, "Good!"
The three looked at each other and smiled, then sped towards the depths of the passage.
They soon arrived at the third stage, and indeed, everything was as Xuanyuan Xun had predicted; Zi Linling had left another marker.
This time, the three didn't hesitate at all and sped through the safe passage.
Fourth stage, fifth stage, sixth stage... ninth stage!
The three moved without any hindrance and quickly reached the checkpoint of the ninth stage.
However, this time, Zi Linling had not left any hint.
After Xuanyuan Xun, Rong Guang, and Shangguan Yulin discussed, they were about to use the Nine Poison Yin Phosphorus Python when they heard a rumbling sound from one of the passages.
"Not good!"
The three shouted and charged into the passage where the sound originated.
However, they had not gone far before they were blocked by a demon beast comparable to the peak of the Divine King realm.