57 - The Divine Physician’s Overbearing Wife

Chapter 57 The formation had been half-dismantled, and only after completing the oath could it be fully undone. Yan Zhu Guang walked up to the cluster of crystal stalagmites, scooped a handful of water, soaking her palm in the liquid condensed from the Five-Colors Crystal Energy, then gently uprooted the Tianxin Five-Colors Lotus, roots and all, from the liquid and placed it into the System's backpack. Once the Tianxin Five-Colors Lotus was in the backpack, the main task related to investigating the former Headmaster changed from (Four) to (Five). The System replaced the reward for Task (Four) with a poison placed in the backpack. Yan Zhu Guang took out two small jade gourds, divided the crystal energy liquid from the stalagmites into two portions, and distributed it into them, handing one to Yun Mi Xue. "Senior Sister, please take this." Yun Mi Xue thought for a moment and did not refuse. She understood that only by accepting it would Zhu Guang feel at ease. At worst, it could remain with her until Zhu Guang needed it in the future. The two searched the Five-Colors Crystal Cave meticulously to ensure nothing was overlooked before leaving the crevice. After the Tianxin Five-Colors Lotus, the main draw of the Five-Colors Crystal Energy, was removed, the cave might slowly recover or possibly decline into ruin — but that was a concern for future visitors. "Senior Sister, since this secret realm only closes once a year, should we check the other marked locations to see if there are any clues?" Yun Mi Xue pondered before responding, "To avoid worrying the elders and junior sisters, I cannot stay missing too long. If we are to continue our search, it must be done quickly. Perhaps you should continue exploring here while I deliver the lotus seed to Miss Su." The secret realm contained many treasures and wasn't as dangerous as imagined. Yun Mi Xue had no hesitation in letting Yan Zhu Guang continue her exploration. Letting Yan Zhu Guang leave the realm with her instead would only make Yun Mi Xue feel guilty. Yan Zhu Guang quickly shook her head — allowing her Senior Sister to approach Su Qian Er alone? Unthinkable. She planned to observe Su Qian Er carefully during the lotus seed delivery. This trip to the secret realm had sparked suspicions in Yang Zhu Guang’s mind that needed verification. "No need, after another search, I'll leave with you," Yan Zhu Guang decided. "What I've acquired is plenty; no need to be greedy." Yun Mi Xue intended to persuade her, but Yan Zhu Guang was adamant: "Then let's act quickly." They turned their focus to unexplored areas, searching for suspicious traces. Yan Zhu Guang diligently examined these marked places, discovering odd spiritual plants growing there. Though not as precious as the Tianxin Five-Colors Lotus, they mostly possessed unique traits, much like the previously found needle-leaved plant. This secret realm was undoubtedly a treasure trove of spiritual plants, some even toxic. Yan Zhu Guang collected portions of each plant. Small snippets were swiftly gathered without wasting time; her Blood Sacrifice Spirit Vine made it easy work. Yan Zhu Guang indulged herself, fully supported by Yun Mi Xue. Days passed as they searched every marked spot, but they found nothing of significance. Perhaps the former Headmaster hadn’t left marks elsewhere. After conducting their search, Yun Mi Xue, noticing Yan Zhu Guang’s interest, took her to revisit places she had previously checked under the guise of a second search, allowing Yan Zhu Guang to gather samples from those marked spiritual plants. Yan Zhu Guang obliged without fuss, focusing solely on gathering items as fast as possible. Once the entire map with marked areas was thoroughly checked, they departed the secret realm without delay. Other than a piece of silk, they lacked tokens to guide them out and expected leaving the realm to be challenging. Surprisingly, the exit method was simple — as soon as they ardently wished to leave, they felt lighter and were carried outside. In the small chamber behind the stone gate, ripples shimmered across a large jade wall, through which a figure emerged gracefully and landed. The eyelids of the ice-like jade beauty fluttered open, revealing a flicker of confusion in her eyes. No one else was present. The person who should have exited with her was missing. Yun Mi Xue grew anxious, staring at the wall as if trying to decipher something. Yet after a while, it remained unchanged. Yan Zhu Guang hadn't emerged from the jade wall. What happened? She recalled leaving the realm with Zhu Guang, so why was she alone now? Her spiritual senses were no longer restricted, but both the jade wall and stone gate blocked her investigation. Yun Mi Xue couldn’t determine what occurred within the wall. She hesitantly touched the jade wall, wishing to re-enter the realm, but felt only its cool, solid surface — a feeling that was wrong. At that moment, an understanding dawned on Yun Mi Xue: this realm allowed only one entry. Whether staying for a full year or not, once you exited, you couldn’t re-enter. Thus, whatever trouble Yan Zhu Guang encountered upon exiting, Yun Mi Xue was powerless to intercede, amplifying her anxiety. She calmed herself, resolving to wait within that small chamber. Zhu Guang possessed considerable strength and intelligence. Whatever the situation, she trusted Zhu Guang to navigate it safely. So, what was Yan Zhu Guang doing at present? She found herself in a cramped space filled with a green glow. Yan Zhu Guang had been leaving the realm with Yun Mi Xue, but her transport direction abruptly shifted, delivering her into this verdant space. There, a droning voice reached her ears. It conveyed that her presence there indicated possessing both a Wood Element Spiritual Root and a Wood Spirit Constitution, making her an excellent candidate for cultivation in planting techniques. Moreover, having collected all the spiritual plants left by the voice's owner meant she was destined to inherit his legacy. The voice gushed over numerous fine things, summarizing that the entire secret realm was now hers to inherit. Were it anyone else, they might have been jubilant and overwhelmed with excitement at such a windfall, but Yan Zhu Guang remained unperturbed, even preoccupied with other thoughts. Would Senior Sister worry upon entering the real world and finding her absent? She needed to find her quickly. Moreover, inheriting this realm was a hassle; had she done so earlier, she wouldn’t have needed to agree to the former Headmaster’s terms and give the Tianxin Lotus Seed to Su Qian Er. As the realm's owner, dismantling an external array was as easy as flipping her hand. No matter the array's complexity, provided it didn't exceed her domain’s authority, she could unravel it. Yet vows had been made, and the realm was inherited after the fact. Without obtaining the Tianxin Five-Colors Lotus, she might not have been able to assume the realm either. All this was... irksome, to say the least. Inheriting legacies like this was old hat for Yan Zhu Guang, practically a mundane routine, leaving no ripple in her heart. Such composed acceptance contrasted with the System’s utter astonishment. Her "windfall ability" once again expanded its horizons. Hearing the inheritance ritual in the verdant space, the System listened intently. Upon realizing all plants had to be gathered, it knew the host’s knack for seizing unexpected opportunities was at play once more. Consider how much time it would take someone else, their spiritual sense constrained and power suppressed, to find those specific spiritual plants even with the jade wall map’s aid. The realm's one-year timeframe would simply be inadequate. The late Headmaster's means of crafting that marked map surely benefitted the host in the end. Truly, this realm seemed tailor-made for the host. Even with the map, others unlikely matched her ability to collect every plant piece. Without her Wood Element Spiritual Root and Wood Spirit Constitution, even meeting such criteria was futile; she was the realm's inevitable owner. In a way, wasn’t this the secret realm owner's luck as well? Setting such stringent qualifications — had it not been for my host meeting them perfectly, the realm might have waited endlessly for a rightful heir! As Yan Zhu Guang and the System amusedly criticized the former owner, the inheritance ceremony completed. Yan Zhu Guang found her mind filled with cultivation methods, the secret realm’s owner's legacy. Yan Zhu Guang shook her head. Pursuing the path of cultivation through planting wasn't likely for her. However, in gratitude for the secret realm owner's generosity, she resolved to find a suitable person to continue the inheritance. After tidying up, Yan Zhu Guang departed the core of the secret realm. Seeing Yan Zhu Guang's figure reappear within the jade wall, Yun Mi Xue finally relaxed the tense string holding her worries. Thankfully, Zhu Guang was safe. The first thing Yan Zhu Guang did upon opening her eyes was to reassure Yun Mi Xue. She smiled at her to show she was unscathed: "Senior Sister, sorry to make you worry." Yun Mi Xue gave her a thorough once-over: "It's good that you're okay." Yan Zhu Guang held Yun Mi Xue’s hand, ensuring she was completely calm before speaking: "Senior Sister, look at this—" Raising her other hand, she formed a few hand seals and pricked her fingertip, releasing a drop of blood that flew towards the jade wall. Like water, the blood was thoroughly absorbed into the wall. Under Yun Mi Xue’s astonished gaze, the massive jade wall began to shrink until it became a small jade pendant that landed in Yan Zhu Guang's hand. "This?" "It's like this..." After listening to Yan Zhu Guang's recount of events, Yun Mi Xue was delighted, her earlier worries quickly dispelled: "With such an inheritance at hand, Zhu Guang’s future in cultivation will be smoother. This is wonderful." Yun Mi Xue had often worried that without a teacher, relying solely on Yan Zhu Guang to navigate cultivation on her own would be challenging. Now, with this inheritance, those concerns were alleviated. Yan Zhu Guang pressed her lips together, letting a smile break through: "Let's head out, Senior Sister."