Gateway of Immortality-Chapter 457: Snow Spirit Lotus and Iris Flower

Snake Granny continued, "You should have already guessed—your group will not be the only ones entering Zhitian Peak. You will be competing against cultivators from the Tianxing Alliance for the Elemental Star Stones. Their strength is on par with yours. If you encounter them, do not underestimate them. Otherwise, not only will you fail to bring back the Elemental Star Stones, but you may also perish in Zhitian Peak, with no one left to even recover your corpse."

After fighting for so long, was there anyone here whose hands were not stained with blood?

Not a single one of them was soft-hearted.

They hardly needed Snake Granny to tell them what to do.

A meticulous demonic cultivator spoke up, "May I ask, Island Master, how many from the Tianxing Alliance will be entering Zhitian Peak?"

For the first time, Vice Island Master Xiao, who had been standing silently beside Snake Granny, answered, "Just like you guys—thirty-three."

The demonic cultivator let out a cold laugh. "Thirty-three as well... Looks like we’ll be seeing some old friends."

"I will now introduce Zhitian Peak to you."

Vice Island Master Xiao extended his hand and pointed into the air. A massive, towering peak materialized before them as an illusion. "This is the full image of Zhitian Peak. The Elemental Star Stones are located here..."

Everyone, including Qin Sang, studied the illusion attentively while Vice Island Master Xiao explained.

A full fifteen minutes passed before Vice Island Master Xiao concluded his explanation. With a wave of his hand, the illusion disappeared. "Everything I have just shown you is only a small fraction of the dangers within Zhitian Peak. The barrier surrounding the peak is unique, and most areas remain unexplored. You will have to be cautious on your own. The opening of Zhitian Peak will be brief. You must not waste a single moment—you must give your all to search for the Elemental Star Stones. In the end, Stargazing Island will reward you based on the number of Elemental Star Stones you bring back. The treasures are here..."

As he spoke, Vice Island Master Xiao flicked his palm, and several streaks of radiant light shot out from his waist.

In an instant, the golden hall was filled with a dazzling glow, nearly blinding everyone.

A total of ten streaks of light hovered in front of them, each encasing a treasure. There were spiritual herbs, pills, talisman astra, and artifacts among them.

Each one was different, but every single one was a rare treasure!

The moment these treasures appeared, Qin Sang and the others felt a surge of desire. Their eyes widened as they examined them closely, unable to tear their gazes away.

"That’s the Restorative Pill, a sacred healing medicine!"

"This spirit talisman... It’s a talisman astra! Looks like a defensive talisman astra!"

"What kind of artifact is this? It’s emitting such an awe-inspiring aura!"

"Is this the Profound True Pill? It’s said to aid in Core Formation!"

...

Excited exclamations rang out throughout the golden hall.

However, this commotion was fleeting. A moment later, absolute silence fell over the hall.

Nearly everyone’s gaze locked onto the leftmost streak of light. Even with Qin Sang’s steadfast mind, his expression wavered.

The others? Their reactions were even less composed.

Within the streak of light, two spiritual herbs were encased—one white, one red, their colors contrasting yet complementing each other.

The white herb resembled a fully bloomed lotus, its petals, stem, and roots completely pure white, without the slightest blemish. It radiated an aura of serene purity.

It was as if it were a sacred herb, untouchable and awe-inspiring.

A cold energy emanated from it, yet oddly, it did no harm to cultivators.

Its name was enough to drive any Foundation Building cultivator into madness—Snow Spirit Lotus!

Beside it was another spiritual herb—Iris Flower!

The Iris Flower was utterly different from the Snow Spirit Lotus. Unlike the pure sanctity of the Snow Spirit Lotus, the Iris Flower bloomed in a dazzling shade of crimson, its long petals layered like a phoenix’s tail, bursting with color like a blazing fire.

Instead of emitting cold energy, the Iris Flower radiated scorching heat.

One was yin, the other yang. What made them even more invaluable was that their medicinal properties perfectly complemented each other, aligning with the path of Core Formation that required the unity of yin and yang.

Indeed, in the current immortal cultivation world, these two herbs were considered the most powerful aids to Core Formation.

They did not even need to be refined into a pill—simply absorbing them during Core Formation would enhance one’s chances.

Of course, possessing them did not guarantee Core Formation.

The success rate for forming a Golden Core was abysmally low, akin to a thousand warriors crossing a single-plank bridge. Only the fortunate and the talented could pass.

Even with the Snow Spirit Lotus and Iris Flower, they could only increase the chances of success by one or two percent—a tiny improvement, yet still invaluable.

What frustrated cultivators even more was the fact that stockpiling such treasures did not further increase one’s odds.

Qin Sang possessed the Kanli Golden Pill, bestowed upon him by his sect. However, even if he were to obtain both the Iris Flower and the Snow Spirit Lotus, their effects could not be stacked.

He could only attempt them one by one.

Vice Island Master Xiao smiled as he observed the crowd. Only after they had calmed down did he speak. "You've all seen these spiritual treasures, haven't you? Once you return from Zhitian Peak, the one who brings back the most Elemental Star Stones will have the first pick." freёnovelkiss-com

Someone immediately asked, "Does that include the Snow Spirit Lotus and Iris Flower?"

"Of course!"

Vice Island Master Xiao gestured toward the streak of light containing the two herbs. "I don’t need to tell you how precious these two spiritual herbs are. I doubt there’s anyone here who wouldn’t want them. Unfortunately, Stargazing Island only has one pair. Whoever earns the greatest merit and retrieves the most Elemental Star Stones will claim them! Of course, if you do not want the Snow Spirit Lotus and Iris Flower, you are free to choose another treasure; we will not stop you."

Most of those present were at the Fake Core Realm or on the verge of it. This was the most crucial stage before forming a Golden Core; who wouldn't desire the Snow Spirit Lotus and Iris Flower?

Even Ji Wu, who had been fixated on the Restorative Pill, shifted his gaze toward the two herbs, momentarily forgetting about his master.

However, there was only one pair of these herbs!

Fortunately, among the ten streaks of light, there were five other treasures that aided in Core Formation, including the Profound True Pill. Though their effects varied, none were as potent as the Snow Spirit Lotus and Iris Flower.

Stargazing Island had clearly pinpointed their greatest weakness and knew exactly how to push them to risk their lives.

Every one of these treasures was exceedingly rare and valuable—only Stargazing Island had the means to provide them.

However, even with six treasures, they were far from enough for the thirty-three people present.

Moreover, with only ten streaks of light, only ten people would receive rewards, and the rest would walk away empty-handed!

Whoosh!

With a flick of his sleeve, Vice Island Master Xiao withdrew the streaks of light.

As the treasures vanished, disappointment flickered across everyone's faces. However, no one dared to protest against Vice Island Master Xiao.

"You all understand now, don’t you?"

His gaze swept over them. Regardless of what they were thinking, he spoke indifferently. "If you want a treasure, return to your cave dwellings immediately and enter seclusion. Adjust your condition to its peak and wait for orders. Now, you may go."

With that, Vice Island Master Xiao and Snake Granny vanished in a flash.

As soon as the two island masters departed, silence fell over the group. They exchanged glances, their gazes carrying a hint of caution.

Their rivals were not only the Tianxing Alliance, they were each other.

No one here was weak. Everyone had a chance to claim a treasure. With strength so evenly matched, who would fear whom?

This 𝓬ontent is taken from f(r)eeweb(n)ovel.𝒄𝒐𝙢