After the group rested for half a day and enjoyed a hearty snake meat feast, they cautiously began searching along the canyon. In less than half a day, they managed to find the Sect Token marked for their mission, but the demonic beast mentioned in the quest details was nowhere to be seen. It was obvious that the giant serpent had been the guardian of the objective. It was, however, slightly odd that the beast would leave its post and wander seven or eight li away.

With the mission supposedly complete, the trio began to speculate. Could something at the original engagement site have attracted the giant snake? Demonic beasts possessed a far keener sense for spiritual treasures of heaven and earth than humans. Based on this deduction, and since it wouldn't consume much time, they headed back to the location where the initial battle had taken place.

It took them only a little over an hour. Lei Dong, exhibiting his usual luck, discovered a Ganoderma mushroom in a damp, hidden area deep within a gully. Because Lei Dong often read various obscure texts, he scrutinized it for a while and determined the Lingzhi was nearly a century of huǒhòu (maturity/potency). Of course, "century huǒhòu" didn't necessarily mean the mushroom had grown for a hundred years; it was merely a classification standard for assessing the maturity level of certain spiritual herbs and items. In areas rich with spiritual energy, growth would be faster; perhaps only a few decades would suffice to reach this level. In poorer locations, it might take two hundred years.

Regardless, this Lingzhi had not yet reached full century huǒhòu. Perhaps the giant snake had abandoned its post and fled here precisely to guard this still-maturing fungus. Spiritual items that reached a certain stage of huǒhòu were far more potent than those that hadn't. For instance, this Lingzhi might be just a hair's breadth away from maturity, but that slight difference could translate to a price variance of tenfold, or even dozens of times.

This realization caused the initial burst of elation among the three to curdle into hesitation. If they harvested it now, they might each gain a few spirit stones. But what if, in just a few days, the Lingzhi matured? Encountering a spiritual item of this caliber in such a desolate wilderness was truly fortunate. But luck, they knew, rarely struck twice in succession. Who knew how long they would have to wait for another chance at wealth if they passed this one up?

"Let's take it," Wei Hua suggested, clearly pained. "Who knows how many years this thing needs to mature? We can't stand guard here forever; someone else might discover it first. Let's be short-sighted this once, and secure what we have."

"Fine, let's take it then," Chen Ge ground out, his teeth aching with frustration. Why did they have to encounter this Lingzhi when it wasn't fully ripe? It was torture.

"Wait," Lei Dong stopped them. "I seem to recall reading somewhere that if you find an immature wild spiritual herb, you can try transplanting it back for cultivation. Though there’s a risk of it dying during the move, it’s certainly better than killing the goose that lays the golden egg. Perhaps in a few days, or at most a year or two, it could be worth hundreds of spirit stones."

"Transplant?" Chen Ge and Wei Hua, clearly not having Lei Dong's habit of reading irrelevant books, were both surprised and intrigued. A hundred spirit stones, divided three ways, meant dozens each—a very tempting prospect.

Fortunately, though Chen and Wei were generally steady, they possessed a strong streak of gambler's impulse. A potential tenfold increase in profit immediately swayed them to agree with Lei Dong. Since Lei Dong had benefited from their goodwill earlier, he decided to return alone first to look up information and prepare the necessary transplanting tools. Chen and Wei, meanwhile, would hide nearby to guard the Lingzhi.

Three hundred li was quite arduous without a carriage. Even with Lei Dong having already gone through the Marrow Cleansing and Hair Washing process, making his running speed fast, this round trip took several days.

When the somewhat agitated Chen and Wei saw Lei Dong arrive, they were overjoyed. Guarding the wilderness for several days had been incredibly tedious. However, Lei Dong dared not let them interfere with the excavation. After all, he had at least read some literature on the subject; these two knew virtually nothing. He instructed them to keep watch while he climbed down into the gully, taking out the jade box and shovel he had acquired for one spirit stone, and proceeded to carefully transplant the Lingzhi.

This thing, if nurtured properly, would become a treasure worth hundreds of spirit stones—equivalent to dozens of second-layer Qi Condensation demonic beasts. Because of this, Lei Dong dared not be careless for a moment. It took him a solid half hour before he managed to secure the Lingzhi, perfectly intact, into the jade box. The box's primary function was to prevent the Lingzhi's spiritual essence from dissipating outwards, but it still needed to be transplanted into a suitable environment as quickly as possible.

Just as Lei Dong let out a sigh of relief and prepared to climb out, he heard a loud commotion from above the gully. Wei Hua’s voice was particularly prominent, sounding furious: "We just got here; we haven't seen any second-layer demonic beasts or Sect Tokens. You're one at second-layer Qi Condensation and two at first layer—don't think we're easy targets!"

Lei Dong instantly halted his movements. Wei Hua’s shouting was clearly meant for him. Without making a sound, Lei Dong summoned his trusted subordinate, the Ghost Soldier, and slowly began climbing up the gully wall. A quick peek confirmed his fears: three individuals, men and women wearing the uniforms of third-generation disciples of the Yin Sha Sect, were confronting Chen and Wei.

Naturally, these three were clearly not from the Myriad Ghost Cave. Otherwise, even if they weren't close, they would at least recognize each other. Indeed, the leader, the fellow at the second layer of Qi Condensation, looked coldly arrogant. "It seems you people are from the Myriad Ghost Cave? I, from the Extreme Yin Cave, am bullying you. What of it? Be smart and hand over what you have, or we'll break your limbs before searching, and that won't be as amicable." As he spoke, he brandished a fiery red flying sword. Judging by the sword's agility and aura, its quality was clearly far superior to the standard dark green small swords carried by Lei Dong's trio.

It turned out they were from the Extreme Yin Cave. Although they all belonged to the Yin Sha Sect, disciples were divided by lineage and mountain peak. Inevitably, there was friction and competition between factions. Rumor had it that the Extreme Yin Ancestor of the Myriad Ghost Cave always held a grudge against their own Myriad Ghost Ancestor. Thinking of this, Lei Dong’s mind began to work. He directed the Ghost Soldier to circle wide, taking a large detour, and then slowly approached the arrogant second-layer fellow with extreme caution.

The other three couldn't see it, but Lei Dong intentionally allowed Chen Ge and Wei Hua to spot the Ghost Soldier. Though both were young, their deep familial heritage made them cunning veterans. They immediately adopted expressions of fearful aggression, shouting defiantly: "What are you trying to do? Don't make trouble! We are all fellow disciples of the same sect. If you dare act rashly, we will definitely report back to the Myriad Ghost Ancestor and ensure you face severe consequences."

"Hahaha," the young man at second-layer Qi Condensation laughed loudly, his sinister grin revealing he perceived Chen Ge and the other’s bluster as sheer cowardice. "The Cultivation World is a realm where the strong prey on the weak. If you lack ability, don't blame others for bullying you. Reporting you? That’s laughable. Never mind that you aren't core disciples of the Myriad Ghost Cave; even if you were, the Myriad Ghost Ancestor couldn't protect you."

"Nonsense! Our Ancestor’s divine power is unparalleled under heaven! If you dare lay a hand on us, he will certainly avenge us!" Wei Hua shrieked in protest.

Lei Dong felt a bit strange. He only asked the two to distract the opponent, so why were they loudly flattering the Myriad Ghost Ancestor? Nevertheless, despite his confusion, he urged the Ghost Soldier on, making it drift evasively toward the back of the arrogant fellow.

"Give it up. Your Myriad Ghost Cave has always been ranked beneath our Extreme Yin Cave. I am a core disciple of the Extreme Yin Cave. Killing a few of you ants is nothing. Why would that Myriad Ghost old man argue with my Ancestor over ordinary disciples like you? Even if he did argue, my Extreme Yin Ancestor isn't afraid of your Myriad Ghost lineage," the fellow boasted, growing more pleased with himself, beginning to mutter sinister incantations: "It seems you are stubbornly refusing reason. Then you shall taste the power of my Fire Cloud Sword."

As soon as his words fell, and before he could even summon his flying sword, his expression suddenly froze. He felt a cold draft on his back. Turning his head in confusion, he heard a light sissing sound. He saw a Ghost Soldier, vivid crimson with clearly delineated armor plates, snarling viciously at him. Simultaneously, the Ghost Soldier’s sharp blade swept across his throat.

Blood rained down.