"Hmph~ Judging by its appearance, only a faint gold hue suggests it's leaning towards maturity. But at this stage, I estimate it still needs at least two or three centuries. If the Chaos Spiritual Qi is abundant, perhaps a mere hundred years will suffice," the Artifact Spirit replied after some contemplation.

"Ugh, two or three centuries, or a hundred years at the fastest? That's painfully slow?" Lei Dong felt somewhat speechless. He hadn't even cultivated for a hundred years yet, and consuming a spiritual medicine required waiting at least a century—this was truly torture.

"Kid, you actually find that slow?" The Artifact Spirit adopted a tone of disappointment, as if chastising him for not aiming higher. "Any other cultivator would gladly wait a millennium, let alone a hundred years. This is a Chaos Golden Lotus, for heaven's sake. Who knows how many can even be found across the Six Domains and Nine Continents right now, let alone the Three Realms?"

"A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush," Lei Dong said, swiftly retreating while frowning. "How does one consume this Chaos Golden Lotus? As a pill, brewed into a decoction, or just swallowed raw?"

"Uh, you're not thinking of eating it right now, are you?" The Artifact Spirit's voice held a note of shock. "Are you insane? Its value will multiply tenfold once it matures. You must think clearly; this is a Chaos Golden Lotus."

This Artifact Spirit was truly long-winded, and Lei Dong appeared rather exasperated. He explained helplessly: "You’re the one who’s foolish. I’m not the only one here after taking this Chaos Golden Lotus. Once word gets out, never mind the Insect Emperor, the Evil Phoenix will come looking for trouble. Perhaps even those ancient, unemerged mid-stage Soul Transformation cultivators will come to pick a fight. Keeping it on me guarantees trouble; it's better to consume it quickly to boost my strength and flee."

The Artifact Spirit fell silent. Although treasures were meant for those destined to receive them, this world had always been a brutal place where the strong preyed on the weak, and that truth had never changed. If a high-level expert learned a low-level cultivator possessed a treasure that made one drool, failing to seize it would be an insult to their parents and ancestors.

If Lei Dong had found the Chaos Golden Lotus entirely alone, nurturing it slowly for a hundred or even two or three hundred years to prepare for a future massive bottleneck would have been excellent. But now, Lei Dong was right; there was no choice but to devour it quickly. Though unwilling, the Artifact Spirit reluctantly stated, "I only know that a mature Chaos Golden Lotus, when combined with certain supreme-grade medicinal ingredients, can be refined into a Chaos Golden Elixir. Even a cultivator in the Soul Transformation stage would see their cultivation skyrocket after taking such a pill. However, some people have directly consumed the raw Chaos Golden Lotus, though the medicinal efficacy is less than half of what the refined pill offers, as much of the essence is lost without the mediation of other ingredients. As for this immature lotus, I am less certain. Theoretically, this item can also be eaten raw, as it is a (Innate) medicine nurtured by Chaos Spiritual Qi. But I cannot ascertain the exact effect it will produce. In my memory, no one has ever eaten an immature Chaos Golden Lotus raw."

"Since it can be eaten directly, then there’s no problem," Lei Dong let out a slight sigh of relief. He knew that not every medicinal ingredient could be consumed raw. Indeed, many herbs like ginseng, Polygonum multiflorum, and Solomon’s Seal could be eaten directly to enhance cultivation. But far more ingredients were harmful or useless if eaten directly. Though Lei Dong wasn't deeply knowledgeable about alchemy, he understood the basic common sense regarding spiritual medicines. Otherwise, encountering some supreme-grade spiritual medicine in the wilderness only to be unable to recognize its value would be extremely frustrating. Thus, many cultivators, even if they don't know alchemy or artifact forging, will master some knowledge of spiritual herbs and ores.

As he fled, Lei Dong began searching for a more secluded spot to consume the Chaos Golden Lotus. The current situation offered him no opportunity to gather a large cache of medicinal ingredients and find a sufficiently skilled alchemist to refine it into a pill. Especially since even a refined pill would only maximize the Lotus's properties, adding only half the medicinal effect.

The bottom of this Styx Valley was an intricate maze of passages and structures; finding a hidden grotto was easy. Soon, Lei Dong found an extremely concealed stalactite cave with a very small entrance. He skillfully squeezed inside. Although it was dim, Lei Dong was now a Nascent Soul stage cultivator with potent eyesight, able to see clearly even in pitch darkness where one could not see one’s own fingers.

This cave looked small outside but was quite spacious within—a genuine hidden world. Besides the entrance Lei Dong used, there was another opening on the far side. Lei Dong first took out a pre-made formation disk and set up a simple Illusion Array at the opening.

Then, facing the rock wall, he transformed his palm into a blade and slashed out several gusts of palm wind, zizizi, cutting several gashes into the stone. He applied suction to the rock with his palm, lifting a stone block weighing tens of thousands of catties and sealing the entrance he used. The purpose of placing the massive stone was purely because he knew the local stones possessed the utility of blocking divine sense detection. Who knew if the half-crippled Insect Emperor might blunder nearby?

Immediately after, he released A'Chou and Ghost Thorn, who were now high-level Ghost Kings. The two Ghost Kings appeared, paid their respects to Lei Dong, and were instructed by him to guard the entrance. Given the Insect Emperor's crippled state, dealing with two high-level Ghost Kings would certainly not be a simple task.

Once the arrangements were complete, Lei Dong retrieved the jade box and opened the lid. He was immediately struck by a long-lasting, profound fragrance, mixed with a wisp of pure Chaos Spiritual Qi that invigorated the spirit. Looking at the Chaos Golden Lotus, even within the box, it was still shrouded by a faint azure halo of Chaos Spiritual Qi, resembling a small vortex.

"Many spiritual medicines nurtured in the Chaos naturally possess a Chaos Spirit Gathering Array," the Artifact Spirit explained.

Lei Dong nodded without speaking. He looked again at the Chaos Golden Lotus; most of its leaves were green, with only localized areas showing a faint golden-jade color. The central seed pod, however, only the size of a fist, radiated a faint golden light. This Chaos Golden Lotus was an innate oddity. It did not grow in water or mud, but was birthed within a vortex of Chaos Spiritual Qi, constantly polished smooth and dripping by the energy, utterly untouched by dust. Once mature, this item might even condense intelligence and form a new life.

Though this Chaos Golden Lotus was not fully mature, it did not hide its perfectly flawless essence, appearing like an exquisitely rare piece of art, making one reluctant to destroy it. Even Lei Dong, after observing it closely, was quite fond of it, sighing, "A beautiful Chaos Golden Lotus. What a pity, what a pity, but I must consume you." Saying this, he directly plucked a piece of the greenish-gold leaf and placed it in his mouth.

A cool, refreshing sensation immediately touched his tongue. The leaf dissolved upon entering his mouth; the exotic fragrance and coolness instantly cleansed his palate, merging into a nectar-like essence that slid automatically down his throat. An intensely cool and comfortable sensation instantly spread throughout his body via his windpipe. The immensely pure Chaos Spiritual Qi also dissolved in his stomach, spreading towards all parts of his body as a cool sensation.

Chaos Spiritual Medicine truly lives up to its name, Lei Dong silently praised in his heart, then hastily held his breath, focused his mind, circulated the Profound Yin Heart Sutra, and urged the Profound Yin True Essence to flow continuously through his meridians, hoping to better digest the medicinal properties brought by that single leaf. With every circulation of his True Essence, a dense medicinal quality integrated into the True Essence, subtly purifying his True Essence and physique.

In just a few dozen breaths, the leaf was completely absorbed. Checking himself, Lei Dong was astonished to find his cultivation had markedly improved. The effect was clear—it was equivalent to several years of arduous cultivation for him. This left Lei Dong speechless; this was just one leaf from an immature Chaos Golden Lotus, and it already yielded such results, yet the lotus still had six more leaves, not to mention a fist-sized seed pod.

It was no wonder that the beasts or humans who existed in the Desolate and Ancient Eras could so easily reach Nascent Soul, Soul Transformation, or even Void Refinement and Dao Integration. Indeed, an abundance of Chaos Spiritual Qi brought tremendous benefits. He believed that during the Desolate Era, when Chaos Spiritual Qi was extremely rich, Chaos Spiritual Medicines like the Chaos Golden Lotus must have been plentiful; even consuming them raw without refining them into pills would be enough to cause one's cultivation to advance by leaps and bounds.

That Underworld Profound Serpent that had guarded this Chaos Golden Lotus for who knows how long was truly unlucky. Lei Dong had arrived a century too early. If this Chaos Golden Lotus had matured in another hundred years, and that Underworld Profound Serpent had swallowed it whole, that serpent would likely have advanced to the Soul Transformation stage, adding another overlord to the Deep Abyss.

But now, this good thing was reserved for Lei Dong’s enjoyment. He considered taking some home for the women there, but upon asking the Artifact Spirit, the idea was immediately vetoed. Chaos Spiritual Medicines are generally too precious; either you leave them untouched, or once even half a leaf is plucked, they won't survive long. Even more regrettably, this seed pod was clearly not fully developed, meaning the seeds inside were likely not ripe. If the seeds were mature, they could be preserved. By leaving behind one seed and nourishing it with Chaos Spiritual Qi, a new Chaos Golden Lotus could potentially be cultivated.

Abandoning the plan to bring any home, Lei Dong began to enjoy the Chaos Golden Lotus, eating leaf by leaf. After consuming each one, he would refine and absorb its essence, causing his True Essence to become purer and stronger, and his overall physical fitness to improve little by little. Furthermore, Lei Dong could perceive this entire process with great clarity.

Finally, only a bare stalk and the seed pod remained. Lei Dong carefully plucked the seed pod, peeled back the surface of the already slightly golden-jade colored casing, and extracted the seeds one by one. Counting them, there were nine in total, fitting subtly with the numbers of the Heavenly Dao. Lei Dong was reluctant to waste the pod casing and stem, chewing them piece by piece, leaf by leaf. Although slightly bitter, they still contributed to his cultivation.

Just as Lei Dong was preparing for the final feast—the Chaos Golden Lotus Seeds—an unexpected incident occurred.

... (To be continued)