Immortals Step into Heaven

A middle-aged Foundation Establishment cultivator from the Fire Demon Sect anxiously awaited the sect elder's signal. His gaze fixed on the elder, filled with anticipation and awe. Only when he saw the elder give a slight nod of approval did he hasten forward, as if granted amnesty. He straightened his clothes, his expression instantly transformed into profound respect. He then bowed deeply to the Golden Spirit Eagle King, saying in a tone filled with humility and flattery, "My Lord Demon King, it is a great honor for me to receive your favor. I am willing to exchange my favor." He looked as if he were addressing the most exalted emperor in the world, his words filled with ingratiation evident.

Upon hearing this, the Golden Spirit Eagle King nodded in satisfaction. Its massive, magnificent wings fluttered gently, stirring up a gentle spiritual breeze. Then, with a gentle wave of its slender, luminous hand, a gentle stream of spiritual energy emerged like a spirit snake, instantly seizing the Demonic Spirit Grass. Simultaneously, with its other hand, it grasped the magical flying sword it had prepared and, with a gentle toss, it slashed a chilling arc, steadily soaring towards the middle-aged Foundation Establishment cultivator. The cultivator's eyes lit up at the sight. He cautiously extended his hands, trembling slightly with excitement, as if welcoming the most precious treasure in the world. The moment his fingertips touched the flying sword, a surge of powerful, pure spiritual energy flowed along its shaft and into his body. His eyes were filled with unconcealed excitement, and he secretly swooned in joy. This was a precious magical weapon he had only dared to contemplate! With it, his strength in the path of cultivating immortals will surely increase greatly, and he will have a better chance of winning when facing powerful enemies in the future. He may even be able to stand out in the sect and obtain more resources and status.

The other Foundation Establishment cultivators present witnessed this scene, and seeing the Fire Demon Sect cultivator so easily obtain the magic weapon, they couldn't help but feel a surge of envy and jealousy. That was a magic weapon, a powerful treasure usually only possessed by Jindan cultivators, its power and preciousness far exceeding that of ordinary spiritual tools. In their eyes, the magic weapon was like the brightest star in the night sky, unattainable yet alluring. Some of those with ulterior motives instantly harbored evil thoughts of killing and seizing the treasure. Visions of themselves reigning in their minds after seizing the magic weapon resonated with them. With the magic weapon in hand, they would roam the world of immortal cultivation, commanding awe and submission wherever they went, while they would plunder resources at will and become the dominant force. This fantasy was like a sweet poison, nearly intoxicating them.

However, reason quickly brought them to their senses. They slowly raised their heads, sensing the powerful aura emanating from the direction of the Nascent Soul ancestors. It enveloped the area with a physical presence, like an invisible veil, weighing heavily on their hearts. Before such powerful beings, they knew they were mere ants, and any slight movement could bring catastrophic destruction. The Nascent Soul ancestors' spiritual awareness was like an omnipresent net, instantly detecting any evil thought. Who would dare to act rashly? Therefore, they could only forcefully suppress these dangerous thoughts deep within their hearts, secretly memorizing the Fire Demon Sect cultivator's appearance. They secretly planned to wait for the right opportunity, away from the sight of these Nascent Soul ancestors, to secretly eliminate him and seize the magic weapon for themselves. The greed that flickered in their eyes, though forcibly suppressed, still lingered like a spark hidden beneath the ashes, ready to ignite at any moment.

Zheng Yuan stood among the crowd, silently observing as others displayed treasures retrieved from the secret realm, a look of indifference on his face. His gaze casually scanned the treasures, his heart unmoved. However, when his eyes stumbled upon the thousand-year-old elixir that could be exchanged for a magical weapon, his eyes widened instantly, and he froze in place, as if under a spell. A storm surged within him, his mind a turmoil. He stared intently at the demonic herb, the more familiar it felt, his thoughts instantly drawn back to his experience in the herb garden.

He vividly remembered the mysterious, vast medicinal garden, where sunlight filtered through the dense foliage of spiritual plants, casting dappled shadows. He had stumbled upon an area of ​​demonic spirit grass. He was captivated by the spiritual energy emanating from these herbs, which lingered like a wisp of celestial mist, exuding an alluring aroma. Filled with wonder and curiosity, he cautiously approached. After carefully verifying their potency and age, he was filled with delight and excitement, and he expended considerable effort in picking them. Back then, he roughly estimated he had gathered forty or fifty demonic spirit grasses. Now, seeing that just one could be exchanged for a magical weapon, his thoughts were instantly in turmoil. He kept calculating: Forty or fifty demonic spirit grasses—how many magical weapons would that entail? To him, the figure was unimaginable, as if it were a vast fortune that would instantly elevate him to the top of the cultivation world, granting him endless resources and prestige. His breathing became rapid, his chest heaving violently, his eyes filled with a mixture of longing for such a vast fortune and a hint of worry. After all, if so many demonic herbs were exposed, they would surely attract countless greedy eyes and dangerous covetousness. Those greedy people would swarm in like sharks smelling blood, and would do whatever it took to snatch them.

Zheng Yuan suppressed his inner turmoil, standing calmly among the crowd, but his eyes betrayed a hint of shock and contemplation. He pondered, if all the thousand-year-old elixirs he'd picked in the herb garden, so similar to the one before him, could be exchanged for magical artifacts in this way, wouldn't he be incredibly wealthy, possessing enough capital to support his cultivation to even higher realms? He knew that if this were leaked, it would be a disaster, with all forces vying for control. He now had to be cautious, return to a safe place, and carefully plan how to properly handle these precious elixirs. A flicker of determination flashed in his eyes, as if he had secretly vowed to protect this heaven-sent opportunity.

Master Tianshui's deep eyes gazed into the distance, a trace of deep thought in them. He pondered the exchange of the Demonic Spirit Grass with the Golden Spirit Eagle King. While the Demonic Spirit Grass was a rare and precious spiritual object, he knew that in the unpredictable world of immortal cultivation, some opportunities and losses were beyond human control. He sighed softly, a trace of regret quietly passing through his heart, like a ripple on a calm lake. However, his face remained calm, and he did not comment further on the matter. He stood there quietly, his clothes fluttering gently in the wind, as if blending in with everything around him, yet exuding an aura of majesty that was impossible to ignore.