Chapter 2253: Someone Got There First

"Being able to hold out for another month or two is enough!"

Understanding this, Zhang Xuan did not pick the Emperor Spirit Herb but instead turned and retreated, coming to the side of the Still Void Pearl: "Let's go out!"

"I can still hold on. Hurry and take the herb..." A voice was filled with anxiety.

The purpose of coming here was to take the herb. Why didn't he do it?

With a gentle stroke, the Still Void Pearl trembled and returned to the form of a girl. Zhang Xuan pulled her and flew forward. Behind them, spatial cracks and colorful collapses burst forth like countless fireworks.

"Why?" Luo Qiqi was puzzled.

"Cultivation can be improved with other things, but there is only one... Divine Realm!" Zhang Xuan shook his head.

The Emperor Spirit Herb, though something he desired, was not a necessity.

To break through to Emperor, he could find other resources. There was no need to abandon the fundamental for the trivial, to drink poison to quench thirst, and let the Tide Sea collapse first.

If the Tide Sea collapsed, the Divine Realm would inevitably be affected...

Although he had only been here for a little over a month and had no deep feelings, watching billions of people become displaced and their families destroyed was not what he wished.

Finally, he somewhat understood Confucius and Luo Ruoxin.

Bearing a mission, one is involuntarily compelled.

"Then... where do we go to find suitable treasures?" Luo Qiqi looked over with worry: "Your cultivation... must also improve as soon as possible!"

Although she did not say much, having followed all the way, she knew many things about Zhang Xuan clearly.

Though she did not understand the Heavenly Dao struggle, she understood that the young man before her seemed to be chased by something, needing to speed up his cultivation without a moment's rest; otherwise, he might very well die and his Dao perish.

He didn't say it, so she didn't ask.

She could only stay by his side and do everything she could.

"We'll find something..." Zhang Xuan smiled lightly, took out a pill, and handed it to her.

In Tiger Xiao's storage ring were over a dozen top-grade Divine Origin Pills. Infused with the Heaven's Emotion True Qi, they were the best healing medicine.

The girl had consumed a lot to stabilize the spatial cracks and suffered internal injuries; this could help.

"I also know a few places where medicines that can help Emperor-level experts improve are hidden. I can take you there..."

Ao Feng came over.

Zhang Xuan nodded.

During each of the four spiritual tides, the Sealed Divine Kings would enter. Even if the treasures they obtained were far inferior to those of Confucius's many disciples, they had still discovered quite a few.

With him leading the way, it was indeed much easier. Soon they arrived at the hiding place of another treasure.

"Midnight Flower. Legend has it that in the Divine Realm, it only blooms at midnight on a full moon, absorbing the moon's essence for thousands of years to produce one plant... The Tide Sea is different from the Divine Realm, but this flower also takes ten years to bloom once. Last time I came, it was deep inside..."

Ao Feng pointed ahead.

Zhang Xuan looked. It was a deep canyon, like the previous mountain stream, hiding countless grass and tree spirits comparable to Divine Kings.

"Let's go in and take a look!"

Activating the Disguise Qi, Zhang Xuan entered. After a moment, he flew out with a frown: "It's already been taken!"

Looking at the situation inside, there was indeed the midnight flower as the other party had said, but it seemed he had arrived too late—the treasure had already been taken by someone else.

"Could it be... someone else also gathered many Divine Kings?"

Ao Feng was stunned.

To find the Earth Treasury Liquid, he had gathered over a dozen Divine Kings, summoned his true body, and suffered severe injuries, all without success.

The place where the midnight flower grew had even more plant spirits and greater danger... yet it had been taken. Could it be that some Divine King had assembled even more experts?

After all, not everyone possessed the heaven-defying strength of the person before him.

"No Divine Kings were gathered. It should have been a lone person who quietly took the medicinal herb, without the plant spirits even noticing..." Zhang Xuan said.

Entering the area, he had observed carefully. If there had been a battle, there would inevitably be traces, but inside, there were none at all. Clearly, the intruder hadn't forced their way in but, like him, had entered and left silently.

He had the aura of disguise, making it hard for plant spirits to detect him. What had the other party relied on?

"Then... let's go to the next place. I know a spot that contains [Silence Iron]. This material can be used to forge weapons for an Emperor Lord; ordinary flames cannot burn it. It's buried in the underground lava not far from here..."

Since the item had already been taken, there was nothing to linger for. Ao Feng continued.

"Let's go take a look!"

Zhang Xuan nodded.

Although he didn't lack weapons at the moment, with this material, he could trade with other Emperor Lords for resources to advance his cultivation.

Tearing through space and flying swiftly, after a few dozen breaths, the three arrived at the lava Ao Feng had mentioned.

Shielding himself with true qi, Zhang Xuan used his longsword to break through the scorching molten rock. Before long, he returned to the other two: "The Silence Iron you mentioned has also been taken!"

"Impossible..." Ao Feng couldn't believe it.

The temperature of the lava before them was so high that a Divine King's weapon would melt instantly upon falling into it. Even someone of his strength dared not go deep... What kind of person could silently take the item without leaving a trace?

"Do you know of any other treasures?"

Knowing that the time the Tidal Sea existed was limited, and having come up empty twice in a row, Zhang Xuan frowned and continued asking.

"There's another place with a celestial meteorite. Back then, three titled disciples of the Grand Emperor Tianzong failed to take it. When I came last time, it was still there..." After thinking for a moment, Ao Feng said.

Two consecutive failures had made him less confident.

"Take me to see it!" Zhang Xuan nodded.

The three continued their journey and soon arrived at a massive iceberg, exuding a bone-chilling cold. An ordinary Divine King approaching it would find their true qi frozen and ceasing to circulate.

"This place should be impassable for anyone..." Luo Qiqi nodded.

Such a frigid place was hard even for her to enter, let alone other Divine Kings.

Even a titled Divine King couldn't manage it.

"Wait here. I'll go take a look..." Circulating the Tian Ruo You Qing true qi to adapt to the icy currents, Zhang Xuan flew inside.

In less than ten minutes, he flew back out with a wry smile: "It seems we're too late again..."

The deeper into this iceberg, the colder it got. Even he had to expend considerable effort to reach the innermost part, but he still didn't see the celestial meteorite Ao Feng had mentioned. The traces showed that someone else had beaten them to it.

Three locations in a row, all taken by someone ahead of him. He had been in the Tidal Sea for several hours now, empty-handed, finding nothing. Who was so fast and so strong?

"Do you know if any remarkable figures have recently emerged in the Divine Realm?"

Unable to hold back any longer, Zhang Xuan turned to Ao Feng and asked.