’A spatial storm?’
Su Mo narrowed his eyes and looked at the spatial node. Remnants of a spatial storm were indeed inside, like tiny, sharp blades that occasionally spilled out.
The Valley Master of Medicine King Valley explained, "To be perfectly honest, our founding ancestor established Medicine King Valley here for two reasons. First, he discovered the area was rich in Spiritual Qi and suitable for growing Spiritual Medicine. Second, and more importantly, he found the Ancient Medicine Garden behind this spatial node."
Su Mo nodded.
The Ancient Medicine Garden contained countless Spiritual Medicines. If they were all harvested, it would be more than enough to support the cultivation of every Martial Artist in the entire Desolate Empire.
Who wouldn’t covet such a treasure?
To enter the Ancient Medicine Garden and harvest its Spiritual Medicine, Medicine King Valley had toiled for over three hundred years, pouring in countless resources, just to barely stabilize this spatial node.
The Valley Master of Medicine King Valley said, "Friend, you can get a closer look, but please be cautious. Do not, under any circumstances, overstep your bounds and offend those two Array Masters."
With that, the Valley Master of Medicine King Valley pointed to the two Array Masters near the spatial node.
Array Masters spend all year in seclusion studying their craft. They’re used to being alone and don’t socialize, so they tend to have eccentric tempers and are easily offended.
"Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing," Su Mo said coolly.
「Near the spatial node.」
The two had just landed when the elderly Array Master shot them a displeased look and barked, "How many times have I told you? No one is to approach and disturb me while I’m setting up an array! Not only did you come yourself, but you also brought a stranger?"
The Valley Master of Medicine King Valley’s expression stiffened. He quickly apologized, "I’m sorry, Elder Huang. It’s my fault. I’ll leave right now."
"Scram! If you disturb my work, I’ll walk out on this whole thing," Elder Huang snorted, then turned his back and resumed setting up the array.
"Yes, yes, we’ll leave right away."
Looking thoroughly embarrassed, the Valley Master of Medicine King Valley sheepishly led Su Mo a little farther away to observe, trying his best not to disturb Elder Huang.
After studying the spatial node for a moment, Su Mo spoke. "Valley Master, this spatial storm inside the node... it doesn’t seem very strong."
’Not strong?’
The Valley Master of Medicine King Valley was stunned. "Friend, what makes you say that?"
Su Mo pointed to a swirl of energy. "Look. That’s probably the strongest part of the spatial storm in the node, right? It just seems average to me. Nothing to be afraid of."
At these words, the Valley Master of Medicine King Valley froze completely.
That was a spatial storm, after all, possessing the power of the void.
The Valley Master said, "Friend, please don’t joke. That storm may not look like much, but it is exceedingly dangerous."
"I’m not joking," Su Mo said seriously.
What!
’He’s not joking?’
The Valley Master of Medicine King Valley was flabbergasted. "Friend, are you aware that that very storm has already devoured five Body Refining Martial Artists at the Grand Martial Artist Realm?"
The moment those five Body Refining experts of the Grand Martial Artist Realm approached the storm, they were annihilated, turned to dust.
That was why Medicine King Valley had no choice but to invite Elder Huang to continue his work on the array.
Su Mo said coolly, "That’s because their Body Refining wasn’t up to snuff."
The Valley Master of Medicine King Valley was dumbstruck.
The five Body Refining Martial Artists he had invited were the strongest in the entire Desolate Empire. And he was saying their Body Refining ’wasn’t up to snuff’?
Just then, Elder Huang’s disciple strode over and said with a sneer, "And I suppose yours is?"
"Of course," Su Mo replied coolly.
Elder Huang’s disciple scoffed. "In your dreams. You’ve only been training for a few years. How dare you claim that Body Refining Martial Artists with decades of experience haven’t mastered their craft?"
Su Mo couldn’t be bothered to explain.
The disciple continued arrogantly, "If you want to enter the Ancient Medicine Garden and harvest Spiritual Medicine, then you’ll just have to wait patiently for my master to finish the array."
Su Mo asked, "And what if I don’t want to wait?"
The disciple sneered. "You don’t want to wait? Heh. Then you can walk into that spatial node and get yourself killed right now. I doubt you have the guts."
’What’s there to be afraid of?’
Su Mo lifted his foot to step into the spatial node, but the Valley Master of Medicine King Valley quickly stopped him. "Friend, don’t be impulsive!"
The Valley Master then turned to the disciple and asked, "Excuse me, young man, do you know how many more days your esteemed master needs to complete the array?"
Despite the disciple’s youth—a mere seventy-eight years old—the Valley Master truly did not dare to offend him.
His tone was exceptionally polite as he asked.
After all, he was the disciple of an Array Master.
The disciple replied indifferently, "Three months, at least."
The Valley Master turned back to Su Mo. "Three months isn’t a long time. Please be patient, friend. When it’s ready, we can enter the Ancient Medicine Garden and harvest the Spiritual Medicine together."
"No," Su Mo refused. "I’m going in now."
After he got the Ten-thousand-year-old He Shouwu, he still had to go to the Beast Taming Sect to find the Ancient Divine Beast Bloodline, not to mention search for an Extreme Yang Spirit Stone.
Forget three months.
Su Mo didn’t even have three days to waste here.
The Valley Master tried to dissuade him. "Friend, you mustn’t! The spatial node isn’t stable yet. If you go in recklessly, you’ll be facing almost certain death!"
"What’s all the racket!"
Elder Huang shot a glare at Su Mo, then snapped at the Valley Master, "Didn’t I tell you to take him and get lost? Why are you still here?"
Elder Huang’s disciple piped up, "Master, this man says he wants to enter the spatial node right now to harvest Spiritual Medicine from the Ancient Medicine Garden."
"Absolutely not!"
Elder Huang refused flatly.
Su Mo said coolly, "You’re just an Array Master the Valley Master hired, not the owner of this place. Whether I can go or not isn’t your decision to make, is it?"
"Insolence!"
The disciple roared, "How dare you speak to my master with such disrespect? Are you tired of living?"
SLAP!
A firm slap landed across the disciple’s face, leaving a red, five-fingered handprint.
The disciple was stunned. "You... You dare to hit me?"
’Hit you?’
’I’d rather kill you.’
Su Mo’s voice was icy. "You and your master have been disrespectful to me time and time again. If it weren’t out of respect for the Valley Master, I would’ve already twisted both your heads off and kicked them around like balls."
"..."
The disciple started to speak again, but the moment he met Su Mo’s gaze, he felt a bone-deep chill and snapped his mouth shut.
He knew Su Mo would actually dare to kill him.
A cold glint flashed in Elder Huang’s eyes, his fury reaching a crescendo.
As the most powerful Array Masters in the Desolate Empire, when had he and his disciple ever suffered such a humiliating, face-to-face threat?
Elder Huang said coldly, "Since someone is so eager to die, let him. Don’t hold him back."
Ignoring Elder Huang, Su Mo turned to the Valley Master of Medicine King Valley and asked, "If I enter the Ancient Medicine Garden and successfully retrieve the Ten-thousand-year-old He Shouwu, it’s mine, correct?"
The Valley Master nodded. "In theory, yes. However, Elder Huang hasn’t finished the array. If you go in and die..."
Su Mo said, "Don’t worry. If I die, you can’t blame Medicine King Valley. While I’m at it, I’ll clear out the spatial node and stabilize it completely for you."
"Huh...?"
Hearing this, the Valley Master of Medicine King Valley was utterly bewildered.