Han Tao had taken this into consideration, which is why he decided to travel with them.
Meanwhile, Fu Mingxu was still thinking to himself that it seemed the forbidden mark of the Dragon Clan's forbidden area had little effect on him.
It's true that people are more infuriating than dragons.
The three formed a contract, further solidifying Fu Mingxu's mortal identity.
After forming a temporary alliance, the next step was to discuss which direction to search for the Heavenly Mystic Beast. After all, the Heavenly Mystic Mountain stretches for thousands of miles, and usually only one Heavenly Mystic Beast is born in the mountain at a time. When the Heavenly Mystic Beast appears, it is accompanied by a seven-colored light, which is said to be the light of destiny.
The matter of destiny is mysterious and difficult for many cultivators to resist. The name of the Heavenly Profound Beast comes not only from its appearance in the Heavenly Profound Mountain, but also from its discovery by the disciples of the Heavenly Profound Sect hundreds of years ago.
Legend has it that the disciple was originally a menial servant in the sect, possessing a mottled immortal nature. After fusing with the Heavenly Mystic Beast, he encountered numerous opportunities and eventually surpassed many of his contemporaries' geniuses. Although he ultimately perished during the Ascension Tribulation, his extraordinary strength and numerous treasures have been passed down within the sect ever since.
With the emergence of the Heavenly Mystic Beast, the Heavenly Mystic Mountain became lively.
“We found this place before the seven-colored light disappeared, but apart from a few ordinary spirit beasts, there was nothing else here.” Zhang Yanran frowned, clearly not understanding why either.
Zhang Hengbo comforted her, saying, "If the Heavenly Mystic Beast were so easy to find, the grasslands here wouldn't have been trampled flat for so many days, and we wouldn't have ended up with nothing."
“That’s true.” Zhang Yanran agreed with his point of view.
After hearing so much, Fu Mingxu's doubts only deepened. He asked, "Since the Heavenly Profound Beast is formed from mountain energy, why must it be in the form of a spirit beast?"
His tone of voice was calm and gentle, like a mountain spring flowing.
The other two were taken aback upon hearing this and both looked at him.
“Why can’t it be a tree, a stream, or even a rock in Tianxuan Mountain?” Fu Mingxu picked a tender leaf from the side and chuckled. “The essence of Qi can transform into all things. I guess the reason it’s called Tianxuan Beast is because it first appeared in human form as a spirit beast. But since mountain Qi has a spirit, it will probably change its form this time.”
He shared his guess, gazing at the sea of clouds visible through the gaps in the leaves, and laughed, "Perhaps it will turn into a cloud and hide in the sky."
Zhang Yanran and the other person were initially shocked as if they had just realized his guess, but in the end, they were filled with disbelief.
These mortals have sharp minds, but they're the ones who're too attached to appearances!
"If what you're saying is true, then finding the Heavenly Mystic Beast will be incredibly difficult for us," Zhang Yanran said, feeling somewhat discouraged.
Fu Mingxu loosened his grip, and the tender leaf fell into the withered leaves on the ground, its tender green color contrasting sharply with the surrounding withered yellow.
“There’s no need to look for the Heavenly Mystic Beast.” Han Tao suddenly spoke up, looking down at Fu Mingxu’s exquisite profile. “Find the Heavenly Mystic Extreme Grass.”
Zhang Yanran clapped her hands and exclaimed with delight, "That's it! Things formed from mountain energy can move around freely, but the Heavenly Profound Grass cannot!"
Things suddenly became clear, and the group's goal changed from directly finding the Heavenly Mystic Beast to finding the Heavenly Mystic Extreme Grass.
“But this Heavenly Profound Grass…” Zhang Hengbo had never seen this spiritual grass before, and he was at a loss again.
Fu Mingxu pursed his lips slightly, revealing a restrained smile, and pointed at Han Tao: "He can find out where it is."
"What?" Zhang Yanran exclaimed in surprise.
Han Tao was completely confused, but still nodded in agreement: "Mm."
Zhang Hengbo's face showed surprise and uncertainty, but when he caught a glimpse of the other party's cold gaze, he interrupted his junior sister's impulse to ask questions.
Since there's a contract in place, finding the Heavenly Mystic Beast is actually an advantage for them.
"Let's wait until tonight," Fu Mingxu said, as if he knew better than Han Tao that he could find the Heavenly Profound Grass. "Let's find a place to rest first."
He couldn't open the storage bag, and he was extremely hungry. He needed to find a place to rest and get something to eat.
The four arrived at a wide-open space with a flowing stream. After the two senior and junior disciples went to tell their fellow disciples that they wouldn't be going back that night, the large space was once again left with only the two of them alone.
Fu Mingxu looked around, then suddenly leaned close to Han Tao and asked, "Can you still find the pool we came from?"
Han Tao shook his head: "That pool must be due to the formation. The one-way teleportation failed once, so the pool disappeared as well."
The two sat on a flat rock, the warm sunshine making them feel comfortable all over.
Upon receiving the answer, Fu Mingxu thought to himself, "Just as I suspected." After considering for a moment, he spoke again: "I wonder if the forbidden area teleported you here because of that Heavenly Profound Beast. If so, and you only want the Heavenly Profound Grass, wouldn't that be a loss?"
Besides, I wanted the Mystic Grass that day because I wanted it.
"I don't need it," Han Tao said indifferently, clearly indicating that the Heavenly Profound Beast held little appeal for him.
"Alright." The stream was clear, and Fu Mingxu looked a little thirsty. He got up, broke off two large banana leaves from the stream, made them into a trumpet, bent down to fetch water, and then tilted his head back.
Leaves are naturally not as convenient as containers. Water flows down the soft flesh of the leaves into the throat, and a few strands overflow from the corners of the mouth and slide down the chin.
Sunlight streamed down, and the falling water droplets refracted the starlight, glistening like beads of sweat on my neck.
Han Tao looked up and took in the whole scene. His throat bobbed violently twice, and a feeling of dryness swept over him.
"Hoo..." Fu Mingxu took a deep breath of the refreshing mountain air, and after drinking a few more sips, he stopped when he realized that his hunger was even greater.
He wiped his face casually and sat back down on the rock, his eyelashes still glistening with water droplets.
Perhaps because it had just been hydrated, the bright red color shone in the sunlight like a winter plum blossom, becoming even more lustrous after being moistened with water.
With just one glance, Han Tao quickly turned his head away, not daring to look again.
Fu Mingxu didn't understand what he was thinking. After basking in the sun for a while, he broke the silence: "Once I can refine the Heavenly Profound Grass, I will give you half of the pills."
To obtain the Limitless Spirit Grass, Han Tao still needs to contribute, so he naturally has to reward him.
"Alright." Han Tao didn't refuse, but seemed less interested in the pills he mentioned, and more curious about something else, "Why did you say I could find the Heavenly Profound Grass?"
Fu Mingxu was taken aback, then realized that he had forgotten to explain in detail, and then said: "Tianxuan Extreme Grass is just what Tianxuan Sect calls it, but I prefer to call it Mountain Rose. In fact, like Tianxuan Beast, it does not have an actual name. To be precise, one is formed from mountain energy and is imbued with the fortune of the mountain range, while the other is formed from the pure spiritual energy of the mountain and gathers the essence of the mountain."
"The matter of destiny is too mysterious, but the essence of a mountain is even rarer than rare spiritual herbs." As he said this, he couldn't help but get excited, and unconsciously moved closer to the other party without noticing. "When my cultivation level is high enough, I can use it to refine a ninth-grade pill, and maybe I can even ascend to immortality in broad daylight."
The last sentence was obviously a joke; everyone knows that the Heavenly Ladder of the Cangling Continent is broken, but the effect he wanted to describe was roughly the same.
Han Tao's brow twitched: "You want to ascend?"
Upon hearing this, Fu Mingxu waved his hand and said, "Ascension is too far away for me. I only want to refine pills."
Han Tao stared at him intently, gaining a deeper understanding of his obsession with alchemy.
“What do you need me to do?” he asked.
Seeing how cooperative he was, Fu Mingxu coughed lightly twice, feeling a little awkward, and explained in a low voice, "Mountain roses are loved by mountain spirits, but dragons are loved by heaven and earth."
He lowered his head slightly, his black hair falling down to reveal a section of porcelain white skin, seemingly unaware of what was happening. He said in a muffled voice, "I need a drop of your dragon blood, enough to attract the Mountain Rose, also known as the Heavenly Profound Grass, to appear on its own."
Dark hair and snow-white skin were suddenly revealed before his eyes, as if they could be touched. Han Tao's gaze paused, and he only realized that the stray ends of the hair had fallen onto his fingertips when he felt a tickle on his fingertips.
A gentle breeze blew through the mountains, and the silky ends of his hair swayed lightly in the wind. They felt cool to the touch, yet they made his fingertips feel hot.
Fu Mingxu finished speaking in a low voice without realizing it, and even felt guilty for asking for dragon blood.
A flicker of understanding flashed in Han Tao's eyes, but an even stronger urge to touch him made him dizzy, and he could only utter a single word through his throat: "Okay."
Hearing his agreement, Fu Mingxu looked up and his eyes sparkled: "Then it's settled!"
As the ends of her hair slipped through her fingers, a sense of loss flashed through Han Tao's heart, but she froze when she met those exceptionally clear, smiling eyes.
He knew perfectly well that every moment he spent with Fu Mingxu deepened the dark and despicable desire in his heart.
Han Tao didn't know how much longer he could endure it. Whenever this happened, his self-control was like a taut string, and he didn't know when it would snap.
Fu Mingxu refused the idea of drawing blood now, mysteriously saying that it would have to wait until dark.
Zhang Hengbo and the other man didn't know where they had gone either. Fearing they would come back looking for him, he simply found some wild fruit nearby to fill his stomach.
Han Tao's gaze lingered on the two fruits he had found for a moment, then he made him wait where he was. In no time, he returned with a large handful of the fruits and carefully wrapped them in banana leaves before handing them to him.
Two fruits weren't enough to completely satisfy their hunger, so Fu Mingxu didn't stand on ceremony and washed them clean before sharing them with him.
Han Tao glanced at the bright red juice stain on his lips, then forcibly looked away and silently ate the fruit.
He ate a few but couldn't even taste them.
Seeing that he didn't seem to enjoy his food, Fu Mingxu didn't think much of it, assuming that dragons probably preferred meat.
The wild fruits from the mountains tasted good, and Fu Mingxu stretched contentedly with his full stomach.
He looked around at the scenery with interest, but as the sun began to set and Zhang Hengbo and his sister still hadn't returned, he couldn't help but frown and say, "Why haven't they come back yet? Are they going to stand us up?"
Could it be that they've returned to their sect?
"No." Han Tao noted the location where he had picked the wild fruit earlier and said slowly, "The most taboo thing for cultivators is to break their vows and be plagued by inner demons."
"Could something have happened?" Fu Mingxu looked in the direction the two had left, his brows furrowed. "It's getting dark."
As dusk approached, the sun hung low on the horizon, about to set. The two were at the bottom of the valley, where the sky was ablaze with the glow of the sunset, its warm orange light casting a rosy hue over the entire valley.
The temperature in the mountains dropped sharply as the sun disappeared. Fu Mingxu rubbed his arms and thought to himself that it would be great if he could summon dragon flames, which could provide both light and warmth.
Han Tao was also here for the first time and didn't know the whereabouts of the other two. However, the fact that the previously formed friendship hadn't given any warning meant that the two weren't in any mortal danger.
Fu Mingxu felt slightly relieved upon hearing this and decided to wait there until it was completely dark.
Han Tao had no objection. After seeing him sneeze, he simply picked up some dry branches from the ground and used the flint he had found earlier to start a campfire.
As warmth arrived, the afterglow was gradually driven away by darkness, and the sky became completely dark.
As darkness fell, the overlapping shadows of the lush trees, cast by the firelight, resembled menacing monsters.
Fu Mingxu instinctively moved closer to Han Tao, added some firewood to the campfire, and said, "Why don't we go to the cave and wait?"
It's kind of creepy to stay here.
"Wait a minute." Han Tao suddenly stood up, listened intently to his surroundings, and then extinguished the campfire.
Sparks flew as the fire was extinguished, startling Fu Mingxu. His heart skipped a beat when he saw the solemn expression on his face.
Han Tao lowered his head, his voice falling beside his ear: "Listen."
Fu Mingxu tensed up immediately, his hair standing on end. When he listened carefully, he could hear nothing but the sound of the wind in the valley and the rustling of leaves.
Han Tao didn't have time to explain to him. He pulled him behind a thick tree and then mobilized the spiritual energy around him. Using the stone as a base, a simple concealment formation was formed in the blink of an eye.
All of this happened so fast that before Fu Mingxu could even open his mouth, a large hand covered his mouth, preventing him from making a sound.
"Don't move." Han Tao said in a deep voice after seeing him quiet down, "Listen."
Just as Fu Mingxu was about to mutter to himself, wondering what else he could hear besides the sound of the wind, he heard the heavy dragging of iron chains on the ground.
A crescent moon hangs obliquely in the sky, its cool moonlight bathing the earth.
The swaying shadows of the trees made the sound particularly jarring in the darkness, causing discomfort to the eardrums.
The ghost stories he had read suddenly surfaced in his mind, and Fu Mingxu tensed up, unable to resist licking his lips.
Lost in his tension, he didn't notice Han Tao tremble; all his attention was drawn to the sound of the chain dragging on the ground.
The dragging sound grew increasingly shrill, and it drew closer and closer to them.