Chapter 228: Shen Mo Can't Possibly Harvest All the Scarlet Blood Spirit Valleys, Can He?
At that moment, a fierce howling came from ahead.
A particularly thick bloodvine lunged forward like a serpent, aiming directly to entangle Ye Yan.
Ye Yan frowned slightly and suddenly drew his blade.
With a flash of the blade, the bloodvine was severed in two.
However, his pace slowed slightly as a result.
Meanwhile, Shen Mo remained unimpeded, untouched by any bloodvine attack.
The distance between them widened further.
Soon, the bloodvines ahead grew even thicker.
Each vine was as wide as an adult's waist.
They looked less like vines and more like serpents disguised as vegetation.
The difference between eight petals and nine petals was stark.
Most of the bloodvines targeted Ye Yan.
In contrast, only a handful dared to attack Shen Mo.
Shen Mo employed his Eight Directions Thunder Movement technique, charging forward without pause.
Ye Yan gradually fell behind.
Before long, the surrounding noise faded entirely.
Shen Mo was now the only one racing ahead in the dense, almost suffocating sea of vines.
The bloodvines could sense Shen Mo's presence, but they were too intimidated by the nine-petaled Moon Orchid to launch an attack.
For ten straight days, Shen Mo advanced at an astonishing pace.
Finally, he spotted a narrow passageway ahead.
His heart leaped with joy.
"The inner valley!"
This was the gourd-shaped entrance, marking the boundary between the outer valley and the inner valley of Bloodvine Valley!
Shen Mo accelerated again, surging through the passage in one burst.
A strange world unfolded before his eyes.
Red!
Red, red, red!
The trees were red, the grass was red.
Even the soil was red.
The entire landscape was a scarlet world.
If not for the sky still being blue, Shen Mo might have thought he had stumbled into another dimension.
However, the bloodvines here seemed oddly lifeless.
Even though they were thicker than the ones outside, they lay sprawled on the ground, sluggish and motionless.
Even when Shen Mo accidentally stepped on one, it didn't react much.
They resembled beaten dogs, lying defeated on the ground.
Shen Mo inhaled deeply, catching the familiar scent in the air.
Soon, he found his target.
A lush patch of Scarlet Blood Spirit Valleys!
Each plant was bursting with plump grains, as if they might split open their husks at any moment, exposing themselves to Shen Mo.
Delight filled Shen Mo's face.
The inner valley was indeed far superior to the outer valley.
Judging by the sheer number of Scarlet Blood Spirit Valleys, there were at least five times as many here as in the outer valley!
Still, Shen Mo didn't rush forward recklessly. Instead, his gaze shifted to the blood-red roots near the Spirit Valleys.
Upon closer inspection, the roots were subtly undulating—not dead, but alive!
"Could those be Bloodroot Dragons?" Shen Mo mused.
He didn't sense any threat from them.
It was clear they were no match for him.
Shen Mo quietly channeled his spiritual energy.
Flames flickered silently in his palm.
When his spiritual energy reached its peak, Shen Mo stomped the ground and leapt forward.
With a forceful strike, his palm slammed down onto the surface of the roots.
Boom!
The flames ignited like oil-soaked firewood.
Instantly, they roared to life.
The seemingly inert blood-red roots convulsed violently, transforming into a monstrous dragon about ten zhang long. It howled and roared in fury.
Shen Mo sneered. "Hiding next to the Spirit Valley, waiting to ambush me, and now you're throwing a tantrum because I caught you? What nerve."
Without hesitation, he struck again, slamming his palm down.
Nine Suns Divine Phoenix Technique!
The Bloodroot Dragon couldn't withstand Shen Mo's second strike.
Within mere moments, its entire body was reduced to a pile of black ash.
"It seems that fire-attribute spiritual energy is a natural counter to them."
"This suggests that exotic flames are likely even more effective against Bloodroot Dragons."
Shen Mo mused thoughtfully.
With a casual wave of his hand, he harvested all the Scarlet Blood Spirit Valleys in the area and stored them in his spatial ring.
As he was about to leave, he noticed two faintly glowing objects amidst the ashes.
Another wave of his hand brought the items to his palm, drawn by his spiritual energy.
The first was a pale gray bead, and if one listened closely, faint wails and howls could be heard emanating from it.
The second was an irregular crimson crystal, neither metallic nor wooden, with a unique and mysterious appearance.
These items were none other than the Yin Fiend Bead and the Vital Bloodroot.
The Yin Fiend Bead needed no introduction—it was one of the finest treasures for enhancing one's core formation techniques.
The Vital Bloodroot, on the other hand, wasn't for enhancing spiritual power but rather for strengthening the physical body.
"I've heard of the Vital Bloodroot's mystical properties before, but it's said to only appear in powerful Bloodroot Dragons. Ordinary cultivators rarely have the chance to obtain it. Yet today, I've found one."
Shen Mo's thoughts stirred.
He recalled the information he had gathered about Bloodvine Valley.
The Vital Bloodroot, once refined, could significantly strengthen the physical body.
It improved strength, speed, and wound recovery, offering an all-around enhancement.
However, it could only be refined up to five times in one's lifetime.
Beyond that, its effects would diminish greatly, almost to the point of being negligible.
Since the Danhe Sect had taken control of Bloodvine Valley, no Bloodroot Dragons had been allowed to exist due to their instability, and the Vital Bloodroot had long vanished from the sect.
For years, younger cultivators who sought Vital Bloodroot had searched in vain.
"Vital Bloodroot will undoubtedly be highly sought after. I only need to keep enough for my own use; the rest can be traded for items I need."
A smile spread across Shen Mo's face.
He knew that at the center of the inner valley, there was a cluster of houses that served as a rest stop.
These houses had been established by the Danhe Sect and were protected by formations.
Eventually, all the other elders would arrive there.
He could use the opportunity to trade with them, exchanging resources as needed.
With that, Shen Mo continued to follow the fragrance of Scarlet Blood Spirit Valleys, heading to the next location.
Since Bloodvine Valley had been closed for five years, the inner valley was now brimming with spiritual energy. Even after traveling a short distance, Shen Mo encountered scattered Scarlet Blood Spirit Valleys.
As the first person to enter the inner valley, Shen Mo could hardly leave empty-handed. Instead, he was making a grand harvest.
Meanwhile, Ye Yan was deeply troubled.
Extremely troubled.
Although he had also entered the inner valley, he hadn't found many Scarlet Blood Spirit Valleys. Instead, he had been ambushed by several Bloodroot Dragons.
"It must be Shen Mo…"
"With his nine-petaled Moon Orchid, he's far ahead of me."
"Following in his footsteps, I've gained nothing!"
Ye Yan gritted his teeth.
He had never felt such hatred for anyone before.
Huff…
Taking several deep breaths, Ye Yan forced himself to calm down and began analyzing the situation.
"Why are Bloodroot Dragons appearing? Weren't they supposed to have been eradicated long ago?"
"For years, the stationed elders have meticulously inspected Bloodvine Valley to ensure that Bloodroot Dragons never reappear."
Ye Yan frowned deeply.
The appearance of Bloodroot Dragons was far from good news.
Moreover, he had no idea how long they had been present.
If they had been around for as long as five years, it was highly likely that a Bloodroot Dragon King had already been born.
Ye Yan knew full well that in a one-on-one fight, he wouldn't stand a chance against a Bloodroot Dragon King.
"The terrain of Bloodvine Valley is peculiar, and its chaotic spiritual energy disrupts communication. I can't use my transmission jade to inform the Danhe Sect of the situation."
"Nor can I escape the valley in a short time. For now, I'll just have to take it one step at a time."
Ye Yan's gaze turned cold as he continued deeper into the valley.
Coming to Bloodvine Valley only to leave empty-handed—or worse, injured—would be utterly humiliating.
"Even if Shen Mo is far ahead of me, he can't possibly harvest every single Scarlet Blood Spirit Valley he sees. There must be some left behind…"
Ye Yan muttered to himself as he pressed onward.
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