Snake Granny continued, "You have probably all guessed by now that you are not the only ones entering Heaven-Pointing Peak. You will be competing with cultivators from the Heaven-Traversing Alliance for the Star Element Stones. Their strength is roughly equal to yours. If you encounter them, do not take them lightly. Otherwise, not only will you fail to retrieve the Star Element Stones, but you will also lose your lives on Heaven-Pointing Peak—and there won't even be anyone to collect your corpses."
After fighting in this war for so long, who among those standing here did not have blood-stained hands?
Not a single one was soft-hearted.
Even without Snake Granny's warning, they knew what to do.
A meticulous demonic cultivator spoke up and asked, "May I ask the Island Masters, how many people from the Heaven-Traversing Alliance will enter Heaven-Pointing Peak?"
Vice Island Master Xiao, who had been standing beside Snake Granny, spoke for the first time: "Just like you, thirty-three."
The demonic cultivator let out a cold sneer. "Thirty-three as well... It seems they are all old friends."
"Allow me to tell you about Heaven-Pointing Peak..."
Vice Island Master Xiao reached out and tapped the air, conjuring the illusion of a majestic mountain. "This is Heaven-Pointing Peak in its entirety. The Star Element Stones are upon it..."
Qin Sang and the others watched the illusion intently, listening to Vice Island Master Xiao's introduction.
It took a full quarter of an hour for Vice Island Master Xiao to finish speaking. Waving his hand to dispel the illusion, he said, "These are merely a small fraction of the dangers within Heaven-Pointing Peak. Due to its peculiar restrictions, most of the area has never been explored, so you must rely on your own vigilance. Heaven-Pointing Peak will remain open for only a very brief time. You must not waste a single moment and must put all your effort into searching for Star Element Stones. In the end, Stargazing Island will reward you based on the number of Star Element Stones you bring back. The treasures are all right here..."
With that, Vice Island Master Xiao gestured with his palm, and several streaks of multicolored light flew out from his waist like rainbows.
For a moment, radiant light flooded the golden hall, dazzling everyone's eyes.
A total of ten streaks of rosy light hovered before them. Enveloped within each was a treasure: spirit herbs, spirit pills, as well as talisman papers and magic tools.
All ten treasures were different, but every single one was a rare gem!
The moment these treasures appeared, the gazes of Qin Sang and the others flared with intense heat. Their eyes darted about, unable to take it all in, as they eagerly scrutinized them one by one.
"This is the miraculous healing medicine, the Guifu Pill!"
"This spirit talisman is actually a talisman treasure! It looks like a defensive talisman treasure!"
"What kind of magic tool is this? It radiates such a terrifying aura!"
"Could this be the Xuanzhen Pill? It is said to aid in Core Formation..."
...
Exclamations rose and fell across the golden hall.
However, the commotion was short-lived. In the next moment, the hall fell dead silent.
Almost every eye was fixed squarely on the leftmost of the ten streaks of light. Even with Qin Sang's firm resolve, ripples of emotion surged through his eyes.
The others fared even worse than Qin Sang.
Wrapped within that light were two spirit herbs.
One white and one red, complementing each other.
The white spirit herb was shaped like a blooming lotus. From petals to roots, it was completely white without the slightest blemish, exquisitely pure, and exuding a cool, aloof aura.
It was like a sacred herb that made one hesitate to defile it.
A strange yin chill radiated from it, yet miraculously, when cultivators touched this chill, it did not harm them in the least.
It had a name that drove every Foundation Establishment cultivator mad with desire—the snow spirit lotus!
The other spirit herb was named the iris flower!
The iris flower was entirely different from the snow spirit lotus. Far from possessing the lotus's sacred purity, it was also in full bloom, blazing red like fire. Its long petals overlapped one another, dazzling like a phoenix's tail feathers.
What the iris flower emitted was yang heat.
One yin and one yang, and more remarkably, their medicinal properties complemented each other flawlessly, perfectly aligning with the Great Dao of the Golden Core where yin and yang harmonize.
Indeed, paired together, the snow spirit lotus and iris flower were the greatest spiritual items surviving in the cultivation world for aiding in Core Formation.
They did not need to be concocted into pills; simply refining them during Core Formation would unleash their efficacy.
Of course, having them did not guarantee success in Core Formation.
A cultivator's success rate in forming a core was inherently meager, akin to ten thousand soldiers crossing a single-plank bridge. To pass this hurdle, neither luck nor talent could be lacking.
Even with spiritual items like the snow spirit lotus and iris flower, the success rate could be boosted by ten to twenty percent at most, which was still pitifully low.
What was even more frustrating was that having more spiritual items did not stack the success rate.
Qin Sang possessed the Kanli Golden Pill bestowed by his sect, but even if he managed to obtain the iris flower and snow spirit lotus, their effects would not stack with it.
He could only try them one by one.
Vice Island Master Xiao looked at the crowd with a smile. Only when they had calmed down did he speak: "Do you see these spiritual items? Once you emerge from Heaven-Pointing Peak, whoever retrieves the most Star Element Stones will choose first."
Someone hurriedly asked, "The same goes for the snow spirit lotus and iris flower?"
"Of course!"
Vice Island Master Xiao pointed toward that streak of light. "There is no need for this old man to explain how precious these two spirit herbs are. None among you would not want them. Regrettably, Stargazing Island can only provide a single pair. Whoever performs the greatest merit and brings out the most Star Element Stones will claim them! Naturally, if you do not want the snow spirit lotus and iris flower and choose another treasure, we will not stop you."
Practically everyone present was an expert at or near the False Core stage, facing the crucial threshold of Core Formation. Who wouldn't want the snow spirit lotus and iris flower?
Even Ji Wu, who had been staring at the Guifu Pill, shifted his gaze upon seeing the two herbs, casting his master to the back of his mind.
Yet there was only one pair of these spirit herbs!
Fortunately, among the ten streaks of light, they were not the only items that aided Core Formation. There were five others, including the Xuanzhen Pill. Their efficacy varied, but all were a tier below the two herbs.
Stargazing Island had clearly grasped their lifeblood and knew exactly how to motivate them to risk their lives.
Every single item was exceedingly rare and difficult to find; only Stargazing Island could produce such treasures.
Unfortunately, even with six such spiritual items, it was still a drop in the bucket for the thirty-three people present.
Furthermore, there were only ten streaks of light, meaning only ten people would receive rewards. The rest would essentially come away empty-handed!
*Whoosh!*
With a flick of Vice Island Master Xiao's sleeve, the glowing lights vanished.
As the treasures disappeared, looks of disappointment appeared on everyone's faces, though none dared make a move against Vice Island Master Xiao.
"Did you hear clearly?"
Vice Island Master Xiao swept his gaze over the crowd, indifferent to their thoughts, and said faintly, "If you want the treasures, return to your cave dwellings from this moment on and enter seclusion. Adjust your condition to its peak and await orders. For now, you may go back."
With that, Vice Island Master Xiao and Snake Granny flickered and vanished on the spot.
After the two Island Masters departed, the crowd fell silent for a time, silently sizing each other up. A distinct wariness showed in their gazes.
Their opponents were not just the Heaven-Traversing Alliance, but also one another.
Not one person present was weak. Anyone had a shot at securing a treasure, and with their strength roughly equal, who feared whom?
Chapter 456