After Yu Xiaogang left the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Family, Yu Yuanzhen simultaneously wrote a letter.
At the entrance to the Thunderclap Canyon, Yu Tianheng and the others, who had been waiting for some time, were astonished to see Yu Tianxin's arrival.
"What are you doing here?" Yu Tianheng asked indifferently.
Yu Tianxin held up the letter in his hand. "The sect leader has ordered me to enter the Thunderclap Canyon with all of you."
With that, he handed the letter to the gatekeeper disciple.
After a brief inspection, the gatekeeper waved them through. "Proceed."
Although Yu Tianheng was displeased, he knew that his grandfather's orders could not be changed once given.
Yu Tianxin did not know the members of Shrek Academy. After entering the Thunderclap Canyon, he instinctively followed behind the group, maintaining a distance of about ten zhang (approximately 33 feet).
Feeling someone staring at him from behind, Dai Mubai felt uneasy and muttered quietly, "Tianheng, does this guy usually like to stalk people? Damn it, I feel so uncomfortable."
Yu Tianheng shook his head. "Tianxin was sent by Grandfather to keep an eye on us. If he wants to follow, let him. We don't need to care."
Flender turned his gaze toward Tang San and asked, "Xiao San, where should we look for the immortal herb you mentioned? The Thunderclap Canyon is vast—we can't just wander around aimlessly."
Tang San thought for a moment before replying, "Where immortal herbs exist, there must be abundant spiritual energy. Let's follow our senses and see if we can find anything."
"I happen to know a place. Follow me," said Yu Tianxin.
Unbeknownst to the others, he had already approached Tang San from behind and overheard their conversation.
Yu Tianxin had only recently broken through to Soul Ancestor rank. While hunting for spirit rings, he had indeed encountered a place with rich spiritual energy but hadn't had the time to explore it then.
"This guy," Dai Mubai grumbled, irritated by his behavior.
But if they could find the immortal herb because of him, it would all be worth it.
---
Inside the Thunderclap Canyon, the ground was damp everywhere, and the path was difficult to traverse.
From time to time, soul beasts would leap out from the surroundings, further slowing their progress.
It wasn't until the morning of the second day that they finally reached the location Yu Tianxin had described.
It was a small mound with a cave entrance at the top, barely wide enough for one person to pass through.
As they approached, they could clearly sense the fluctuations of spiritual energy emanating from the entrance.
Tang San sniffed the air, took a deep breath, and gave his judgment. "There are rare treasures below, but I'm not sure if they're immortal herbs."
Zhao Wuji cracked his wrists and chuckled. "I didn't expect such a find so soon. You all wait here—I'll go down and check it out."
"Wait!" Tang San stopped him. "Teacher Zhao, let me use my Blue Silver Grass to test the depth of the cave first. We can decide what to do after that."
"Old Zhao, don't rush. Xiao San is right—let's investigate the situation first to avoid any accidents," Flender said, patting Zhao Wuji's shoulder while remaining vigilant of their surroundings.
The Blue Silver Grass martial soul appeared in Tang San's right hand. With a thought, the grass rapidly grew and extended into the cave.
Currently, the maximum range of his Blue Silver Grass was about fifty meters.
In the blink of an eye, the grass reached the bottom of the cave and began spreading in all directions to assess its size.
"The entrance is narrow, but the space below is quite large. My Blue Silver Grass can't reach the edges. The drop from the entrance to the ground is about ten meters. I'll create a ladder with my Blue Silver Grass so everyone can descend one by one."
Zhao Wuji went first, descending into the cave to scout for potential dangers.
Flender stayed behind to ensure there were no threats on the surface.
---
This was an expansive underground cave system with multiple tunnels branching off in different directions.
No one knew where these tunnels led, but they were aware that getting lost underground would leave them completely helpless.
"It seems the spiritual energy is coming from ahead. Shall we go take a look?" Tang San suggested.
No one objected.
After walking about thirty meters forward, they entered a chamber.
In the chamber, there was a stream flowing through, and the sound of running water was clearly audible.
By the light of their torches, they could see various types of plants growing on either side of the stream.
"Big Red Flowers, Silver Jade, Sky Window Flowers—there are so many medicinal herbs here!" Tang San exclaimed in surprise.
These herbs shouldn't have grown in a lightless environment, yet here they were, thriving against the norm.
"Are these immortal herbs?"
None of them had ever seen an immortal herb before, so they eagerly pressed Tang San for answers.
Tang San shook his head with a bitter smile. "These herbs are high-grade medicinal plants, worth at least five hundred gold spirit coins each. But no—they're not immortal herbs."
The group quickly lost interest, feeling disappointed.
"Xiao San, though I don't know much about herbs, this environment is extremely dim. High-grade herbs require careful nurturing to mature. How can they grow here without anyone tending to them?" Flender questioned.
High-grade herbs needed meticulous care to mature, which was why they fetched such high prices on the market.
Yet here, there was clearly no one taking care of them. Something else must have contributed to their growth.
Immortal herbs!
Tang San suddenly realized. "Everyone, look around nearby—but don't wander too far."
With the torchlight illuminating the area, Tang San bent down and carefully searched the surroundings.
After some time, Dai Mubai pointed to the rock above their heads and shouted, "Xiao San, is this one it?"
Everyone looked up in the direction he was pointing.
Hanging upside-down from the ceiling above them was a large gray-yellow flower.
Its roots grew into the rock, and even though it was growing upside-down, it showed no signs of stunted growth.
"This is Yellow Rockflower."
"Is it an immortal herb?"
Tang San thought for a moment and explained, "It should be considered a pseudo-immortal herb. Its medicinal potency isn't as strong as that of a true immortal herb."
"That's still good—it means we've found something," Flender said contentedly.
Of course, this pseudo-immortal herb seemed more suitable for Tai Long.
The group immediately perked up and suggested, "If there's one, there might be two. Let's search the area further—we might find something unexpected."
Tang San held them back and shook his head with a bitter smile. "This is just an ordinary cave. For Yellow Rockflower to grow here is already remarkable. There won't be any immortal herbs within a hundred meters of here."
Yellow Rockflower was originally a type of immortal herb, but due to insufficient spiritual energy in the cave, this plant had "underdeveloped," relegating it to the status of a pseudo-immortal herb.
Given this, even if seeds of immortal herbs had once been present here, they wouldn't have survived.
"The underground world of the Thunderclap Canyon is vast. Why don't we leave markers along the way and continue deeper?" Yu Tianxin proposed.
"Xiao San, what do you think?" Flender deferred to Tang San's expertise.
Among their group, Tang San was the most knowledgeable about immortal herbs, so they naturally sought his opinion.
Tang San thought for a moment and agreed. "We must leave clear markers and indicate the direction we're heading. If we get lost in the underground maze, we'll be in serious trouble."
"I'll lead the way. Little ones, stay behind me," Zhao Wuji volunteered, stepping forward to eliminate any potential risks for the group.
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