38: Purple Monkey Flower! Encountering Han Li!

The valley was deep and shrouded in mist, completely isolated from the clamor of the outside world.

Lu Qiu's figure appeared silently at the valley's entrance.

The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and humus, mixed with a faint, lingering exotic fragrance.

He did not step inside immediately.

His steps halted beside a Boundary Stone weathered and mottled by time at the valley entrance. Pushing the Heavenly Eye Technique to its limit, pale golden runes flowed silently deep within his eyes as Lu Qiu scrutinized this seemingly peaceful valley.

According to the silver information, this was the valley where a large number of purple monkey flowers grew.

As the main ingredient for refining foundation establishment pills, the purple monkey flower was enough to drive any Qi Refining Stage Cultivator into a frenzy.

He stood still for several breaths until he confirmed there were no obvious fluctuations of Restrictions or Formations within the valley; only then did Lu Qiu take a step forward.

With a flash of his body, he stepped into the valley.

At the same time, the spiritual pressure of a Qi Refining Stage Perfection cultivator was no longer deliberately restrained, diffusing outward from him as the center.

This was a silent warning.

The valley was not large, but the vegetation was exceptionally lush, with various rare flowers and exotic herbs scattered everywhere.

Before he had gone far, a patch of purple plants swaying gently in the breeze caught his eye.

purple monkey flower!

Every plant had a thick stem and fleshy leaves, with the flowers at the tips being a deep purple. The shape of the stamens closely resembled a monkey's face, vivid and lifelike.

A rough count revealed more than a dozen plants, and there were even several that were hundreds of years old.

The light in Lu Qiu's eyes brightened slightly.

But suddenly thinking of something, he did not immediately step forward to harvest them.

Buzz!

The golden origin bell emerged silently, suspended above his head. The ancient patterns on the bell's body flowed, emitting a dim golden light, ready to drop a protective shield at any moment.

"How much longer does Your Excellency intend to hide?"

Lu Qiu's voice echoed throughout the entire valley.

The surroundings were quiet, with only the rustling sound of the wind passing through the forest.

Lu Qiu held the qingming sword in his hand. Green light flowed over the blade, and an invisible, sharp Sword Intent swept out.

"If Your Excellency still does not show yourself, then do not blame me for being merciless."

The surroundings remained still, as if there were no movement.

Just as Lu Qiu's heart relaxed and he prepared to start harvesting the purple monkey flowers...

A figure suddenly walked slowly out of the dense forest ahead.

Lu Qiu was taken aback.

There really was someone!

However, the moment he saw the newcomer clearly, a strange expression flashed across Lu Qiu's face.

It was actually Han Li.

"I thought it was some rat hiding its head and showing its tail, but it turns out to be Junior Brother Han." Lu Qiu suppressed the surprise in his heart, his expression calm.

A bitter smile hung on Han Li's face, and he couldn't help but feel astonished by Lu Qiu's keen perception.

He believed he had pushed his breath-concealing skills to the limit and used several secret techniques, yet he was still called out by this Senior Brother Lu.

"Senior Brother Lu, I have no ill intentions. I will leave right now."

Fearing he might provoke the hostility of this Senior Brother Lu, he cupped his hands and, without the slightest hesitation, turned around to prepare to leave.

The Opportunity here certainly made his heart burn with excitement, but his life was more important.

This Senior Brother Lu was clearly not someone to be trifled with; it was better to slip away first.

"Junior Brother Han, wait!"

Lu Qiu's flat voice came from behind him.

Han Li's footsteps came to a sudden halt, the muscles in his back tensing instantly. His eyes were filled with deep vigilance, and his hand, resting on his Storage Pouch, was already prepared to sacrifice a Magical Artifact at any moment.

He slowly turned around.

"Does Senior Brother Lu have something else?"

Lu Qiu naturally noticed Han Li's instantly tensed body and subtle movements.

He praised him inwardly.

As expected of the future Old Devil Han.

This vigilance and decisiveness, which had been integrated into his very marrow, were indeed worth learning from.

He ignored Han Li's defensiveness; instead, a curve formed at the corner of his mouth.

"These purple monkey flowers—doesn't Junior Brother want a share?"

Han Li was stunned upon hearing this.

He hadn't expected the other party to say such a thing. Thoughts raced through his mind, yet he couldn't guess the true intention.

"What does Senior Brother mean by this?"

Lu Qiu didn't bother beating around the bush and spoke directly.

"I can give you half of the purple monkey flowers here."

Han Li's expression became even more vigilant, and his body tensed further.

"What do you need me to do, Senior Brother?"

Ever since experiencing the Possession attempt by Doctor Mo, he no longer believed that free pies would just fall from the sky in this world.

This Senior Brother Lu's initiative to show goodwill must have some ulterior motive.

"Junior Brother is indeed a smart person."

Lu Qiu nodded approvingly and then stated his condition.

"It's very simple. I need your promise that if you can refine foundation establishment pills in the future, you must give me three."

Three foundation establishment pills!

These words exploded like a thunderclap in Han Li's heart, causing his mind to shake violently.

Could it be that his secret had been discovered?

He feigned composure and found an excuse to decline.

"Senior Brother Lu must be joking. According to the rules, all Spirit Medicines obtained in the Forbidden Ground must be handed over to the Sect for unified distribution. How could I possibly refine foundation establishment pills privately?"

The smile on Lu Qiu's face slowly faded.

He didn't care to listen to these hypocritical excuses.

Lu Qiu had now personally experienced Han Li's extreme caution.

Even with such a temptation before him, the other party was unwilling to reveal the slightest clue.

"In that case, pretend I never said anything. Junior Brother Han, I won't see you out."

A crisp and decisive order to leave, without any lingering, carrying a chill that brooked no argument.

Han Li's expression instantly became conflicted, and an internal struggle ensued.

Half of the purple monkey flowers!

This temptation was simply too great.

With these main ingredients, combined with the Heaven-Defying growth-accelerating power of the little green bottle, he was absolutely certain he could gather all the Materials for refining foundation establishment pills, and even have more than enough.

After a long silence, Han Li finally made a decision.

He looked up, meeting Lu Qiu's deep gaze, and spoke in a low voice.

"Fine, I agree, Senior Brother."

"I hope Junior Brother can keep his promise."

Lu Qiu gave him a deep look.

After reaching an agreement, the two did not delay and prepared to step forward to harvest the purple monkey flowers.

But at that moment, Lu Qiu suddenly thought of something, and his expression turned solemn again.

Buzz!

Without needing to be manually driven, the golden origin bell's massive golden light screen crashed down, protecting his entire body tightly.

"How much longer does Your Excellency intend to hide?"

The same words came out of Lu Qiu's mouth once more.

He suddenly remembered that wherever this fellow Han Li went, trouble followed.

With him around, how could these purple monkey flowers be obtained so easily?

This was very wrong!

Hearing this, Han Li's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately became alert, his Divine Sense instantly spreading out to scan the surroundings.

He had just witnessed Lu Qiu's terrifying perception with his own eyes.

So without the slightest doubt, he immediately prepared for battle.

However, after several breaths, the surroundings remained quiet, with no movement at all.

Han Li looked at Lu Qiu with some confusion.

Lu Qiu himself felt a bit embarrassed.

Could it be that he was overthinking?

He was just about to say something to ease the slightly awkward atmosphere.

Rustle! Rustle! Rustle!

A dense rubbing sound that made one's scalp tingle rang out without warning from the grass and woods in all directions.

The sound was faint at first, like silkworms eating mulberry leaves, but in the blink of an eye, it converged into a towering wave.

Immediately following, countless blood-red, thumb-sized hideous insects madly swarmed out from every shadow in the valley like a bursting dam, sweeping toward the two people in the center of the valley.

Seeing this, Han Li's face changed drastically, and he hurriedly shouted.

"Senior Brother Lu, watch out!"

Before his voice had even faded, he sacrificed a Tortoise Shell Shield artifact to protect himself.

Then, without any hesitation, his figure blurred as he retreated directly behind Lu Qiu's massive golden light screen.