wicked divinity

Star-Hidden Grass

The three items Xiao Che mentioned caused Xia Qingyue's slightly closed phoenix-like eyes to open immediately. "What do you intend to do with these?"

"Could it be that you actually have a way to obtain them?" Seeing Xia Qingyue not outright rejecting the possibility, Xiao Che asked hopefully.

Xia Qingyue furrowed her brows slightly and responded slowly. "I've never heard of the Seven-Paragon Linglong Grass. The core of an Earth Xuan Realm beast requires hunting such a powerful creature, and how many people in the entire Cyan Wind Empire can achieve that? Even if the Ice Cloud Immortal Palace has one, they would be as rare as a unicorn's horn. As for the Purple Meridian Celestial Crystal, no amount of money could buy it—it is a treasure of heaven and earth that the four major sects would go mad over! One crystal alone is worth years of arduous cultivation. These three items are impossible for me to obtain, and even the Palace Master herself would struggle to acquire all three simultaneously."

Xiao Che's chest heaved heavily as he closed his eyes, remaining silent for a long time.

"What exactly do you plan to use these three items for?" Xia Qingyue asked curiously.

"To repair my Xuan meridians," Xiao Che answered truthfully.

"...I cannot help you." Xia Qingyue replied, adding that she didn't believe these items could repair Xuan meridians either. Otherwise, her master would certainly know about it.

Xiao Che shook his head indifferently. "These three items are indeed beyond the reach of ordinary people. I was just asking casually." After a brief pause, he lowered his voice and added, "Wife, when you return to the Ice Cloud Immortal Palace, will we meet again?"

"Do not call me wife! My name is Xia Qingyue!" Xia Qingyue snapped, her tone at least eight degrees colder.

Xiao Che paid no heed and said leisurely, "I married you, you married me. We've already bowed before heaven and earth, witnessed by a thousand people. All formalities have been observed. Now I am your husband, and you are my wife. What else should I call you?"

"..." Xia Qingyue was momentarily speechless but eventually replied coldly, "Fine, call me whatever you want."

Xiao Che grinned widely... This untouchable wife might be off-limits physically, but he could still enjoy some verbal perks!

"You haven't answered my question yet… When you return to the Ice Cloud Immortal Palace, will we meet again?" Xiao Che asked once more.

"No." Xia Qingyue answered.

"So be it!" Xiao Che nodded, leaning his head back against the wall and closing his eyes. "Actually, you should return to the Ice Cloud Immortal Palace sooner rather than later and not worry about me. With your talent, you shouldn't remain in this tiny Flowing Cloud City or let yourself be tied down by me. Once you leave and reveal your identity, with the title of being the spouse of an Ice Cloud Immortal Palace disciple, no one in Flowing Cloud City will dare harm me directly. Life will become much easier for me... Oh, by the way, I assume you won't object if I take concubines?"

"...Do as you please." Xia Qingyue replied expressionlessly.

"Hmm, that's reasonable. Otherwise, if you refuse to see me ever again and forbid me from taking concubines, I'd seriously consider divorcing you."

Even Xia Qingyue, with her calm demeanor, felt an overwhelming urge to kick him out at that moment.

At this point, she suddenly noticed Xiao Che standing up and heading toward the door. She asked immediately, "Where are you going?"

"I can't sleep; I'm going outside to look at the stars." Xiao Che answered while inwardly groaning... If she stayed awake here all night, how could he possibly fall asleep?

Xia Qingyue said nothing further, and Xiao Che opened the door and stepped outside.

It was midnight, and all was quiet. Standing in the center of the courtyard, Xiao Che gazed at the starry sky. Though his gaze remained resolute, deep within, there lingered an undeniable sense of confusion.

Today marked the first day since his rebirth, and although his temperament had undergone a dramatic transformation compared to his past self, his body with its damaged Xuan meridians left him unable to find a clear path forward despite his strong mental resolve.

If he could obtain the Seven-Paragon Linglong Grass, the Purple Meridian Celestial Crystal, and the core of an Earth Xuan Realm beast, he would have more than a fifty percent chance of repairing his Xuan meridians. But with his current abilities, acquiring even one of these items seemed harder than ascending to the heavens.

Ultimately, this world respected strength above all else. Without sufficient power, achieving one's goals was merely empty talk.

What should I do...

At this moment, a faint tremor emanated from Xiao Che's left palm. Instinctively raising his hand, he saw the faint glow emitted by the Heaven Poison Pearl on his palm pulsating at an increasingly rapid frequency.

Xiao Che's pupils contracted slightly as he suddenly turned and looked northward.

"Could it be..."

Besides its terrifying toxicity and potent refining capabilities, the Heaven Poison Pearl possessed another special ability: the capacity to sense high-grade toxins or medicinal herbs! When such materials were within a certain range, it would detect them, flash, and point toward their location... However, this only worked for the highest-grade materials. From the perspective of the Heaven Poison Pearl, what it considered high-grade far exceeded human standards. During his time on the Tianxuan Continent, the Heaven Poison Pearl had only flashed six times, each leading to the discovery of an extraordinary treasure!

On the very first day of his return to the Tianxuan Continent, the Heaven Poison Pearl reacted like this! There must be some legendary treasure hidden nearby!

The direction indicated by the Heaven Poison Pearl was to the north—the direction of the Xiao family's rear mountain.

Though Xiao Che had his own courtyard, it was located in the most secluded part of the Xiao estate, arguably also the most dangerous. Beyond the walls of this small courtyard lay the rear mountain, private land belonging to the Xiao family. A few low-level Xuan beasts roamed there, occasionally crossing into the courtyard. It was also a relatively good entry point for infiltrators seeking to breach the Xiao estate. However, given the Xiao family's influence in Flowing Cloud City, no one had dared attempt it until now.

Without hesitation, Xiao Che vaulted over the wall. Although his cultivation at First Tier Initial Xuan was quite weak, leaping over a wall less than three meters high posed no problem.

The rear mountain area was eerily quiet and ominous, a place the previous Xiao Che would have absolutely avoided at night. However, with the bright moon overhead and countless stars illuminating the sky, the light wasn't too dim. Xiao Che glanced around to ensure no one was nearby, then quietly followed the direction indicated by the Heaven Poison Pearl.

Under the silver glow of the moon, the mountains appeared shrouded in a thin mist, mysterious and perilous. Soon, Xiao Che reached the base of the mountain, where the frequency of the Heaven Poison Pearl's flashing reached its peak. He stopped, puzzled—could the target really be nearby? This was the foot of the mountain, a place frequented daily by the Xiao family's pharmacists. If something grew here, it wouldn't matter whether it was a heavenly treasure or merely decent medicine—it would have surely been discovered long ago.

However, the frequency of the Heaven Poison Pearl's flashing indicated that the target was within ten steps.

Bathed in the moonlight, Xiao Che furrowed his brow, carefully scanning every inch of the ground.

Typically, the rarer the herb, the more likely it was to grow in perilous or extreme conditions. Glancing around, all he saw were common weeds covering the ground. Xiao Che couldn't help but begin doubting whether the Heaven Poison Pearl's detection had malfunctioned.

After scanning a small circle, apart from the weeds, not even the simplest medicinal herb could be found. Just as he was about to give up, his peripheral vision caught a subtle anomaly.

Xiao Che's heightened spiritual perception instantly focused on the spot where the irregularity occurred. That area was also covered in weeds, but because it was near the edge of a rock, it hadn't been trampled. Walking closer, Xiao Che squatted beside the rock and stared intently at the patch of grass. After scrutinizing it for a long time, his gaze locked onto the center of the weed cluster—a noticeable void. The void was minuscule, barely enough to accommodate two small blades of grass, yet its presence here was oddly discordant.

A gentle night breeze brushed past, causing the surrounding grass to sway slightly. At that moment, the "void" Xiao Che had been fixated on suddenly revealed two ghostly images of grass blades... They flashed briefly before vanishing once more.

Xiao Che's eyes widened dramatically, filling with excitement. Swiftly extending his left hand, he brought the glowing Heaven Poison Pearl close to the void. Instantly, under the faint green light, two "blades" of grass materialized. They were about two fingers tall, entirely dark green, and appeared indistinguishable from the surrounding weeds.

"Star-Hidden Grass! It's really Star-Hidden Grass, and there are two of them!" Xiao Che exclaimed softly in excitement, swiftly reaching out with his left hand. As the Heaven Poison Pearl flashed, the two Star-Hidden Grass plants were plucked, roots and all, entering Xiao Che's palm.

Higher-grade herbs were notoriously difficult to harvest, and any misstep could damage them, reducing their efficacy or rendering them useless. However, with the Heaven Poison Pearl, such concerns were irrelevant. Its aura enveloped the target the instant it was plucked, ensuring not a trace of its energy escaped.

"This isn't just a pleasant surprise—it's a miracle!" Xiao Che's arms trembled with excitement as he stared at the two Star-Hidden Grass plants faintly shimmering in his palm. In the twenty-four years he spent on the Tianxuan Continent, he had traveled extensively and only managed to find one Star-Hidden Grass plant. Yet on his first day back, he discovered two right here in his family's backyard!

Star-Hidden Grass looked identical to ordinary weeds and was nearly impossible to notice. Moreover, it possessed an incredibly peculiar ability—it could turn invisible! This made discovering it even more challenging. Still, his master had once told him that though Star-Hidden Grass was a celestial treasure, very few knew of its existence, and fewer still could recognize it. Across the entire continent, fewer than five people could identify it, and only the Heaven Poison Pearl could fully refine it.

"Truly, fortune favors me. With these two Star-Hidden Grass plants, it's like having two foolproof trump cards! Once I refine them into Star-Hidden Pills, survival, stealth, theft, seduction, assassination—you name it!" Clutching the Star-Hidden Grass tightly, Xiao Che transferred them into the storage space of the Heaven Poison Pearl, then silently smiled.

At this moment, the Heaven Poison Pearl's flashing ceased completely. With his mood greatly improved, Xiao Che no longer had any reason to stay and turned to head back. But just as he pivoted, a flicker of abnormal cold light caught his eye.

Xiao Che halted his step mid-motion and turned his head toward the source of the cold light. By the not-so-dim moonlight, he suddenly noticed a blurry white figure about fifty meters to the north, indistinct but unmistakably present.

What is that?