"Have you not noticed the spiritual energy between the canyons is fading?" the black-robed old man suddenly spoke.

  The burly bearded man and the others were startled, only now realizing the spiritual energy in the canyon was indeed slowly dissipating. Having fled tens of thousands of miles to escape the pursuit of the Palace of the Heavenly Apex, they had barely managed to reach Asgard and find this remote canyon abundant with spiritual energy. If this place also turned barren, wouldn't they be forced to wander adrift again? After all, as cultivators, they required sufficient spiritual materials and energy to progress in their cultivation. Otherwise, their cultivation would stagnate, and in a hundred years, they would end up like ordinary mortals, reduced to piles of dry, decaying bones.

  "Where strange phenomena appear, there must be extraordinary treasures. If we don't go search for it now, when else should we go!" With one step, the black-robed old man floated out several meters.

  The blood dwarf also snapped back to reality and nodded, "What Ragnar says is right, let's go!"

  The black-robed old man and the few cultivators sped swiftly towards the northwest. The closer they got to the center of the vortex at the cliff's edge, the denser the mist became.

  After rushing several dozen miles, they saw the immense white mist vortex and their faces immediately filled with astonishment.

  However, an even more surprised exclamation came from the blood dwarf. On a small hillside ahead, amidst a patch of green grass, grew two spiritual ginseng plants emitting extremely intense waves of spiritual energy.

  "Purple Ginseng!" Judging from the spiritual energy waves emanating from them, these two Purple Ginseng plants were at least a hundred years old. Almost simultaneously seeing the ginseng, the gazes of the several people instantly turned fanatical. Their eyes held nothing else.

  Purple Ginseng was the main ingredient for refining Foundation Establishment Pills. The reason those major sects could be passed down was because they had a source of Foundation Establishment Pills, but these pills were also extremely scarce, rarely leaking outside. Therefore, it was exceptionally difficult for ordinary rogue cultivators like them to establish their foundation. With Purple Ginseng, other spiritual herbs were relatively easier to gather. Once they established their foundation, they would gain an additional two hundred years of lifespan.

  For cultivators like them who had already reached the late or Great Perfection stages of Qi Refinement, no treasure was more important than the Foundation Establishment Pill. But soon, a new problem arose: there were four of them present, but only two Purple Ginseng plants!

  "Ragnar, do you know how to refine Foundation Establishment Pills?" The burly bearded man stroked the battle-axe in his hand as he looked at the black-robed old man.

  "Do you think Foundation Establishment Pills are like cabbages? Only a skilled alchemist might have a thirty percent success rate. Even a newly promoted alchemist has less than a ten percent chance of successfully refining a Foundation Establishment Pill," the black-robed old man said with a derisive expression.

  "What? Refining Foundation Establishment Pills is actually so difficult?" The green-skirted woman, the blood dwarf, and the others were all shocked.

  "Otherwise, we rogue cultivators wouldn't be desperately trying to join the various major sects," the black-robed old man snorted. "However, if the refinement goes well and the Purple Ginseng is sufficiently aged, one batch could yield three pills. But there are four of us. Even the most skilled alchemist cannot guarantee success for both batches. Succeeding with one batch would already be quite fortunate. Tell me, how should we divide these two Purple Ginseng plants?"

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  "Naturally—" The green-skirted woman spoke with a smile, but her eyes suddenly turned cold.

  The black-robed old man's pupils contracted, and his figure shot backward in a sudden burst.

  The green-skirted woman's purple silk ribbon shot out, curling towards the burly bearded man.

  "Heh, trying to ambush me? Not so easy!" The burly bearded man was already on guard. Swinging his large axe, a faint yellow light appeared on the axe head as he chopped at the incoming purple silk.

  Sshhh! The sharp axe tore a large gash in the purple silk. At the same time, the blood dwarf had already thrown his twin flying wheels, slashing towards the burly bearded man's back. The wheels shot out like lightning.

  "Ragnar, if you don't act now, and they kill me, you'll be helpless alone!" Seeing that the blood dwarf had actually teamed up with the green-skirted woman, the burly bearded man's face instantly turned pale as he cried out in panic.

  Ragnar's expression flickered uncertainly as he stood outside the combat circle, seemingly indifferent to the burly bearded man's peril. Moreover, with the blood dwarf and the green-skirted woman suddenly making their move, it was too late for him to lend aid.

  "Even if I die, I'll take one down with me! Damned whore, die!" The burly bearded man's face, initially drained of color, twisted into madness. A flash of yellow light—the burly bearded man had cast a defensive spell on himself. Earth-attribute cultivators were known for their defense.

  Sshhh! Another tear appeared in the purple silk from the axe strike.

  The blood dwarf's twin wheels didn't hesitate for a moment, smashing into the burly bearded man's thick back. Pfft! The burly bearded man spewed a mouthful of blood, the yellow light on his body shattering. Simultaneously, a hair-thin needle flew out from within the purple silk, striking the burly bearded man squarely in the chest and piercing through.

  A white light flashed. The flying wheel circled once around the burly bearded man's neck, and a head soared into the sky.

  The head of the burly bearded man, his eyes wide with unwillingness, rolled on the ground. The black-robed old man's pupils contracted. He hadn't expected the green-skirted woman to conceal a flying needle within her purple silk. He had never seen her use this move before; it was truly impossible to guard against.

  After killing the burly bearded man, the green-skirted woman giggled and looked at the black-robed old man. "Ragnar, tell me, since you can't refine Foundation Establishment Pills, is there still any need for me to keep you alive?"

  The black-robed old man's expression remained calm. "Although there are two Purple Ginseng plants, having one more in hand always increases the hope of successfully refining a Foundation Establishment Pill. I also feel there's no need to share with you."

  Hearing this, the green-skirted woman was first taken aback. After exchanging a glance with the blood dwarf, she immediately doubled over with laughter, as if she had heard the funniest joke. "Ragnar, you're only at Great Perfection of Qi Refinement. Even if you're a level or two higher than us, do you really think you have the strength to take on two at once?"

  "Why waste words with him? Kill him!" The blood dwarf's face was full of ferocity. With a shake of his hands, the two flying wheels swept towards the black-robed old man.

  "Child's play!" The black-robed old man didn't even take the twin wheels seriously. With a tap of his left hand on the jade gourd hanging at his waist, a dense swarm of small green dots buzzed forth. At the same time, he summoned a golden flying sword, shooting it straight at the blood dwarf's twin wheels.

  "Shadow Ants? No wonder you're so arrogant. But do you think these low-level spirit insects can hold me back? What a joke." The green-skirted woman snorted disdainfully. With a flick of her hand, her purple silk shot through the cloud of Shadow Ants heading towards her, catching up with the golden flying sword ahead. The purple silk wrapped around the hilt of the flying sword.

  "Hurry, I can't hold on for long!" The green-skirted woman clearly also held considerable fear towards these two hundred-plus Shadow Ants, unlike the ease she had claimed earlier.

  "Alright! Without his flying sword, killing Ragnar will be as easy as slaughtering a chicken!" The blood dwarf let out a strange laugh, appearing confident.

  *Ding----*

  A clear ringing sound. The golden flying sword, whose hilt was entangled by the purple silk, suddenly trembled. Some golden shell-like fragments fell off, revealing a pitch-black flying sword about half a meter long inside. Its aura was several times more powerful than the previous golden flying sword, and the spiritual pressure it emitted almost suffocated the green-skirted woman and the blood dwarf.