Chapter 2252: Emperor Spirit Grass

"Are you sure there's Emperor Spirit Grass in there?"

Zhang Xuan frowned.

The spatial rift before him was far more terrifying than any he had seen before. Under the storm, matter constantly annihilated, releasing colorful light like an aurora.

In such a place, even a titled Divine King could not enter. Was Emperor Spirit Grass, merely a medicinal herb, truly able to survive?

"I'm sure!" Ao Feng nodded. "The spiritual tide has come four times now, and I've been here all four times. Though I haven't obtained any great treasures, I haven't been idle either. I'm very familiar with the terrain here, which is why I could directly lead people to find Earthly Spirit Liquid instead of scouting first."

Zhang Xuan nodded.

Earlier, he had wondered how this man could be certain that the Earthly Spirit Liquid was deep in the mountain stream despite so many phantom spirits guarding it. It turned out he had been here before, only lacking the strength to take it.

"When I came before, this rift wasn't as fierce as it is now. Occasionally, I could see inside through the broken space, but now it seems unstable..."

Ao Feng frowned.

"Unstable?"

"This spatial rift wasn't this large or violent before. Even I have entered it, just couldn't get the Emperor Spirit Grass... I didn't expect it to change so much in ten years!"

Ao Feng explained.

"Mm."

Zhang Xuan frowned.

He hadn't been here ten years ago and didn't know the specifics.

But with such changes, even he would find it difficult to enter.

He turned to the girl beside him. "Can you stabilize this place?"

The chaotic space before him, even with his soul having improved considerably, would be hard to force through. The only solution he could think of was to rely on this girl.

The Space-Calming Pearl could stabilize space; even with the turbulent currents, it should be possible.

"I can, but... not for long," Luo Qiqi said after a glance.

"How long?"

"At most twenty breaths," Luo Qiqi calculated.

"That's enough."

Zhang Xuan smiled slightly. "I'll bring out the Emperor Spirit Grass within twenty breaths."

"Alright," Luo Qiqi replied, not bothering with more words. She leaped to the spatial rift and, with a gentle shake, transformed into a round pearl.

Hum!

With a low rumble, the previously turbulent spatial rift instantly stabilized, and the colorful light froze in place, motionless.

"This..."

Ao Feng blinked, nearly spitting blood from shock.

He had always thought this girl was an ordinary Divine King, nothing to worry about, probably just tagging along behind this Nine Heavens Enfeoffed King for experience. He never expected her to be so powerful!

Even as a titled Divine King, he couldn't do that. That meant...

In a direct fight, even if she were just an ordinary Divine King, he would certainly lose!

As expected of an Enfeoffed King—even someone by his side was not simple!

Whoosh!

Seeing Luo Qiqi stabilize the space, Zhang Xuan shot straight into the rift.

The halted colorful light streaked past his eyes as Zhang Xuan, with lightning-like gaze, looked around.

This rift, located above this continent, had originally been just a dangerous place, but now it seemed about to tear the entire continent apart.

"No, it's that power again..."

After flying inward for a while, Zhang Xuan frowned.

Deep within surged a tremendous force that seemed to accelerate the rift's formation, and this force was identical to that in the mountain stream's depths and the pit in Spiritual Source City.

Shielding his body with Heaven-Human Sentiment True Qi, Zhang Xuan stopped.

Not far away, in the pitch-black rift, he indeed saw three Emperor Spirit Grasses suspended, as if about to be swallowed by the darkness.

Fragments of shattered space drifted over and were devoured by the Emperor Spirit Grasses, their leaves growing even more enchanting.

"The legend says Emperor Spirit Grass lives by absorbing spatial rifts and contains powerful spatial force... It's true," Zhang Xuan said solemnly.

Zhang Xuan's gaze was grave.

Emperor Spirit Grass does not survive by absorbing spiritual energy; it is a special medicinal herb that parasitizes space, living by devouring broken space.

"It feels like these Emperor Spirit Grasses were deliberately planted to stabilize this rift..."

After observing for a while, Zhang Xuan frowned.

This rift was pried open by that special power capable of dissolving Heavenly Dao True Qi, constantly tearing outward. Normally, it would grow larger and larger, soon tearing the continent in half, even cutting across the entire Tide Sea.

But these three Emperor Spirit Grasses, while appearing to grow by absorbing broken space and causing damage, actually had roots that tightly pulled the separated space together, absorbing the shattered parts like clearing silt from a river, keeping the rift from being too large and the destruction less thorough.

If this were accidental, how could it be so coincidental?

But if someone deliberately planted them, the Tide Sea's Emperor couldn't enter, and ordinary titled Divine Kings couldn't do it either!

Creak! Creak!

As he pondered, he felt the rift emit a dull sound, as if Luo Qiqi outside could barely hold on.

"Can't delay..."

His expression hardened.

Luo Qiqi could only hold for twenty breaths; most of the time had already passed since he entered. He had to decide quickly.

His purpose in entering was to take these three Emperor Spirit Grasses, but seeing them, he realized they controlled the rift, preventing it from expanding.

If he took them, the spatial rift would surely sweep the surroundings, cutting the continent in half—that would be minor—but it might even tear a huge gash through the entire Tide Sea, and even... the Divine Realm could be in danger!

If he didn't take them, judging by the Emperor Spirit Grasses' condition, they couldn't last much longer. Within a month or two at most, the rift would similarly expand, eventually causing the entire Tide Sea to collapse.

"Perhaps... this is the last spiritual tide."

A thought emerged.

Earlier, hearing others say the spiritual tide came every ten years, he had assumed it would continue forever, providing resources for the Divine Realm and making more people stronger.

Now it seemed... not so simple.

Spiritual energy had a finite amount. This Tide Sea was not as stable as imagined. Once destroyed, not only would the spiritual tide vanish completely, but the Divine Realm would also suffer severe damage, with countless casualties.

"No wonder... Luo Ruoxi and Teacher Kong had to contend for the Heavenly Mandate..."

He had thought that as long as he didn't break through to Emperor, he wouldn't have to contend for the Heavenly Mandate or the Heavenly Dao, and there would be no separation by life and death!

Now thinking back, he had been too shallow.

The Heavenly Dao's operation would not stop because of your cleverness. If he never broke through, the Tide Sea would be torn apart, and the Divine Realm would face great upheaval. As the Heavenly Dao's spokesperson, he would be the first to face danger!

He might even perish, body and soul!

In other words... whether he contended for the Heavenly Mandate or not, he couldn't be at ease. Not contending might mean dying faster; contending, on the other hand, offered a glimmer of hope!