Chapter 341: Sixth Heaven? Seventh Heaven?

The three sect masters left reluctantly with their many disciples who had come out searching for the herb thief.

Xie Yujia looked at Zhen Congming, finally knowing where the herbs came from.

Zhen Congming blushed at her stare, and he immediately called out to Hao Ren, "Brother! Create an elixir making room for Sister Yujia!"

Hao Ren was startled by how Zhen Congming was addressing him, wondering how this kid got used to it so soon. He didn't know that Zhen Congming's eccentric and overbearing personality was the result of staying in a small room for a long time alone whole studying how to make elixirs and dharma treasure every day. In fact, Zhen Congming who had just transformed into the human form was just a kid.

However, once he found someone who was kind to him, he would become dependent, just like Little White.

"Ok!" To stop Zhen Congming's further nagging, Hao Ren released a five-elemental hundun lightning, and it exploded a huge hole beside Xie Yujia's cave abode.

After the dust settled down, a round hole appeared. The hole had a small entrance but was big inside; it was the result of the hundun lightning inside the mountain.

He released another sword energy which pierced the section of the mountain between her cave abode and the elixir making room, forming a tunnel connecting the two rooms. This way, Xie Yujia's cave abode had one bedroom, one elixir making room, and a cultivation room; much higher-end than his own.

Hao Ren studied it carefully and found something was lacking. His sword energies suddenly lengthened while they turned into hundreds of smaller sword energies, and they cut two sets of stairs. The two set of stairs connected to the foot of the mountain in a 'Y' shape before leading to the herb garden at the bottom of the valley.

This way, Xie Yujia didn't need to ride Little White to move between the cave abode, the elixir making room, and the herb garden. She could walk around by herself.

His cultivation techniques were quite powerful at opening mountains and building roads.

Standing at the bottom of the valley, Xie Yujia watched Hao Ren as he built the steps to the spot in front of her, appreciating his attention to details with a smile.

Hao Ren pulled back the sword energies which swept over his head and flew toward the third cave abode.

Crack... Debris flew around, and a set of stone steps appeared before Zhao Yanzi's cave abode leading to the bottom of the valley.

In Hao Ren's mind, Zhao Yanzi was supposed to help Xie Yujia look after the herbs.

However, his considerate act was received by Xie Yujia with faint jealousy. Zhao Yanzi got everything she had, but she didn't have everything Zhao Yanzi got from Hao Ren.

Withdrawing the hundred sword energies, Hao Ren was still full of energy. Today, he had unlocked three openings, resulting in a total of 75 opens. The surging nature essence had filled his body. Knowing that he couldn't make more progress today, he gave up the thought of trying lighting cultivation on Fifth Heaven right now.

He didn't build steps in front of his own cave abode because he didn't want to be disturbed while he was cultivating. After all, if the energetic Zhao Yanzi came to the valley, she would want to wander around Fifth Heaven, but he didn't have time to keep her company.

While they were working in the valley, in the White Sand Sect 350 kilometers away from the Ethereal Summit, the sect master in his blue Taoist robe was welcoming a young cultivator with respect.

The White Sand Sect's grand hall on the mountainside had collapsed, and some of the debris still littering around. While the young cultivator walked along the mountain path, he glanced at the ruins of the grand hall and asked leisurely, "Sect Master Wang, what happened?"

Walking alongside the young cultivator respectfully, Sect Master Wang cupped his hands and said, "Senior Ye, I was about to report this incident. A couple of days ago, an enemy came to our sect. During the fierce battle, the grand hall was destroyed. This cultivator used a powerful technique of sword energies. When he left on a sword, his speed was astonishing."

"Huh!" The young cultivator arched his eyebrows.

On Fifth Heaven, the White Sand Sect was not a small sect. Its territory extended over 50 kilometers, and it was an affiliated sect of the Sky Mountain Sect from Sixth Heaven. Ye Yan, a sixteenth-generation disciple of the Sky Mountain Sect, was sent to Fifth Heaven to look for a spirit stone lode, and he came to the White Sand Sect to rest and gather information.

It was unbelievable that someone dared to break into an affiliate sect of the Sky Mountain Set and even destroyed a grand hall.

"I guess he must not be a cultivator from Fifth Heaven. Am I right?" Sect Master Wang asked cautiously.

When the sect members found that a Core Formation Realm cultivator had broken into the defense array formation of the sect, they all regarded him as a big fish. However, they didn't capture this cultivator or get his treasures; on the contrary, they lost their herbs in the back-mountain garden, including several pieces of thousand-year-old polygonum. The cultivator seemed to act as a cover for the herb thief.

"Sword energies..." The young cultivator couldn't think of anyone with this technique on Sixth Heaven. After all, a cultivator from Seventh Heaven wouldn't have bothered to make trouble for the White Sand Sect on Fifth Heaven.

"Besides, our herb garden was plundered, and nothing was left, including three pieces of one thousand-year-old polygonum we had planned to hand to your sect this month," Sect Master Wang continued.

The young cultivator's frown got deeper. "The herb garden is protected by special array formations. How could they enter it so easily?"

The Sky Mountain Sect excelled in growing herbs, but they didn't grow all the herbs themselves. Instead, they had developed some affiliated sects to grow some herbs for them. They would collect the herbs regularly from the affiliated sects to make elixirs or feed the spirit beasts. It was a complete supply chain.

As the treasures of the White Sand Sect, the polygonum had been protected by layers of array formations. It was unimaginable that they had been stolen so easily.

"I don't understand it either. We, the White Sand Sect, would never dare to deceive you. Right now, the herb garden is empty. Senior Ye, do you want to go and have a look?"

The young cultivator looked younger than him, but the sect master called him 'Senior' respectfully.

"Do you have any clues about the herb thief?" The young cultivator asked after a moment of consideration.

He suspected that the incident was aimed at the Sky Mountain Sect.

"According to the disciples guarding the herb garden at the time, the thief was a little Daoist who stepped on a black disk. His speed was equivalent to that of a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator," Sect Master Wang said in a low voice.

A little Daoist with the traveling speed of a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator? The sect master was afraid that the young cultivator wouldn't believe him and think that the White Sand Sect had taken the spiritual herbs for themselves.

The young cultivator's heart lurched at the mention of a little Daoist. He had heard the older generations talk about this thief. A few years ago, this mysterious figure went to the Sky Mountain Sect and stole all the spiritual herbs that were over 1,000 years old while the elders were cultivating nearby. It had infuriated the significant figures in the Sky Mountain Sect...

"Senior Ye, do you have any clues about him?" At the slight change of expression on the young cultivator's face, Sect Master Wang asked immediately.

"I need to investigate a bit more." The young cultivator glanced at Master Wang with his eyes narrowed. "What else?"

"We sent two elders to scout around First Heaven, and they were blocked by a cultivator there. They were wounded but had returned safely. According to their description, the cultivator who blocked them looked a lot like the one who broke into our sect. And the female cultivator with him had our elders' name badges," Sect Master Wang continued while he observed the young cultivator's expression.

"Your White Sand Sect has recently gotten your plates full!" The young cultivator looked at Sect Master Wang with disapproval.

He knew that the sect master of the White Sand Sect didn't dare to deceive him. But the information was giving him a headache. It was said that the mysterious thief usually appeared in Sixth Heaven and occasionally broke into the Seventh Heaven. Each time he appeared, the herbs the sects accumulated for hundreds of years would disappear. His movements were irregular and hard to prevent. After a series of such incidents, the name of the notorious Herb Thief Daoist had spread all over the top level in Sixth Heaven, and they talked about him with fear.

It was heard that a master on Seventh Heaven had captured this kid. However, only half a day later, the kid disappeared, and the master dropped from mid-tier Nascent Soul Realm to low-tier Nascent Soul Realm.

However, the herb thief Daoist usually stole from the big sects with abundant resources on Sixth Heaven. That was why few people knew about him, and this young cultivator had only heard about him from his master, the senior elder of Sky Mountain Sect.

"But why would this legendary kid lower himself and begin stealing from the small sects on Fifth Heaven?"

"And the herb thief Daoist had a partner in crime?"

At this thought, the young cultivator stared at Sect Master Wang and said, "We must keep it a secret!"

It seemed that the herb thief Daoist had a partner who was probably a cultivator from Seventh Heaven. They had been scouting in First Heaven and encountered the cultivators from Fifth Heaven who were loitering there as well. Displeased at their presence, the cultivator from Seventh Heaven had decided to teach the two elders from the White Sand Sect a lesson.

"Big Senior Brother! You are here!" While the young cultivator was deep in thought, a crisp shout interrupted his thoughts.

In the sky, a golden lion flew over swiftly, and on its back was Duan Yao, the youngest junior sister in the sixteenth generation and the daughter of the Sky Mountain Sect Master.

"Junior Sister, how come you are here?" The young cultivator asked her with a smile as the snow lion turned into a squirrel before jumping onto her shoulder.

The golden lion was the sect master's mount, a level 5 spirit beast. Since the sect master rarely used it, Duan Yao often borrowed it to go out and play.

"I was bored in Sixth Heaven, so I came down here to play!" Duan Yao wrinkled her nose and asked, ignoring Sect Master Wang on the side, "Big Senior Brother, when will you go back?

"According to the intelligence, the spirit stone lode is nearby, and I should be here for a couple of days," the young cultivator answered with a smile. His cold and proud expression changed to warm concern.

"Oh..." Duan Yao nodded slightly. "One more thing, Big Senior Brother. Do you think Grand Uncle-Master's Jitian has come to Fifth Heaven?"

"Jitian? I don't think so. It should be in the Taotie Palace. It's a level 6 spirit beast, and no one but Grand Uncle-Master can ride it. Grand Uncle-Master has been in a seclusion cultivation for the last 50 years, charging at top-tier of the Nascent Soul Realm, and Jitian has also been cultivating beside Grand Uncle-Master.

"Don't you think that Jitian might feel bored and came out to play?" Duan Yao asked immediately.

"Jitian is older than Grand Uncle-Master, and it isn't so naughty. Junior Sister, why do you ask?" the young cultivator looked at her in bafflement.

"Oh. I just saw a white snow lion whose speed was even faster than my Luojia. I thought maybe Grand Uncle-Master had come to Fifth Heaven for some business," Duan Yao said, scratching her head.

"Grand Uncle-Master is in the crucial stage of charging at top-tier of the Nascent Realm, so he wouldn't be out. Only our Sky Mountain has snow lions, and we have the best techniques in raising spirit beasts. Recently, only I came to Fifth Heaven, and no one else would ride a snow lion here. Your eyes must have played tricks on you!"

"That's weird. Even Luojia reacted to it; how could I have gotten it wrong..." Duan Yao curled her lips with confusion.

Luojia had now turned into a golden squirrel resting quietly on her shoulder, but its eyes were so dazzling that Master Wang of the White Sand Sect didn't dare to meet its eyes.

A level 5 spirit beast's power was equivalent to that of a top-tier Nascent Soul Realm cultivator, and Sect Master Wang was only at top-tier Core Formation Realm; it was natural that he couldn't meet its eyes.

"Sect Master Wang, show me to your herb garden." The young cultivator turned to look at Sect Master Wang, who stood aside with his head lowered, and said lightly.

Meanwhile, in the Ethereal Summit, Hao Ren checked the time and urged Zhen Congming and Xie Yujia to return to First Heaven.

Zhen Congming had always stolen herbs and had never grown them before. This time with an herb garden of his own on Fifth Heaven, his interest was stimulated. Growing up in the city, Xie Yujia had never tried her hand at farming although she had seen people farm when she was little. That was why she was interested in growing the spiritual herbs.

Hao Ren lived in the countryside with his grandmother when he was little and thus had less interest in farming. Seeing that the work was almost done, he urged them to head back.

After napping for a whole day, Little White turned into its snow lion form and carried Hao Ren and Xie Yujia on its back. Zhen Congming took out his ugly flight dharma treasure and stepped onto it.

While they were rushing out of the valley, Zhen Congming looked back and found that they still needed an elixir furnace.

He had everything in his storage space except an elixir furnace. He usually borrowed the elixir making room in the East Ocean Dragon Palace, but he couldn't move the furnace from the dragon palace to this place.

He thought, "It would be a shame if I stole more from the nearby three sects. How about the sects further away from here? Well, the White Sand Sect we had broken into last time looked quite big, maybe they have one or two good elixir furnaces..."

While these thoughts raced through his mind, the three of them broke through the barrier on the edge of Fifth Heaven and shot toward the direction of First Heaven.