Before long, Ye Yunfei arrived before a massive island.
The island was indeed vast, resembling a small continent, with several immense mountain ranges spread across it. Countless peaks rose and fell across the landscape, interspersed with plains and grasslands.
"Fantastic! There's actually a small continent here. We can rest and recover here properly," Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm said excitedly, looking at the island ahead.
Having drifted across the sea for so long after leaving the previous small island, the sudden sight of land to set foot on was undoubtedly thrilling.
"Be careful," Hun Lao spoke up. "Every region within the Ancient Desolate Sea could harbor terrifying things. I sense there must be existences on this island that we cannot afford to provoke. We must be very cautious."
"Yes, we must be careful," Ye Yunfei nodded in agreement. "That unremarkable island we encountered before held a Senior proficient in the Dream Path. This vast island might host even more terrifying beings." He then cautiously stepped onto the island.
The scenery on the island was beautiful. Sprawling before them were flowers, grasses, vines, trees, chirping birds, darting wild rabbits—teeming with vitality.
"Master, look over there! It seems there are some divine fruits, and they appear to be rather high-level," Hu Miao suddenly exclaimed in delight, pointing into the distance.
Ye Yunfei looked over and spotted a spring nestled among the distant mountains. The water was clear to the bottom, where a few small fish swam. Surrounding the spring were thick, bucket-sized old vines and various flowers, grasses, and trees. Among them grew over a dozen waist-high shrubs.
These small shrubs were crimson-red throughout, as if carved from agate, emitting a faint reddish glow. Adorned on the shrubs were bright red fruits, roughly the size of an adult's fist, emanating a rich, fruity fragrance.
"These should be some type of divine fruit, but I've never seen them before," Ye Yunfei examined the crimson fruits, inwardly surprised.
As a proficient alchemist, Ye Yunfei was widely knowledgeable. The fact that he did not recognize these fruits indicated they were incredibly rare and certainly highly advanced.
"Master, these divine fruits smell amazing. So tempting. I really want to taste one," Hu Miao gazed at the distant, agate-like crimson divine fruits, almost drooling.
"Don't eat them rashly," Ye Yunfei immediately cautioned. "We don't know what these fruits are called, what effects they have, or what grade of divine fruit they are. Absolutely cannot eat them carelessly. If their energy proves to be more than we can handle, the consequences would be severe."
Ye Yunfei then prepared to soar into the air and dash toward the distant mountain spring. However, his body had only risen a few meters off the ground when an utterly terrifying energy rolled down from above, pressing down on him and forcing him back to the ground.
"Seems this island also possesses formidable anti-flight energy. Flying is impossible here," Ye Yunfei couldn't help but smile wryly.
Thus, Ye Yunfei could only travel on foot. But his physical strength was astonishing, allowing him to move swiftly across the ground. In an instant, he arrived beside the spring and stood before the red divine fruits.
"These divine fruits are too fragrant," Hu Miao exclaimed.
"Patience. Let's harvest them first. We'll study them later to determine exactly what they are, their name, and their effects before consuming and refining them," Ye Yunfei said with a smile.
He reached out to pluck the bright red fruits hanging from the trees. But at that moment, the dozen or so waist-high shrubs suddenly burst with dazzling yellow light and began shaking violently. Before Ye Yunfei could react, they drilled into the earth and vanished completely.
"All those divine fruit trees ran away! What's going on?" Hu Miao exclaimed in surprise.
"I just sensed Earth Qi Energy and Earth Law energy," Ye Yunfei explained. "Powerful Earth Qi Energy under the ground pulled those dozen divine fruit trees down."
Just now, the instant the trees sank into the ground, Ye Yunfei had sensed rich Earth Qi Energy and highly advanced Earth Law. He even felt massive, surging tides of Earth Qi Energy churning underground, alongside numerous Earth Dragons roaming below.
"It seems this island, much like Xuanhuang Continent, belongs to a special type of advanced landmass," Ye Yunfei thought inwardly, sensing the turbulent Earth Qi Energy deep beneath the island through his Soul Force perception, feeling shocked. He even suspected this island's grade might surpass that of Xuanhuang Continent. However, being proficient in the Geomancy Technique, Ye Yunfei wasn't afraid of such unique continents.
Ye Yunfei stomped a foot, employing the Geomancy Technique to commune with the Earth Qi. Instantly, the Earth Qi Energy and Earth Dragons deep underground beneath him sensed his call and stirred.
Vast amounts of Earth Qi Energy erupted like smoke signals, gathering around Ye Yunfei's position.
But when Ye Yunfei attempted to harness the Earth Qi Energy and enter the ground, a terrifying aura rolled towards him. Startled, he retreated more than ten steps immediately.
"Such terrifying energy!" Ye Yunfei felt his whole body turn cold. Fortunately, his proficiency in the Geomancy Technique allowed him to use the surrounding Earth Qi Energy to shield his body at the critical moment; otherwise, that terrifying aura would have sent him flying.
"Perhaps the Earth Qi Energy on this landmass is too dense, and its Earth Laws too advanced, triggering a natural defense that attacked me," Ye Yunfei mused.
He then employed the Geomancy Technique again, stomping his foot to commune with the Earth Qi, and released several thousand Earth Dragons from within the Phantom Tower. They surged and roared, all drilling into the earth. Ye Yunfei stood atop the head of a relatively advanced Earth Dragon, intending to ride it underground.
But that same terrifying energy aura surged towards him again, instantly flinging Ye Yunfei a great distance.
"Impossible... With my proficiency in the Geomancy Technique, I can't even enter the ground on this island?" Ye Yunfei was inwardly shocked.
"Master, look! This spring doesn't seem ordinary," Hu Miao suddenly pointed at the nearby spring and said to Ye Yunfei.
Ye Yunfei immediately looked over, and his expression turned astonished.
The spring water was clear and transparent, with a faint, sweet fragrance permeating the air. Standing beside it felt exceptionally pleasant.
The water was releasing strands of energy. Once these energies entered the body, one instantly felt their power increase noticeably.
The mere aura alone had such an effect. One could imagine how precious this spring water must be.
"This spring water must be a treasure. Gather it up quickly," Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm, now standing beside Ye Yunfei, stared at the water with gleaming eyes.
"Indeed, this is not ordinary water. It should be a relatively rare type of Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasure," Ye Yunfei nodded. He immediately retrieved a jade bottle about the size of a finger to collect the spring water.
Although small, the jade bottle was a valuable spatial treasure. It could contain not just this spring, but an entire ordinary ocean's worth of seawater.
As Ye Yunfei opened the bottle's lid, preparing to collect the spring water before him...
Rumble!
The ground beneath his feet began shaking violently. Vast Earth Qi Energy erupted like dense smoke signals.
Then, to Ye Yunfei's astonishment, the Earth Qi Energy condensed into a massive yellow energy palm that thundered towards him.
Ye Yunfei immediately recognized this as a technique from geomancy art that utilize Earth Qi Energy for attack.
He also knew similar arts and secret methods. But the energy contained within this Earth Qi Energy palm before him was far too terrifying, forcing Ye Yunfei to retreat continuously.
Next, Ye Yunfei saw the spring suddenly begin to sink, completely vanishing underground within moments.
Not only that, but other seemingly medicinal plants around the spring also all drilled into the ground and disappeared.
"Don't tell me they're all gone? They were all such precious treasures!" Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm lamented.
"Master, look! All those things have been relocated over there," Hu Miao suddenly cried out in shock.
Ye Yunfei looked over. Indeed, on a flat plain among the distant mountains, the vanished spring, the flowers, grasses, trees, and thick vines surrounding it, including the dozen or so crimson-red shrubs, had all reappeared.
"Could it be these things are sentient? They knew we wanted to collect them, so they all ran away?" Hu Miao couldn't help but suggest.
"No. They were all transported there by Earth Qi Energy," Ye Yunfei said solemnly, his expression grave.
"Transported by Earth Qi Energy? Does this island harbor a highly skilled Geomancer, then?" Golden-Horned Dragon Silkworm asked, puzzled.
"No. With such an advanced level of geomancy art, this surpasses a mere Geomancer," Ye Yunfei's expression grew exceptionally solemn. "It is a Geomantic Master."