36

In front of the Beast Hall, the disciples from the three peaks stood in separate circles, each grouping together.

Rong Xuan had already informed the Baizhan Peak disciples about the Spirit Grass Garden. Upon learning that there was spirit grass ahead, the young faces of the Baizhan Peak disciples were filled with excitement.

He didn't lower his voice, so even the disciples of Yanmo Peak, standing nearby, heard everything clearly.

Faced with the curious looks of her junior brothers and sisters, Wen Miaomiao calmly explained, "The competition for the Nine-Turn Spirit Grass is too dangerous, so I declined Senior Sister Jiang Ye's proposal. However, if any of you are interested, you can stay and give it a try."

The group shook their heads in unison.

It was no joke—they had made it this far safely because of Wen Miaomiao's nearly supernatural intuition. She had proven repeatedly that every decision she made was the right one.

Since she said it was too dangerous, it must be incredibly risky—perhaps even life-threatening.

The spirit grass might be precious, but their lives were worth more.

Before they set out, their master had emphasized that they weren't expected to achieve great things in this trial, but rather to return safely.

The disciples from each peak stood distinctly apart. Meng Shuying couldn't openly approach Su Luowei in front of everyone, so she could only keep stealing glances at her, her entire attention focused on Su Luowei.

Golden Core cultivators have sharp senses, and Meng Shuying's gaze was too obvious.

Seizing a moment when no one was paying attention, Su Luowei turned her head, met Meng Shuying's gaze, and gave her a gentle smile.

Meng Shuying's face immediately flushed. She quickly looked down, trying to hide her emotions.

But her heart couldn't calm down that easily. If there weren't so many people around, Meng Shuying would have rushed over to Su Luowei's side like a loyal puppy, sticking close to her, seeking her approval, and wagging her tail only for her.

Since they had already decided not to go to the Spirit Grass Garden, the Yanmo Peak disciples didn't linger any longer. After bidding farewell to the others, they set off for the exit, following the map.

The geography of the Ten Directions Blessed Land was unique; entry and exit were only possible through specific teleportation arrays.

After sending the Yanmo Peak disciples to the teleportation array, Su Luowei suddenly stopped and said to Wen Miaomiao, "You all go ahead. I won't be returning with you."

Wen Miaomiao was puzzled. "Where are you going, Senior Sister?"

"I'm still interested in the Nine-Turn Spirit Grass. I want to take a look."

Su Luowei had originally planned to send them to the teleportation array and then return to the Spirit Grass Garden. After all, she had a side mission to complete and shouldn't leave so easily.

Seeing that she still wanted to return, Wen Miaomiao immediately jumped off the teleportation array. "I'll go with you, Senior Sister."

The other disciples also wanted to follow. "We'll go too."

Su Luowei shook her head. After hesitating for a moment, she decided to be honest. "You're only at the Foundation Establishment stage. Going there would be too dangerous."

If she went alone, she could escape if things got too risky. But if she brought them along, they might not be able to get away.

The Yanmo Peak disciples knew their limitations and realized they would only be a burden, so they didn't insist.

Wen Miaomiao reluctantly stepped back onto the teleportation array and handed the map to Su Luowei. With a worried expression, she said, "Since you have other plans, Senior Sister, we'll return to Qingxu Sect first. There must be powerful spirit beasts in the Spirit Grass Garden. Please be careful."

Su Luowei nodded. "I'll be careful."

If it was too dangerous, she wouldn't fight for it.

After all, it was just a side mission. Even if she didn't complete it, it wouldn't be a big deal.

Once the Yanmo Peak disciples had left, the Qionghua and Baizhan Peak disciples rested briefly before setting off together for the Spirit Grass Garden.

The Spirit Grass Garden was located at the northernmost part of the blessed land, farthest from the exit teleportation array.

Jiang Ye and Rong Xuan had a large group of Foundation Establishment disciples with them, so they couldn't fly on their swords and had to walk for two full days before reaching the Spirit Grass Garden.

Unlike other places, the Spirit Grass Garden had no walls or gate. There was only a sign by the roadside, with the words "Spirit Grass Garden" written on it.

The calligraphy was elegant, with strokes that flowed like clouds and smoke, likely written by the original owner.

From that sign onward, the area belonged to the Spirit Grass Garden.

At first glance, the place seemed ordinary. But once they crossed that line, they realized the garden was full of hidden wonders.

Unlike other areas of the blessed land, the Spirit Grass Garden was rich in spiritual energy, so dense it condensed into visible white mist.

As the disciples entered, they found that the spiritual energy naturally gathered around them, even without them actively cultivating.

Staying here to cultivate for a day would be equivalent to cultivating for three days outside.

Meng Shuying even saw that deep within the garden, the spiritual energy had condensed into rain, gently falling from the sky.

However, something strange caught her attention. Despite the garden's abundant spiritual energy, the ordinary spiritual flowers and herbs planted around them appeared to be withering as if they had been dry for a long time.

Jiang Ye seemed oblivious to this anomaly. She was entirely immersed in the rich spiritual energy.

The fragrance of the flowers mixed with the spiritual energy, making her feel refreshed and rejuvenated, erasing the fatigue from the journey.

Jiang Ye's gaze was drawn to the deep part of the garden, where a seven-colored glow enveloped the area, creating a dreamy, enchanting scene that beckoned her closer.

"Whenever a heavenly treasure is about to emerge, it creates a phenomenon. The abundant spiritual energy here is likely related to the Nine-Turn Spirit Grass. But we've come this far without encountering any danger, and everything feels too peaceful. It's suspicious. I'm afraid the Nine-Turn Spirit Grass might be beyond our reach," Rong Xuan said, his expression serious as he warned Jiang Ye.

Jiang Ye dismissed his concerns. "Danger and opportunity always come hand in hand. Besides, we've come this far. Wouldn't you feel regret if we turned back now?"

Rong Xuan, of course, didn't want to give up.

Jiang Ye noticed his hesitation and seized the opportunity. "With the two of us working together, we can handle whatever comes our way. Or could it be…"

She covered her mouth with a playful smile, her eyes twinkling with a mischievous and girlish charm. "Could it be that Senior Brother isn't up to the task?"

Rong Xuan had grown up in the sect, mostly untouched by worldly matters. But he was still a man, raised in an environment full of other men at Baizhan Peak, with a pride that ran deep.

He didn't realize that Jiang Ye was teasing him. Instead, he thought she was questioning his ability, and his face flushed with anger. "Who says I'm not up to it? Of course, I can do it."

Jiang Ye smiled again. "Good. Senior Brother is the best. We'll rely on you this time."

Their conversation wasn't private, and the disciples behind them overheard everything.

The young disciples of Baizhan Peak, especially, felt a flutter in their hearts when they heard their beautiful senior sister speaking so sweetly to Rong Xuan. They couldn't help but feel a bit restless.

The Qionghua Peak disciples, on the other hand, remained indifferent, as if they hadn't noticed Jiang Ye's flirting with Rong Xuan.

Or perhaps it was because they were used to it. Back on Qionghua Peak, Jiang Ye had always been friendly with the more powerful senior brothers and sisters, using her charm to gain favors and conveniences.

In Qionghua Peak, this wasn't considered shameful behavior.

After all, even their master…

But poor Senior Sister Yu Qing.

Sigh.

Before Meng Shuying had reached Foundation Establishment, she had been a marginal figure on Qionghua Peak and didn't know much about the inner workings of the peak. Seeing Jiang Ye and Rong Xuan flirting so openly, she frowned slightly.

Senior Sister Su was different. She would never be so intimate with others.

Even with her closest friend, Xie Hanzhu, they always sat across from each other, maintaining a respectful distance.

Not long after, Meng Shuying saw Jiang Ye lean close to Rong Xuan's ear, whispering something with a smile. Rong Xuan whispered something back, and then Jiang Ye playfully pretended to be angry, lightly punching him on the arm.

For some reason, Meng Shuying thought of Su Luowei.

If one day, Senior Sister Su became this close to someone else, whispering in their ear and touching their arm…

Just the thought of such a scene made Meng Shuying's face darken.

If that happened, she would definitely cut off that person's ear and arm, making sure they never dared to covet her Senior Sister again.

The disciples of Baizhan Peak walked side by side with those of Qionghua Peak, Jiang Ye and Rong Xuan's playful banter continuously entering their ears.

They didn't dare to openly eavesdrop on the conversation, nor did they think it was appropriate to stare at them. So, they began to sneak glances at the Qionghua Peak disciples next to them.

Qionghua Peak had many female disciples, all of whom were young and attractive. Before long, some disciples who had caught each other's eye started to chat quietly.

Meng Shuying was uncomfortable with the atmosphere. Her expression stiffened, and she deliberately slowed her pace, falling behind the group.

Noticing her sour expression, the other disciples wisely avoided bothering her, allowing her to find some peace.

After walking for another half a day, they finally passed through the outer edge of the Spirit Grass Garden.

As they got closer, they realized that the seven-colored glow deep within the garden was actually a light barrier covering the ground. The barrier obscured their view of what lay beyond, but it was clear that the area within was unlikely to be as peaceful as the outer garden.

"I'll go ahead and scout," Rong Xuan said before walking straight into the light barrier.

As his body passed through the barrier, he disappeared, as if something behind it had swallowed him whole.

The others exchanged uneasy glances, none of them daring to be the second to enter.

When Rong Xuan didn't return after a while, Jiang Ye lost her patience and led the Qionghua Peak disciples into the barrier as well.

Meng Shuying, trailing behind, felt a brief flash in front of her eyes as she crossed the barrier. When she turned around, the light barrier had disappeared, leaving no visible exit.

As expected, there was an array here.

Meng Shuying didn't know much about arrays, but she could tell that the flow of spiritual energy here was not natural.

If Su Luowei were here, she would have recognized the hidden Gathering, Illusion, Light, and Reality arrays within the larger formation.

Fortunately, the death of the original owner of the Ten Directions Blessed Land had disrupted the flow of spiritual energy, preventing the array from fully activating.

Otherwise, even Master Yun Fei, who had studied arrays for years, would struggle to decipher the core of this formation.

The most complex arrays known today were composed of dozens of smaller arrays linked together to form a central array.

But this formation was left behind by an ancient immortal, and its intricacies were beyond comprehension. If given sufficient spiritual energy, the array would become self-sustaining.

Meng Shuying cautiously walked a few steps into the barrier. After confirming there were no immediate threats, she relaxed and hurried to catch up with the others.

In the distance, she could hear the sounds of battle, accompanied by the roars of spirit beasts.

It seemed that powerful spirit beasts had arrived before them.

And from the sounds of it, the beasts were already fighting each other.

Rong Xuan and Jiang Ye exchanged a glance, both secretly pleased.

It would be best if the spirit beasts fought each other to the death. That way, they could reap the benefits without lifting a finger.