Although the young woman in white appeared innocent and pure, her expression was now solemn. Her entire body was enveloped in a strange silver glow, making her seem even more mysterious and eerie.
What was most surprising was that the men and women in white following behind her all looked extremely cautious and fearful. Not a single one dared to whisper or mutter under their breath, and their gazes toward her back were filled with awe and reverence.
The willful woman who had appeared in the desert and her cultivation partner were also among the group. However, the arrogance on their faces had completely vanished. Like the others, they dared not even breathe heavily, appearing exceptionally obedient and well-behaved.
Suddenly, the leading elven girl came to a halt, and the entire procession behind her naturally stopped as well.
Not far ahead, the path opened up to reveal a green, deep pool. In the center of the pool, several black reefs protruded from the water, on which grew over a dozen glossy, jade-like ganoderma plants, particularly eye-catching.
“Is this the place?” the elven girl asked in a crisp, tender voice after observing the pool for a moment, without turning her head.
“Yes, Ancestor! The top-tier aquatic alligator is hiding in this pool. During previous herb-gathering expeditions in the forbidden area, one of our sect’s disciples lost his life to this beast. However, another managed to escape alive!” From the group of female disciples from the Masked Moon Sect behind her, an older woman stepped forward and replied with a deep bow, her tone extremely respectful.
According to the convention in the cultivation world where seniority is determined by cultivation level, this elven girl should only be addressed as such by Core Formation cultivators of the Masked Moon Sect! But wasn’t this forbidden area supposed to be inaccessible to cultivators above the Foundation Establishment stage? What was going on? The expressions of the other Masked Moon Sect disciples showed no surprise, indicating they were already aware of the secret.
“Hmm! Understood, you may step back,” the elven girl commanded with an air of authority, her face displaying a competence that starkly contrasted with her youthful appearance.
She then turned to the others behind her and said, “Prepare yourselves! Once I lure the aquatic alligator to the surface, all of you will use the newly mastered joint attack technique, ‘Yin-Yang Pulling Art,’ and strike in pairs. With the combined force equivalent to a full-power strike from a Foundation Establishment disciple, eliminating this beast should be no problem. Afterward, we will proceed to the next top-tier beast’s lair and continue gathering these spiritual herbs that no one dared to collect before!”
Though her voice was soft, it carried unwavering confidence. The male and female disciples showed no doubt and all responded in agreement.
With that, the elven girl turned around, opened her mouth, and a pink ring the size of a thumb slowly emerged. It then expanded in the wind, growing to the size of a head in the blink of an eye, emitting a low hum. It shone brilliantly and seemed incredibly spiritual!
From the way the ring appeared, the light it emitted, and the vast spiritual power it contained, it was undoubtedly a genuine magical treasure.
Could this girl truly be a Core Formation cultivator?
Before long, a loud roar echoed from the secret cave dozens of feet deep underground, followed by several bellowing sounds like those of a water buffalo, filled with rage. Soon after, a series of thunderous rumbles drowned out the bellows, which weakened after a few intense moments. Various loud noises and explosions followed, completely overwhelming the bellows until they ceased entirely.
Several hours later, the elven girl emerged from a hidden cave entrance with the male and female disciples of the Masked Moon Sect. The disciples behind her all wore excited expressions, their faces beaming with joy.
It was no wonder—the opportunity to slay a top-tier level-one demon beast was not something these Qi Condensation novices could easily come by. Now, with relatively little effort, they had killed the extremely fearsome aquatic alligator, which was more than enough to excite them.
Of course, if the elven girl hadn’t used her ring treasure to block most of the beast’s attacks, it would have been impossible for them to end the battle without a single casualty. Thus, their gazes toward her back were filled with even greater reverence.
The girl, however, paid no attention to the looks from the disciples behind her. She walked ahead with a calm expression, as if slaying a top-tier level-one demon beast was nothing remarkable.
A moment later, the group of Masked Moon Sect disciples disappeared into the nearby dense forest, vanishing without a trace.
…
Elsewhere, disciples from various sects continued to slay demon beasts and gather spiritual herbs. Occasionally, conflicts arose over the herbs, but strangely, very few of these conflicts resulted in fatalities. Typically, the weaker side would retreat once they realized they were outmatched, and the victors would not pursue them aggressively. Instead, they would hurriedly collect the herbs and move on to the next location.
Most people understood the reason for this: everyone was running short on time. Rather than engaging in bloody battles, it was better to explore other areas for potential gains. The real struggle to plunder each other’s spiritual herbs would occur on the final day, when everyone was returning with a full harvest.
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