The scene at the mountain gate didn’t bother Lin Fan in the least—it had nothing to do with him anyway. Now that the spectacle was over, it was time to leave.
The disciples waiting at the gate, however, wore increasingly grim expressions. Some were heartbroken, others sighed helplessly, clearly feeling powerless.
Back at the sect, Lin Fan noticed that Zhang Erdog and Feng Bu jue had developed a surprisingly good rapport.
Feng Bu jue’s cultivation was far superior to Zhang Erdog’s—like night and day—and yet Feng Bu jue actually addressed Zhang Erdog as “Big Senior Brother.” This puzzled Lin Fan a bit, leaving him curious about what methods Zhang Erdog had used.
Night fell.
Zhang Erdog and Feng Bu jue had long returned to their wooden hut to rest, while Lin Fan gazed at the night sky, letting out a soft sigh, his deep eyes fixed on the endless void.
“Stealing is something I deeply despise, but for the sake of restoring my junior apprentice’s masculinity, it’s somewhat understandable,” Lin Fan muttered to himself as he psychologically justified his actions before quietly vanishing into the darkness, leaving no trace behind.
At the medicinal herb garden of the Dan Ding Peak.
Unknown to Lin Fan, ever since the appearance of the giant ship, the sect had been in a state of high alert.
This time’s forbidden ground trial had cost the sect dearly.
“Senior Brother, I heard that eight elite inner disciples died during this trial. Senior Brother Zong couldn’t turn the tide, and Senior Brother Tianyu’s foundation was shattered by enemy disciples. He’s barely holding on and might become a cripple.”
“The Grand Elder came to the herb garden today and picked several herbs, probably to concoct pills to stabilize Senior Brother Tianyu’s foundation. I don’t know if it’ll work.”
“Sigh, this is the first time in a hundred years that our sect has suffered such a defeat. I wonder which sect’s disciple was strong enough to suppress Senior Brother Zong.”
“Forget it. These matters don’t concern us. Our job is simply to guard the herb garden well.”
“Right.”
Gradually, the lights inside the room dimmed and blended into the darkness.
At this moment, Lin Fan silently appeared within the herb garden. The vast expanse of medicinal plants, shrouded in darkness, gave off a slightly eerie vibe.
A timid person might actually get scared out of their wits here.
Lin Fan had to rely on his ability to identify herbs to choose the right ones.
“Ding! Congratulations, you have discovered the herb Zhulanxiang.”
“Zhulanxiang: Mild in medicinal nature, effective for improving blood circulation.”
Lin Fan touched a plant, and its description appeared in his mind. However, this herb was of no use to him, so he moved on to another.
“Ding! Congratulations, you have discovered the herb Tieshihua.”
“Tieshihua: Strong in medicinal nature, effective for strengthening the physical body.”
…
He continued touching herb after herb, each time shaking his head in disappointment.
Not suitable at all—completely unsuitable.
Not even close in effect. Could it be that there wasn’t even one similar herb in this vast garden?
Still, seeing that there was a large portion of the garden left to search, Lin Fan calmed himself and continued his careful exploration.
The moonlight tonight was dim, frequently hiding behind clouds. In this vast herb garden, a lone figure was quietly stealing herbs, though to anyone else, the garden appeared completely empty.
“Ding! Congratulations, you have discovered Lieyangcao.”
“Lieyangcao: Strong in medicinal nature, effective for replenishing energy and vital essence.”
At this moment, Lin Fan stopped in his tracks. Lieyangcao had a bright red stem and only three leaves, making it look somewhat sparse.
“This herb will work.”
In Lin Fan’s eyes, Lieyangcao’s effect of replenishing energy could likely help with male vitality.
He continued searching for herbs. Finding the first reliable one gave him a shot of confidence. There must be the herbs he needed somewhere in this garden.
…
The sky gradually brightened.
At the time when dawn’s first light appeared, the disciples guarding the herb garden began their daily labor.
Several disciples carried water buckets and hoes, preparing to loosen the spiritual soil. Just as humans need to breathe, so too did the herbs.
“Ahh… Senior Brothers, come quickly…” Suddenly, a piercing scream echoed from another part of the garden.
The disciples, busy with their tasks, were puzzled at first but quickly rushed over. “What happened?”
“Senior Brother, look at this!” The terrified disciple pointed at a section of the garden, his body trembling slightly.
“This…” The disciples who followed his voice stood frozen at the sight before them.
The entire section of the herb garden had been completely stripped bare.
The spiritual soil, as if dug up by a dog, bore witness to the devastation.
“This can’t be possible! It was perfectly fine yesterday. How could it become like this overnight?” The disciple’s face turned pale, his voice trembling.
This was the most important area of the Dan Ding Peak. If the Grand Elder found out that they had failed to protect this garden, what would happen to them?
The group exchanged glances, at a complete loss for what to do.
“Senior Brothers, come quickly! Something’s happened over here too!”
At that moment, another cry came from a distant part of the garden.
Everyone’s faces changed instantly. Could it be that another disaster had struck?
When they arrived, they saw that this section of the garden was also completely empty—no herbs remained. The beating of their hearts seemed to stop.
They were doomed—completely doomed.
A large quantity of medicinal herbs had been stolen. They would be in serious trouble.
That thief was truly despicable.
“Quickly, check what herbs were stolen!” one of the herb garden seniors shouted desperately.
Not long after, the disciples sent to investigate returned.
“Senior Brother, Herb Lieyangcao was stolen from Garden No. 1, Qingxiancao from Garden No. 2, Huogencao from Garden No. 3…”
As the juniors reported, the senior’s face grew increasingly pale. Finally, he spat out a mouthful of blood and fainted on the spot.
…
At the Nameless Peak.
Lin Fan had no idea how much panic his herb theft had caused the previous night.
At this moment, Lin Fan slowly woke up. After returning from stealing herbs the previous night, he had fallen into a deep sleep.
As for refining pills, he wasn’t in a hurry. He would think about it after waking up fully.
The herbs he had collected last night were more than enough for his experiments.
At this moment, Lin Fan took out a Lieyangcao, a Qingxiancao, and a Huogencao.
In the entire herb garden, only these three herbs had properties suitable for his purpose. He was quite curious what kind of pill they would produce when combined.
Outside, Feng Bu jue and Zhang Erdog were each cultivating in their rooms. Both had received Su Yuan Dan from Lin Fan, which accelerated their cultivation speed. Feng Bu jue wasn’t stingy with his knowledge and had taught Zhang Erdog some of his cultivation techniques and heart methods.
As for when the Sect Leader would teach them, they had hoped at first, but seeing that the Sect Leader showed no such intention, they no longer felt anxious.
In their eyes, one day, the Sect Leader would surely instruct them.
At that moment, a loud roar suddenly erupted from the Sect Leader’s wooden hut.
Feng Bu jue and Zhang Erdog immediately opened their eyes, their expressions startled. Without hesitation, they rushed toward the Sect Leader’s hut.
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