"Swish!" All eyes simultaneously shot towards a delicately dressed girl in a pink dress.
"Ah, no, I just added something aphrodisiac to the elixir, I'm not saying it's your fault, but at your age, you're still thinking about young people's things, and now look what you've done to yourself!" Zhiyan spread her hands in resignation, directing it at Ouyang Feng and suddenly shifting all the blame onto him.
"Pfft—" Upon hearing this, Ouyang Feng spurted out another mouthful of fresh blood, his body trembling with fury, a witch, she was simply a witch…
Everyone broke into a sweat. Not content with just harming someone else, she even had the audacity to counter-blame. Were kids these days all this bold? Alas, there's chaos in the wind…
"Spiritual power burst, meridians completely severed, I fear he'll spend the rest of his life lying in bed." After a long examination, Situ Ba uttered somberly. Boom, another bolt of thunder exploded on the spot, leaving everyone stunned. They gazed in shock at Ouyang Feng, who remained on the ground. What had they just heard? Meridians severed, bedridden for life? Did that mean he was now a cripple?
Everyone wore a look of confusion, then began whispering among themselves. At first, it sounded like the rustling of leaves, but soon it turned into a clamorous uproar, like a silent pot of oil brought to a raging boil that could no longer be contained.
Ouyang Jin's body violently shook, and with a pained expression, he looked at Zhiyan. "Is this true?" His tone was sad, holding a tinge of hope.
"Just as you've seen, the high and mighty Ouyang Feng has become nothing but a cripple, a being even more worthless than an ordinary person." The corner of Zhiyan's lips curled into a disdainful sneer, her delicate and smooth cheeks breaking into a wanton and ferocious smile. If she dared to do it, she saw no reason to deny it. She wanted to declare to everyone present that Ouyang Feng had become a cripple from now on.
"I'll kill you, I'm going to kill you…" Ouyang Feng roared with hoarse rage, his eyes burning with fury, wishing he could slash Zhiyan into a thousand pieces. He'd been glorious his whole life, and now to be ruined by a mere girl, how could he possibly bear such humiliation? No, he refused, he refused to become a waste—
"Jinjin, quick, kill her for me, kill this witch…" Ouyang Feng struggled in vain, eventually pinning his hopes on Ouyang Jin. She must be killed, she must be killed…
Ouyang Jin's expression turned dark, locking onto Zhiyan with a brooding gaze. Ruined, Grandfather was ruined, the great Ouyang Family was ruined, all because of her, all because of the girl before him. Heh, to think he'd even considered being nice to her, thinking of compensating her for his past neglect. Heh heh, a witch, yes, she was a witch…
Ouyang Jin's gaze grew colder, his chiseled features suddenly showing a trace of murderous intent. Zhiyan narrowed her eyes and her lips curled into a cold smile. "Want to kill me? Ouyang Feng couldn't, and you're even less likely to succeed." Her response was indifferent, almost casual. As soon as her words ended, everyone just saw a flash before their eyes, and in the next second, the girl standing on the stage vanished into thin air. "Wencheng, Father, take good care…" The childlike voice seemed to drift from all directions, echoing for a long time—
Whoosh, the scene completely erupted into chaos, and everyone, including the Situ and Xiahou family heads, stared in shock at the empty stage. She had disappeared, just like that. Who exactly was she, with that kind of speed and technique? No, was she even human?
At this moment, Zhiyan was hiding within the Qiankun Bracelet, coldly observing everything on the field. Ouyang Feng, overwhelmed by the shock, finally fainted, and Ouyang Jin looked as if he had lost his soul, his face full of unwillingness and fury, almost turning into towering flames of rage. If she had been any later, she would have probably been burnt to ashes by that fury.
The Ouyang Family, once the leading family among the three major clans, had become the focus during the medicinal sale event. However, with the end of the Alchemy Conference, their status plummeted overnight.
The news that Ouyang Feng had become crippled spread from one to ten, and from ten to a hundred, in no more than a day, reaching every town, big and small, nearby. Those who once did business with the Ouyang Family came to their door one after another, asking to terminate their cooperation. Fortune and disgrace came in the blink of an eye, with prosperity one day and decline the next.
Ouyang Peng moved out of the Ouyang Residence and, with a recommendation from Wen Cheng, obtained a minor official position in the government, living a life of ease and indulgence. Apart from occasional visits to Wen Cheng's residence, he focused most of his time on cultivation. His ability to break through his good-for-nothing body relied entirely on Zhiyan's Yin-Yang Regulation, so he planned to continue cultivating while waiting for Yanyan's return. Only by doing so could he have the strength to stand by her side.
Ten days passed, and Zhiyan emerged from Jincheng, heading straight for Misty Ridge on the western side of the Mainland. With her Foundation Establishment breakthrough, she could formally start Alchemy.
Misty Ridge is one of the four notorious ridges of the Youming Continent, shrouded in mist all year round, and suitable for the growth of medicinal herbs. More than fifty percent of the Mainland's herbs are collected from Misty Ridge. Zhiyan's purpose for this trip was exactly that: to collect herbs for Alchemy.
After passing through numerous obstacles, she finally reached the middle of Misty Ridge. The forest was damp inside, with thick shade blocking the sun. As soon as Zhiyan stepped in, the Yin Energy within her body began to operate, absorbing energy from the outside bit by bit.
"The herbs nearby are of low grade but are safe. The Qiankun Bracelet has ample Spiritual Energy. I believe it won't be long before they grow to the desired state!" Zhiyan pulled aside a cluster of bushes, bent down, and carefully dug up a young Blue Mushroom, which she collected into the Qiankun Bracelet with a thought.
"Don't worry, there's not even half a Demonic Beast nearby. Once we've collected enough low-grade herbs, we'll take a stroll inside." Since entering the forest, Elder Fei floated behind Zhiyan as a Soul Body, helping detect nearby herbs with his Spiritual Sense while keeping an eye on the surroundings.
"Haha, Nightglow Grass, come on, girl, this is good stuff." Elder Fei's face lit up with joy, and his voice rose as he spoke. Zhiyan, curious, followed him and saw a clump of silky grass, glowing with a fluorescent color, quietly lying under an ancient tree large enough for five people to hug. The bright leaves clung tightly to the tree trunk, resembling Ivy against a wall, only that the Nightglow Grass was more parasitic.
Upon closer inspection, you could see countless tiny roots stretching from underneath the bright leaves, penetrating the tree bark and coated with some sap. The entire tree was withered and decayed, barely alive.
"Is this said Nightglow Grass mentioned in the medical texts?" Zhiyan asked skeptically, staring at the grass. Her clear pupils shimmered faintly. Nightglow Grass contains luminous elements, glowing in the dark like fireflies, with great absorptive capacity. It thrives by sapping the essence of other plants and is a main ingredient in the manufacturing of Third-grade Meridian Pills.
"It's a pity, a pity, the age is somewhat lacking." Elder Fei stroked his chin, sighing. This Nightglow Grass was at most fifty years old. Although it could still be used to manufacture Third-grade Meridian Pills, its effects would definitely not match those of a hundred or even a thousand-year-old Nightglow Grass.
"Anyway, I can't make it now. Let's just transplant it into the Qiankun Bracelet for now," Zhiyan responded quite calmly. So far, she hadn't even created the lowest grade Elixir, let alone a Third-grade Meridian Pill.
"You think you can uproot this whole tree?" Elder Fei rolled his eyes at Zhiyan, speaking with disbelief. The most significant characteristic of the Nightglow Grass is its dependency on a host plant to grow. Once settled, it's highly resistant to change. And this particular Nightglow Grass had chosen an ancient tree that was at least a thousand years old. For such a young girl, he really had little hope that she could uproot it.