The girl in green, known as Yunu, was actually a young Qinglong (Azure Dragon).
Though she appeared young, she was already over a hundred and eighty years old. However, dragon beasts do not reach maturity until they are three hundred, so even though she had taken human form, she still looked like a little girl.
In this world, dragon beasts are among the most powerful types of monsters, and countless cultivators dream of making one their spirit beast.
If Yunu were to appear in the outside world, it would undoubtedly lead to chaos and bloodshed.
Fortunately, until she matured, she was confined to the ten directions of the blessed land.
But life in the blessed land was terribly dull, with only a few beasts for company.
At first, Yunu patiently categorized them into two groups—those with good tempers were friends, and those with bad tempers were food.
Eventually, she had eaten all the bad-tempered beasts, leaving only a few that weren't very tasty, so she started eating the spirit herbs in the Spirit Grass Garden instead.
The herbs didn't have much flavor, but they grew back continuously, unlike the beasts, which were gone once eaten.
Life wasn't easy, and the young Azure Dragon sighed.
Her ancestors had once ruled the land, invincible. Who could have imagined that one day a descendant would be trapped in a blessed land, forced to eat grass?
Fortunately, the Nine-Turn Spirit Herb she had guarded for a century was almost mature. Once it fully ripened and she consumed it, she would gain nearly a hundred years' worth of cultivation.
With that additional power, she would be close to adulthood, able to leave the blessed land and make her mark on the world.
But one thing still bothered Yunu—the other beasts in the blessed land also knew the Nine-Turn Spirit Herb was maturing and would occasionally come to cause trouble.
Heavenly treasures that could enhance cultivation were naturally highly attractive to beasts.
Even though Yunu had beaten them senseless multiple times, they still wouldn't give up.
And now, that annoying Jin Yan Ying (Golden Flame Eagle) had snuck over while she was away.
Yunu rushed back to the Spirit Grass Garden and gave the Jin Yan Ying another severe beating. She grabbed it by the neck with her small hand, slammed it into the ground, and stomped on its face, threatening fiercely, "Birdie, this is your last warning—don't even think about the Nine-Turn Spirit Herb! If you dare come again, I'll pluck every feather from your body and turn you into a roast chicken!"
After devouring the snake beast, the Jin Yan Ying had advanced in cultivation, and it had been confident of its abilities. But to its dismay, it was beaten once again.
Knowing it was no match for the little tyrant, the Jin Yan Ying whimpered and begged for mercy.
Yunu lifted her foot and allowed the eagle to get up, but not before yanking out a handful of its feathers.
Satisfied with the bald spot she'd left on the eagle's head, Yunu tossed the feathers aside. "I'll let you go this time."
As a bird, the Jin Yan Ying prized its plumage above all else, especially the tuft of feathers atop its head, which were a golden symbol of its status and power.
Now, its pride had been casually plucked and discarded, leaving it furious.
But it knew better than to challenge the young Azure Dragon again and, though seething with resentment, it flew off. In its mind, however, it was already planning to rally other powerful beasts in the blessed land to one day exact revenge.
Back at the pond, after the Bi Turtle returned, it wasn't long before Meng Shuying saw the other Qionghua Peak disciples returning, looking dejected.
"Sigh, it was all for nothing. I thought we'd find some powerful spirit beasts here, but they're all old and weak."
"Think about it—so many seniors have already come here to train. If there were any powerful spirit beasts, they'd have been taken long ago."
"This trial has been completely worthless. I've wasted so many spirit stones. If I'd known, I wouldn't have fought so hard for a spot..."
"We haven't reached the end yet, so why are you giving up? There's still the Spirit Grass Garden behind the Beast Hall. I refuse to believe we'll come out empty-handed from there too."
As they chatted, Jiang Ye didn't share their optimism.
Before entering the Ten Directions Blessed Land, she had pestered Yu Qing, her senior sister, to tell her everything about the blessed land. But after entering, she found that the reality was nothing like what Yu Qing had described.
Jiang Ye and Yu Qing had known each other since childhood and were very close, so Jiang Ye was confident that Yu Qing wouldn't deceive her.
Not to mention, it was thanks to Yu Qing's efforts that Jiang Ye had even gotten the chance to enter the blessed land.
Thinking of her serious and reserved senior sister, Jiang Ye's expression softened slightly.
Yu Qing had always given Jiang Ye whatever she wanted.
Whatever Jiang Ye desired, Yu Qing would do her best to get it for her.
Jiang Ye's talent was mediocre, and she had almost been relegated to being an outer disciple. But Yu Qing had begged their master to take Jiang Ye as a disciple, bringing her into Qionghua Peak.
When Jiang Ye struggled to form her Golden Core, Yu Qing lent her own energy to help her succeed.
Yu Qing had always been good to her, so Jiang Ye wanted to repay that kindness.
Jiang Ye knew that when Yu Qing had helped her form her Golden Core, she had accidentally damaged her own foundation, making it difficult for her to progress in her cultivation. The only way to fully recover was with their master's intervention.
But with their master's stern temperament, she was unlikely to help easily.
That was why Jiang Ye had entered the Ten Directions Blessed Land.
Only by completing the task given to her by their master could she possibly persuade her to heal Yu Qing.
But the situation in the blessed land was very different from what Yu Qing had told her.
Jiang Ye realized that the task her master had given her might not be as easy as she had hoped.
She began to feel hesitant.
If she was lucky and managed to obtain the Nine-Turn Spirit Herb, that would be the best outcome.
But she feared that the herb would be guarded by a powerful beast, and she might lose her life trying to obtain it.
The differences between people often become apparent in small matters.
Even though Jiang Ye wanted to repay Yu Qing for her kindness, in her heart, she still put herself first.
Among the three Golden Core cultivators who had entered, Jiang Ye's cultivation was the weakest.
But in terms of cunning, neither of the other two could compare to her.
As for Su Luowei, she was a pampered young lady, intelligent but disinclined to cause trouble.
And the disciples of Baizhan Peak were known for their brawn rather than brains.
All Jiang Ye had to do was act a little pitiful, say a few sweet words, and they would easily fall in line with her plans.
She was well aware of her charms and never hesitated to use them to her advantage.
Yu Qing disapproved of this behavior but couldn't change her.
After quickly weighing the pros and cons, Jiang Ye decided to stay where she was and wait for the disciples of Yanmo Peak and Baizhan Peak to arrive. Then, they could join forces to go to the Spirit Grass Garden.
The other disciples didn't understand her reasoning but were too afraid of her usual stern demeanor to question her.
Meng Shuying was thrilled to hear they would wait for the other peaks, having no reason to oppose the idea.
They didn't have to wait long before the disciples of Baizhan Peak and Yanmo Peak arrived.
Jiang Ye informed them of what she knew and then suggested, "So far, we've gained nothing in this trial, and we've even lost some spirit stones. I suggest we join forces for this last stop and try to obtain the Nine-Turn Spirit Herb. At least that way, we won't return empty-handed."
Though Su Luowei was the nominal leader, she rarely took charge. She glanced at Wen Miaomiao, silently handing over the decision.
Unlike the other two peaks, Yanmo Peak had not come away empty-handed during the trial.
Thanks to Wen Miaomiao's protagonist halo, they had collected several elixirs and magical items along the way, though they kept this secret.
Wen Miaomiao tapped her chin thoughtfully and then smiled sweetly. "What Senior Sister Jiang says about the Nine-Turn Spirit Herb sounds intriguing, but it's too dangerous. I can't risk the lives of my junior brothers and sisters."
This was a polite refusal.
Jiang Ye didn't seem offended and turned her attention to the other Golden Core cultivator, her gaze soft and her voice gentle. "What do you think, Senior Brother Rong Xuan? Won't you join us?"
Rong Xuan, the leader of Baizhan Peak, was young but highly skilled.
Before he could respond, Jiang Ye placed a delicate finger on her lips, her large eyes glistening with unshed tears.
"If Senior Brother doesn't want to go, then I won't either. I just thought that if we joined forces to obtain the Nine-Turn Spirit Herb, we could exchange it for spirit stones and elixirs to help our junior brothers and sisters in their cultivation after returning to Qingxu Sect. It's true that this endeavor is risky, but with Senior Brother's high cultivation, I'm sure we wouldn't encounter any danger."
She sighed softly, her shoulders slumping as she added, "But never mind... If we don't succeed, I'll just have to face my master's punishment. It's what I deserve anyway..."
Even as she spoke, she turned away, presenting Rong Xuan with a view of her graceful figure. She then pulled a handkerchief from her sleeve, dabbing at her eyes.
Seeing her red-rimmed eyes, Rong Xuan panicked and quickly said, "Don't cry, Junior Sister. I'll go with you."
"Thank you, Senior Brother." Jiang Ye put away her handkerchief and smiled gratefully. She glanced at Rong Xuan, then seemed to grow shy, half-covering her face with her hand.
"I'm not very skilled, so I'll be relying on you, Senior Brother."
She was naturally beautiful, and her coy demeanor only made her more enchanting, causing Rong Xuan to stare.
"Don't worry, Junior Sister. As long as I'm here, I won't let anything happen to you."
Having reached an agreement, they moved aside to discuss the details of their plan.
Jiang Ye was still wary of the mysterious girl in green and pondered for a moment before saying to Rong Xuan, "The Spirit Herb will surely be guarded by fierce beasts. We've already encountered two Golden Core beasts, but there may be more hiding elsewhere."
Rong Xuan nodded. "On the way here, I also encountered a Golden Core beast. It took all I had to lead my junior brothers safely away."
If there were only two Golden Core beasts, Jiang Ye and Rong Xuan, along with twenty Foundation Establishment cultivators, might be able to hold their own.
But now they knew of at least three, with the possibility of more hidden deeper in the blessed land.
And then there was the girl in green. Jiang Ye couldn't gauge her strength but had a feeling she was just as dangerous as the Golden Core beasts. It seemed likely that she, too, was drawn to the Nine-Turn Spirit Herb.
When the herb fully matured, the beasts would undoubtedly gather at the Spirit Grass Garden, leading to a fierce battle.
Jiang Ye lowered her gaze and thought for a moment. "We shouldn't attempt to seize the herb by force. We need to be strategic. If the beasts start fighting each other, we should stay back and wait. Once they've worn each other out, we can make our move."
Rong Xuan agreed. "After a battle like that, the beasts will be exhausted. That's when we'll have the best chance."
"Then I'll need you to have the Baizhan Peak disciples form a trapping formation and lure the beasts into it. If we work together, even a peak Golden Core beast won't be able to stop us."
With their strategy in place, Jiang Ye felt more confident. She privately gathered the Qionghua Peak disciples and instructed them, "When we reach the Spirit Grass Garden, Rong Xuan and I will keep the beasts occupied. That will be your chance to steal the herb. Once you have it, send a signal, and we'll retreat immediately."
Her gaze fell on Meng Shuying, lingering for a moment before she added, "In the garden, you'll work in pairs. If anyone tries to keep the herb for themselves, the others have my permission to deal with them on the spot. Don't worry about how our master will react."
The disciples murmured their agreement and dispersed. Before leaving, You Wen noticed Jiang Ye give her a meaningful look and nodded subtly in response.