Deep within the Spiritual Herb Garden, a fierce battle was unfolding.
The Golden Flame Eagle, now missing its crest feathers, hovered in the air with its wings spread wide, its sharp eyes fixed on the battle below, revealing a cunning glint.
Below it, three powerful beasts surrounded the girl in green from three different angles, launching their attacks with seamless coordination.
These three beasts were the Shadow Moon Demon Wolf, the Black Gold Ape, and the Gale Rhino, all formidable creatures within the Ten Directions Blessed Land, with strength nearing the peak of the Golden Core stage.
They had lived for a long time, rarely revealing themselves to outsiders. This time, they had appeared because the Golden Flame Eagle informed them that the Nine-Transforming Spiritual Herb was about to mature, inviting them to join forces to snatch the herb from the Azure Dragon.
Initially, the three beasts looked down on the Golden Flame Eagle.
In the world of beasts, the strong prey on the weak. To them, the Golden Flame Eagle, only at the early Golden Core stage, had no right to negotiate with them.
Even if they intended to seize the herb, they didn't need to team up with it.
However, the Golden Flame Eagle mentioned that it had an advantage they didn't possess.
It could fly.
The Azure Dragon could soar through the clouds, and if pushed to the brink, it could simply take the Nine-Transforming Spiritual Herb and fly away.
Thus, the three beasts agreed to let the Golden Flame Eagle join them.
Yu Nu, the girl in green, was busy fending off the fierce attacks from the three beasts while feeling increasingly annoyed.
What was wrong with these old creatures? They usually stayed hidden in their dens, never showing themselves. Now, with the herb maturing, they suddenly showed up.
Hmph! How shameless.
Yu Nu had never suffered such a loss before. The more she thought about it, the angrier she became, her small face darkening to the point where it looked like it could drip water, and her strikes became even more forceful.
Suddenly, spiritual energy surged violently, even accompanied by faint thunderous sounds.
The three beasts saw that the Azure Dragon still had strength to spare and exchanged glances before simultaneously letting out a long howl toward the sky.
While the battle among the beasts raged on, Rong Xuan had already led the disciples of Bai Zhan Peak to hide nearby.
Gazing at the three beasts in the distance, the young disciples shivered in fear.
"Senior… Senior Brother, those beasts look terrifying. Do we really have to face them?"
Rong Xuan's gaze swept across the three beasts, finally resting on the little girl at the center.
Compared to those three ferocious beasts, this mysterious girl posed an even greater threat to him…
"She's the same girl I encountered earlier," Jiang Ye whispered in his ear.
"She doesn't seem simple," Rong Xuan replied, his expression serious.
Of course, she's not simple. Jiang Ye smirked.
Anyone who could fight three beasts alone wasn't an ordinary being.
She turned her head and gave a signal to the disciples from Qionghua Peak, who immediately split into pairs and dispersed.
Rong Xuan noticed her actions and shot her a questioning look.
"I've sent them to search for traces of the herb. Once they find it, they'll signal us, and we can move accordingly," Jiang Ye explained softly.
She appeared sincere, but inside she was sneering. Only someone as naive as Rong Xuan would believe her words. If it were someone from Yan Mo Peak here, things wouldn't be so easy.
In that sense, it was better that Yan Mo Peak wasn't involved, or her plan wouldn't go so smoothly.
Meng Shuying was paired with You Wen. They carefully made their way around the battlefield, using the foliage of the herb garden as cover, avoiding detection by the beasts.
After searching around the outskirts of the battlefield for a long time without finding any trace of the herb, You Wen quickly lost patience.
"I'm done. I'm exhausted," she said, plopping down on the ground, completely disregarding the risk of exposing their position.
Meng Shuying frowned and was about to pull her up.
Just as her fingers touched You Wen's sleeve, You Wen suddenly grabbed her wrist and quickly pulled something from her sleeve, throwing a handful of green powder into Meng Shuying's face before she could react.
After throwing the powder, You Wen immediately jumped up and ran as fast as she could, as if something was chasing her.
What was this?
Meng Shuying wiped some of the powder from her face and brought it to her nose to sniff.
The fragrance was rich and almost cloying.
It was clearly a floral scent, but it also had an overripe fruitiness to it.
It was… the scent of the Mirage Flower.
The Mirage Flower, also known as the Beast-Luring Flower, emitted a peculiar aroma when it matured, which could attract beasts and even induce premature mating seasons in low-level beasts. It was commonly used by cultivators to lure and capture beasts.
The powder You Wen had thrown on her was made from dried Mirage Flowers, ground into a fine powder, making the scent even more potent and capable of attracting beasts more effectively.
A breeze blew across Meng Shuying's face, carrying the Mirage Flower scent on her body even further.
She narrowed her eyes, looking in the direction the wind was coming from, and sure enough, she sensed a fluctuation of spiritual power from that direction.
Jiang Ye's hands were hidden within her sleeves, the wide fabric concealing her fingers and the movements she made.
Feeling the talisman take effect, a silent smile curved Jiang Ye's lips.
If she guessed correctly, the girl in green was the fierce beast guarding the Nine-Transforming Spiritual Herb. She had to stay near the herb to protect it. If they didn't lure her away, they wouldn't stand a chance of obtaining the herb even when it matured.
She had Mirage Flower powder, so it wasn't hard to lure the beast away. The difficult part was finding someone to act as bait.
Someone destined to be abandoned.
The bait, covered in Mirage Flower powder, would inevitably draw the beast's attention. Unless they died, the beast would relentlessly pursue them.
In Jiang Ye's mind, Meng Shuying was the perfect choice for bait.
If she died, it would just be bad luck.
If she managed to survive, by then Jiang Ye would have already secured the herb, with her master backing her up, and the matter would be brushed aside.
Meanwhile, Yu Nu was still engaged in a fierce battle with the three beasts.
The battle had reached its peak, and the three beasts had each unleashed their ultimate moves.
The Shadow Moon Demon Wolf let out a long howl, its movements suddenly accelerating to the point where it became invisible to the naked eye, leaving behind only afterimages.
What was real was fake, and what was fake was real.
It hid its attacks among the numerous afterimages, leaving Yu Nu struggling to discern its true form and forcing her into a frantic defense.
The Black Gold Ape stood upright, pounding its chest with powerful fists before letting out a roar toward the sky. As it roared, its already muscular arms bulged even more, their strength evident.
Seeing the other two beasts intensify their attacks, the Gale Rhino also lowered its head heavily, using its horn to dig into the ground.
Its most powerful weapon was that horn, incredibly hard and capable of breaking through stone. With the horn as its spearhead and its whole body exerting force, cracks immediately appeared on the ground, widening rapidly and creating an almost earthquake-like effect.
At that moment, Yu Nu suddenly caught a whiff of a scent.
The fragrance was incredibly sweet and rich, like a small hook that piqued her curiosity, making her want to follow the scent to its source.
Yu Nu initially wanted to shake off the three beasts and follow the scent on her own, but the three beasts relentlessly pursued her, refusing to let her go.
Her temper flared.
Without any noticeable movement from her, the spiritual energy in the herb garden suddenly converged around her with intense force, quickly forming a funnel shape.
The girl in green absorbed all the spiritual energy like a whale sucking in water, and soon, countless green light particles floated up from the surrounding plants, gathering together like rivers flowing into the sea and converging on the girl.
As she absorbed the spiritual energy and light particles, the image of a dragon suddenly appeared behind the girl.
Originally, the dragon was only as tall as her, but as it absorbed the continuous flow of spiritual energy, it quickly grew in size. The once blurry figure gradually solidified, eventually becoming almost tangible.
Jiang Ye was overjoyed; she hadn't expected there to be an Azure Dragon in the Ten Directions Blessed Land!
A top-tier spirit beast, long extinct in the outside world, with immense combat power and noble status, far more precious than the Nine-Transforming Spiritual Herb!
She exchanged a glance with Rong Xuan, and both of their eyes were filled with burning desire.
"Junior Sister Jiang Ye," Rong Xuan suddenly licked his lips, "You're after the Nine-Transforming Spiritual Herb, right? But this Azure Dragon…"
"Shh." Jiang Ye lightly pressed her finger to Rong Xuan's lips, and the scent from her hand made Rong Xuan's mind go blank for a moment.
"Senior Brother Rong Xuan, it's too early to talk about this now. Let's wait until everything is over, and then we can discuss it."
Rong Xuan nodded in agreement. "That's true. Dealing with an Azure Dragon is a serious matter, and it's beyond what you and I can decide."
As the Azure Dragon absorbed the spiritual energy in the herb garden, the seven-colored barrier that had covered this land gradually dimmed.
In a corner where no one was paying attention, Su Luo sneaked in.
Upon entering, the first thing she noticed was the towering Azure Dragon.
There was no way around it; the dragon was massive and hovered in mid-air, making it impossible to miss.
If she could see the Azure Dragon, she could naturally see the three beasts below it.
Three beasts at the peak of the Golden Core stage! Su Luo gasped.
Three beasts and an Azure Dragon were far beyond her capabilities. No wonder the Nine-Transforming Spiritual Herb was released as a side quest.
Su Luo intended to leave, but just as she was about to retreat, something felt off.
Why were the three beasts glaring at the Azure Dragon? Were they not on the same side?
Without hesitation, Su Luo decided to stay. She hid under a tree, watching the battle between the beasts.
After revealing its true form, Yu Nu's strength skyrocketed, and her aura completely changed. She glanced down at the three beasts with contempt, then ignored them and flew away on a cloud.
As a top-tier spirit beast, the Azure Dragon was born with the ability to suppress other beasts through its bloodline.
If Yu Nu had been an adult, a single glance would have frozen the three beasts in place.
Unfortunately, she was still young, her authority not fully established. That single glance not only failed to intimidate the three beasts but also stirred up their inner violence.
Why should a fellow beast be born noble while they were born lowly?
Why should they be naturally inclined to bow their heads?
Blood-red rage crept into the eyes of the beasts, and just the thought of slaying the dragon filled them with a violent thrill.
Their emotions were so intense that they didn't notice the Golden Flame Eagle circling overhead, its talons releasing something as they opened and closed.
Hot blood surged through their veins as if an endless well of power filled every corner of their bodies.
The three beasts, their eyes blazing red, charged at the Azure Dragon like arrows shot from a bow.
In the midst of their charge, the Azure Dragon suddenly appeared before Meng Shuying. It lowered its head to inspect the tiny figure of the cultivator, then leaned in to sniff her.
Hmm~ So the intriguing scent was indeed coming from her.
Meng Shuying felt a bit flustered, but she kept her composure, with a hint of excitement flashing in her eyes.
As the roaring beasts approached from behind, the Azure Dragon had no time to carefully examine the tiny human at its feet. Its tail shot up, slicing through the air with a sharp, whooshing sound, and slammed into Meng Shuying, sending her flying like a shooting star across the sky.
Meng Shuying seemed to have anticipated the Azure Dragon's action. She curled into a ball, wrapping herself in spiritual energy, biting down hard on her lip, her eyes filled with determination.
From a distance, Su Luo saw the dragon's tail strike, but before she could react, she witnessed a familiar figure crash into a giant tree and then vanish from sight.