Chapter 34: Submitting the Spirit Herbs (Part I)

As Qinglan rained blows upon the crowd, the elders in the Hall of Ten Thousand Laws watched the scene unfold, their gazes piercing through the void.

"Hahahaha! This girl's temperament is truly to my liking!" roared the Fourth Elder, Chimei, his laughter thunderous and booming.

Beside him, the Fifth Elder, Yaoyu, shifted away in distaste; this position was simply unkind to her ears. She watched Qinglan’s fierce display, a gentle, affectionate smile tugging at the corners of her lips. Her adoration was undisguised; though the trial had not yet ended, she had seemingly already made up her mind that this was the disciple she wanted most.

The Second Elder, Yuntian Ce, nodded slightly, a glint of approval in his eyes. "They are all so young..."

Nanming smiled faintly at these words. He understood his senior brother’s meaning: only the young, who had not yet witnessed too much bloodshed and slaughter, possessed such naive fighting spirit.

Yuntian Ce continued, his voice flowing on: "Furthermore, we were all mistaken. This young female cultivator is even younger than the boy, yet she is already at the peak of her realm. Her talent is equally formidable..."

Hearing this, Yaoyu understood their intentions. Her brow furrowed, and with a flick of her spiritual energy, a palm-sized array disc materialized. On this intricate disc, thousands of profound lines shimmered, interwoven with countless minute, flickering light-seals—compared to this, the nine light-seals of Yuedong looked like those of a mere child. However, upon closer inspection, a few of the lines on the disc were slightly obstructed, marring its perfect, rounded beauty.

Seeing this, the four elders fell silent. Little Six and Little Nine even retreated to the side. They had all understood the message from their senior sister: she was determined to have this girl. If anyone dared to vie for her, then the heavy responsibility of maintaining and repairing the Spirit Pool of Myriad Souls would fall upon them.

Little Six, hiding to the side like a phantom, whispered in a voice as faint as a mosquito’s hum: "Women are terrifying..."

Nanming, standing beside him, nodded in deep agreement, responding in an equally inaudible tone: "That girl is just as bad. Give her time to grow, and she will surely become another fierce, terrifyingly powerful female cultivator. Our Array Sect will be turned upside down; who would dare provoke her?"

Yaoyu’s gaze swept toward them instantly, like a chilling wind, causing both men to seal their lips immediately.

...

Qinglan and Yuedong finished absorbing the spiritual energy from the crowd, the colors at the centers of their brows shifting from green to blue. The others watched this scene with mixed feelings, lamenting that they had not only failed to catch any fish but had ended up covered in filth. To make matters worse, the pair had also helped themselves to the ten spirit herbs they had worked so hard to gather!

Qinglan calculated their light-seal levels and smiled at Yuedong: "Enough!"

Enough to be promoted to Violet-Seal disciples!

The crowd wailed: Big sister, it’s not enough for us!

Yuedong withdrew his array and said to the group: "There are still a few days left until the end. You should go and strive for more."

Qinglan also stepped forward, startling them. She cold-snorted: "I suggest you don't go back to You Qing. You might still pass the trial if you don't."

A female cultivator in red spoke weakly: "But without Brother You Qing, we wouldn't have been able to get these spirit herbs at all..."

Qinglan corrected her sternly: "You are wrong. Banding together for warmth is a scam from the start. Your bonds are merely fragile ties based on profit; they collapse the moment you encounter danger. Besides, coming here is a form of cultivation in itself. Evasion... will never lead to a true breakthrough."

The girl in red opened her mouth but found no words. Another girl in red beside her looked thoughtful, and soon, the two left.

...

Qinglan and Yuedong went on to break a few more arrays. As the month-long deadline approached, they reluctantly returned to the starting point, which was already crowded with people.

Not far away, You Qing saw the color at the centers of their brows and a glint of amusement flashed in his eyes—only blue light-seals, nothing special. It seemed they had succeeded in their robbery; they deserved it! His gaze wandered from her face down her body, as if "admiring" her beauty.

Qinglan noticed this sticky, lecherous gaze, her face turning as cold as frost. A flying leaf shot from her palm. With a "swish," it aimed straight for You Qing’s eye.

You Qing’s expression changed instantly. He waved his hand, conjuring a wall of water to block the leaf.

Qinglan said coldly: "If you don't want your eyes, you can leave them behind."

One of You Qing’s lackeys stepped forward, his tone full of resentment: "What is wrong with you? Can't a person even look?"

"Exactly! How can you hurt someone just because of a disagreement?"

Qinglan did not want to engage with them, for when prying, filthy intentions are kept in the dark, they cannot be spoken of openly. You Qing remained silent, playing the victim, though his eyes brimmed with smugness.

Qinglan was annoyed. Yuedong, sensing her mood, stepped forward. His voice rang out like a thunderclap, stern and commanding: "Hmph, if you have any complaints, you can tell me."

With that, a spiritual array containing the power of six seals unfurled with overwhelming force. A tide of clear brilliance instantly enveloped them, exerting a powerful pressure. Even You Qing’s expression grew grave for a moment—this was a fellow array master of equal rank.

His lackeys gasped, "This is... an array master at the peak of the Spirit Awakening Realm!"

They all shut their mouths and fell silent.

Yuedong looked at Qinglan, quietly comforting her: "It’s alright. If you’re really annoyed, I’ll just throw a Sandstorm Array at them and eliminate them all."

Unbeknownst to them, Yuedong, now at the middle stage of the Subtle Understanding Realm, already possessed the strength to crush everyone present.

Qinglan smiled and sat down.

For a time, on this vast, endless grassland, the camps were clearly divided: Qinglan and Yuedong sat together; not far away, You Qing and the dozens of people behind him sat in a circle; meanwhile, some independent cultivators sat to the side, minding their own business.

Everyone waited for the final moment to arrive.

...

A day passed, and the group that had previously ambushed Qinglan and the others trickled back. Qinglan noticed the two female cultivators returning together. Their sleeves were tattered and they looked quite disheveled, but their faces bore an irrepressible joy. Clearly, they had gained quite a lot.

The two saw Qinglan, their eyes filled with joy and gratitude. Qinglan returned their smile.

Others returned to You Qing’s side, whispering to him. You Qing’s face changed as he realized that Qinglan was also at the peak of the Spirit Awakening Realm! No wonder they had disdained to travel with him or take his orders! His expression was uncertain, as if he were weighing his own chances of taking the crown.

Just as he was pondering, the surrounding scenery underwent a cataclysmic transformation. All the towering trees shrank back into the ground; the wild grass danced wildly in the wind before gradually drooping; the water levels in the marshes receded at an astonishing speed; and the land returned to its barren state.

In moments, the entire vibrant array world reverted to its original, desolate, and silent form.

Nearby, a spirit mountain rose with the wind, lush with spirit herbs, and the elder appeared once more. The crowd gathered around. The old man scanned them, his gaze lingering on Qinglan, Yuedong, and You Qing.

You Qing felt a surge of smugness.