C10 Leaving the Herbal Garden

After defeating all the mutated corpse flowers, both of them sat down, drenched in sweat, to catch their breath for a moment.

"I didn't expect someone with a seemingly modest cultivation level like yours to possess such formidable combat strength. You actually took down a mutated corpse flower at the fifth level of the Whispering Souls on your own," the girl in the light blue dress said, her eyes filled with surprise as she looked at Ye Xuan beside her.

When she first encountered Ye Xuan, she hadn't anticipated that his abilities would so greatly exceed his apparent level of cultivation.

"It was mostly luck," Ye Xuan replied with a modest smile to the girl.

Without that fragment of a sword, he wasn't sure he could have handled the mutated corpse flower alone. After all, it was a formidable being with the strength of the fifth level of the Whispering Souls. With his current abilities, it would have been a tough fight!

Bai Lan'er playfully rolled her eyes at him, taking his words as an understatement.

"Alright, let's divide up the Spirit Beads now," Bai Lan'er suggested after they had both rested for a bit and stood up.

The four mutated corpse flowers they had slain had transformed into Spirit Beads. They counted roughly fifty in total.

"We should split them evenly, twenty-five each," Bai Lan'er proposed her method of distribution to Ye Xuan.

Without Ye Xuan's help, she might have left empty-handed today, or worse, injured. She considered this method of sharing the spoils to be quite fair.

"Split them evenly? That doesn't seem quite right. You're the one who found them, and you single-handedly held off three mutated corpse flowers. You've earned the lion's share; you should take thirty-five," Ye Xuan said, surprised by Bai Lan'er's suggestion.

"If you hadn't helped, I would have ended up with nothing today. This split is fair!" Bai Lan'er insisted, quickly dividing the Spirit Beads before Ye Xuan could object further.

"Here, these are yours. Take them," Bai Lan'er said, placing the Spirit Beads in Ye Xuan's hand.

Ye Xuan, foregoing any further protest, graciously accepted them.

"The herbal garden is about to close. Let's head out together," Bai Lan'er suggested to Ye Xuan, tilting her flawless cheek toward him.

"Sure, let's go," Ye Xuan agreed, and they both made their way toward the outer perimeter.

Reflecting on the day's gains, Ye Xuan felt a surge of joy. With such an abundance of cultivation resources, he could significantly accelerate his progress. Once outside, he planned to advance to the fourth level of the Whispering Souls.

The recent battle had intensified the extraordinary sensation of an impending breakthrough. So, upon leaving, he intended to find an appropriate spot to make his advancement.

Reaching the outer perimeter, they noticed more disciples, all moving in one direction—the exit of the herbal garden.

Ye Xuan observed that while the disciples continued forward, some couldn't resist glancing back in their direction. However, those looks were aimed at Bai Lan'er, effectively overlooking Ye Xuan.

Clad in a pale blue dress, her demeanor poised and elegant, her beauty was striking, and the longsword at her waist accentuated her lithe figure. A woman of her stunning appearance naturally became the focal point wherever she went.

Feeling the weight of their stares, as if he were an animal on display, Ye Xuan grew uncomfortable.

"I've still got friends who haven't come out yet. If you've got things to do, feel free to head out. I'll wait for them," Ye Xuan told Bai Lan'er.

He was referring to Mu Hua and a few other acquaintances, unsure of their luck in the garden.

"I'm not in any rush. I don't mind waiting with you," Bai Lan'er replied, unexpectedly choosing to stay and wait alongside Ye Xuan.

Ye Xuan felt a twinge of frustration. Couldn't she tell that was just a polite way to suggest she leave? She had seemed so perceptive before; how had she become so oblivious so quickly?

"I can wait on my own. Having an Inner Sect disciple like you wait with me for a few Outer Sect disciples might overwhelm them," Ye Xuan insisted, trying to persuade Bai Lan'er.

At that moment, Bai Lan'er finally picked up on the hint in Ye Xuan's words that he wanted her to leave. She felt a twinge of irritation. There she was, kindly waiting with him, and he was subtly trying to send her away.

With a glare from her almond-shaped eyes and a trace of annoyance on her face, she continued to stare at Ye Xuan.

Feeling uncomfortable under her intense gaze, Ye Xuan coughed discreetly and turned away.

Bai Lan'er's beauty was simply too striking, and the area they were in was packed with disciples. Ye Xuan, who preferred peace and quiet, found the situation quite bothersome.

"Hey, Ye Xuan, how come you're out so soon?" A familiar voice called out from behind. Without even turning around, Ye Xuan recognized the voice of the person who had just called him.

"Senior Brother Mu Hua, you all finished?" Ye Xuan turned and greeted the newcomer.

"We had a decent haul today, gathered a lot of Mana Herbs, and even some medium grade ones. It's just too bad we couldn't find any top grade Mana Herbs—not a single one," Mu Hua shared with Ye Xuan, a hint of disappointment in his voice.

He then glanced at Ye Xuan's bag, which looked somewhat deflated compared to their bulging ones, and felt sorry for him, assuming Ye Xuan's harvest hadn't been great.

Reaching for his bag, Mu Hua intended to share some Mana Herbs with Ye Xuan, but another disciple intervened.

"Senior Brother Mu Hua, what are you doing? You're not thinking of sharing our collective Mana Herbs with Ye Xuan, are you? That's the fruit of everyone's labor. If Ye Xuan didn't contribute, why should he get any?" The same girl who had made sarcastic remarks outside the herbal garden spoke up.

"Exactly, Senior Brother Mu Hua, that would be unfair to the rest of us," echoed several others in agreement.

Mu Hua's hand, halfway into the bag, stiffened. He hadn't expected such pettiness from the others.

"Senior Brother Mu Hua, they're right," Ye Xuan said quietly. "There's no reward without effort. Since I'm not part of your team and didn't contribute, I shouldn't take any of the Mana Herbs you all worked hard to collect."

"It's okay, I took it from my portion. It doesn't involve anyone else." Ye Xuan reassured, but Mu Hua clearly wasn't convinced.

Ye Xuan, noticing Mu Hua's reluctance, allowed a slight smile to grace his lips. Without hesitation, he pulled out several Mana Herbs from his pouch and pressed them into Mu Hua's hands before turning to leave. Being around anyone else but Mu Hua just made him feel uneasy.

"Hey..." Mu Hua called out, watching Ye Xuan's retreating figure. But Ye Xuan simply waved over his shoulder and kept walking.

"Junior Brother Ye Xuan is too generous, giving away some of his already scarce Mana Herbs to me," Mu Hua muttered, a touch of irritation in his voice.

As he inspected the Mana Herbs in his hand, his eyes bulged in disbelief, and his grip on the herbs began to shake. "This... This... Are these top grade Mana Herbs?" he exclaimed, astounded.

His outburst drew the attention of the nearby disciples. They too were taken aback upon seeing the top grade Mana Herbs in Mu Hua's possession.

"How can this be?" The girl who had earlier mocked Ye Xuan covered her mouth, her voice tinged with astonishment.

They had been the fools all along. Reflecting on their ridicule of Ye Xuan, they realized he had never dignified their taunts with a response. Perhaps in his eyes, they had always been nothing more than jesters. It was no wonder he had never countered their sarcasm; he had simply never taken it to heart.