C8 Bai Lan'er

As the Prismatic Mantra accelerated within him, Ye Xuan's vital force surged like an untamed stallion!

At last, the Supreme Grade Mana Herb seemed to lose its patience. Its body radiated a rapidly swirling red light, and with a burst of formidable force, it charged directly at Ye Xuan with incredible speed.

Ye Xuan watched as the Mana Herb, enveloped in a glow like a fiery blaze, hurtled toward him, the sound of it slicing through the air growing ever louder.

Just as the Mana Herb was about to reach him, Ye Xuan swiftly sidestepped, narrowly evading the herb's assault!

The Mana Herb came to an abrupt halt at a tree, then dropped to the ground and burrowed beneath the surface.

Ye Xuan observed the Mana Herb's subterranean escape, his brow furrowing slightly. He deployed his soul perception to meticulously scan the immediate vicinity, ready for any sudden onslaught from the herb.

"Hmm?" Ye Xuan glanced at the ground beneath his right foot, sensing an anomaly. Without hesitation, he stomped down hard.

Bang!

Something beneath the surface seemed to dart away just in time to avoid his stomp.

Swoosh!

To Ye Xuan's left, a light ball wrapped in red light appeared out of nowhere—it was the elusive Supreme Grade Mana Herb. It charged at him like a crazed bull.

With a swift sidestep to the left, Ye Xuan's right fist shot out, striking the Mana Herb squarely. The herb was sent flying backward, crashing into the sturdy Qing Mu tree before sliding to the ground. The red light that had been swirling around it now dimmed significantly, clearly indicating the severity of the damage from Ye Xuan's punch.

The herb trembled slightly as it lifted itself off the ground and, without looking back, darted toward the deeper recesses of the area, away from Ye Xuan. Even with its limited spiritual wisdom, it recognized that Ye Xuan was not an adversary to be trifled with and that it was time to make a swift exit.

Ye Xuan watched the Mana Herb flee with remarkable decisiveness, a hint of surprise in his eyes. This creature's spiritual wisdom was unexpectedly high.

"However, since you've come this far, you might as well stay!"

Ye Xuan swiftly pursued the target, and before long, he had nearly caught up to the Supreme Grade Mana Herb. Yet, the herb proved to be incredibly sly, using the flora of the medicinal garden to create obstacles that hindered Ye Xuan's pursuit, buying itself precious time to escape.

One moment it was hiding among the flowers and plants, the next it was leaping into the trees, weaving through the leaves. Its unpredictable escape path was giving Ye Xuan quite the headache.

However, the herb had already sustained a significant injury from Ye Xuan's earlier punch, and as time went on, its speed began to wane.

Ye Xuan, perched on a tree branch, mustered his strength and leaped, landing right in front of the Supreme Grade Mana Herb. He spun around and delivered another punch to the herb, which was hurtling towards him, unable to stop in time.

Another punch!

Boom!

The punch connected solidly with the oncoming Supreme Grade Mana Herb, causing the red light swirling around it to shatter like glass, completely breaking apart!

Bang!

The Supreme Grade Mana Herb fell to the ground, creating a slight indentation where it landed.

Ye Xuan approached the herb, lifted it, and examined it closely. Despite the red light having been shattered by his punch, it remained largely undiminished.

This Supreme Grade Mana Herb, while possessing pure spiritual energy, lacked the knowledge to utilize it effectively. Otherwise, Ye Xuan might not have been able to capture it today. He couldn't help but feel somewhat relieved.

If the Mana Herbs he had just harvested might have given him a chance to advance to the fourth level of the Whispering Souls, then with this Supreme Grade Mana Herb, Ye Xuan was certain he could successfully reach that level.

As Ye Xuan was about to depart, the sounds of intense combat reached his ears. He furrowed his brow, torn between leaving and satisfying his curiosity by investigating the commotion. After a brief internal struggle, curiosity prevailed.

He followed the sounds of the battle, pushing aside the branches that blocked his path. The first sight to greet him was a young girl in a light blue dress, wielding a longsword. Her slender waist was so delicate it seemed it could be encircled with a single grasp. Her two ponytails danced with a vibrant arc as she moved. Her complexion was fairer than snow, her features were exquisite, and her eyes, clear and bright like pools of water, sparkled with a hint of mirth. She exuded an air of grace and elegance.

Her predicament was dire indeed!

Before her, four menacing corpse flowers with gaping maws and vine-covered bodies launched a frenzied assault. Despite the girl in the light blue dress being quite powerful, she was overwhelmed by their numbers. Even though the strength of the four grotesque corpse flowers was somewhat less than hers, the difference was marginal.

In such dire straits, the girl was struggling to keep up, with beads of sweat forming on her forehead.

As time wore on, it became clear that the girl's stamina was waning. She was in peril under the relentless onslaught of the four mutated corpse flowers.

With a tear, a vine bristling with thorns grazed her right arm, shredding her sleeve and drawing a line of blood. Her arm, as pale as jade, was marred by a slender crimson streak, marring its beauty.

Clutching her wounded right arm with her left hand, her expression was grave. She knew that if she didn't manage the situation well, she might very well meet her end here.

Ye Xuan watched from the sidelines, his heart pounding with alarm.

The cultivation levels of the four mutated corpse flowers were all at the fifth level of the Whispering Souls Realm, with one even reaching the late period of the fifth level.

From the aura surrounding the girl, it was evident she was at the peak of the fifth level of the Whispering Souls Realm. Yet, typically, the combat strength of profound beasts surpassed that of humans at the same level. The fact that the girl had held out this long against four adversaries was remarkable.

"I had originally set out to hunt those three mutated corpse flowers, but I never anticipated this much trouble!" she murmured, her brows knitting together in concern.

She had more than enough strength to handle the three mutated corpse flowers at the early period of the fifth level of the Whispering Souls. But she hadn't foreseen that they would summon a creature of equal strength to her own, a miscalculation on her part.

She then scanned her surroundings with her striking eyes, searching for an opening to exploit. Her gaze landed on Ye Xuan, who was hiding behind a tree. A flicker of relief passed through her eyes, but it vanished just as quickly when she sensed the level of Ye Xuan's cultivation.

Ye Xuan had reached the pinnacle of the third level in the Whispering Souls Realm.

Upon noticing Ye Xuan's attire and the white token at his waist, her hopes had already dwindled significantly.

The girl's gaze lingered on Ye Xuan for too long, alerting the four mutated corpse flowers to his presence. They roared and launched an attack on Ye Xuan's position, cutting off his retreat and forcing him to dodge forward.

This maneuver, however, landed him right in the midst of the circle formed by the mutated corpse flowers surrounding the girl.

Ye Xuan felt a pang of regret. Curiosity killed the cat, indeed. If only he had ignored everything and walked away. Why did he have to meddle?

Now he had gotten himself into trouble.

The girl in the pale blue dress, feeling somewhat guilty for involving Ye Xuan in the fray, looked at him with an apologetic gaze.

With a look of regret on her pristine face, she said, "I'm sorry for dragging you into this. My name is Bai Lan'er, an Inner Sect disciple."

Her voice was clear and pleasant, soothing to the ear.

From the moment he first saw her, Ye Xuan had deduced from her attire and the purple token that she was an Inner Sect disciple.

Ye Xuan surveyed the area; they were completely encircled by the four mutated corpse flowers, with no apparent way out.

Turning to Bai Lan'er, Ye Xuan said, "My name is Ye Xuan. It looks like we'll have to face these creatures together. But I must admit, my abilities are quite limited, so I might not be much help."

"Don't worry. I'll keep them at bay, and you can strike when the moment is right," Bai Lan'er reassured Ye Xuan with a gentle smile.

Though Ye Xuan's strength was modest compared to hers, he was still formidable among the Outer Sect disciples. Plus, having made it to this deeper part of the Inner Sect, he likely had some unexpected aces up his sleeve. As long as she could distract the mutated corpse flowers, Ye Xuan would have a chance to find an opening.

With this thought, Bai Lan'er felt a sense of relief wash over her.