Having dragged Ye Chen from the clutches of the Bewildering Forest, An Yuyi let out a deep sigh of relief. Traversing the forest in reverse had provoked even more violent assaults from the blood-red vines. Despite the protective artifact her aunt had given her, she was not without injury; her sleeve was torn, revealing a slender, alabaster arm marred by several bloody marks.

Casting a glance at Ye Chen, An Yuyi shook her head internally. The Bewildering Forest had the power to dredge up the deepest desires of cultivators, crafting illusions from them. She could have understood if Ye Chen's greatest wish was to ascend to immortality or to become an ancestor of a cultivation line. But his deepest desire was to frolic shamelessly with a host of celestial maidens in the Milky Way?

Truly, he lacked any grand ambition.

Disinclined to interact further with Ye Chen, An Yuyi seated herself to begin healing her wounds.

At that moment, Fang Xi and Pei Ling emerged from the forest, covered in dirt and grime. Seeing Ye Chen, their eyes lit up. Pei Ling, with a look of disdain, addressed him: "Even as a mere member of the Green Cloud Sect at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment, to get lost is quite the embarrassment, isn't it?"

Ye Chen shook his head, clearing his mind of any negative emotions. He then looked at Fang Xi and knowingly asked, "Fellow Daoist Fang, was it because I refused to concoct pills for you that you intentionally tied the rope to a tree?"

Fang Xi's eyes narrowed, and a cold smile curled his lips. "Fellow Daoist Ye, please be careful with your words. Slandering a direct disciple of the Divine Will Sect is no trivial matter."

Pei Ling chimed in righteously, "It seems you've confused your illusions with reality."

Both Fang Xi and Pei Ling clearly did not take Ye Chen seriously. Their status as direct disciples of the Divine Will Sect, coupled with their own capabilities, filled them with an inherent arrogance towards Ye Chen.

After all, even if you know the truth, what can you do about it?

Ye Chen smiled after a brief glance at them. Their attitudes were clear, and so was his next move.

By then, An Yuyi had finished her healing and stood up, casting a look at Fang Xi and Pei Ling. The environment of the Bewildering Forest was designed to reveal a cultivator's deepest desires. Therefore, the nature of Ye Chen's entrapment in the forest was crystal clear to her.

However, An Yuyi had no intention of championing justice for Ye Chen. Ye Chen was merely a passerby, while Fang Xi and Pei Ling were direct disciples. The choice was obvious and required little deliberation.

An Yuyi spoke calmly, "In half an hour, the poison fog will begin to change. I ask that Fellow Daoist Ye sense the upcoming alterations and prepare the corresponding antidote pills."

Ye Chen glanced at An Yuyi and nodded. Without a word, he began to prepare his alchemy furnace for concocting the pills.

Fang Xi and Pei Ling exchanged looks, their faces breaking into satisfied smiles.

Fang Xi, in particular, had already resolved to coerce Ye Chen into concocting pills for him once they left the Lotus Pond. If Ye Chen refused, he would face dire consequences.

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A mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator from a lower sect was expendable, and Fang Xi did not believe the Green Cloud Sect would dare confront the Divine Will Sect over such a matter.

...

Ye Chen, with a placid expression, successfully concocted the new batch of antidote pills. He consumed one immediately. The others then hesitantly followed suit.

However, as he handed an antidote pill to An Yuyi, Ye Chen also casually offered her a bottle of top-grade True Intent Pills.

Although this woman lacked a sense of gratitude, the potential for a hundredfold return on his investment was here, and it wasn't worth holding a grudge over personal likes and dislikes.

Of course, it was just the pills he was offering. Any genuine treasures were out of the question for An Yuyi.

Looking ahead at the small mountain, Ye Chen's eyes held a glimmer of anticipation. He hoped the treasures that had drawn the direct disciples of the Divine Will Sect here would not disappoint.

...

"Up ahead lies the Blood River; ascending it will lead us to the Lotus Pond. The Blood River is extremely perilous in itself, filled with ferocious blood beasts! However, the river has dried up over the millennia, and those beasts have long since perished! Still, let's remain vigilant."

Having traversed the Bewildering Forest, a small mountain now lay before them. The path up the mountain had once been fraught with dangers, but due to the passage of time, those perils had vanished. They ascended the mountain without incident. With the garden now in sight, anticipation filled their eyes. They had traveled great distances to this place for this very purpose.

"Our records state that within the Lotus Pond of the Boundless Demon Sect, there are precisely three Blood Sea Lotus plants," Pei Ling began, unable to contain his excitement as the treasures drew near.

"The Blood Sea Lotus fruits every fifty years, and its seeds can elevate the quality of one's spiritual roots. Though the blood pond has long dried up, if the Blood Sea Lotus was not destroyed when the Boundless Demon Sect was annihilated, there should still be three seeds available."

The potential of the Blood Sea Lotus Seeds was extraordinary. They could elevate an ordinary spiritual root to a rare one, a single rare root to a dual rare root, and enhance dual rare roots to more closely align and increase their quality.

This was precisely why An Yuyi had come. She possessed both the Star and Thunder spiritual roots, which clashed during energy conversion, making her cultivation of the Star Thunder Technique somewhat cumbersome. These Blood Sea Lotus Seeds were essential for her.

Trying to contain her excitement, she asked Pei Ling, "Are we certain the golden core-level guard beasts within have perished?"

Pei Ling, manipulating his array disk, nodded seriously. "I detect no movement. The guardian beast of this pond was supposed to be a Howling Moon Demon Wolf. Even with their lengthy lifespan, a golden core phase demon wolf only lives for three thousand years. The Boundless Demon Sect has been extinct for five thousand years. The Howling Moon Demon Wolf is undoubtedly dead."

Upon hearing this, the excitement among the trio surged. They were about to enter the Lotus Pond when Fang Xi turned back, intending to warn Ye Chen to keep his distance. Instead, he saw Ye Chen standing far off, an understanding seemingly reached.

Fang Xi sneered, "It's good you know your place. Some treasures aren't meant for you. Just stand guard at the entrance, and don't dare step inside, or I'll flay you!"

Once they obtained the seeds, they could easily leave within twelve hours. Ye Chen was now irrelevant to them.

An Yuyi frowned slightly at this but was too eager to secure the Blood Sea Lotus Seeds to say more.

Thus, the three quickly stepped into the garden.

...

Ye Chen stood alone at a distance, his demeanor calm.

Why waste energy on the dead?

Instead, he felt a thrill of excitement! The only drawback he faced now was his spiritual root, and he had been pondering how to enhance it. And now, the solution was literally before his eyes. He even felt grateful to them.

Ye Chen had already begun to consider how to distribute the seeds. If the effects could be stacked, perhaps all could go to his master.

But if not, then one for his master, one for Yao Xi, and one for the little witch Su Yuxuan. Despite her flaws, gifting her could yield significant returns.

With his plan set, Ye Chen remained where he was, in no rush to enter. His Heavy Pupils allowed him to see clearly. There was still something in the garden. And it seemed rather formidable. That was why Ye Chen stood so far away…

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