Qin Si was truly flattered.
Although he hadn't visited this area recently, he had been keeping an eye on Bai Shengyi's alchemy progress. Initially, Bai Shengyi's success rate was not high; after the first batch, the next three batches were all ruined. It wasn't until the second day that things improved considerably.
However, Qin Si guessed that Bai Shengyi wouldn't have refined more than six bottles of Tier Two spirit medicine. He had glanced at the collection just now and realized that all the bottles he received were Tier Two. This made him suspect that Bai Shengyi had given them all to him.
Qin Si was a little excited. Did this mean he was special in Bai Shengyi's heart?
"You provided the medicinal ingredients, so naturally, you should get the larger share," Bai Shengyi said, not mentioning the eight bottles of Tier Two spirit medicine she still had.
Although her initial refining process was not smooth, she became more proficient later. Due to the Ten Directions Netherflame, her ingredient loss rate was extremely low, resulting in about thirty percent more finished products than typical alchemists.
For example, when refining Ephedra Pills, others could usually get three pills per batch, while she could achieve four. Though it was only one more pill, it would be an irreplaceable advantage when refining higher-tier spirit medicines in the future.
She smiled and continued, "These are Four Counteracting Pills, specially refined for the fire poison you previously suffered from. I've improved the prescription based on the Bai Family's medicinal texts. Take one pill daily to alleviate chills, further expel residual toxins, and nourish your physique."
Qin Si thought to himself, this little cheat wasn't entirely heartless.
In his excitement, he blurted out, "If you ever need medicinal ingredients for your alchemy, you can tell me."
"Sure!"
The moment Qin Si finished speaking, Bai Shengyi clapped her hands and immediately agreed, making Qin Si feel somewhat deceived again.
But looking at Bai Shengyi's bright smile, he quietly withdrew his hesitant thoughts. He realized that Bai Shengyi was indeed a little fox.
As the immortal ship neared its destination, Bai Shengyi entrusted the Crescent Cat to Qin Si and left the ship on her sword, heading alone for the rendezvous point.
Upon arrival, she discovered that someone was already waiting. They were the two individuals with unique auras that had caught her attention during the assessment: Xun Jiaxun Meng and Li Shiqing's fifth-stage teammates.
"Fellow Daoist Bai, are you also participating in this mission?"
Xun Meng was the first to greet Bai Shengyi. As she spoke, the ethereal and elusive aura around her became even more pronounced, as if she were shrouded in a wispy, ever-shifting veil.
Bai Shengyi subtly observed them for a moment before replying with a smile, "Yes. Fellow Daoist Xun, do you know how many people are going?"
Xun Meng casually manipulated her abacus a couple of times. "Six people."
Bai Shengyi was surprised. "More than that, surely?" According to what she had learned from Qin Si, the academy intended to invite at least eight cultivators.
Xun Meng's delicate face curved into a smile, revealing small dimples. However, she offered no explanation.
Soon, however, Bai Shengyi witnessed the miraculous power of the Xun family's divination techniques.
In the evening, Chu Tianle arrived. After a brief exchange, Feng Wuya and Ximen Hongchun also appeared.
Bai Shengyi saw Elder Mu Xing step forward and announce, "Qing Buli and Li Shiqing cannot make it due to other commitments, so we won't wait for them. Everyone, please listen to me regarding this mission. It's very simple: place the box given to you by the academy in a location with spiritual energy fluctuations. The task jade slip you'll receive will provide further details."
"However, everyone must note that the box must not be opened and is fragile, requiring careful protection. Furthermore, the Flowing Light Secret Realm is rather peculiar, with its environment constantly changing. This means the academy is currently unaware of the conditions inside the secret realm, so everyone must be extremely cautious. Now, come to me to collect your boxes and jade slips."
Bai Shengyi and Chu Tianle stepped forward to receive their items. Before they could examine them closely, Mu Xing suddenly exclaimed,
"Not good! The secret realm has opened prematurely! Everyone, hurry inside!" As he spoke, Mu Xing conjured a pair of massive hands, tearing open a multicolored passage in the evening glow.
"Go!"
Bai Shengyi, along with Chu Tianle and Feng Wuya, flew into the passage on their swords.
In an instant, Bai Shengyi felt a dizzying sensation, a sudden loss of footing, and then she was plunging towards the ground!
She immediately switched from spiritual energy to mental energy, landing steadily on the ground. However, she heard two consecutive thuds behind her.
"My spiritual energy is gone!" Feng Wuya exclaimed in alarm, getting up from the ground. "Chu Tianle, Shengyi, what about you?"
Chu Tianle replied, "Mine as well."
"Same here."
Bai Shengyi surveyed the surrounding scene, squinting. "Is it daytime now?"
Her vision was filled with dense, oval-shaped leaves, layer upon layer, obstructing her entire field of view. Whether it was the sky three meters away or the ground beneath her feet, everything was green, making it impossible to discern the time of day.
"It's not daytime; these leaves themselves are emitting light," Feng Wuya said, reaching out to pluck one.
"Wait!"
Bai Shengyi had a premonition of trouble, but she spoke too late. Feng Wuya had already plucked a leaf and was waving it above his head. "This is... Ah!"
Suddenly, a thick vine shot out from the leaves above, unexpectedly lashing out!
"What the hell is this? Shengyi, save me, ahhhh!"
Feng Wuya tried to raise his fan to defend himself, but without spiritual energy, his fan was useless. He could only ward off the attack in a flustered manner.
Chu Tianle and Bai Shengyi rushed to his aid. However, as if anticipating their actions, the vine immediately split into three, with cold, glinting thorns at their tips, rustling and advancing towards the three from three directions.
The trio ran breathlessly, but the vines relentlessly pursued them. Just when they thought the vines had stopped, they accelerated again.
Moreover, they felt trapped in a green cage; after running for a long time, the scenery above and below remained a sea of green.
"This won't do! If this continues, we'll all be played to death!"
Bai Shengyi frowned deeply. She tried to use the Ten Directions Netherflame, but it didn't work. When she attempted to absorb the wood spiritual energy from the vines, she found that there was no wood element at all in their surroundings.
"That's impossible," Bai Shengyi mused. "Feng Wuya, you also have a wood spiritual root. Can you sense any life force in this thing?"
Feng Wuya had already been observing and immediately replied, "No! Absolutely not!"
"There doesn't seem to be any soil either, only leaves and roots," Chu Tianle added.
A thought flashed through Bai Shengyi's mind. She abruptly stopped, leaning back to dodge a wood thorn. With an aerial flip, she weaved through the vines, causing one to tie itself into a knot.
As expected, the vine instantly became motionless.
"This is a Spirit-Chasing Wood! You need to let it touch something without spiritual energy, yes, its own branches and leaves! Chu Tianle, run to the left, jump! Backflip..."
Bai Shengyi then went to help Chu Tianle and Feng Wuya. After a while, they finally came to a halt.
"Shengyi, you're amazing! How did you figure out this was Spirit-Chasing Wood?" Feng Wuya asked, clutching his waist and panting, giving Bai Shengyi a thumbs-up.
Bai Shengyi's gaze, however, was fixed on a spot not far away. She raised a finger to her lips. "Shh... listen carefully."