Chapter 060: The Mysterious Lotus

  "Yun'er, did you encounter anything inside?" After a pause, Yang Tian glanced at Yun'er and casually asked.

  "I... I did..." A flush instantly spread across Yun'er's delicate face. She intertwined her fingers tightly, her voice stammering like the faint buzz of a mosquito.

  "Uh..." Yang Tian was momentarily stunned by Yun'er's blushing face, her charm stirring something unusual within him.

  "Ahem... ahem..." Having just experienced a rollercoaster of emotions, Yang Tian's mental state had improved significantly. He quickly regained his composure, coughing awkwardly a few times before shifting his gaze forward.

  Ahead of Yang Tian stretched a vast forest, surrounded by towering ancient trees. The air was thick with an ancient aura, both terrifying and brimming with vitality. This place was a treasure trove for cultivation.

  "Is this still within the Array Sect?" The scene before him was astonishing. Yang Tian found it hard to believe that such an expansive forest could exist within a sect. The ancient aura permeating the air made his heart race.

  "Yun'er, shall we head further in? I bet people are already trying to break through the illusion arrays." Seeing Yun'er still lost in thought, her head bowed, Yang Tian couldn't help but ask.

  "Ah..." Yun'er's body trembled slightly as she was jolted awake. She lifted her head and instinctively replied, "Yes, let's go further in."

  Yang Tian didn't press her about what she had experienced. Together, they ventured deeper into the forest.

  About half an hour later, a jade-like young man appeared. The moment he sensed the ancient aura in the air, his previously gloomy expression vanished, and he dashed forward.

  As he left, the area around the light gate became lively, with people continuously pouring in and rushing in various directions.

  About fifteen minutes later, Yang Tian emerged from the forest and arrived at a crossroads. In the distance, he could faintly see some structures.

  "Arf arf." Xiao Bai, who had been quietly resting in his arms, suddenly leaped out. It sniffed at one of the paths, its little nose twitching, and let out a few low whimpers, its face filled with longing.

  "Did you smell some spirit herbs, little guy?" Seeing Xiao Bai's reaction, a look of delight spread across Yang Tian's face. He rubbed Xiao Bai's head and quickly asked.

  "Arf arf." Wagging its tail and hopping around on Yang Tian's shoulder, Xiao Bai nodded in agreement.

  "Xiao Bai is so amazing." Yun'er also rubbed Xiao Bai's head, her eyebrows curving into crescents. After a few days together, Xiao Bai had grown less wary of her.

  "Let's go." Seeing Xiao Bai's gaze fixed on one of the paths, Yang Tian smiled slightly and led the way.

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  The two of them hurried down the path. After a few miles, a rich medicinal aroma filled their nostrils. The accumulated medicinal energy over the years was so dense it felt almost tangible, leaving both Yang Tian and Yun'er in awe.

  "Thud." Their bodies came to an abrupt halt as they stared in disbelief at the scene before them. Endless spirit herbs stretched out like fields of cabbages, their numbers staggering.

  "So many spirit herbs." Even Yun'er, who had grown up in a major sect, couldn't help but gasp. The fields of spirit herbs seemed endless.

  "Indeed." Yang Tian, initially overjoyed, suddenly frowned. His eyes scanned the edges of each herb garden, where he could faintly detect energy fluctuations.

  "Damn it, every herb field is protected by an array, and they're not low-level ones either." He patted his forehead, a bitter expression on his face. Although the arrays had weakened over time, breaking them would still be no easy task and would take a considerable amount of time.

  "Whimper." Xiao Bai's glowing eyes fixed on the herb gardens, it let out a few low whimpers, clearly eager to move.

  "Stay put." Yang Tian held Xiao Bai back. Although the white light it could spit out could break arrays, it would drain the little creature significantly. The spirit herbs here, while ancient and potent, weren't useful to them at this stage, so it wasn't worth the effort.

  "Yun'er, let's go." With a resigned shake of his head, Yang Tian continued forward, hoping to stumble upon something extraordinary.

  This place was an empire of spirit herbs, enough to drive anyone mad. Countless herb gardens stretched out before them, most containing herbs Yang Tian had never seen before. Even someone from an ancient, prestigious family would be tempted to plunder.

  The newcomers acted like a band of thieves, tearing through the arrays like locusts, frantically gathering the abundant spirit herbs. Bloodshed became a common occurrence.

  "Arf arf!" Xiao Bai, who had been restrained by Yang Tian, suddenly struggled free. Its excited bark was filled with an indescribable thrill, and a few drops of crystalline liquid dripped from its mouth.

  "This little guy." Yang Tian released Xiao Bai, allowing it to dash ahead. He and Yun'er followed closely, and soon they arrived at their destination.

  Before them was a herb garden spanning a hundred zhang, filled with various rare spirit herbs. At the center of the garden was a lake, its surface dotted with purple lotus leaves.

  "It seems what attracted Xiao Bai is in the lake." After observing for a while, Yang Tian noticed that while the surrounding herbs were precious, many herb gardens had similar ones. The center of the garden, where the lake was, seemed to be the most potent area.

  "Whoosh, whoosh." Xiao Bai spat out white light orbs one after another. The energy waves emitted by these orbs were stronger than before, indicating that Xiao Bai had made significant progress.

  Compared to the illusion array they had broken earlier, this array was much more formidable. It took a full quarter of an hour to create a small breach.

  "Let's go." Grabbing the still-dazed Yun'er, Yang Tian slipped through the breach. Xiao Bai reinforced the opening with a beam of white light, ensuring it remained stable.

  "Splash..." As soon as Yang Tian entered, Xiao Bai leaped into the lake, disappearing beneath the rippling surface.

  "Brother Yang, is Xiao Bai going to be okay?" Yun'er's face paled as she exclaimed. Rare treasures often had guardian beasts.

  "It should be fine, right?" Yang Tian was also concerned. Although Xiao Bai was mysterious, the Array Sect was home to many high-level beasts.

  "Plop." Just as Yang Tian was about to dive in, a splash erupted, and Xiao Bai emerged, shaking off the water. In its mouth was a dazzling purple lotus.

  "What is this?" Yang Tian was stunned. The energy contained within the purple lotus was immense, and its strange, intoxicating fragrance stirred something deep within him.

  "Arf arf!" With an excited bark, Xiao Bai extended its paw, peeling open the lotus petals to reveal a purple lotus seed, which it promptly swallowed.

  "Thud." After swallowing the seed, Xiao Bai swayed unsteadily, as if drunk, its little head spinning.

  "Ah—" Yun'er cried out, rushing forward to scoop up Xiao Bai.

  "Little guy, you glutton." Yang Tian patted Xiao Bai's head, frowning as he saw it fall into a deep sleep. He knew well how potent Xiao Bai's ability to absorb medicinal energy was. He then picked up the purple lotus from the ground.