(Finally finished this chapter—what a slow pace we've been going! It took us five hours just to write 3,000 words, and we're left speechless! Nevertheless, we're making every effort to finish the next chapter by tonight! Please give us your support—your votes mean a lot!) Though the young woman in white seemed childlike in appearance, her expression was now solemn and serious, her entire figure glowing with an unusual silver radiance, making her appear even more mysterious and otherworldly. Most astonishing of all, the young man and woman accompanying her were all visibly tense and respectful, silent throughout—no whispers or murmurs at all—and their gaze upon her back was filled with deep reverence. Even the previously impetuous woman who had appeared on the sand, along with her training companion, were now present, having completely lost their earlier arrogance. They breathed with the same measured dignity as the others, appearing remarkably humble and composed. Suddenly, the leading elven maiden halted, and the entire group behind her came to a stop as well. Ahead, the landscape opened up, revealing a deep green pond. At the center of the pond, several black rock outcrops rose above the water, upon which grew dozens of luminous, jade-like mushroom-like plants—particularly striking. "Is this it?" the elven maiden observed the pond with evident interest, then asked promptly without turning around, her voice especially delicate and soft. "Yes! Master Elder, the top-tier mythical beast, the Azure Water Crocodile, resides within the pond. During our previous forays into the sacred grove to collect medicinal herbs, one of our disciples was swallowed whole by this creature. Fortunately, another managed to escape!" A slightly older female disciple from the Yan Yue Sect stepped forward, bowing respectfully to the elven maiden. "Master Elder?" If any of the other six sect's disciples had heard this, they would surely have been stunned—perhaps even dislodged their chins! By the convention in the immortal cultivation world of ranking according to depth of stage, this sprightly young woman should be a Jiandan-stage cultivator of the Yan Yue Sect to merit such a title! Yet this sanctuary isn't one that even advanced Juchang-stage cultivators can enter—what's going on? Yet the expressions of the other Yan Yue Sect disciples seem utterly unimpressed, as if they've long known the secret. "Understood! Now go!" At that moment, the young woman spoke with dignified authority, her face displaying a composure far beyond her years. Then she turned to the others behind her and said: "Prepare yourselves! Once I bring the Bishui Crocodile out of the water, you'll all employ the newly refined cooperative technique, 'Yin-Yang Traction,' pairing off and launching your attacks simultaneously. With the power sufficient to match a full-force strike from a Juchang-stage disciple, I'm certain we can eliminate this threat without difficulty. Then we'll proceed to the next high-tier beast's lair and continue clearing out these rare herbs that no one dared harvest before!" The girl's voice was soft, yet full of confidence. Upon hearing her, neither male nor female disciples showed any doubt—everyone promptly agreed. As the elven maiden turned and opened her mouth, a small, rose-colored ring, about the size of a thumb, slowly exhaled from her lips. It then expanded in the wind, swelling rapidly to the size of a human head, emitting a low, resonant hum and radiating brilliant light. Truly a master artifact! The manner in which the ring appeared, the radiance it emitted, and the immense spiritual power it carried all confirmed that it was no ordinary item—indeed, a genuine divine treasure. Could this young girl truly be a cultivator at the Jian Dan stage? Not long after, within the secret cavern stretching over fifteen zhang deep, a tremendous roar first echoed through the chamber, followed by several deep, thunderous roars reminiscent of water buffalos, each charged with anger. Yet soon after, a series of booming thunderclaps surged in, momentarily intensifying the roars before gradually diminishing them. Then, a series of booming sounds and explosive crashes continued, eventually completely drowning out the roar, which never rose again. Several hours later, the elven maiden led the male and female disciples of Yan Yue Sect out through a hidden entrance. The disciples behind her all bore bright, joyful expressions, radiating warmth and enthusiasm. It was no surprise—opportunities to defeat a first-tier elite beast were far beyond the reach of these early-stage cultivators. Now, without much effort, they had successfully slain a beast that appeared both fierce and terrifying—the Azure Water Crocodile. How could they not be thrilled? Of course, had it not been for the elven maiden’s circular法宝 successfully deflecting most of the beast’s attacks, they would have sustained injuries. Thus, her graceful back figure now commanded even greater reverence. Yet the young girl paid no heed to the glances of the male and female disciples behind her, maintaining her calm and steady pace, as if slaying a top-tier first-tier beast were nothing short of ordinary. A short while later, the disciples of Yan Yue Sect vanished into the nearby dense woods, leaving no trace. ... Thus, across other regions, incidents of disciples defeating beasts and securing medicinal herbs continued to unfold, with occasional disputes arising over the shared herbs. Yet strangely, actual casualties from such conflicts were remarkably few. Typically, once a party recognized its own defeat, it would simply retreat, and the victors, though eager, would not press their advantage too hard—instead, they swiftly gathered the herbs and moved on to the next location. Most people were well aware of this pattern! The reason lay in the fact that everyone was running out of time; it was often better to risk a bloodbath and fight than to simply seek alternative gains elsewhere. The true moment when everyone must fight to the death to seize the other's medicinal herbs occurs on the final day—when all have returned laden with harvests. That day will surely be bloodstained, unlike the previous two days when the others could easily be allowed to depart. Han Li has a fair understanding of these matters, so he is making the most of the current opportunity, when the disciples from various sects can still counterbalance one another. He is rushing tirelessly from one location to another, and as soon as he encounters a mid-tier or higher-level beast, he immediately employs his footwork to bypass it, refusing to let it hold him for even a moment. Whether due to sheer luck or not, Han Li has encountered only one rare toxic beast—a colossal giant centipede—at the first mountain cave where he gathered herbs. In the four subsequent locations he visited, no other guardian beasts appeared, allowing him to collect the medicinal herbs effortlessly without expending a single extra effort. Han Li is thrilled by this success. If this favorable situation continues, he is certain to gather an ample supply of herbs. By now, the third day of the sacred precinct had nearly come to an end! Han Li was swiftly leaping from branch to branch, and along the way, two lower-rank spirit beasts—iron-armed apes—he encountered had instantly been shattered into four or five pieces just by a few swift gestures of his hand. Presently, he was making his way toward today's final destination: a small stone pavilion near the mountain's summit. It is said that the pavilion hosts a variety of rare medicinal herbs and rare plants, among which the heavenly spirit fruit—his most needed one—is grown. Although the heavenly spirit fruit has not yet reached maturity, several others have already ripened and are ready to be harvested. Thus, Han Li estimates that there must be spirit guardians stationed there, and it's not impossible that disciples from other sects have already arrived earlier. Yet Han Li didn't mind at all—he even welcomed the presence of others, hoping they would clear the path ahead for him, so he wouldn't have to exert himself further. After all, such a person would surely be uninterested in the unripe herbs! While Han Li was in a joyful mood, he finally spotted the silhouette of the stone pavilion at a distance—indeed, it wasn't very large! Yet before he could even approach, a fierce clash of combat had already reached him. Han Li felt a surge of relief—someone had truly come to clear the way for him. Immediately, his body moved in an unusual manner, flickering and gliding silently until he reached the pavilion. On the open ground before the pavilion, there was no grand scene of a strong man battling a monstrous beast as he had imagined. Instead, a sturdy, black-robed, barefoot man with a square face was wielding a massive silver sword, pressing down on a slender green-clad woman until she was nearly gasping for breath. The woman's only defense was a yellow-glowing silk handkerchief, now dim and lifeless, completely outmatched by the silver sword. She struggled desperately to hold on. Lying on the ground beside them was a massive red wolf split into two halves and a young white phoenix whose body and head had been severed, its blood pooling everywhere, filling the air with a strong, pungent scent of freshness—clearly both had only just died. Seeing this, Han Li's mouth fell open in silent astonishment. It wasn't surprising that the two had fought here; what truly amazed him was that this green-robed girl was none other than the shy young woman who had once sold him the golden Zhuzhu brush. This was truly astonishing! For when the disciples from various sects gathered outside the sacred precinct, Han Li had already noticed that the girl's cultivation was quite shallow—only ten layers deep. In his mind, he had assumed that she must have perished upon entering the sacred grounds, or else had taken refuge somewhere, hiding quietly. Yet here, deep within the central basin of the ring-shaped mountain, he saw her fighting desperately against a formidable disciple from the Great Sword Sect—how could he not be stunned? "Little one! If you step back now and withdraw, it's still time." You should know that I've been holding back all along. But my claim that a certain person doesn't mind killing women—doesn't mean he hasn't! If this continues, you and that white eagle will meet the same fate!" The barefoot man grew impatient, his cold face radiating deadly intent. For nearly half an hour now, he had been pursued relentlessly by this unexpected spirit-beast maiden from the mountain range, and his last shred of patience had long since vanished. Should she persist in her obstinacy, he would have no choice but to act decisively and end her. The maiden's face was pale. Yet, after a firm resolve, she stood her ground with unwavering determination: "If you won't let me have those several blazing sun flowers inside, I'll never leave!" (To be continued. For more updates, please visit. More chapters available. Support the author. Support official reading!)