In Ye Junlin's eyes, An Miaoyi was currently wrapped up in a tangle of vines, her petite figure twitching and convulsing under arcs of electricity. The sight, as bizarre as it was, somehow managed to be... awkwardly suggestive.
With the occasional burst of static and the high-pitched sounds of pain, it was hard not to read too much into the scene.
Fan Dezhen's eyes widened when he spotted people approaching. Relief swept across his worn face like a tidal wave. "Fellow cultivators! Please, lend us your aid! The Wendaozong will never forget this kindness!"
For some reason, he instinctively felt that this strange group might actually be dependable.
An Miaoyi, weak from the shocks and barely conscious, whimpered out, "Help..."
Hong Qianye's gaze sharpened. "That's the Nine Calamity Thunder Vine."
Li Wujie's eyes gleamed as he pulled out a kitchen knife, his grin filled with anticipation. "That's a mid-grade Medicine Sovereign. Jackpot."
Saving people was a bonus. What really mattered here... was the herb.
The value of that vine was through the roof.
Ye Junlin casually waved a hand. "Eh, Miss An and I are clearly fated. How could I just stand by and do nothing?"
He turned like a general giving orders. "Go on then, Wang Cuihua, Li Tiedan."
It sounded suspiciously like someone ordering their pets to attack.
Hong Qianye's eye twitched. Internally, he cursed the guy's ancestors.
Seriously? Who calls people that in a fight?
Li Wujie didn't even blink, charging ahead with his kitchen knife raised. "Wang Cuihua, cover me!"
Hong Qianye blinked in disbelief. "You're really rolling with this?"
Still, he sighed, then shouted, "Li Tiedan, I'm on my way!"
Swish!
The two of them turned into streaks of light and launched themselves toward the vine.
The Nine Calamity Thunder Vine seemed more amused than threatened. "Oh? New toys? How exciting!"
"Let's see if you're still smiling after I roast you alive," Hong Qianye muttered. He weaved a few hand seals and launched a streak of crimson flame, slicing through the air like a blade of molten steel.
A blue vine whipped forward with a crackle, its lightning crackling through the air.
Boom!
The flame collided. Smoke burst from the vine, leaving it charred and twitching.
"AHH! How dare you burn this lord?!" the vine shrieked, voice echoing in their minds. More vines shot forward, every one of them laced with lightning.
Each one burst from the ground like a snake possessed, filling the air with crackling tension.
Li Wujie stepped forward with a snort, his sword technique bursting out as his blade aura met the barrage.
At the same time, Hong Qianye sent more spells flying. Several pale-blue fireballs launched in succession, exploding across the vines and freezing them on contact. Ice spread across their surfaces, slowing them down and blunting their power.
Under the onslaught, the Thunder Vine shrieked, its hold on An Miaoyi loosening. The vines dropped from her body as the plant went berserk.
Taking the chance, Fan Dezhen dashed in and pulled An Miaoyi to safety.
Watching the two figures fight head-on with a mid-grade Medicine Sovereign herb left both of them reeling.
Too strong. Way too strong.
An Miaoyi stared, utterly shaken.
Back in Wendaozong, she was known as a prodigy—the strongest among her generation. She'd grown up showered in praise, held up as a shining example for others.
Even at Dragon Gate Inn, when she first saw Hong Qianye and Li Wujie, she assumed their strength came from higher cultivation realms. She figured that if she reached their level, she'd surpass them.
Now, with everyone reduced to Qi Refining Ninth Layer, the truth hit her like a slap in the face.
Same cultivation. She even had the Starry Immortal Body. And yet... she couldn't even handle a wild herb.
Meanwhile, they were going blow for blow with the Medicine Sovereign's creation.
If she still couldn't see the gap between them now, she might as well quit cultivating.
"Uncle Fan... you and Father have been lying to me. I'm not as gifted as you say," An Miaoyi murmured, her voice trembling with disappointment.
Fan Dezhen opened his mouth, but no words came out.
When he first called out to Ye Junlin's group, it had been out of sheer desperation. He didn't expect them to hold their own—let alone force the Thunder Vine into retreat.
The strength they were displaying wasn't just strong... it was unreal.
"Who even are these people? With power like that, I'd have heard of them before," Fan Dezhen muttered.
An Miaoyi glanced at Ye Junlin and replied, "Young Master Ye said they're from the Arid Province."
Fan Dezhen blinked, looking back and forth between Hong Qianye and Li Wujie, then over to Ye Junlin and Bai Xiaoxi. The casual way they interacted, the overwhelming strength on display...
A thought struck him like lightning.
"…No way."
At that moment, the Nine Calamity Thunder Vine screamed in rage.
It had never encountered cultivators this annoying before!
"You pests! I'll bind you up and give you the most shocking experience of your lives!"
Dozens of lightning-charged vines burst from the ground, coiling through the air like furious serpents. A glowing cage took shape, trapping Hong Qianye and Li Wujie inside.
The two fought back with everything they had, but it was clear—they were starting to buckle under the pressure.
An Miaoyi gasped. "Not even they can handle it?"
Fan Dezhen stayed silent, his brow furrowed.
On the sidelines, Bai Xiaoxi's voice rang out. "Brother Hong! Junior Brother Li! I'm coming!"
The little white-haired girl shot forward.
Ye Junlin raised an eyebrow. "Huh. So she's finally showing her true strength?"
Within the vine cage, Hong Qianye and Li Wujie were both struggling.
"Damn it! Even here, the Medicine Sovereign has the upper hand!" Li Wujie spat. "I tried to activate my bloodline, but nothing's responding! Is it the suppression?"
Hong Qianye's face darkened.
It was bad enough being bullied by Ye Junlin—that guy was the Son of Luck. But now even a glorified weed was showing him up?
Why were the herbs in this place packing more power than half the cultivators he'd met?
That damn Medicine Sovereign better pray they never met again.
Then his eyes caught something small approaching. "Wait... is that mouse coming over here?!"
Li Wujie shouted, "Sister Bai, get out of here! It's dangerous!"
The Thunder Vine laughed coldly. "You think I'll go easy on a little thing like you?"
With a crackle, a vine surged forward.
Bai Xiaoxi's body lit up with radiant golden light, her presence suddenly turning divine. With a dainty hand, she grabbed the attacking vine mid-strike.
Then yanked.
"Don't underestimate the mouse."
CRACK!
The vine snapped in half, green sap spraying everywhere.
"AAAHHHHHHHH!" the Thunder Vine wailed, the psychic echo of its pain flooding their minds.
Bai Xiaoxi's golden light intensified as she delivered a barrage of punches and kicks. What looked like random strikes actually carried deep, terrifying force.
In seconds, the entire cage of vines collapsed under her assault, breaking apart and falling limp.
Hong Qianye stared. "You've got to be kidding me."
This was the same fluffy mouse that just juggled snacks all day?
Li Wujie nearly dropped his sword. "Sister Bai, since when were you this powerful?!"
He'd genuinely assumed she was just a pet Ye Junlin kept around for fun.
On the other side, An Miaoyi and Fan Dezhen gasped in unison.
They watched in disbelief as the veiled girl casually demolished the Nine Calamity Thunder Vine with her bare hands.
Ye Junlin clicked his tongue. "So this is the power of the number one immortal body in the realms? Not bad. Not bad at all."
With the help of a supreme immortal body and her concealed martial skill, Bai Xiaoxi had finally stopped holding back.
And when she stopped holding back, not even the Medicine Sovereign's toys stood a chance.
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