Inside the corridor, he discovered a small garden bathed in gentle green light. In every corner grew various medicinal herbs. There were flowers blooming with jade-like shimmering petals, spiritual grasses releasing misty vapors, and even a small tree bearing blood-red fruits—fruits believed to drastically enhance physical strength.
Bai Tian's heart raced.
"This place… a paradise for alchemists," he murmured, eyes glittering with excitement.
Bai Tian did not act greedily. He only picked a few plants he recognized—herbs useful for healing and basic enhancement, but not too eye-catching. That way, he could gain benefits without arousing suspicion.
Moments later, his ears caught the sound of hurried footsteps approaching. Quickly, Bai Tian placed the herbs he had gathered into his storage pouch, then returned to the cave entrance as if he had just arrived.
Before long, another group of disciples entered the area. The instant they saw the herbal garden filled with rare plants, their eyes lit up, and they rushed to snatch them.
"Don't touch that, it belongs to our sect!"
"You've already taken plenty, now it's our turn!"
"Dare to block me, and I'll destroy you!"
Chaos erupted instantly. Spiritual energy explosions filled the cave, sword lights and techniques flashing in all directions. The disciples shoved and fought each other, desperate to seize the precious herbs growing at the garden's center.
Amid the chaos, Bai Tian stood calmly at the edge. He did not interfere but slowly moved along the side of the cave. Patiently, he gathered the overlooked low-grade herbs—blood-replenishing leaves, energy-strengthening grass, and healing roots. Though simple in appearance, all of these would prove extremely useful in the long run, especially if refined into basic pills.
Because of his calm and inconspicuous demeanor, no one noticed him. All eyes were fixated on the battle for the rare plants in the middle. While others fought and suffered injuries, Bai Tian quietly filled his pouch little by little.
His face remained expressionless, but in his heart, he felt satisfied. Sometimes, the greatest profit did not belong to the fastest or the strongest… but to the most patient.
The fierce battle eventually subsided. Several disciples lay on the ground covered in wounds, their breathing ragged. Meanwhile, Bai Tian, who had remained at the sidelines, slowly approached a group of five disciples from his own sect.
Without saying much, he took out a few healing pills and tossed them their way.
The five of them looked at Bai Tian with suspicion. To dispel their doubts, Bai Tian immediately swallowed one pill in front of them. Warm light enveloped his body, and his wounds gradually healed. Seeing this, their suspicion vanished. Relieved, they quickly consumed the pills he had given, and their external injuries began to recover.
One of them, a young man with a rather friendly face, lowered his head slightly and spoke politely,
"Thank you, junior brother."
Bai Tian merely waved his hand, his expression calm.
"There's no need to thank me. We're from the same sect, it's only right to help each other. Oh, by the way, fellow brothers… have you seen the Cloud Spirit Leaf? I must complete this mission."
The five disciples exchanged glances, as if discussing silently through their eyes. At last, one of them replied,
"Junior brother, the herb you mentioned most likely grows upstream. Some time ago, I heard a senior speak of it."
Hearing this clue, Bai Tian bowed his head slightly in thanks.
"In that case, I'll head upstream. May we all find our opportunities."
The five exchanged looks again, and one of them—a thick-browed young man—spoke up,
"Junior brother, it just so happens we're heading that way as well. How about we go together? At the very least, we can protect each other."
Bai Tian pretended to hesitate, then smiled faintly.
"Very well, I'll join you."
They moved as one group, traversing the winding path filled with scorching red rocks. The atmosphere grew more oppressive as they approached the magma river. Yet after some time, the suffocating heat gradually faded, replaced by fresh, humid air.
Soon, the sound of trickling water became clear. Before them stretched a strange river—its waters glimmered silver, reflecting light like a faint mist drifting above its surface.
"So strange… this river looks like ordinary water, but its aura feels like spiritual clouds," one disciple whispered, eyes wary.
Bai Tian frowned. His gaze swept along the riverbank until it halted upstream. In the distance, a broad-leaved plant of whitish-green stood, its petals shrouded in a thin, swirling mist.
"The Cloud Spirit Leaf…" Bai Tian muttered, his eyes flashing sharply.
But before he could act, a commotion erupted from another direction. Several groups of disciples from different sects arrived at the same location. Their eyes immediately locked onto the plant, and the atmosphere grew tense with battle intent.
The five disciples with Bai Tian raised their weapons cautiously. The thick-browed youth whispered,
"It seems we won't be able to obtain it so easily…"
Tension thickened by the riverbank. Every group of disciples stared greedily at the Cloud Spirit Leaf upstream, spiritual auras surging as if ready to erupt at any moment.
Then, just as one disciple leapt forward to seize it—
BOOM!
The once-calm river suddenly churned violently. The silver mist blanketing its surface whirled into a massive vortex. From within, a semi-transparent beast emerged—a dragon formed of cloud and spiritual water. Its pale blue eyes glared sharply, exuding a soul-piercing pressure.
"A guardian beast…" one disciple muttered, face paling.
The mist dragon's voice reverberated, echoing directly in their minds:"Whoever dares touch my plant… shall find only destruction."
The atmosphere instantly grew oppressive. Some disciples retreated in fear, while others smiled with ambition."An opportunity like this won't come twice!" a disciple from another sect shouted, unleashing his spiritual sword strike at the mist dragon.
A burst of light flashed, but the dragon's body only shuddered slightly before raging. With one swing of its misty tail, it struck down four disciples at once, sending them vomiting blood as they crashed to the ground.
Bai Tian's group fell silent, their auras tense. The thick-browed youth swallowed hard, whispering,
"This guardian… at least equal to the late stage of the Spiritual Sea Realm. Not overwhelmingly strong… but its intelligence is high?"
The five disciples from Bai Tian's sect had no choice but to join the battle, though their faces had already turned pale."Junior brother, let's attack together!" the thick-browed youth shouted at Bai Tian.
Bai Tian quickly nodded, pretending enthusiasm. He swung his sword, releasing a simple technique that produced a faint light—yet it hardly consumed his strength. To onlookers, it appeared he was fighting earnestly, but in truth his strikes were merely for show.
Meanwhile, his sharp eyes studied the battlefield. He observed the flow of silver mist swirling around the dragon. Amid the vortex, he noticed a stream moving more sluggishly—a potential weak point. And right beyond that gap stood the softly glowing Cloud Spirit Leaf.
"So that's it… the guardian isn't without flaws. It's bound to the mist river, and at that point, its power weakens." Bai Tian mused inwardly, keeping his face composed to avoid suspicion.
Another massive explosion shook the ground as the mist dragon lashed its tail, the impact hurling several disciples close to unconsciousness.
While everyone's eyes remained fixed on the raging dragon, Bai Tian carefully retreated step by step. His movements matched those of someone being pushed back, but in reality, he was inching toward the riverbank near the gap.
As others fought desperately, only Bai Tian appeared "weak," seemingly withdrawing. None paid him any attention.
This moment… only once.
Taking a deep breath, Bai Tian slipped toward the mist gap like a shadow.
He moved swiftly, his body pressed against the damp cliffside. Every step calculated, every breath suppressed to avoid stirring spiritual ripples.
At last, he reached near the river's source. Just a few more steps, and the Cloud Spirit Leaf would be within his grasp. The whitish-green leaf glowed softly, shrouded in mist that danced gently, radiating purity that cleared the mind.
Bai Tian stretched out his hand. His fingertips nearly brushed the leaf—
ROARRR!
A deafening roar crashed directly into his mind. The mist dragon, still locked in combat with the other disciples, suddenly turned, its gaze piercing through the crowd to lock directly onto Bai Tian!
The silver mist around its body spun faster, the river churning violently as a massive vortex formed before Bai Tian.
"Impossible… this guardian can sense anyone who approaches the leaf!" Bai Tian thought, his face turning grim.
The dragon surged toward him, its crushing aura like a collapsing mountain. The humid air turned into bone-chilling pressure. Several disciples froze mid-battle, shocked that the guardian suddenly redirected its wrath.
"There! Someone's trying to steal the Cloud Spirit Leaf!" a disciple from another sect shouted, eyes blazing with envy.
Instantly, everyone's attention shifted. Some withdrew from the fight, while others rushed toward Bai Tian, hoping to exploit the chaos and seize the leaf.
Seeing the raging dragon and the murderous glares of the disciples, Bai Tian knew he could not remain the focus for long. If he lingered, he would become the target of all.
He glanced briefly at the five disciples from his sect. Exhausted, pale-faced, and badly wounded, they could not possibly endure both the guardian's fury and the other sect disciples.
Bai Tian's eyes gleamed. In that case… time to vanish.
With a swift motion, he pulled several small pouches from his sleeve. Dozens of gray smoke pellets shot out in all directions.
CRAAASH—!
Smoke explosions engulfed the cave. Thick haze spread instantly, mixing with the silver river mist. Everyone's vision was obscured, even their spiritual perception disrupted.
"Damn it! Who dares use such cheap tricks?!" a disciple from another sect cursed, coughing amid the smoke.
In the chaos, Bai Tian moved like lightning. His body slipped out of the guardian's reach, his steps nearly soundless. At the same time, the five disciples of his sect seized the opportunity—activating movement talismans, their figures vanished instantly, escaping together with Bai Tian.
When the smoke finally cleared, the mist dragon roared in fury. But only scrambling disciples remained. Bai Tian and his five companions were nowhere to be seen.