Lin Xian'er Escapes from Peril

While Wang Jianqiang was frantically gathering Mystic Jade Ginseng, others in different parts of the herb garden were also collecting medicinal plants.

"This herb garden trial actually scales its difficulty based on the strength displayed by those who enter!"

"Unfortunately, I revealed too many of my techniques from the start, making the later trials too difficult. I could only pass three."

Su Yutong gazed at the endless expanse of the herb garden, her face filled with regret.

……

"Damn it! This ridiculous trial doesn’t even give a single hint!"

Ye Lingyun’s eyes were bloodshot, his heart burning with fury.

Not long ago, while collecting his first herb, he had been pulled into a trial space.

To quickly defeat the spectral figure, he had gone all out, overwhelming it with the full might of his strength.

The consequence? The spectral figure in the second trial had replicated too many of his techniques, forcing him to exhaust himself just to barely pass—at the cost of severe injuries.

Only now had he finally grasped the rules of the herb garden trials, and he dared not attempt another.

This also meant his gains in the herb garden had come to an end.

Aside from Su Yutong and Ye Lingyun, others were also undergoing the trials—Su Su and Yang Yun from the Zhengyang Sect, Liu Qing'er and Jian Jiu from the Ten Thousand Swords Sect, as well as Bai Xiruo and Mu Lingxi.

Meanwhile, Ye Qingxue and Wang Yuyao had also passed the qualification test to enter the herb garden and stepped inside.

……

On the second floor of the ancient structure,

Lin Xian'er sat cross-legged in the spirit pool, her body completely bare.

The spirit water that had once filled the pool had been completely refined, revealing her flawless figure beneath.

Hum!

At that moment, Lin Xian'er shuddered.

A powerful aura erupted, instantly flooding the entire second-floor space.

"Foundation Establishment—Middle Stage!"

Her eyes snapped open, alight with excitement.

She hadn’t expected the spirit pool’s water to be so astonishingly effective for cultivation.

Just a month ago, she had barely stepped into the early stage of Foundation Establishment.

Yet after only a month of cultivation, she had already broken through to the middle stage!

But her exhilaration quickly faded.

What did a breakthrough matter if she couldn’t activate the teleportation array on the altar? She would remain trapped here until her eventual demise.

At this thought, the image of that old man resurfaced in her mind.

Her teeth clenched in fury.

That bastard had not only taken her purity but also left her stranded in this ancient ruin.

After a long moment, she forced herself to calm down.

Just as she was about to step out of the dried-up spirit pool, her gaze caught something at the bottom—a layer of jade-white spirit stones.

She froze, then picked one up.

After a brief inspection, her face lit up with joy.

"High-grade spirit stones!"

The purity and density of the spiritual energy within was unmistakable. These were undoubtedly high-grade spirit stones!

Then, a flash of murderous intent crossed her face.

"With these high-grade spirit stones, I can activate the altar’s teleportation array and leave this place."

"Old man, your days are numbered!"

……

In the empty trial space, Wang Jianqiang reappeared.

In the end, he had chosen to continue the trials.

Hum~

A burst of spiritual light erupted as the spectral figure for the tenth trial materialized.

The moment it appeared, spiritual energy flickered around its five fingers as it lashed out with a clawing motion.

The Minor Five Elements Sword Array instantly formed, trapping Wang Jianqiang within.

By now, Wang Jianqiang was accustomed to the spectral figure’s habit of attacking immediately upon appearing.

The moment it struck, he condensed his own Minor Five Elements Sword Array around his fist without hesitation.

A punch erupted.

Minor Five Elements Sword Array vs. Minor Five Elements Sword Array.

Boom!

The sword array surrounding him shattered violently.

At the same time, the terrifying force swirling around his fist also collapsed.

Staggering back, before he could even steady himself, his mind flashed—the Flawless Cloudwater Frostlight Sword shot forth.

Simultaneously, the spectral figure also summoned its own Flawless Cloudwater Frostlight Sword.

The two swords did not clash but instead streaked past each other—one aimed at the spectral figure, the other at Wang Jianqiang.

Facing the incoming sword, Wang Jianqiang didn’t retreat. Instead, he charged forward.

The Flawless Windchaser Boots on his feet flashed as he narrowly dodged the blade, then surged toward the spectral figure like a tempest.

On the other side,

as Wang Jianqiang’s sword shot toward it, a long dress materialized around the spectral figure’s body.

Moonlight radiated outward.

Clang!

The sword was blocked by the lunar glow, unable to advance further.

Seeing this, Wang Jianqiang wasn’t alarmed—he was thrilled.

With a swing of his arm, a massive seal, resembling a small mountain, came crashing down.

A terrifying pressure enveloped the spectral figure, immobilizing it.

The Flawless Mysticwater Ring on the spectral figure’s finger flashed.

The moonlight around it intensified, easing the pressure.

Then, with a flicker of light beneath its feet, it dodged at an astonishing speed.

Boom!

The next moment, the mountain-like seal landed.

The spectral figure hadn’t escaped completely.

The moonlight barrier shattered, and the Flawless Moonwater Dress it wore was torn apart.

But the figure itself wasn’t heavily injured.

As it was sent flying backward, it waved a hand.

Another massive seal materialized, smashing toward the charging Wang Jianqiang.

Wang Jianqiang gritted his teeth.

He summoned the Flawless Moonwater Dress and empowered it with the Flawless Mysticwater Ring’s energy.

Moonlight radiated from the dress, forming a defensive barrier around him.

At the same time, the Flawless Windchaser Boots blazed with light.

Unlike the spectral figure, he didn’t dodge. Instead, he accelerated toward the descending seal.

At the moment of collision,

he abruptly changed direction, nimbly bypassing the seal and continuing toward the spectral figure.

But the moment he passed it, the seal suddenly unleashed a crushing force.

His speed plummeted by more than half.

Thud!

The next instant, the seal shifted trajectory and slammed into his back.

Wang Jianqiang coughed up a mouthful of blood, several bones shattering from the impact.

Yet he ignored the pain.

Using the force of the collision, he shot toward the spectral figure even faster.

"Size Manipulation—change!"

A crazed glint flashed in his eyes.

His body suddenly expanded, transforming into a giant over ten feet tall in the blink of an eye.

"Fly, damn you!"

His fist, now the size of a sand pot, smashed into the spectral figure’s face, sending it flying.

"Die!"

Without pause, he activated the Flawless Thousand Peaks Seal.

The mountain-like seal descended once more.

The spectral figure exploded into countless fragments.

Wang Jianqiang exhaled deeply, watching the scattered motes of light that had once been his opponent. He spat out a mouthful of blood.

"Turns out, I can grow big and hard in more ways than one."

The next moment, his vision blurred—when it cleared, he was back in the herb garden.

After recovering, he resumed gathering herbs.

Once he had collected ten more Mystic Jade Ginseng, he stopped.

With a reluctant glance at the boundless garden, he sighed inwardly.

If he could loot this place entirely, he wouldn’t just have enough resources for Foundation Establishment—even Core Formation and Nascent Soul stages would be within reach.

Alas, that was nothing but a pipe dream.

Passing the tenth trial was already his limit.

The eleventh?

That would be suicide.

He raised his hand, examining the circular mark on its back—a remnant of the meditation mat that had brought him here.

Activating it would take him out of the herb garden.

He glanced once more at the dense array of medicinal herbs in the garden and shook his head before activating the cushion's imprint.

In the next moment, his figure vanished from the herb garden.

The very second after Wang Jianqiang departed—

A woman in a white dress, her aura ethereal as an immortal, appeared within the garden.

Her features were exquisitely delicate, her figure slender and graceful.

It was none other than Lin Xian'er, who had just broken free.

Coincidentally, she emerged less than thirty feet from where Wang Jianqiang had disappeared.

"Finally, I'm out!"

Lin Xian'er swept her gaze across her surroundings, a flash of icy coldness passing through her eyes.

"Wang Jianqiang, just you wait."