2769 Plants
After these marauding quilt bandits resorted to such barbaric methods of uprooting the roots and soil, it was certain that this once fertile land of herbs would never bear any growth in the times ahead.
/What a lamentable fate for this once-sacred land./
"Hmm, could this be spiritual water?" one of the mercenaries gasped in astonishment.
Upon hearing this, the assembled group abandoned their herb-gathering activities and rushed toward the modest reservoir. Bamboo tubes and various receptacles were produced hastily to collect the water.
A member of the Dai'er Mercenary Group leaned over to taste the water and immediately exclaimed, "Indeed, it's spiritual water!"
/Could it be that this is a source of one of the high-ranking elemental spirits, the spiritual water?/
Judging by its appearance, this puddle didn't seem to have formed in the recent years. The glistening droplets of water vapor filling the small square puddle indicated a more gradual process.
This strongly suggested the presence of a rare treasure in this place.
Suspicious glances were directed at Qiao Mu. After all, it was the young crown prince consort and his party who had rushed in first.
If an exquisite elemental spirit were present, it was only natural that the quilted crown prince consort and his group would have first claim to it.
Some individuals grew anxious, promptly leaping into the reservoir to scour the pond's muddy bottom for hidden treasures.
Qiao Mu found herself involuntarily exasperated by the scene.
She stood by the side, refraining from speaking.
A sense of pity welled within her as she observed the frantic activity that trampled over the grass and disrupted the surroundings.
Surprisingly, Qiao Mu's thoughts drifted, reminiscent of a time from her past life.
Back then, the sanctuary that manifested on Hulan Mountain in Qiaotou Village had also suffered a similar desecration.
Luckily, she had safely hidden the paradise away from the turmoil of the world. It would never turn into a desolate land again.
As the crowd surged toward the shallows, Qi Xuanxuan and her companions didn't come up empty-handed. They managed to unearth several intact herbs from the vicinity.
However, no matter how swiftly the seven of them worked, their efforts paled in comparison to the spoils of those reckless individuals.
Over a hundred people crammed themselves into this diminutive 30-square-meter space, each striving to extract something valuable from the pond.
And then, in the midst of this frenzy, it happened.
Abruptly, a faint, gentle light emanated from the depths of the puddle.
Their gaze fixed upon a light green plant with seven leaves that emerged from the water, hurtling toward Qiao Mu with a sense of urgency, as though fleeing for its life.
Subsequently, a multitude of colorful plants followed suit, converging upon Qiao Mu like sentient beings.
Everyone turned dumbstruck.
A resolute countenance remained stationed at a distance, not approaching the puddle's edge. Yet, the peculiar thing was that the plants within the puddle transformed into streaks of light, persistently and unceasingly racing towards her.
The spectacle was nothing short of epic.
Mo Lian, Duan Yue, and their cohorts maintained an air of composure.
/Naturally, they did./
/After all, Qiaoqiao possessed the sacred wood./ Why would she, like the others, display impatience in snatching?/
As long as she stood there and permitted Qiuqiu to issue the directive, those divine-ranked herbs, already possessing sentience, would naturally gravitate toward her.
The wood spirit elemental power within her was a force to be reckoned with.
/The sentience of plants was no mere jest./
Those elixirs of extraordinary longevity, having thrived between heaven and earth for well over several centuries, were far from simpletons.
/Was she genuinely contemplating abandoning Little Master, endowed with the sacred wood elemental spirit, to instead join a gathering of individuals who possessed no inkling of pharmacology? Individuals who regarded these invaluable herbs as nothing more than stacks of spiritual currency?/
/It bordered on thoughtless squandering of nature's bestowed treasures!/
The assembly of people from the Dai'er Mercenary Group stood in bewilderment.
/Who could fathom the circumstances?/
/Could it truly be the case that in this age, even the discernment of plant virtues and the selection of a master had become conceivable?/
