Chapter 197: 少女与少女

The young girl in white, despite her innocent and pure appearance, now wore a solemn expression. Her entire body was enveloped in a peculiar silver glow, making her seem even more mysterious and eerie.

What was most surprising was that all the men and women in white robes following the girl appeared extremely nervous and cautious. Not a single one dared to whisper or murmur; instead, their gazes towards her back were filled with profound awe.

The arrogant woman who had previously appeared in the sandy area, along with her cultivation partner, was also among them. However, all traces of arrogance had vanished from her face. Like everyone else, she barely dared to breathe, appearing unusually docile and obedient.

Suddenly, the leading elven-like girl stopped. Naturally, the entire group behind her halted as well.

Not far ahead, the terrain opened up to reveal a deep green pool. In the center of the water, several black rocks protruded, upon which grew more than a dozen jade-like, glossy ganoderma-shaped plants, making them exceptionally conspicuous.

"Is this the place?" the elven-like girl asked crisply without turning her head, after observing the pool with interest for a moment. Her voice sounded particularly tender.

"Yes, Ancestral Master," replied an older female disciple from the Moon-Veil Sect, stepping forward from the group behind her and bowing respectfully to the elven-like girl. "The top-tier demonic beast, the Azurewater Crocodile, is hiding in this pool. During previous herb-gathering expeditions in this forbidden area, one of our disciples met their end in the belly of this beast. However, another managed to escape with their life!"

Remarkable! According to the cultivation world's custom of seniority based on cultivation levels, such a title as 'Ancestral Master' would typically be reserved for a Core Formation stage cultivator of the Moon-Veil Sect. Yet, this forbidden area was supposedly off-limits to cultivators above the Foundation Establishment stage! What was going on? The other Moon-Veil Sect disciples showed no surprise, seemingly already aware of the secret.

"Understood. You may withdraw."

At this moment, the elven-like girl commanded with a confident air, her face revealing a shrewdness utterly unbefitting her youthful appearance.

Then she turned to the others behind her and said:

"Prepare yourselves! Once I lure the Azurewater Crocodile out of the water, you will use the newly mastered combined attack secret art, 'Yin-Yang Attraction Technique.' Attack in pairs simultaneously. With its destructive power, comparable to a full-force strike from a Foundation Establishment disciple, eliminating this beast should be no problem. Afterwards, we'll proceed to the next top-tier demonic beast's lair and continue sweeping up these spiritual herbs that no one dared to pick before!"

The girl's voice was not loud, but her words were full of confidence. Upon hearing her, none of the male and female disciples showed any doubt; they all responded in agreement.

Seeing this, the elven-like girl turned around and opened her cherry-red lips. A thumb-sized pink ring slowly emerged from her mouth. It then expanded with the wind, instantly growing to the size of a human head and emitting a low hum. It shone dazzlingly, brimming with spiritual essence.

The way the ring appeared, the light it emitted, and the immense spiritual energy it contained all confirmed that this was an authentic magic treasure.

Could this girl truly be a Core Formation stage cultivator?

Not long after, within the secret cavern, dozens of feet deep underground, a loud bang was heard. This was followed by several roars, like the lowing of buffaloes, filled with anger. However, a series of booming thunder-like sounds immediately erupted, causing the roars to weaken after a few intense bursts. Then, various loud crashes and explosive sounds continued, eventually completely overwhelming the roars until they were heard no more.

Several hours later, the elven-like girl emerged from a hidden cave entrance with the male and female disciples of the Moon-Veil Sect. The disciples behind her were all visibly excited, their faces beaming with elation.

This was understandable. The opportunity to slay a top-tier Level 1 demonic beast was not something cultivation novices at the Qi Condensation stage could easily encounter. Now, they had killed the terrifying Azurewater Crocodile with relatively little effort, which naturally left them exhilarated.

Of course, if the elven-like girl hadn't used her ring magic treasure to block most of the beast's attacks, they wouldn't have been able to end the battle perfectly without a single injury. This further deepened their awe towards her.

The girl, however, paid no attention to the gazes of the male and female disciples behind her. She continued to walk ahead with a composed expression, as if slaying a top-tier Level 1 demonic beast was no big deal to her.

A short while later, this group of Moon-Veil Sect disciples vanished into the nearby dense forest, leaving no trace.

In this manner, in other locations, disciples from various sects continued to hunt down demonic beasts for spiritual herbs, with occasional conflicts arising over the contested herbs.