Chapter 481: Who Will the Flowers Fall To?

Ji Wu was among those five, yet he still hadn't appeared.

The beam of light grew increasingly faint, on the verge of vanishing completely. Just then, the beam suddenly pulsed violently, and a blurry figure emerged, forcing its way out at the very last moment before the mirror-like surface disappeared. The person looked extremely disheveled, barely managing to squeeze out just as the Heaven-Gazing Peak was about to close. He stumbled and fell into the water.

After he surfaced and his face became clear, a sigh went through the Heavenly Dao Alliance's side. Qin Sang's gaze sharpened, and the relaxed expression on his face vanished. It was Ji Wu! He had thought Ji Wu was dead inside, which would have saved him a lot of trouble, but to his surprise, Ji Wu had emerged at the very last moment.

Ji Wu's aura was chaotic. He wore a tattered dharma robe, and his left arm hung limply. He had barely escaped death, and when he flew to Granny Jing, he was still gasping violently. With his formidable cultivation, it was likely rare for him to be in such a sorry state. Even more surprising was that when Ji Wu handed over his Star Origin Stones, there were over three hundred of them. Aside from Qin Sang, Ji Wu had the most Star Origin Stones!

Everyone silently scrutinized Ji Wu. Emerging at the last second, he must have encountered something significant. His injuries and the torn dharma robe sparked speculation. Learning that he wasn't first, Ji Wu couldn't help but show a look of disappointment. He glanced at Qin Sang, then quietly retreated into the crowd.

At this point, the beam of light completely vanished, leaving the water's surface calm and undisturbed, without a trace of the Heaven-Gazing Peak's former presence.

Granny Snake lightly tapped her snake staff, and the pouches containing Star Origin Stones lined up before her. She then announced loudly, "Who won and who lost is quite obvious, isn't it? No need to count, right?" The Golden Armored General snorted, swept up all the Star Origin Stones, and turned around, cursing angrily, "A bunch of useless failures!" Then, he stomped his foot, transformed into a golden light, and strode away.

The members of the Heavenly Dao Alliance exchanged glances, their faces sheepish and dejected, and left without a word.

***

Star-Gazing Isle.

Granny Snake was in good spirits, smiling as she looked at everyone. After offering some words of encouragement, she gestured for Deputy Island Master Xiao to retrieve the rewards. Ten beams of precious light reappeared. This time, everyone knew who would receive which treasures. Those who weren't eligible for treasures could only watch others with envious eyes. Most of those glances were directed at Qin Sang.

"For this expedition to Heaven-Gazing Peak, as per the agreement, the ten individuals who collected the most Star Origin Stones are eligible to select a treasure: Qin Sang of Shaohua Mountain, Ji Wu of Demonic Flame Gate..." Senior Brother Rong was not among them. After listing Qin Sang and the others, Granny Snake continued with a smile, "Your victory against the Heavenly Dao Alliance in this gamble was also largely thanks to the efforts of the rest of you. Star-Gazing Isle has decided to reward each of you with a top-grade magical artifact. Please choose yourselves." With that, Granny Snake waved her hand, sending out dozens of shimmering lights. A dazzling array of magical artifacts flew forth.

This scene reminded Qin Sang of the time at Kuiyin Sect when Yi Tiannie forced them to become moles. Although it had been decades, the memory remained vivid. That had been the greatest crisis of his life, and also the greatest turning point on his path to immortality. Fortune can arise from misfortune, and misfortune can lurk within fortune. Qin Sang couldn't help but feel a rush of emotions. The experts present didn't value top-grade magical artifacts as highly, but something was better than nothing. It was a pleasant surprise, and they all smiled as they chose their preferred artifacts.

"Qin Sang!" After everyone else had selected their artifacts, Granny Snake pointed at Qin Sang. "You are first, so you get to choose first." Qin Sang took a deep breath, and amidst the disappointed gazes of others, he stated without hesitation, "This junior requests the Snow Spirit Lotus and the Iris Flower."

Granny Snake showed no surprise. With a gesture of her hand, the two spiritual herbs flew automatically into Qin Sang's grasp. The Snow Spirit Lotus emitted a faint coolness, while the Iris Flower, in stark contrast, radiated a warm aura. They had been sealed to preserve their spiritual essence. Holding the two spiritual herbs, Qin Sang's breath became slightly heavier. He carefully cradled them and placed them into his mustard seed bag. He could feel some ill-intentioned gazes on him, but he wasn't afraid. No one dared to cause trouble within the True Water Thousand Illusions Array. Even outside the Scattered Isles Water Domain, he feared no one.

"Second, Ji Wu!" Granny Snake's voice startled Qin Sang. He instinctively looked at Ji Wu, only to see Ji Wu gazing at the Profound True Pill, which was second only to the two spiritual herbs in efficacy, with a look of hesitation on his face. In the end, he made a choice no one had anticipated. "I want the Rejuvenation Pill!"

Ji Wu's announcement caused a stir. While the Rejuvenation Pill might be more valuable than the Profound True Pill, for cultivators at the Pseudo-Core realm, any healing spiritual medicine paled in comparison to one that aided in forming a Golden Core. The cultivators ranked after Ji Wu, after their initial surprise, immediately became ecstatic. Granny Snake was also somewhat surprised but didn't ask further, handing the Rejuvenation Pill to Ji Wu.

Qin Sang watched silently as Ji Wu put away the Rejuvenation Pill, a sudden sense of urgency rising within him. The Rejuvenation Pill was incomparable to other healing elixirs; it was equally effective for cultivators at the Golden Core stage. Such a spiritual elixir could cause a sensation at an auction. The Daoist in the Dove Robe had been collecting healing elixirs for years, and his injuries must have partially recovered. If he were to obtain this Rejuvenation Pill... Qin Sang clenched his fists. For a moment, the joy of obtaining the two spiritual herbs was significantly dampened.

Soon, all the treasures found their owners. Qin Sang and the others bid farewell and departed, leaving only the two island masters in the hall.

"Senior Red Hair and the Heavenly Dao Alliance established a gambling pact. With the Foundation Establishment cultivators' gamble concluded, we must prepare for the second round. I wonder how it will be arranged here? Will the other disciples be dismissed, leaving only a portion to stand guard?" asked Deputy Island Master Xiao quietly.

Granny Snake shook her head. "The Heavenly Dao Alliance will not withdraw easily! Furthermore, how we will gamble has not yet been decided. Senior Red Hair previously sent me a message, indicating that this is an evenly matched contest, making it an excellent opportunity for disciples from various sects to gain experience. There's no need to withdraw; we will remain here, dispatching troops once every ten days to engage the Heavenly Dao Alliance in skirmishes. Only when the Ziwei Palace opens will it be time to sound the retreat."

Deputy Island Master Xiao pondered for a moment, then sighed, "Experience is good, but casualties are inevitable. Even in this relatively safe Heaven-Gazing Peak expedition, four promising disciples perished, and one of them was my own nephew..." Granny Snake wasn't as sentimental. "It's a matter of fate and timing; no one else is to blame. Daoist Xiao, you cannot protect him his entire life. Of our former companions, how many had greater talent than you or me? How many remain now? Daoist Leng Yuntian, whose talent was even less than ours, is now a Nascent Soul Grand Cultivator and the head of a sect."

"Him?" A flicker of disdain crossed Deputy Island Master Xiao's eyes, but he said nothing more.

After further discussion, the two parted ways.

After leaving Star-Gazing Isle, Qin Sang declined all invitations. After exchanging a few pleasantries with Senior Brother Rong and others, amidst congratulatory remarks, he flew back to his cave abode on his sword.

After sealing his cave abode, Qin Sang sat cross-legged on the ground, deep in thought.