The peculiarity of the Starlight Flower was that it could not be stored in any spatial artifact.
Upon obtaining it, Xu Yi immediately activated the Earth Core Azure Flame to refine it.
The eighth-grade spirit flower slowly melted under the scorching heat of the Earth Core Azure Flame, releasing a faint, unique fragrance that spread through the air.
Before long, figures began appearing within the sight of Xu Yi and Ji Buwang.
They were the people who had been pursuing the Starlight Flower.
A mischievous smile flickered across Xu Yi's lips.
They had arrived too late.
Once the Starlight Flower fell into her hands, it was hers.
"What should we do?"
The pursuers, led by a female cultivator, stared at Xu Yi and Ji Buwang, who stood frozen.
They had never imagined that someone else would reap the benefits of their labor.
Many of them regretted their past actions deeply, wishing they hadn't attacked each other and instead focused on intercepting the Starlight Flower first. Now, reclaiming it was almost impossible.
They were not blind; Xu Yi and Ji Buwang stood there like two insurmountable mountains, exuding an awe-inspiring aura without even needing to show anger.
If they dared to step forward and attempt to seize it, their only fate would be complete annihilation.
However, leaving empty-handed also left them with a sense of unwillingness.
These two conflicting emotions tore at them, causing their bodies to stiffen, remaining motionless for a long time.
As time passed, the unique fragrance in the air grew stronger.
Cultivators in the distance, catching this scent, displayed expressions of blissful indulgence, their pores opening wide, feeling incredibly comfortable.
Legend had it that consuming the Dustless Pill, refined from the Starlight Flower, could forcibly improve the purity of spiritual roots.
Even the most impure spiritual roots could be transformed into pure ones.
The legends, it seemed, were true.
A fiery glint of fanaticism shone in the cultivators' eyes, their hearts stirring with desire.
Their restlessness was noticed by Ji Buwang.
He frowned slightly, turned, and flicked his finger.
"Ah!"
"Ah!"
Several figures instantly crashed through trees and vanished into the sky.
With no palpable sense of being watched, Ji Buwang calmly retracted his gaze, quietly observing Xu Yi as she gradually refined the Starlight Flower before storing it in a jade bottle.
"Now that we have the main ingredient for the Dustless Pill, I wonder if we can find the remaining materials as well."
Xu Yi looked at Ji Buwang with a beaming smile, her eyes crinkling.
Xu Yi had long been interested in the eighth-grade spirit pill, the Dustless Pill, but had been unable to gather the necessary spirit herbs for its refinement.
The eighth-grade spirit flower, the Starlight Flower, was already extremely rare on the Kyushu Continent, let alone the other auxiliary materials, which were also all eighth-grade spirit items. Xu Yi had no choice but to abandon her aspirations.
She hadn't expected to suddenly find the Starlight Flower in the Westwater Domain secret realm.
Xu Yi couldn't help but regain her confidence.
The most difficult main ingredient had been found; the remaining materials could surely be gathered with effort.
The Westwater Domain secret realm was truly a treasure trove.
However, Xu Yi did not let her guard down because of this.
The reason why the cultivators from five hundred years ago sensed danger and were reluctant to leave was likely due to the excessive temptations present in this secret realm.
The abundance of spirit flowers and grasses made it difficult to abandon, prompting them to risk their lives for a gamble, hoping they wouldn't be the ones to face misfortune.
Xu Yi did not want to repeat their mistakes.
These treasures were both temptations and warnings.
She would use them as constant reminders to never let her vigilance waver.
"We definitely can."
Ji Buwang saw Xu Yi's radiant smile, a gentle wave of affection in his eyes.
"Oh, why are you so sure?"
Xu Yi raised an eyebrow, finding it somewhat strange.
This wasn't like Ji Buwang's usual demeanor.
Ji Buwang lowered his voice, "I still have a considerable amount of spirit herbs and plants in the Xuanji Sect's private treasury, all available for you to use."
He had wanted to tell Xu Yi this for a long time, and now he finally had the chance.
Xu Yi was taken aback. Right, she had almost forgotten that Ji Buwang was the Sect Master of Xuanji Sect; he must have many valuable items.
"Then I thank you in advance."
Xu Yi, envisioning a future with countless spirit herbs for her practice, smiled even more brightly, showing no shyness.
Ji Buwang realized that Xu Yi hadn't grasped the deeper meaning of his words, and in his heart, he sighed in frustration.
Don't rush, take it slow.
He soothed his impatient emotions internally and nodded with a light smile.
"Let's go, we'll continue looking for spirit herbs and not waste this excellent place."
"Alright."
...
"Junior Sister Qu, are you still thinking about what happened a few days ago?"
Wang Yi'an sat down beside Qu Xiaoxiao and handed her a spirit fruit he had just picked.
Qu Xiaoxiao blinked for a moment before reaching out to take it, softly saying, "Thank you, Senior Brother Wang."
"What happened that day was sudden, but fortunately, there was no real danger. Senior Brother Jin and I don't blame you, so you don't need to keep it on your mind."
For the past few days, Qu Xiaoxiao had been unusually quiet, staying close to Hong Shengyi and not daring to leave her side.
Jin Biao, wanting to have some more intimate conversation with Hong Shengyi, couldn't find an opportunity. Eventually, he couldn't bear it any longer and, under the guise of scouting ahead, pulled Hong Shengyi away.
Hong Shengyi was not as relaxed as he was. Although she didn't refuse, she had called Wang Yi'an before leaving, asking him to persuade Qu Xiaoxiao.
Among Long Haotian, Wang Yi'an, and Chen Tao, only Wang Yi'an was the most meticulous. Hong Shengyi trusted him the most to handle this.
Wang Yi'an had been sent with the specific purpose of comforting Qu Xiaoxiao.
"Senior Brother Wang, I caused trouble for everyone."
Qu Xiaoxiao lowered her head, clutching the spirit fruit tightly in her hand, her expression crestfallen.
Even though no one seemed to hold it against her, Qu Xiaoxiao couldn't forgive herself.
She had been too willful before. Senior Sister Hong and Senior Brother Jin had repeatedly taught her precautions for outdoor training, but she had completely disregarded them, treating the expedition as a mere outing.
Thinking back now, if her carelessness had caused her senior brothers and sisters to get hurt, how would she ever have the courage to face them?
Qu Xiaoxiao experienced the taste of failure for the first time, and because of it, she became even more cautious, fearing any misstep that might lead to disaster.
Seeing Qu Xiaoxiao's deeply guilt-ridden appearance, Wang Yi'an understood why Elder Qu had praised her so highly.
Although Qu Xiaoxiao had been a bit impulsive before, she immediately corrected herself after being taught a lesson, perhaps to an excessive degree.
Wang Yi'an didn't rush to persuade her. After taking a bite of the spirit fruit, he said slowly, "Junior Sister Qu, you truly don't need to worry too much about such minor matters."
"Minor matters?" Qu Xiaoxiao shook her head, "This is not a minor matter."
It had nearly endangered their lives; how could it possibly be considered a minor matter?
"You've stayed in the sect for too long and haven't experienced much," Wang Yi'an chuckled. "Do you think we look so composed and capable now from the very beginning? Of course not."
Wang Yi'an's smile deepened as he recalled something. "Take Senior Brother Chen Tao, for example. Don't let his current steady and dependable demeanor fool you; in his earlier years, he was even more reckless than you."
"Ah, no way?"
Qu Xiaoxiao turned her head to steal a glance at Chen Tao. She saw him sitting cross-legged in meditation on a large rock, diligently practicing. Her gaze towards Wang Yi'an was filled with suspicion.