Wang Han and Du Lihuang transformed into two streaks of light and shot off in the direction Yue Baize had departed.
After a moment, a figure rose from the ground — it was Jiang Chen, emerging from the shadows.
He had sensed Du Lihuang's tracking movements and had been lurking nearby all along. Once he detected the clash between Du Lihuang and Yue Baize, he had hurried over.
Discovering that Du Lihuang had stumbled into serious trouble, and then watching Wang Han and Yue Baize face off against each other, Jiang Chen had thought he was about to enjoy a spectacular clash between geniuses.
Who could have predicted that, after receiving their intelligence, both factions would immediately set aside their grudges and simply leave?
"Hundred Lakes revealed, Phantom Waves emerge? An ancient ruin with a hidden herb garden — what could that be?"
Jiang Chen was still deliberating when he suddenly received a voice transmission talisman, and then another one right after.
Two talismans in quick succession — one from Elder Yun Nie and one from Ling Bi'er. Strangely enough, their content was nearly identical, both speaking of the Hundred Lakes being revealed and the Phantom Waves emerging…
Elder Yun Nie's message also happened to mention that Mu Gaoqi had already rendezvoused with him.
In truth, Jiang Chen's biggest concern had been Mu Gaoqi. With Mu Gaoqi's cultivation level, he was easily the weakest among all the participating geniuses.
Now that Mu Gaoqi was safely with Elder Yun Nie, Jiang Chen felt considerably more at ease.
An ancient ruin with a hidden herb garden — this stream of news was enough to make anyone's heart race.
He was about to set off when Jiang Chen suddenly paused in his tracks.
"If I've received this intelligence, the people from the Carefree Sect will have it too. For all I know, this could be a smokescreen they deliberately planted. Their real goal might be to lure me out — and then ambush me halfway there?"
Jiang Chen's guard went up. If the news was genuine, the Carefree Sect's elders could very well set up an ambush along the route to rob him of his Heaven-grade spiritual medicine. And if it was a smokescreen they had fabricated, they would certainly try to intercept him as well.
Either way, charging in blindly would likely end in disaster.
With that thought, Jiang Chen decided it was best to err on the side of caution.
He would wander the outer perimeter for a while instead. Everyone else was heading in that direction now, which meant it would be extremely crowded there — but the outskirts would become a paradise he could enjoy alone.
After spending a full day foraging in the surrounding area, Jiang Chen scored another considerable haul.
And just as he had expected, Traceless Elder and Elder Wuqi had been waiting in ambush, fully expecting Jiang Chen to fly straight into their trap like a moth drawn to flame.
After waiting for ages, they had nothing to show for it.
Elder Wuqi said dejectedly, "Brother Traceless, I think that brat has scared himself witless and has firmly resolved not to show his face. In my opinion, we should head to the gathering point first. If we delay any longer, they'll probably leave without us and go have their fun."
Traceless Elder gnashed his teeth. He hadn't anticipated that Jiang Chen would be this cunning — to still not appear under circumstances like these.
It left him deeply frustrated, his chest burning with rage that had nowhere to go.
"The ancient ruin, the hidden herb garden…" Traceless Elder's heart bled at the thought. He knew the hidden herb garden was the stuff of legend, once the source of the Wanxiang Empire's overwhelming power.
However, Traceless Elder couldn't shake the feeling that compared to the Heaven-grade spiritual medicine already within Jiang Chen's grasp, these unverified rumors might not be worth as much.
What if the stories were somewhat exaggerated?
"Brother Traceless, if that ancient herb garden is real, once it opens, there's bound to be Heaven-grade spiritual medicine inside as well. Jiang Chen managed to find Heaven-grade spiritual medicine by a lake on the outer perimeter — if there truly is an ancient herb garden, how could it lack Heaven-grade spiritual medicine? With the power of our Carefree Sect, once any Heaven-grade spiritual medicine appears, we'll certainly find a way to seize it."
Elder Wuqi tried to reason with him.
He was practically burning with anxiety and didn't want to waste any more time on this pointless wait. He felt that staying here and hoping Jiang Chen would walk into their snare was nothing short of wishful thinking.
What if Jiang Chen simply never came? Wouldn't the wait have been for nothing?
Jiang Chen had already obtained a Heaven-grade spiritual medicine — he had absolutely no need to wade into troubled waters again.
Traceless Elder still hesitated. Reluctance to give up like this gnawed at him. "One more night. If he hasn't appeared by dawn, we'll head to the gathering point."
Elder Wuqi sighed softly, knowing that Traceless Elder's hatred for Jiang Chen ran deep. To a certain extent, it wasn't just the Heaven-grade spiritual medicine driving him — it was the wounded pride of a man who refused to be outdone.
"Fine. Let's hope that beast Jiang Chen shows himself tonight." Elder Wuqi knew full well the odds were slim.
The night passed. Three or four people came through, but they were all disciples from other sects. Traceless Elder had his eyes peeled practically the entire night, yet he didn't catch so much as a single hair of Jiang Chen's.
When the eastern horizon lightened with the first pale glow of dawn, Traceless Elder knew it was no use. He offered no further argument, and without a word, the two elders collapsed their poison formation and shot off toward the gathering point.
"There's no point being upset, Brother Traceless. If Jiang Chen shows up at the gathering place, we'll still have our chance to make a move on him. And if he doesn't, once the ancient herb garden opens, we'll have just as much opportunity to obtain Heaven-grade spiritual medicine." Elder Wuqi consoled him.
At this point, there was nothing left to do but console themselves.