Before long, the other five sects had each left behind one elder to stand guard.
Pairs of eyes stared daggers at the Sacred Sword Palace's contingent. Clearly, if the Sacred Sword Palace kept dithering, it risked becoming the common enemy of all the rest and facing their joint suppression.
Elder Chen's face was bitter. "We are all fellow cultivators of the Myriad Images Region. At a time like this, we should be in this together. Surely you don't mean to band together and shut my Sacred Sword Palace out?"
No one spoke—but in moments like this, silence said more than any words could.
Elder Xiang Qian waved a hand impatiently. "Brother Chen, you're wasting everyone's time. Everyone is trying to reason with you nicely. You wouldn't want to provoke universal outrage, would you?"
"That's right. Stay or leave—that's a single decision your Sacred Sword Palace needs to make. Don't waste everyone's time."
"Elder Chen, either you stay, or your entire Sacred Sword Palace stays."
"Elder Chen, if you're worried that your young people will be bullied once they go inside, you can have them stay too. Wait three days until your people have all arrived, then go in together. We won't object to that."
"Exactly. It can't be that just because your Sacred Sword Palace doesn't want to go in, everyone else has to sit here and rot along with you."
The crowd's agitation was building, and the situation was on the verge of spiraling out of control.
Facing an ancient medicine garden, no one could stay calm. Just think of the rumors—that ancient medicine garden had given rise to the mighty Myriad Images Empire.
Now, three thousand years later, this ancient medicine garden had appeared once more. This might be another chance to reshape the entire Myriad Images Region. If they didn't seize it, the loss would be astronomical.
At a time like this, forget about a mere Sacred Sword Palace elder—even if the Palace Master of the Sacred Sword Palace, Wang Jianyu, were here in person, nobody would give him face.
Jiang Chen had remained silent the whole time, neither joining in nor kicking anyone while they were down.
He knew that here, whether by status or martial strength, he had no real say. Better to keep his head down and make his fortune quietly.
The Free Wander Sect currently enjoyed good relations with the Sacred Sword Palace, and Elder Wuhen stepped forward to smooth things over. "Brother Chen, if you trust me, then once we're inside, I'll look after the several promising juniors from your Sacred Sword Palace. I can't guarantee anything beyond that, but I can absolutely guarantee they won't be bullied."
If anyone was most eager to enter the ancient medicine garden, it was Elder Wuhen.
So it was only natural for him to come forward and mediate.
Elder Chen heard this, hesitated for a moment, then looked at the predatory expressions on the faces of the other sects. He knew that if he refused, the Sacred Sword Palace would truly be completely isolated—made the target of everyone's hostility.
"Since Brother Wuhen says so, how could I, Chen, not trust him? Elder Xiang, I'm willing to stay—but I want your word that our young people won't be bullied in there."
Elder Chen was well aware of the grudge between Du Lihuang and the Great Sage Hall's Yue Baize.
If they got inside and the Great Sage Hall's juniors decided to cause trouble, the Sacred Sword Palace's younger generation would be no match for those Great Sage Hall prodigies.
Elder Xiang Qian replied coolly, "I can only guarantee that the Great Sage Hall will not seek revenge or provoke the Sacred Sword Palace. Beyond that, I cannot promise anything."
Elder Chen's real worry had been the Great Sage Hall using the opportunity to stir up trouble.
"As long as the Great Sage Hall doesn't cause problems for my Sacred Sword Palace, there's nothing else for me to worry about—especially with Elder Wuhen watching over them."
Elder Xiang Qian nodded. "Very well, then. It's settled. You six stay behind and wait for the third group to arrive before going in together. Remember—you must make them swear a Heaven and Earth Oath. There can be no loopholes. Anyone who refuses to swear will become the common enemy of the entire Myriad Images Region. Everyone will have the right to kill them on sight."
Everyone agreed to these words.
Once everything was settled, the elders who remained sat cross-legged and waited.
The rest of the group flew inward.
After traveling roughly thirty to forty li, a series of mirror-like lakes appeared before the crowd.
Jiang Chen had already seen many lakes when he was outside. He'd found it strange at the time—there were so many lakes in Illusory Wave Mountain.
And it had been beside one of those lakes that he'd obtained the Thousand Illusion Hidden Cloud Pine.
Sadly, although plenty of spiritual medicine grew around these lakes, even Earth-grade spiritual medicine was rare—only the occasional cluster here and there. As for Heaven-grade spiritual medicine, there was none at all.
Clearly, that single Thousand Illusion Hidden Cloud Pine had been nothing more than a fluke.
The deeper they went, the more lakes they encountered. The lakes varied in size and were scattered across the landscape like stars.
*Hundred lakes appear, Illusory Waves emerge.*
All told, these lakes of varying sizes certainly numbered beyond a hundred.
After traveling another twenty to thirty li, the group heard a rumbling sound like muffled thunder, rolling toward them from the distance. Everyone quickened their pace.
Elder Yunnie quietly warned the disciples of his sect. "Everyone, be careful. Don't panic. An ancient medicine garden is bound to carry some risk."
Soon, a waterfall appeared in their line of sight—a great torrent like the Milky Way of the Ninth Heaven, as if the celestial river itself had cracked open and was pouring its contents down with a thunderous roar.
The waterfall towered into the clouds, its breadth impossible to measure.