Chapter 96: Taking an Alternative Path

Amidst the intertwining blue and purple waters, a humanoid bubble drifted gently. Through careful observation, Wei Yu noticed that with each movement, she would always appear before a sturdy Thunder Vine. After digging through three to five Thunder Vines, she would discover a Thunder Stone.

“Phew—”

Wei Yu slowly surfaced from the depths, arriving at the sandy shore. Having experienced the perilous thrill inside the Ice Cave last time, she dared not venture too deep into the water this time while digging for Thunder Vines. In the Ice Cave, she had timed her stay carefully, risking only a brief moment—luck had allowed her to escape unscathed before, but there was no guarantee luck would always favor her.

She had spent over an hour excavating underwater, unearthing nearly a hundred Thunder Vines and successfully gathering twenty or thirty Thunder Stones. Truly, her harvest was quite remarkable.

One ought to be content; contentment brings happiness.

Wei Yu sat on the soft sands, enjoying this rare moment of leisure. After some thought, she decided to sort through the treasures she had gathered in the Void Realm. Some items were too precious—such as the supreme Red Crystal Stones, Thunder Stones, and centuries-old Thunder Vines—which she chose not to reveal. After all, wealth should not be flaunted; she stored these valuables safely within her storage ring.

As for the other items she had collected, she had no intention of handing over everything. Too many possessions could attract unwanted attention, and she preferred to remain low-profile, quietly amassing her fortune.

“Master, are you really not going to keep digging?” Little Book rolled inside her sea of consciousness. “Those Thunder Stones are rare treasures!”

“They are valuable, but it’s not wise to dig them all up,” Wei Yu shook her head. One must leave some for those who come after; not everything can be claimed at once. Besides, venturing deeper posed greater risks that might not be worth it.

“Time’s almost up, Little Sprout—” Wei Yu stood up from the beach and called out softly.

At her voice, a small figure emerged from the water.

She focused her gaze and smiled warmly. “Little Sprout, you’ve grown again!”

Where once there had been only a single tender leaf, now a new leaf had sprouted. The tender shoot had thickened and lengthened considerably.

“Of course!” Little Sprout straightened proudly. “I’m a Flower Spirit of the Wood Clan!”

“You little thing, where’s your flower?” Wei Yu teased, gently touching the tender leaf.

“Don’t call me little! I’m not small anymore!” Little Sprout pouted, offended. “I will definitely bloom one day!”

“I know, Sprout. Don’t be upset—we’re about to leave here!”

With a swift motion, Little Sprout darted into Wei Yu’s embrace, slipping naturally into her dantian. The familiar dizziness washed over her. Wei Yu closed her eyes briefly; when she reopened them, she found herself no longer in the same place.

Her master had once said that everyone in the Trial Tower would gain some fortune of their own, varying in size. As long as one isn’t too greedy and luck isn’t too poor, no one leaves empty-handed from the treasure mountain.

———

This time, Wei Yu appeared within a small grove.

She scanned the trees with her divine sense but found nothing unusual, letting out a sigh of relief. She truly feared some unexpected “surprise” awaited her in the forest!

“Is this Jade Agate Ganoderma?” A voice of excitement came from outside the grove.

“Jade Agate Ganoderma?” Another voice replied. “This Jade Agate Ganoderma is mine!”

“I saw it first!” The first speaker retorted indignantly.

The Jade Agate Ganoderma was a second-tier spirit herb, a considerable treasure for cultivators at the Qi Refinement stage.

Neither party was willing to concede, and the dispute quickly escalated.

Wei Yu twitched her lips. So the “surprise” wasn’t some rare herb or mystical beast ingredient inside the grove, but cultivators squabbling? Listening to the escalating conflict outside, she smirked and decided it was best not to join the fray.

Outside the grove, the dispute had turned physical. A young man in azure robes and a girl wearing a pale yellow dress were locked in combat nearby.

Beside them, a Jade Agate Ganoderma lay quietly hidden among the grass.

Suddenly, Wei Yu’s gaze sharpened. A sneaky figure was creeping toward the Ganoderma, taking advantage of their fight.

Trying to benefit from others’ conflict?

Wei Yu grinned mischievously, plucked a leaf, and flicked it with precision toward the stealthy intruder’s rear.

“Ouch—!” The would-be thief yelped, cursing furiously, “Who the hell dares sneak up on me?”

The young man and the girl immediately ceased fighting, turning to glare at the Ganoderma.

Both were furious; no matter what, that treasure belonged to neither of them to lose.

“Bastard!”

“Stop right there!”

Two voices thundered with righteous indignation.

“Heh heh—” The sneaky man awkwardly retracted his hand, shamelessly defending himself, “I was just looking—”

“Hmph, what a liar!” The girl in yellow glared fiercely, no fool would believe that.

“Get lost!” The youth’s brow furrowed coldly as he dismissed the interloper.

“Come on, this Jade Agate Ganoderma—” The thief was reluctant to leave empty-handed.

Just as he was about to plead, both cultivators pointed their sword tips at him, clearly ready to escalate.

“Fine! I’m leaving!” He slunk away in defeat.

After exchanging a glance, the youth stepped back. “You can have this Ganoderma, but—”

“This Nine-Leaf Sword Grass is for you, as compensation!” The girl in yellow immediately produced another spirit herb she had gathered.

Though not as valuable as the Ganoderma, the Nine-Leaf Sword Grass was still a worthy token. The youth nodded and accepted it.

Wei Yu crouched in the tree, waiting until they had left before descending.

She exited the grove and casually chose a direction to depart.

There seemed to be many cultivators here; in just a quarter of an hour, she had encountered no fewer than ten.

After some thought, Wei Yu decided to head toward a remote cliffside.

Perhaps taking a different path would yield unexpected rewards.

The cliff was not far; it took her only the time to finish a cup of tea to arrive.

The rugged mountain path was treacherous, but Wei Yu used her Swift Wind Steps to climb steadily, casually observing her surroundings.

Suddenly, she halted, her gaze fixed upon the cliff’s summit, unable to look away.

On the sheer cliff stood a fruit tree, weathered by wind and rain, bearing a dozen or so emerald-green fruits each the size of an adult fist.