Settling the Score

Wang Quan watched as Li Cang disappeared into the forest, his swirling emotions gradually calming. He knew well by now that Shen Gu had successfully claimed the Mountain King Cauldron; with this Nascent Soul-level treasure in his possession, Xuanshao Sect held unmatched power over the entire secret realm. Any cultivator left in the realm would only be courting death to try to stand against him.

Suppressing his exhaustion, Wang Quan forced himself to refocus. He knew now was no time to fight over treasures—his priority was survival, collecting small, hidden resources to slowly build his strength, and waiting patiently for the secret realm's exit to reopen. After the intense battle with Li Cang, his spiritual energy was greatly depleted, and he felt physically worn out. In the forest, he found a canopy of dense branches, leapt up, and sat cross-legged, beginning to replenish his energy.

After a few moments, Wang Quan's breathing stabilized, and the Five Elements Spirit Plate within him began its slow cycle, circulating spiritual energy through his meridians, gradually healing his damaged qi and channels. Though far from fully restored, he felt more prepared for any sudden threats. He scanned the surrounding forest, hearing only the whispering leaves in the breeze. After a few more moments, he jumped down from his perch and continued deeper into the shadows of the forest.

A faint pulse of spiritual energy emanated from somewhere ahead, catching his attention. Wang Quan halted, focusing on a patch of mist hovering before him. Though the energy felt faint, it was certainly no ordinary occurrence. He carefully approached and soon could make out the scene within the mist.

A small, tranquil pond lay in the clearing, with white lotuses floating on its surface, their soft glow reflecting in the moonlight. Though seemingly ordinary at first glance, closer inspection revealed threads of crystalline energy within each petal, concentrated essence of the realm's purest spiritual energy.

"Moonlight Lotus!" Wang Quan's eyes lit up with joy. This spiritual herb, which thrived in cool, damp places, contained pure spiritual energy in its petals. It was extremely useful for restoring spiritual energy and healing wounds, especially valuable for post-battle recovery. Taking a deep breath, he moved carefully closer, opening his storage pouch and gently picking several Moonlight Lotus blossoms to store within.

As he finished gathering the lotuses, Wang Quan scanned his surroundings with sharpened awareness. Although he'd had good fortune in finding these herbs, he knew that with Shen Gu wielding the Mountain King Cauldron, no one would be able to freely claim any resources within the secret realm without facing opposition from Xuanshao Sect. Determined to avoid running into any of their disciples, he quickly turned to leave, navigating around the forest's edge.

He ventured through the forest, avoiding a few recently ravaged paths and instead seeking areas with faint but still-lingering energy in hopes of finding more resources. Eventually, while pushing through a thicket, he caught a faint, unusual fragrance wafting from up ahead. It carried an ethereal, medicinal undertone that immediately sharpened his senses.

Following the scent, Wang Quan carefully parted the brush, revealing a small spiritual herb with a bluish glow emanating from its leaves—the legendary Blue Spirit Herb. Known to enhance one's spiritual senses, it wasn't as powerful as the Mountain King Cauldron, but for Wang Quan's current needs, it was incredibly valuable.

Just as he stored the Blue Spirit Herb away, footsteps echoed faintly through the woods around him. Wang Quan's instincts flared, and he quickly took cover behind a large tree, holding his breath as he scanned his surroundings.

Several Xuanshao Sect disciples appeared nearby, one of them holding a spirit-seeking orb while another wielded a blade with a faint blue glow, both steadily approaching Wang Quan's position.

"The spiritual energy from those lotuses was no small surge—someone's beaten us to them," the lead disciple sneered, his gaze flashing with greed. "This place likely holds other secrets. Perhaps we'll find some stragglers hiding here."

Wang Quan smirked to himself and held his position, unwilling to reveal his presence. He knew that although his pursuers were only at the early Foundation stage, his own spiritual energy reserves were still depleted; initiating combat would be unwise. After weighing his options, he silently drew upon his Five Elements Spirit Plate, lowering his aura as much as possible, and, using the cover of darkness, started edging around to avoid them.

Yet just as he crept through a patch of grass, the leader caught the movement and shouted, "Who's there?"

Instantly, the orb in his hand flared, casting a beam of light directly toward Wang Quan's position. Cursing inwardly, Wang Quan quickly withdrew, dodging the light but revealing himself in the process.

"A Cloudsky Sect straggler!" the disciple sneered as several others closed in, brandishing weapons that glinted with killing intent.

Wang Quan's expression darkened as he channeled his remaining energy to his sword. He knew he had no choice but to fight for his life. Taking a steadying breath, he swung his blade, releasing the intertwined energies of gold, wood, and fire, forming a deadly arc of power that streaked toward his enemies.

The lead disciple scoffed, sweeping his short blade to form a barrier of green light that absorbed Wang Quan's attack. The disciples tightened their circle around him, cutting off any escape routes.

Seeing no other option, Wang Quan gritted his teeth, urging his Five Elements Spirit Plate to restore energy as quickly as it could while he continued to strike out. But as his strength waned, his movements slowed, and even with the Spirit Plate aiding him, he found himself losing ground.

The Xuanshao Sect disciples advanced relentlessly, their weapons charged with lethal intent, leaving Wang Quan nowhere to flee.

Just then, a surge of energy rippled through the distance, signaling someone's approach. The disciples froze, momentarily distracted as they glanced toward the disturbance. Seizing the chance, Wang Quan summoned his remaining energy and dashed into the cover of the forest.

He stumbled through the dense woods, eventually finding a secluded cave where he collapsed, exhausted against the rocky wall. Breathing heavily, he allowed the Five Elements Spirit Plate to continue restoring his energy, bit by bit.

"This time, I escaped by luck. Whoever distracted them out there, I owe my thanks," he muttered to himself, "but Xuanshao Sect won't be giving up on their hunt anytime soon."