In the mirror of memory, this tree has always stood. Whether it’s a hundred years or many more, it remains. However, change is inevitable. Measured in the cycle of time, in a hundred years, this tree will have grown from its initial seedling stage. In twenty to fifty years, it will have experienced every phase a tree undergoes. “If you really think about it, Sleeping Dragon Valley is on the brink of its next reincarnation.”
“What do you mean?” Dongfang Minghui asked, perplexed.
Qian Wanyu struggled to articulate, “Don’t dwell on it now. If the holy medicine is below, we should seize the opportunity—”
Mo Ce’s eyes darkened once more, and he stood silently, almost blending into the background.
Qian Wanyu shifted the conversation. “Mo Ce, do you recall what the three of us were up to when we first arrived in Sleeping Dragon Valley?”
It wasn’t Mo Ce who responded, but Wen Renliangzhi, wearing a smile, “Qian Wanyu, don’t provoke me. That coward will forever be trapped in the illusion I crafted for him. It’s your fault really. You reminded me of his yearning for parental love, a vulnerability I found simple to exploit.”
“Wen Renliangzhi, everyone has their vulnerabilities. Isn’t yours your wife?” Dongfang Minghui chimed in, hoping to reason with Mo Ce. No matter how enchanting the dream, experiencing reality is superior. If one can achieve that, even just once, there will be no regrets.
A tear trickled from Mo Ce’s eye, inexplicably. He swiftly wiped it away. “Stop spouting nonsense. I’m determined to obtain that sacred medicine. Anyone who attempts to obstruct me will be dealt with, no matter who they are.”
Qian Wanyu unsheathed her thunder whip and whispered to Dongfang Minghui, “Get Little Color treated first.”
“Alright.”
Dongfang Minghui moved Little Color to one side, noticing its injuries were tainted with streaks of black mist. “Little Color, you’ve worked hard.”
Little Color rolled its eyes. “Skip the flattery; I want actual compensation.”
“Fine, quickly discard the sea monster’s corpse from the space, and the dragon too.” Dongfang Minghui knew if she didn’t act stern, Little Color would overstep. Still, seeing her tiny companion so hurt was distressing, but she managed to bandage the injuries swiftly.
Little Color healed at an impressive rate. If only the black mist could be eradicated, it would regain its spiritual power. Moreover, a sacred medicine lay beneath its feet.
Its vine tendrils snuck behind a large tree. As Wen Renliangzhi and Qian Wanyu clashed, the vines descended, swiftly pinpointing the earlier detected sacred medicine.
Little Color’s eyes darted around. Noticing everyone’s focus was on Wen Renliangzhi, it contemplated claiming the sacred medicine for itself.
Wen Renliangzhi spotted Little Color’s intentions and rebuked, “You dare?!”
He resisted Qian Wanyu’s thunder whip and hurled a black orb—formed from black mist—at Little Color. If struck, Little Color would be gravely injured, if not killed.
Without hesitation, Dongfang Minghui unfurled her silk umbrella to shield Little Color. The already damaged umbrella couldn’t withstand the black orb’s corrosion and was swiftly destroyed.
“Release it,” Little Color demanded angrily. “Can’t you see the black mist has consumed up to the umbrella’s handle? Do you want to die?”
Dongfang Minghui shot it a resentful look. “Little Color, don’t even think about that sacred medicine.”
Little Color, realizing arguing was futile, said, “I intended to secure the medicine first. Once things escalate, there might be no options left.”
Wen Renliangzhi interjected, “You want it all for yourself, don’t you?”
Qian Wanyu glanced between Little Color and Wen Renliangzhi, smirking, “If everyone’s keen on this sacred medicine, why not compete for it fairly?”
Dongfang Minghui sensed Qian Wanyu’s suggestion was insincere and quickly reassured, “Seventh sister, don’t trust Wen Renliangzhi’s words. Little Color won’t compete for the medicine.”
After asserting this, she and Little Color cautiously approached the large tree.
Wen Renliangzhi’s gaze shifted between Qian Wanyu, Little Color, and Dongfang Minghui. He eventually sneered, “Qian Wanyu, I genuinely pity you. Both Dongfang Minghui and Little Color aim to exploit your distress to secure the medicine. Can’t you see it?”
Qian Wanyu looked at Dongfang Minghui with a smile and said affectionately, “If Ninth Sister likes it, it’s hers.”
Dongfang Minghui had planned to scold Wen Renliangzhi for using such a clumsy tactic to drive a wedge between them, but when she heard Seventh Sister’s words, words that seemed more precious than declarations of love, her heart surged with emotion. She blushed and felt as if her heart might melt from the overwhelming sentiment.
Little Color observed the scene and shook its head, thinking Qian Wanyu’s persuasive skills were commendable. Regardless of whether they would ultimately obtain the holy medicine, would this naive friend truly desire it? It would wager a vine branch that she wouldn’t.
“This is the end for you. I doubt you’ll ever stand on your own two feet again.” Little Color could already foresee the trajectory of its friend’s life. Qian Wanyu seemed to be in control, leaving little room for surprises.
“Hey, Little Color, what are you murmuring about?”
“It’s nothing,” Little Color replied, pulling her back slightly. “There’s usually a guardian for a holy medicine. I’ve scanned this area repeatedly and found nothing. It’s quite odd.”
“Maybe the usual path doesn’t lead to Sleeping Dragon Valley,” Dongfang Minghui speculated. “Still, we should tread carefully. Many have ventured into Sleeping Dragon Valley and left without the holy medicine.”
“Mhm.”
Qian Wanyu kept intercepting Wen Renliangzhi, stating, “It seems Ninth Sister is quite fond of the holy medicine so if you desire it, you’ll have to pass my test first.”
Wen Renliangzhi released a thick black mist, enveloping himself. Wherever he moved, darkness followed. Qian Wanyu wielded her long whip, casting it towards him a couple of times, managing to only clear a portion of the mist.
Seeing that Qian Wanyu’s attacks had limited effect on him, Wen Renliangzhi smirked. But soon, he found himself dodging not one, but multiple whips.
He managed to evade one, but three others struck him. After several exchanges, Qian Wanyu had successfully dissipated most of the black mist surrounding him. Dishevelled, Wen Renliangzhi resembled a menacing ghost as he asked, “What was with those multiple whips?”
Qian Wanyu twirled her whip and raised an eyebrow, “Care for another demonstration?”
Wen Renliangzhi hesitated and retreated a step, clearly intimidated. Recovering quickly, he retorted, “Three heads, six arms?”
He’d distinctly seen multiple arms. They seemed ethereal, yet the whips felt painfully real. He was baffled at how she managed to do this.
“You’re really fearless,” Qing Mo commented internally, astonished by her audacity. He felt it was incredible that Qian Wanyu, having just mastered the technique a moment ago was already so quick to deploy it against Wen Renliangzhi, even modifying her thunder whip’s attacks to match.
“Luckily I learned it fast,” Qian Wanyu thought. She always kept a stash of spiritual arrows for her Samsara Bow, and it had proven useful in a pinch. It was the same for just now, if she was going to bluff, she’d do it convincingly.
“Seventh Sister, there’s a hole here.”
Dongfang Minghui and Little Color had dug around the tree, careful not to harm its roots. The hole led directly to where Little Color had previously sensed something. A strong life force surrounded the tree roots, which was likely why the tree could rejuvenate even after withering.
Qian Wanyu lightly caressed her whip, instructing, “You and Little Color should descend and investigate. Be cautious.”
Dongfang Minghui understood that Seventh Sister wanted to keep a close watch on Wen Renliangzhi. After merging with Little Color, Little Color sent its vine tendrils down the hole to scout. The further the vines descended, the stronger the life force they detected. Little Color felt a sense of contentment, even contemplating settling there. Realizing that the tree had been enjoying these benefits for so long stirred feelings of envy.
“There must be medicinal plants.”
“Why would medicinal plants hide beneath tree roots?” Dongfang Minghui mused, noting their location corresponding to the center of the Sleeping Dragon Valley below.
As Little Color continued its descent, it reached the bottom after about thirty meters. There, it observed an environment teeming with life, including a radiant white flower resembling an ice blossom. Its mesmerizing glow made it hard to look away. Each leaf emitted a soft halo, radiating an ethereal beauty.
Little Color was taken aback. Despite being a knowledgeable magical plant, it had never encountered such a captivating spiritual plant. Upon laying eyes on it, an overwhelming sense of guilt washed over, as though each step taken closer was an act of sacrilege, tarnishing this divine medicine.
After a while, Dongfang Minghui called out, “Little Color—”
She had to call out over ten times, as Little Color appeared to be in a trance, which worried her. She even began to suspect some enchanting spirit resided below.
Little Color snapped back to reality, still somewhat disoriented, “What are we doing here?”
“What are you doing? I sent you down to scout, so you should tell me what you found.” Dongfang Minghui scrutinized Little Color. She was familiar with its quirks. Its enthusiasm when descending contrasted sharply with its current despondency. She waved her hand in front of its eyes, “Little Color, Little Color!”
From the corner of her eye, Qian Wanyu observed both Wen Renliangzhi and Ninth Sister.
After a pause, Little Color declared, “I didn’t see any holy medicine. It must be a ruse.”
Qing Mo, residing in Qian Wanyu’s soul realm, voiced his doubt, “Is this magical plant hiding something? It seems off.”
Wen Renliangzhi was also skeptical, scoffing at the group, “Qian Wanyu, do you buy that?”
“Enough!” Dongfang Minghui had no patience for Wen Renliangzhi’s attempts to stir trouble. Though she wanted to trust Little Color, she sensed Qian Wanyu’s reservations and volunteered, “If Seventh Sister remains skeptical, I’ll go down to check.”
“Ninth Sister, don’t go yet!” Had Wen Renliangzhi not been present, Qian Wanyu would have personally descended. She resolved to confront Wen Renliangzhi first, “Looks like I need to deal with you before anything else.”
Seeing Little Color’s distracted look, Dongfang Minghui could guess that it was probably lying and proposed, “You stay up here; I’ll go down.”
She didn’t want a mere holy medicine to sow discord between Seventh Sister and Little Color. Plus, she felt that Little Color was definitely concealing something.
“Don’t go.” Little Color held onto her.
“Little Color, for everyone’s sake, let go.” Dongfang Minghui insisted, “I need to see for myself.”
Dejected, Little Color perched on a withered tree, visibly troubled.
Dongfang Minghui carefully descended, sensing that the cavity was formed by the tree’s roots. It took her almost half an hour to reach the bottom safely.
The surroundings were pitch black. She relied on her intuition to navigate.
“The most vibrant spot should be here.” She retrieved two moonstones from her pouch, which cast a faint glow illuminating her immediate vicinity.
“Move forward,” Little Color guided from her soul realm.
After a few steps, she spotted a luminescent spiritual plant. The plant resembled a majestic flower, perched atop an iceberg. Each petal was intricately crafted, akin to delicate ice sculptures.
Dongfang Minghui stood in awe. She pondered if this was the legendary holy medicine that caused many to turn on each other.
“Are you the Holy Medicine?”
Her voice echoed in the confined space.
But as Dongfang Minghui took a step forward, the ground trembled. She stumbled, ricocheting within the cavity. The tremors intensified, and she sensed something plummeting rapidly.
“Is this an earthquake?” she wondered aloud.
If anyone has any recommendations for novels with Yuri harems feel free to comment here! I’m keen to get some more to add to a collection I’m building!
arigato ne~