Chapter 590: Heart of Herbs

But Ye Qingran didn't pay much attention; Fu Hanxiu chose to leave at this moment, surely he had his own plans.

The Green Oasis is a wondrous place; unlike the perilous lands outside, the closer one is to its center, the safer; the farther one is from the center, the more dangerous.

The Green Oasis resembles an isolated island, surrounded by a sea of mist; no one knows exactly what the mist conceals, only that those who rashly venture in never emerge alive.

Coincidentally, Ye Qingran and her party of five were teleported to the center of the Green Oasis, where blue skies, white clouds, beautiful mountains and waters made it three parts more splendid than a paradise, leaving one reluctant to depart.

Following her intuition, Ye Qingran headed west.

After half a day's travel, she encountered some Academy disciples and some ferocious Spirit Beasts, a situation that was more startling than dangerous.

"Everyone, keep an eye on the surroundings; don't let anyone approach!"

"This is the Herb Heart; once it matures, each of us can take a bite and greatly boost our strength!"

"It must not be taken by anyone else!"

A voice came from the valley ahead, faint, yet Ye Qingran, being powerful, heard it clearly.

Herb Heart?

As a Pill Emperor, she naturally knows the Herb Heart.

It is an excellent medicinal material, imbued with rich spiritual energy; consuming it can greatly enhance one's cultivation.

Because its spiritual energy is so concentrated, a single person taking it all at once would cause their body to explode and die; moreover, once harvested it cannot be preserved and wilts within three hours, so it must be shared.

So these people have discovered a Herb Heart, wish to share it, yet fear it will be snatched away?

Ye Qingran shook her head and smiled.

The Herb Heart is a fine thing, but the better something is, the harder it is to obtain; I wonder if they understand that.

The few behind her also heard the commotion ahead.

However, aside from Gu Wuyou, the others knew nothing about the Herb Heart.

At that moment, Hong Wu stepped on a dead branch, producing a sound, and someone shouted loudly, "Who's there?"

Hong Wu spread her hands, indicating it was unintentional.

Since they had been discovered, Ye Qingran's party made no attempt to hide and walked out openly.

A few people there stepped forward, faces tense; upon recognizing Ye Qingran and the Renxu 108 Class disciples, they all froze.

"Instructor Ye? Renxu Class disciples?"

Obviously, these Academy disciples did not expect to encounter these Academy celebrities at this moment, and for a while they were at a loss, exchanging bewildered glances.

"Instructor Ye, you should lead your class members out of here quickly!"

A female disciple in her twenties also walked toward them, her expression unfriendly.

"Why are you so fierce? Is this your home? We can leave if we want, or stay if we don't; what can you do to us?"

Hearing that, Hong Wu couldn't hold back, stepped forward a few paces, and tugged forcefully.

The female disciple's momentum waned after Hong Wu's words. Her eyes darted as she plotted to drive Ye Qingran's group away, when Ye Qingran spoke.

"You keep your hearts in your stomachs, which is nothing but a Herb Heart; I'm not interested."

The people opposite rushed over, a group of seven or eight, without an Instructor leading them, likely a band of stragglers who formed their own squad.

Seven male disciples, one female disciple.

Upon hearing Ye Qingran's words, several male disciples showed shame.

Indeed, Instructor Ye, as a distinguished Pill Emperor, may find the Herb Heart valuable, yet she might not deem it worthy.

It's their petty hearts.

But the female disciple persisted, "Instructor Ye says she doesn't care, but deep down she's already coveting it, right? Yet as a Special Grade Instructor of the Academy and a Pill Emperor, if you compete with us disciples for the item, isn't that lowering yourself too much?"

A dark‑looking male disciple added, "Instructor Ye shouldn't be such a despicable person, right?"

Those words made Qin Feixue and the others' faces turn sour, and even the perpetually angry Qin Zixie's expression cooled.

These disciples really owe us!

"Don't worry, I'm not," Ye Qingran said calmly, as if she hadn't taken the remark to heart.

The female disciple hurriedly replied, "Since Instructor Ye says so, then please go ahead."

Ye Qingran curved her lips, "Before you leave, as fellow Academy members, I advise you all: be wary of the area around the Herb Heart."

Having said that, she turned and headed west, leaving the few disciples staring at each other.

"What does that mean?"

"What does it matter! What could be around the Herb Heart? We've surveyed it; there's no danger. It must be that Ye Qingran is jealous we found the Herb Heart, and her jealousy makes her threaten us!"

The female disciple sneered.

Is it really like that?

A few male disciples scratched their heads, not convinced.

By then, Ye Qingran's group had moved a distance away; Hong Wu's anger not only persisted but flared hotter.

"Damned them! I regret not beating them up!"

Qin Zixie nodded in strong agreement.

Ye Qingran looked at her with a grin, "Why be angry? The good show is about to begin!"

A good show?

The others reacted in various ways.

Qin Feixue asked, "Instructor Ye, what surrounds the Herb Heart?"

Instructor Ye explained, "Any spiritual treasure is surrounded by danger; that's the rule. As for the area around the Herb Heart… just wait and see."

Saying that, Ye Qingran simply sat down on a nearby stone.

Earlier she hadn't seen the Herb Heart herself, but she smelled the air and concluded it would soon be fully mature.

Around the Herb Heart, eight people gathered.

Even in ample light, one can still see the radiance emitted by the Herb Heart.

Pale green, brimming with vitality, suffused with dense spiritual energy.

Even a single breath makes one feel refreshed and invigorated.

"It's finally about to mature!"

The Herb Heart was reflected in the eyes of several people, and greedy looks surfaced on their faces.

Soon, the brilliance surged, flashing like a star with dazzling light.

Before the few could rejoice, a movement came from beneath their feet.

"An earthquake?"

The tremor grew stronger, and cracks appeared on the ground, spreading like a spider web and gradually thickening.

Except for an area within a one‑zhang radius around the Herb Heart, the rest of the ground suffered severe damage.

"What's happening?"

At this moment, the few finally realized something was amiss.

A massive claw protruded from a fissure in the ground.