Chapter 159: Blood Sea Lotus

Having dragged Ye Chen from the clutches of the Bewildering Forest, An Yuyi let out a deep sigh of relief. Traversing the forest in reverse had provoked even more violent assaults from the blood-red vines. Despite the protective artifact her aunt had given her, she was not without injury; her sleeve was torn, revealing a slender, alabaster arm marred by several bloody marks.

Casting a glance at Ye Chen, An Yuyi shook her head internally. The Bewildering Forest had the power to dredge up the deepest desires of cultivators, crafting illusions from them. She could have understood if Ye Chen’s greatest wish was to ascend to immortality or to become an ancestor of a cultivation line. But his deepest desire was to frolic shamelessly with a host of celestial maidens in the Milky Way?

Truly, he lacked any grand ambition.

Disinclined to interact further with Ye Chen, An Yuyi seated herself to begin healing her wounds.

At that moment, Fang Xi and Pei Ling emerged from the forest, covered in dirt and grime. Seeing Ye Chen, their eyes lit up. Pei Ling, with a look of disdain, addressed him: “Even as a mere member of the Green Cloud Sect at the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment, to get lost is quite the embarrassment, isn’t it?”

Ye Chen shook his head, clearing his mind of any negative emotions. He then looked at Fang Xi and knowingly asked, “Fellow Daoist Fang, was it because I refused to concoct pills for you that you intentionally tied the rope to a tree?”

Fang Xi’s eyes narrowed, and a cold smile curled his lips. “Fellow Daoist Ye, please be careful with your words. Slandering a direct disciple of the Divine Will Sect is no trivial matter.”

Pei Ling chimed in righteously, “It seems you’ve confused your illusions with reality.”

Both Fang Xi and Pei Ling clearly did not take Ye Chen seriously. Their status as direct disciples of the Divine Will Sect, coupled with their own capabilities, filled them with an inherent arrogance towards Ye Chen.

After all, even if you know the truth, what can you do about it?

Ye Chen smiled after a brief glance at them. Their attitudes were clear, and so was his next move.

By then, An Yuyi had finished her healing and stood up, casting a look at Fang Xi and Pei Ling. The environment of the Bewildering Forest was designed to reveal a cultivator’s deepest desires. Therefore, the nature of Ye Chen’s entrapment in the forest was crystal clear to her.

However, An Yuyi had no intention of championing justice for Ye Chen. Ye Chen was merely a passerby, while Fang Xi and Pei Ling were direct disciples. The choice was obvious and required little deliberation.

An Yuyi spoke calmly, “In half an hour, the poison fog will begin to change. I ask that Fellow Daoist Ye sense the upcoming alterations and prepare the corresponding antidote pills.”

Ye Chen glanced at An Yuyi and nodded. Without a word, he began to prepare his alchemy furnace for concocting the pills.

Fang Xi and Pei Ling exchanged looks, their faces breaking into satisfied smiles.

Fang Xi, in particular, had already resolved to coerce Ye Chen into concocting pills for him once they left the Lotus Pond. If Ye Chen refused, he would face dire consequences.

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A mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator from a lower sect was expendable, and Fang Xi did not believe the Green Cloud Sect would dare confront the Divine Will Sect over such a matter.

…

Ye Chen, with a placid expression, successfully concocted the new batch of antidote pills. He consumed one immediately. The others then hesitantly followed suit.

However, as he handed an antidote pill to An Yuyi, Ye Chen also casually offered her a bottle of top-grade True Intent Pills.

Although this woman lacked a sense of gratitude, the potential for a hundredfold return on his investment was here, and it wasn’t worth holding a grudge over personal likes and dislikes.