From a loser to an immortal sage

Chapter 158 A Comeback in the Competition for Herb Gathering

Lei Hu's appearance was not unexpected; I had anticipated that this elixir would attract covetous eyes from all sides. His spiritual energy surged around him, his aura imposing, clearly indicating his desire for a swift victory. I dared not be negligent, channeling my spiritual energy into my sword, instantly gleaming with a chilling light from its blade.

"Overestimating yourself!" Lei Hu roared, his massive fist hurtling towards my face. I dodged to the side, my sword slicing across his arm, leaving a shallow gash. He groaned in pain, his eyes flashing with even more ferocity.

I dared not linger in the fight, given the vast difference in strength; I could only fight and retreat, searching for an opportunity. Lei Hu's attacks were as dense as a storm, and I was exhausted from dealing with them, quickly accumulating several wounds on my body. The burning pain stimulated my nerves, but I gritted my teeth, daring not to relax for a moment.

Just then, I felt my feet sink, as if I were mired in mud. Looking down, I saw that the once solid ground had become a muddy mess, and my feet were stuck deep inside, making my movements slow. Damn it! It's Zi Ling! She was hiding in the shadows and used her mud spell!

Seeing this, Lei Hu became even more smug and his attacks became even more ferocious. Trapped in the mud, I couldn't dodge in time and was struck in the chest by his palm, spitting out a mouthful of blood. I staggered back a few steps, feeling as if my internal organs had shifted, the pain unbearable.

"Miss Xiao Yao!" Ling'er's anxious voice came from afar, but she was entangled with other herb gatherers and couldn't break free. I sighed inwardly; it seemed I could only rely on myself.

I endured the pain and circulated my spiritual power, trying to break free from the swamp's grip. However, Zi Ling's swamp technique was extremely strange; my spiritual power was like a mud ox entering the sea, unable to budge it in the slightest.

Lei Hu approached step by step, a ferocious smile on his face. "Little girl, obediently hand over the elixir, and I might give you a quick death!"

I wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth, a resolute glint in my eyes. Even if it cost me my life, I would never let this celestial herb fall into his hands! I took a deep breath, gathering all the remaining spiritual power within me into the sword, preparing for a final gamble.

Suddenly, I felt a powerful force coming from behind, pulling me out of the swamp. I turned around and saw... the Pharmacist Mo! His expression was solemn, and he held a medicinal hoe that shimmered with a blue light in his hand, his eyes warily fixed on Lei Hu.

"Lei Hu, isn't it going too far to bully the weak like this?" Mo Yaoshi said in a deep voice.

Lei Hu scoffed disdainfully, "Old man Mo, mind your own business! I'm determined to have this elixir!"

The apothecary shielded me behind him, the herb hoe in his hand emitting bursts of blue light. "Then let's see if you have the ability!"

Lei Hu roared and charged again... I clutched my chest, barely managing to stay upright, my gaze fixed on a large rock not far away...

The battle between the Pharmacist Mo and Lei Hu erupted instantly, their hoes clashing against fists, sending up bursts of spiritual energy. I clutched my chest, barely managing to stay upright, knowing my condition was extremely poor and I needed to recover some spiritual energy as quickly as possible. My gaze fell upon a large rock not far away, behind which I could vaguely see several herbs emitting a faint glow. Those were… Spirit-Returning Herbs!

I forced myself to move step by step toward the boulder. The battle between Lei Hu and the Pharmacist Mo was incredibly fierce, and I dared not approach. I could only sit cross-legged behind the boulder, quickly picking a few Spirit-Returning Herbs and stuffing them into my mouth. The bitter juice flowed down my throat, and a warm current slowly spread throughout my body, gradually restoring my depleted spiritual energy.

I breathed a slight sigh of relief and was about to continue my meditation when suddenly, a chilling aura enveloped me. I looked up abruptly and saw Elder Xuanfeng standing not far away, a sinister smile on his face.

"Little girl, you're lucky you're still alive." His tone was sinister, his eyes greedily fixed on the Rejuvenating Grass in my hand. "Hand over the Rejuvenating Grass, and I might consider giving you a quick death."

My heart sank, knowing that I would likely not be able to escape today. Elder Xuanfeng's strength far surpassed Lei Hu's, not to mention that I was currently severely injured and my spiritual power had not yet fully recovered.

"Dream on!" I gritted my teeth, took a deep breath, and concentrated the last of my spiritual power into the sword.

Elder Xuanfeng sneered disdainfully, "Overestimating yourself!" With a flick of his sleeve, a pitch-black demonic beast appeared out of thin air, letting out a deafening roar as it pounced towards me.

This monstrous beast was enormous, with sharp fangs, and exuded a suffocating aura. I was terrified and hurriedly swung my sword to defend myself, but it felt like an ant trying to shake a tree; I couldn't stop its attacks at all.

The beast's sharp claws ripped my shoulder, tearing my clothes and leaving several deep, bone-revealing wounds. I groaned and staggered back a few steps, almost losing my balance.

Elder Xuanfeng laughed triumphantly, "You think you can fight me?"

I gritted my teeth, enduring the excruciating pain, and swung my sword again to meet the attack. However, my attack was like a tickle to the monster, causing absolutely no harm.

The monster pounced again. I couldn't dodge in time and was knocked away, crashing heavily to the ground. I felt as if all the bones in my body were shattered, and the pain was unbearable.

Everything in front of me began to blur. I struggled to stand up, but found that I was too weak to move.

Elder Xuanfeng approached step by step, a cruel smile on his face. "It's over, little girl."

I closed my eyes in despair, waiting for death to come.

Suddenly, I heard a familiar voice in my ear, "Xiao Yao, do you still remember the little spell I taught you?"...

Ling'er's voice, like a bolt of lightning, cleaved through my fog of despair. That little spell! I opened my eyes abruptly. Ling'er had once taught me a little spell called "Light Dust Spell," which could make the body lighter and increase speed. At the time, I only thought it was fun and didn't practice it seriously, but I never expected it to become my lifeline now.

I endured the excruciating pain, summoning the last vestige of spiritual energy within me and silently chanting an incantation. A strange power surged from my body, enveloping my entire being. I felt incredibly light, as if I were walking on air. I suddenly pushed off the ground, launching myself directly into the air and dodging the demonic beast's fatal blow.

Elder Xuanfeng's expression immediately changed; he clearly hadn't expected me to have this trick up my sleeve. "Damn little brat!" he roared, and once again commanded the demonic beasts to attack me.

This time, I won't sit idly by and wait to die. With the enhancement of the Light Dust Technique, my speed is astonishing; the monster's attacks simply cannot touch me. Like a nimble swallow, I dart around the monster, searching for its weakness.

Meanwhile, the battle between Lei Hu and Mo Yaoshi reached its climax. Although Lei Hu was powerful, Mo Yaoshi was experienced and skilled in combat, and for a time the two were evenly matched.

Seizing the opportunity, while Lei Hu was entangled with the Pharmacist, I used the Light Dust Technique to rush towards him with lightning speed. Lei Hu clearly didn't expect me to suddenly attack him and was caught off guard. I gathered all my spiritual power and punched him hard in the abdomen.

With a muffled thud, Lei Hu was knocked back several steps, a pained expression on his face. He clutched his stomach, staring at me in disbelief, "You...you actually..."

I didn't give him a chance to speak, and pressed forward again, raining punches and kicks upon him. Although Lei Hu was powerful, he was no match for my speed. Each of my punches contained all my anger and resentment, forcing him to retreat repeatedly, utterly powerless to retaliate.

The herb gatherers around were stunned by this scene. They had thought I was at my limit, but they never expected me to be able to unleash such powerful strength. A hint of surprise flashed across Zi Ling's face, which then turned into fear.

I ignored their gazes and continued my relentless attack on Lei Hu. I knew perfectly well that this was only a temporary advantage, and I had to end this battle as soon as possible to have a chance to seize the elixir.

Finally, after enduring dozens of my punches, Lei Hu could no longer hold on and collapsed heavily to the ground. I panted heavily, looking at Lei Hu lying on the ground, a surge of pleasure welled up inside me.

I slowly stood up, my gaze sweeping over the people around me. Their eyes were filled with shock, fear, and... a hint of awe.

I know that my counterattack has made my competitors wary of me and hesitant to attack. But this is only temporary. I haven't obtained the elixir yet, and no one knows what new obstacles I will encounter next.

I gripped the sword tightly in my hand, my gaze fixed firmly on the depths of the Immortal Medicine Valley.

"The elixir of immortality, I must have you!"

My chest heaved violently, sweat soaking my clothes. Lei Hu lay on the ground groaning in pain, and all around was silent. The outburst had almost exhausted all my spiritual energy, and the effects of the Dust-Lightening Technique were gradually fading. My legs began to tremble slightly. I forced myself to stand up straight and cautiously looked around. The other herb gatherers looked at me with shock, but even more so with apprehension. Zi Ling stood not far away, a complex expression on her beautiful face, as if she were weighing something.

“Xiao Yao, you…” Pharmacist Mo walked over, a hint of admiration in his eyes, “I didn’t expect you to have been hiding your strength.”

I gave a wry smile: "Pharmacist Mo is joking. I don't have any hidden strength. It's just that I'm desperate and will do anything." I took a deep breath, trying to calm the surging blood in my body. "The elixir has not yet been obtained, so now is not the time to relax."

The Pharmacist nodded, his gaze fixed on the depths of the Immortal Medicine Valley, his tone grave: "Indeed, the real test has only just begun."

Deep within the Valley of Immortal Herbs, shrouded in mist and brimming with spiritual energy, unknown dangers lurked beneath the surface. I swallowed a pill to replenish my spiritual power, feeling a slight return of strength. I noticed that the herb gatherers who had previously been eyeing me with predatory intent were now cautious, hesitant to approach me. Lei Hu's crushing defeat had served as a wake-up call, reminding them that I was not a pushover to be easily manipulated.

"Ling'er," I called softly, and the small figure peeked out from my sleeve, blinking her bright eyes, "Sister Xiao Yao, are you alright?"

“I’m fine,” I patted Ling’er’s head. “I’ll need your guidance from now on.”

Ling'er nodded, her little face full of seriousness: "Don't worry, Sister Xiao Yao, I will definitely help you find the elixir!"

Guided by Ling'er, we cautiously ventured deeper into the Valley of Immortal Herbs. The air was thick with the aroma of herbs, and various rare plants peeked faintly from the mist. I vigilantly observed my surroundings while trying to discern the characteristics of the immortal herbs Ling'er had described.

After walking for a while, I noticed that there were fewer and fewer herb gatherers around. It seemed that most of them had been intimidated by my earlier actions and dared not approach easily. But this only made me more uneasy. The quieter it was, the more it meant that danger was lurking in the shadows.

Suddenly, I felt a powerful spiritual energy fluctuation coming from ahead. This spiritual energy was cold and domineering, making me feel a chill.

"Watch out!" Ling'er exclaimed and hid in my sleeve.

I looked up sharply and saw the clouds churning ahead, from which a figure slowly emerged. It was an old man in a black robe, with a sinister smile on his face—it was Elder Xuanfeng, who had been coveting the elixir! His gaze was piercing, fixed on me, and a powerful pressure emanated from him, making it almost impossible for me to breathe.

He spoke slowly, his voice low and threatening: "Little girl, you dare to hurt my people, then be prepared to pay the price..."

I gripped my sword tightly, a strong sense of unease rising within me... He stretched out a hand, and slowly raised it in my direction...