When I woke up, the entire cultivation world was talking about my master.

Not far away, Ali and two other herb gatherers stood under a tree.

After hearing what Ali said, the tall herb gatherer in the Heavenly Sword Sect team looked at him incredulously, "Are you crazy?! You agreed to follow the plan, and now you want to change your mind?"

"Ah Li, think this through. If we make one wrong step, we'll all die together!"

Ali bit her lower lip. "That's not what I meant."

She glanced at another herb gatherer who had been rescued from the jaws of a demonic beast, and saw a similar wavering in his eyes. "Just now... you saw it too, that cultivator surnamed Chu saved our people. The disciples of the Heavenly Sword Sect, though somewhat reckless, are not heartless..."

"Shut up!" the tall herb gatherer said coldly. "You'd better not really think that way. Don't forget what you're wearing around your neck! And don't forget how we all live in constant fear!"

His words were like a bucket of ice water poured over my head.

Ali paused for a moment, then raised her hand and took off her large hood.

The girl's face was beautiful and charming, and her temperament was no different from any other girl her age, except for one thing that stood out and was jarring.

Ali lowered her head, her slender fingers tracing the dark blue metal collar around her neck. In the center of the collar was a deep blue crystal the size of a fingernail.

This is a shackle on every herb gatherer.

The tall herb gatherer watched her movements, sighed, and softened his tone: "Ali, I know you are still young and soft-hearted."

"That young man is indeed kind-hearted, and the people of the Heavenly Sword Sect are... upright." He looked into the distance and said in a deep voice, "But you might want to think about it: once they know your true identity, will they still treat us kindly?"

"Kindness to outsiders is cruelty to oneself." The tall herb gatherer looked directly into Ali's eyes and said, word by word, "Besides, the Flower Sea Illusion is not fatal. If they have the ability, they can get out on their own."

Ali fell silent.

"But if we really leave Shuangyun City... where can we go?" the herb gatherer who had been rescued by Chu Xianlan asked in a low voice.

"Peach Blossom Spring." The tall herb gatherer's gaze was resolute. "That's the only refuge for people like us. Once we find Peach Blossom Spring, we'll never have to live in fear again, and we won't be used as tools to be manipulated at will!"

"Now that Bi Laogou's son is in our hands, as long as we can lure these cultivators away, Bi Laogou will be without any help, and our plan will definitely succeed."

The three looked at each other, seeing the resolve in each other's eyes, then pulled their hoods back up and returned to the group.

After a short rest, the group set off again.

Stepping into the sea of ​​flowers, Chu Xianlan looked around and saw no other cultivators besides their group.

A sense of unease crept into my mind: Why is it so deserted? Could it be that no one else has arrived yet?

"Looks like we got here earlier than those guys from the Xuan Yang Sect." He Jingxuan stroked his chin.

The other Heavenly Sword Sect disciples also noticed this and burst into laughter, "Hehehe, we thought they were so powerful, but they're nothing special after all!"

The three herb gatherers walked at the back of the group, gradually widening the distance between them.

Just then, a hoarse voice came from behind them:

"—Stop! Stop! You can't go any further! There are no Spiritless Immortal Sprouts ahead!!"

"Those herb gatherers are all liars—"

Unfortunately, it was too late.

When everyone turned around at the sound, they only vaguely heard a woman's laughter. The next second, a thick fog rolled in, a white expanse that blotted out the sun, and it seemed as if they were the only ones left in the world.

Everyone was forcibly pulled into the illusion.

-

Chu Xianlan opened her eyes, her head throbbing so badly it felt like it was about to split open.

My vision cleared up only after the dizziness gradually subsided.

The moment he could see the scene before him clearly, he truly broke down.

"..."

Chu Xianlan thought she was dreaming, or perhaps she was hallucinating from inhaling sensual pleasures.

He saw a group of... little kids.

To be precise, they were a group of monks whose bodies had shrunk to the size of four or five years old.

"How could you fall into such an obvious illusionary trap! What's the point of practicing swordsmanship? You might as well go home and feed the pigs!"

A little girl with big eyes shouted, hands on her hips.

She is Baoyue.

The female cultivators of Xuan Yang Sect had long been trapped here. Bao Yue watched them step into the illusion, but she had shouted herself hoarse inside the illusion, and no one outside could hear a word.

"You guys got infected too, and you still have the nerve to criticize us!" Across from her, a round-faced little boy said indignantly; this was Su Yun.

Chu Xianlan was completely bewildered. She stared blankly as she looked over and saw seven or eight Xuan Yang Sect disciples in child form arguing with Tian Jian Sect disciples. Both sides were exchanging the most vicious words in rather childish voices.

Besides, there were several children-like rogue cultivators sitting blankly on the ground, clearly still reeling from the shocking turn of events.

A sense of foreboding rose in Chu Xianlan's heart.

Bow down.

What came into view was a chubby, short... radish-like hand.

Chu Xianlan numbly touched her face, feeling a bit emotionally overwhelmed.

Sure enough, I shrank too.

What kind of illusion is this?!

Turn a group of powerful adult cultivators into little kids and watch them argue like they're playing house?!

"Xianglan." Suddenly, a voice came from beside me.

His tone was formal and serious, but his voice was soft and childish, like a child deliberately putting on an adult's air of composure.

Chu Xianlan turned her head, and then froze.

Her skin was fair and delicate, her face as smooth as a snow dumpling, her eyes were clear and bright, and her silvery-white hair was draped over her small shoulders and back, almost dragging on the ground.

With its exquisitely carved and beautiful appearance, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that it was a celestial child under the command of some deity.

Master...

So this is what Master looked like when he was a child?

So...so cute.

Chu Xianlan stared intently at the child, stunned for a long while, before murmuring in the same childish voice, "...Master?"

"Hmm." Xiao Yichen nodded seriously and stretched out a hand to him. "The ground is cold, get up."