Su Qingyan: I Saw This Spirit Grass First!

Chaos airflow surged like the tide, Lin Yue and Su Qingyan's figures chased each other frantically among the jagged rocks. The treasure light that had shot up into the sky moments ago was like a lighthouse in the dark night, not only illuminating the dim Chaos space around them but also stirring the most primal greed and obsession in their hearts.

"You won't escape!" Su Qingyan's voice, carrying scorching airflow, came from behind. The flame at her fingertips had condensed into a whip of fire three inches long, and as the tip cut through the air, it made the already sparse energy in the Chaos sizzle and crackle. The two had already fought dozens of rounds for the source of the treasure light. Lin Yue, relying on the agility of the Chaos Little Light Orb, had managed to hold his own but couldn't shake off the shadow-like fiery assault.

Lin Yue exerted force under his feet, using a millstone-sized rock as a springboard. His body spun in an arc through the air, narrowly dodging the whip's strike. The moment the rock was grazed by the fire whip, half of it melted away like snow under the sun, revealing its gray-black, hard stone core. "Fellow Daoist Su, treasures have spirits; they should be obtained by chance. Why the relentless pursuit?" he asked while sprinting, trying to reason with her, though his peripheral vision remained fixed on the treasure light gradually descending ahead.

The treasure light's speed slowed, and finally, like a feather, it gently landed in a relatively flat area ahead. It was an open space about ten zhang square, with many fist-sized碎石 scattered on the ground. The center, however, was exceptionally clean, as if swept by an invisible force. As the treasure light landed, its dazzling brilliance slowly receded like a tide, revealing a strange plant lying quietly beneath.

The plant was about half a foot tall, with a stem the color of clear jade. At the top grew three palm-sized leaves. The leaves were golden all over, with a faint stream of light flowing at the edges. Upon closer inspection, countless tiny golden patterns could be seen slowly moving within the leaves, pulsing as if alive. An indescribably rich vitality emanated from the leaves. Just looking from afar, Lin Yue felt the Chaos Energy in his dantian become more active, and the stagnation accumulated from days of cultivation had significantly dissipated.

"Three-Leaf Golden Ganoderma!" Lin Yue's heart jolted. The name exploded in his mind like thunder. He had heard of this spiritual herb among the rare Chaos treasures Pangu occasionally mentioned—it was a top-tier spiritual herb born from innate creation. It grew one leaf every three thousand years, took shape in three thousand years, and emitted treasure light to guide its location when mature. Consuming it could not only greatly increase one's cultivation but also nourish the foundation of cultivation, making breakthroughs twice as effective. For him, who had just broken through to the early stage of High-level Chaos, this Three-Leaf Golden Ganoderma was undoubtedly the best aid to consolidate his cultivation and strive for a higher realm.

In the instant Lin Yue was lost in thought, Su Qingyan beside him reacted. She almost instinctively abandoned the chase and lunged towards the Three-Leaf Golden Ganoderma like an arrow released from a bow, her speed nearly thirty percent faster than during their previous fight. Seeing her fingertips about to touch the golden leaves, Lin Yue also snapped back to reality. The Chaos Energy in his body circulated rapidly, and he exerted force under his feet, charging towards the spiritual herb.

"I spotted this spiritual herb first. You dare try to snatch it!" Su Qingyan sensed the movement behind her and turned her head sharply, a fierce glint in her eyes. The fingertips of her other hand instantly condensed a ball of flame the size of a fist. The flame rose and leaped, emitting a temperature that made the surrounding air distort. Clearly, for this Three-Leaf Golden Ganoderma, she was ready to fight at any moment.

Lin Yue stopped his steps about a zhang away from the spiritual herb, his gaze fixed on the alluringly glowing Three-Leaf Golden Ganoderma, his mind racing. He knew very well that with his current strength, if he fought Su Qingyan with all his might, the outcome was uncertain. More importantly, if they both ended up injured, this spiritual herb might fall into someone else's hands or be damaged during the struggle—the power of her fire whip scorching the rock earlier had given him a clear understanding of Su Qingyan's fiery destructive power.

"Fellow Daoist Su," Lin Yue took a deep breath, trying to make his tone as calm as possible, "Although the Three-Leaf Golden Ganoderma is good, such a complete specimen would be too wasteful for either of us to take alone. Why don't we split it equally, each taking half? That way, we won't offend each other, and the herb's efficacy will be maximized. What do you say?"

His proposal seemed like a concession, but it was actually the most stable choice for now. The value of the Three-Leaf Golden Ganoderma lay in its vitality and energy. As long as he could get a part of it, it would be enough for him. Moreover, he could feel that the vitality of this spiritual herb was exceptionally vigorous; even if split in half, each part would be far superior to ordinary spiritual items.

However, when Su Qingyan heard the proposal, she seemed to hear a joke. A mocking curve appeared on her lips. "Split it? Lin Yue, you've got quite a plan." She slowly withdrew her hand reaching for the herb and instead held the ball of flame in her palm, looking at Lin Yue with cold eyes. "From the moment the treasure light appeared until now, I've been the one chasing. If you hadn't interfered, I would have already taken the herb into my possession. And now, you want to take half with just a few words? Where is such logic in this world!"

She took a step forward, the fiery aura around her intensifying, as if she would attack immediately if Lin Yue took another step. "This Three-Leaf Golden Ganoderma should have been mine from beginning to end. If you know what's good for you, get lost immediately, or don't blame me for being ruthless!"

Lin Yue's expression also darkened. He could understand Su Qingyan's reluctance to share, but her overbearing attitude completely ignited his competitive spirit and unwillingness to yield. The path of cultivation was inherently like rowing upstream; opportunities flashed by in an instant. If he gave up the treasure before him because of her threat, how could he establish himself in this perilous Chaos in the future?

"Fellow Daoist Su, that's not how you put it." The Chaos Energy within Lin Yue began to circulate slowly, the faint golden vortex in his dantian trembling slightly, ready to condense the Chaos Little Light Orb at any moment. "In the Chaos, treasures are ownerless; the capable take them. You saw it first, but that doesn't mean you can have it. Since you're unwilling to share, then we'll have to rely on our own abilities."

As soon as his words fell, the last trace of hesitation in Su Qingyan's eyes vanished. She snorted coldly, and the flame in her palm suddenly surged, instantly transforming into a fiery whip that lashed out at Lin Yue with a whistling sound. At the same time, her other hand reached out towards the Three-Leaf Golden Ganoderma again, clearly intending to fend off Lin Yue while snatching the herb.

Lin Yue was prepared. His footwork shifted, and his body slid sideways like a phantom several feet, dodging the fiery whip. Simultaneously, he raised his right hand, and three walnut-sized Chaos Little Light Orbs shot out like meteors, attacking Su Qingyan's wrist, shoulder, and waist respectively. These three orbs were launched at tricky angles and with extreme speed, clearly intended to force Su Qingyan to abandon picking the herb and defend herself.

"Petty tricks!" A hint of disdain flashed in Su Qingyan's eyes. She quickly drew a fiery trajectory in front of her with her left hand, forming a flame shield. With three muffled thuds, the Chaos Little Light Orbs hit the shield, instantly scattering and dissipating into specks of Chaos Energy in the air. The flame shield merely rippled a few times before returning to its original state.

But this brief delay slowed her attempt to pick the herb by half a beat. Lin Yue seized this opportunity, his body surging forward again, now less than five feet from the Three-Leaf Golden Ganoderma. He could even clearly smell the faint, sweet scent of vitality emanating from the herb's leaves.

Seeing this, Su Qingyan was furious. She retracted the fiery whip and instead wrapped it around Lin Yue's ankles. At the same time, her body leaned forward, her fingertips less than an inch from the Three-Leaf Golden Ganoderma's leaves.

"You wish!" Lin Yue grunted, stomping his left foot down forcefully. A surge of Chaos Energy spread along the ground, causing the surrounding碎石 to tremble slightly. Using this reaction force, his body leaped upward again, narrowly avoiding the entanglement of the fiery whip. In mid-air, he reached out with his right hand, aiming directly for the thickest golden leaf.

Their fingertips, almost at the same time, reached towards the Three-Leaf Golden Ganoderma. In the air, scorching flames and dense Chaos Energy intertwined and collided, emitting sizzling sounds. A battle for the innate spiritual herb had entered its most intense phase.