Li Xiaoya walked toward the cottages, looking around as he went. Despite his present knowledge and discernment, he recognized only a small fraction of the flowers and plants carpeting the ground, and every one of those was exceedingly rare in the Human Realm. Most of the others were utterly unfamiliar, as though they did not exist in this world at all. Unfortunately, precious and beautiful though they were, none appeared to be medicinal ingredients cultivators could use. They seemed to have been planted solely for decoration and enjoyment!
These exotic flowers and plants had been arranged with exquisite care along the path. Every blade of grass and every tree had its place, making a stroll through the garden so refreshing that one could linger there and forget to leave. Even Li Xiaoya, who had no particular fondness for flowers, could not help stopping to admire them, and his spirits immediately relaxed. Studying the layout of the garden paths, he murmured, "Judging by the design and workmanship, could this be a female cultivator's residence?" Then he suddenly realized he had let his guard down too far. "Tsk! This isn't the time to admire the scenery. I need to find a way out!" Golden light blazed around him, enveloping him in a golden light barrier. With his divine sense fully extended, he slowly advanced. Despite the astonishing spiritual qi here, there seemed to be no restrictions, and his divine sense easily swept through the entire cluster of cottages.
The place seemed to contain nothing at all. The rooms were empty, without any treasures, leaving Li Xiaoya somewhat disappointed. He detected no living creatures either. Apart from its extraordinarily rich spiritual qi, this whole area seemed to have nothing special about it. He extended his divine sense farther in every direction!
"Ugh!" Before