During the first third of the event, Bai Qi had not seen any cultivator beside Lao De. With his senses dropped to mere mortal ones, it wasn't hard to understand the reason, as just from the area he himself had walked around, it was easy to guess that the actual lands for the events were immense. Big enough for an entire thousand people to barely meet each other, except for situations like the one happening now.

And indeed, as Bai Qi moved closer and closer to the source of the attraction, one that made him already walk for over a teapot's worth of time, he noticed other people besides the excitable youngster. Speaking of the latter, the boy continued rushing somewhat ahead of Bai Qi with all of his present mortal-level strength and speed, following the alluring sensation, in some barely lucid state as he did not respond to Bai Qi's calls and shouts.

As for the others? Bai Qi managed to discern at least twenty figures in the nearby surroundings, most of which appeared to be in a similar half-lucid state, unresponsive to anything but this unknown source attraction. Yet, a few people remained as Bai Qi, also being drawn towards someplace to the south but had not lost their focus and consciousness, being perfectly capable of reasoning, speaking, and even guessing what was happening.

***

"Oi, don't you think it may be some kind of trap?" A gaudily dressed young woman steered her move closer to Bai Qi and asked without any introduction or going around.

"Hmm? It could be one, but..." Bai Qi had his own ideas about what was going on. But on the other hand, he wouldn't ignore the thoughts of one of the few people that managed to avoid being enthralled entirely. Thus, he partly agreed while shrugging and slightly smiling as he nodded towards his legs, which were moving nearly on their own by the moment.

"Agreed, it is not like we can stop by now, but we should be able to prepare, don't we?" The young lady asked in response.

"I would gladly join if you have some plan. But do you know what is going on or how to counter it? " Recalling the twenty-and-something woman as Gao Xiulan, the one to have asked the question about attacking participants outside the [Petal Stages], Bai Qi asked while pretending readiness to help. Why feigning, one could ask? Well, the event was an individual one with no possible cooperation. And any of Bai Qi's guesses ended with the same result - it could only be something related to a high-tier herb, one he already knew would be present. After all, the other option seemed unlikely as it was counterproductive for the Palace and the event's goal.

"There are only two options-" Nodding her head, her black hair and the golden chain-like ornaments on it bobbing from side to side, she took a pause before moving to the, undoubtedly, two only options, "-It can either be a high-tier herb or a trap by the Palace to cull down the number of participants, especially the ones lacking ability, talent, and strength enough."

"I think you are right, but how can we know which is it? And how can we prepare for either?" Continuing his assumed role, Bai Qi earnestly questioned.

"About that, I am sure it is the second-" Noticing Bai Qi's disbelief, Gao Xiulan quickly explained herself, "-Alluring smells, hypnotic spells, and the like? They are the stuff of the Yin element, not the Yang, and no herb of the present ones should be able of such."

"I see..?" Inwardly, Bai Qi felt disappointed, as Gao Xiulan appeared to have a low degree of knowledge of the Yin-Yang elements and the explanations of the Palace people, not to mention she had definitively ignored attempts like the ones of Zeng Hui to trade information.

After all, if it wasn't so, how could she miss something obvious as the objective of the Palace for this event? Which was nothing but gathering the amplest amount of Yang herbs possible. As for information trade? Zeng Hui mentioned the [Dew of the Fairy], a herb known to count with all the elements Gao Xiulan mentioned.

Assuming Bai Qi's silence to be one of agreement, Gao Xiulan moved to explain her plan, which turned out to be as poor as her knowledge of herbs. Bai Qi barely managed to contain saying his thought aloud, with the plan basically entailing her latching on him from behind and helping him overcome whatever the intended danger would be.

Not that her reasoning was flawed, as with the event's challenges being one to assume alone, no trap of the Palace should exist to face a team of two or more. Yet, in such a case, if she was right, then what exactly would Bai Qi win by being the one to shield her from whatever happened? Not that there was no way to utilize that against her, but!

Thinking so and feeling even more disappointed at what appeared to be one of the people to look after during the event, Bai Qi merely contented himself with a shrug while politely declining, "I am sorry, but if its a trap or challenge by the Palace, I think it would be better to abide their plan."

"Huh, why?! Do you want to be eliminated so badly?!" Unable to understand Bai Qi's answer, especially with his readiness to help before, Gao Xiulian shouted in shock.

"Not really, but if it's something planned by the Palace, couldn't it also be one of the rumored hints about rare herbs? Or even a challenge to get towards one?" Feeling somewhat guilty about leading the young woman by the nose to learn whatever she knew, Bai Qi explained himself, even giving her a nudge toward what should be the actual truth.

"Damn you, I only lost time with someone like you!" Gao Xiulian cried out as she forced herself to steer away from Bai Qi and towards some of the participants moving far away, probably hoping to find someone else to serve as her planned decoy.

And while she actually murmured it under her breath, Bai Qi still caught the continuation of her outburst, "Damn, and here I thought that a no-name rogue would definitively go along."

"Heh." Bai Qi nearly laughed as his eyes looked at the slowly moving away figure of Gao Xiulian, her overly decorated, golden, and silver laced, bright red dress swaying in tact with her steps.

***

Bai Qi had not measured the time that the talk with Gao Xiulian took, but it was definitively not a long one. Still, it had been enough for the source of the attraction to appear on the horizon, the root of this impossible-to-smell or sense lure being nothing else than a small mound, already encircled by several people.

Gao Xiulian had barely moved away as the opening view confirmed Bai Qi's guesses. Atop the mound serving as their destination, nothing else but the three-foot tall [Dew of the Fairy] stood and fluttered under the mild winds of this grassland-like territory!

The [Dew of the Fairy] was a pretty small spirit herb, only reaching some three feet tall. Nevertheless, it was definitively one of the most prized bounties of this event, with even a single leaf being considered a potent earth-tier ingredient. With its heart-shaped leaves of vibrant colors of mixed red, purple, and yellow, all glowing with an ethereal light from all of the Yang gathered during the day, it appeared somewhat heavenly, something not so far from the truth, its qualities being one of the most helpful in improving one's cultivation and resistance to all other elements, especially the Yin.

As Bai Qi grew closer to the plant, he felt the so-called Fairy's dew scent. It was a fragrance sweet and heady, like some blend of exotic spices that sent his now mortal senses alight and clouded his consciousness. Even during the day, if one stayed near the plant long enough, the cultivator or creature lucky to find it would feel dizzy and disoriented. With it being daybreak, the effects were even more powerful. And when coupled with the hypnotic fragrance released by the predatory roots of the spirit herb, it was no wonder why over a dozen participants stood still, as if unconscious, around it.

Perfectly aware of the danger as he was of his current limitations, Bai Qi didn't even look at the people around the mound or the ones still moving towards it, attracted as nothing but prey by the earth-tier treasure that this herb was. He did notice how the still lucid ones, as Gao Xiulian, attempted to slow down or even send some of their weapon intent to attack the [Dew of the Fairy] from afar. But he paid no attention to either, knowing neither of those ways was the one to use.

In place of resisting, Bai Qi actually stopped any conscious movement while forcefully inhaling the scent, allowing his body to move at an even quicker pace to the mound as if he was ready to become nothing but a meal for the carnivorous plant, no matter its otherwordly, heavenly looks.

Gao Xiulian was beyond irritated. She watched with growing annoyance as Bai Qi, the rogue cultivator who had just refused her, approached the dangerous spirit herb as if he had lost it. How could he be so foolish not to resist? Or was he just some rogue with no experience, and she had misjudged him during her first approach?

As the distance between the herb and Bai Qi narrowed to just a few feet, Gao Xiulian couldn't help but mutter under her breath about the idiocy of the young man. But just as Bai Qi was about to step on the people who had already been dropped to their knees or stomachs by the powerful and dangerous aroma, his hand suddenly lunged forward, releasing a wave of something that resembled weapon intent.

Gao Xiulian's eyes widened in surprise. What was he doing? How did he manage to do so? But over everything else, had the damn rogue lost his mind to attack not the herb but the earthen, grass-covered mound below it?!

But then, something incredible happened. The wave of intent struck the spirit herb, causing it to shudder and shake violently. Gao Xiulian watched in amazement as the plant seemed to come to life, writhing and thrashing as if it were alive, its five leaves wildly flailing around as if extremities they were.

At that moment, Gao Xiulian realized that Bai Qi was no idiot. As the spirit herb continued to shake and then began glowing in the same green glow of one of the event's holding pouches, Gao Xiulian felt a surge of respect for the young man. Not that this made her any less irritated at him or lessened her desire to obtain the herb in any manner necessary!

***

Gao Xiulian watched in disbelief as a man in fur robes jumped in front of Bai Qi, accusing him of stealing the spirit herb that he, Go Fang, had intended to harvest. The man was loud and angry. His face contorted with rage as he pointed an accusing finger at Bai Qi. And while Gao Xiulian herself had just thought of challenging Bai Qi to a duel on the [Petal Stage] to attempt and win the [Dew of the Fairy] as well as all of the herbs that Bai Qi undoubtedly had gathered, she felt this Go Fang's way was overboard.

After all, despite the fur-dressed man's accusations, Gao Xiulian knew that Bai Qi was blameless. She had watched as he used his weapon intent to harvest the spirit herb, and he had definitively not stolen it from anyone, as except him, no one even had attempted anything like that. And the glow of his [Holding Pouch] served as confirmation enough of the [Dew] being his rightful prize.

But before Bai Qi even responded to Go Fang's ridiculous claims, the situation turned even more chaotic, Gao Xiulian turning into nothing but an outside observer to the stream of outlandish accusations, arrogant claims, and challenges coming at Bai Qi from nearly everyone nearby, including the people on the ground. The ones who had barely regained consciousness after no one else than Bai Qi broke them free of the herb's daze!