He deliberately lagged behind by half a step, releasing a slight burst of spiritual energy from his feet to create a minor disturbance.
"Um?"
He let out a perfectly timed exclamation of surprise, and his body swayed slightly as if to speak.
It was as if he had stepped into an empty space, and at the same time, he deliberately withdrew most of his protective spiritual energy, making it look like he was about to fall into a quagmire without warning.
In a normal scenario, his companions would at least have exclaimed in surprise or reached out to help him up, right?
However, Zi Xi's reaction was to stop in her tracks instantly, not to step forward, but to retreat several steps quickly, while her long sword was half-drawn from its sheath with a clang, and her sharp eyes scanned Mu Yuan's feet and the surroundings.
They were in a state of high alert, ready to deal with any sudden battle.
"Is there something strange about this swamp? Didn't you sense any demonic energy, Senior Brother?"
Zi Xi even analyzed it calmly.
Her fully alert demeanor, yet showing no intention of helping him up, caused Mu Yuan's feigned staggering to freeze completely.
"Heh... It's nothing, it seems to be my imagination. I'm sorry to have disturbed you, junior sister."
He calmly regained his balance, chuckled twice, and silently retracted his foot.
Didn't she even think he needed help?
The series of setbacks did not discourage Mu Yuan; on the contrary, he found it more interesting than ever before.
In his daily life, he handles both sect affairs and interpersonal relationships with ease, always having everything under control.
Therefore, this long life of cultivating immortality is incredibly boring.
Now, every calm retort from this little iceberg, every indifferent look in her eyes that sees through his performance, is like a pebble thrown into his calm, still heart, stirring up fresh ripples.
There was a sense of frustration, but more than that, there was an indescribable sense of challenge and... fun.
Yes, that was his only pleasure.
It's much more interesting than secluded cultivation and dealing with those tedious sect documents.
He even began to look forward to how she would ignore his tricks next time.
Although Zixi relied entirely on herself and refused any form of approach or help.
But Mu Yuan still noticed carefully that when she looked at certain damp corners or rock crevices, her gaze would linger for a moment longer.
His mind raced, and he immediately realized that they were looking for herbs to heal wounds or detoxify.
Hidden Peak resources are scarce, and the lingering poison might seep into the bone marrow once they leave.
Mu Yuan's eyes flickered slightly, and he stopped using those fancy tricks.
He began to really pay attention to his surroundings.
"Junior sister, look quickly, that seems to be a Qingxin Orchid. Although it is not of high grade, it has some effect on suppressing toxins."
As he passed a shady stone wall, he stopped and pointed to an inconspicuous herb with small blue flowers growing in a crevice, gesturing there naturally.
As he spoke, he flicked his fingertips, and a faint sword aura swept past, precisely plucking the herb and using his spiritual power to carry it to Zi Xi.
After walking for a while, he accidentally discovered several Spirit-Replenishing Fruits under an ancient tree, which could quickly replenish spiritual energy.
Next is a hemostatic herb that can be used externally to stop bleeding and remove blood stasis.
Each time, he acted as if it were a chance discovery, speaking in a relaxed and natural tone as if it were truly just something he did casually.
They never mentioned that it was specially found for her.
Zi Xi looked at the herbs that were presented to her and silently accepted them.
These are indeed things she needs right now.
She had no pride to refuse these necessary things.
Even if it's not needed, Hidden Peak still needs it.
Moreover, it seemed that this senior brother was only doing something trivial when he was looking for these things.
"...Thank you, senior brother."
She quietly accepted the newly found herbs.
Mu Yuan's lips curled up almost imperceptibly, and a strange sense of satisfaction welled up in his heart.
The fact that Little Ice Cube accepted his gift brought him even more pleasure than successfully outmaneuvering a Golden Core elder.
Hmm, this feeding method seems to make the little ice cube accept him a little more.
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