They all wanted the man with hardened skin to charge forward and take the brunt of the damage while they attacked from behind. Later, they would each give him a share of the White Thorn they collected.

But that middle-aged man wasn’t stupid. He didn’t even know these people—why would he risk himself on the frontlines for them?

What if they just took the White Thorn and ran? Who would he turn to for compensation?

Naturally, he refused.

Since they couldn’t reach an agreement, the atmosphere grew awkward. Finally, Nian Nian Bu Wang stepped forward again and said with a smile,

“Shall we get started? Let’s hurry up and collect all the White Thorn from this herb—there are other plants to gather as well.”

The group exchanged glances. Though still dissatisfied, they eventually nodded.

In the crowd, another young girl quietly approached Ji He, blinking at her before whispering as she passed by,

“Be careful of Nian Nian Bu Wang.”

Then she shut her mouth and walked ahead briskly.

Ji He lingered at the back of the group, watching the people in front of her. Her gaze subtly landed on Nian Nian Bu Wang, but she couldn’t see anything particularly unusual. Still, she silently shifted to the farthest position away from her.

The group stood amidst the tall grass, staring at the now motionless White Thorn herb. It had finally stopped its wild thrashing.

No one dared to move. Their feet felt glued to the ground, and even their breathing slowed as they exchanged glances, silently signaling for someone else to go first.

No matter how well they had planned, the sight of those densely packed thorns still sent shivers down their spines.

They stood frozen for about five minutes.

Finally, Yi Ma Ping Chuan couldn’t take it anymore. His arms instantly transformed into blades, and with a loud shout, he charged toward the White Thorn herb.

As soon as he got close, the seemingly dormant branches and leaves sprang to life.

Every twig moved as if it had its own soul, whipping through the air with such force that the surrounding trees shook from the impact. Five thick branches shot toward Yi Ma Ping Chuan at once.

Faced with such an overwhelming assault, Yi Ma Ping Chuan screeched to a halt and, without a second of hesitation, turned and ran straight back into the crowd.

The branches pursued him relentlessly, extending in length without the slightest pause.

The onlookers’ expressions changed drastically, and in an instant, they scattered like startled birds.

“Shit! Don’t lead it over here!”

“Ahhh! It can stretch?!”

“Yi Ma Ping Chuan, are you even human? Stay away from me!”

The battle strategy they had agreed upon was thrown out the window as everyone fled for their own survival.

Ji He had already kept her distance from the group. The moment she saw Yi Ma Ping Chuan turn back, she didn’t hesitate for even a second—she immediately dropped to the ground and rolled into the grass, lying completely still.

She knew this bunch couldn’t be trusted. When danger struck, they always expected someone else to take the fall.

Peering through the wild grass, Ji He watched the others run for their lives, with the White Thorn relentlessly chasing after them.

The air whistled as the thorned branches sliced through it. Just from the sound, she could tell that getting hit by one of those would leave deep wounds.

Fortunately, the White Thorn’s attack speed wasn’t too fast.

For those with good agility, dodging wasn’t too difficult—like the girl who had increased movement speed. She hadn’t managed to grab any White Thorn yet, but she was nimbly evading every attack, so she seemed safe for now.

At that moment, Yi Ma Ping Chuan slashed one of the branches, cutting off several White Thorns in the process.

The injured branch seemed to go berserk. It doubled in thickness and swung fiercely toward Yi Ma Ping Chuan.

A single hit from that would definitely leave a gaping wound!

Yi Ma Ping Chuan panicked and grabbed Nian Nian Bu Wang, using her as a shield while he ducked behind someone else.

He had clearly decided to sacrifice others for his own survival.

Once within the attack range, no one could simply refuse to be a shield. The branches wouldn’t avoid them.

Curses and furious shouts erupted across the battlefield.

Ji He listened to the commotion and noted that the others must still have hidden trump cards—otherwise, they wouldn’t be yelling with such confidence. It seemed they hadn’t reached their limits yet.

She stayed low in the grass, continuing to observe. Gradually, the group adapted to the rhythm of the White Thorn’s attacks, becoming less frantic than before.

Though their attacks were uncoordinated and clumsy, their sheer determination and brute force made them look quite intimidating.

Among them, Nian Nian Bu Wang had the easiest time—Yi Ma Ping Chuan shielded her completely, ensuring she remained unscathed.

She occasionally barked out orders, subtly directing others into dangerous situations.

After watching for a while, Ji He realized something. It wasn’t just Yi Ma Ping Chuan who had lied—everyone had hidden details about their abilities.

The guy who claimed he could transform his hands into claws never mentioned that his entire arms would enlarge as well.

Now, his arms were twice their usual size, thick and powerful, with razor-sharp nails at the tips. And he wasn’t fighting—he was frantically plucking White Thorns!

That’s right, his sole focus was harvesting. He dodged whenever the branches attacked, never wasting energy on unnecessary fights. All his effort went into grabbing as many White Thorns as possible.

He was by far the most efficient of the group.

Yi Ma Ping Chuan was strong too, but he was held back by Nian Nian Bu Wang. Protecting her while also collecting White Thorns left him overwhelmed.

Ji He knew she couldn’t afford to wait any longer.

Once the others had gathered enough White Thorn for themselves, they would leave without looking back, and she’d be left to deal with this troublesome plant alone.

Resolving herself, Ji He wasted no time. She grabbed her shovel and leaped out from the bushes, charging straight toward a branch she had been eyeing.

This branch had already been damaged and looked weaker than the others.

As soon as Ji He made her move, the White Thorn herb noticed her.

Immediately, three branches shot toward her.

Watching the wildly swinging branches, Ji He swallowed hard, tightly gripping her shovel. She focused intently on their movements and crouched the moment the first branch lashed out.

The branch missed her, slamming into the ground with a heavy thud.

Without a second thought, Ji He rolled to the side, narrowly dodging the next two strikes.

These branches seemed noticeably weaker than the first one.

Otherwise, she wouldn’t have been able to evade so easily.

As she steadied herself and raised her shovel, she suddenly noticed something strange—

The three branches that attacked her had slowed down.

And they were only striking at her sides?

The long branches waved in the air around her but never actually touched her.

Ji He cautiously moved, confirming that it wasn’t her imagination.

Wherever she went, the branches followed, but they only danced in front of her without making contact.

Even the once-fierce branches now seemed sluggish and weak.

As she observed them, two more branches extended toward her, bringing the total to five.

Encircled by thick branches, the others could only see Ji He’s legs from the outside.