Read The Almighty Dominance Novel (Alexander Leonhart and Sophia Lancaster) by Sunshine Updated 2025 -26 - The Almighty Dominance Chapter 590

The Almighty Dominance Chapter 590

All Alex wanted was to survive in this place and eventually find a way out.

That was it.

He didn’t want fame. He didn’t want status. And he certainly didn’t want to throw himself into some reckless competition that could get him killed.

So why did everything here seem to drag him toward danger?

He truly couldn’t understand how these people thought.

Still… in his current condition, there was no way he could face Li Chingxue.

If this had happened in the past—when his power was still intact—the situation would have been completely different. Back then, he could have slapped that beautiful, arrogant face of hers without hesitation.

And she would’ve had no choice but to accept it.

But now…

“Why am I so unlucky…?”

Alex let out a long sigh.

Complaining wouldn’t change anything. Right now, the only real way to protect himself was to grow stronger. He needed better skills. Better martial arts.

And that meant reaching the second floor of the library.

The first floor only contained basic manuals—techniques meant for beginners. If he wanted something truly useful, something that could actually help him survive, he had to reach the second level.

But access to the second floor wasn’t free.

He had only two choices.

Either become an apothecary or pay for everything with merit points.

Alex leaned against the fence surrounding his herb garden, thinking carefully.

If he remembered correctly, disciples could earn merit points by supplying herbs to the Medicine Pavilion. The pavilion constantly needed ingredients for pills and medicines, rewarding disciples based on the value of what they submitted.

Those merit points could then be exchanged for privileges.

Including access to the second floor of the library.

If he wasn’t mistaken, one day of access to the second floor cost around one hundred merit points.

Alex quickly ran the numbers in his head.

If he could gather one thousand merit points… that would give him ten full days inside the second pavilion.

Ten days.

That would be more than enough time to study several powerful martial arts techniques.

His gaze slowly swept across the herb garden.

Rows of plants swayed gently in the breeze, nourished by the rich spiritual energy that filled the sect grounds.

Alex narrowed his eyes, carefully considering which herbs would bring the highest reward.

Then his gaze stopped.

“There you are…”

A faint smile appeared on his lips.

Earth Spirit Ginseng.

One of the most widely used ingredients in pill refinement. Nearly every alchemist needed it, which meant the Medicine Pavilion always paid well for it.

Two years ago, Alex had planted about twenty Earth Spirit Ginseng roots in this garden.

Under normal circumstances, a mature Earth Spirit Ginseng might earn around one hundred merit points.

That was the standard value.

Without hesitation, Alex picked up a small digging tool and knelt beside the nearest plant.

The soil here was rich with heaven-and-earth energy. Over the past two years, Alex had carefully guided that energy through the garden using simple formation techniques.

Combined with the precise arrangement of herbs, the entire plot had become an ideal environment for cultivation and herb growth.

He had even used leftover medicinal pills as fertilizer.

Nothing had been wasted.

Because of that careful attention, the Earth Spirit Ginseng growing here had developed far beyond normal standards.

Alex dug slowly, loosening the soil around the root.

A moment later, something massive began to emerge from the earth.

His eyes widened.

The ginseng root was enormous.

Nearly the size of an adult human.

Its body was thick and full, with branching roots that resembled arms and legs. The overall shape looked uncannily humanlike—like a small figure that had been sleeping beneath the soil for years.

Because Alex didn’t want to damage the roots, he had to work slowly and carefully. Each thin strand had to be separated from the soil by hand. One careless tug could snap it.

The process was painfully slow.

After several exhausting days of digging, he had managed to harvest only three of them.

He lifted the bundle of Earth Spirit Ginseng onto his shoulder and groaned under the weight.

“These things are already one and a half meters long…” he muttered. “If they were refined into medicine, the potency would be terrifying.”

For a moment, he looked at the massive roots with regret.

Then he shook his head.

“But right now, I need merit points more than I need medicine.”

At that moment, a large crowd of Outer Sect disciples had gathered outside the Missions Office of Thousand Herbs Peak.

Nearly everyone was carrying something—spirit herbs, medicinal roots, rare plants—anything they hoped could be exchanged for merit points.

Inside the courtyard, an elder of Thousand Herbs Peak was responsible for inspecting the items.

The reward depended entirely on quality.

Better herbs meant more merit points.

Outside the building stood a massive flat boulder, polished smooth by time.

A ruddy-faced old man with snow-white hair sat cross-legged atop it, calm and motionless.

In front of him stretched a long line of disciples that seemed to go on forever.

Each one clutched a spirit plant nervously, waiting for their turn.

Whenever the old man finished examining an item, a young assistant standing beside him immediately recorded the result and issued the corresponding merit points.

The inspection continued.

The elder picked up the next herb and studied it carefully.

“Not bad,” he said after a moment. “This Moon-Dew Lotus Root has developed six spirit veins. Mid-grade quality.”

He casually tossed it into a wooden tray.

The disciple’s face lit up with relief.

The elder immediately reached for the next plant.

His expression darkened.

“This Earth-Vein Ginseng is far too dark,” he said flatly. “The earth essence inside it is excessive and unstable.”

He shook his head.

“The balance is completely ruined.”

He handed the root back.

“Sorry. It doesn’t meet the pavilion’s requirements.”

The disciple’s shoulders slumped as he walked away, clearly disappointed.

The elder’s cultivation had already reached the Foundation Establishment stage—a realm far beyond ordinary cultivators.

It stood a full level above Qi Condensation.

Although he wasn’t the most powerful fighter in the sect, his reputation was unmatched in another field.

Spirit medicine.

His mastery of medicinal plants was legendary.

In fact, his obsession with herbal medicine had reached an almost frightening level.

Among the disciples, a rumor circulated often.

If the leadership of Thousand Herbs Peak were ever to change, there was little doubt about who would take the position.

Almost everyone in the sect believed the same thing.

The next Lord of Thousand Herbs Peak would almost certainly be this man.

Elder Hou.

Among the long line of waiting disciples stood a particularly handsome young man.

He stepped forward with calm confidence and bowed respectfully.

“Greetings, Elder Hou.”

A polite smile touched his lips.

“It’s me… Li Tianyu.”

The moment the surrounding Outer Sect disciples heard the name, their attention immediately shifted toward him.

“Oh… so that’s Elder Brother Li Tianyu,” one disciple whispered.

“I’ve heard he’s incredibly talented at cultivating spirit plants.”

“That’s right,” another added quietly. “Ever since he joined the sect, not a single spirit herb he’s grown has ever received less than a high-grade rating.”

“That’s unbelievable…”

Soft murmurs spread through the crowd.

Li Tianyu heard every word.

Yet he stood there calmly, his expression indifferent, as if the praise meant nothing to him.

But deep in his eyes, a faint trace of pride flickered.

Elder Hou naturally noticed it.

In fact, he had been paying attention to Li Tianyu for quite some time. Among the Outer Sect disciples, it was rare to see someone with such natural talent for cultivating spiritual medicinal plants.

“Tianyu,” Elder Hou said with a gentle smile.

“What kind of spirit plant did you grow this time?”

Li Tianyu bowed slightly.

“Elder Hou, this disciple successfully cultivated Earth Spirit Ginseng.”

With a simple wave of his sleeve, two ginseng roots appeared on the ground before him.

Each Earth Spirit Ginseng measured roughly fifty centimeters in length.

They were thick and twisted, their shapes vaguely resembling the limbs of small children. Pale golden skin covered the roots, and faint threads of spiritual energy pulsed through the veins beneath the surface.

The moment they appeared, a rich herbal fragrance spread through the air.

The disciples nearby immediately leaned forward to look.

Li Tianyu straightened slightly and spoke with restrained pride.

“I first planted the seedlings in earth-vein spiritual soil. Every day, I nourished them with my own spiritual energy. Every three days, I watered them with spirit spring water. And every ten days, I infused them with wood-type spiritual essence.”

He paused briefly before continuing.

“In addition, I used the Earth Energy Gathering formation technique I mastered, along with several supporting spirit herbs, to guide their growth.”

His gaze flickered with quiet satisfaction.

“That allowed them to mature to fifty centimeters in length.”

Several disciples inhaled sharply when they saw the roots clearly.

Even those who knew little about spirit herbs could feel the dense energy radiating from them.

Elder Hou leaned forward slightly, studying the ginseng roots with great attention.

After a moment, he slowly stroked his beard.

“Very good,” he said.

“These Earth Spirit Ginseng roots have already reached half a meter in length, and their spiritual veins are extremely stable.”

He lifted one of the roots and examined it carefully.

“If they remained underground, they could easily continue growing until they reached seventy-five centimeters.”

He set the root back down and nodded approvingly.

“They’ve already surpassed the standard for high-grade herbs.”

A faint smile appeared on his face.

“These can be classified as extreme high-grade Earth Spirit Ginseng.”

“I encourage you to continue working hard,” Elder Hou said calmly. “If you can cultivate these Earth Spirit Ginseng roots until they reach seventy-five centimeters, they would qualify as superior-grade spirit medicine.”

The moment the surrounding disciples heard the words extreme high-grade, a ripple of astonished whispers swept through the crowd.

Many disciples stared at the thick ginseng roots on the ground, their eyes filled with naked envy.

Extreme high-grade spirit herbs were not something ordinary Outer Sect disciples could produce.

Yet Li Tianyu had grown them.

Li Tianyu’s smile widened slightly, the pride in his eyes growing brighter.

He clasped his hands respectfully toward Elder Hou.

“Thank you for your praise, Elder Hou.”

He turned, preparing to walk toward the assistant to collect his merit points—

When suddenly, a cold snort cut through the air.

“Elder Hou, those herbs are completely ordinary. There’s nothing worth keeping in such low-grade plants. Why not just throw them away?”

The voice was sharp and unpleasant.