Chapter 28: Spiritual Herb Seven-Leaf Butterfly
Chapter 28: Spiritual Herb Seven-Leaf Butterfly
“After the phantom snake died, the area felt less disturbed. I searched carefully and found the ganoderma. Since we were all severely injured and acting possessed, I took it and brought everyone back to the central area,” Cheng Lingyu explained.
Fang Zhuqing snorted. “You’ve got some luck.”
Qu Wei said, “Let it go. This was his destiny. Without him, we’d be dead. Spiritual herbs can be found again, but Life only happens once. Let’s keep moving.”
Green Island turned scorching when rain stopped, yet the Soul-Luring Forest remained eerily cold, never warming.
“I heard someone killed a monster in the ferocious beast region and got a monster core with fire attributes,” Jin Miaoyi mentioned, catching Qu Wei’s interest.
“Fire-attribute monster cores are valuable. Only Soul Martial Realm experts could hunt monsters for those,” Qu Wei observed.
Miao Sanxu added, “Definitely Soul Martial Realm, at least Fourth Realm. Lesser cultivators lack such power.”
Fang Zhuqing argued, “Not always. True Martial Realm prodigies with strong magical artifacts might succeed. Like Cheng Lingyu killing the phantom snake at Ordinary Martial Realm—nobody expected that.”
Miao Sanxu grunted, “He’s a freak exception. Normally, only Soul Martial Realm experts can slay monsters.”
Cheng Lingyu listened curiously. “What’s the difference between monster cores and beast pills?”
Jin Miaoyi explained, “Beasts rank as wild beasts, ferocious beasts, and monsters. Ferocious beasts match True Martial Realm cultivators in strength. Their beast pills boost cultivation but have side effects. Monsters equal Soul Martial Realm experts—their cores rival spiritual herbs in value.”
“So merging a monster core equals taking a spiritual herb?”
“Roughly, but cores can’t be casually consumed. Some require alchemy or artifact crafting. Even spiritual herbs become poison if misused,” Qu Wei added. “Learn through experience.”
Cheng Lingyu, lacking a teacher, eagerly absorbed their knowledge.
As they walked, the group entered a silent grove. Tension spiked.
“Stay alert,” Jin Miaoyi warned, scanning the area.
Cheng Lingyu’s sharp eyes spotted details. “Six spiritual grasses near skeletal remains—absorbing its essence.”
The bones lay surrounded by growing herbs.
“Don’t relax. Killing intent approaches,” Jin Miaoyi cautioned.
Rustling grass erupted into silver streaks—Thunderwing Snakes spitting electricity.
“Watch out! They swarm…” Qu Wei’s warning drowned in chaos as eight snakes attacked.
Cheng Lingyu’s punches repelled the snakes but caused no harm. Their electric sparks numbed victims, crippling movement.
“Target their wings with flames!” Jin Miaoyi shouted.
The group shifted tactics. Flames menaced the snakes but didn’t guarantee victory.
The Thunderwing Snakes were small, fast creatures with agile movements, making them tricky foes that excelled at dodging.
Cheng Lingyu’s eyes burned with focus, but having just entered the Pressure Essence Phase, his true essence reserves were pitifully low. He could only convert it into true energy for attacks, which barely threatened the snakes.
During the battle, Cheng Lingyu spotted something odd – the Thunderwing Snakes deliberately avoided the area near the skeletal remains. Was there something strange there?
To test his theory, he rushed toward the bones. The snakes that had been attacking him immediately stopped, turning to target others instead.
This obvious change didn’t escape Cheng Lingyu’s notice. He quickly assessed the battlefield – Qu Wei, Jin Miaoyi and the other three faced no immediate danger, being fully capable of holding their own.
His gaze shifted to the six spiritual grasses nearby. After swiftly gathering them, he turned his attention to the half-buried skeleton.
Cheng Lingyu’s sharp eyes caught details others missed. The incomplete skeleton wore a cracked stone bracelet on its left wrist, old and cracked yet giving off a strange vibe. More curiously, the final bone of the right ring finger differed in color from the others, giving off a hint of divinity.
When Cheng Lingyu removed the weathered bracelet, its weight surprised him. Something like divine power seemed to pulse within the cracks.
Qu Wei noticed his discovery and called the others over. The Thunderwing Snakes hissed angrily but kept their distance, lingered briefly, then vanished in electric flashes.
“Where’d that come from?” Miao Sanxu asked first, eyes gleaming.
“From the skeleton. It’s too damaged though – might shatter any moment.”
The group examined the bones but found nothing else noteworthy, their attention returning to the bracelet.
“Must be a magical artifact. High-grade too, before it cracked.”
“Still functional maybe. Worth keeping.”
“Qu Wei should guard the six spiritual grasses – she knows herbs best.”
Without argument, Cheng Lingyu handed the plants to Qu Wei.
“Let’s keep moving.”
“Wait.” Cheng Lingyu plucked the unusual finger bone from the skeleton. “For you.”
“This bears study,” Qu Wei said, tucking it away with visible excitement.
Jin Miaoyi chuckled. “Smart choice, bringing you along.”
Though weakest in cultivation level, Cheng Lingyu’s contributions drew approving nods from all.
A distant scream shattered the forest’s peace. Qu Wei and Jin Miaoyi exchanged looks before darting toward the sound.
“Follow!”
The five soon reached a bamboo grove standing out within the Soul-Luring Forest. Dozens of cultivators clustered nearby, some veteran observers, others newcomers. All stared at a shimmering light deep within the bamboo.
“Spiritual herb?”
Murmurs spread through the crowd. The glow’s source remained hidden by dense bamboo. Experienced cultivators guarded the grove’s edge, everyone waiting in tense silence.
“What’s happening?” The Fatty Miao Sanxu asked a bystander.
“Some herb fled into that grove. But it’s cursed – none who enter return. After that scream, four or five True Martial late-stage cultivators remain missing.”
The news unsettled newcomers. The modest-sized grove hid deadly secrets.
Cheng Lingyu studied the glow, recognizing its aura. The Source Pearl in his mind held records of thirty herbs, including the ganoderma they’d obtained earlier. This one’s signature shocked him – a mid-grade spiritual herb, the Seven-Leaf Butterfly.
Seven stems supported butterfly-shaped blooms glittering with ancient patterns. Far more valuable than their previous find, this ranked among the forest’s top treasures.
Jin Miaoyi scanned the crowd, calculating their chances. All present were True Martial Realm cultivators, levels one through seven. At fifth level himself, he stood mid-pack.
Qu Wei frowned at a green-skirted woman nearby – equally beautiful and close in age. Among few female cultivators present, the two stood out.
Fang Zhuqing stared too. “She actually came.”
Miao Sanxu added, “Huang Yukun’s here too. Lost two companions – seven left now.”
Fang Zhuqing snorted. “Huang rides his brother’s fame. Can’t compare to Yun Xi, the city lord’s daughter.”
The green-clad beauty was indeed Yun Xi, daughter of Yunyang City’s ruler Yun Ao, and a Shenhuo Sect disciple. Yunyang City dominated the Tianyang Empire’s southwest border with over a million residents. The Xuanhuo and Shenhuo Sects, both based there, ruled the region’s artifact-crafting and alchemy scenes.