Early in the morning, I shouted: "Please give me votes~~~~"
Also, last night I registered an account somewhere and posted a thread, but ended up being questioned about whether I was the real deal. Well, it has to be said that people nowadays are very cautious. Itâs probably unlikely for a little girl to be lured away by a lollipop. Xiao Mo is quite relieved.
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After completing his cultivation for over an hour, Yang Kai did todayâs work and then rushed to the Contribution Hall.
Although he had decided to go into the mountains to search for herbs, Yang Kai was not familiar with pharmacology. He had only heard of the Three-Leaf Soul-Residual Flower and the Desolate Land Withered Wood Grass but had never seen them. If he were to encounter them, he might not even recognize them.
So he needed to do his preparations well to avoid the embarrassment of a fruitless trip. Yang Kai went to the Contribution Hall to memorize the appearances of these two herbs.
He had initially wanted the shopkeeper Meng to give him some guidance on recognizing herbs, but unexpectedly, the shopkeeper threw him a small booklet.
Yang Kai took it and found that the booklet was all about introducing herbs, including their effects, pharmacology, and growing environments. Each page had illustrations, and the descriptions were quite detailed. The only slightly disappointing thing was that the booklet only introduced ordinary-grade herbs, and nothing higher.
Peopleâs cultivation is divided into levels and realms, and the herbs, weapons, and pills in the world are also graded, from bottom to top: ordinary, earth, heaven, mystic, spirit, and holy grades, each divided into three sub-grades: lower, middle, and upper.
The Three-Leaf Soul-Residual Flower and the Desolate Land Withered Wood Grass that Yang Kai needed now were ordinary-grade lower-grade herbs, with low efficacy, so their value was not high.
After leaving the Contribution Hall, Yang Kai went to the Miscellaneous Affairs Office to take a leave. After all, he was still a sweeper at Lingxiao Pavilion. He wouldnât be able to return the same day after going to Blackwind Mountain, so he naturally had to inform them.
The manager of the Miscellaneous Affairs Office didnât make things difficult for him and readily granted him three days. Only then did Yang Kai set off.
The foot of Blackwind Mountain was only twenty miles from Lingxiao Pavilion, not too far and not too close. Yang Kai had often entered the mountain to hunt before, so he was quite familiar with it.
However, this was his first time entering the mountain to gather herbs. Yang Kai was well-prepared, bringing some clear water, a few rice balls, a shovel, and a cloth bag before setting off.
After a hurried hour, Yang Kai arrived at the foot of Blackwind Mountain. Looking up, the dark forest seemed like a colossal beast sprawling across the land, its end invisible. The mountains were lush with green trees and rugged rocks, the scenery unique, and the gentle breeze made Yang Kai feel particularly refreshed.
Blackwind Mountain was home to many fierce beasts and birds, many of which were even beyond the strength of accomplished cultivators. Therefore, people who entered Blackwind Mountain generally didnât dare to venture too deep without some strength. The outer thirty miles were relatively safe, but beyond that, it was fraught with danger, becoming increasingly perilous the deeper one went.
Yang Kai only wanted to find some low-value herbs, so he wouldnât venture too deep, ensuring his own safety.
During the hour of travel, Yang Kai didnât idle, constantly recalling the herbs he had encountered in Blackwind Mountain before. At that time, he didnât recognize them and thus didnât collect them. Now, with preparation, he couldnât afford to miss them again.
This recollection brought back many places to Yang Kaiâs mind, and even the location of one of the herbs he needed now.
Yang Kai was full of energy and immediately followed the familiar path into Blackwind Mountain.
Half an hour later, he successfully collected a Toothed Grass hidden in a thicket. With a good start, Yang Kaiâs scattered memories became clearer. He almost followed the map, collecting herbs as he went. By evening, Yang Kai had already gathered four different herbs.
This was the outer part of Blackwind Mountain, where people often entered, making it difficult for herbs to grow here. They were usually collected as soon as they appeared. So although Yang Kai only gathered four herbs, he was quite satisfied.
None of these four herbs were what he needed, and their grades were low, just ordinary-grade lower-grade herbs. But taking them back would still earn him some contribution points.
The sun was about to set, and Yang Kai hurriedly made his way to the last remembered location of the herbs before sunset.
This was a very strange place. The surrounding area was lush with greenery, but this spot was completely barren, about ten feet in diameter, a dead zone with no trees or even weeds.
In the center of this dead zone, three small herbs in a pin-shaped arrangement swayed in the wind. The herbs were withered and yellow, and at first glance, they might seem to be dying, but in fact, this was their natural color.
Seeing that the herbs were still there, Yang Kai breathed a sigh of relief and ran over with a smile, digging furiously with his shovel.
Before long, all three herbs were in his hands.
He took out the booklet given by the shopkeeper Meng to compare, and only then did he feel reassured. They were indeed the Desolate Land Withered Wood Grass, with no difference from the illustrations in the booklet, and the growing environment matched the description.
The Desolate Land Withered Wood Grass causes the area around it to become barren, making it quite easy to find. If there was a dead zone in the mountain, it was definitely due to the growth of the Desolate Land Withered Wood Grass.
Carefully placing the three Desolate Land Withered Wood Grass in the cloth bag, Yang Kai took out the water and rice balls and started eating and drinking.
This time, the main goal of entering the mountain was to find the Three-Leaf Soul-Residual Flower and the Desolate Land Withered Wood Grass. Now he had only found one, and the quantity was too small. He needed to keep trying.
But it was getting dark, so it wasnât convenient to move around. Yang Kai decided to rest for the night and continue searching the next morning.
In the past, he would go into the mountain and return the same day, so he had never spent a night in the mountains. But as the saying goes, even if you havenât eaten pork, youâve seen pigs run. Yang Kai knew what to pay attention to when spending a night in the mountains.
He found a nearby large tree, climbed up, and found a comfortable spot to sit, closing his eyes to rest.
Unable to fall asleep immediately, Yang Kai summoned the wordless black book and flipped to the third page. With a thought, the incense burner appeared.
This was a secret Yang Kai had discovered by chance. Things that came out of the black book could also be put back in. The black book was made from a Soul-Taming Stone, which had the ability to create space and store things, so it wasnât hard to understand why the incense burner could be put inside.
What puzzled Yang Kai was that, apart from the incense burner, nothing else could be accepted by the black book, which left him quite confused. Could this wordless black book made from a Soul-Taming Stone selectively accept things?
After playing with the black book for a while, Yang Kai felt tired. After all, he had walked a lot of mountain paths today, and he soon fell into a deep sleep.
The night passed without incident. The next morning, Yang Kai practiced the Body Tempering Technique for half an hour as usual. The results were good; he not only hit more punches than the previous two days but also felt the energy in his body becoming more solid. Yang Kai had a feeling that he was about to break through a barrier. The energy in his meridians seemed to be reaching its limit, and just one more step would take him to the next level.