Chapter 16 – Herb Hunting in the Outer Valley
The journey from the Sect to the Outer Valley took the better part of a morning, which was fairly close in the grand scale of a cultivation world.
The group moved along narrow stone paths that wove through rolling hills and cultivated groves. As they approached the edge of the Sect’s core lands, the terrain grew more wild, the trees became taller and more dense, until they finally passed an unassuming slab that marked the perimeter of the Outer Valley.
Jun De immediately noticed the shift in atmosphere.
The air here was different, the spiritual energy was less tame and mixed with Wood and Earth Qi. The trees shimmered faintly in the sunlight, and their leaves rustled loudly in the wind. Vines coiled through the underbrush, and one of their group’s members pointed out various insects that fed on residual energy.
Subtle formation arrays had been set into the earth here that would direct the spiritual energy inward, while setting up a barrier that discourages non-cultivators from entering and the beasts within from escaping.
“This is where the Sect gets a large portion of its spiritual herbs, along with beast cores and materials.” Mei Lian explained as she came to stand beside Jun De and look out at the forest ahead.
They were standing on a ridge overlooking the valley, planning their descent and trip while resting for the endeavour ahead.
“I heard Elder Shen mention the Spiritual Herb Valley where they grow and harvest plants. Why bother maintaining this Outer Valley?” Jun De asked curiously.
“We need to gain experience fighting against beasts, and many herbs only grow in the untamed wilds. This Outer Valley even has Core Formation beasts in the center! I cannot imagine what kind of monsters live there.” Mei Lian whispered, and Jun De could see the excitement on her face.
‘This crazy woman wants to fight them!’ Jun De thought.
The concept of actually seeking to fight some terrifying beasts, or really looking for any type of combat, was completely outside Jun De’s way of thinking. He wanted to enjoy his new life for as long as possible, and looking for a fight was the opposite of that desire.
They began to walk down the path from the ridge toward the forested area, and Jun De noticed how quiet and peaceful things were. It was hard to believe this place was dangerous at all. It was brimming with life, and the air was filled with the songs of birds calling out to each other and the buzzing of cicadas.
As they walked, a voice called out nervously from behind Jun De.
“S…Senior Brother Jun.”
He turned to see one of the quieter disciples, a woman in her late teens with round cheeks and wide eyes, holding out a thin, cloth-bound book in both of her hands. She bowed to him quickly and extended the book toward him.
“Th..this can help you identify plants that we find. I thought…I thought that you might like it.” She said, her face blushing a deep crimson as Jun De smiled brightly and accepted the book with a nod.
“Thank you very much! I don’t have much experience with Spiritual Herbs, and I worried I would hold the group back.” Jun De replied warmly.
The young woman, Lin Yue, nearly fainted with delight as her eyes were locked onto Jun De’s perfect face and radiant smile. She had never seen someone so handsome before in all of her life, and the fact that he spoke so kindly to her, that he even took notice of her at all, was shocking to her.
‘Sister Mei Lian was right! Jun De is as kind and noble as the rumours say.’ Lin Yue thought as she stepped back into her place in line.
The group had initially been concerned when Mei Lian mentioned that she would be asking Jun De to join them. They had all heard that he was incredibly talented, powerful, and possibly even a reincarnated immortal that all the Elders of the Sect had taken an interest in.
They had worried that he would be arrogant, domineering or quick to anger. Even with Mei Lian’s assurance that Jun De wouldn’t behave that way, they still harboured their doubts.
But, after interacting with him for the day, they all realized that Mei Lian was correct.
Jun De was not only talented but also humble and kind. It was almost unheard of for a heaven-blessed talent to admit they didn’t know something so casually and accept a gift from a junior.
As for Lin Yue, Mei Lian had found another person who would defend Jun De’s reputation to the death.
Jun De was oblivious to all this as he flipped open the book and studied it as he walked. The book was hand-copied, the pages filled with sketches and notes on hundreds of herbs that could be found in the Outer Valley.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
It included descriptions of spiritual roots, leaf patterns, and even notes about Qi types the herbs responded to. Even better, it told Jun De how to go about harvesting the plants to ensure that they could be useful in Alchemy, or replanted in the future.
“This is very useful! Thank you again, Lin Yue.” Jun De called out after he had read through a dozen or so pages.
“I’m…I’m glad that Senior Brother Jun is happy with my gift.” Lin Yue replied, and her blush deepened.
Jun De’s casual use of her name, without adding ‘Junior Sister,’ caught the attention of the group and made them think there was more of a connection between the two than they had originally thought.
In Jun De’s case, he just didn’t know much about interacting with others in the Sect and didn’t think twice about using her name so casually.
After all, on Earth, it was completely normal to do so!
Mei Lian gave Lin Yue a glance, her expression unreadable, before looking back at the forest ahead.
As the group moved through the woods, they slowly spread out to cover more ground but were careful to never lose sight of one another. Jun De stayed near Mei Lian and Lin Yue, with the former watching the surroundings while keeping a hand on her sword, and Lin Yue searching for plants.
Jun De flipped through the pages of his book while keeping an eye on his surroundings, occasionally stopping to inspect a patch of unusual moss or a vine that curled unnaturally in the underbrush.
They found their first spiritual herb a few hours later, nested in the roots of an ancient tree. The Trueleaf Flower had bright red petals, but had been shielded from view by the thick trunk of the tree.
An hour later, they found a small patch of Ironroot Grass, which grew a dull, grey colour and was as hard and difficult to remove as its namesake suggested. It was Lin Yue who found a cluster of Spirit Dandelions, their yellow petals swaying in the wind.
These were all ‘Rank 1’ herbs and plants, appropriate for Alchemy and pills suitable for the early Qi Condensation stage.
The group stayed within the outermost edge of the Outer Valley, where the beasts were rare and weak and the spiritual energy would only produce Rank 1 herbs.
As the day passed and night arrived, the group made camp in a clearing. Lighting a fire and pulling out meditation mats from their storage bag, they spent the evening in peaceful cultivation.
Thankfully for Jun De, he didn’t draw any attention as he didn’t actively try to break through to the next level. Instead, he cycled Qi through his body to refresh himself.
‘This is comfortable.’ Jun De thought. The entire adventure reminded him of camping when he was a child. His family, whose names and faces he couldn’t recall, would hike in the forests and swim in the river just outside of town.
Unlike the others who would have preferred to find a spiritual beast to slay in order to obtain valuable components, Jun De was content looking for herbs on the outskirts.
It was safer, relaxing, and he could earn enough Contribution Points to obtain the resources he needed.
The next day, the group ventured deeper along the outer perimeter of the valley, guided by markers etched onto the tree by previous Disciples. Morning mist clung to the forest floor as beams of sunlight filtered through the canopy.
It was a beautiful morning, and Jun De was enjoying his time here, when Lin Yue spotted a herb nearby. Checking his book, Jun De found the entry that matched the plant, a Verdant Sky Orchid with petals that glowed a faint blue and was an ingredient for the valuable Qi Gathering Pill.
But coiled just beside it was a snake larger than a person, with a thick body and covered in green scales. It had a faint aura of spiritual energy surrounding it, identifying the creature as a 1st Level of Qi Condensation spiritual beast.
“We can handle it.” Mei Lian offered, nodding to two of their party members who also had swords in the sashes of their robes. Drawing their swords, the trio separated and approached the snake from three directions.
The snake, sensing danger, struck, but the trio were already in motion. With a series of quick, coordinated movements, the serpent was slain.
The group relaxed and moved forward to harvest the herb and collect the valuable ingredients from the snake.
Lin Yue had just placed the Orchid in her storage bag, while Mei Lian had carved out the beast core, a small jewel-like item that contained spiritual energy of the creature, when they heard a loud rumble and the earth vibrated beneath their feet.
Another serpent slithered out of the trees, this one far larger, with a thicker and longer body than its companion. Its scales were a dark greenish-black, and Qi rippled over its body like heat rising from a hot stone.
“3rd Level!” Someone shouted, already backing away.
The snake’s eyes were cold and intelligent as it locked onto the group and struck without hesitation. Its body was a blur of motion, faster than anyone at the 1st Level of Qi Condensation could achieve.
Lin Yue stood frozen, her eyes wide in terror as the serpent’s jaws opened wide, revealing its fangs that were coated in poisonous Qi.
Mei Lian raised her sword in an attempt to defend herself, but she was too close, too slow and too weak to stop it.
The pair could see their death approaching, and they knew there was nothing they could do to stop it.
“Luminous Step.”
Jun De’s golden Qi surged instinctively, as if his body knew what to do even though his mind had blanked from the danger. He blurred into motion, trailing arcs of soft radiance behind him as though he were stepping through beams of light.
In the blink of an eye, he appeared between the two girls and the snake, grabbed Mei Lian and Lin Yue by their waists, and landed several meters away just as the snake’s fangs closed on his faint, golden afterimage.
Jun De released them gently, and Lin Yue collapsed to her knees with a gasp, while Mei Lian stared at him in wide-eyed disbelief. She was still clutching her sword tightly in her hand, but there was no strength in her body to use it.
Behind them, the group scattered and ran in all directions. But the snake’s focus was now on Jun De, whose mind had finally caught up to his body and understood the situation he was in.
‘Oh shit, Run!’ Jun De thought as the snake reared up to strike at him again. Utilizing his Qi once more, Jun De fled in a flash of golden light in the closest direction away from the snake.
The creature, intent on devouring him, gave chase and was lured away from the others.
“Hurry! Jun De is giving us an opportunity to flee! Thank you, Senior Brother!” One of their group shouted as they picked Lin Yue up off the ground and ran away.
‘Wait, who the hell said I was doing that! Somebody save me, you ungrateful bastards!’ Jun De screamed internally as he ran with all the speed the Luminous Step and his body’s Golden Qi could provide.
