While Xiaoyu packed the luggage, Li Mu did not sit idle either. He first stored Xiaoyu's black pill furnace in the warehouse system, then hurried back to the academy and spoke with Mu Bai, saying that he needed to leave for a period of training to seek an opportunity for a breakthrough.
Mu Bai understood Li Mu's current situation as well. The academy's basic courses were no longer of much help to him. Stepping out of his former comfort zone might instead prove more effective. After reminding Li Mu a few times to stay safe, he readily approved his leave.
Qinglan City faced the sea to the east, while its west and south were vast, boundless plains. The two busiest trade routes in the entire Cangyun Empire ultimately converged upon this port city.
To the north, however, it was cut off by a natural barrier known as the Black Dragon Mountain Range. The range stretched more than ten thousand li in length and breadth, with towering mountains and lofty peaks, vast tracts of primeval forest spread throughout, and all manner of birds and beasts dwelling within.
The mountain range's unique terrain meant that few people ever ventured here. Thus, countless dangers lay hidden amid its overlapping peaks: roving bandits and savage Monster Beasts were both defining marks of the Black Dragon Mountain Range.
Yet these mountains and forests, untouched by human hands for ten thousand years, had naturally nurtured countless heavenly treasures. Therefore, despite the peril at every turn, innumerable commoners still risked their lives to enter the range. If they were lucky enough to gather a high-grade herb, the profit from selling it could equal an entire year's household expenses. Such temptation naturally drove countless impoverished families to stake their lives again and again.
Li Mu and Xiaoyu met up again two hours later. Both had made extensive preparations for this outing, including basic medicines, flint, clothing, and more. Xiaoyu had entered the outskirts of the Black Dragon Mountain Range many times with Hundred Herbs Hall's herb-gathering teams, but those had all been large-scale, carefully planned expeditions. This time, only she and Li Mu were going, so they naturally had to be exceedingly cautious.
"Brother Mu, it's a good thing you have a Space Ring. Otherwise, I really wouldn't know where we could put all this stuff. Back when I went into the mountains to gather herbs with Hundred Herbs Hall's teams, the horses alone carrying the luggage numbered in the hundreds."
Xiaoyu watched Li Mu wave his hand before her, causing piece after piece of luggage to vanish into thin air. While clicking her tongue in wonder, she could not help but sigh that having a good master really was different.
How could she have known that talk of a master imparting knowledge and gifting Dharmic Treasures had all been fabricated by Li Mu? After all, the simulation system was of great importance, and the fact that he was not the original Li Mu but a brand-new soul who had crossed over were secrets that absolutely could not be told to anyone.
"Haha, yes. My master dotes on me greatly, which is why he gave me this Spatial Magical Treasure. It really does make things much more convenient."
While continuing to spin wild tales, Li Mu kept stuffing the overfilled bundles into his pitiful beginner warehouse within the tree hollow cabin in his consciousness. The iron chest was quickly crammed full. Looking at the still-smiling Miss Seria beside him, Li Mu could only smile bitterly.
"It looks like I really have to break through to the Core Formation Realm. No Talent Points, no new goods in the shop, and even my warehouse isn't enough anymore. Seriously, I'm probably the most miserable transmigrator with a cheat in history."
Li Mu felt helpless as well. In the short term, the simulation system could offer him very limited help, so he could only rely on himself to make a breakthrough. But how could advancing through a major realm be so easy? Otherwise, Hao Meng would not have been stuck for five years.
But helplessness was helplessness; Li Mu was not someone who gave up easily. Back in the online games of his previous life, he could grind for an entire year without pause just for one top-tier piece of equipment. That perseverance had even left behind a legendary tale across the internet.
After briefly agreeing on the time and place to meet the next day, the two parted ways and returned home. That night, Li Mu unusually did not cultivate. Instead, he had Chunxiang heat water for him and took a long, comfortable bath.
"Once we enter the Black Dragon Mountain Range, we'll probably have to sleep in the wilderness for many days. I really need to rest up properly today."
Li Mu sank his entire body into the wooden bath barrel, every muscle relaxing as he enjoyed this last bit of comfort.
"Brother Mu, ahead is the last post station before entering the Black Dragon Mountain Range. Every team heading into the mountains makes its final preparations here. Beyond this place lies an uninhabited primeval forest."
Li Mu set down the luggage on his back and wiped the sweat from his forehead. Before them stood a fairly large post station. Travelers, herb gatherers, and cultivators came and went, all stopping here to rest. Beyond the station stretched an endless sea of forest.
"Brother Mu, you clearly have a Space Ring, so why make both of us carry luggage? With our cultivation, this little weight is no trouble, but it's always inconvenient when traveling."
Sitting in the only tea stall at the post station, Xiaoyu drank a large bowl of cold tea before quietly speaking to Li Mu.
"Silly girl, do you know how precious a Space Ring is? Even big shots in the Immeasurable Realm might not necessarily own a Spatial Magical Treasure. The two of us are entering these mountains. If we went in empty-handed, we would certainly draw attention. This isn't Qinglan City—roving bandits and thieves are everywhere. Even the travelers and cultivators you see here might immediately put on another face once they enter the mountains. So some necessary disguise is still needed."
Li Mu drained the tea in his bowl in one gulp and wiped his mouth. Under Xiaoyu's thoughtful gaze, he rose to his feet. Though the post station was nice, it was crowded with all kinds of people. If they stayed too long, they might attract trouble, so the two decided to head into the mountains quickly.
They climbed a gentle slope, passed through a patch of shrubbery, and walked for about another hour before Li Mu and Xiaoyu arrived near their first destination.
"There are five medicinal ingredients needed for a Healing Pill: Tranquility Flowers, Silverleaf Grass, Taro Fruit, Thorn Algae, and Mountain Rat Grass. All five are fairly common herbs. That forest ahead should contain Tranquility Flowers and Silverleaf Grass. Hundred Herbs Hall used to gather those two herbs in similar places."
Xiaoyu lightly leaped onto a huge boulder before her and pointed toward the forest ahead as she spoke to Li Mu. In the direction she indicated, a vast grove of poplar trees swayed in the breeze, their forms hazy and indistinct.
"These two herbs are fairly ordinary, so we probably won't encounter any guardian Monster Beasts. Of the five ingredients, Mountain Rat Grass is the most troublesome. It generally grows in swamps, which are also the preferred habitat of mountain rats. Those Monster Beasts aren't particularly strong individually, but they live in groups and are highly aggressive. I heard from the seniors that a Core Formation Realm expert was once besieged by tens of thousands of mountain rats and ultimately returned severely wounded."
Hearing Xiaoyu's explanation, Li Mu drew a deep breath. He knew very well how strong the Core Formation Realm was. For mountain rats to severely injure such a cultivator, their packs were truly difficult to deal with. When the time came, it would likely be another hard battle.
The two moved through the poplar forest, constantly pushing aside the weeds on the ground as they searched for traces of Tranquility Flowers and Silverleaf Grass.
"Brother Mu, this... I found it."
Following the girl's delighted cry, a medicinal herb appeared before them, its white petals encircling a yellow stamen. Faint light shimmered over each petal, and its fragrant scent brought an unusual calm. These were precisely the distinctive features of a Tranquility Flower.
"You're amazing, Xiaoyu. You found one right away. If I had come searching alone, I probably wouldn't even find a single flower after an entire day."
Carefully plucking the flower before him, Li Mu could not help praising the girl beside him. In such a vast mountain forest, being able to quickly identify the areas where certain herbs were likely to grow based on their type—her mastery of medicinal ingredients truly impressed him. As expected, becoming a Mortal Grade Three alchemist at such a young age was not only due to talent, but even more so to tireless effort and dedication.
Just as the two crouched on the ground, properly storing away the Tranquility Flower they had picked, a sudden rustling came from the bushes behind them. A foul wind followed close behind. They had no time to react; both rolled to the side at once. With a tremendous crash, a massive Monster Beast landed where they had been moments earlier.
"Storm Wolf!"
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