Morale was low, so Xu Yi promptly called off the search.
They found a shady spot beside a pool to escape the scorching heat. Then they hunted a dozen or so enormous fish, roasted them with spiritual power, and shared them among the group.
The others each wolfed down mouthful after mouthful, not a word passing between them.
Xu Yi ate little. After drinking his fill, he said, "I think we've been heading in the wrong direction. The academy organized this herb-gathering expedition as a trial, after all. And since it's a trial, they wouldn't make it impossible for most people to pass. So the problem must be with our approach."
"I went over the first four gathering trips. We found at most five Orchid Grass plants each time, and as few as two. That's nowhere near the average for Orchid Grass growing in clusters, according to the materials. Also, we haven't seen a single white beast yet. If we can hunt a few, we're sure to complete our mission."
"So the most urgent thing is to change our strategy. We can't keep searching aimlessly."
Jiang Fei swallowed the last piece of fish. "Easy to say. What strategy could we use? We can only keep going and hope for a lucky break."
Having said that, he drew in a large amount of fresh water and gulped it down.
Tie Dagang gave a cold snort and simply jumped into the pool, sending up a great splash of cool water.
"I've been quietly keeping track of the temperature, vegetation, and terrain around the Orchid Grass," Xu Yi said. "These are all useful data. Take a look. You may notice something."
As he spoke, Xu Yi brought out a Ruyi Pearl and activated its restriction. An image appeared, showing the terrain around the