Gathering Herbs

The next day, a large number of disciples left the city.

The Black Dragon Mountain Range was vast, stretching across nearly half of the Great Xia Empire.

Countless beasts and Demonic Beasts lurked within it. But the greater the danger, the greater the opportunity.

This ancient mountain range also concealed countless coveted opportunities. Natural Treasures and legacies left behind by the strong all flourished across this land.

A lucky find could send someone soaring to the skies.

That was why the Black Dragon Mountain Range drew large numbers of Martial Artists to explore it year after year.

However, Ox Demon Martial Arts School forbade its disciples from venturing deep into the mountains, so they probably wouldn't come across any of those so-called opportunities.

Still, the rule was there for the disciples' safety. No opportunities, but no danger either.

Shen Fan ambled into the mountain range with the large group. Before long, the others had gathered in pairs and threes to collect herbs together.

But Shen Fan alone soon disappeared from the crowd.

Under the rules Steward Zhang had set, disciples had to meet a quota when gathering herbs. Those who collected more could earn a silver reward and buy techniques from the Martial Hall, but those who collected too few would be punished.

Shen Fan certainly didn't want to be punished. He had already cultivated to the Bone Forging level at the Martial Hall, and if he kept at it, he could reach an even higher realm in no time.

The peaceful life at the Martial Hall let him focus on martial arts without worry. But if he left Ox Demon Martial Arts School, he would inevitably face all sorts of distractions.

And even more dangers.

Great Xia was no prosperous, stable empire. The Imperial Family had fallen into decadence, officials were corrupt, and the dragon that was Great Xia had entered its twilight years.

Smoke rose from wars across the land, as Warlords fought one another.

The Demon Race lurking in the great mountain ranges had also begun to stir, slaughtering countless people of Great Xia.

And those were only internal troubles. The empire's many external threats were the main reason it was being tossed about by wind and rain.

The Barbarian Tribe to the north, the Witch Tribe to the south, and the Church to the west all eyed Great Xia like tigers stalking their prey, always looking to bite off a chunk!

Most of Great Xia's strength had been committed to resisting foreign enemies.

Laiyang City, where Shen Fan lived, was in the heart of Great Xia. Though small, it was an important seat of the Imperial Dynasty. There was no warfare there, but demons and monsters ran rampant.

Before he had great strength, Shen Fan wouldn't dare go wandering about.

So staying at Ox Demon Martial Arts School was the best choice.

His plan for now was to work hard gathering herbs, earn a reward, then buy better techniques.

But today, his luck didn't seem to be very good. After searching for over an hour, he had found only two low-grade medicinal herbs.

He was still a little short of meeting his quota.

"This won't do. Looks like I'll have to go a little farther in, or I might not even finish the task!"

Once he'd made up his mind, Shen Fan headed deeper into the mountain range.

Along the way, relying on the powerful reflexes and perception of a Bone Forging Martial Artist, Shen Fan avoided several beasts hiding in the shadows.

Judging by their auras, they were mostly low-level, and at most mid-level.

They couldn't make him feel threatened, but Shen Fan had no intention of killing them either.

Killing these beasts brought no reward, and it could easily attract stronger beasts to attack him. It simply wasn't worth it.

"That thing looks like a One-Eyed Giant Wolf. It seems pretty strong—it can actually make me feel a little threatened. It should count as a Mid-level Beast!"

Peering quietly at a One-Eyed Giant Wolf the size of a bull in the grass, Shen Fan silently weighed their strengths and came to the conclusion—

The beast was no match for him at all.

"But I heard a One-Eyed Giant Wolf can evolve into a Demon Beast and become a Two-Headed Demon Wolf, with extraordinary fighting power. I wonder if that's true!"

Shen Fan muttered under his breath, but didn't linger long. He left and continued deeper into the mountains.

After advancing about a mile, Shen Fan could sense more and more beasts nearby. That meant he had ventured fairly deep into the Black Dragon Mountain Range.

No one should be coming to this area. After all, the others didn't have the skill—or the boldness—to go where he did.

"With no one to compete with, I'll probably come away with a much bigger haul!"

"I'm just one low-grade medicinal herb short of meeting my quota. After that, every herb I gather will count as extra income.

"According to Steward Zhang's standards, a low-grade medicinal herb is worth two to ten taels of silver, and a mid-grade one is worth ten to a hundred. As for high-grade herbs, money can't measure their value!"

"High-grade herbs, which are almost Spiritual Medicine, can greatly benefit even Viscera Refiners!"

To be honest, Shen Fan really wanted to find a high-grade herb and take it himself. That would greatly shorten the time he needed to temper his qi and blood.

And with more qi and blood, he could also drive his cultivation of the technique to a higher level.

It would be a wonderful thing.

But that was clearly almost impossible. High-grade herbs were practically nonexistent in the outer areas, and they were usually guarded by beasts on the verge of becoming Demonic Beasts!

"My strength still isn't enough. If I were strong enough, who'd care whether they were Demonic Beasts or not? I'd just charge in and kill them!"

Shen Fan indulged in a daydream about himself reaching the Martial Path to Divinity, feeling completely satisfied for a moment.

But he soon came back to his senses and threw himself into searching for herbs again.

Perhaps because he had mastered the Three Yuan Art, Shen Fan felt his perception of certain things had grown stronger.

For instance, older medicinal herbs seemed to exert a special pull on him, and he could use that to find more herbs quickly.

Sure enough, just after he crossed a small slope, he spotted several medicinal herbs.

As he drew closer, Shen Fan's face broke into a delighted smile.

"Ginseng, and Bai Xiang Grass too! Wow, there are five of them. I've struck it rich!"

He quickly picked the herbs, then swiftly hid himself.

Taking out the herbs he had just gathered, Shen Fan examined them closely. He found that they were all low-grade herbs around twenty years old. They weren't mid-grade, but together they were worth more than thirty taels!

Shen Fan was thrilled. He quickly put them away and set off in search of more.

As he followed his instincts and was about to find another herb, he suddenly heard the sounds of fighting coming from his destination.

There was a valley ahead, and it looked like a perfect place for medicinal herbs to grow. But after coming this far, how could anyone else have made it here?

Shen Fan quickly concealed his aura and crept forward.

Hiding behind a boulder, Shen Fan finally got a clear look at the scene in the valley.

Sure enough, someone had already found this place.

And the valley really was full of medicinal herbs. A quick glance showed Shen Fan there were more than a dozen!

A small tree bearing fruits shaped like long snakes also caught his eye.

"What? Could that be Snake Fruit? From the number of fruits, there are eight! Each Snake Fruit is worth at least as much as a low-grade mid-level herb, and can replenish a Martial Artist's qi and blood in great amounts!

"Each Snake Fruit is worth at least twenty taels. If I could take them all, just these Snake Fruits would give me enough to buy a second-rate technique!"

At the thought, Shen Fan's breathing grew heavy.

But he quickly calmed down and looked at the people and beasts fighting over the herbs.

Looking closely, he recognized someone among them. "Liu Zhen, and Li Hai too. What are they doing here?"

It turned out Liu Zhen's group had discovered the herbs.

Liu Zhen was already a Bone Forging Martial Artist. The group also included three Muscle Refiners and three Skin Refiners, with Li Hai among the latter.

Just by looking at the group's lineup, it was clear they were the strongest among the disciples who had been sent out.

They wouldn't panic even if they ran into a Mid-level Beast. With some luck, they could even defeat one.

But it was obvious that Liu Zhen's group wasn't lucky, because two Silver-Spotted Snakes had made their home in the valley.

An adult Silver-Spotted Snake was a Mid-level Beast. Though it was on the weaker side, it was still far beyond the average Bone Forging Martial Artist.

And there were two of them.

Liu Zhen could deal with one, but the remaining snake was more than the others could handle. Even with six of them, they were no match for it.

With their exceptionally powerful bodies, Silver-Spotted Snakes were practically as tough as a Bone Forging Martial Artist with Bronze Skin Iron Bone. The attacks from Li Hai and the others couldn't even hurt them.

And every attack from the Silver-Spotted Snakes threatened the lives of these low-level Martial Artists!