(Ye Lingling Beauty Image)
It was Bian Que.
Compared to when he had left, he now looked somewhat... unrestrained.
His once neatly combed hair was slightly disheveled, and the hem of his black robe was stained with damp soil and strange plant juices.
His face was somewhat pale from sustained mental excitement and Soul Power expenditure.
Yet those eyes, always shadowed by gloom and inquiry, were now frighteningly bright, glittering with the near-mad joy of a researcher who had discovered an endless treasure trove.
He hurried forward, not even bothering to tidy his appearance, and carefully took two items from his robes.
One was a cylindrical glass vessel about a foot tall, transparent as crystal, with fine Soul Tool runes flowing within. At a glance, it was clearly an exceptionally high-quality Storage Soul Tool.
At this moment, its interior shimmered hazily with light and shadow. Plants of strange shapes and brilliant colors could vaguely be seen sealed within separate energy compartments, quietly floating there, emitting vast yet distinct pulses of life and elemental auras.
The other was an astonishingly thick illustrated guide, its cover fashioned from some kind of supple beast hide.
Bian Que opened it. On every page, the complete form of an Immortal Herb had been drawn with extraordinarily meticulous strokes, while densely packed notes beside it recorded its name, properties, growing environment, harvesting methods, preliminary medicinal effects, possible applications, and countless question marks marking areas still awaiting research.
It was filled with illustrations and text, detailed to an outrageous degree.
"Your Venerable One!"
Bian Que's voice trembled slightly with excitement as he held the Storage Soul Tool and illustrated guide high in both hands.
"This subordinate has not failed your trust! Within the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Eye, there were seventy-three varieties and four hundred eighty-one