Forest Herb Gathering 2

The group followed a familiar path into the forest. Sunlight filtered through gaps in the branches and leaves, scattering patches of dappled light and shadow around them.

The forest was filled with the fresh scent of vegetation. Birds chirped and insects sang, weaving together an unusually tranquil atmosphere.

"Wild beasts probably frequent this area. Everyone, be careful," Uncle Li warned with a grave expression as his piercing gaze swept over the surroundings.

"Don't worry, Dad. We know what we're doing." Er Hu patted the long spear in his hand and replied confidently, his words brimming with youthful vigor and fearlessness.

After traveling for roughly half an hour, they arrived at an open clearing.

The place received plenty of sunlight, and the vegetation was lush. It was an excellent spot to rest and gather herbs.

"Let's rest here for a while and gather some medicinal materials while we're at it." As Liu Qing spoke, he set down his satchel and immediately began searching the area for suitable herbs.

Liu Feng followed his grandpa, Liu Bai, carefully searching around the edges of the clearing.

They gathered common herbs such as honeysuckle, mint, and purple leaf. They even found several rare medicinal herbs that Liu Feng had never seen before.

"Grandpa, what is this?" Liu Feng pointed at a strangely shaped plant, his eyes full of curiosity.

"This is Earth Spirit Ginseng. It's different from ordinary ginseng and rather valuable." A flash in the eyes of Liu Bai revealed his surprise. "Its restorative effects are extremely potent and will greatly benefit your recovery. My First Soul Skill came from an Earth Spirit Ginseng that was nearly a hundred years old."

Liu Feng nodded solemnly, then carefully dug up the Earth Spirit Ginseng and gently placed it into his medicine pouch.

Having found such precious medicinal materials for the first time, Liu Feng felt full of excitement and pride.

At the Same Time, Er Hu and Liu San were also diligently searching for medicinal materials.

Liu San bent down and parted the grass, finding several common clumps of Hemostasis Grass as expected.

He gently dug up the herbs with their roots intact and placed them into the medicine basket.

"Xiao Feng, Xiao San, come look!" Er Hu suddenly called out loudly.

Liu Feng hurried over and saw Er Hu holding an herb that gave off a faint fragrance.

Liu Feng took a closer look and blurted out, "This is Purple Spirit Grass! It may not be very old, but it's still a rare medicinal herb."

A proud smile appeared on Er Hu's face. "Looks like my luck is really good today!"

Liu Feng smiled and patted his shoulder. "Keep it up!"

After gathering the medicinal materials in this area, the group continued deeper into the forest.

As time passed, the forest grew darker, and the atmosphere gradually became oppressive.

From time to time, the roars of wild beasts echoed from afar, making everyone increasingly tense.

"Stay alert. We may have entered the territory of fierce beasts." Liu Qing's low, stern voice broke the brief silence.

"Don't worry, Father. We understand." Liu Feng clenched the long spear in his hands, determination and vigilance showing in his eyes.

They continued onward and soon discovered a patch of trampled grass with fresh beast tracks left upon it.

"There are traces of large fierce beasts here. Everyone, be careful." Uncle Li spoke again, his piercing gaze warily examining the surroundings.

"Gulu, go scout the way ahead." Liu Feng gently patted Gulu's head, his tone filled with trust and expectation.

As though he understood, Gulu happily ran ahead, sniffing the surrounding scents as he went.

Before long, he let out a low roar, as if he had discovered something.

"Get ready. A fierce beast may be nearby." Liu Qing quickly raised his weapon and stood on high alert, his eyes fixed on the path ahead.

The group cautiously moved closer. Before long, they saw a massive black bear standing amid the trees ahead, letting out deep, rumbling roars.

"It's a black bear. Everyone, watch yourselves." Liu Qing reminded them again, his voice carrying unquestionable steadiness.

Everyone swiftly assumed combat stances, while Liu Feng gripped his long spear even tighter.

Though he could not help feeling nervous, he knew this was an important trial on his path to growth. He had to face it bravely.

"Gulu, go distract it." Liu Feng spoke softly to Gulu while gently patting his head.

Gulu nodded in response, then happily rushed toward the black bear and let out a provoking growl.

The black bear's attention was instantly drawn to him, and it immediately launched an attack at Gulu.

Gulu was agile and nimble, easily dodging the black bear's attacks while occasionally turning back to signal Liu Feng and the others.

"Good opportunity, attack!" Liu Qing gave the order and was the first to launch an attack on the black bear.

Everyone seized advantageous positions and began their assault.

Liu Qing's long spear moved like a nimble dragon, stabbing straight at vulnerable points such as the black bear's eyes and nose.

Uncle Li stood at a distance with his bow and arrow drawn, continuously weakening the black bear with precise shots.

Liu Bai, Er Hu, and Liu San also displayed their respective abilities as they fought fiercely against the black bear.

Holding a bow and arrow, Liu Feng took a deep breath and tried to calm himself before firing an arrow at the black bear.

With a sharp twang, the feathered arrow shot toward the black bear's throat like lightning.

At the Same Time, the black bear let out an enraged roar, swung its massive claws, and viciously pounced at Liu Qing.

Liu Qing reacted quickly, nimbly sidestepping the attack before swiftly counterattacking, his long spear stabbing directly toward the black bear's leg.

With everyone working together, the black bear was finally defeated.

It let out an unwilling low roar and slowly collapsed to the ground.

Gulu happily ran back and affectionately rubbed against Liu Feng's leg, as though celebrating their victory.

"Well done, Gulu." Smiling brightly, Liu Feng gently stroked Gulu's head, his eyes full of gratitude.

"Everyone performed very well." A relieved smile appeared on Liu Qing's face as he praised them.

After a brief rest, they continued deeper into the forest.

Along the way, they found more precious medicinal materials and hunted several small Soul Beasts—Soft Bone Rabbits and Armor Snakes. They were all Soul Beasts around ten years old, adding considerable resources to the family's reserve of medicinal supplements.

The group continued toward the depths of the forest.

"Everyone must be careful. This is already an area where Soul Beasts appear." Uncle Li lowered his voice, warning them with a tense expression.

Liu Feng could clearly feel the atmosphere growing increasingly tense. He instinctively clenched the tool in his hand and warily observed his surroundings.

Gulu seemed to sense the danger as well. His ears stood erect, and his sharp gaze swept across the area.

Suddenly, one of Uncle Li's hunting dogs let out a low growl and stared fixedly at a patch of bushes ahead.

Uncle Li immediately raised a hand to signal everyone to stop. "Something's wrong. Everyone, proceed carefully," he said in a low voice.

Liu Feng held his breath as his heartbeat accelerated sharply. He stared tightly at those bushes. At that moment, a huge wild boar suddenly charged out from within them. Its tusks were incomparably sharp, and its eyes radiated ferocity.

"It's a Soul Beast, an Ironclad Boar! It looks to be close to ten years old," Liu Bai exclaimed quietly. "Everyone spread out and deal with it carefully!"

Liu Qing swiftly pulled a short spear from the medicine basket, while Liu Bai drew his bow to full draw and aimed at the Ironclad Boar.

Uncle Li's three hunting dogs fearlessly rushed forward first, engaging the Ironclad Boar in fierce combat.

Watching the tense battle before him, Liu Feng felt both nervous and excited.

He knew this was the first time he had faced a true Soul Beast. He had to respond cautiously.

"Xiao Feng, you, Er Hu, and Liu San fall back! Don't get too close!" Liu Qing turned and shouted.

Liu Feng nodded, but he did not retreat too far. Instead, he stared intently at the battlefield, searching for an opportunity to strike.

The Ironclad Boar possessed immense strength. Though the three hunting dogs were brave, they could not subdue it immediately. They could only harass it constantly from all sides, occasionally biting it by relying on their numerical advantage.

Liu Bai seized an opening and fired an arrow, striking the Ironclad Boar in the side of its abdomen. The Ironclad Boar howled in pain and furiously charged toward Liu Bai.

"Watch out!" Liu Qing shouted as he immediately rushed forward, his long spear aimed straight at the Ironclad Boar's throat.

Liu Feng's heart tightened at the sight. He knew that although his father was highly skilled, facing such a powerful Soul Beast was still dangerous.

He gritted his teeth, clenched the short spear in his hand, and resolutely rushed forward.

"Xiao Feng, don't come over!" Liu Qing turned back and shouted anxiously.

However, Liu Feng had already reached a spot not far from the Ironclad Boar's side.

Seizing his chance, he used all his strength to hurl the short spear toward the gap between the Ironclad Boar's hind legs.

The short spear struck true, hitting the vital spot between the Ironclad Boar's legs.

The Ironclad Boar cried out in pain, and its body abruptly stiffened.

Liu Qing seized this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and fiercely thrust his long spear into the Ironclad Boar's throat.

With a clang, the long spear failed to pierce all the way through. A layer of yellow light had appeared over the Ironclad Boar's body, and it was this light that blocked Liu Qing's spear.

Liu Qing pressed against the long spear with both hands, not daring to relax in the slightest.

At that critical moment, Uncle Li drew his bow and fired an arrow into the Ironclad Boar's left eye, burying the entire arrow within it.

At the Same Time, Liu Bai circled behind the Ironclad Boar. Holding a blade in his right hand, he viciously stabbed it into the Ironclad Boar's exposed rear, then followed with a Dragging Blade Technique.

The Ironclad Boar let out a piercing scream before crashing to the ground, never moving again.

Liu Feng panted heavily, his heart pounding like thunder.

Looking at the Ironclad Boar lying on the ground, he felt both the joy of victory and an indescribably complicated emotion.

"This is an Ironclad Boar with roughly ten years of cultivation. This is far enough—we shouldn't go any deeper into the forest." Uncle Li looked at the fallen Soul Beast, caution evident in his voice.

"Alright. Everyone, search around in the direction it came from, then we'll follow the outer edge of the forest instead of going deeper." Liu Bai wiped the blood from his right hand as he calmly arranged their next actions.

"Well done, Xiao Feng." Liu Qing walked over and patted Liu Feng's shoulder approvingly.

Liu Feng gave a tired smile. "I just wanted to help."

"Xiao Feng, you performed exceptionally well today. But next time, you must follow orders. Never act rashly."

Liu Feng nodded seriously. "I'll remember that."