Soul Returning Grass

In the long river of fate, no one knows what encounters they will have, nor what hardships and difficulties they will endure. Perhaps all one can do is ride the wind and waves, overcome obstacles, face the erosion of time, and strive bravely.

Ye Tong's past life was that of a physiognomist.

A physiognomist walking the path of cultivation.

He wanted to live, more than anyone else, and though his family bonds on Earth made his hundred years happy and fulfilling, he still found it difficult to do as he pleased and act freely.

This place was different.

Here, there was only the Medicine Slave who depended on him for survival, or perhaps Yin Xiaojiu, whose fate had already changed.

Clear goals.

Non-existent shackles.

Ye Tong, in this way, freely unveiled his heart. As time passed, with the purple energy coming from the east and the red sun rising, he immersed himself in the beautiful, picturesque scenery.

Gradually.

He felt the wind brushing his cheeks, the warmth of the sunlight, the vitality of all things in the world, and it was as if every flower, every blade of grass, every grain of sand, and every stone had begun to breathe. A mysterious sensation cleansed his soul, washed away the filth of the world before his eyes, and nourished his body, which was filled with toxins.

Beneath the towering ancient tree.

The Medicine Slave's hunched figure had, at some unknown time, straightened like a pine tree. His cloudy eyes had vanished, replaced by a sharp glint. His cultivation was in the Innate Realm, and his perception of the world was stronger. Therefore, he felt a mysterious aura emanating from Ye Tong, as if he had merged with the world before him.

This was the Medicine Slave's understanding.

Peering!

The Medicine Slave knew this was the understanding of his old master, the Poison Demon Huo Lanqiu.

Regardless of how they understood it, the Medicine Slave envied Ye Tong. This was because the number of times any cultivator could enter such a profound state in their lifetime was extremely limited, and each time they entered, it heralded significant gains.

He quietly watched Ye Tong, feeling the spiritual energy in the surrounding heaven and earth surge towards Ye Tong's body, bit by bit. Although it was scarce and slow, it was more than ten times the amount of spiritual energy absorbed from heaven and earth during normal cultivation.

A moment later.

The Medicine Slave's gaze changed, becoming exceptionally vigilant. He turned his head to scan his surroundings, preventing anyone or any fierce beast from intruding and disturbing Ye Tong's state.

"Hum..."

A faint aura emanated from Ye Tong, and his body trembled slightly in that instant. Then, he awoke from that profound state. He lowered his head to look at his chest, a strange expression of mixed joy and sorrow appearing on his face.

The Medicine Slave felt a mix of relief and disappointment. He was relieved that Ye Tong had directly broken through to the Qi Refining Fourth Level in that profound state, but disappointed that the profound state had been disrupted by the breakthrough. After all, the longer one remained immersed in such a state, the greater the benefits.

"Congratulations, Young Master."

Ye Tong turned around and looked at the Medicine Slave, who had resumed his hunched posture, appearing like a frail old man on the verge of death. A smile spread across Ye Tong's face. As he slowly spread his arms, he stretched his body and said with a smile, "I think I've found a way to resolve my poisonous body."

Yes!

He had found it!

Although he didn't know if this method could completely eliminate the hidden dangers of his poisonous body, at the very least, he had found a direction and seen hope.

The Medicine Slave's face lit up with surprise, and he quickly asked, "Young Master, what method?"

Ye Tong pointed to the high-hanging sun, then to the peak of the eastern mountain, and said with a smile, "The purple energy comes from the east, cleansing the filth of the world. I was very lucky to inhale a wisp of that hazy purple energy, which burned away a small portion of the toxins in my body. It seems that cultivating at the moment the sun rises every morning will be very beneficial to me."

Purple energy from the east?

The Medicine Slave didn't understand what Ye Tong was talking about, but he could tell that this was a good thing for Ye Tong. If it was a good thing, then that was all that mattered.

"Young Master, shall we continue on our way?"

Ye Tong nodded and said, "Carry the things, let's go back! Now that I've broken through to the Qi Refining Fourth Level, I feel a significant increase in my strength. Even if I encounter a Level Two Fierce Beast now, I'm confident I can fight it."

The Medicine Slave was surprised. "Qi Refining Fourth Level can fight a Level Two Fierce Beast? Normally, one can only fight a Level Two Fierce Beast after reaching the Qi Refining Sixth Level, and that's for a relatively weak one."

Ye Tong chuckled, "Perhaps I have extraordinary talent in some aspects!"

"Heh heh!"

The Medicine Slave thought of Ye Tong's recent actions and nodded in agreement.

With Ye Tong's improved cultivation and enhanced strength, their travel speed had also significantly increased. In the afternoon, the two, carrying many things, crossed the twelfth mountain and arrived at the mountainside on the other side of the large mountain.

"Wait a moment."

As they descended the mountain, they passed a rugged mountain stream. A casual glance made Ye Tong somewhat taken aback.

The Medicine Slave, with a look of suspicion, followed Ye Tong's gaze and immediately saw a small, verdant, and dewy grass in a crevice of the mountain stream dozens of meters away. Having followed Huo Lanqiu for many years, he was particularly familiar with medicinal herbs and recognized the type of grass almost instantly.

Soul Returning Grass!

A legendary plant that grew in the world of the Yellow Springs, possessing the efficacy of bringing the dead back to life if used correctly. The Medicine Slave, having read extensively, had only seen depictions and records of the Soul Returning Grass in ancient texts multiple times.

Soon.

The two ventured deeper into the mountain stream and arrived before the Soul Returning Grass.

After observing it carefully for a long time, the Medicine Slave said with a face full of surprise, "That's right, it's the Soul Returning Grass. Although I'm quite familiar with this plant, it's only from records in historical texts. This is my first time seeing a real specimen. However, it's rumored that the Soul Returning Grass doesn't grow in the world of the Yellow Springs. How did it end up here?"

After Ye Tong arrived, his gaze lingered on the Soul Returning Grass only briefly before he looked further into the depths of the mountain stream. He sensed the Yin Sha Qi emanating from the bottom of the other end of the mountain stream. Although it had been greatly weakened by the time it reached here, an ordinary person standing here for a long time would still suffer from the Sha Qi entering their body.

He wanted to go to the other end of the mountain stream to take a look, but considering his current physical condition, he ultimately chose to give up. The toxins in his body were potent, and if he were to be contaminated by the Yin Sha Qi, it would likely be like adding frost to snow for his body, and he might even lose his life.

Ye Tong said, "Medicine Slave, pick it! With this one Soul Returning Grass, I'll try to refine a certain pill when I get back. If I succeed, it might bring you great benefits as well."

"Good!"

The Medicine Slave carefully took out a small shovel, along with some dirt and stones, and dug up the Soul Returning Grass by the roots. He then placed it carefully into his basket.

Half an hour later.

As the two neared the foot of the mountain, they spotted over a dozen cultivators, all dressed in fitted combat attire, surrounding and attacking three Level Two Fierce Beasts, Colorful Leopards. The three Colorful Leopards were already injured, but among the dozen cultivators, four had also sustained injuries. One of them had a particularly severe wound, a bloody gash across his chest that was a shocking sight.

"There's an expert in the Innate Realm."

The Medicine Slave narrowed his eyes as he watched the scene of the battle unfold a hundred meters away.

Ye Tong's brow twitched. "Since there's an expert in the Innate Realm, shouldn't killing three Level Two Fierce Beasts be easy? Why hasn't he acted? Instead, it's over a dozen cultivators in the Houtian Realm, whose cultivation is clearly not high, fighting the Colorful Leopards?"

The Medicine Slave let out a scoff. "Some adventurer teams are cobbled together from whoever is available. Everyone in the team looks out for themselves, and their self-interest is very strong. Who would want to risk their life fighting desperately and wasting energy if they could gain benefits without lifting a finger? This adventurer team before us is likely just like I described."

Ye Tong suddenly understood, feeling a sense of disdain in his heart.

The man in the Innate Realm stood with his arms crossed, quietly observing the battle, showing no intention of intervening. Suddenly, as if sensing something, he turned his head towards them from a hundred meters away. When he saw the old man and the young man standing in the distance, his expression froze, and then his face changed slightly.

He had seen a portrait of Ye Tong and recognized him as the person for whom the Tong Family of Cold Mountain City had issued a bounty.

"An unexpected bonus!"

A ruthless expression appeared on the man's face as he strode towards Ye Tong and the Medicine Slave. He stopped about seven or eight meters away and asked, "Ye Tong?"

Ye Tong was taken aback, looking at the man with a puzzled expression. "How do you know me?"

The man chuckled proudly. "It really is you. It seems my judgment was correct. Unfortunately for you, you've been blacklisted by the Tong Family of Cold Mountain City. The Tong Family matriarch has issued a bounty, offering a large sum of Blue Silver to anyone who can bring her your severed head. Tsk, tsk. I didn't have much hope, after all, the Golden Phoenix Mountain Range is vast, and the chance of us encountering you was minuscule. Who would have thought you'd deliver yourself right to my doorstep."

Ye Tong frowned and asked, "Do you think I'm easy to kill?"

The man glanced at the Medicine Slave, then sneered dismissively. "An old man on his last legs, who looks like he could be blown over by a gust of wind, and a brat who still has milk on his breath. Killing you two would be as easy as killing chickens. However, I'm a kind-hearted person, so I'll give you the chance to do it yourselves. Commit suicide!"

Suicide?

Ye Tong shook his head and sighed, "Medicine Slave, you do it."

The Medicine Slave nodded with a smile, placed the bundle in his hand on the ground, and instantly dashed in front of the man. The Dragon Head Cane moved with incredible sharpness, whistling through the air, instantly enveloping the man.

"Bang, bang, bang…"

In the brief exchange, the man suffered greatly due to his underestimation. He was struck by the Dragon Head Cane at least seven or eight times. Just as he hastily swung his long saber, the tail end of the Dragon Head Cane struck his chest. As a sharp spike shot out, it drew blood from the man's chest.

What?

The man felt a sharp pain in his chest and immediately retreated. After retreating over ten meters, he looked down at his chest in horror. The next moment, his pupils contracted, and his body trembled violently.

His heart!

It had been pierced!

Was it over just like this, before he had even unleashed his full power? Was his life about to end here in the depths of this ancient forest?