"Human-grade herbs?" Lin Chuan was taken aback. This was the first time he had heard of herbs being divided into grades.
"That's right. Like Spirit Roots, herbs are divided into grades, though not as finely. They're simply classified into four broad levels: Heaven, Earth, Human, and Mortal, without the corresponding upper, middle, and lower tiers." Bu Lianshi spoke softly, inclining her head.
"What are these grades of herbs for? I remember that each herb is classified according to the minimum cultivation level required to take the pill refined from it. For example, pills refined from Crimson Flame Lotuses can only be taken by Foundation Establishment cultivators at the very least. If a Qi Refining cultivator takes one, they risk being burst apart by the spiritual power. Shouldn't that be the standard for classifying herbs?" Lin Chuan said thoughtfully.
After listening, Bu Lianshi nodded without committing herself. "What Brother Lin Chuan said isn't wrong, but there's a catch. Take the Crimson Flame Golden Lotus you just saw. In essence, it's still a Crimson Flame Lotus—that hasn't changed. But the essence of its plants and trees has increased tremendously, to the point that it has reached the grade of a Golden Core herb."
At this point, Bu Lianshi lowered her voice and whispered to the two of them, "But pills refined from this kind of herb can be taken by Foundation Establishment cultivators. Brother Lin Chuan is clever, so you should be able to figure out what that means!"
After hearing Bu Lianshi's words, Lin Chuan's pale eyes narrowed slightly. He immediately understood the implications.
The existence of human-grade herbs was almost like a cheat code for pill-making. The essence of the plants and trees they contained was directly raised by an entire grade, yet the pills could still be taken by people with lower cultivation. It was easy to imagine how precious such things were. They were treasures that every great clan would fight tooth and nail to obtain.
Just imagine the terrifying effects of giving a Foundation Establishment cultivator a pill refined from a Golden Core herb. But such a pill simply couldn't be given to a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Only a brokenly overpowered existence like a human-grade herb could achieve the same effect to some extent.
"So I can devour this kind of herb directly without worrying about being burst apart, right?" Lin Chuan asked in a low voice, his meaning clear.
Bu Lianshi nodded. "In theory, yes. But Brother Lin Chuan, how do you plan to deal with the big fellow beside the Crimson Flame Golden Lotus?"
Qin Lang had listened to their exchange from the side. He shook his head with a smile. The herb was certainly valuable, but with their current strength, forget about stealing the Crimson Flame Golden Lotus—they couldn't even survive long enough to reach the Nascent Soul Queen Ant.
Lin Chuan rubbed his chin thoughtfully and said softly, "We'll come up with a way. Our target is the Crimson Flame Golden Lotus, not the Ant Queen. As long as we can find a way to take the Crimson Flame Golden Lotus without alerting her, that's all we need!"
Bu Lianshi and Qin Lang exchanged wry smiles. It was easy to say, but with their current abilities, there was no way they could pull off anything like that. It was nothing more than an empty dream.
"By the way, Bu Lianshi, human-grade herbs are equivalent to high-grade herbs being lowered by one grade, so that someone with a cultivation level one stage lower can take them. Then wouldn't the Heaven- and Earth-grade herbs above human-grade be even more powerful? By that logic, Earth-grade herbs could be lowered by two stages, and Heaven-grade herbs by three?" Lin Chuan asked again.
"Brother Lin Chuan is right. But all herbs are Mortal-grade to begin with. They can only raise their grade through evolution, and that kind of evolution is extremely difficult. The growing environment, the abundance of spiritual energy, the soil they need, the number of years they've grown—many conditions restrict an herb's evolution. Almost no herbs can meet the requirements."
"Human-grade herbs are already exceedingly rare. Earth-grade herbs would be enough to drive the entire continent into a frenzy. As for the highest grade, Heaven-grade herbs, forgive me for being blunt, but I've never heard of one truly existing! Heaven-grade herbs are things found only in legends." Bu Lianshi spoke with a solemn expression.
"I see." Lin Chuan nodded. It wasn't beyond his expectations. Even human-grade herbs had astonishing effects; Earth- and Heaven-grade herbs could only be described as heaven-defying. How could they be so easy to obtain?
"There's one more thing. Since these herbs come about through evolution, they have an unusual attraction for Spirit Beasts. Even a Foundation Establishment herb that evolves to human-grade is enough to attract a Nascent Soul Ant Queen to guard it. I've heard that this power of evolution can be transferred directly into a Spirit Beast by devouring the herb, causing the beast itself to mutate or even evolve!"
Bu Lianshi explained further. She could tell Lin Chuan was very interested in this sort of thing, and considering that Lin Chuan himself devoured herbs directly, it wouldn't be wrong to regard him as a Spirit Beast to some extent.
After hearing Bu Lianshi's explanation, Lin Chuan realized that these herbs should have an even more important effect on the Fruit of the God Tree. He just couldn't be certain yet. He would have to find a way to get his hands on the Crimson Flame Golden Lotus first.
Lin Chuan already had a few ideas. They might let him get the herb without going through the Ant Queen, but he couldn't yet be sure they would work. He would need to try them out before deciding. No matter which method he used, though, all his plans hinged on a pair of eyes—the Tenseigan!
"Human-grade herbs... I have to say, I'm looking forward to them. I wonder how many more herbs like that there are on the Central River Continent..." Lin Chuan murmured. His voice was quiet, but Qin Lang and Bu Lianshi walking beside him heard him clearly.
The instant they heard those words, Qin Lang and Bu Lianshi's expressions changed. Pain, sorrow, hatred, and a host of other complicated emotions surfaced on their faces almost at once, before all of them gave way to shock.
"The Central River Continent? Brother Lin Chuan, are you from the Central River Continent too?" Qin Lang and Bu Lianshi asked almost in unison.
Lin Chuan turned to look at them. Qin Lang and Bu Lianshi were staring at him in bewilderment, as if something unbelievable had happened. "What's wrong? Why are you so surprised? Isn't this the Central River Continent?"
Lin Chuan couldn't quite wrap his head around it. What did they mean, he was from the Central River Continent too? Wasn't this the Central River Continent?
"But this isn't the Central River Continent at all!"
"Brother Lin Chuan, we're on the Southern Bright Continent, not the Central River Continent!"
Qin Lang and Bu Lianshi's words exploded in Lin Chuan's mind. In an instant, emotions that didn't belong to the Lin Chuan of the present surged through him: shock, anger, hatred, sorrow, and a jumble of other dark feelings.
They belonged to the Lin Chuan of the past—the one whose eyes had been gouged out, who had been beaten to death. They were his emotions, his roar, his despairing cry!
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