Fo-Ti

Ning Chuan and Tang San parted ways at the foot of the mountain. With his basket now half as light, Ning Chuan did not head straight home. Instead, he made a detour and slipped into another remote stretch of forest.

He had already obtained Poria and had Yellow Essence in hand. Of the Three Main Herbs needed for the Foundation Establishment Pill, only the final ingredient remained: Century-Old Polygonum Multiflorum.

Fo-Ti favored sunlight and often grew in rocky crevices on mountain slopes, along forest edges, or amid thickets.

Ning Chuan's destination was the steeper, sun-drenched southern slope east of the village.

The mountain path grew increasingly rugged, choked with thorny brush.

Ning Chuan gripped his woodcutter's knife, clearing a path as he searched carefully.

His gaze swept over every exposed crack in the rocks and beneath every sun-facing thicket.

Time passed amid his focused search. The sun gradually climbed higher, the mist in the forest completely dispersed, and the temperature began to rise.

Sweat soaked Ning Chuan's hair and clothes, but he paid it no mind. There was only one thought in his heart: Find it!

Yet Fo-Ti seemed even rarer than Yellow Essence and Poria.

After crossing several slopes in succession, he found nothing but a few pitifully young seedlings.

"Could it be that this forest has no Fo-Ti that meets the requirements?" Ning Chuan wiped away his sweat and leaned against a massive boulder to rest for a while, unable to suppress his growing anxiety.

The Three Main Herbs for the Foundation Establishment Pill were all indispensable.

If he could not find Fo-Ti, the value of the first two herbs would be greatly diminished as well.

Unwilling to give up, he looked around, and his gaze finally settled on a steep, nearly vertical sun-facing cliff in the distance.

The cliff towered into the clouds, its surface covered in weathered cracks and sparse vegetation, reflecting a blinding white glare beneath the sun.

At its base lay a deep valley piled with jagged rocks. Ordinary people would find it nearly impossible to climb close.

"That sort of place... few people ever go there. Perhaps..." Hope reignited in Ning Chuan's eyes.

Risk and opportunity went hand in hand!

Taking a deep breath, Ning Chuan set off again, struggling toward the cliff.

It took tremendous effort before he finally reached the bottom of the cliff.

Looking up, he saw a sheer rock face as if carved by blades and axes, an awe-inspiring sight.

Ning Chuan did not begin climbing recklessly. Instead, he searched carefully along the base of the cliff, hoping to find a gentler slope or a crack that would be easier to climb.

Heaven did not disappoint those who persevered.

On one side of the cliff, he discovered a steep slope formed by a landslide, covered in loose stones and dirt. Though still dangerous, it was barely climbable.

Ning Chuan temporarily hid his basket and herb hoe in a concealed spot at the cliff's base. Carrying only his woodcutter's knife and several spare hemp ropes, he began climbing cautiously.

Using both hands and feet, he placed every step with extreme care.

Loose stones occasionally tumbled down with rattling clatters, startling birds nesting among the cliffs into flight.

After climbing for roughly the time it took to burn an incense stick, he was already dozens of meters above the ground.

Ning Chuan stopped to catch his breath, finding a slightly protruding rock to stand on steadily. When he looked back, the village had become a tiny outline.

After steadying himself, he continued upward, his gaze sweeping over the cliff beside him like that of a hawk.

Near a crack in the rock concealed beneath dense vines, he suddenly caught sight of an unusual color!

Unlike the surrounding withered yellow vines, this patch was a deep, vibrant dark brown!

Ning Chuan's heart stirred. He slowly climbed toward it and carefully pushed aside layer upon layer of ordinary vines.

A strangely shaped plant abruptly came into view!

It did not grow upright, but instead coiled like a spirit snake around a tenacious little pine tree growing from the rock crevice.

Its vine was as thick as a child's arm, a dark reddish-brown weathered by countless seasons. Its bark was smooth yet covered in fine vertical striations.

Its leaves were heart-shaped, thick and glossy, with clearly visible veins.

Most striking of all, near its roots, the vine had swollen into an unusually thick mass that plunged deep into the rock crevice, as if it contained immense energy.

"Fo-Ti! It's definitely Fo-Ti! Judging by how thick this vine is, it must be quite old!" Ning Chuan was ecstatic, nearly shouting aloud.

He forcefully suppressed his excitement and carefully examined the surrounding environment.

This Fo-Ti grew in an extremely awkward position. Above it was an overhanging rock, while below was a nearly vertical cliff face. Harvesting it would be exceptionally difficult.

Holding his breath, Ning Chuan pressed himself tightly against the cliff. One hand gripped a crack in the rock firmly, while the other drew his woodcutter's knife and carefully cleared away the dirt and loose stones around the Fo-Ti's roots.

The process was extraordinarily slow and difficult. He feared that with one careless move, the entire plant would fall off the cliff with him.

As the soil was gradually cleared away, the Fo-Ti's enormous tuberous root slowly emerged.

Its rootstock was even thicker than he had imagined, irregular in shape and covered in knobby protrusions. It was dark brown, seeming to contain the accumulation of countless years.

After nearly half an hour of labor, with his sweat almost completely spent, Ning Chuan finally excavated the entire tuber intact.

It felt heavy in his hands, weighing perhaps seven or eight jin!

A faint, distinctive scent mixed with earthy musk and medicinal fragrance wafted toward him.

What made Ning Chuan's heart race most was that when he carefully cut off a small piece from the end of the tuber with his knife for inspection, the cross-section revealed beautiful, distinctive patterns like woven clouds and brocade!

Cloud-brocade patterns!

A characteristic recorded in Ten Thousand Herb Appraisal that only high-quality Fo-Ti possessed!

"Century-Old Polygonum Multiflorum! It absolutely is!" Ning Chuan's hands trembled with excitement.

Carefully wrapping the tuber in the oilcloth he had brought, he bound it tightly to his back before slowly beginning his descent.

Going down the mountain was even more dangerous than climbing up, but he was in high spirits, and his movements were especially steady.

After safely returning to the bottom of the cliff, he put his basket back on and carefully placed the Fo-Ti inside. Only then did Ning Chuan let out a long breath, overwhelmed by a tremendous sense of accomplishment and satisfaction.

At last, he had gathered all Three Main Herbs for the Foundation Establishment Pill.