Skyhorn Village, Rotting Flesh Poison!

Although Lin Xia was a little puzzled, he had taken one sentence to heart.

Just wait to collect the money!

Lin Xia was desperately short of money!

The money he had on him now was all a gift from the big brothers at Spirit Hall when they first met.

If possible, Lin Xia naturally wanted to give something back.

As for whether he was worried about this technique spreading and affecting him somehow?

Lin Xia was not too concerned. After all, martial souls like Bulbasaur were far too rare in this world—one could even say nonexistent. It had to be both a detached beast martial soul and plant-type, which was simply too difficult!

So, replicating his path to becoming stronger would still be quite difficult!

"Since that's the case, then I'll have to trouble Elder Salas and Spirit Hall. I agree to this matter."

Seeing Lin Xia agree, Salas nodded in satisfaction. Then, he took a purple card from his storage Soul Tool and handed it to Lin Xia.

"Take it. There are some Gold Soul Coins in there. Consider it payment for your invention!"

Lin Xia did not refuse. He was indeed somewhat short on money right now. Still, he did not ask how much was inside, though judging by the purple card before him, it was surely no small amount.

"Then thank you, Elder Salas!"

Salas smiled and waved his hand.

"We're family. Why be so formal? By the way, Lin Xia, have you familiarized yourself with the place you're going these past few days?"

"I've known it for a while. I memorized the map over the past two days."

Salas nodded.

"If you run into any difficulties, don't keep them bottled up. Just ask Spirit Hall for help. I won't disturb you any longer—after all, this is your duty!"

After saying that, Salas left Lin Xia's room directly.

Once Salas had left, Lin Xia tucked the purple card away close to his body. He looked around the room, packed several sets of clothes and the items needed for the awakening, then headed for his destination.

The setting sun cast long shadows from Skyhorn Village's low earthen houses. The air was filled with the scent of soil, cooking smoke, and a faintly sweet, fishy smell like decaying rusty iron.

Lin Xia stood at the village entrance and took a deep breath of that distinctive scent. So this was the smell of Rotting Flesh Poison?

It truly lived up to its name.

Lin Xia wore a brand-new Spirit Hall steward's robe. Though still young, the steadiness honed through his flight for survival, along with the Spirit Hall badge on his chest, was enough to make the waiting village chief and several village elders suppress their initial surprise and replace it with expressions of solemnity and hope.

"Honored Steward, you must have had a difficult journey! Our little village is simple and crude. Please forgive the poor accommodations."

The village chief was a lean, dark-skinned old man. His hands were covered in calluses, and though his eyes were cloudy, they held a trace of worldly shrewdness.

"It's nothing. I'm only fulfilling my duty."

Lin Xia nodded calmly, his gaze discreetly sweeping over the watching villagers. He paid particular attention to the children around six years old, as well as the faint clues that might be hidden beneath their rough linen clothes—Skyhorn Snake scales?

Beast hide bearing venom glands?

Or certain accompanying poisonous herbs grown somewhere nearby?

"I am Lin Xia, responsible for this year's martial soul awakening. Once the awakening ceremony is complete, I will issue martial soul certificates to any children who display Soul Power, for their future use!"

"Once their Soul Power surpasses level ten, they may also go to Spirit Hall for certification. After certification, they will receive a subsidy to support their subsequent cultivation."

Though most people already knew this, it was Lin Xia's first time presiding over an awakening, so he explained things in greater detail.

The village chief repeatedly agreed and led Lin Xia toward the only building in the village that could be considered spacious: the ancestral hall.

The ancestral hall was humble inside, but it had been kept very clean. A somewhat worn table had already been placed in the center.

Lin Xia took out the crystal ball needed for the awakening, six pitch-black awakening stones, and a record book from the pack he carried with him. His movements were swift and meticulous.

"All right. Bring in the children of the appropriate age. One at a time, in order."

Lin Xia's voice was not loud, yet it carried clearly through the ancestral hall with an orderliness that brooked no doubt.

The ceremony proceeded step by step.

Just as Spirit Hall's records had stated, nearly every child in the village possessed the Skyhorn Snake as their martial soul.

Green snake phantoms, some solid and some illusory, appeared in the children's palms. Most were tiny snakes less than a foot long, their fangs glinting faintly.

Some of the children were timid, while others carried a gloomy sharpness that did not suit their age.

The rotten, fishy odor unique to Rotting Flesh Poison seemed to grow a little stronger in the air.

After each child awakened, Lin Xia's spiritual power would imperceptibly sweep around them, sensing for lingering energy fluctuations from purer venom or searching their clothes and skin for signs that they had come into contact with higher-grade poisons.

Bulbasaur, at Lin Xia's feet, seemed somewhat uncomfortable in this environment as well. Its Vine Whip tensed slightly, its nostrils flared, and its red eyes vigilantly watched the surroundings. Yet the source of potent poison within its body held a trace of longing for the scent permeating the air.

"...Martial soul, Skyhorn Snake. Soul Power... level zero."

Lin Xia recorded the last girl's information, his voice calm.

Another child without Soul Power. The light in the girl's eyes dimmed.

Lin Xia did not pay it much mind. According to the records, although a martial soul like the Skyhorn Snake sounded imposing, it was more or less the same type as the Seven-Jointed Jade in Dugu Bo's possession—just not as venomous as the Seven-Jointed Jade.

Among soul beasts, it was also considered relatively low-tier. However, it possessed a rather decent racial gift: its venom.

Besides, if Skyhorn Snakes were truly powerful, they probably would not need him to awaken their martial souls. They would have long since developed into a force of their own.

The ancestral hall fell silent for a moment.

The village chief's smile became somewhat forced as well. Rubbing his hands together, he stepped forward.

"Thank you for your hard work, Steward. This year... there wasn't even a single child with talent. Sigh, in these poor mountains and harsh lands, it's already good enough if we can make a living hunting poisonous insects, snakes, and ants with our martial souls."

Lin Xia closed the record book and looked at the village chief with lightning-sharp eyes.

"You are too polite, Village Chief. Awakening martial souls for the people is Spirit Hall's duty. Also, I saw in the records that your village's distinctive martial soul, the Skyhorn Snake, has a rather unique accompanying venom known as Rotting Flesh Poison."

"Does the village have a habit of collecting and storing this poison?"

"Or are there any places in the forests beyond the village where older Skyhorn Snakes reside? I have conducted quite a bit of research into rare poisons. If you have any surplus or information, I am willing to purchase it at a fair price."

This was the true core purpose of his trip! The awakening was a mission, while gathering resources was necessary for survival! Without Yue Hongsheng's courtyard, he had to personally gather the nourishment Bulbasaur urgently needed.

If it could absorb such a tricky venom, it would be greatly beneficial to Bulbasaur's growth.

Upon hearing this, the village chief and several elders all changed expression. They exchanged glances, and hesitation and a faint, barely noticeable vigilance flashed through their eyes. The air seemed to freeze for an instant.

"Rotting Flesh Poison..."

The village chief licked his cracked lips, his voice dry.

"To be honest, Steward, that stuff... it harms the enemy by a thousand while harming yourself by eight hundred. Unless necessary, the villagers do not lightly provoke adult Skyhorn Snakes, much less collect concentrated venom from their glands. It's simply too dangerous."

"Deep within the Miasma Forest behind the village, we have heard that some formidable creatures dwell there. A few years ago, they even carried off livestock... We old bones certainly don't dare venture too deep."

He did not directly answer Lin Xia's question about purchasing it, only emphasized the danger.

Lin Xia understood at once.

A valuable local specialty like this was either regarded as a closely guarded secret and never shared, or its cost was too high for them to trade it lightly.

That hint of vigilance was likely because they feared that he, a big figure from Spirit Hall, coveted the resources the village relied upon for survival.

Lin Xia suppressed his disappointment, his expression remaining unchanged.