A Bountiful Harvest and a Tiger on the Way Back
Blue Silver Grass was a plant-type Martial Soul. When it appeared in the forest, the Qi of the vegetation that filled the woods
naturally prompted a reaction from the Blue Silver Grass, and what followed was
stream after stream of energy being absorbed by the Blue Silver Grass and transmitted into Zhang Sheng's body, where it ultimately became Soul Power.
The sudden change left Zhang Sheng at a loss for a moment.
Nothing like this had ever happened before, and he thought something had gone wrong with his Martial Soul!
He hurriedly sat down cross-legged and began checking the changes in his body. He soon realized it had all been a misunderstanding. There was nothing wrong with his Martial Soul, and something different even seemed to have appeared.
*Why did my Martial Soul start absorbing energy on its own? I've never heard of anything like this on the Douluo Continent,
of anyone whose Martial Soul could absorb energy by itself. Wouldn't that be like having a consciousness like mine?
Could it be because of the mutation? If that's the case, my strength should improve even faster. Maybe it won't be long before I reach level 10 Soul Power.
If things go a little more smoothly, I could say I have a bright future ahead of me!*
Once Zhang Sheng had figured things out, he slowly opened his eyes.
This was no place to cultivate. If some wild beast or the like came along, that would be a terrible injustice.
This time, Zhang Sheng no longer hurried to withdraw his Blue Silver Grass. Instead, he left it out,
letting it constantly absorb the Qi of the forest's vegetation. Perhaps one day, when it had enough energy,
the Blue Silver Grass could also materialize and become a real plant, like Grandmaster's farting pig, which had a physical body and could even eat.
As Zhang Sheng felt the changes brought by the Blue Silver Grass, he headed deeper into the forest.
He had no intention of keeping to their agreement and only looking around the outskirts. Good things could only be found deeper inside; the outer areas had probably already been picked over.
Confident that his skills gave him courage, Zhang Sheng walked farther in for another half hour.
Only when he could no longer see any signs of human activity did he begin looking around.
*Hmm! No one should come here. After all, there are signs of fierce beasts everywhere. Anyone without a few tricks up their sleeve could easily get eaten.
The deeper the mountains and the older the forest, the more treasures there are. When the time comes, I'll find some medicinal herbs that have grown for years.
They should be worth quite a bit of money.*
Perhaps it was the will of heaven that Zhang Sheng's Martial Soul was Blue Silver Grass, and Blue Silver Grass was a plant-type Martial Soul.
That made it most sensitive to vegetation. Wasn't it the perfect aid for finding medicinal herbs?
Although Zhang Sheng's current strength was only around level 5, and his range of perception was only about ten meters,
that was still better than relying on his eyes, so he should soon find something.
*When I get the chance, I should get some medical books to read. There are still a lot of medicinal herbs I don't recognize, and I'll miss out on a lot of good things that way.
Besides, medicine and martial arts are one family. Who knows? I might even become a divine physician of my generation!*
While Zhang Sheng was indulging in his daydreams, a peculiar plant appeared within his perception.
Isn't that ginseng? I didn't expect to find some so quickly. I just don't know how old it is. Oh well, won't I know once I dig it up and take a look?
Zhang Sheng hurried over to the ginseng, took out his tools, and got to work.
Of course, he wasn't working blindly. He had heard that ginseng wouldn't be worth much if it was damaged while being dug up, so he had to be careful.
He began digging slowly, keeping some distance from the ginseng plant.
After digging for nearly half an hour, he finally saw the ginseng's true form. Judging by its size, it had to be at least a hundred years old!
In truth, Zhang Sheng couldn't judge its age accurately. He had never seen old ginseng before,
so he had nothing to compare it with and could only estimate from its size and weight.
Once Zhang Sheng had dug the ginseng out completely, he carefully placed it in his back basket.
He had woven the basket himself. Though it wasn't very pretty, it could at least hold things. Being convenient and practical was enough.
After his first find, he searched even more eagerly.
An hour later, he had found two more ginseng plants in succession, though they were a little smaller.
Of course, Zhang Sheng hadn't come solely to look for medicinal herbs. He was also on the lookout for prey.
He just hadn't encountered any large game and had only caught a few rabbits.
*I'll search for another hour and then head back, so Uncle Dashan and the others don't worry. Besides, today's haul has been pretty good.
At least it's enough to get me started. It won't be too late to come back another time when I have the chance. It's not going to run away.*
Perhaps his luck had run out, for Zhang Sheng found no more valuable herbs. It could also have been because he knew too little!
After searching without success, Zhang Sheng could only turn back. By the time he returned, it should be around six in the evening, just in time for dinner.
Zhang Sheng was walking along in a pleasant mood when a sudden tiger's roar startled him.
I didn't expect a tiger to show up on the outskirts of the forest. Should I go take a look?
After thinking it over, Zhang Sheng decided to take a look after all.
A tiger on the outskirts was too dangerous. If it ran out and hurt the villagers, that wouldn't be good. After all, this was his home too.
Having made up his mind, Zhang Sheng followed the sound of the tiger's roars. When he came to a flat, rocky slope,
he saw a fierce tiger strolling leisurely ahead, as though inspecting its territory.
As Zhang Sheng studied the tiger, it suddenly turned its head. Its man-eating eyes met his, and his heart tightened.
Oh no! It spotted me!
At that moment, Zhang Sheng wanted nothing more than to slap himself.
*Why did you have to go showing off? You got a little strength and your head went into the clouds. What happened to being cautious?
It seems I really have let myself relax lately. I'm not as alert as I was before. I need to reflect on that.
Luckily, it's only a tiger. If I run into some other powerful existence in the future, things might not turn out so well.*
People were all like that. A life of too much comfort would only make them lose their vigilance. Wasn't there a saying about being mindful of danger in times of peace? It seemed the people of old really had foresight!
But this was no time for Zhang Sheng to blame himself. He knew he couldn't outrun it.
In this jungle, the tiger was king. Running would only make things more dangerous.
Seeing the tiger about to close in, Zhang Sheng instead calmed down. Back in the Soul Beast Forest, he had encountered even more dangerous situations,
and he had dealt with those all the same. This was a minor scene.
"Roar!"
With a roar, the tiger's massive body lunged fiercely at Zhang Sheng.
But Zhang Sheng was no pushover either. Though his former cultivation was gone, his combat experience remained.
He quickly leaped aside and dodged the tiger's deadly pounce.
"Bang!"
Seeing the prey before it dodge and its pounce miss, the tiger grew somewhat agitated. It roared again, as if saying,
The prey this king has set his sights on actually dares to dodge!
Without pausing, the tiger charged at Zhang Sheng once more. This time, Zhang Sheng seized the right moment
and kicked the tiger squarely in the body. The explosive kick carried a full five hundred jin of force and sent the tiger flying sideways.
After taking such a heavy blow, the tiger couldn't get back up for a moment. Its head shook back and forth.
Perhaps Zhang Sheng's kick had stunned it!
The two-legged beasts it usually saw were afraid of it and avoided it, yet today the prey before it had struck it a heavy blow. That left it burning with rage.