C6 Picking the Mana Herb

The herbal garden was divided into an outer and an inner area.

The Mana Herbs found within the outer area were generally of lower quality and easier to harvest, with the majority of disciples focusing their efforts there.

In contrast, the inner area boasted higher-grade Mana Herbs, but capturing them was significantly more challenging. Typically, only those disciples who had attained the third level of the Whispering Souls possessed the strength required for such a task.

This level of ability was considered elite among the Outer Sect disciples. Their visit to the herbal garden was an opportunity to enhance their strength and prepare for the upcoming Inner Sect Assessment.

Once admitted into the Inner Sect as a disciple, they would no longer face concerns over resources for cultivation. Unlike their current situation, where they had to harvest Mana Herbs themselves, and even then, there was no guarantee of securing the higher-grade ones. The lower-grade herbs contained insufficient spiritual energy to meet their cultivation needs.

Thus, they were compelled to harvest even more Mana Herbs. However, the herbal garden was only open for a limited time, and once that time elapsed, they had to exit.

Should anyone dare to overstay, risking capture during the elders' inspection, they would face severe consequences. Their Mana Herbs would be confiscated, their cultivation would be crippled as punishment, and they would be expelled from the sect.

Consequently, anyone with a shred of common sense would avoid such a seemingly thrilling but genuinely perilous act.

This is why forming teams to harvest Mana Herbs was a rather effective strategy.

......

At that moment, Ye Xuan was making his way toward a valley, where he sensed an unusually high concentration of spiritual energy.

His instincts proved accurate; the closer he approached the valley, the more intense the spiritual energy felt.

Tap tap tap!

Soon, Ye Xuan arrived at the entrance of the valley. He paused, closing his eyes to finely tune into the valley's interior.

Thanks to his practice with necromancy, his mastery over his soul had grown adept. After a brief period of sensing, he had a clear grasp of the valley's layout.

As Ye Xuan had anticipated, the spiritual energy in this area was significantly denser than in other places due to the abundant growth of Mana Herbs.

Ye Xuan proceeded with caution, knowing that Mana Herbs are particularly sensitive to human scents. Without proper preparation, the herbs would detect an intruder and vanish into the ground, leaving nothing to be harvested.

He set down his cloth bag and retrieved some scent-masking medicinal powder. This was a common precaution among the disciples who entered the area; they would lightly dust themselves with the powder to conceal their presence. Once Ye Xuan finished his preparations, he picked up the bag and made his way into the valley.

The valley's dense spiritual energy had created a mist, but Ye Xuan's soul perception cut through it effortlessly. With this ability, he easily located and picked the first Mana Herb.

Examining the Mana Herb in his grasp, which was faintly struggling, Ye Xuan noted that it looked like any ordinary grass, save for the subtle red glow flickering at its center. A gentle squeeze from his palm calmed the herb, and he placed his first catch into the bag before continuing his search.

In time, the bag grew round and plump in Ye Xuan's hands. He looked at the swollen bag with a nod of satisfaction, pleasantly surprised by the yield: three top-grade Mana Herbs, over a dozen medium-grade, and countless low-grade specimens.

Surveying the valley, Ye Xuan noticed the spiritual energy had thinned out, which was to be expected after harvesting so many Mana Herbs. The once-rich atmosphere had naturally diminished.

He found a secluded corner in the valley to rest briefly before resuming his quest for Mana Herbs. Given that the herbal garden opened only once every six months, he was determined not to squander this rare opportunity.

Glancing around, Ye Xuan spotted a bare rock with tufts of green grass sprouting beside it, a stark contrast to the otherwise mystical surroundings.

Sitting on a rock, Ye Xuan grasped a few low-grade Mana Herbs in his hand and activated the Prismatic Mantra to absorb them. As he watched the herbs wither in his palm, he tossed them beside the rock, where they instantly turned into a fine powder that sprinkled over the grass.

Feeling the vital force within his Qi Sea grow fuller, Ye Xuan nodded slightly in satisfaction. He raised his hands, stretched, and a series of crackling sounds emanated from his body.

Noticing his body felt significantly lighter, Ye Xuan absorbed more Mana Herbs. He had brought only one bag with him, and to continue harvesting, he needed to absorb some of the herbs he had already collected.

He hadn't anticipated such a bountiful harvest. In just the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, the contents of the bag had reduced by nearly half.

The vital force in his Qi Sea was nearing saturation. Ye Xuan was at the peak of the third level of the Whispering Souls, just a step away from ascending to the fourth level.

After absorbing another portion of the Mana Herbs, his Qi Sea reached a highly saturated state. Ye Xuan observed the herbs in the bag, now diminished by nearly two-thirds, and ceased his absorption.

He estimated that he had absorbed around a hundred low-grade Mana Herbs in roughly ten minutes—a task that would take another disciple at least two to three hours. The herbal garden's opening time was finite; absorbing herbs on the spot was considered a foolish waste of precious time.

But for Ye Xuan, those ten minutes were inconsequential. This demonstrated the extraordinary mystery of the Prismatic Mantra he practiced, far surpassing the efficiency of any ordinary first-level technique.

Looking down at the pile of powder, Ye Xuan stepped over it, ready to move on. Suddenly, a piercing beam of light reflected onto his face, grazing the corner of his eye and causing a sharp pain. He quickly shut his eyes, and upon reopening them, the pain had subsided somewhat.

Ye Xuan swiftly sidestepped, searching for the origin of the piercing light.

It seemed that a glow was flickering beneath the rock where he had been resting. Crouching down, Ye Xuan gently parted the weeds before him.

His gaze sharpened slightly at the sight of the gleaming object—it appeared to be... the tip of a sword?

Ye Xuan excavated the earth around the luminous object, revealing a sword tip before his eyes.

It looked as though the tip had broken off from its original blade. Ye Xuan extricated the sword tip from the ground, its broken edge as smooth as glass.

He examined the sword tip in the sunlight; it was translucent and emitted a subtle sheen. Considering the extent of the surrounding rocks' weathering, the sword tip must have been buried for quite some time.

Yet, despite its long burial, it showed no signs of rust. This must be a top-grade Divine Weapon.

In the sunlight, golden light seemed to cascade along the enigmatic patterns etched into the sword tip.

Ye Xuan pocketed the sword tip, tucking it close to his heart. Whether it was a Divine Weapon or not, since it had come into his view, it was destiny. Thus, this sword tip now belonged to him, he affirmed inwardly.

Exiting the valley, Ye Xuan set his sights on the inner area of the herbal garden, having lost interest in the elixirs of the outer area.

Only within the inner area could he harvest higher-grade Mana Herbs. At this critical juncture of his advancement, he required more top-grade Mana Herbs.

Only with these could he amass the spiritual energy needed for his breakthrough.