Chapter 5 – Hiking in Beast Laden Mountains is Very Refreshing

The seven days of refinement were over, and the grass sword was ready. The edges were sharp, and the little wisps of qi Ren had, could travel through the channels to reinforce the blade and its edges. He was now also free to cultivate as he pleased. However, Ren had other immediate plans. He had talked with Bao Hua, and they both had decided to work together to earn contribution points by gathering herbs in the mountains.

Ren had found enough information about where they could find the crystal snowflowers. Their expedition should be very profitable. He knew it was the right season and had found potential locations where they were likely to grow. From discussing with the seniors at the Hall of Contribution, he knew that nobody was aiming for it at the moment, but that could change soon.

Harvesting and selling what spirit vegetables Ren hadn’t eaten or preserved for himself had barely earned him half a spirit stone. He used that to buy supplies for the trip, like some medicines, a simple hunting bow, and some incense to light at night, which would encourage beasts to stay away. They wouldn’t be very effective, but something was better than nothing.

Bao Hua would also be bringing salt and preserving herbs for any meat they hunted. Ren gathered his preparations and went to meet Bao Hua. They would be heading for the central area before looping down to the south and then heading back. It should take around 10 days, leaving them a few days to recover before the next class.

Ren was in high spirits. He had constantly been told that cultivation was a matter of fate and luck and was eager to test it himself. He was confident that they would find the required ten crystal snowflowers for their task to be marked a success. There may be no penalty, but they would get far fewer points for bringing less than that. He also hoped to encounter areas rich in qi, which would be better environments to cultivate than his courtyard.

“Hey there, Brother Ren! Are you ready?”

“May the heavens watch over us, Brother Hua!”

The mountains past the sect gates were considered wild. Apparently that was by design because farmed beasts and herbs tended to be drastically worse than those that were wild and natural. There were no shortcuts to cultivation.

Even the air seemed different to Ren. He led them on the planned route to the valley at the edge of the area considered central and the east, where the main sect was. It should have the right conditions for the flowers. Overhead they saw other sect members flying past on their flying swords. That would be possible once they reached the foundation establishment realm, and Ren could only dream of one day feeling the freedom and reach being able to fly would give him.

Along the way they often spotted smaller animals, and Ren’s reading even let him identify and gather some common herbs that could be useful. It took them 3 days to hike, and that was at their fastest speed. Truly the Heavenly Sword Sect was huge, and the mountains it laid claim to were even larger. They took turns standing watch at night, and Ren left the cooking to Hua, though he tried his best to memorize Hua’s methods, for the food definitely tasted better than his attempts.

When they finally crested the valley and the small mountain pond came into view, Ren knew they were in luck. As they got closer, he confirmed they had found what they were looking for. 7 tiny white flowers that reflected the light of the day in shimmering patterns. He and Hua looked excitedly at each other and then got to work. They carefully harvested the flowers and preserved them in a box that Ren had prepared. He had found a formation that would help maintain the spiritual efficacy of the contents and had engraved it in advance.

Hopefully at the second or third location he had marked out, they would find more than the required flowers and earn a bonus. They rested that night, and Ren cultivated. The qi in this valley was definitely richer than in his courtyard, and he felt that it was more effective. There were more wisps of qi now in his dantian. He practiced once more in the morning and then set off. They would be travelling along the edge of the central regions, as those were still too dangerous for them.

As they headed south, they started to encounter more dangerous beasts, such as a leaf python and one particularly vicious bird that Ren couldn’t identify. Hua, who hadn’t begun cultivating yet, would be defending his back, and it was up to Ren to face the beasts. Fortunately, his past training and hunting experience let him overcome them. He attempted to harvest what he could but didn’t know what was valuable. His qi sensing wasn’t strong enough to let him identify the best parts. So he took some feathers from the bird and the fangs from the python. The meat was packaged up and slowly consumed as they hiked to the second spot over 2 days. Though they weren’t as fresh as when they started, the meat from the beasts contained more qi, which helped rejuvenate them.