Morning sunlight filtered through the towering trees of the Magic Beast Mountain Range, scattering golden patches across the forest floor.
The temporary camp had already awakened.
Mercenaries sharpened their weapons while others prepared breakfast over crackling fires.
The familiar smell of roasted meat mixed with damp earth and medicinal herbs, creating an atmosphere that had slowly become routine over the past few days.
Xiao Feng sat beneath a broad tree, a thick medicinal text resting across his knees.
Rather than cultivating, he quietly compared several illustrations inside the book with a handful of herbs gathered the previous afternoon.
Every few moments he would lift one leaf, examine its veins, then jot a few notes onto a blank sheet of paper.
To many cultivators, it was a complete waste of time.
To him, it was fascinating.
A herb’s appearance often revealed far more than its description.
The Little Fairy Doctor walked over carrying a woven basket filled with fresh plants.
Seeing the small pile of notes beside Xiao Feng, she couldn’t help smiling.
“You’ve been sitting here since dawn.”
Without looking up, Xiao Feng answered, “I noticed something strange.”
“Oh?”
She crouched beside him.
“What kind of discovery?”
Instead of answering immediately, Xiao Feng held up two nearly identical herbs.
“They’re recorded as the same medicinal ingredient.”
She nodded.
“They are.”
“But they shouldn’t be.”
Her expression became curious.
“Why?”
Xiao Feng placed both herbs side by side.
“The veins are different.”
She leaned closer.
Only after several careful seconds did she notice the tiny distinction.
One leaf contained faint silver lines hidden beneath the surface.
The other did not.
“…I’ve never noticed that.”
“Neither had I.”
Xiao Feng smiled.
“But if nature bothers making such a difference, perhaps it serves a purpose.”
The Little Fairy Doctor remained silent.
She had gathered herbs for years.
Yet she had never questioned why those tiny differences existed.
Perhaps because every medical text simply described them as identical.
Xiao Feng chuckled softly.
“I could be completely wrong.”
“But if no one asks the question, no one will ever discover the answer.”
Not far away, Xiao Yan was experiencing a far less peaceful morning.
A heavy black ruler crashed into the ground with a loud boom, scattering dirt in every direction.
“You relied on brute force again.”
Yao Lao’s calm voice echoed from the ring.
Xiao Yan wiped the sweat from his forehead.
“It almost worked.”
“It almost injured you.”
“…That’s a minor detail.”
Yao Lao snorted.
“The dead often think that.”
Xiao Yan sighed.
Ever since leaving the hidden cave, his teacher had become even stricter.
Every stance.
Every movement.
Every breath.
Nothing escaped criticism.
Still…
The results were undeniable.
Compared to only a month ago, his control over Dou Qi had improved tremendously.
The old alchemist watched silently before finally nodding.
“Again.”
Xiao Yan groaned.
“I knew you were going to say that.”
Later that afternoon, Xiao Feng wandered deeper into the surrounding forest.
He wasn’t searching for treasures.
Nor was he looking for magical beasts.
He simply wanted to observe the environment without the noise of the camp.
The deeper he walked, the quieter the forest became.
Birdsong echoed through the trees while distant streams murmured somewhere beyond the hills.
Eventually he stopped beside a weathered stone covered in moss.
A tiny flower had somehow rooted itself inside a narrow crack.
The sight made him pause.
Most people would never notice it.
Yet the flower had survived despite growing from solid rock.
No fertile soil.
Very little water.
Almost no sunlight.
Still…
It bloomed.
A faint smile appeared on Xiao Feng’s face.
“Interesting.”
Cultivators often spoke about defying the heavens.
Perhaps nature itself had been doing that all along. The source of this chapter is g.com.
That evening the camp grew lively once more.
Several mercenaries gathered around the fire, laughing as they exaggerated stories from previous expeditions.
Others cleaned weapons or treated minor injuries before resting.
The Little Fairy Doctor quietly distributed medicine as usual.
When she finally finished, she noticed Xiao Feng still writing inside his notebook.
“You really write everything down.”
He looked up.
“If I rely on memory alone, eventually I’ll convince myself I discovered things I never actually observed.”
She blinked.
“…That’s surprisingly wise.”
He laughed.
“Or maybe I’m just forgetful.”
She laughed as well.
For a brief moment, neither mentioned cultivation.
Nor hidden inheritances.
Nor dangerous futures.
They simply spoke like two ordinary people sitting around a campfire after a long day’s work.
It was…
comfortable.
Far more comfortable than either expected.
Hidden within the black ring, Yao Lao silently observed the distant scene.
His gaze lingered on Xiao Feng.
Again.
The boy still puzzled him.
Most geniuses pursued strength.
Others chased fame.
Some desired power.
Xiao Feng seemed more interested in asking questions nobody else cared about.
It was…
unusual.
The old alchemist slowly closed his eyes.
“Strange child…”
Yet despite his words, the corners of his mouth lifted ever so slightly.
For the first time in many years, someone had reminded him that cultivation wasn’t merely about becoming stronger.
Sometimes…
It began with curiosity.
As the night deepened, Xiao Feng closed his notebook and looked toward the countless stars above the mountain range.
Each day here had changed something.
Not only the future.
But himself.
Perhaps the greatest treasures hidden inside the Magic Beast Mountain Range weren’t ancient inheritances or precious techniques.
Perhaps…
They were simply new ways of seeing the world.