Zhang Chu made up his mind. He had to help Tong Qingshan break through the limit of his six Life Wells, no matter the cost.
And so, Zhang Chu mused aloud, "The path of cultivation is a road of constantly breaking one's own shackles."
"Sometimes, when your own power reaches its limit, you need to supplement it with external power, essence, or even various treasures to achieve a breakthrough."
"Do you need medicinal herbs?" Tong Qingshan asked at once.
Zhang Chu nodded. "That's right."
Then, Zhang Chu said thoughtfully, "The Dragon Scale Orchid. Do you remember that precious herb?"
The moment he heard the name, Tong Qingshan's eyes widened. "Sir, is that the herb guarded by the Great Horned Python? You told me to keep an eye on it before. I've long since committed it to memory."
Zhang Chu nodded. "That's the one!"
In Yaoxu, the medicinal properties of various herbs were different.
Some herbs, after being picked and processed in a certain way, could be preserved for a long time. These could be harvested in advance and kept as reserves.
But there were also some herbs whose medicinal properties were lost very quickly after being picked.
For these herbs that lost their properties quickly, Zhang Chu had asked Tong Qingshan to record their locations.
The Dragon Scale Orchid was one such precious herb, its properties fading extremely fast.
Whenever there was a precious herb, there was bound to be a monster or a Great Demon guarding it nearby.
Guarding the Dragon Scale Orchid was a monstrous python.
At this, Tong Qingshan said, "That Great Horned Python is terrifying. Its body is thicker than an elephant, and it usually coils itself on the peak of Mangdang Mountain. All the wild beasts in the area dare not make a sound. It's the king of this mountain range."
Zhang Chu looked outside the small village. "Things have been a bit calmer outside these past few days. We can avoid the battles between outsiders or Great Demons and try to get the Dragon Scale Orchid."
"We can go out?" Tong Qingshan was overjoyed.
For over a month, the Hunting Team had been cooped up in the small village, constantly cultivating and taking medicine. They were going stir-crazy.
But the Hunting Team was very obedient to Zhang Chu and the Old Village Chief. Without their permission, no one dared to venture out.
Now that he heard Zhang Chu talk about going out to gather herbs, Tong Qingshan was naturally delighted.
Zhang Chu said softly, "It's also time to test the results of your cultivation."
They spent two full days preparing before deciding to set out.
Before the Old Jujube Tree, the Old Village Chief prayed earnestly, hoping the tree would bless them and ensure their safe return.
"Qing Shan, this is Sir's first time going out. No matter what happens, you must protect him. Do you understand?" The Old Village Chief had already reminded him no less than ten times.
This time, Zhang Chu was also going out with the Hunting Team.
Originally, everyone had disagreed, afraid that some accident might befall Zhang Chu.
However, the Dragon Scale Orchid was a very special herb. Unless Zhang Chu personally went to guide its picking, anyone else who went would inevitably make a mistake.
The part of the Dragon Scale Orchid that could be used as medicine was its leaves.
It had twenty-three leaves, each with a different shape and color, and they would alternate and change, making it mysterious and unpredictable.
Of these twenty-three leaves, only one could be used as medicine.
Strangely, the usable leaf was different every two hours. For example, at noon, the medicinal leaf might be needle-shaped and white. But by the next period, it could be willow-shaped and golden-yellow. Get faster updates on novelping dot com.
Moreover, it had to be consumed immediately after being picked. Once the time passed, the spiritual herb would turn into a deadly poison.
The patterns governing this were recorded in *The Great Wilderness Scripture* and needed to be carefully noted.
Zhang Chu was literate, while the others were completely illiterate. Thus, Zhang Chu had to go along himself.
Furthermore, to put everyone at ease, Zhang Chu had effortlessly lifted a three-thousand-jin boulder. Only then did they stop trying to prevent him from going out.
This level of strength was already greater than that of many members of the Hunting Team.
Of course, everyone was still accustomed to seeing Zhang Chu as a frail scholar, terrified that he might come to any harm.
In the morning, the first rays of sunlight bathed Yaoxu. The distant mountains seemed to be draped in golden armor, looking magnificent and majestic.
Under the Old Jujube Tree, the Old Village Chief was seeing the two of them off.
At that moment, the Old Village Chief was giving them serious instructions:
"On this trip to Mangdang Mountain, you will pass several villages. Remember, do not hunt in their territories, and do not get into conflicts with them."
"If you run into them, be sure to explain things clearly. We of Zaoye Village do not cause trouble."
"Understood!" Tong Qingshan said.
Villages in Yaoxu were few and far between, and people rarely interacted. But certain rules still bound everyone.
For example, the most basic rule was not to hunt across borders. If discovered, it would lead to fights, and even bloodshed.
This outing was mainly to gather the Dragon Scale Orchid, so the hunting party didn't need many people.
Tong Qingshan, Zhang Chu, and two other strong young men made up the group of four, traveling light.
These two young men, one named Tong Qingyu and the other Gang Zi, were both skilled members of the Hunting Team.
Among them, Tong Qingyu used a bow and arrow. He had sharp eyes and a slender build, and was usually responsible for scouting, keeping watch, and hunting small animals for the team.
Gang Zi wielded a large hammer. He was short, only reaching Zhang Chu's chest, but he was built like a millstone and possessed immense strength.
Not long after leaving the village, Tong Qingyu, who was on lookout, had a sudden change in expression. He exclaimed, "Oh no, something's wrong with the place where we buried that female demon."
"Hmm?" The expressions of Zhang Chu and Tong Qingshan changed slightly.
Over a month ago, those three female demons had died in Zaoye Village.
This matter had been like a dark cloud, lingering in everyone's hearts.
Everyone understood that this incident must never be exposed.
And one of the female demons, because she had been "Corrupted," was buried outside the village.
If that female demon's body were discovered, it would mean big trouble!
"Let's go take a look!" Zhang Chu said.
The four of them cautiously approached the burial site. They stopped about thirty meters from the large pit.
"The soil is dry. This pit has been open for a long time," Zhang Chu said with a heavy heart.
Tong Qingshan said cautiously, "Qing Yu, Gang Zi, you two stay here and protect Sir. I'll go check it out myself."
"Alright!" The two young men flanked Zhang Chu, one facing forward and the other backward, protecting him.
Zhang Chu didn't refuse their good intentions. He just said to Tong Qingshan, "Be careful. If you run into trouble, retreat immediately."
"Mm." Tong Qingshan nodded solemnly, gripped his long spear, and carefully approached the pit. This story is hosted at g.com.
Finally, he reached the edge of the pit. His expression changed slightly, and he sucked in a cold breath. "Sir, there's no danger. Come and see."
Only then did Zhang Chu and the other two approach the edge. They saw that the pit was now bottomless, with a dark, eerie hole leading to an unknown destination.
And around the edge of this dark hole was some black substance. It looked disgusting, like the dried skin of weathered black slime.
Suddenly, a bizarre aura spread out from the dried skins.
The group felt as if the black substance had suddenly transformed into a strange eye, staring intently at them, as if trying to absorb their very souls.
Zhang Chu even felt his mind go into a daze, as if a black, demonic hand was reaching out from the substance to strangle him.
But in the next second, Tong Qingshan snorted coldly. "You're courting death!"
Immediately after, Tong Qingshan's abdomen glowed, and a golden Divine Pattern shot out, sweeping over the dried black skins.
*Pfft!* The dried skins instantly smoked and the bizarre aura vanished.
In that moment, the hearts of Zhang Chu and the other two pounded with fear!
"What the hell was that?" Gang Zi asked.
Tong Qingshan also looked at Zhang Chu, a look of confusion on his face. "Sir, what exactly is this Corruption? It's so uncanny! It was just some dried slime, yet it could attack people."
Zhang Chu took a deep breath and said softly, "Forget it. As long as her sect members didn't find it, we're fine. Let's fill this pit back in."
The four of them worked together to fill the pit before continuing on their way.
'I hope this strange stuff doesn't cause too much trouble,' Zhang Chu thought to himself.
"Mangdang Mountain is over a hundred li from here. It's all mountain paths and hard to travel. We have to get back to our village before dark, so we need to pick up the pace," Tong Qingshan said.
The four of them stopped dwelling on it and followed Tong Qingshan, moving quickly along a difficult path.
They didn't even spare a second glance at any prey they encountered.
All four were in excellent physical condition, and within an hour, they had already left Zaoye Village's hunting grounds.
"Ahead is the hunting ground of Shenshuitan Village. I've heard their Guardian Deity is a bottomless, frigid pool," Tong Qingshan explained to Zhang Chu as they walked.
Zhang Chu nodded. "I've heard a little about it."
In Yaoxu, anything from trees and strange rocks to unique pools could become a Guardian Deity.
Even some gentle Great Demons could become Guardian Deities.
For example, Zhang Chu had heard of a special city far away whose Guardian Deity was a white hedgehog.
At this point, Tong Qingyu added, "Shenshuitan Village is on friendly terms with us. There have been intermarriages. My mother is from Shenshuitan Village."
The group chatted as they walked.
Soon, Tong Qingshan said, "We're now on the outskirts of Yihu Mountain."
"A fearsome Silver Whisker Tiger resides within Yihu Mountain, but under normal circumstances, it doesn't roam this area."
"As far as I know, the hunting team from Shenshuitan Village also uses this as their main hunting ground. They can hunt some wild beasts here without disturbing that Silver Whisker Tiger."
To survive in Yaoxu, one had to know the habits of the surrounding creatures like the back of their hand. Otherwise, if something happened to the Hunting Team, the entire village would face annihilation.
But just then, a tiger's roar suddenly echoed from up ahead.
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