Qian Ye watched as the elder, holding a medicine basket, turned to leave, and couldn’t help but ask, “Elder Lu, are there other places where Xingying Wood can be found?”
“In the forests and the Qingcang Mountains, you can occasionally find wild Xingying Wood. However, the wild variety is more potent and more dangerous. Moreover, fierce beasts often nest near the Xingying Wood, so although it is sometimes found, the yield is unstable. Some years may produce more, while others may yield less.”
As they spoke, the two of them came to another fenced-off herb garden. The soil in this garden was entirely black, mixed with various colored pebbles. Clumps of weeds grew inside, looking no different from those found on the mountains and in the forests outside.
The elder, knowing that Qian Ye did not understand, pointed out, “These are not ordinary weeds, but Tiejian Gray Silk Grass. You can see rust marks on the edges of the leaves and a gray line on the underside. That’s the distinguishing feature. Of course, before a hundred years ago, it was just a type of weed within the Great Vortex.”
This weed could occupy such a large area because of its extraordinary use. According to the elder, it was one of the main ingredients for top-tier military recovery potions. Before his confrontation with Luo Bingfeng, Qian Ye had received a top-grade recovery potion and a revival potion.
Tiejian Gray Silk Grass was not irreplaceable, but when added in sufficient quantities to the formula, it significantly enhanced the potency of the recovery potion, which was how the ultra-effective recovery potion was created. Because the scope of use for recovery potions far exceeded that of revival potions, the consumption was much greater. In a certain sense, the strategic value of Tiejian Gray Silk Grass was not much less than that of Xingying Wood. However, Xingying Wood was a lifeline for top-tier powerhouses and was also much rarer.
Qian Ye had indeed seen this herb before, and it was quite common. However, it was only common in the tenfold gravity zone, and by the time one reached the eightfold gravity zone, it had already disappeared. To transplant it here, aside from the predecessor who discovered and established the Tiansun Grass Field with incredible means, it was also due to the unique environment of the Tiansun Grass Field. The stones scattered on the ground were actually necessary materials for the growth of Tiejian Gray Silk Grass.
The elder walked around the herb garden, occasionally picking a few herbs, and finally bundled them together, tossing them to Qian Ye.
Such a small bundle of herbs could barely fit into Anduaya’s space.
That was enough for now; the real pain was yet to come—the pain of having too many resources and having to make difficult choices. Xingying Wood and Tiejian Gray Silk Grass were at least somewhat close to mass production, but what followed were many resources with strange uses, yet of no less value.
For example, several large beehives hanging on trees, it was said that the honey produced inside, if consumed regularly, could enhance vision. If eaten for two or three years, it might even unlock innate abilities like dim light vision. Seeing in the dark had always been a weakness for humans. Qian Ye himself had the bloodline ability of True Vision, so he didn’t need it. But for ordinary powerhouses, it was a very practical ability.
There were also a few ancient vines wrapped around a hundred-meter-tall tree. It was said that these vines had been planted here when the Tiansun Grass Field was first established. By cutting a few small incisions on these vines, the sap that flowed out was used as an ingredient in various potions. In fact, this sap itself was a kind of antidote, particularly effective against many toxins found in the Great Vortex.
After entering the Great Vortex, the most striking thing for Qian Ye was the poison. From the purple venom used by the woman when picking Suishui Lotus, to the insect venom on the cliffs of the Qingcang Mountains, and even the domineering toxicity of the Xingying Fruit, and even the white fog of the Four-armed Woman, all could be considered poisons. Both the Evernight and Imperial powerhouses appeared extremely vulnerable here.
Outside the Great Vortex, powerhouses had origin force to protect their bodies, making them highly resistant to toxins. Only the spider demon’s own poison could be considered highly toxic. However, within the Great Vortex, it seemed that one could encounter fatal poisons everywhere, and many of them even Qian Ye could not resist.
With the sap of these ancient vines, it was much safer within the Great Vortex.
In addition, beside the flowing spring from the stone wall, there grew wildflowers resembling hanging bells. When these wildflowers were dried, they could be made into a special catalyst. After adding this catalyst, the effectiveness of a series of Empire’s recovery and stimulant potions would significantly increase.
There were many more such resources, too numerous to list.
After walking around, Qian Ye recognized dozens of various medicinal resources. There was even an open-air ore vein within the Tiansun Grass Field. However, this ore vein was not for mining but for using its magnetic field and special accompanying minerals to transplant medicinal plants that could not originally grow here.
Seeing so many resources, even Qian Ye, who knew nothing about alchemy, realized their immense value. The Song Clan’s wealth, rivaling nations, was not without reason. However, the key was that not every time the Great Vortex opened could the Song Clan successfully send people in and out. The last time, the person from the Song Clan did not even make it alive to the Tiansun Grass Field. Even if someone came, what they could take away was very limited.
Thus, over a century, the Tiansun Grass Field had accumulated a vast amount of resources. It was not just priceless; each step was worth gold. Some herb fields, due to being left unharvested, had generations of herbs wither and new ones grow, accumulating unknown amounts of medicinal properties in the soil. Even a wild weed could become a precious herb.
The thing that left Qian Ye speechless the most was a tree called Purple Scale Fir. The bark of this tree could be used as medicine, and it inherited the characteristic of the Great Vortex, which was potent medicinal properties. But the most valuable part was its wood. The wood was light yet tough, with strength comparable to the trees in high-gravity zones, yet extremely light, making it an excellent material for building floating warships. Additionally, it had the effect of activating vitality, meaning that wounds would heal much faster inside a warship made of Purple Scale Fir.
The value of Purple Scale Fir went without saying, but what surprised Qian Ye was its quantity. The elder pointed to a continuous, endless forest stretching to the hillside outside the valley, saying, “This is the Purple Scale Fir Forest. Take as much as you want.”
Upon arriving at the Tiansun Grass Field, Qian Ye realized how small Anduaya’s space was. He wished he could take a little of everything, but in reality, besides Xingying Wood and Tiejian Gray Silk Grass, he could not take anything else. Every item left in Anduaya’s space had a purpose.
After taking Qian Ye around the Tiansun Grass Field, the elder pointed to the Dongyue sword and said, “This sword looks familiar to me. Can I borrow it for a look?”
Naturally, Qian Ye had no reason to refuse and handed over the Dongyue sword.
The elder took the Dongyue, and his hand immediately sank. His expression changed several times before he managed to hold it steadily. The Tiansun Grass Field was located in the center of the Qingcang Mountains, not far from the central region, and the gravity here was twice that of the Empire. The Dongyue was extremely heavy here. This weapon was no longer something ordinary powerhouses could wield. Although the elder’s origin force cultivation was strong, his strength was not enough to wield the Dongyue smoothly.
The elder looked at Qian Ye and then held the Dongyue in front of him, carefully examining it. This time, however, he lost his composure and pondered for a long time before saying, “If my old eyes have not failed me, this sword should be the work of an old friend, but the forging technique is quite novel. There are parts I cannot understand. If it is convenient, could you tell me the origin of this sword?”
Qian Ye nodded and recounted how he obtained the Dongyue.
After listening, the elder was silent for a long time before sighing, “After all these years, he still cannot get over this emotional barrier. Forget it, forget it. Now we are both old, with little time left. What’s the point of talking about him?”
Qian Ye was curious but thought it might be a matter of the older generation’s privacy and did not press further.
The elder sat down on a rock and pointed to another, saying, “Sit down.”
Once Qian Ye sat down, the elder took off the gourd from his waist, drank a few large gulps, and then handed it to Qian Ye, saying, “There’s not much left of this. It’s not easy to drink outside, so try a sip.”
As soon as the stopper was removed, a strong smell of alcohol wafted out. Just the smell of the wine made Qian Ye feel a bit dizzy, indicating how strong it was. He took the gourd, thought for a moment, and then drank a large mouthful. Surprisingly, the wine was smooth and very comfortable going down.
Qian Ye looked at the gourd, unsure if he should drink more. After just one sip, he already felt a bit lightheaded. The strength of the wine was like fire, quickly igniting Qian Ye’s entire body. Wherever the heat flowed, thin strands of origin force were generated, merging with Qian Ye’s own origin force. This newly generated origin force was very pure and could be refined into Dawn Origin Force with a little effort, and its quality was much higher than the void origin force absorbed through the Tai Xuan Battle Art.
The elder smiled and said, “You can drink it all. I’ve brewed this wine for fifty years, and now only this little remains. I am old now, and drinking more is useless. If you don’t drink it, you might never have the chance again.”
Experiencing the effects of the wine, Qian Ye asked, “Can this wine increase one’s origin force cultivation?”
The elder replied, “It only accelerates the absorption of origin force. However, the origin force absorbed after drinking this wine is extremely pure, saving a lot of refining effort.”
That the wine had such a miraculous effect was truly unbelievable. No longer hesitant, Qian Ye finished the remaining wine in one gulp.
After two large sips, Qian Ye felt a familiar sense of floating, and his consciousness became more fluid and harder to control.
The elder sighed, “Anyway, that little girl will need some time to recover. If you don’t mind, listen to this old man ramble about some trivial matters. If I don’t say it now, I might never get the chance again.”
“The one who forged the Dongyue was my own brother. Originally, we both had our strengths: I excelled in medicine, and he in forging weapons. We lived this way for decades. Unexpectedly, after reaching fifty, he suddenly met the person he once loved. But the young maiden was now the Empress Consort of the Empire. Just one meeting, and it became his downfall. Despite my advice, he joined the Song Clan, just to be able to see her from a distance.”
At this point, the elder sighed, “He was originally more talented than I, but after encountering this emotional barrier, he stagnated. In the art of forging, he made no further progress. He always felt that he had just become foolish, or perhaps his talent had reached its limit, not realizing that hesitating in the face of love, he no longer had the sharpness to forge something that no one else could.”
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