Chapter 6: Departure, Soul Power Level Nine
At night, the wooden house glowed with lamplight.
Ding!『Grade-4 Clear Spirit Grass』: Contains the bloodline of the Clear Spirit King. Consuming it can enhance the soul power of low-level soul masters.
Ding!『Grade-4 Clear Spirit Grass』: A rare medicinal herb. Its medicinal energy is so abundant that it overflows. Consuming it can enhance a soul master's power and somewhat accelerate the cultivation of guardian soul beasts.
...
Ding!『Grade-5 Clear Spirit Grass』: A rare spiritual herb that absorbs the energy of heaven and earth. Consuming it can enhance a soul master's power.
...
"Phew, finally done!"
The young man's face was radiant, a bright smile spreading across it.
In his hands, he held a miraculous plant. Its leaves were pure white and translucent, with divine light flowing through blue veins. The surrounding air seemed to be drawn toward it, forming vortex-like currents.
『Grade-8 Clear Spirit Grass』: An extremely rare spiritual herb that breathes the energy of heaven and earth. Consuming it can greatly enhance a soul master's power and accelerate the absorption rate of spiritual energy by their martial soul.
"Thankfully, the synthesized stuff doesn't develop sentience. Otherwise, if I got killed by a plant, I'd be the laughingstock of the ages."
His gaze landed on three now-empty large wooden crates, and Su Ye couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth.
He had emptied the entire medicinal shop in Luocheng, buying two thousand ordinary Clear Spirit Grasses, and only managed to synthesize a single Grade-8 one.
Grade-9?
Without a base of tens of thousands, you wouldn't even see a splash.
As for Immortal-grade...
That was pure fantasy.
The higher the grade, the more buffs needed to stack—and each one had to be maxed individually.
Grade-8 required attributes like:A trace of… a sliver of… a small amount… containing… a rich imperial bloodline…
To reach Grade-9, it was an even steeper climb.
After so many synthesis attempts, Su Ye was keenly aware of the increasing difficulty. Taking shortcuts had become trickier—but it wasn't the end of the world.
"Maybe I should… test the effect first?"
Though Su Ye hesitated with his words, his actions showed none of it.
Swoosh!He stuffed the Grade-8 Clear Spirit Grass into his mouth in one big bite and began chewing enthusiastically.
Hunting soul beasts and obtaining soul rings—he needed to head north.
The north led toward the Star Dou Great Forest, where medicinal herbs were more plentiful.
He couldn't wait a moment longer!
Chomp~Chomp~The juice of the Clear Spirit Grass had a faint fishy taste, oddly refreshing and mind-clearing. Despite the bad flavor, Su Ye forced it down with a gulp.
Whoosh—A drifting wave of clear spiritual energy rose from his chest, making his lungs feel especially comfortable, like inhaling pure oxygen.
Immediately afterward, a cool, gentle energy spread from his abdomen.
This energy wasn't fierce; rather, it was incredibly soft and light—like a silk veil brushing across his chest.
"No idea how many levels this will raise…"
Su Ye immediately summoned his martial soul, allowing both body and spirit to absorb the incoming energy.
His Ironfeather Hawk, once pure black, now had shimmering multicolored feathers due to the fusion of rare metals.
By flickering candlelight, a ripple of colorful waves seemed to shimmer around it—dreamlike and captivating.
...
That night, he only slept four hours.
Afraid that the old man would be overcome with sorrow, Su Ye woke while it was still dark and packed his things quietly.
He didn't take much.
A backpack carrying clothes and daily items slung over his shoulder, a long sword at his waist, and Su Ye gently pushed open the wooden door.
Before he could step out, two large baskets at the doorstep caught his eye—both filled to the brim with herbs. On top of them lay a bow and a quiver of arrows.
"This…"
Frozen like he'd been hit by a binding spell, Su Ye's foot hung mid-air.
After a moment,
He picked up the bow, gently pulled the string, and the perfectly tuned tension stirred something in his heart.
He knew Old Tom could make bows and arrows. A weapon enthusiast himself, Su Ye had begged him countless times to make one—but the old man always refused, saying it was too dangerous.
Su Ye had given up.
He never imagined the old man would secretly make one for him.
"A surprise just for me, huh?"
Su Ye let out a deep sigh, emotions welling up inside. He understood what the old man meant.
But he… really was leaving.
Casting a glance at the dark, silent village, Su Ye paused in thought, then walked over and pulled out a cylindrical object from a large jar.
He placed it on the stone table in the courtyard.
"After all the trouble I've caused… might as well go all in."
Su Ye grinned and rubbed his nose. Then, from his waist, he pulled out a flint.
Snap!A spark flew out, igniting a long, thin fuse.
Su Ye jumped onto the ox cart and fled the scene at top speed.
"Old man, I'm off!"
BOOM!A massive yellow firework exploded across the sky.
The entire village was jolted awake by the noise.
On the cart, the boy waved the bow and arrows in farewell, shaking them in the air as a last goodbye.
From a courtyard, a kindly old man watched the scene with reddening eyes.
But hearing the neighbor's child wailing from the noise, he couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth and quietly returned indoors.
"That little rascal… still causing trouble even as he leaves~"
BOOM!BOOM!
Brilliant fireworks burst in clusters, lighting up the night sky and illuminating the courtyard.
They also lit up the muddy road ahead.
...
All the way north.
Following the directions on his map, Su Ye arrived at a small town called "Qingshan," the closest settlement to the Star Dou Great Forest.
Compared to other towns along the way, this one was clearly different. The streets were full of stalls selling soul beast furs, weapons, insect repellents, and more.
It was obvious this town existed entirely thanks to its proximity to the Star Dou Great Forest.
Su Ye didn't rush onward. The Grade-8 Clear Spirit Grass had worked quite well—but unfortunately, it still hadn't pushed him past Level 10.
Right now, his soul power was stuck precisely at Level 9. Even if he entered the Star Dou Great Forest, he couldn't yet obtain a soul ring.
He found a wooden plank and wrote in large characters, quietly propping it up next to his ox cart, waiting for the herbs to come to him.
Urgent Need!
—Massive purchase of Clear Spirit Grass, Three-Flower Fruit, Phoenix Tear Grass—
Before long, a group of merchants, drawn by the scent of money, gathered around.
"Young man, what price are you offering for Clear Spirit Grass?"
Su Ye covered his mouth and coughed rapidly like someone with lung disease, holding up a finger as he said hoarsely, "One Clear Spirit Grass… one copper soul coin."
The crowd instantly burst into an uproar.
"What? One coin?"
"Boss, are you sure it's one coin per plant, not per pound?"
"Yeah, you're not messing with us, right?"
"..."
"I've got some! I've got Clear Spirit Grass!"
A small vendor eagerly raised a bag of Clear Spirit Grass, ready to be the first to take the plunge.
Right in front of everyone, Su Ye handed over a silver soul coin and completed the deal.
Watching the bright silver coin change hands, the surrounding stall owners nearly went green with envy.
Clear Spirit Grass could barely soothe a sore throat or help with mild breathing issues. It was practically useless—one plant wasn't worth even a copper soul coin.
This was like money falling from the sky!
Faced with overwhelming temptation, the crowd surged forward, all scrambling to sell their Clear Spirit Grass.
In just one hour, Su Ye had bought an entire cartload of Clear Spirit Grass and several dozen Three-Flower Fruits.
On his journey, he relied on synthesis—buying ordinary herbs in one city and selling higher-grade ones in the next—to accumulate a large pouch of gold soul coins, which was now visibly shrinking.
Su Ye stopped the purchasing in time.
As he watched the merchants walk away laughing with their money, Su Ye's lips curled into a vivid, satisfied smile.
He didn't know whether those folks had actually made a profit.
But as for him—
This round was definitely a huge win!
(End of Chapter)