Jing Yi hurried further ahead and picked some more herbs. Approximately in the middle of the grove, he even found some shrubbery that was growing bright red fruits. His eyes lit up and he wanted to pluck some but just before his fingers reached it he paused. He suddenly had to think of the fruit of the Beguiling Night Tree and what had happened after eating it. It couldn't be … that he would once again be faced with something like that?
He hesitated but finally still took some. This wasn't the Beguiling Night Tree. It wasn't any kind of tree. It was just some shrub with a few spiritual fruits. Most likely nothing was strange about them. Even if it was, that was something that even people who weren't alchemists would know. He just had to ask Yu Jin and then he would know whether or not he could eat them.
Jing Yi carried the things he found back to the edge of the grove where Yu Jin was still sitting on the ground with his eyes closed, seemingly meditating. Seeing him like that Jing Yi wasn't sure what to do. Should he tell him that he was back? But that would disturb him and he was already enough of a burden to Yu Jin. He didn't want to make it even worse.
In the end, Jing Yi just sat down a little distance from Yu Jin and sorted through his spoils again. It wasn't actually that much since he wouldn't have been able to carry them anyway and also didn't know too many herbs yet. But it was still great to see them in reality.
He put them down next to him and picked them up one by one to have a closer look. He didn't know much about spiritual fruits but had seen some before when he was traveling with Qiu Ling. The red one he had found now hadn't been among them though. He definitely had to wait for Yu Jin to stop cultivating before he could ask about them.
Jing Yi put the fruit back and picked up the Golden Teardrop Flower. Even now that he looked at it more closely, he still couldn't feel any spiritual energy inside. It really was just like a regular flower. So how was it able to cure wounds? Or maybe that was just a rumor? Jing Yi furrowed his brow. He had no way to make sure if it was. In the end, he just didn't know enough about alchemy yet.
He could only sigh and put the flower next to the fruits. Well, as long as Yu Jin was still cultivating he might just as well use the time to absorb the spiritual energy from the Blue-Patterned Shadow Fern and the Crystal Grass. After all, he wouldn't just be able to take a break once they continued toward the mountains. So this was probably the last opportunity he'd have for a while.
Jing Yi picked up some stalks of Crystal Grass first. After all, the spiritual energy inside was the lowest. It probably wouldn't make any difference since he had already attained the root stage and this was clearly something that could only help a cultivator in the seed stage break through but alchemy was something that shouldn't be rushed and cultivation was probably the same. So, taking some small steps first before taking some larger ones should be the right way to go about this.
Jing Yi closed his eyes and gently held the first stalk. Each of them had five leaves and it was only a bit larger than his hands. The smooth surface was something he hadn't felt before on any of the herbs he had worked with in the Hei Dian Sect. The name 'Crystal Grass' probably wasn't without reason. Even disregarding the translucent leaves it actually even felt a bit like a stone. A very smooth stone …
Jing Yi slowly opened his eyes again and sighed. Thinking of stones made him remember that Jade Gathering Beast that was the cause of them being trapped. Really, how had something like that been able to happen?
Opposite from Jing Yi, Yu Jin slowly cracked his eyes open and observed him. It was obvious that Jing Yi's mind was in no state for him to cultivate. Normally, that was something to be happy about but … he still had to take in some spiritual energy if he wasn't even able to eat.
Yu Jin sighed and completely opened his eyes. "Junior Martial Brother, it's good that you found something but you also have to calm your mind. Otherwise, these herbs won't be of use to you and might even harm you if you try to take in their energy."
Jing Yi nodded. "I know. It's just … I can't stop thinking about it. Have you never experienced something like that?"
Yu Jin wanted to negate but halted in the last moment. Had he really never experienced that? Then what did he want to call his state in the last few years in the Yun Zou Sect? Actually, even though he seemed calm on the outside he knew that it was looking different inside of him. His thoughts had circled around the things he thought to see again and again. If he still had to cultivate, then that kind of state would have been fatal. Thankfully, he had already ascended.
"I guess everyone has that kind of time someday."
"Then … how did you overcome it?" Jing Yi listened attentively. Now he had the rare chance to learn something about cultivation from his senior! Being trapped in this realm really was a blessing in disguise!
Leng Jin Yu didn't answer though. What was he supposed to say? If he hadn't left the Yun Zou Sect, then he would certainly still see those things and think about them. In fact, hadn't he thought of them just when Jing Yi entered the grove?
His lips tightened imperceptibly. If he was honest, then it really was a bit pathetic. He had actually felt a kind of loss when he didn't see those memories anymore.
If he stayed in this secret realm, then would he be forever unable to find out what or who had been missing from them?