He looked at Yun Xiu walking in front of him.
"System, can you tell me more about the treasure herb we're here for?" he asked silently in his thoughts.
{To obtain additional information regarding a main objective, the fee is 200 energy points.}
"OK, just take it," he said, a pained expression crossing his face. He had been hoping to save energy points, but now 200 were spent in an instant.
{The treasure herb mentioned in the mission is called Moon Light Feather Leaf. It is said to be born after absorbing the power of the moon for 1000 years.
Its effects include accelerated cultivation speed, improved quality of Qi, enhanced clarity and focus, and the chance of acquiring astral projection.}
The information flooded his senses. Accelerated cultivation? Improved Qi? Astral projection? These benefits were enough to turn any mediocre cultivator into a prodigy.
If word of this herb's existence spread, a storm of powerful cultivators would descend upon this place.
His gaze flickered back to Yun Xiu. How did she know about it? Perhaps through her vast network of informants as a sect master.
A flicker of a darker thought crossed his mind. Maybe he could... No. Shame washed over him. Stealing from Yun Xiu, who had been nothing but kind and helpful, was unthinkable.
Yet, a disquieting realization settled in. These intrusive thoughts, the allure of power… they were becoming more frequent.
He slapped his cheek lightly, a jolt to clear his head. He needed to focus on the mission, to complete it with Yun Xiu. Stealing wasn't an option.
...
The sight that greeted the old man and his group was enough to send a jolt of shock through their veins.
A colossal prana beast lay sprawled lifelessly in the clearing, its once-formidable form now a mangled testament to a fierce battle.
"What in the heavens?" the old man gasped, his voice trembling slightly. A Tier 6 beast! He had anticipated a challenge, perhaps a Tier 4 or 5 at most, but this? This was extraordinary.
The prana beast forest in this area was known for its low concentration of high-tier beasts. A sighting of a Tier 3 or 4 was a rare occurrence, let alone a Tier 6.
He cautiously approached the carcass, his eyes scanning the surroundings for any signs of danger.
"The core is missing," he muttered with a deep sense of regret. A Tier 6 prana beast core was a treasure beyond measure, capable of financing a family for generations.
Its absence only fueled his curiosity – who could have taken down such a formidable creature, and for what purpose?
His gaze trailed over the ground, landing on a clear set of footprints leading away from the clearing. Just then, a youthful voice broke the silence. "Master, should we follow the trail?"
The old man turned to face a young man with an unassuming appearance.
Despite his average looks, this young man was already an Elementary Realm cultivator, reaching the impressive rank of 2.
The old man knew better than to be fooled by appearances. This young man's background held a power he couldn't fully grasp.
"No," the old man replied firmly, shaking his head. "The one who killed this beast is far beyond our capabilities.
A Tier 6 prana beast isn't something to trifle with. We wouldn't stand a chance against someone who could not only fight it but vanquish it entirely."
...
"Miss Yun, I think we should rest," he said. "Your body needs time to fully utilize the effects of the pill you took earlier."
She turned and looked directly into Hun Yu's face. Despite his half-burned appearance, she felt no disgust. She had seen worse conditions and it didn't seem to affect her.
Hun Yu also seemed unconcerned about his appearance. But since it was caused because of her, she felt she should compensate him in the future.
She nodded. He was right; she should take some rest to let the pill do its work.
Although on the surface it looked as if all the injuries were healed, there were still some internal injuries remaining.
She slowly sat near a tree.
A week passed as they ventured deeper and deeper into the forest. During this time, they did nothing but walk further into the depths.
They encountered many prana beasts, but Yun Xiu took care of them all.
Hun Yu turned around to look at the bag he was carrying, full of prana beast cores, he sighed. How rich could he become with this many cores?
Yun Xiu was alert all the time; nothing was certain here. It hadn't been a problem before, but now they were in the inner area of the forest.
There were many Tier 4-5 beasts here, and although they were no problem for her to handle, she still had this fox to protect. She glanced at the fox lying comfortably in her hands, its eyes open as if it enjoyed being carried by her.
And then there was Hun Yu. She had to protect both, which meant walking cautiously and always being on alert.
As they walked slowly and steadily, a big mountain appeared in their vision. The dense forest started to thin out, and suddenly they arrived at a cliff.
Hun Yu gazed at the beautiful scenery: clouds, big mountains, rivers. The sight was indescribable.
He took a deep breath of fresh air. "Hmm, the herb should mature soon on the day of the full moon, which is tomorrow," he heard Yun Xiu muttering to herself.
"Though the location is not clear, it should be on a mountain," she thought, as she looked straight at the largest mountain among the others.
If she had read the ancient text correctly, it should be on top of the biggest mountain, and that mountain was the largest.
Without telling Hun Yu, Yun Xiu looked around and found a small cave on the cliff. She grabbed Hun Yu by the collar of his clothes and flew into the cave.
As she entered, she dropped him on the ground. "You wait here till I return," she said. "I will set up a barrier in front of the cave for prana beasts," she added.
She looked at the fox lying comfortably in her arms and placed it on the ground. "You will stay with him," she said to the fox.
Although the fox didn't seem to understand, it sensed that Yun Xiu was about to leave. The fox did not waste a second and jumped onto her legs, using its small paws to lock her leg to prevent her from leaving.
But before the fox could do anything, Yun Xiu disappeared from sight.
The fox looked around but found no trace of Yun Xiu. Its gaze turned towards Hun Yu with a growl and went on alert.
Although it did not attack him, it sat in the corner of the cave, staring at him intensely. Hun Yu, who was still on the ground after being dropped by Yun Xiu, looked back at the big mountain.
He seemed to understand her reason: he would just hold her back and hinder her. So it was better to leave him here while she looked for the treasure, which would be faster.
He was not against it; it was just that the system clearly mentioned he had to assist or help Yun Xiu get the treasure herb. If he stayed here, then how could he do that? Wouldn't the mission be failed then?
He took another glance at the penalty for failure. No, he had to go.
He walked towards the exit of the cave. As he was about to step outside, a strong wind current hit him, pushing him back.
He looked down, goosebumps rising on his skin. Why was he so high up? This cave was in the middle of a sheer cliff.
How was he even supposed to get down? He couldn't fly, and he couldn't jump because he wasn't strong enough to survive the impact.
If he stayed here, he would die. If he tried to get out, there were chances of dying, and if he encountered some strong prana beast along the way, he would be done for real.
With hesitant steps, he slowly grabbed the rocks, trying to climb down. Staying here was certain death; he could try taking the risky way.
As he climbed a little down, he looked up and saw the fox looking down at him from the cave. He ignored it and continued to climb.
He did not expect the fox to suddenly jump down, landing directly on his shoulder. With the impact, he lost his grip on the stone and his balance. His eyes widened.
As he fell, he closed his eyes, cursing that damned fox. With a splash, he opened his eyes. "Wha…" he looked around, realizing he had landed in water.
He tried to breathe but, being underwater, he almost choked to death. Somehow, he managed to get to the surface. As he got out, he looked sideways and saw the fox also swimming out of the water.
Remembering the scene where the fox jumped on top of him, he took a deep breath and somehow managed to control himself from going directly into the water and beating this dumb fox. He walked towards the big mountain.
As the system described, the herb bathed under the moon, so it must be on the highest peak. As he walked, he noticed the fox following closely behind him.
He realized that walking would take too much time to reach the mountain. He increased his pace and started running.
He ran without stopping, even when his lungs screamed for him to stop. In about an hour, he arrived at the foot of the mountain.
As he arrived, Yun Xiu, who was standing at the foot of the enormous mountain, turned her gaze towards him in surprise.
He let out a sigh of relief before collapsing directly into her arms. With peace of mind, he closed his eyes.
Yun Xiu, confused, looked at him lying in her arms.
She could tell he was unconscious, but why did he run all the way here? Couldn't he have just waited? And how did he even get down from that height? Just before she could put Hun Yu down, she noticed another presence—a fox running toward her, wagging its tail.
She sighed. She would have to ask Hun Yu when he woke up why he was here.