Su Ming walked briskly through the rainforest after he left Fang Mu. His face was blank, and there was no hint of any change in his expression, betraying his emotions, but his heart remained highly cautious. If anything moved around him, he would immediately notice it.
In truth, he had not noticed that Fang Mu’s father had followed them. His words and actions were all for the sake of him avoiding trouble. When he was in Dark Mountain, he had encountered something similar.
At that time, he was facing Si Kong. Seeing only Si Kong then, he hadn’t considered whether a person with such a status would be able to leave the tribe alone after causing such a huge commotion under the eyes of the powerful Warriors in the tribe.
Only when the elder guided his thoughts did Su Ming see the things he had neglected. However, that was Dark Mountain. With the elder’s protection, he was not in too much trouble.
But he was in an unfamiliar place now. The elder was not here to protect him. He had to rely on himself for everything, no longer allowed to make the slightest mistake.
He might not have noticed anyone following behind Fang Mu, but there were too many suspicious things about this. With Su Ming’s intelligence, a few months were enough for him to a.n.a.lyse everything completely.
There was no way that a wounded boy who was only at the fifth level of the Blood Solidification Realm would be able to enter the rainforest alone during these months and then would remain safe every single time. Even if the boy wanted to come alone, his family would definitely notice it and follow him from the shadows. It was only logical for them to do so.
Also, the boy’s injuries had been slightly cured, and he was s.n.a.t.c.hed away by Su Ming while in the forest. Even if he had not said a word about it, his other tribe members who had followed him into the forest would definitely speak of it.
From all these clues, it was not hard to guess that someone was following Fang Mu, and their target was Su Ming himself. That was why Su Ming had only chosen to appear unhurriedly after a few months.
The extraordinary blade given to him by the boy made Su Ming even more certain that this Tranquil East Tribe was definitely not a small tribe, but a middle sized one.
It was impossible for a boy with such a high status in the tribe to come out alone.
Thus, Su Ming deduced that there was someone observing their conversation. The only reason they chose not to act rashly was because when Su Ming had taken the blade, he used the souls of the Wings of the Moon to show the power of burning flames, giving others the impression that he was at the Awakening Realm.
Besides, he also walked in the air with the souls of the Wings of the Moon and entered fine control with his mind to leave behind the mark on the tree while saying that it would stay for 15 breaths. All these served as a warning for those who saw it.
Su Ming wanted to make others hesitant to act by his warning. After all, all these were built on the premise that he could heal the boy’s injuries little by little. Under this premise, he had taken complete control of the situation. If he could also make others wonder about his power, then his chances of remaining safe would increase even more.
Su Ming looked composed. He did not immediately return to his cave, but chose to walk in circles around the area. Only when the sky became completely dark and the moon hung high in the sky was he certain that no one was following him. Only then did he return to his cave.
He sat down crossed-legged in the cave. Su Ming waved his right hand before himself, and the souls of the formless Wings of the Moon scattered, spreading outside the entrance of the cave. Over the past year, Su Ming had been using this method to be on guard against any possible accidents.
‘If all is well, then I can soon leave this place.’
A thoughtful look appeared in his eyes as Su Ming sat down. Once he thought about his actions, he immersed himself in circulating the Qi in his body. Gradually, blood-red light flashed on his body.
This sort of training and healing for a long period of time was dry and dull. Not everyone had the patience for it. Yet Su Ming gradually got accustomed to this life during this last year. He got used to being alone in the silent cave, not saying a word, and healing his wounds quietly.
He created South Asunder constantly and continuously consumed medicinal pills to heal his injuries, causing the internal wounds and injuries he sustained previously to slowly recover as time pa.s.sed by.
One month went past. A voice calling out to him appeared once again in the rainforest. This time Su Ming also made him wait for a few days before going to the boy without making a sound on one of the nights.
Once he healed Fang Mu and obtained the Cloud Gauze Gra.s.s he wanted, he once again made a request for another herb.
Fang Mu looked incredibly respectful. He practically fulfilled all of Su Ming’s requests, telling him most of the things that had happened within the three tribes during the past four weeks since they had last met, as long as they were not secrets. It allowed Su Ming to understand his surroundings more, including the unique Berserker Arts within the three tribes.
It allowed some form of groundwork for their trade after that.
There may have been a lot of herbs in the rainforest, but it was still difficult to collect all the necessary ingredients to create medicinal pills. Yet with Fang Mu around, Su Ming’s speed in creating the medicinal pills gradually increased.
He even managed to obtain Night Glitter Branch due to the tacit acceptance from Fang Mu’s father, who allowed Fang Mu to get those herbs from Han Mountain City to pay respect to Su Ming. He even started coming to the rainforest more often, bringing along with him certain basic necessities, like clothes that looked remarkable.
Fang Mu’s father was the one who had thought of the clothes. He reminded Fang Mu to prepare them, and he also took into account Su Ming’s habit of covering his face with the beast skin robe, hence most of the clothes he made Fang Mu bring were with a hood.
There were three sets in total. Sackcloth could not even begin to compare with them.
"Senior Mo, I had to spend a lot of effort to order these clothes from Han Mountain City. Within our tribe, only the Elder and the leaders can wear them," Fang Mu boasted about his attentiveness, which indeed made Su Ming grow more fond of him.
Yet because of his cautiousness, Su Ming still appeared irregularly every single time Fang Mu came to him, and never told him about the cave where he stayed.
Half a year pa.s.sed by just like that. Su Ming had now stayed in the forest for two whole years. His injuries had healed completely one month ago. The moment all 243 blood veins appeared, the incredible power of the seventh level of the Blood Solidification Realm erupted forth.
With the complete set of herbs, Su Ming also created a lot of Mountain Spirits. Once he ate them, it allowed his power to increase steadily once he recovered.
With enough medicinal pills, Su Ming started thinking. He had two types of pills in his hands now – Mountain Spirit and South Asunder.
Their numbers were not few. Su Ming had about a dozen of each. He looked at the medicinal pills in his hands and mulled over them for a moment before he made his decision.
‘I should go and see what would appear once I open the second door!’
Su Ming put the medicinal pills away and touched the black piece of debris hanging over his neck, which had accompanied him to this place.
The mysterious black piece of debris had provided Su Ming with multiple recipes to make several types of medicinal pills. It allowed his injuries to recover and his training speed to increase. He had now acc.u.mulated enough medicinal pills to open the second door.
Su Ming closed his eyes with determination. Using the previous way which had allowed him to enter the strange dimension, his entire body instantly let out a black light within the rather safe cave. The black light turned eerie and once it enveloped him, it gave off a brilliant flash, then disappeared without a trace along with Su Ming’s body.
It was still that place covered by fog. Su Ming soon got used to the dark. He charged forward through the fog, and soon saw the familiar mountain and the tunnel at the foot of the mountain in the fog.
He looked at the mountain without a sound and walked in. The pictures around him were the same. He went past the first door and before long arrived at the second door.
Like the last time when he had opened the first door, Su Ming took a few steps forward and brought out South Asunder and Mountain Spirit from his bosom, placing each individual pill into the small holes.
Once he placed all the medicinal pills into their rightful places, Su Ming took a few steps back and looked at the door carefully.
All the small holes on the door gradually gave off a strong light. As the light spread out, booming sounds echoed around them, creating a lot of echoes reverberating off the walls. Very soon, the second door slowly opened outwards. It started off with a mere slit before both sides of the door gradually opened with a bang, revealing the tunnel within.
Su Ming’s eyes were calm. He did not act rashly, but waited till the door was completely open. He looked inside and saw that the tunnel, the walls themselves, was giving off a red light. All was silent.
Su Ming waited for a while longer before lifting his feet and walking into the tunnel. He did not immediately charge ahead, but looked at the carvings on the walls around him. They still portrayed people creating medicinal pills.
He noticed it since he had opened the first door. These carvings on the walls seemed to be guides for the techniques of herb quenching. If Su Ming mastered them, then it would prove to be a great help when creating those medicinal pills.
He walked forward unhurriedly, memorizing the drawings carved onto the walls. An unknown amount of time pa.s.sed by. Once he reached the end of the drawings, a rather small chamber appeared before him.
The third door was within this chamber.
There was only the picture of one medicinal pill on this door. Su Ming had also seen most of the herbs required for this medicinal pill. A glint appeared in his eyes, and he cast a glance at the small holes underneath the picture of the medicinal pill.
He had already experienced this twice. Through the creation of three medicinal pills, he could already tell that the amount of holes required to open each door underneath each medicinal pill in this mysterious place signified the level of difficulty in creating that pill.
The more holes there were, the easier it was to create them.
With that one glance, Su Ming frowned. There were only two holes underneath the picture of that medicinal pill!
‘This pill… might be the most difficult pill to create besides the Welcoming of Deities among the pills I can create now.’
Su Ming frowned and moved forward, pressing his right hand on the door. At that moment, the familiar swelling pain appeared once again in his head. As the door glowed brightly, scenes of the creation of this medicinal pill appeared in Su Ming’s head.
After a long while, Su Ming’s right hand trembled. A strong rebounding force sprung up from the ground, and he took a few steps backward. He lifted his head quickly, shock evident in his eyes.
‘Spirit Plunder!’
Su Ming took in a sharp breath. From the information he acquired, besides the name and the method to create this pill, for the first time, he also obtained the description of the effects of this pill.
‘If you place an illusionary spirit within the pill, you can use it to harm others, and also use it to nourish your soul!’
Su Ming’s eyes flashed. He carefully memorized the herbs needed to create Spirit Plunder and closed his eyes. There was a complicated look on his face.
‘I’ll need a large amount of these herbs to create this pill.
‘I can’t use a regular cauldron either, I have to use the body of a person near death as the cauldron and place the herbs necessary in the corpse to refine them…
‘I also can’t use regular fire to create this pill. I have to collect the miasma of corpses, and lead lightning to strike down on it to refine the herbs. By this, I can also avoid creating changes to the world once I create this medicinal pill.’
Su Ming fell into contemplative silence. He cast a profound look at the stone door before he turned around and walked outside.
‘Even if creating the pill is hard and the success rate isn’t high... once I create it , the strength…’
Su Ming recalled the description of the pill in his head.
‘s.n.a.t.c.h an illusionary spirit… This illusionary spirit should be the materialization of a Berserker Mark, like Black Mountain Tribe’s tribe leader’s blood bear or Shan Hen’s blade… I don’t think there would be anyone below the Awakening Realm who could resist against it… I might even be able to kill those of the Awakening Realm. This isn’t a medicinal pill anymore…’
Su Ming’s eyes glinted as he walked out.
An eerie light flashed in the cave in the deeper part of the rainforest. Su Ming’s body slowly appeared. He sat down, touched the black piece of debris hanging from his neck, and fell into a contemplative silence.
‘I need 19 types of herbs. I know most of them, they’re among the pictures on the bamboo slip the elder gave me. I’m only unfamiliar with one of them… but that’s not the main point. The main point is that among these 19 herbs, there are three which I can’t use straightaway. I’ll need to plant their seeds in the bones of strong wild beasts… and make them grow there.
‘From the information provided, I’ll need bones of beasts equivalent to powerful Warriors in the Awakening Realm…’