Li Qingyun didn't linger. Without even returning to his courtyard, he made his way toward the Task Hall, still holding the sealed wooden box containing the carefully gathered herbs. The sky was already tilting into late afternoon, streaks of amber light dancing across the paved sect roads. Disciples passed by, many of them glancing briefly at him, but Li Qingyun paid them no mind.
The wide, scroll-like structure of the Task Hall soon came into view, its sword-etched doors still open as a steady trickle of disciples moved in and out. Inside, the same jade lanterns floated overhead, casting gentle ripples of light across the carved floor.
An elder in gray sat behind the counter near the herb task section—his beard tied neatly in a silver ring, eyes half-lidded as he read a scroll.
Li Qingyun stepped forward and offered the sealed herb box with both hands, along with his task token.
The elder glanced up and raised a brow. "Back already?" He opened the lid, inspecting the contents inside. The rich scent of spiritual vegetation filled the air as he delicately lifted the herbs one by one with a faint thread of spiritual energy.
"Twelve strands of Blueleaf Grass. Intact stems, firm color."
"Three Moonroot Bulbs. No bruising, fresh yin energy still pulsing."
"Three strands of Starvine. Still emanating spiritual energy faintly. Not bad."
He nodded in satisfaction and took the task token in hand, tapping it lightly with his index finger. A small ripple of qi passed from his fingertip into the token, recording the completion.
"Herb Gathering in Green Willow Basin — Completed," he announced with a low tone of approval.
He reached into a drawer behind him and pulled out a small pouch and a spirit-sealed wooden box. The pouch jingled faintly.
"Eight contribution points," the elder said, handing over the pouch. "And your herb allocation. Standard mix—suitable for Foundation Establishment disciples."
Li Qingyun accepted the rewards respectfully.
The elder stroked his beard and gave a small nod. "You handled this well. Most newcomers either bruise the Moonroot or forget to preserve the Starvine properly. You're methodical."
"Thank you, Elder," Li Qingyun replied calmly.
He bowed once, then turned to leave.
As he stepped outside the hall, he paused under the late-afternoon sky, the sealed box in his arms. The task had been simple, but it gave him insight—into not just the sect's expectations, but also the hidden layers of the wild, and the quiet dangers one might overlook.
And, of course… the mysterious golden-rooted herb now safely stored in his storage space.
It pulsed faintly, like a seed awaiting recognition.
'I should study that later. Maybe the sect library has records'.
He turned toward Clear Sky Peak, the shadows lengthening at his feet.
His first task was complete. But this… this was only the beginning.
Li Qingyun made his way back to Clear Sky Peak, the serene mountain wind brushing softly past his sleeves. The stone paths shimmered faintly under the slanting rays of sunset, and the air was tinged with pine and fresh qi from the surrounding peaks.
Once inside the quiet of his courtyard, he sealed the doors with a flick of his fingers and stepped into his training chamber. The world outside vanished. Calm settled in.
He set the spirit-sealed wooden box on a low jade table and opened it.
Inside lay several neatly wrapped bundles of herbs, still faintly glowing from the qi-preserving formation. He unwrapped them one by one and examined each with careful hands.
The Sect-grade Spirit Herb Allocation consisted of six main herbs:
1. VerdantBoneleaf – a pale-green herb shaped like a fan. It was commonly used as an auxiliary ingredient to enhance the absorption of body tempering pills.
2. FieryGoldgrass – short, golden stalks with crimson tips. A foundational herb in crafting Qi Stabilization Pills for early Foundation Establishment cultivators.
3. BlackrootFlower – its withered-looking appearance hid a dense yin attribute, making it a base for several dual-natured balancing pills.
4. AzureCloudBerry – plump berries with soft blue skin. Often used in clarity and mental focus enhancement pills, aiding in spiritual perception.
5. IronleafVine – stiff, metallic leaves that carried traces of metal attribute qi. It was used as a catalyst to harmonize stronger pill concoctions.
6. Silverthistle – a light silver herb with soft hairs, used primarily as a cooling agent to temper the heat from high-yang component herbs.
He nodded.
"All low Rank 2 herbs, suited for alchemy recipes focused on Foundation Establishment stage development. Nothing surprising."
They were valuable—not for personal consumption at the moment, but for trade or refining. He stored them neatly into one of his designated herb pouches lined with spiritual silk.
Then his expression shifted slightly.
With a pulse of his qi, he brought forth the unknown herb—the one he had snatched from under the noses of a dozen spirit beasts back in Green Willow Basin.
It glowed softly in the light.
A squat, thick-rooted ginseng with seven main rootlets, each pulsing with faint golden-red veins. Its body shimmered like molten sunlight wrapped around ancient earth. A few wisps of golden mist still clung faintly to its crown.
It exuded a rich, dense spiritual energy that surpassed anything he had handled today.
"...Definitely not an ordinary herb."
Li Qingyun held it under his gaze, cycling his Tranquil Void Heart Scripture. His divine sense swept over it, analyzing the flow of qi within. The strands of energy inside the root pulsed with a dual-affinity—earth and yang—interweaving with unnatural harmony.
"The shape resembles Thousand-Year Sun Ginseng, but the energy feels... deeper. Wilder."
He didn't recognize it outright.
No herb he'd studied matched this pattern of qi behavior exactly. But he knew enough to tell it was fully matured, and likely mutated naturally under rare conditions.
Still holding the ginseng in one hand, he narrowed his eyes.
"I'll need to verify its identity. The Sword Sect Library's alchemical records might help".
With that, he gently stored the unknown herb into a higher-tiered jade box lined with spiritual mist, locking it with a small seal array to ensure its energy wouldn't leak further.
Tomorrow, he'd investigate.
For now, the flame of curiosity burned steadily—but it could wait until dawn.
______
The next morning, as the first rays of dawn spilled across Clear Sky Peak, Li Qingyun had already bathed, dressed, and left his courtyard. His destination was clear.
The Sky-Reaching Sword Sect Library Pavilion stood nestled beneath a wide cliff ledge along the main peak's slope, its multi-tiered structure resembling a towering pagoda carved into the mountainside. Flowing talismans shimmered faintly around its walls, and a deep stillness surrounded the building—like every stone carried the weight of centuries of knowledge.
He passed through the outer gate with his disciple token, offering a slight nod to the gray-robed attendant stationed nearby. The elder glanced up and said nothing—only gestured toward the inner floors.
Li Qingyun moved past rows of scrolls and manuals focused on sword arts and martial cultivation until he reached the Alchemical Index Wing, a quieter section near the back. Here, thick tomes bound in beast leather and jade-lined records detailed thousands of herbs, their appearances, properties, and applications.
He began the search with steady patience.
Page by page, scroll by scroll, he studied illustrations and cross-referenced descriptions. Most of what he read confirmed his earlier assumptions. Some entries described rare ginseng variants, others mutations under elemental influence—but none were exact matches.
After over two hours, a line in a record finally caught his eye.
"...A rare spiritual herb known in ancient records as the CrimsonSunroot, often mistaken for high-grade ginseng. It carries strong yang-aligned qi with traces of elemental Earth. Appears only under specific soil and qi convergence conditions and is usually targeted by spirit beasts before full maturity. Notably, it is a hybrid-type mutation of the SunjadeGinseng family."
Li Qingyun's eyes narrowed.
CrimsonSunroot.
Its uses weren't widely known, but the record noted that if fully matured and properly refined, it could serve as a core ingredient in high-tier Foundation Establishment pills—or even aid in body refinement breakthroughs due to its yang-dense nature.
"Rare... valuable... and extremely contested," he murmured.
He copied the page details into his memory and rolled the scroll back up. With a breath of calm, he turned and quietly made his way back down the library steps, golden morning light casting long shadows across the tiles.
He hadn't just acquired a rare herb—he'd secured an opportunity.
And he wasn't about to waste it.