Chapter 28: Valley of Returning Souls

The road to Soul-Returning Valley was exceptionally long, with no safe path to follow—one had to journey through monster-infested zones. The most treacherous was the Poison Miasma Forest, where venomous Bamboo Serpents lurked unseen among the dense foliage. These level-19 serpents were almost impossible for ordinary players to detect; a moment’s carelessness and several would coil around you, spelling certain death for the unprepared. Fortunately for Ye Chen, the system’s mighty radar allowed him to avoid these dangers with ease.

After navigating the Poison Miasma Forest and walking for another twenty minutes, the distant outline of Soul-Returning Valley finally appeared. Unlike the tranquil Herb Plains, where only herbs grew and no monsters spawned, this valley harbored more than just valuable flora—it was also home to a spectral undead known as the Wraith. Unlike ordinary monsters, Wraiths remained invisible until they attacked, making them as stealthy as hidden thieves. For typical players, these creatures were perilous; a moment’s distraction could result in a deadly ambush. This explained why the valley was deserted—few dared to come here to gather herbs or train. For Ye Chen, however, it was nothing short of paradise.

He instructed the system to switch the monster indicators on his mini-map from Bamboo Serpents to Wraiths. With one eye on the map, he crept cautiously into the valley’s depths.

“Wraith, Level 20, HP: 1500, Attack: 125, Defense: 20, Attack Mode: Physical, Skill: Ghost Claw Strike.”

A shiver ran through Ye Chen as he read the detailed information provided by the system. He decided against provoking these monsters—though their defense and health were unremarkable, their attack power was formidable, and they possessed special skills. He doubted he could withstand much. In truth, his strength was still lacking; apart from his barely passable attack, his defense and HP were pitifully low. Ye Chen resolved that once his alchemy session was over, he must quickly improve his strength—be it his level or equipment, everything needed an upgrade.

Thankfully, the valley was vast and the Wraiths were not densely packed. Herbs were plentiful, and Ye Chen had no need to risk direct confrontations. He scanned the mini-map, locked onto a herb patch with no monsters nearby, and circled around the wandering Wraiths. Up close, he confirmed it was a level-two Blood Coagulation Herb. He raised his small shovel and began to dig.

“Ding! Congratulations, you have obtained a Blood Coagulation Herb. Gathering proficiency +1.”

Just as he stowed the herb away, a mournful wail rose behind him. Ye Chen started, spinning around to see a Wraith that had somehow drifted up behind him, launching its attack.

A chilling, spectral claw sliced through the air, raking across Ye Chen’s chest.

-169. A sharp pain flared—an ochre number floated above his head, nearly halving his health in an instant. Alarmed, he quickly cast Dark Healing, restoring over 150 HP. He retreated two steps and hurled a black fireball at the Wraith. With a crack, the spell struck true, burning away more than 520 HP.

Ye Chen continued to withdraw, preparing to bombard the monster from a distance. But suddenly, the Wraith surged forward, shadow-like and swift—the world seemed to blur as it closed the gap, raising its hand for another strike.

-115. This time, it was a normal attack, which eased Ye Chen’s nerves. He delayed healing, swung his staff, and unleashed another black fireball. This one landed a critical hit, dealing over a thousand damage and instantly killing the monster, which still had more than half its health remaining. Full intelligence allocation truly showed its brutal, overwhelming power.

The Wraith dissolved into white light, dropping two items with a clatter: a silver coin and a chilling, spectral herb.

Wraith Grass: Alchemy material, effect unknown.

Ye Chen blinked in surprise—he hadn’t expected the Wraith to drop herbs. It was a pleasant windfall, so he happily put the Wraith Grass away, planning to ask Elder Head about its use later.

He continued to gather Blood Coagulation Herbs and Mind-Calming Herbs, keeping clear of the wandering Wraiths as best he could. Still, their speed often caught him mid-harvest, but Ye Chen’s skills in offense and healing allowed him to fend them off, albeit with some effort.

Thus, alternating between gathering and fighting, Ye Chen spent over two more hours in the valley, finally collecting enough herbs to upgrade his alchemy skill.

He glanced in his bag—four entire rows of Blood Coagulation Herbs, more than two thousand in all, and over five hundred rare Mind-Calming Herbs. Even selling these would earn him hundreds of gold coins. He felt a strong sense of accomplishment.

By then, it was past six in the evening. His stomach, empty all day, began to protest. Reluctantly, Ye Chen pulled out a Return Scroll worth a whole gold coin, tore it open, and instantly returned to Lieshan City.

Just as he was about to log out, a notification chimed in his ear: “Ding! Congratulations, your consigned 500 gold coins have been successfully sold. Total price: 12,000 yuan. After deducting a 5% transaction fee and 11% income tax, you will receive 10,080 yuan. The funds will be transferred to your bank account within three working days.”

Ye Chen froze for a moment, then a look of wild joy spread across his face. At last, real money! Ten thousand yuan—he was rich! No longer the penniless pauper who couldn’t even pull out a single red note. Even after the studio took its 20% cut, he’d still have 8,000 left. Yes, keep working hard—soon he’d save enough for amnesia treatment.

Logging out, he pulled off his headset and hurried straight to the kitchen. As he swung the door open and stepped inside, he collided headlong with a girl carrying a bowl of instant noodles. She stumbled and landed squarely on the floor, noodles spilling everywhere—fortunately, she wasn’t scalded.

“Hey! Ye Chen, are you trying to get yourself killed? I swear I’ll bite your—!” The girl wore a white shirt, her chest heaving with every angry shout, the curves exaggerated and, most shockingly, she wore no bra at all.

Li Yuetong—nicknamed “Shirt Girl.” That’s what all the girls in the studio called her because she always wore white shirts. She had a striking figure and a beautiful, delicate face, though her temperament was rather fierce. Her favorite phrase to Ye Chen was, “I swear I’ll bite your—!”—words that often sent his imagination running wild.

Before Shirt Girl could erupt, Ye Chen hurried to help her up, quickly changing the subject: “Why are you in here making instant noodles? I already arranged with Lingyue for her to handle dinner tonight.”