Volume Two, Chapter Eighty-Three: The Land of Grass Spirits

This was the first time Yu Mu had ever encountered an artifact with all elemental attributes. Collecting the various types of beast hides wasn’t difficult—the real challenge lay in fusing them together without causing any elemental conflicts. This was a piece of equipment crafted specifically to defend against a Golden Core cultivator, and it was clear that the pale-faced man had stolen it as well. For Nascent Soul masters, it served little purpose.

To Yu Mu, it held no special significance either, since his core was not located in his abdomen. Still, it was better than nothing; at least, it would make a fine accessory to complement his bear form. When Yu Mu fastened it around his waist, he realized its protective effects were not limited to the abdomen but extended outward, though the further from the belt, the weaker the effect.

Had he worn this belt earlier, the blow from the pale-faced man would have been reduced by at least twenty percent. Yu Mu now saw the belt in a new light and strapped it on with great satisfaction.

Aside from this belt, the rest of the loot consisted of various beast materials, spirit crystals, magic artifacts, and demon crystals. The quality, however, was rather poor. There were only seven or eight demon crystals, and their quality was far inferior to the one the little monkey had possessed.

It seemed that hunting these demon beasts was the most difficult of all, and the group’s success in killing the little monkey was simply a stroke of luck. Yu Mu’s physique was particularly effective against the monkey, and with Ye Yu’s potent poison, they managed to prevail.

The two divided the remaining spoils evenly, each taking half. Once the loot was split, they placed the items in their spatial pouches and tucked them away.

There was one more thing, however, which Yu Mu shamelessly claimed for himself: several jars of wine found on the bodies of their enemies.

Seeing Yu Mu’s almost fanatical love for drink, Ye Yu couldn’t help but wrinkle her brow. Yu Mu, oblivious to the others’ discomfort, uncorked a jar right in front of Ye Yu and drained it in one go.

Satisfied, Yu Mu let out a loud belch, feeling revitalized—his wounds even seemed to heal a little. Though the wine was nothing rare or aged, to Yu Mu, who hadn’t tasted a drop in ages, it was as precious as nectar.

Not wishing to watch Yu Mu indulge any longer, Ye Yu and the other companion turned and headed toward the other side of the cliff. Unbothered by their disdainful glances, Yu Mu summoned his gourd, poured spiritual energy into it, and with a swoosh, sucked all the remaining wine into the vessel. He took a few hearty gulps and, at last, felt content. Then he hurried to catch up with the others.

On the hillside, Ye Yu and the other companion were staring down, their faces filled with shock.

Yu Mu quickly approached and looked down as well, only to be stunned by the sight before him.

Beyond the cliff lay a vast slope, lush with green grass like an enormous emerald carpet. The air was filled with the rich aroma of grass, so pure and heady it seemed to seep into their very souls. Standing there, they felt as if they had stepped into a painting.

“How beautiful!” All three exclaimed in unison.

“What abundant spiritual energy from the vegetation!” Yu Mu sighed with different appreciation.

Suddenly, something within him stirred, resonating with the grassland below.

Yu Mu paused, then his face lit up with joy. “There’s Ox Spirit Grass here!” he announced.

Ye Yu, surprised, glanced at Yu Mu, sniffed the air, and then cheered, “There really is Ox Spirit Grass!”

She immediately began to skip and dance down the slope like a joyful butterfly, her delight unrestrained.

Yu Mu and Yan Xiaosan stared at each other in astonishment. Was this really the same cold, aloof beauty they knew? She was acting like an innocent, adorable girl.

Ye Yu’s true nature shone through; her eyes curved into crescent moons as her clear, cheerful laughter floated across the mountainside.

“That’s quite a transformation!” the two men muttered in disbelief and followed her.

Indeed, at the foot of the slope lay a patch of grass, dozens of meters across, dense with Ox Spirit Grass—and interspersed among them were quite a few Ox Immortal Grasses.

Yu Mu was deeply impressed by Ye Yu’s sensitivity to herbs. He had only discovered the presence of Ox Spirit Grass because of the one within him, while Ye Yu had detected it from afar by scent alone.

Little did he know, Ye Yu was even more astonished. She had always possessed a natural sensitivity to herbs, yet Yu Mu had found the Ox Spirit Grass even before she did. Her curiosity about Yu Mu’s mysterious nature grew stronger.

Standing in the grassland, Yu Mu sensed that the spiritual energy here surpassed even that of the fourth level of the Sacred King’s Tomb. The air was saturated with pure, unadulterated wood-element energy.

“How comfortable!” Yu Mu couldn’t help but sigh with pleasure.

“Don’t touch them!” Ye Yu shouted as Yu Mu and the other companion moved to pick the Ox Spirit Grass. “If you pull them out like that, you’ll damage their spiritual essence. Let me do it.”

Watching Ye Yu handle the herbs with such care, Yu Mu couldn’t help but think, ‘They’re just herbs—isn’t this a bit much?’

Ye Yu pulled a small set of jade tools from her spatial pouch—spades, picks, hoes, rakes, and more—each small and exquisite.

With practiced skill, Ye Yu dug up each stalk, roots and all, carefully placing them in a special pouch to keep them alive. In her hands, the medicinal properties would be preserved to their fullest. Yu Mu marveled at how much skill and knowledge there was in something as seemingly simple as gathering herbs.

Truly, every field has its masters, he thought.

Ye Yu had just collected a dozen stalks when a mournful cry suddenly echoed from the hillside above. All three faces changed at once—they knew that sound too well.

“It’s another of those little monkeys!”

They looked up to see a black shadow streaking toward them like lightning—faster even than the first little monkey!

Ye Yu’s sharp eyes caught sight of its chest and cried out, “It’s the little monkey’s mother!”

Yu Mu looked and saw that she was right—the creature was slightly larger, its eyes blazing red with rage.

“Be careful!” Yu Mu shouted as he transformed into his bear form, preparing for battle.

But the mother monkey ignored Yu Mu and the other companion, leaping directly toward Yan Xiaosan.

“It’s after the demon crystal!” the two realized, but the mother monkey was already upon Yan Xiaosan.

Now Yan Xiaosan’s skills became evident—he darted aside, narrowly evading the surprise attack.

“What quick reflexes!” the other two couldn’t help but praise him.

Yan Xiaosan dodged and weaved, fleeing in all directions, while the mother monkey chased relentlessly. Both were masters of speed and agility, their pursuit and escape nothing but fleeting shadows. The others could barely see them, let alone help.

On the open grassland, Yan Xiaosan had lost his advantage of stealth. The mother monkey, riding the wind, was slightly faster, but Yan Xiaosan was more agile. Unable to flee in a straight line, he could only keep circling.

This left him unable to escape into the forest, forcing him into a stalemate with his opponent. Yet, in terms of innate strength, Yan Xiaosan was no match for the mother monkey; as time went on, his stamina waned, and his speed and agility began to falter.

With a ripping sound, his back was slashed open, leaving five bloody claw marks on his pale skin. Pain beaded his forehead with sweat, but Yan Xiaosan gritted his teeth and uttered not a single sound.

It was clear from this that he was far tougher than Yu Mu.

Seeing this, Ye Yu’s eyes filled with tears. “Quick, think of something!” she cried.

Yu Mu could only smile bitterly to himself. ‘If someone so clever as you has no idea, what can I possibly do?’

Ye Yu watched as Yu Mu, clumsy and slow, could only trail along behind, and she couldn’t help but feel both exasperated and amused. In her anxiety, she called out, “Xiaosan, run circles around me!”

It was a sound plan—if the mother monkey approached Ye Yu, she would be poisoned at once. But Yan Xiaosan didn’t dare take the risk. Ye Yu’s defenses were not much better than his own; even if the mother monkey were poisoned, both might suffer grievously.

Yu Mu, however, was inspired by her words and shouted, “Come to me!”

Yan Xiaosan didn’t hesitate. Trusting in Yu Mu’s thick skin and resilience, he made a sharp turn, dodged another swipe, and dashed toward Yu Mu.

Yu Mu spun his staff in a blur, trying to block the mother monkey’s advance. Unfortunately, he couldn’t even see her movements clearly—how could he hope to stop her?

The mother monkey ignored him completely, and as she brushed past, she raked a claw across his arm.

Yu Mu looked down and instantly drew a sharp breath!