Chapter 50 Collecting rare herbs

Chapter 50: 50 Collecting rare herbs

50 Collecting rare herbs

Su Meilin pointed toward a nearby area.

"Not merely mixed together."

Everyone looked over.

"Some were deliberately placed beside similar species."

Zhao Ming smiled.

"Finally, something interesting. We can collect some resources."

He walked toward a plant with bluish leaves.

"This is a Blue Mist Flower."

Chen Ruyue turned toward him.

"Not so fast."

Zhao Ming’s smile disappeared.

"No?"

Chen Ruyue approached the plant.

"The structure is similar, but the veins of the leaves are different."

She pointed toward the base of the stem.

"Furthermore, the spiritual circulation is irregular."

Zhao Ming remained silent, allowing Chen Ruyue to continue explaining.

"It is a modified Blue Mist Flower. If someone uses it following the normal method, the spiritual essence will undergo a reaction."

Zhao Ming examined the plant again before sighing and letting out a small laugh.

"Good observation."

Chen Ruyue merely nodded. Farther ahead, Guo Han was already examining another species.

"This one is genuine."

He carefully touched one of the leaves.

"But the root has been replaced through a grafting process."

Su Meilin approached.

"So the objective isn’t merely to recognize their appearance."

"Exactly."

Guo Han raised his eyes.

"We need to discover what has been altered through grafting."

The participants began spreading throughout the garden and collecting the herbs, with the Medusas participating as well.

Some immediately recognized plants that grew in their own mountains. Others struggled when faced with species they had never encountered before.

A young Medusa held a small red flower.

"This one is used to treat wounds."

The child appeared behind her.

"How stupid."

The Medusa turned around in surprise.

"What do you mean?"

The child pointed at the flower.

"That’s clearly poisonous. Don’t you have eyes?"

The Medusa looked at the plant again.

"But we use a similar species."

"Being similar doesn’t mean being the same."

The warrior’s confidence slowly disappeared from her face as the light above her head began to flicker.

The Medusa disappeared.

The other Medusas became tense, but the child simply continued walking.

"One."

Another Medusa took a deep breath and returned to her analysis. She got it right, and her light remained stable.

A few moments later, another light began to flicker and then went out, while another participant answered correctly when yet another failed.

The tension increased with every answer. Lian Yue observed everything in silence.

"There is no room for carelessness."

Su Meilin agreed.

"No. And it seems the judgment is individual."

Lian Yue looked at her own light.

"Then each person will be responsible for their own result."

Yun Che did not answer.

He was standing before a plant he did not recognize. Its leaves resembled one species, its stem resembled another, and its root possessed characteristics of a third.

He carefully analyzed the plant when a familiar window appeared in his mind.

[Analyzing target.]

[Using the system for analysis will consume Lust Points.]

[Do you accept?]

[Yes/No]

Yes.

[Unknown species detected.]

[Spiritual alteration detected.]

[Comparison of properties initiated.]

Yun Che remained motionless as the information began to organize itself.

[Analysis complete.]

[Species identified.]

[Correct identification method available.]

Yun Che’s eyes narrowed slightly behind the mask. So that was it.

He did not need to simply guess. He was not on Earth anymore. He had a system at his disposal. He only needed to use the abilities the System had granted him.

Yun Che carefully touched one of the leaves before examining the stem. He observed the root and compared the density of the spiritual energy.

"It is a modified species. Its appearance belongs to the Blue Mist Flower, but its essence has been altered. It cannot be used like an ordinary Blue Mist Flower."

The child remained motionless for several seconds, unable to say anything before regaining his composure and smiling.

"Correct."

The light above Yun Che’s head became completely stable. Zhao Ming, who was nearby, immediately looked at him.

Guo Han also stopped his analysis. Su Meilin continued observing him for a little longer.

Chen Ruyue showed a surprise that was difficult to conceal. Yun Che noticed their gazes but showed no reaction, simply continuing to collect the correct herbs.

The child followed him for a few steps.

"You’re collecting herbs very quickly. You must be a very knowledgeable alchemist."

"I just happen to know about them beforehand. Coincidentally, it is one of my fields of study—spiritual herb grafting."

"Hoo, so that’s it."

"How boring. But being lucky is also a skill at the end of the day."

With that, he began to laugh. It was a genuinely childish laugh.

"I like you."

Yun Che looked away again.

"That doesn’t matter."

The child smiled even more. Behind them, another light went out. Another participant had been eliminated.

The trials continued.

One Medusa correctly identified a rare herb thanks to the knowledge she had acquired in her own territory.

Another confused two similar species and was eliminated.

Chen Ruyue managed to distinguish a medicinal plant whose appearance had been altered, demonstrating that her knowledge of herbs did not depend solely on their external appearance.

Guo Han solved a sequence of three modified species by using differences in spiritual circulation.

Su Meilin began noticing patterns that the others had yet to recognize.

Zhao Ming, despite making several mistakes, quickly corrected his own conclusions, demonstrating that his pride did not come merely from empty arrogance.

Lian Yue advanced cautiously, refusing to answer before she was certain.

The remaining cultivators from the Profound Flower Sect who were also participating continued onward, some answering correctly and others making mistakes, their lights gradually revealing who could remain composed under the pressure of the judgment.

The eliminations continued.

Until the garden fell silent. The child raised one hand.

"Enough."

"I’m bored again. Let’s play something else."

All the plants began to disappear. The luminous flowers transformed into spiritual particles, and the trees vanished.

The garden beds dissolved into light, and then the enormous underground garden ceased to exist. At the center, a stone door appeared.

An inscription appeared above it.

FIRST JUDGMENT COMPLETED.

Everyone looked at the door. The lights above their heads had changed and were now glowing intensely.

The child looked at the remaining participants.

"You’ve collected enough herbs for free."

The child pointed toward the lights.

"The mausoleum isn’t merely judging whether you know how to identify herbs."

Guo Han narrowed his eyes.

"Then what else is being evaluated?"

The child smiled.

"You’ll find out. After all, you’re the ones being tested, not me, so why should I answer your questions?"

The door began to open, revealing a corridor on the other side. Unlike the garden, there were no plants.

Thousands of ancient books filled the walls as far as the eye could see.

Guo Han froze. Su Meilin narrowed her eyes.

Chen Ruyue slowly breathed in.

Even Zhao Ming lost his arrogant expression for a moment. Meanwhile, the child entered the corridor.

Then he looked back.

"Now let’s find out whether you really understand what you claim to know about alchemy."

Yun Che stared at the countless shelves, his gaze remaining calm. Yet deep within his mind, a conclusion emerged.

The first trial had tested recognition. The next would probably test something much more difficult.

Comprehension.

Yun Che realized that the System might not be able to simply turn every challenge into an easy victory. It could provide knowledge and analyze information.

But it would still be up to Yun Che to decide how to use it. The child’s warning pulled him from his thoughts.

"Enter."

One after another, the participants began moving forward, while behind them, the lights continued floating silently.

Some were already so faint that they seemed to be merely waiting for the next mistake to disappear.

The first judgment had ended, but the true test of the Great Alchemist was only beginning.