Chapter 51: The Herb Gatherer

Despite the massive commotion, the pool remained deathly silent.

Chen Lin estimated that no other demonic beasts were present.

He released a Vajra Shield, used the Wind-Control Technique to float upward, and then cautiously began picking the fruit.

The connection between the fruit and the branches was incredibly tough; it took a flying sword to sever them.

However, the process went smoothly.

After finding a box to pack them into and storing it in his storage bag, Chen Lin turned his attention to the branches.

He wasn't sure if this would be useful, but he couldn't afford to pass it up.

He grabbed the withered branches with his hands and pulled upward with force.

With a *whoosh*, the entire branch was pulled out.

To Chen Lin's surprise, the base of the pulled-out root actually held two objects that looked like potatoes; he couldn't tell if they were roots or something else.

He had no time for a detailed inspection and simply stowed them away.

Having used so many Thunderbolt Beads in succession, the commotion had been significant; he had to leave quickly.

After scanning his surroundings to ensure nothing was left behind, he returned to the shore.

Just then, the pool suddenly began to churn violently. An incredibly powerful aura radiated from the water, and then a massive, cyan-colored monster head emerged.

Chen Lin had been terrified the moment the pool began to churn, diving headlong into the tunnel and casually tossing a Thunderbolt Bead back.

After crawling a distance away, he threw another Thunderbolt Bead behind him, completely destroying the tunnel.

By the time he burst out of the cave entrance, he had used five ordinary Thunderbolt Beads.

Even then, he wasn't at ease. Gritting his teeth, he threw in a Thunderbolt Bead No. 3 and fled for his life without looking back.

After running about two *li*, Chen Lin heard a massive roar behind him. He turned back in terror and saw a cyan dragon soaring into the sky—it had four claws and was circling rapidly above the cave.

It roared frantically as it circled.

"Holy crap, what the hell is that!"

Chen Lin was struck with horror. He hadn't expected such a powerful beast to be hiding in that pool; it looked like a Flood Dragon.

His Thunderbolt Bead No. 3 didn't seem to have harmed it at all.

But Flood Dragons usually resided in vast bodies of water; how could such a massive creature survive in such a small pool? Could there be an underground river connected beneath it?

While his mind raced with thoughts, his feet never stopped. He sprinted through the jungle, diving into the thickest vegetation he could find.

After running for ten *li* in one breath, his magical power completely exhausted, he collapsed onto the ground.

After recovering for a long while, he sat up with the look of someone who had narrowly escaped death.

"That was way too dangerous. Luckily, that cave had already been partially collapsed by the explosion, making it extremely narrow; otherwise, that monster definitely would have caught me."

Recalling the near-miss, Chen Lin was still breaking out in a cold sweat.

He had almost become a demonic beast's meal.

After resting a bit longer, Chen Lin still felt it wasn't safe. Ignoring the dangers of traveling in the dark, he continued to push forward.

Perhaps because his streak of bad luck had run out, he went over twenty days without encountering any dangerous beasts, and instead, he encountered a group of people entering the mountains to gather medicinal herbs.

To Chen Lin's surprise, the group consisted of both men and women, but there was only one cultivator at the second level of Qi Refinement; the rest were mortals.

For mortals to dare appear in a place like this—they truly didn't know how to write the word "death."

However, he immediately realized something.

If mortals were out gathering herbs, did it mean they were approaching the edge of this wilderness and reaching the inhabited human zones?

As soon as this thought occurred, Chen Lin could not suppress his excitement.

He put on a disguise mask, transforming into the appearance of a middle-aged man.

After concealing his somewhat withered hands and changing into a new set of robes, he walked out composedly.

"Who goes there!"

As soon as Chen Lin appeared, he immediately alerted the group.

The sole second-level Qi Refinement cultivator stepped forward, clutching a Fireball Talisman.

But when he sensed the fluctuations of magical power on Chen Lin, his expression changed instantly, and he hurriedly bowed in greeting.

"So it is a fellow cultivator. I am Bai Yunyue, a disciple of the Qingyun Sect. May I ask if there is something you need, Fellow Daoist?"

The middle stage of Qi Refinement completely overwhelmed the early stage, and being deep in these mountains, Bai Yunyue couldn't help but feel nervous.

Seeing this, Chen Lin also cupped his hands and said, "So it is Fellow Daoist Bai. Do not overthink it; my name is Lin Dali. I entered the mountains to gather herbs a while ago, but I wandered too deep and got lost. I saw your group and came to ask for directions."

"Lost?"

Bai Yunyue froze, then asked with some confusion, "From which direction did you enter the mountains? The nearest town, Huangtu Town, is only a day's journey from here."

Chen Lin was overjoyed upon hearing this and said excitedly, "Only one more day's journey to get out? That's wonderful!"

He immediately caught himself, smiled, and said, "I entered from a different direction and have been wandering here for many days. Could Fellow Daoist please point out the specific path to leave?"

Bai Yunyue glanced at Chen Lin, clearly skeptical.

However, he didn't want to ask too many questions. If the stranger was an evil cultivator who killed at will, provoking him would mean they would all die here.

Thus, he nodded immediately. "That is no problem. Fellow Daoist only needs to walk straight through the middle of these hills, cross a small river, and you will be able to see the silhouette of Huangtu Town in the distance."

"Thank you!"

Chen Lin cupped his hands. Not wanting to waste time, he turned to leave.

"Immortal Master, please wait!"

Just as he took two steps, a crisp female voice suddenly rang out.

Chen Lin turned back in surprise, looking at the only woman in the group.

She was young, perhaps around twenty, and looked somewhat disheveled, but her beauty was unmistakable.

"Linghui, do not disturb Fellow Daoist Lin's journey!"

Seeing the woman's actions, Bai Yunyue was startled. He hurried forward to stop her, repeatedly signaling his sister with his eyes.

As a fellow cultivator, he understood deeply that there were not many kind-hearted cultivators in this world; they were especially unpredictable when facing mortals.

However, Bai Lingshan did not back down. Instead, she pursed her lips and walked firmly toward Chen Lin.

"This humble girl, Bai Lingshan, greets the Immortal Master!"

Chen Lin remained expressionless.

He didn't possess any sense of superiority as an "Immortal Master"; he simply didn't want to get involved with these people.

A second-level Qi Refinement cultivator leading a group of mortals into these demon-infested mountains—it was obvious they must have some desperate reason. He could barely look after himself; he had no time to worry about others.

But since she had called out to him, he would listen to what she had to say.

Seeing that Chen Lin was not angry, Bai Lingshan breathed a small sigh of relief.

She was truly out of options. Her second brother had been leading them through these mountains for several days without finding the Red-Veined Ginseng needed to treat their father's illness; it likely couldn't be found on the outskirts.

But if they went any deeper, they would likely encounter demonic beasts. Her brother couldn't even use spells and only had a few talismans; if they encountered something, it would be the end.

Thinking of this, Bai Lingshan bowed deeply once more.

"This humble girl dares to ask the Immortal Master: have you seen a type of ginseng with red markings deep in the mountains?"

Chen Lin raised an eyebrow. "You mean the Red-Veined Ginseng?"