Chapter 22 Soul Hunting Forest
Xiao Wu was very excited the whole way, constantly telling Tang Chuan about the strange plants in the Star Dou Great Forest: "In the Star Dou Great Forest there are glowing fluorite fruits. When you pick them at night, they look like little lanterns, so they are also called lantern fruits. There are also spider silk melons..."
Tang Chuan listened, occasionally offering a few words of response.
But his eyes were not idle; they kept looking at the scenery along the roadside.
From time to time, when he saw some plants that were not included in the "Ingredient Encyclopedia," he released Blue Silver Grass to grab some and see if he could light up the encyclopedia after consuming them.
Along the way, he actually found several common ingredients that could be added to the encyclopedia.
For example:
[Ingredient: River strawberries]
[Origin: Creekside, outside Nottingham]
Duration: Two years
[Characteristics: The fruit is bright red like a pearl, sweet with a slight tartness, and very juicy]
[Effects: Can be eaten raw to relieve summer heat; can be made into jam; can attract low-level insect-type spirit beasts]
After walking for more than a day, around dusk on the second day, they finally arrived at the town market on the outskirts of the Soul Hunter Forest.
Various shouts and calls rose and fell.
Simple, man-made paths crisscrossed the area, and the bustling atmosphere intrigued both Xiao Wu and Tang Chuan.
Xiao Wu had never seen such a scene before.
Tang Chuan felt that this was no different from running dungeons in his previous life.
"I have a warrant. Form a group to hunt down plant-type thousand-year-old spirit beasts. If you're strong enough, come on over. The reward is one hundred gold soul coins."
"Hiring a level 24 Great Soul Master or similar character costs 10 gold coins per day. We'll discuss details if you're interested."
"The Wind Wolf Squad is recruiting!"
"Hunting agility-type spirit beasts, seven people are required to obtain the warrant, and the reward for leading the way is ten gold coins."
The various shouts and calls made Tang Chuan feel as if he were back in the underground city, fighting bosses. Most of the roadside shops sold weapons, armor, food, and supplies.
Tang Chuan and Xiao Wu got off the carriage.
After walking for about an hour, they finally arrived at the entrance to the Soul Hunter Forest.
At the entrance stood a hundred soldiers in steel armor, holding long spears, their military bearing impeccable, guarding the iron fence.
"Show the warrant."
Tang Chuan stepped forward and handed over the warrant.
The captain of the soldiers responsible for checking the warrants took them and saw the three markings on the tokens. His face showed respect, and he quickly ordered the soldiers to make way for Tang Chuan and Xiao Wu to enter.
They didn't even ask why the two children dared to enter the Soul Hunter Forest.
As soon as Tang Chuan stepped into the outer edge of the Soul Hunter Forest, he slowed down.
The air was filled with the fresh scent of grass and trees.
The surroundings were unusually quiet, with only the rustling of leaves in the wind and the faint chirping of unknown birds in the distance.
"Wow!"
"The air here is so much better than in Nottingham!"
Xiao Wu took a deep breath, appearing quite at ease, even somewhat like a fish in water.
They would occasionally pick a few wildflowers, or curiously observe the small animals that occasionally darted by the roadside, as if they were on a picnic rather than acquiring a spirit ring.
"Um."
"We'll operate in the outer area first."
As they were talking, Tang Chuan's Blue Silver Grass quietly emerged and entwined itself around a wild grass with serrated leaves beside him.
[Ingredient: Sawtooth Mustard]
[Origin: Outskirts of the Soul Hunter Forest]
[Duration: Five years]
[Characteristics: The leaf edges have fine serrations, and the taste is spicy and pungent]
[Effects: Can be used as a seasoning to remove the fishy smell; a small amount can refresh the mind, but an excessive amount can irritate the stomach and intestines.]
"Good seasoning."
Tang Chuan nodded, his gaze sweeping across both sides of the road.
Upon seeing any unfamiliar plant or fungus, he would slow his pace, allowing the Blue Silver Grass to extend and devour it entirely.
[Ingredient: Bellflower]
[Ingredient: Maidenhair fern]
[Ingredient: Moss with Variegation]
[Ingredient: Ghost Face Mushroom]
[Ingredient: Ironwood Vine]
[Ingredient: Snake Saliva Grass]
[Ingredient: Fluorescent moss]
Although most of them were just ordinary plants or minerals, which had a negligible effect on increasing the age of the spirit ring, the number of pages lit up in the "Ingredient Compendium" was steadily increasing, and the progress bar was constantly accumulating and growing.
The variety of species far surpassed that of Notting Academy.
Tang Chuan was thoroughly enjoying himself, completely immersed in the joy of collecting ingredients to light up his encyclopedia, even more so than when he played Onmyoji and drew cards in his previous life.
Xiao Wu initially watched out of curiosity but soon found it a bit boring.
Her interest in these plants was far less than her desire to find an opportunity to condense a spirit ring.
They walked for about half an hour.
Xiao Wu's eyes darted around, and clutching her stomach, she said to Tang Chuan, "Tang Chuan, I... I'm feeling a bit unwell. Wait here for me, and don't go too far!"
She managed to force a slightly uncomfortable expression onto her face.
Tang Chuan understood immediately; he knew she was looking for an excuse to obtain a spirit ring. He showed just the right amount of concern: "Are you alright?"
"How about we go back first and come back tomorrow?"
"No, no!"
Xiao Wu quickly waved her hand: "I'll be right there! Just wander around this area, I'll be right back!"
After saying that, without waiting for Tang Chuan's response, she clutched her stomach and darted into the nearby bushes, disappearing after a few leaps.
Tang Chuan watched her figure disappear, a slight smile playing on his lips, but he didn't expose her, continuing to focus on his own gathering endeavors.
Time passed little by little.
Soon, Tang Chuan spotted his target under an old locust tree.
Several pale green vines twined around the tree trunk, their tips adorned with transparent droplets that shimmered faintly in the night—these were honeydew vines.
Plucking a section of vine, Blue Silver Grass wrapped it up, and the Pokédex instantly lit up:
[Ingredient: Honeydew Vine]
[Origin: Outskirts of the Soul Hunter Forest]
[Duration: 160 years]
[Characteristics: The vines contain a high concentration of sweet sap]
[Effects: The syrup can directly replace honey, and the dried and powdered vines can be used as a dessert ingredient, which can neutralize the fishy smell of meat]
"A century-old honeysuckle vine, not bad at all!"
Tang Chuan was overjoyed and found Moonlight Grass by the stream not far away.
Moonflower leaves were silvery-green, with veins that seemed to hold starlight, making them easy to spot in the dark.
Tang Chuan devoured it with Blue Silver Grass, adding a new page to the encyclopedia.
Continuing along the stream, he unlocked over a dozen new ingredient pages: emerald moss by the stream, lychees in the bushes, and centuries-old multi-headed fungi in the rock crevices...
[The God of Cookery's Nine Tests, First Test: 8%]
In no time, the progress bar in his mind's "Ingredients Guide" increased by 3%.
This made Tang Chuan feel that he had a chance to get the progress bar of "Ingredient Compendium" to about 20% in this Soul Hunter Forest.
It wasn't that the Soul Hunter Forest was rich in species, but rather that he hadn't unlocked enough entries in his encyclopedia.
Start with the easy parts and move on to the difficult ones.
He estimated that after collecting everything in the Soul Hunter Forest, he would have to go to the Star Dou Great Forest, Sunset Forest, and Vast Ocean City to check out the remaining 80%.
Land-based ingredients were one part, but marine ingredients were also a large part.
"Tang Chuan!"
"I'm back!"
Tang Chuan was walking back along the stream, head down, pondering the future, when he saw Xiao Wu suddenly dart out from the woods behind him, clutching a few bright red fruits in her hand.
However, what Tang Chuan was more concerned about was...
A bright yellow spirit ring was floating beneath Xiao Wu's feet. Its spirit power fluctuations were stable, indicating that it was a hundred-year spirit ring of considerable age.
[end of the chapter]