I moved through the large swaths of grass and open fields, trees rose ever so sparingly in this enclosed area, though I have little understanding of if this whole place was a part of this world, or from the stuff I read when I was back on earth, a separate enclosed dimension. Though unlikely, this place could probably be on some other side of this continent instead of a secret location. But it's never wrong to be careful.
This place might be the resting place of an Ascendant cultivator, and from what I understand, this could have several trials and tribulations to the people seeking the ascendant's treasures.
But I'm not too keen on getting myself killed in seeking treasures of an entity that far surpasses my level of understanding. Risks entail rewards, but the looming threat of Death is great, and it would be foolish if I were to throw myself to my death if I were to overestimate my abilities.
The Poison God mentioned to seek danger and find reward for one's risks, but he also mentioned to be careful for there is a thin line between courage and recklessness. Only if the risks are worth the effort, and I'm fully capable of surpassing them even at great effort, will I move to obtain what the Ascendant has to offer. Otherwise, if only death awaits as I take stupid risks, then I'd rather leave this area than try my already nonexistent luck against insurmountable odds.
Struck by realization, I finally began to understand better how this whole thing works, birds die for food and men die for wealth. But I'm able to think pragmatically right now, clear of mind and sharp of focus, I'm able to perfectly judge my current conundrum. It seems that there is something here that's calming my thoughts and making me able to perfectly 'see' reason.
As I continued moving through the grasslands, the book vibrated in my chest as my single eye was attracted to a naturally formed spiritual plant that I would have missed for common grass. The spiritual plant looked exactly like the grass next to it, along single strand green grass petal. If it were any other person, they would have not given this grass a second look, but this was the Fickle Blade Grass. A seventh-grade spiritual herb that can be used to reinforce medicinal pills. Receptariers would use this to increase the power of their pills, it's a commonly known herb in the domain of Alchemy, however, though it is well known, it is extremely rare. And for a good reason.
This plant looks feels and acts like normal grass, though it has a spiritual vein inside it enabling it to cultivate heavenly energy. But the real reason why this thing is so rare because once it births into the world, it will only last for a few days before it will wither and die. Though many didn't understand why this plant would die, from what I got off the Poison God's book, he theorized that this plant's very existence is to defy heaven.
Weed, or grass, stomped on, chopped, cut, or burnt, will always grow back as long as its roots remain. And this very simple-looking grass is an embodiment of heaven-defying nature. Thus after a few days of its birth, heavens will not tolerate its existence and will cut off all heavenly energy from around it, insulating it from the world and thus dooming its existence.
I picked up the herb and placed it inside my bag. Rare are those who manage to obtain a stalk of this thing, but the moment I raised my head, I was surprised to see so many of it just a few feet away.
Fickle Blade Grass grew in abundance in this place. How, or why? It escaped my understanding, but if what the Poison God said was true, and judging by the dense heavenly energy in this place I could also put a few theories of mine to work.
First off, this place was a sealed location, meaning that not even heaven can interfere, thus the Fickle Blade Grass had grown to abundance.
Secondly, this place is undoubtedly beyond the perception of 'heaven' thus it's able to thrive in heavenly energy, although this might sound contradictive, I could guess that there is something in this place that is supplying this small 'world' with heavenly energy, though not heaven itself, perhaps a treasure, or a spirit stone?
I don't have any evidence to validate my theories, but it's possible that something is powering this whole place up, against heavenly law. Thus this place is both concealed from heaven, and at the same time has enough Heavenly Energy within it to allow a myriad of Spiritual Herbs to grow.
Lastly, if one was able to create this place, seal it and lock it from the eyes of heaven, how powerful could they be?
The last question was something I did and did not want to be answered.
Knowing an enemy's capabilities was half the effort into finding out how to defeat them, but an ant can't kill an elephant even if it knows how strong he is, for the disparity in strength make all efforts nothing but a moot attempt at defying unshaking possibilities of doom.
I walked ahead, while plucking all the grass I could find, for all of it is wasted if it were to remain here unattended, I could also use some of this grass into increasing the potency of a lot of my pills, especially poison pills. Though I don't have the ability to start mastering Receptarism, as the Poison God calls it, or Alchemy as the people of this lower realm call it. I can easily dilute a poison pill in a cup of water and add a few drops of extract from the Fickle Blade Grass to increase the poison's potency.
I continued moving through the open field, finding even more spiritual plants and herbs. So many of them I felt that it would be a crime if I were to strip this land barren of so many treasures.
Though I continued plucking without regard, as every single piece of grass and spiritual herb would only go to waste if no one took them. but I still kept my bearings about me, there was something that I should not forget due to greed. I made sure that for every ten stalks of grass I gathered into my Poison God's Book, I placed one stalk into my holding bag. For reasons that I wish would never happen, but one cannot be too careful.
I kept gathering the herbs and continued moving until I noticed one small little detail that became as apparent as a sore thumb after a while.
I've spent several hours on this field, but the sun never moved an inch. Thus giving me two options, the first, I was probably trapped in a restriction that I didn't notice, an illusion where my soul is stuck in this 'heaven of spiritual herbs' while my body is about to be ravaged by some odd monstrosity.
Quite a farfetched theory but this is a cultivation world and such scenarios wouldn't be too unthinkable.
The second was a confirmation that this place is nothing but a created domain, a world with stagnant natural phenomenon, where the sun, the ground, and even this soulless breeze that keeps moving were all artificial and manufactured. But if all of this was fake, how could the spiritual herbs thrive? Heavenly Energy was such a wondrous thing that it would defy the natural order and make a world against laws.
I sighed as I had no way to confirm either suggestion and continued on my merry way gathering herbs comforted by the fact that the Poison God's Book never spoke of hidden dangers.
After more tiresome hours of gathering herbs, enough hours actually until my back started to hurt from picking them up, I found myself in front of a lake.
A blue stagnates lake, where not even its waters rippled. But the water in it looked as stagnant as a mirror's surface, for the life of me I was unable to understand why it didn't rot over and turn into a disgusting rancid quagmire. After all, the natural alignment should have affected the stagnant pond, or at least have some algae grow on the pond. This pond felt unnaturally natural, and it somehow irked me.
Yet, due to its clear and crystal surface, I was able to see something inside the pond, there was a flower the size of a man's fist at the bottom of the lake.
Another spiritual herb, and just as I approached the lake, the poison God's Book vibrated in my chest, sending a message directly to my mind.
'Don't take another step lest you want your life squandered and your soul shredded, for you're in the presence of a Soul Devouring Bloom.'
"Okay, that's not ominous at all…" I said to myself. But to my dismay, even if I didn't take another step heeding the book's command, somehow, the lake shuddered and ripples moved along its surface. Heck, I was complaining that this thing wasn't acting as a natural lake, and now that it does, I feel hella more worried. Especially since said flower shot up from within the lake, though I say flower, it was sitting on top of the head of a jade serpent the size of a high-speed train. And the serpent didn't look too pleased with my ugly self.
"I'm too old for this shit…" I cursed as I saw the massive behemoth open its mouth wide, ready to swallow me whole.
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