White Stone Canyon stretched a few dozen miles. The canyon terrain consisted of steep rocky cliffs, wetlands which appeared harmless but which contained danger from every angle, and a lake with bone-piercingly cold water. Students participating in the training were expected to find ways to overcome the dangerous terrain and make it to the other side of the canyon on their own. Every piece of material gathered or hunted by each group would be tallied into the final results.
Indeed, White Stone Canyon contained danger at every turn. However, it was also a treasure trove. There were wild beasts whose bodies possessed medicinal value and a multitude of rare and precious herbs to be found. One might even encounter savage beasts armed with horns or leathered hides which could be used to make weapons. If one was lucky enough, perhaps one might come across a monster beast. Anyone who manages to find and tame a monster beast to become their mystical pet received much admiration.
There was an equal proportion of danger and opportunity within the canyon. Many an adventurer had ventured into White Stone Canyon in hopes of striking it rich. Some did, but many others lost their lives in such a pursuit. The White Stone Academy had selected this place as the grounds for the training to put the courage and determination of their students to the utmost test. What a cruel and vivid first lesson this was! With such tough methods, it was no wonder why White Stone Academy was the fifth best academy nationwide!
Ling Chuxi’s empty hands swung by her sides as she walked. The Luo Chen Sword was strapped securely to her waist and Little White was curled around her neck, functioning as a captivatingly beautiful fur neck warmer. Meanwhile, Ling Yichen was having a hard time. He carried a big, hefty bag upon his back filled with his and Ling Chuxi’s belongings. Unlike the cumbersome cloth bundles other students carried on their backs, Ling Yichen was sporting a simple backpack with shoulder straps and small pouches all over its body and sides to make it easier to store and retrieve things. This bag was made by Ling Chuxi herself specially for the training.
Once the teacher in charge blew the start whistle, training officially began.
Ling Chuxi and Ling Yichen walked into White Stone Canyon alongside other groups of students.
“Yichen, what prize does one get for getting first place in this training?” asked Ling Chuxi offhandedly as they walked. Ling Yichen seemed to care a great deal about the first-place prize and was determined to get it at all costs.
“A Seven Star Flower,” answered Ling Yichen in a serious tone after a beat of silence.
A Seven Star Flower? Ling Chuxi racked her brain to recall what the use of this flower was. That’s right. It was a priceless herb with seven petals that were different colors. It could cure illnesses caused by common poisoning and was able to be used to make a rare medicinal pill. What did Ling Yichen want it for?
Ling Yichen didn’t say anything further on the matter and Ling Chuxi didn’t press him into divulging more. Everyone had their secrets after all. If and when Ling Yichen wanted to talk about it, he would bring it up. If he didn’t wish to say any more then no matter how many times someone asked him about it, it would be in vain.
After entering the canyon, all the students began to slowly disperse into different directions in different groups. As Ling Chuxi and Ling Yichen progressed deeper into the canyon, the path stretching out ahead of them slowly got quieter and the sky became dimmer. Ling Chuxi dug out the spiced pine nuts she had packed yesterday and started munching on them while scouting their surroundings. The air was fresher and more humid within the canyon. Some herbs only grew specially in this specific climate the canyon possessed.
“Yichen, I feel we can easily rack up a fortune here,” said Ling Chuxi happily as she eyed a few herbs growing under a large tree ahead of them.
“Are those… Indeed, those are Geocentric Flowers.” Ling Yichen hesitated initially before confidently stating the name of the herb. “But I don’t think they are worth much money, are they?”
“They’ll be worth quite a bit after they’ve been refined into medicinal pills. Plus, the one in the middle looks more than ten years old. It can be used to refine a fair amount of Di Medicinal Pills,” said Ling Chuxi as she pointed at one of the herbs. Di Medicinal Pills were miraculous healing pills. All medicinal pills were divided into three tiers—lower, intermediate and advanced. Naturally, the advanced tier pills resulted in the best effects. A lower-tier Di Medicinal Pill could sell for 50 silver taels, but an intermediate tier one could sell for more than 500 taels. Advanced tier pills were worth more than 5000 taels. The disparity in range truly left one flabbergasted.
Ling Chuxi considered a few thousand taels a small fortune as she was currently not rich.