Chapter 25

The technique required different herbal concoctions to be used with each stage. Jiang Mang wanted to train the technique to perfection before he reached the high foundation stage. He evaluated that he would reach that stage next year. He decided to gather the necessary herbs in the surrounding forests around the academy as they can all be found within the outer domains where no spirit beasts are normally found.

The next day, he set off on his gathering mission together with Xiao Lu, who was on the verge of becoming a spirit beast, but he can already stalemate against the weakest spirit beast if he utilizes his speed and agility. The boy and crane arrived at the first forest and started gathering herbs. Jiang Mang needed 10 sets of each required herb of each stage and three rare herbs which are used to perfect a stage. The normal herbs should be easy to find and they should be able to gather them within a couple of days but the three rare herbs will require luck to be able to find them. The three herbs are called Moon grass, a withered rose, and a jade flower. Moon grass can be found in grasslands often illuminated by the moon. A withered rose can be found in dark places filled with rich soil, and the jade flower blooms near waterfalls but is often protected by a beast called a flower wasp, which can equal a peak foundation stage cultivator.

Jiang Mang had found two of the required herbs after an hour of searching. During the process, he and Xiao Lu had to deal with multiple wild beasts. The human and beast duo continued their search through the forest for an entire day and managed to acquire a decent amount of common herbs. At their current rate, the duo should be able to gather the normal herbs in three days. Jiang Mang also decided to spend the night in the forest. He climbed on top of a tree branch to sleep while Xiao Lu would guard him.

The next day, Jiang Mang woke up at sunrise and was informed by Xiao Lu that he wasn't attacked during the night. He prepared some breakfast by eating some fruits they had gathered from the forest before gathering herbs again. At noon, the duo had found a stalk of Moon grass but it was protected by a herd of oxen. The leader of the herd was a peak foundation stage beast, while most oxen were equal to the mid or high foundation stage. Jiang Mang decided that a head-on fight would be dangerous and thus decided to deal with them from the shadows. He took his flute and played Nature's call which allowed him to control the plants in the forest. He used these to stealthily constrict all the lower rank oxen and only leave the leader untouched. After successfully constricting them, Xiao Lu began a fight against the ox leader. Xiao Lu was able to beat the leader after only a couple of exchanges and kill it after a minute. This fight alarmed the rest of the herd but they were unable to help or leave as they were constricted by vines, grass, and roots. Xiao Lu finished the entire herd with Jiang Mang's help. The duo then gathered the stalk of Moon grass before continuing their search for other herbs.

At night, they had gathered almost all of the normal herbs and one of three rare herbs. Jiang Mang slept on a branch that night before waking up at sunrise. The duo once again set off on herb gathering duty. At noon, they managed to gather all the normal herbs and were only missing the jade Flower and withered rose. After searching for two whole hours, Xiao Lu found a cave deeply hidden inside a mountain. Jiang Mang would have never found it if he looked for it himself. The cave was shrouded in darkness and Xiao Lu was unable to see clearly. Jiang Mang took a dried leaf from his storage artifact with which he played a marvelous tune. This allowed him to perceive his surroundings and see everything as if there was light.

The duo then proceeded through the cave cautiously. They were attacked multiple times by beasts but effortlessly defeated them. As they proceeded deeper inside the cave, Xiao Lu started to perceive a feeling of danger, which cautioned the duo. After walking and fighting for an hour, they had come across a door inside the cave wall. Above the door, there were inscribed characters that Jiang Mang recognized as ancient characters from the ancient era in which humans struggled against the spirit beasts for domination.

There is a legend that the Xuan continent is only a broken part of a massive continent that was destroyed by the primordial battle between the leader of the beasts and the leader of the humans. This continent was named the Spirit continent and it was also rumored that the god realm was not the peak of cultivation. It was said to only be the beginning of the road to immortality and power.

This legend came to Jiang Mang's mind when he inspected the characters and excited him as there could be treasures beyond that door though he was similarly apprehensive as Xiao Lu perceived a dangerous feeling from inside that room.

Jiang Mang decided that only through danger, fortune could be found and that he wasn't afraid of death but only regret. The boy and crane prepared themselves first. Jiang Mang rested himself and ate the fruits they had gathered inside the forest before heading towards that door.

Jiang Mang entered inside a lit room together with Xiao Lu. The room was made of an unknown white material and was as big as a house. The room was empty beside a door at the end of the room which baffled the boy and crane until they were shocked by an unknown voice: "Welcome trial participants, you have entered the inheritance trial of the Fox empress. You are unable to return once entered and will either die in a trial or inherit the fox empress's techniques and spirit. Both of you are only at the lowest cultivation stage and will thus be trialed per your level. The empress's trial is split into four parts which correspondents into a trial of combat, body, soul, and heart."