My martial arts have no bottlenecks.

Chapter 41 Herb Gathering

As they walked out of the Foreign Affairs Hall, Li Mu suddenly appeared out of nowhere: "Senior Brother Liang, I found out that Zhao Ming is Liu Meng's cousin. You offended him just now!"

Liang Cheng nodded: "I see, thank you."

"Also, about that mission in Xishan," Li Mu lowered his voice, "I asked the senior brothers of the Fishing Gang. Old Huang goes to dangerous places to collect herbs. Last time, the two guards he was assigned to, one was poisoned and crippled, and the other was seriously injured and had to be discharged from the hospital. They said that this is a mission that puts your life on the line, so don't take it."

"Understood." Liang Cheng replied without changing his expression.

Li Mu said anxiously, "Are you really going? 150 points is a lot, but safety comes first..."

"The path of martial arts is inherently fraught with peril," Liang Cheng interrupted. "Thanks."

He patted Li Mu on the shoulder, turned and walked towards the hut. On the way, he passed the bulletin board and found that his name appeared on the new notice.

"The list of guards for Xishan in three days: Wang Li (Earth House), Sun Yan (Earth House), Liang Cheng (Human House)."

The disciples watching were discussing it animatedly.

"Wang Li? That mountain clearer? He's the thirtieth in the Earth House, how come he's taking on this kind of task? Plus, Sun Yan is Wang Li's henchman, specializing in dirty work."

"I guess they're after Elder Huang's pills. I heard that Elder Huang's Breakthrough Pill can help those at the Transformation Realm break through to a minor realm."

"The new recruits in that department are doomed. They're stuck with Wang Li and the other guy; they'll probably end up not even getting a taste of the soup."

Liang Cheng silently memorized the names Wang Li and Sun Yan, then returned to his quiet room and closed his eyes to regulate his breathing.

The mission is in three days. We need to be in top condition. As for Liu Meng and Zhao Ming, they are not a concern for the time being.

The current goal is to earn enough contribution points to exchange for cultivation techniques!

……

Three days later, at the entrance of the alchemy room.

When Liang Cheng arrived, there were already two people waiting. On the left was a burly man, eight feet tall, with bulging muscles in his arms and a deep breath. He was Wang Li, the "Mountain Opener" ranked thirty-seventh in the Earthly Realm, and was in the late stage of Transformation Realm.

On the right was a lean young man with shifty eyes and two short blades at his waist; he was Sun Yan, Wang Li's lackey.

Wang Li glanced at Liang Cheng and sneered, "The Human Refinement Academy? You dare to take on this job at the early stage of the Transformation Realm? Don't drag us down."

Sun Yan added sinisterly, "Those who drag the team down are perfect for feeding wolves in the wilds of the Western Hills."

Liang Cheng didn't speak, but simply stood still and adjusted his breathing.

"Are you all here?" The door to the alchemy room opened, and Old Huang walked out carrying a medicine basket. He wore a yellowish-brown, stained robe, and his hair and beard were all white. His small eyes swept over the three of them, and he threw out three crimson pills: "Eat them."

Wang Li took it: "Elder Huang, this is..."

"The poison test pills won't harm your health, so feel free to take them," Old Huang said impatiently. "Most of the herbs I collect are poisonous. You have to be able to withstand the medicinal fumes first. If you swallow them and don't vomit or feel dizzy within half an hour, then you're considered qualified."

Wang Li frowned, but still swallowed it.

Sun Yan followed closely behind.

Liang Cheng put the pill into his mouth. The medicinal power dissipated, and a spicy and burning sensation rushed straight to his lungs. However, the Stone Armor Technique operated on its own, and the contraction of his muscles had already restrained most of the poison on the surface of his skin.

His face was slightly flushed and his breathing was a little rapid, but he returned to normal after three breaths. Wang Li's face was a little pale and sweat was beading on his forehead. He barely managed to keep from losing his composure. Sun Yan's lips were even purple as he suppressed his surging blood and qi.

Old Huang squinted at the three. Wang Li's foundation was decent, but his resilience was lacking; Sun Yan's eyes were unfocused, and his temperament was the worst; as for Liang Cheng, he took another look. This kid was interesting. The poison entered his body as if it had sunk into the sea, so it seemed that his hard skills were quite good.

After a quarter of an hour, Old Huang nodded: "Not bad, let's go."

……

The four of them left the west gate of the martial arts academy and headed straight for West Mountain.

On the way, Elder Huang gave a brief instruction: "This time we need to collect three main medicinal herbs: Ghost Face Flower, Corrupting Bone Vine Heart, and Jade Blood Lingzhi. The first two are in Poisonous Miasma Valley, and the last one is in Soul-Severing Cliff. Avoid any monsters you encounter; I don't have time to save you."

Wang Li asked, "Elder Huang, what about the barrier-breaking pill after the deed is done...?"

"Once you've gathered all the medicinal herbs, you'll naturally get a share of the finished product." Old Huang waved his hand. "But let me make this clear beforehand: anyone who dares to hoard herbs or stab you in the back," he sneered. "Although I'm just an alchemist, poisoning a few cultivators at the Transformation Realm isn't difficult for me."

Sun Yan quickly lowered his head: "I wouldn't dare."

Liang Cheng silently noted down the characteristics of the medicinal herbs, making sure he wouldn't miss anything.

In the afternoon, we entered the mountains.

The forest grew denser, and miasma began to spread.

Wang Li and Liang Cheng each swallowed the barrier-avoiding medicine, while Liang Cheng fully activated his Stone Armor Technique. Old Huang, however, was completely unaware of it, and even took a deep breath of the poisonous miasma, smacking his lips: "The purity of this miasma is average; it cannot nurture a top-grade Ghost Face Flower."

Continuing deeper for another ten miles, a valley shrouded in gray fog came into view.

"We've arrived at the Poisonous Miasma Valley," Elder Huang gestured to stop. "The Ghost-Faced Flower prefers damp and shady places and is often found where corpses accumulate. Wang Li and Sun Yan, you two go to the east side to search. Liang Cheng, you come with me to the west side."

Wang Li's face darkened: "Elder Huang, this kid has the lowest cultivation level. Following you, he might just hold you back, wouldn't he?"

"Do I need you to teach me?" Old Huang glared. "Hurry up and go. Remember to meet me before noon, or I'll be late!"

Wang Li gritted his teeth and left angrily with Sun Yan.

……

In the valley to the west, the miasma was even denser.

Old Huang walked ahead, his steps light for someone of his age. He suddenly spoke up: "Young man, how far have you progressed in your hard skills?"

"I have made some progress," Liang Cheng replied cautiously.

"Bullshit," Old Huang snorted. "I added Heart-Scorching Powder to the poison-testing pill. Even those in the late stage of the Transformation Realm would feel pain for half an hour, but you recovered in three breaths. You are at least a master of ordinary hard skills, or even at perfection."

Liang Cheng remained silent.

"Never mind if you don't want to talk about it," Old Huang waved his hand. "But you'll have to help us collect the Corrupted Bone Vine Heart later. That thing grows in the vine demon's lair. The vine demon's sap will cause you to rot if it touches you. If your hard skills aren't up to par, you'll just be sending yourself to your death."

"Disciple understands."

After walking half a mile, a field of white bones appeared ahead, a mixture of animal and human bones, with a large patch of purplish-black vines wrapped around the center, the vines flowing with a viscous, putrid liquid that stank in the air.

Deep within the vines, several sections of the vine heart, as white as jade, can be vaguely seen.

"The Corrupting Bone Vine Demon is at the peak of the third rank, but its toxicity makes it comparable to the fourth rank," Elder Huang said in a low voice. "Go and take the core of the vine, the very middle section. Remember, you can only use jade to take it, otherwise metal will be corroded upon contact."

As he spoke, he tossed a jade knife to Liang Cheng.

"Isn't Elder Huang coming along?"

Old Huang grinned, said nothing, but took out a small bottle from his pocket, uncorked it, and a strange, sweet fragrance wafted out.

The vines suddenly erupted!

Countless vines lunged at them like venomous snakes!

"Now!"

After saying that, Old Huang stepped back, completely ignoring Liang Cheng. Liang Cheng thought to himself, "No wonder the reward is so high."

However, Liang Cheng dared not be careless on the surface. He exerted force with his feet, and the movement brought by the perfect Hunyuan stance was as light as smoke. Instead of retreating, he advanced and rushed straight for the heart of the vine.

He activated the Stone Armor Technique at full power, and his skin glowed with a grayish-white light.

"Sizzle!"

The corrosive liquid poured down like rain, instantly splashing onto Liang Cheng's arms, shoulders, and back in seven or eight places. The smoke hissed, the grayish-white halo of the Stone Armor Technique flickered violently, and his skin felt a burning pain, but it was ultimately not corroded through.

He felt a chill run down his spine. If this putrid liquid were to come into contact with an ordinary cultivator at the Transformation Realm, it would likely expose their bones instantly.

Then the jade sword slashed repeatedly, and the vine heart felt cold in my hand.

Just as he was about to retreat, a thick vine, as thick as a child's arm, coiled around him like a venomous python. Liang Cheng touched the ground with his toes, his body shooting backward. The vine grazed the sole of his shoe and crashed into the ground, corroding a deep pit.

"Got it, let's go!" Old Huang shouted from a short distance away.

Liang Cheng immediately retreated and, after reuniting with Elder Huang, rushed out of the Poisonous Valley with all his might.

At the meeting point outside the valley, Wang Li and Sun Yan were already waiting there, each holding a pale, ghost-face-like flower.

"Old Huang, we've picked the Ghost Face Flower," Wang Li said, handing it over, his gaze sweeping over the medicine basket on Liang Cheng's back. "Did you get the Heart of the Corpse-Rotting Vine too?"

"Hmm," Elder Huang examined the vine heart and nodded in satisfaction, "It's in good condition. Let's rest for a while, then we'll head to the Cliff of Broken Souls."

On the way, Wang Li and Sun Yan occasionally exchanged glances before parting ways.

This kid managed to get the Heart of the Corrupting Bone Vine, so his hard skills must be quite impressive; he's not easy to deal with.