"Huh, my harvest is good. I have found a large number of spirit herbs and spirit fruits in this region," Duncan said eyeing the bag stuffed to the brim before him.
It was the same bag the sect had given him when he joined as a disciple. Currently, he had taken out everything that was in there and filled it to the brim with the spirit herbs and spirit fruits he had collected in this region.
It had taken him one week to scour the region completely and find as many spirit herbs as possible. He had even taken spirit herbs that were not even a hundred years old.
Usually, the classification of the spirit herbs was a little different from spirit fruits. Fruits are only considered for consumption when they ripen and they usually fall off within a week or so. So, if they are not harvested within that time period, they would be absorbed back by the soil.
The maturation time for each spirit fruit varies and with longer time, the more spirit energy contained within it. However, when it comes to spirit herbs, things are a bit different.
A normal spirit herb takes from thirty to fifty years to mature. It must absorb the spirit energy constantly and then integrate the energy into it to become mature. However, unlike spirit fruits, spirit herbs have an inherent quality of increasing their potency as time passes.
Thus the same spirit herb is much more potent when it is hundred years old, thousand years old, and so on. Unlike spirit fruits, spirit herbs could be harvested at any time after their maturity. The only drawback being the younger ones have lesser potency than the older ones.
Only some special treasures like the Seven-Colored Soul Lotus need to be harvested immediately upon maturity as they take over thousands of years to do so. Even then, only when specific conditions are met will they even bloom or mature.
The spirit herbs that Duncan collected were ordinary ones, hence the age wasn't much of an issue for him. In his mind, the lesser maturity they had the better it was for him. That way, he could consume them.
Hence, he had thrown away all the gourds he had fashioned from the wild materials and stuffed the bag that the sect provided him with all the mature herbs. As for the ones with lesser maturity, he found some reeds in the wild and fashioned himself a small bag with them and filled it.
"Right, that's it. I am done with this region. I need to explore the other regions as well. I also need to find another storage bag," Duncan muttered indecisively. "I can't obviously lug all these things with me. It would be too bothersome and these herbs are not useful to me currently."
"My cultivation couldn't be consolidated anymore. As long as I engage in some battle, I can advance. My main aim in venturing outside is to see the sights. But, I should also use this opportunity to advance in my cultivation," Duncan said as the idea in his head firmed up. "I will hide them for now. I can come back and pick them up while leaving this realm. With my strength, lugging these mature herbs can only invite trouble."
Decision made, Duncan immediately found a well-hidden spot in the hills and put the storage bag in it. As no demonic beast would be trespassing here, he felt completely safe in hiding his loot here. As for the cultivators, most cultivators didn't have the keen sense of demonic beasts to ferret out the harvested loot. So, he wasn't worried about it.
In any case, he could only take the loss if it came, unwillingly. After all, his senior brother's words of him being the weakest person in the Grotto Heaven was indeed true and he didn't need to doubt it. Without strength, he could only swallow his complaints.
Once his loot was secured, Duncan immediately began to make a beeline toward the valley at the far end of the hilly region. He figured that crossing the valley would lead to other regions in the Grotto Heaven.
Initially, he had assumed the Grotto Heaven to not be that big. But, after exploring the hilly region for a week and not even seeing a single soul, Duncan was beginning to realize how big the Grotto Heaven truly was.
With the reed bag tied behind his back, two empty gourds on his hips, and a sword in his hands, Duncan began to make his way to the valley at a relaxed pace. He didn't rush as he knew that it wouldn't matter much with his strength.
Duncan was also not using any qi. He was using this opportunity to practice <Wind Chasing Steps> with his body strength alone. It was proving to be a difficult chore, to be honest. Duncan felt as if a barrier stood in his way in properly utilizing <Wind Chasing Steps>
Duncan's understanding of <Wind Chasing Steps> wasn't at an elementary level now. He had already grasped the concept of the speed of the wind. So, by any logic, he should be able to use it to the best of his ability. However, as he was only using body strength, the speed he displayed was that of an elementary user.
Even then, Duncan was beginning to feel as if the haze in his vision was beginning to clear slowly. By only using his physical strength and his understanding of the technique, Duncan was close to gaining more mastery of the technique.
Just a thin line separated him from being able to walk on air like he could do when utilizing qi. But, this small step seemed miles long and he was only now beginning his journey. Also, this also constituted as a good exercise for his whole body.
Duncan didn't tire easily as he made good progress across the hills to reach the valley. He could see the spirit energy in this region was much richer than the hilly region he had been in for the past month and a week.
He knew that progressing in cultivation with this rich spiritual aura would be a piece of cake as long as he could find some slaughter qi. And for that to happen he needed to engage in battles constantly.
He could only hope that the beasts in this region weren't too strong for him to handle…
*****
"The geography of this Grotto Heaven seems really weird," Duncan muttered looking into the distance.
He was currently at one end of the valley. Looking ahead he saw a large valley that was filled with barren sand mounds and a few places with vegetation. Looking back, he found verdant hills filled with trees, plants, and herbs. The contrast was bit much for him to wrap his head around.
"Guess, the trek across this region is not going to be easy," Duncan mumbled and started walking slowly into the valley.
Within five minutes, he could feel the scorching heat of the sun almost roast him alive. Sweat started pouring out of him in buckets and he even began to feel a little thirsty.
"The hilly region didn't have any sun. It was covered in clouds and the valley beside it is scorching hot. I do not know what to think about these changes," Duncan shook his head and a few drops of sweat from his hair fell on the sand below and vanished within seconds into the sand.
Duncan reached behind and brought out a juicy fruit that had just barely matured. It didn't have much spirit energy in it. Biting into it and feeling its juices flow through his mouth, Duncan felt a little bit more refreshed.
Duncan quickened his pace and began to use <Wind Chasing Steps> without qi to get out of this valley as quickly as possible. After hours of traveling, he stopped at a sand mound and looked ahead.
Even after traveling for hours, he had yet to see the exit. With his speed, he should have covered several tens of miles by now. To think that the valley was stretching for this long was unfathomable to Duncan.
"Did I get caught in some kind of a weird special formation? I have read about them in the sect. Because it definitely looks like I am in one. I can't even head back now as everything almost looks the same from here," Duncan grumbled looking behind.
"The night is going to fall soon. At least, I can look forward to the sunset. This place looks as if it would be beautiful during a sunrise or a sunset," Duncan said looking around. "Let me rest here for a while."
Duncan rested for a bit on the mound as he trained his eyes toward the sunset. When the time arrived, he felt that his wait and struggles in this region were worth it.
As the sun set, its orangish rays shined upon the barren sand and formed a beautiful picture. Duncan felt a strange sense of calm engulf him as he watched the beautiful scenery. He felt as if he was looking at something profound and beautiful. However, the beauty captivated him too much to lock into that profound feeling he was experiencing.
So, he shrugged it off and enjoyed the sunset with a bright smile.
"If only I had some wine in my hand," Duncan said looking wistfully at the empty gourds hanging in his waist. "Next time I get some wine, I need to save some for emergency situations like this. This beautiful sight feels incomplete with some wine to drink as I watch it."
Duncan stayed at the same spot for the entire sunset, appreciating its beauty and enjoying the magical scene.
When the sun was about to set, its reddish glow permeated through the entire valley and casting itself into a beautiful kingdom of sands. The vegetation that was few and far away glistened in the setting sun, giving off a magical vibe to the moment.
Duncan watched the sunset with a content smile on his face. The irritation he had felt with being conned into accepting the duty of saving this world when the Aghori Path descended faded away. He felt more energized than he had been for the past week.
The night fell slowly in the valley. Duncan didn't find any moon rising up in the valley causing him to be a bit confused. The entire valley was permeated with darkness soon with no light source causing Duncan to be surprised a little.
Looking up, Duncan didn't find any stars in the sky as well.
*****
A/N: Hey folks!
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