The Martial Saint Started from Scavenging

Deep inside the cave, it was still dark. Ye Sheng struggled to his feet and groped his way to the cave entrance.

The night breeze, carrying moisture, brushed against his cheeks, its coolness seeping into his bones, yet he felt a surge of energy.

He dragged his heavy body, his steps were unsteady, his blood and qi surged in his body, and his internal organs ached faintly, which was the aftereffect of the "Burning Blood Blade Technique".

The Black Ridge Blade was now tightly wrapped with strips of cloth and pressed against his back. The blade still emitted a faint heat, as if a lingering fighting spirit still pulsed within it.

Located behind Yaowang Peak, Luanshi Valley is usually deserted, and it appears even more eerie at this time.

Ye Sheng stumbled along, avoiding the withered branches and pebbles beneath his feet, the wind whistling in his ears as if whispering ghostly words.

He forced himself to stay awake, the venomous roar from Pang Fu echoing repeatedly in his mind.

The rage of a Foundation Establishment cultivator is far more powerful than mortals can imagine. If we don't return to Willow Garden as soon as possible, the consequences will be unimaginable.

Willow Garden, the place of refuge provided by Liu Qing, is now nothing less than a safe haven in Ye Sheng's eyes.

He mobilized the remaining internal energy in his body and forcibly activated the "Blood Shadow Step". His movements were no longer as smooth as before, and his steps were heavy, bringing with them gusts of wind, which seemed particularly abrupt in the silent mountain forest.

With each step, a tearing pain shot through the depths of his meridians, and sweat soaked his clothes, mingling with blood.

But Ye Sheng dared not stop. He gritted his teeth and fought against the limits of his body every minute and every second.

Finally, the eastern sky began to lighten with the first rays of dawn, piercing through the clouds and falling upon the summit of Medicine King Peak. Ye Sheng, dragging his nearly exhausted body, arrived at the entrance of Willow Garden.

The courtyard gate was tightly closed, and the two characters "Liuyuan" on the wooden sign exuded a sense of tranquility in the morning light.

He pushed open the courtyard gate, and a familiar spiritual energy rushed towards him. The herb garden inside was full of vitality, with various spiritual plants swaying in the morning dew, emitting the unique fragrance of grass and trees.

Ye Kai was sitting by the window on the second floor, holding the book "Fengwu Zhi" in his hands. Hearing the sound of the courtyard gate, he put down the book and poked his little head out.

When he saw Ye Sheng, his smile froze, replaced by worry.

Ye Sheng's face was as pale as paper, his lips were cracked, his clothes were tattered and stained with dirt and dried blood, and he looked quite disheveled and listless.

"elder brother!"

Ye Kai exclaimed in surprise and rushed downstairs to Ye Sheng's side. He wanted to help Ye Sheng up, but in his panic, he didn't know where to start.

Ye Sheng forced a smile, gently patted his younger brother's head, and said in a hoarse voice, "It's alright, brother is alright."

He didn't want Ye Kai to worry, but his physical exhaustion was hard to hide.

He pushed Ye Kai back into the house, then forced himself to walk to the edge of the herb garden, picked a few leaves from a calming herb, and chewed them.

The cool juice went down his throat, clearing his muddled mind a little.

"Go upstairs and rest. I'm going to take care of some things," Ye Sheng whispered, gesturing for Ye Kai to return to his room.

Ye Kai nodded obediently, but his eyes were still full of worry as he went upstairs, turning back every three steps.

Ye Sheng watched his younger brother's figure disappear at the top of the stairs before his tense nerves finally relaxed a little.

He dragged his heavy steps to the depths of the herb garden, where the century-old green vine had grown astonishingly, with its tendrils winding and its branches and leaves flourishing.

He plucked a few green leaves from the vines and dug out a small section of root from the soil. After quickly processing them, he locked himself in his room.

He needed to quickly refine a Qi-Condensing Pill to restore his Qi and blood in order to face the challenges ahead.

At the same time, the news of Pang Fu's severed arm spread like wildfire throughout the outer sect servant area of ​​the Qingyun Sword Sect, and even reached the ears of the outer sect disciples.

"Have you heard? Manager Pang had his hand chopped off!"

"Who's so bold as to lay a hand on Steward Pang?"

"I heard it happened in the Rocky Valley behind the mountain. Steward Pang went to investigate a place with unusual spiritual energy, but was attacked by an unknown force."

"Tch, what unexplained attack? It must be that Manager Pang has been exploiting people too much and offended someone."

The servants were all talking about it, but none of them knew the reason for what had happened.

But they only dared to gossip in private, because Pang Fu's prestige had already deeply penetrated people's hearts, and even though he had lost an arm, his influence remained.

In fact, many people secretly speculated that this matter might be related to Ye Sheng.

After all, Pang Fu met his untimely death not long after Ye Sheng left the Abandoned Pill Room, and the Chaotic Stone Valley happened to be the Medicine King Peak where Ye Sheng was located.

However, Pang Fu claimed that he was attacked by a ferocious monster while on patrol, which resulted in the loss of his arm.

He remained silent about Ye Sheng, and did not report him to the Enforcement Hall.

He knew very well that if he revealed the truth, he would not only face punishment from the sect, but his shameful acts of exploiting servants and embezzling sect resources would also be exposed.

For him, this would be a losing proposition.

But the resentment in Pang Fu's heart gnawed at his reason like a venomous snake. He had lost an arm, his cultivation was damaged, and his future path to advancement was shrouded in shadow.

All of this was thanks to Ye Sheng. He vowed to make Ye Sheng pay a hundredfold price.

Liu Qing returned to the sect three days after Pang Fu was injured.

Upon returning to her sect, she heard about Pang Fu's severed arm and felt a sense of unease. With Pang Fu's Foundation Establishment cultivation, even if he encountered a demonic beast, he shouldn't have been in such a sorry state.

She sent Liu Chui to gather information, but the report she received made her frown slightly.

"Miss, Steward Pang claims that he was injured by a monster, but according to rumors in the servants' quarters, this matter is inextricably linked to Ye Sheng."

Liu Chui reported respectfully, his tone cautious, and continued, "However, no one dared to say it outright; it was all just hearsay."

"Ye Sheng?"

Liu Qing gently stroked the vibrant moonflower orchid on the table, a thoughtful look flashing in her cool eyes.

She had suspected Ye Sheng of harboring a secret and knew he was not an ordinary servant, but a martial artist. But she never expected that he would be able to sever the arm of a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Where is he?

"Miss, Ye Sheng has been staying in Willow Garden and has not gone out. However, he seems to be refining pills, as the garden is filled with the fragrance of medicine every day, and the spiritual plants in the garden are growing unusually fast," Liu Chui replied truthfully.

Upon hearing this, Liu Qing did not speak, but simply waved for Liu Chui to step back.

After a while, she came to Willow Garden alone. Pushing open the courtyard gate, a rich medicinal fragrance wafted out, invigorating her spirit.

In the herb garden, various medicinal plants flourished and thrived.

Especially the century-old Chinese vine, which grew remarkably well under the moonlight, its tendrils coiling like dragons on the walls of the small building.

Her gaze swept across the herb garden and finally landed on the second-floor window, where Ye Kai was intently flipping through an ancient book.

Liu Qing's heart stirred slightly: This young man's aura is also strange. Could it be that he is hiding some secret?

But she didn't disturb Ye Kai. She simply stood quietly in the herb garden for a moment, feeling the vibrant life force emanating from the spiritual herbs before her.

"As expected, my choice was right." Liu Qing murmured to herself, a hint of pride in her voice.

After staying for a while, she left Willow Garden.

Liu Qing did not go looking for Ye Sheng when she came here tonight. Although Ye Kai on the second floor noticed Liu Qing's arrival, he was shy by nature and did not come downstairs to greet her. He just blushed and nodded slightly in acknowledgment.

And so, Ye Sheng spent seven days and seven nights in his room.

During this time, he picked all the mature spiritual plants in the Willow Garden herb garden, and with the help of some auxiliary medicinal materials, he frantically refined pills.

[Alchemy: Beginner 102/1000 -> Beginner 350/1000]

His alchemy skills improved rapidly through extensive practice.

From initially producing inferior Qi Condensation Pills, I can now consistently refine mid-grade Qi Condensation Pills, and even occasionally refine a few high-grade ones.

More importantly, relying on his "scavenging" skills to keenly perceive the properties of medicines and his "herb identification" skills to deeply understand the characteristics of spiritual plants, he began to try to refine some pills with special effects.

Among them, the one he valued most was a pill called "Guyuan Dan". This pill could strengthen the body's foundation, restore qi and blood, and had a remarkable effect on internal injuries.

And that's exactly what he needs right now.

Ye Sheng consumed all the Qi Condensation Pills and Yuan Strengthening Pills he had refined, and with the help of the Internal Breathing Method, the disordered Qi and blood in his body gradually calmed down, and the injuries to his internal organs healed rapidly.