Divine Tang Era

Put away the breastplate and continue north.

Xu Dan dug for cordyceps as he walked, and he dug up quite a few common cordyceps and golden cordyceps.

Including what he dug up yesterday, he had already dug up quite a lot of Cordyceps sinensis, so he didn't want to dig anymore and instead only dug up Cordyceps militaris.

While digging, he unearthed something again—a lump of iron covered in rust. Since the rust hadn't been removed, he didn't know what was inside. After that, he never found anything again, but he did find a jade dragon stone.

This jade dragon is nothing compared to the one we dug up before.

This one still had a golden hue, while the previous one was like ice jade, pure and flawless, incomparable. Finding the jade dragon meant that Xu Dan was already a hundred miles away from the treehouse.

He didn't go back immediately, because it was still early yesterday when he rushed back, so he planned to walk a little further.

They dug up another lump of iron, but found nothing else.

Xu Dan looked ahead and saw an endless expanse of green grassland. With no trees or hills to obstruct the view, it was immediately clear whether anyone was in front of him. He stared intently for a moment, found no one, and feeling there was no point in going any further, turned and ran back.

Although he didn't find what he was looking for today, he still gained a lot.

First, they found jade dragon seeds and golden cordyceps; second, they found a breastplate and two iron lumps.

Back at his destination, he didn't rush back to the treehouse.

First, he boiled water in a pot, added venison and golden cordyceps to simmer, then threw two iron lumps into the fire to burn. After doing all this, he put his belongings back in the treehouse, then ran to the stream behind the mountain to find a round stone, placed the Heart-Protecting Mirror on it, and began to strike it with the Soul-Devouring Yin-Yang Hammer.

The Heart-Protecting Mirror is very hard, but the Soul-Devouring Yin-Yang Hammer is even harder.

Under the constant hammering of the Soul-Devouring Yin-Yang Hammer, the already concave part of the Heart-Protecting Mirror became even more concave, slowly turning into a Heart-Protecting Pot the size of an adult's palm.

Midway through, he threw the two red-hot iron lumps into the water, and at the same time, he removed the flames from the stewed venison and cordyceps, letting the remaining warmth keep it warm.

A little while later, the small pot made from the breastplate was finished. Xu Dan looked at his craftsmanship and felt it was alright. So, he put down his tools, washed the small pot clean, filled it with water, and put it on the stone stove to boil. He then took the iron lump that had been thrown into the water out and tapped it. The rust on it fell off easily, revealing two arrows.

Wash it clean with water and examine it carefully.

Xu Dan discovered that one of them was a triangular arrow with blood grooves on three sides, making it a deadly weapon. The other one was likely a whistling arrow, or a signal arrow.

Now he felt even more strongly that he was in an ancient battlefield, otherwise how could there be so many weapons of war? But he couldn't help feeling a little strange. If it was a battlefield, there should be traces left by the army, but unfortunately he didn't see a single one.

So he plans to head west tomorrow, to see what's behind the mountain.

If this was once an ancient battlefield, then there should be traces of human activity left in the woods.

There might still be some fragments left, from which you might find some useful information.

Having made his decision, Xu Dan put those matters aside and began enjoying the stewed venison with cordyceps that he had already prepared. It must be said, the two ingredients stewed together were indeed delicious. It would have been even better if the venison's smoky flavor hadn't been so strong.

After finishing his meal and tidying up, Xu Dan returned to his room and began to sort through his day's finds.

The ordinary cordyceps were taken out and laid on the floor to dry, while the golden cordyceps were picked up and placed together with yesterday's golden cordyceps.

He took out the box containing the Enlightenment Fruit and Cordyceps sinensis, only to find that one Enlightenment Fruit was missing.

After obtaining the first Enlightenment Fruit in the Dragon Salamander Cave, he went and stole four more, making a total of five. It was because of his greed that he was targeted by the little dragon salamander and attacked as soon as he approached, which is why he didn't go again. But all five Enlightenment Fruits were clearly in the box, so how come one is missing?

Xu Dan searched the box thoroughly but still couldn't find the lost Kai Zhi Guo, so he emptied everything out and separated the contents.

There's a pile of Enlightenment Fruit, a pile of Cordyceps militaris, and a pile of Jade Dragon Seeds.

He wasn't sure if it was just his imagination, but when he picked up the jade dragon, it seemed to have become more sentient; its dark, round eyes seemed to gleam with wisdom. Xu Dan held it in his palm for a while and noticed that it seemed to have gotten fatter, and its head had become rounder.

Although he has gained weight, Yu Longzi doesn't look stupid; instead, he looks like a clever little fat boy.

It remained as hard and unmoving as a carved piece of ice jade.

After looking at it for a long time without seeing any movement, Xu Dan finally put it down.

After investigating thoroughly, they still couldn't figure out how the Enlightenment Fruit disappeared. Left with no other option, they had to repackage it in a different box to avoid any problems. This was something he had worked so hard to steal; he hadn't even eaten it himself yet, and losing one like this was heartbreaking.

The items taken out of the box, the jade dragon seed and other golden cordyceps, were placed together in one box.

After repacking his things, Xu Dan took out the two arrowheads he had dug up that day.

These two arrowheads, buried in the soil for who knows how long, remain intact and undamaged, suggesting they are made of high-quality material. The triangular arrowhead, in particular, though rusted by the soil, immediately regains its luster and sharpness after a simple cleaning.

As for the whistling arrow, it's not bad either.

He wiped the whistle clean inside and out, put it to his lips, plugged one end, and blew on it. The sound was acceptable.

Looking at the arrow, Xu Dan wondered if he should make a bow and arrow so that he wouldn't be unable to hit wild beasts that were too far away and could only sigh in vain.

To be honest, he really didn't know how to make intricately crafted bows and arrows. He could make ordinary bows and arrows, though he wasn't sure about their power. Making ordinary bows and arrows wasn't difficult; an average person could do it with a little effort. The first step was choosing the right material—bow wood that was both resilient and hard.

The second string selection is easy to find.

You can use the inner bark of old mountain vines or the tough fibers inside some old tree bark, but of course, the effectiveness is hard to guarantee.

Tomorrow we'll go to the west side, which is the side of the mountain behind the treehouse. Keep an eye out for good bow and arrow materials if we see them. If we find them, great; if not, no big deal.

Xu Dan arranged his tasks for tomorrow, found nothing missing, and then lay down to sleep.

The next day, seeing that the weather was nice, he took the deer hide he had peeled off and the hides of the two things outside to dry, then jumped down from the treehouse to wash up and cook.

The weather on the plateau is unpredictable. It was fine when we left yesterday. But once we got there, it was sunny one moment, hailing the next, and sometimes even freezing rain. Although he's young and energetic, he couldn't stand being soaked in the rain.

Therefore, he planned to make a book basket for ancient scholars to use when traveling.

The basket has a side compartment for carrying things; a small sunshade in front can not only block the sun but also protect against rain and hail. Ideally, a folding chair could be placed behind the basket so that you can rest when you get tired from traveling.

However, this thing is technically difficult to make, so he can only make a book basket that combines a basket and a sunshade.

I'm going to the mountains behind the village today, so if I find anything useful, I can bring it back without having to search for it again.

After finishing breakfast, Xu Dan packed his things and started walking towards the back of the mountain.