"What the heck is this Su Jianying?"
"A guy that powerful, has some fancy-sounding Spirit Nurturing Ring, even set up some kind of restriction so no one could check it... and inside, it's empty..."
Ye Feng, who was using his consciousness to examine Su Jianying's Spirit Nurturing Ring, felt quite frustrated. The ring's internal space was quite large, but it was extremely bare.
"Hmm? What's that?"
Suddenly, Ye Feng's attention was drawn to a plant in the corner that looked a bit like ginseng, emitting a reddish glow all over and appearing quite unusual.
After observing it for a while, Ye Feng realized he didn't recognize the plant and continued his search.
Not long after, Ye Feng withdrew his consciousness from the Spirit Nurturing Ring.
"Swish swish~!"
A flash of light appeared on Ye Feng's hand, and the plant that resembled ginseng, with its all-over glowing aura, materialized in his grasp.
As soon as the plant appeared, Ye Feng caught a faint scent of medicinal herbs, and a warm, moist sensation spread through his palm holding the plant.
Beside the red-hued plant was a token.
It was inscribed with peculiar runes, also entirely red. However, unlike the plant's warm, inviting red, the runes on the token had an abnormal, even eerie, redness, appearing almost like flowing blood at first glance!
"This Su Jianying is truly penniless... The entire Spirit Nurturing Ring only has these two items, no other supplies... no food, no necessities, no clothes..."
Ye Feng swept his consciousness through the Spirit Nurturing Ring one last time, muttering with some frustration.
"Um... is this plant ginseng?"
Subsequently, Ye Feng walked over to Yue Feixue, who was standing not far away, gazing at the towering green plant left behind by the mountain collapse, and inquired.
"Hmm? It's Blood Ginseng!"
Upon seeing the plant in Ye Feng's hand emitting a red glow, Yue Feixue's face showed surprise.
"Blood Ginseng? Is it a type of ginseng?"
Ye Feng asked, a hint of curiosity in his voice.
"No!"
Yue Feixue shook her head gently. "Blood Ginseng is a rather rare medicinal herb with potent functions for blood replenishment and qi boosting."
"The one in your hand should be around 300 years old. At this age, it likely contains a trace of spiritual energy from heaven and earth. For an ordinary elder to consume it would have a rejuvenating effect!"
"Su Jianying had no physical body, only his spirit. He kept this item probably in preparation for adapting to a new body after obtaining divine power..."
Yue Feixue explained quickly to Ye Feng.
"So that's how it is... Blood Ginseng... seems like a good thing!"
Although Ye Feng didn't fully understand some of the terms Yue Feixue used, one thing was certain: this Blood Ginseng was an excellent tonic.
After a moment's thought, Ye Feng offered the Blood Ginseng to Yue Feixue. "Here, take this. You were injured just now, so it's perfect for you to recuperate!"
Ye Feng hadn't forgotten how Yue Feixue had shielded him with her body from Su Jianying's blood-hand attack, which had caused her to spit blood...
Ye Feng knew very well that he couldn't have withstood Su Jianying's attack just now...
"Oh? You want to give it to me?"
"This Blood Ginseng is quite precious. It can not only heal injuries but also enhance one's strength!"
Yue Feixue did not immediately take the Blood Ginseng. Instead, she looked at Ye Feng with a slight smile, a hint of surprise flashing in her beautiful eyes.
"While I, Ye Feng, may not possess your immense strength, I am not ungrateful."
"You were injured while saving me, and this Blood Ginseng is for replenishing blood and qi and healing injuries. It's perfect for you..."
As he spoke, Ye Feng extended his hand holding the Blood Ginseng further towards Yue Feixue, indicating for her to take it.
"Despite his low strength, his character is commendable!"
Seeing this, a trace of relief flickered in Yue Feixue's heart. She smiled slightly and pushed Ye Feng's hand back. "Although Blood Ginseng is precious, it's not of much use to me!"
"Besides, my spitting blood earlier wasn't entirely due to Su Jianying. He doesn't have the strength to make me spit blood with a single palm strike!"
"Keep the Blood Ginseng. However, you'd best not think of consuming it all at once. With your current physique, you won't be able to withstand the medicinal power of a 300-year-old Blood Ginseng."
Yue Feixue paused and added.
"Then... alright!"
Meeting Yue Feixue's persistent gaze, Ye Feng hesitated slightly and put the Blood Ginseng into his spatial storage.
"Huh?"
Suddenly, Ye Feng felt a surge of surprise.
The moment he stored the Blood Ginseng in his spatial storage, he felt a peculiar sensation, the same one he experienced when his consciousness entered the Spirit Nurturing Ring.
"What the heck... is the system's spatial storage just a type of Spirit Nurturing Ring... but it seems to lack a physical form?"
Comparing his spatial storage with the Spirit Nurturing Ring in his mind, Ye Feng formed a bold conjecture.
"Big Brother, what is that red token in your hand? It gives off a very uncomfortable aura!"
Just as Ye Feng was pondering, Yue Feixue spoke. "That's a Blood Oath Token! It's a token of the Dark Sacred Cult. Whoever possesses it holds a significant position within the cult!"
"What the heck, this Dark Sacred Cult again! What is that thing?"
Hearing this term once more, Ye Feng felt both surprised and confused.
When leaving the City of Despair, Ling Xi had specifically warned him to be cautious of the Dark Sacred Cult... In the City of Ice, Elder Liu from the Adventurers' Guild had also mentioned it...
"With your current strength, knowing too much is useless!"
Yue Feixue replied indifferently, seeing Ye Feng's bewildered and curious expression.
Ye Feng: "..."
"Ye Feng?"
Suddenly, a male voice, which sounded somewhat familiar to Ye Feng, rang out.
Ye Feng turned his head and saw Jiang Shishan, who had fled from the pursuit of the ghostly soldiers earlier. Xue Yuli was beside Jiang Shishan.
At present, Jiang Shishan and Xue Yuli were both injured in several places, and there were few members of the Ocean Paradise remaining beside Xue Yuli...
"Ye Feng, are you alright? Those ghostly soldiers earlier... there was nothing I could do..."
"We just repelled the ghostly soldiers and intended to come back to check the situation... but it seems we're too late..."
Jiang Shishan walked up to Ye Feng and scratched his head, looking sheepish.
Xue Yuli also appeared embarrassed. After all, Ye Feng had helped them quite a bit before, even saving her life, yet they had abandoned him when they were in danger.
In fact, she and Jiang Shishan had returned with the intention of collecting Ye Feng's body for burial...
"Oh, it's fine!~"
Ye Feng waved his hand, clearly not overly concerned.
Given the situation, survival was uncertain for everyone. If they had tried to escape together, Ye Feng certainly wouldn't have been able to look out for them...
"Oh, right! Mei You and Bi Mao, those two fellows!"
Seeing Jiang Shishan, Ye Feng suddenly remembered the two individuals he had trapped in the crevice of the rocks without time to interrogate them thoroughly.
With this thought, Ye Feng quickly ran towards the direction of the forest.
Xiao Xiao, Jiang Shishan, and Xue Yuli followed closely behind.
...