Chapter 159

Chapter 159

Facing the extremely eager plants and trees, some of which were even willing to sacrifice themselves for the Xisui grass, Bai Xiaoyu compiled a list of the required medicinal herbs and sent it over under their urgent urging. Some herbs had different names in the star system, while others were not recorded at all, so he also sent detailed images and information on their characteristics.

Shortly after he sent it, the plant people projected the information from the large tree as they gathered around to look.

Even for them, living in the most suitable star system for plant growth, they were extremely surprised by the age of these herbs.

Bai Xiaoyu noticed that these plants and trees had their own small movements, and although some were not very clear, he could roughly tell from their subtle movements that they were also facing difficulties.

Bai Xiaoyu looked at the list, where the lowest age of the herbs was five hundred years, and he felt that the situation was likely not very optimistic.

If the plant people didn’t have these herbs, the chance of finding them anywhere in the star system would be almost zero.

Bai Xiaoyu felt somewhat worried, and after the plant people had reviewed everything several times, the large tree transformed back into a human form, hesitating as he looked at Bai Xiaoyu, seemingly wanting to say something but hesitating.

Seeing this, Bai Xiaoyu immediately said, “It’s okay if you don’t have them; I—”

The other plant people started jumping again, and some even began poking the man who had transformed back from the tree.

The man quickly explained, “It’s not that we don’t have them. The medicinal herbs you need are just ones we can’t gather all at once. For example, for the five-hundred-year-old Yasu, we have an eight-hundred-year-old version. And for the seven-hundred-year-old Ironwood Grass, we have a nine-hundred-year-old version. Do these work?”

Bai Xiaoyu was stunned, initially surprised that they had the corresponding herbs, then happy but also worried. After all, the older the herbs, the greater the requirements for the alchemist, and the age couldn’t deviate too much from that of the main medicine.

These two types of herbs were within a suitable age range, but...

Bai Xiaoyu looked at his hand, and even with his tail helping, attempting to refine herbs of this age was ultimately still too much for a C-grade physique. After all, the last time he refined a three-hundred-year-old Xisui Grass, he had already been close to his limit.

The plant man secretly observed Bai Xiaoyu, while the other plant people also seemed worried, all staring at him.

Bai Xiaoyu quickly responded, “These ages of medicinal herbs are naturally acceptable. How about this: I’ll send another list with acceptable age ranges for the herbs, and as long as they are within those ranges, it’ll be fine.”

After sending the new list, Bai Xiaoyu soon noticed that the plant people were significantly more active than before.

After some discussion among themselves, the plant man said, “Out of these twenty-five medicinal herbs, we can gather ten right now. For the rest, we’ll need to ask the elders.”

After all, some of these herbs were guarded by the elders, and they didn’t know the exact situation. Usually, if someone wanted to take these herbs, the elders would never agree. But because of the sacred soil, the elders should be more agreeable.

The numerous plants didn’t see this as a big issue. The only remaining problem was on Bai Xiaoyu’s side. If they couldn’t gather all the herbs, would it be acceptable to cut parts of their kin for substitution?

Medicinal herbs of several hundred or even a thousand years were also scarce for them. However, they had quite a few kin who were several hundred or a thousand years old.

They had already found more than one-third of the herbs that corresponded to their kin, so if they couldn’t find the herbs, they would just pull over their kin and cut them.

The plant people thought this and asked directly.

Seeing these plants and trees ready to perform self-mutilation on the spot, Bai Xiaoyu waved his hands, “Let’s not do that if we don’t have to.”

The plant people seemed a bit regretful, and Bai Xiaoyu, watching the plants that were eager to break their own branches again, couldn’t help but feel both amused and helpless.

In fact, the plant people privately would sometimes remove branches and leaves, using them for alchemy or letting other kin consume them. After all, even though they were plants, they were also people and could get sick.

Being plant people whose bodies were medicinal herbs, they didn’t mind their kin eating or using their branches and leaves. What they hated was when others wasted any parts that fell off them.

Of course, this was only for internal use among the plant people and never leaked externally.

The plant man indicated that they shouldn’t use this method unless absolutely necessary, meaning it could be used as a last resort.

That made things easier.

The call was disconnected, and the plant people began to take action to find the herbs.

They approached the elders. This was a major event concerning the Holy Soil. So, they immediately convened a meeting of all the elders and soon identified eight types of herbs. As for the remaining seven, they feared they would really need to perform amputations on some of their people.

Although limbs would grow back, it would leave bald spots.

This "baldness" doesn't refer to a bald head, but rather to the fact that the most medicinally potent parts of the herb people are mostly concentrated in the head, with a small portion in other areas.

At least five of the seven herbs that Bai Xiaoyu needed had their medicinal properties primarily concentrated in the head. One was in the chest, and one was in the hand.

The plant people began sending messages to their kin who met the conditions, offering them the opportunity to amputate the corresponding parts. In return, when the three pieces of Holy Soil came back, they would be allowed to take root in the Holy Soil once and stay within a ten-meter radius of the Holy Soil for half a year.

Less than half an hour after the messages were sent, three plant people had already brought their severed heads over. The other plant person was traveling outside and hadn't been contacted yet. As for the two plant people who met the conditions and had the same type of herb as the ones needed, the elders hadn't decided which one should be cut, and they had started fighting over it.

There was also an elder who had the same type of herb. His eyes were filled with regret as he sighed. If only his age met the requirement too. Unfortunately, he had lived for 1,800 years, and the medicinal properties were too far off.

Otherwise, would these young ones have the chance to offer their heads to him?

The plant people's side was extremely lively. A few plant people with severed heads, like the mythical Xingtian, watched as their kin fought over cutting off hands and heads. Fortunately, their heads had been cut off cleanly in a single stroke, just in time to meet the requirement and preserve the medicinal properties as the elders demanded. So those who were outside couldn't rush back in time and lost their chance.

They touched their necks. It didn't hurt much; their pain receptors were like that. It would take at least three months and at most three years for the severed limbs to grow back. For these long-lived plant people, finding a place to root and sleeping for a few months would be enough.

Moreover, they were now allowed to stay close to the young master and bask in the sun with him and his companions. It was simply delightful.

He thought of the young master doing handstands, with his captivating colorless root system under the sun. He was eager to rush to the young master's side. He would go ask the elders later if they could start accompanying the young master from today.

After the commotion and deciding the winners, the elders looked very satisfied at the twenty or so packed boxes.

They had worked very quickly, and the medicinal properties were preserved very well. This would surely surprise Breeder Bai.

The only thing left was an unrooted grass clan member. There were very few of them in this clan from the start. Now there was only one who met the requirement, but he liked to travel across the star system and couldn't be contacted at the moment. Otherwise, they would have gathered all the herbs and sent them over.

Back at Bai Xiaoyu's side, he was unaware of the huge 'surprise' the plant people were preparing for him.

He began to use his mental energy to inspect his own body. He thought he was still in the middle stage of C-class, but upon further inspection, he found that he was actually at the peak of the middle stage of C-class, just shy of breaking through to C+.

Bai Xiaoyu thought about how he had only recently advanced to C-class, and now he was breaking through again. This was clearly related to the compression and stretching he experienced during the spatial jump with the mech last night.

Now what he needed most was to progress. So, he immediately took out the potions he had prepared earlier and mixed a batch for a medicinal bath.

Big Black Egg guarded the door while Bai Xiaoyu peacefully soaked in the medicinal bath.

The advancement went extremely smoothly, and within just half an hour, Bai Xiaoyu broke through to C+.

In fact, after reaching C+, he would need to consolidate like last time, but he found that his physical condition was still quietly improving.

At that moment, his tail appeared. The previously suitable potion was no longer adequate after the advancement, and with his tail out, the effect of the potion felt like nothing more than a tickle.

Bai Xiaoyu mixed another batch of potions. Under the effect of his tail, the concentration of the potion was relatively high.

His body was constantly pushed to its limit, and the pain of bone marrow cleansing was naturally unbearable.

He gritted his teeth and endured, keeping his mind clear.

Just as his forehead was covered with dense beads of sweat and he was about to reach his limit, he felt an agonizing sensation from two points above his head. It was a hot and painful feeling, as if something was repeatedly trying to pierce through his scalp. Combined with the effect of the medicinal bath, it was almost unbearable.

At that moment, something on his head finally broke through the barrier and emerged.

Bai Xiaoyu relaxed completely, and the itchiness and pain on the top of his head disappeared. Even the previously potent effect of the medicinal liquid on his body had mostly worn off.

At that point, Bai Xiaoyu leaned back in the bathtub. It seemed to be the first appearance of the silver-white tiger ears on his head. The fluffy ears twitched, slowly drooping as Bai Xiaoyu's exhausted state set in.

Though Bai Xiaoyu hadn't fully reacted yet, he soon sensed something on his head. Just as he was about to touch it with his hand, his tail reacted faster, swiftly darting up to poke the two beast ears with its tip.

Feeling the speed of his tail, Bai Xiaoyu recalled the information he had recently read up on about his tail. Whether it was a beastman or a half-beast, the higher their physical and mental energy, the faster their limb reactions would be.

So sometimes, before his hands had time to react, his tail had already completed what he intended to do.

He needed to pay attention to this situation in the future. After all, his tail was now a part of his body, and he had to master control over it as soon as possible.

As Bai Xiaoyu thought about his tail, he reached up to touch his head, feeling the beast ears tremble in his palm. The fluffy sensation made him abruptly realize.

It dawned on him—after having grown a tail, he had now grown ears?

While Bai Xiaoyu was still in a daze, the Little Prince in the container next door, who was holding Xiao Bao's hand, suddenly furrowed his brow. His little face turned a bit grim, and he involuntarily let out a threatening growl.

This woke Little Bai, who rubbed his sleepy eyes. In the transparent liquid, he blinked and looked around.

How did Eggy know the Insect Crystal had been stolen?

Of course, Little Bai also knew about the Insect Crystals hidden by Eggy. When they left, he could still sense Yolk's presence, but upon returning, except for one under the grass near the breeding ground, the others had vanished without a trace.

While immersed in the mental energy of Papa Bai, Little Prince couldn't sense the outside Insect Crystals, just like now. Little Bai had wanted to tell Little Prince about this earlier, but Eggy had been asleep and advancing, so he hadn't had the chance.

Looking at the growling and fluffed-up Little Prince, Little Bai began to nibble on his hand in confusion. Did Eggy already know?

The Little Prince suddenly opened his eyes wide and looked at Xiao Bao. "Little Bai, I had another nightmare. I must check on my Insect Crystals; otherwise, I won't be able to rest or advance peacefully."

Before Little Bai could say anything, the Little Prince pulled him out of the spherical container.

Still drenched, the Little Prince hadn't had time to change Xiao Bao's clothes. He only noticed the fluctuation of a single Insect Crystal and suddenly roared, causing the entire breeding ground to tremble.

At that moment, the Little Prince was furious, his hair standing on end like tiny tendrils, entering a state of frenzy, scaring away the other animals in the forest.

The Little Prince growled, "My Insect Crystals!"

He quickly dressed Little Bai while ignoring himself, then rushed out.

Little Bai wasn't afraid of the Little Prince, whose hair was now writhing. He pulled the other's hand and said, "Eggy, pull your hair back. Change clothes first before going out."

The enraged Little Prince immediately turned back, his hair instantly becoming harmless and drooping down. He replied, "Okay."

Then his small tendrils on his head returned to their usual state, and after changing clothes, he pulled Little Bai and rushed out.

Even though he knew the outcome, he still searched everywhere where he had previously hidden the Insect Crystals.

With each overturn, he became more agitated.

If it weren't for Little Bai holding him back, the Little Prince might have exploded on the spot.

As a Zerg Prince who only collected and never lost, having his saved Insect Crystals stolen was akin to having flesh cut from his body.

These were meant to be the resources for him and Little Bai to run away in the future. Now that the detestable thief had stolen them, this grudge would never be forgotten!

Watching the two little ones from the balcony, Bai Xiaoyu saw the Little Prince carefully feeding the Insect Crystals he had dug up to Little Bai while roaring towards the sky.

A long roar, a short roar, a high-pitched howl, and a low growl—all mixed together in a frenzy, clearly indicating he had been driven mad with anger.