The Ancestral Jade Mountain was as high as the clouds; the depths of its soil were rich, containing valuable minerals; and even precious magic metals, with a bit of luck, could be found. And the fertile lands harbored an abundance of rare Spiritual Herbs.

  However, even with all this buried, hidden fortune, not many venture into this region in search of getting rich. Truth be told, aside from the four Families that govern Chaos Border City, few risk climbing the mountain. The reason for this is very simple: that was a dangerous area.

  There might not be many high-level monsters around there, but the unpredictable weather made the journey deadly. It wasn't uncommon, on sunny days with no clouds in the sky, for lightning to strike or a snowstorm to start suddenly in the middle of summer.

  Because of the unfriendly climate, a large part of the Ancestral Jade Mountain remained unexplored, untouched, with treasures one could only imagine in the most covetous dreams. The sudden fury and climatic unpredictability were such that even the powerful Mystic Saints dared not climb it without first exercising great prudence.

  As a consequence of the danger, a common rule was generated among the Families: "from the middle down." No one dared to pass this point, making the summit become one of those mysteries that over time turn into fables told to children, or legends feared by adults.

  At this moment, Xiao Ning was at the foot of the mountain. He walked calmly, spinning his spear in one hand while admiring the landscape. This was one of the few parts of the entire Golden Empire that, somehow, remained alive in his memory. But even so, he didn't quite know where he would find the ingredients he needed, as he had never ventured beyond the low areas.

  To Xiao Ning, only a small part of the base of the Ancestral Jade Mountain was known; otherwise, even the areas where Spiritual Herb harvests and ore excavations took place were a mystery to him, let alone the top.

  Because of this, as usual, he had no idea where to start looking for the Herbs he needed. Luckily, his knowledge of herbalism proved remarkable, which made finding what he was looking for—or a trail indicating the way—only a matter of time. In this case, the Herb he needed was the Malachi Grass.

  The Malachi Grass was a creeping herb, similar to common grass, but with dark green leaves in an almost corvine tone, usually found in open areas with moist soil. Normal animals tend to avoid this type of plant because it possesses a strong and bitter taste. The only creatures that feed on the grass are the Red-Haired Boars.

  Since Xiao Ning knew he needed to find an open area with a water source nearby, he headed toward the only stream he knew.

  Arriving at the tiny body of water, he looked around, but he already knew beforehand that he wouldn't find what he was looking for. After all, the place was surrounded by tall trees and voluminous bushes. He really just wanted to be sure he wouldn't let anything valuable escape his eyes.

  Soon, he continued following the stream bank, up the mountain. On the way, he found some herbs that could be used as spices, and since he was already tired of eating fruits from the woods next to his shack, he didn't delay in harvesting them. The woods had been serving him very well in providing a pleasant meal. It wasn't difficult to find fruits and some wild vegetables there. However, he was already tired of this diet and felt anxious to put something with a more striking taste in his mouth. But condiments aside, that was all he found to harvest. Nothing very valuable was seen. Probably the area had already been completely explored.

  Therefore, Xiao Ning didn't waste much time there and climbed a little higher.

  After a few minutes of walking, he came across a waterfall, not very high—it was around three meters tall—and flowed into a small crystalline lake, whose gravelly bottom was visible, full of swimming fish.

  Xiao Ning approached the lake and amused himself watching the little fish swim from one side to the other, diving and surfacing without any fear of predators, although, to his bad luck, they were too small to yield a good meal. Seeing that crystal-clear water, he felt tempted to keep the swimmers company. The day had only just begun; there was still a long time until sunset, so why resist the temptation?

  Furthermore, this would be a great opportunity. After bathing, he would take the chance to wash his clothes. His garments were reaching the point of making his nose burn whenever he took a deep breath. He had to start alternating his breathing, inhaling through his mouth whenever the wind stopped blowing. Xiao Ning possessed only two sets of clothes. The one he was wearing and the one left in the shack, used to fill the pillow. And, well... a slacker with such a limited wardrobe didn't produce the best of odors, especially after accumulating sweaty afternoons of training.

  Not wanting to miss this chance, he stuck the spear into the ground, dropped the cloth sack, and prepared to take off his clothes...

  Crack!

  But then, the sound of branches being trampled, not far away, echoed.

  Since the waterfall wasn't very strong, slipping over the moss-covered stones, it wasn't a problem for Xiao Ning to hear the vegetation being stirred. With an impressive reflex of someone who was alert, he yanked the spear from the ground and looked in the direction the sound came from. He expected a monster, but what appeared ended up catching him by surprise.

  From a seldom-frequented trail, while plucking away mischievous branches that insisted on pulling her light blue hair, a girl with blue eyes, wearing leather armor and holding a sword not very long but also not very short, appeared. Despite having difficulty crossing the bushes, her expression was cheerful and relaxed, as if the smell of running water, stirring the muddy bottom, awakened her desires for a refreshing dip.

  That was Xiao Shui, the daughter of Xiao Chang, the 9th Elder.

  Xiao Shui seemed to be having fun, plucking twigs from her hair and dusting leaves stuck to her leather armor. However, when she saw Xiao Ning standing near the lake, her animated face contorted into a frowning expression. She wanted nothing to do with conversations or exchanging insults with that one there, so, without delay, she turned and prepared to leave. But the moment she turned her back, a voice called her:

  "Ah, Xiao Shui! I didn't expect to see you around here!" said Xiao Ning, carefree, ignoring the scowl on her face and calling her casually, with a relaxed voice.

  "Don't talk to me, you useless trash!" retorted Xiao Shui with disdain. As soon as she identified that boy she detested so much, she wanted to get away as fast as possible. But hearing him say her name so casually, for a reason she knew well, made her blood boil.

  However, despite the coarse language, Xiao Ning didn't get irritated. In fact, he let out a cheerful smile, like an old man watching a child throw a tantrum.

  "Ahahaha!" he laughed. "It seems you don't like me very much, do you? Ahaha!"

  "Don't be so modest, I despise you!" Xiao Shui emphasized her hatred with a choleric growl. Perhaps, if one looked closely, who knows, it might even be possible to see a little foam running down the corner of her mouth.

  But Xiao Ning remained calm.

  "Hey, hey! People shouldn't get irritated like that; it's bad for your health," he said in a playful tone while shaking his head. "Besides, what so evil did I do for you to hate me so much?"

  Xiao Ning didn't know the origin of this repulsive and angry hatred that made her look at him with such disdain. He didn't mind being abominated by people; he couldn't care less about that kind of thing. However, he felt intrigued by the source of that mundane resentment, for although his memory was weakened by the passing of five thousand years, he was sure he had never done anything grave to infuriate her in such a way.

  "Hmph! Don't play dumb! It is precisely because you do nothing that I despise you!" huffed Xiao Shui, giving a not-so-rational justification.

  "Hm... What do you mean?" inquired Xiao Ning, who this time actually felt confused. If he hadn't done anything, then there shouldn't be so much anger, right?

  But to his doubt, Xiao Shui replied with a shrill voice:

  "Do you have any idea of the problems my father faces because of you?" she began to vent, something that had been stuck in her throat for a long time.

  "Problems? What kind of problems?" he questioned, arching his eyebrows.

  "No one in the Family wants you around. Everyone wants you expelled. The only one who defends you is my father, and because of that, the other Elders are trying to remove him from the position of 9th Elder. If not for the Patriarch, he would have been destitute," shouted Xiao Shui in an enraged tone. Her penetrating gaze stared at Xiao Ning, wanting, if possible, to strike him dead with her eyes. Who knows, maybe then, once and for all, she would be rid of that plague.

  "Oh! I had no idea," commented Xiao Ning with sincerity. He truly didn't know about these things.

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  "So, now that you know, why don't you grow some shame and take your duties within the Family seriously," scolded Xiao Shui. Finishing saying this, she turned around, but before leaving, she added, "Your father may have saved my father's life, but that debt was paid a long time ago."

  Xiao Shui prepared to leave. She didn't want to stay in the vagabond's presence anymore. However, once again she was stopped:

  "Before you go, could you tell me where I can find Malachi Grass?" asked Xiao Ning, in a relaxed tone of voice, as always. It seemed that Xiao Shui's reprimand hadn't had any effect, nor even led him to reflect on the subject.

  She turned and looked at him for a moment. After a brief pause, she replied with a harsh voice:

  "If you go up about another twenty meters past this waterfall and turn left at a rock covered in red moss, just ahead there will be a field with Malachi Grass." She paused slightly, looked at the spear in Xiao Ning's hands, and continued. "Many Red-Haired Boars appear around there, and this skewer in your hands can't penetrate their hide."

  Giving a final warning, she returned to the trail she had come from and disappeared, leaving Ning behind.

  "Thanks for the information," said Xiao Ning, smiling, bidding farewell with a wave. He didn't think Xiao Shui was all that bad, although the contempt for him was genuine.

  Now that he knew where to find the Malachi Grass, he wouldn't waste any more time. The sooner he harvested it, the faster he could resume his activities with Alchemy. Thus, ignoring his desire to swim, he threw the cloth sack on his back and resumed climbing the mountain. He would endure the stench of his clothes for a little longer. Harvesting the ingredients was the priority now.

  Just as Xiao Shui had said, climbing a few meters after skirting the waterfall, there was a rock partially covered by red moss—almost purple—sunken into the earth, right next to the stream that flowed down towards the waterfall he had passed. Then, turning left, it was necessary to traverse a path weakened by bushes growing rampant, opening into vast fields that intertwined, forming a green net more than four meters high.

  Due to the low roots and woody branches of the bushes, not to mention the leaves that opened like bouquets holding hands, Xiao Ning's path was difficult and tortuous. He had to force a passage by punching and kicking, while constantly being dragged backward by woody hands that tangled in his clothes and shamelessly stole his pillowcase. After moving five meters, the sensation one had was of having already traveled some fifty. At this point, Xiao Ning wondered if it wouldn't be better to go back and look for a place to go around. But then, he heard a light breeze rustle the leaves and a strong, bitter smell stand out over the green aroma of broken brushwood.

  He hurried in the direction of the smell. He knew he was close. Using his hands, he broke the branches blocking his way. And, like a curtain falling to reveal the mysteries of a rarely seen place, a dark green field populated by creeping vegetation opened up.

  On the other side of the tangle of bushes lay an extensive prairie, a little over two hundred meters long and fifty wide. The lawn was almost entirely surrounded by bushes, with the opposite side being blocked by dense arboreal vegetation. It was surprising that Xiao Shui had found such a well-hidden place.

  When he finally reached the field, he was impressed. There was so much Malachi Grass there that it would be possible to fill the sack he was carrying some ten times over, and there would still be plenty left for a next trip.

  Before starting to harvest, to make sure there were no Red-Haired Boars nearby, lurking, waiting to attack, he took a walk around the field. He skirted the bushes and went toward the taller trees. As he walked, his feet sank, revealing a hidden water source seeping under the soil. Xiao Ning peered between the trees, looking for suspicious movements. And at a certain moment, he let his head lift when he thought he saw, out of the corner of his eye, something familiar.

  He lifted his chin, searching among the highest branches of a tree located further ahead, bordering the field and the rest of the arboreal vegetation, for something that caught his attention. That was when he saw, propped on a branch, sunbathing, a yellow mushroom the size of a palm, whose rounded protrusion and stem were covered by transverse holes.

  Seeing the mushroom at the top of the tree, Xiao Ning narrowed his eyes, checking, verifying to see if it was indeed what he thought it was. And when he was sure, he exclaimed in surprise:

  "That is a Thief Mushroom!"

  The Thief Mushroom is a parasite found at the top of tall trees, known for "stealing" the air. It was often used to combat stomach aches and heartburn; other than that, it didn't have much use. What people didn't know was that, besides helping with indigestion, when prepared correctly, it also served to cleanse the stomach, the intestines, among other things. And this, in a way, could influence when cultivating Spiritual Energy. For a healthy body is essential for cultivators.

  But there was still something more important about the Thief Mushroom... well, at least for Ning, this was more important. When roasted, it tasted delicious.

  Xiao Ning, besides Alchemy, developed many hobbies over his five thousand years. Among them were herbalism, medicine, and cooking. It might not seem like it, but all these three things were related to Alchemy. At least, the type practiced by him.

  Therefore, when he saw the Thief Mushroom, he immediately threw his things on the ground and gave a jump so high, which common people were incapable of imitating, that in an instant he reached the top of the tree, jumping between branches. He would use this little oxygen thief to make a delicious dinner.

  After taking the mushroom and confirming there were no boars nearby, he began to harvest the Malachi Grass.

  Not caring if he would dirty the rags he wore even more, he knelt on the ground and with great care began to pull out the leaves. One had to be careful, for the leaves of the Malachi Grass were thin and sharp as knives, and if one were careless, they would end up receiving some nice cuts on their hands.

  Thus, he didn't rush and continued harvesting at his own pace...

  Although there were still a few hours until sunset, it was already past noon when Xiao Ning finally finished filling the cloth sack. The pillowcase was so full it looked like one of those rich people's pillows, fat from eating so many goose feathers.

  Accompanied by the especially strong and bitter aroma of freshly ground grass, Xiao Ning threw the cloth sack aside, grabbed his spear, and waited...

  To make the Alchemical Composition he intended, one ingredient was still missing. Therefore, he waited...

  A gentle breeze dragged the smell of grass away. The field was calm and silent. The only thing heard was the stirring of leaves and the distant singing of birds. Even the irritating cicadas were not present. It was all true peace.

  It was then that a Crack!; Crack! boomed among the trees, skirting the wider trunks and heading toward the dense bushes. The noise of something heavy running approached at surprising speed. One could even feel the ground tremble, with small, almost imperceptible vibrations, and whatever was approaching was getting closer and closer.

  When he realized this, Xiao Ning spun the spear and prepared himself. With the senses he had been sharpening in recent days, he narrowed his eyes and concentrated.

  "6th... no. 5th Layer of the Mundane Realm," he stated, looking in the direction of the noise, following the thing's movement.

  The moment he finished assessing, crashing through a bush, breaking branches and tearing off leaves savagely, a creature with thick, curly red hair, with large round eyes black as pitch, appeared. It was about a meter tall and over two meters long. From its mouth jutted two yellowish tusks, slightly curved, similar to twisted hooks, more than twenty centimeters each.

  That was the Red-Haired Boar. A terrible, ferocious monster that beginners in cultivation would generally prefer to avoid.

  But seeing it, Xiao Ning smiled. It was the ingredient missing from his future Alchemical Composition, and it was running straight into his graces.

  Seeing the Red-Haired Boar with an enraged look, running fiercely in his direction, Xiao Ning couldn't help but comment, giving a relaxed smile:

  "It is a scary Demonic Beast." Not so much for its strength, but its expression was ferocious and intimidating.

  Monsters are classified into two types: Demonic Beasts and Magic Beasts.

  Demonic Beasts are aggressive creatures that attack any living thing in their path. There is even a legend stating that Demonic Beasts are descendants of demons sent to the world to annihilate humanity.

  On the other hand, Magic Beasts, although they also attack human beings, possess more "docile" behavior and are endowed with intelligence. They are very rare creatures to find. Not to mention that they are the only monsters in the whole world that possess the mythical Magic Core, as well as the rare Magic Essences. But well, that is a subject for another day.

  Anyway, targeting Xiao Ning as if he were an intruder who invaded its home, the Red-Haired Boar ran in his direction, snorting and grunting. It lowered its head so its chin almost scraped the ground and let out a horrible snore while preparing to headbutt.

  "Yeah... definitely it is at the 5th Layer," he affirmed again.

  Xiao Ning knew there was no way he could penetrate the Demonic Beast's hide, not while it was alive or conscious. Because, as if the resistant skin and thick layer of fur weren't enough, there was still the fact that the monster was a level above him. Besides, his spear was too weak to pierce something so tough.

  But actually, this wasn't a big problem, since he knew very well how he would kill the creature.

  When the boar was ten meters away, Xiao Ning, who remained standing in the same spot, flexed his knees. And the instant the beast swung its rock-hard skull, ready to tear the boy apart with its tusks, he jumped, doing a somersault.

  While passing over the monster—which to him wasn't all that fast—he spun the spear, and blue sparks jumped from the hand holding it, dancing along the wooden shaft to the Rocky Steel tip. Without wasting time, like a bee stinging the tormentor of its hive, he darted with the spear, which flew to meet the boar's back.

  However, as was to be expected, the spear, even having a tip as fine as a needle, was incapable of penetrating the Red-Haired Boar's hide. But that wasn't a problem. For the moment the steel, charged with electricity, touched it, the Demonic Beast let out a howl of lamentation, stunned, and immediately after, tangled its legs and went rolling through the Malachi Grass.

  Fallen on the ground, the boar went stiff, legs stretched out and twitching slightly, grunting endlessly, wishing it could get up.

  Xiao Ning looked at it and commented while walking in its direction:

  "That is why I like the Lightning element!"

  However, even though the Red-Haired Boar had been knocked down, there was still no way to get past that natural armor. Not with the strength and weapon he had in hand. But to get around such an obstacle, he knew a way.

  He stopped in front of the Beast and with a quick and precise movement, pierced its left eye. The monster didn't even feel pain when its brain was struck, causing the convulsive spasms to cease.

  Now that he possessed the two necessary ingredients, Xiao Ning had nothing more to do on the Ancestral Jade Mountain. He could return to his old, dilapidated shack. However, there was a problem, something he ended up forgetting... how would he carry that fat and heavy thing?

  Even though the Red-Haired Boar in front of him weighed more than two hundred kilos, it wouldn't be so difficult for a cultivator like Xiao Ning, who recently reached the 4th Layer of the Mundane Realm, to carry it. The real problem lay in its size. Normally, for something so big, without having anything to transport it, one would dismember it right there, but he had forgotten to bring a cleaver or a suitable knife.

  Thus, there was no other choice but to carry it... Ah, but there was also the sack of Malachi Grass.

  "HaaaH!" he sighed. If not for Alchemy...

  Feeling somewhat discouraged, Xiao Ning tied the boar's legs, attached the cloth sack to the tip of the spear, threw the beast awkwardly over his back, performing a clumsy juggling act to hold the weapon with the grass, and began to descend the mountain...