Chapter 28: Earth Star Vine
"Good grief. Such a long section is embedded underground. No wonder it wouldn't budge no matter how I tried to move it."
After going down, he discovered that beneath the giant rock was at least 1 meter of stone growing into the ground, as if it were firmly inlaid there.
At that moment, in the pitch-black cavern, specks of starlight began to appear. A vine was clinging to the underside of the giant rock.
"Is this a Spirit Medicine? It looks even more impressive than Ling Yuan Grass."
In his current Wild Demon Vine form, Su Ke could not only sense the spiritual energy contained within the Spirit Medicine, but also its powerful vitality.
He immediately sent out a telepathic message and politely asked, "Excuse me, how should you be harvested?"
Vine: Where are your manners?
Vine: "Who are you?"
Su Ke was startled. He had not expected this Earth Star Vine to possess such high intelligence, as the information it transmitted was already clear enough to be translated into language.
He replied honestly, "The person who's about to eat you."
Vine: This strange plant is way too honest.
"Go away! Go away!"
Sensing its intense emotional fluctuations, Su Ke originally planned to pull it out directly. However, considering it was a Spirit Medicine and that rough handling might damage its medicinal properties, he decided to consult a professional instead.
Su Ke returned to the surface and described the vine's characteristics to Lin Ning. She lowered her head and thought for a moment.
"Growing in a dark, damp cave, clinging to a rock, emitting spots of starlight… there's no mistake. It's an Earth Star Vine."
"Earth Star Vine?"
"That's right. The Earth Star Vine is known as the star of the earth. Rumor has it that in dark places, it glows like the stars, which is extremely beautiful. If a large number grow together, they can even form scenery resembling a starry sky."
She continued, "Earth Star Vines are very precious and rarely seen. In a small place like ours, it's unlikely anyone would be so extravagant. That kind of view can probably only be seen in big cities."
Su Ke asked, "How are its medicinal properties?"
"Excellent," Lin Ning replied. "The Earth Star Vine is an E-rank spiritual plant. Generally, it's used by second-stage Spirit Energy Users because its effects are very gentle. Even first-stage users can consume it as long as their rank is high enough."
She added, "Based on your description, it's about 10 centimeters long, so it should be a medium E-rank Spirit Medicine. For people like us, eating just a 3-centimeter segment guarantees a breakthrough to the Eighth Stage."
Wang Zhong exclaimed, "Holy crap, it's that good? This rock has been used as a temporary resting spot by hunters. Who knows how many people have been here, yet no one discovered it!"
Lin Ning nodded. "It was hidden too well. No one would imagine such a precious vine growing under the rock they were sitting on. Most wood-attribute Spirit Energy Users can't communicate with plants like Old Ke can."
She continued, "When people come out here, they're already on edge. No one has the spare time to specifically check beneath a rock."
Su Ke said, "Either way, we got lucky. So how do we harvest it?"
"The Earth Star Vine isn't like ordinary Spirit Medicine," Lin Ning explained. "It's extremely delicate. If you make a mistake during harvesting, its medicinal power will drop sharply. This isn't something you can learn quickly."
Wang Zhong frowned. "Do we really have to move the rock?"
"No," Su Ke replied. "The vine is attached to the rock. If we move it, it'll probably break."
"Then what do we do?"
Su Ke thought for a moment. "I'll dig a tunnel next to the rock and let A Ning crawl in to harvest it."
Lin Ning nodded. "That'll work, but make sure no sunlight gets in. The Earth Star Vine is extremely afraid of sunlight. If it's exposed, it'll wither immediately."
"Got it. Don't worry."
Su Ke immediately dove underground and dug an arched tunnel from 5 meters away toward the cave where the Earth Star Vine was located, ensuring no sunlight could enter.
Then he used his vines to wrap around Lin Ning and brought her inside.
"This is really beautiful," Lin Ning said softly.
"Yeah," Su Ke replied. "And it must be delicious. Do we eat it raw?"
"Exactly. Unless it's refined into a potion, consuming it directly is the best way to preserve its medicinal properties."
Earth Star Vine: …Can you please not discuss how to eat me right in front of me?!
Su Ke heard it, but ignored it completely.
Lin Ning took out a specially made flashlight and began the harvesting process using the light it emitted. The Earth Star Vine was indeed difficult to harvest, and the process took a full 30 minutes.
Half an hour later, Lin Ning wiped the sweat from her forehead. "Done. It's a pity my harvesting skills are still rusty. If it were a professional, they could harvest the whole thing, roots and all, in under 2 minutes."
"This is already very impressive," Su Ke said. "Our school doesn't even offer this course. It's only taught in university. Being able to self-teach to this level means you're extremely talented."
"Thanks. Let's leave quickly. It's too stuffy in here."
"Alright."
Su Ke carried her out and moved to a shaded area beneath a tree to prevent sunlight from hitting the Earth Star Vine.
The three of them formed a circle and looked at it.
Wang Zhong asked, "So how do we cut this thing?"
"The Earth Star Vine is segmented," Lin Ning explained. "Each segment has a marking-like protrusion. As long as you cut along those, its medicinal properties will be preserved."
Su Ke remarked, "It even marks where to cut. That's considerate."
Earth Star Vine: Shut up! Say one more word and I'll die right in front of you! Wait, I'm going to die anyway… waah… (┯_┯)
Lin Ning checked the protrusions and cut along them. Each segment was 3 centimeters long. She cut 3 segments, leaving a small piece behind.
Su Ke said, "Give the extra centimeter to A Ning. She worked hard for half an hour."
Lin Ning shook her head. "That won't do. You're the one who found it. I only harvested it."
"If you hadn't harvested it perfectly, its medicinal power would've dropped a lot by the time I got it out," Su Ke said. "Even eating the whole vine might not be as effective as this piece."
He added, "Just take it. Besides, I can always find more."
Wang Zhong nodded. "Yeah, A Ning. We'll still be relying on you when we find Spirit Medicine in the future. You can't keep working for free."
Lin Ning hesitated, then smiled. "Alright, I'll accept it."
Given the relationship between the three of them, there was no need to argue over such a small amount.
They divided the Earth Star Vine: Su Ke and Wang Zhong each took 3 centimeters, while Lin Ning took 4 centimeters.
Because Su Ke had a special method to digest it quickly, he ate first. He reverted to human form, rolled the 3-centimeter segment into a ball, swallowed it like a pill, and then transformed back into the Wild Demon Vine.
Dear Readers,
I have an important favor to ask of you today. If you've been enjoying the story, please consider switching to Patreon to support me directly.
By joining, you will instantly unlock 20 chapters and gain access to a total of 50 to 55 chapters every month.
To be honest with you, I am currently in deep financial trouble, and your support would mean the world to me during this difficult time. Furthermore, if I can get more members, I plan to add even more new fanfics by the end of this week!
Please consider supporting me on Patreon so I can continue creating content for you.
Thank you for your help
patreon.com/anish_44