Chapter 68: The Demonic Fragrance Taro
Although the giant flower head was thoroughly wrapped in Blue Silver Grass by Ah Yin, the lower part bore a striking resemblance to a taro root, just like those Ye Wen had often seen in grocery stores in his previous life.
"This is the source of all the chaos?" Ye Wen tilted his head in curiosity.
Ah Yin nodded. "It's been years since I last saw one of these. I thought they had gone extinct. This little guy is called the Demonic Fragrance Taro, a type of plant based soul beast that hasn't been seen on the continent for ages."
Intrigued, Ye Wen probed further. "Why did it go extinct?"
"Because of its knack for causing massive soul beast frenzies," Ah Yin explained. "Back in the days when humanity hadn't yet risen to dominance, this species used to be quite common. But each time it bloomed, it caused large scale beast riots, leading to countless deaths. Eventually, the more powerful beast lords deemed it a threat and wiped it out."
Ye Wen nodded thoughtfully, understanding the flower's history better. Using his soul skill Imitation Vision, he began a detailed scan of the plant.
"Although its life force is substantial, it seems to be waning. Could this Demonic Fragrance Taro be reaching the end of its lifespan?"
Plant based soul beasts have a unique survival trait when near death, they can condense their life essence into a seed. Once their original body dies, the seed, bearing their essence, would grow into a more powerful being over time. Though this reincarnated soul beast may inherit memories, it essentially becomes a new lifeform, a process soul beasts refer to as "rebirth."
In the original story, when Ah Yin sacrificed herself to Tang Hao and reverted to a seed state, it was akin to this rebirth. However, due to her status as a 100,000 year soul beast with a fully developed consciousness, she retained her memories, thus not entirely qualifying as a new lifeform.
Ye Wen's scan revealed that this Demonic Fragrance Taro had indeed reached the 10,000 year cultivation mark. Its pollen had a powerful stimulant effect, capable of inciting madness in any soul beast under the 10,000 year level. The flower also produced a unique enzyme, which repelled enraged beasts, preventing them from harming it. Moreover, the root contained a rare ingredient Ye Wen hypothesized would purify a soul master's bloodline, subtly enhancing and evolving their martial soul.
"No wonder it was almost wiped out," Ye Wen murmured to himself. "A plant capable of purifying bloodlines would tempt even 100,000 year soul beasts."
Ah Yin hadn't anticipated the true capabilities of the Demonic Fragrance Taro, realizing now that soul beast lords would indeed covet it. Knowing this, Ye Wen signaled for Ah Yin to store it carefully, deciding it merited further research. But first, they needed to deal with the frenzied soul beasts nearby.
After dispelling the powder fog, Ah Yin released the creatures, and soon, the dazed soul beasts began waking up, shaking their heads in confusion. After briefly surveying their surroundings, they bolted back into the forest, still disoriented from the effects of the sedative.
Thankfully, the fortress hadn't sent further reinforcements. With the beast tide dispersed and the forest quiet again, Ye Wen and Ah Yin proceeded deeper into the Sunset Forest. Ah Yin, despite reaching the Soul Emperor level, had yet to fully regain her vast spiritual power and could only search the forest in small sections for the fabled Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
Fortunately, with Ye Wen's Space Barrier as a flying platform, they could search without much hassle or fear of soul beast attacks. Even though Sunset Forest was smaller than the Star Dou Forest, it was still expansive enough to take several days to cover. Two days passed, and their search proved unfruitful.
"Brother, this is the 37th spot we've checked. Maybe this Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well just doesn't exist here," Ah Yin groaned, sprawled lazily across Ye Wen's lap.
The endless search was draining her enthusiasm. Used to their comfortable lives, the monotonous exploration was wearing on Ah Yin.
Ye Wen chuckled, gently patting her head. "Get used to it. One day, we'll be scouring places like this for your spirit rings too. Compared to most soul masters, we have it easy. They often spend months in forests searching for the right soul beast. Here, take some storybooks to pass the time."
Ah Yin's interest piqued as she took the offered books. While Ye Wen flew the Space Barrier platform, she delved into the tales, letting him handle the actual searching.
On the third day, they reached the far side of the forest, skirting its core without finding any signs of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
"The Well is proving harder to find than I expected," Ye Wen muttered, mildly exasperated.
Just then, a burst of firelight flashed in the distance, briefly drawing his attention.
"Starting a fire in a soul beast forest? These fire element soul masters really are reckless. Back in my world, they'd be thrown in jail," Ye Wen mused. "It's a good thing the forest is damp, or a wildfire would break out."
Just as he was about to ignore it and head toward the forest's core, Ah Yin tugged at his sleeve, her expression earnest.
"Brother, could you go help that girl? She's about to get into serious trouble."
"Ah Yin?" Ye Wen furrowed his brow, recalling his usual cautionary advice to her.
"I've told you before, haven't I? Don't involve yourself in unnecessary conflicts, especially in soul beast forests. We don't know her; it's best to stay out of this."
"But Brother," Ah Yin protested, her eyes widening, "you've been looking for potential teachers for our academy, right? That girl is hunting her fifth spirit ring. If you help her, she might feel indebted enough to join our academy."
With innocent, pleading eyes, Ah Yin tilted her head, adding, "I'm only thinking of what's best for you, Brother…"
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 20 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Cortez10