Yanga slept for two full days and woke up feeling completely refreshed. A lot had happened, and his time in the infinite Basin had been far from peaceful.
Sleeping in a place filled with wild beasts was no easy task. Even when he managed to get some rest, it was never the deep, restorative sleep a person needed. He had to wake up every now and then to check his surroundings, as no matter what precautions he took, none could guarantee his safety 100%.
So he decided to take some time to sort it all out. His first trip to the Infinite Basin was a huge success he not only did he obtain the ancestor of the forest, but he also gained valuable battle experience fighting the wolves.
The best part was that he managed to bring them all back. While he didn't know exactly how much a wolf's body was worth, having over 200 of them should earn him enough to cover some expenses, buy a few things, and even save for the future.
Yanga had just over four months left under old man Hancock's protection, and it seemed wise to start saving for whatever came next. Though he had no clear plan for life after the year under old man Hancock's protection ended, having money set aside was always a good idea.
He sat down crossed his legs took a deep breath and let his mind drift to the seedling world. It was time to see exactly what had changed.
The first time he saw how much it had grown, he'd been stunned, and even now the sight shocked him again. The seedling wall had expanded from just a few meters in radius to well over a kilometer an enormous transformation that filled Yanga with joy.
Besides the change in size, Yanga noticed that the concentration of spiritual Qi had also increased, which was a good sign since a higher concentration of spiritual Qi meant more production of liquid spirit Qi.
At the center of the sailing world, Yanga could already see four drops of liquid spiritual Qi floating. But that wasn't the only thing that caught his eye. Also there was the sapling of the ancestor of the forest, now twice as big as when he first obtained it.
It seemed the woodland rabbits were taking excellent care of it and not just it, but their other spirit herbs as well. As Yanga observed, they were thriving beautifully.
The Seedling world changed, and Yanga had no idea why or how, but he was happy with the change. At the center of the Seedling World was a small island, holding only two things: the ancestor of the forest, and atop it, four drops of liquid spiritual Qi slowly rotating.
A small lake had formed, and upon closer inspection, Yanga realized it was made entirely of spiritual water. The Sealing World's new state offered Yanga opportunities he couldn't yet seize.
With so much space, he could grow countless spirit plants, and with woodland rabbits tending them, their quality and care were assured. He could turn his attention elsewhere, yet one challenge remained how to transform all of it into something useful.
Even with the Seeding World's help, there were still limitations to what could be done with it.
The Sealing World's main purpose was to aid Yanga in his journey of cultivation, and it could only do so in two ways: by providing liquid spiritual Qi and by supplying spirit plants.
Over time, the Sealing World would begin producing abundant liquid spiritual Qi for Yanga to use in his cultivation. It would also offer plenty of spirit plants, though these alone weren't directly useful.
Yanga needed a way to refine them into something practical for his cultivation, which meant finding someone who could help him refine pills.
Yanga could have asked Christina Pina to help refine pills for him, but she was too young and needed more time at home to grow.
So, he had no choice but to venture out and find someone who could turn all those spirit plants from the Sealing World into pills for his cultivation. That meant leaving Umhlanga Village, which brought its own problems.
Yanga didn't usually trust people, and walking around with a bundle of spiritual plants while asking others to refine them was bound to draw attention.
That kind of attention could only lead to trouble. He had learned early on that having wealth without the power to protect it was like inviting accusations and all kinds of crime even death.
Yanga's awareness drifted back from the seedling world, and he opened his eyes, sitting up in bed. He drew a deep breath, both to steady himself and to brace for the challenges ahead.
There were plenty of big decisions waiting for him, ones he wasn't eager to face but that could wait for another day. For now, his immediate concern was trading the wolf carcasses for some coin.
With that in mind, he headed toward the center of Umhlanga Village, making his way to the hunters' cache to sell his goods.
During his time in Umhlanga Village, Yanga learned much about the Village and its purpose. From the outside, Umhlanga Village appears enormous so large you might mistake it for a city, with enough facilities to accommodate over a million people.
Yet, despite its size, it is truly a village. Umhlanga and similar villages are the final stop before the Infinite Basin, drawing cultivators from far and wide. Loose cultivators and sect disciples often come here to rest and trade before heading off for training in the Infinite Basin.
Umhlanga Village was built with a clear purpose in mind. Many of its buildings are empty inns meant for cultivators preparing to enter the Infinite Basin. The local population is just over 10,000.
Yanga also discovered that, though it may not look like it, the Village is essentially a fortress. Its main role is tied to the Beasts of the Infinite Basin, creatures with an incredibly high reproductive rate a race with about 1,000 a year, has no problem growing into ten to twenty thousand within a decade.
Once their numbers swell, they begin migrating out in search of better habitats. To stop this, Umhlanga and nearby villages organize periodic wild hunts aimed at culling the wild Beast population.
Organizing wild hunts isn't always practical, since no one can predict exactly when one should happen, and sometimes they occur without anyone even realizing it.
Sometimes it begins when stronger creatures dwelling deeper inside the Infinite Basin carve paths that push weaker ones out to search for new territories, creating a chain reaction that eventually drives some to leave the Basin entirely.
This often results in what's called a Beast Stampede, and when that happens, the beasts usually set their sights on Umhlanga Village and others like it. That's why Umhlanga Village is built like a fortress.
Still, that wasn't something Yanga should worry about so he made his way to the hunter's cache to trade his goods.
The hunter's cache was an awe-inspiring sight the largest building in Umhlanga and the heart of the Village.
Crafted from pure white marble and adorned with intricate designs, it outshone any structure Yanga had ever seen on Earth. In fact, comparing the hunter's cache to Earth's buildings felt like doing it a disservice.
As the main building in Umhlanga Village, the hunter's cache served many purposes: it was a gathering spot for important announcements and meetings, a hub for all non-personal trade, and a place where Yanga could get a fair deal for his wolf corpses. It also handled administrative tasks, like when Yanga got his residential ID upon first arriving in this world, and most importantly, it acted as a shelter in troubled times.
Having grown familiar with the hunter's cache, Yanga easily found the trading area. While most trades happened at the wells, the unique nature of his current goods meant he needed a specialist and Yanga knew exactly who to go to for the job.