The Jingyang Mountain Range was still shrouded in darkness. The cave was pitch black upon entering, but Lin Xiao moved through it as if unaffected.
His vision was obstructed, but a soul's perception of the surroundings didn't rely on sight. With that soul scouting the path ahead, mere darkness had little impact on him.
It could assist in sensing the environment, keep watch around him, and even provide some combat support.
Lin Xiao began to understand why the Fifth Elder of the Holy Spirit Sect, Ten Thousand Souls Douluo, was so obsessed with collecting unique souls, traveling across the entire Douluo Continent to gather powerful soul beast souls for his Ten Thousand Souls Banner.
This was Lin Xiao's first attempt at using it, and as his mental power grew, the number of souls he could control would also increase.
The only drawback was that souls could only attack mentally. Against soul masters or soul beasts with strong mental attributes, their effectiveness would be greatly reduced.
Turning another corner along the winding passage, Lin Xiao was instantly captivated by the scene before him, all other thoughts vanishing.
The darkness gave way to countless specks of light scattered everywhere, like gazing at a starry sky up close.
The air carried the scent of the wolf pack, left by the Silver Wolf King's visits. Yet, it couldn't mask the cave's inherent cool, refreshing aroma, reminiscent of morning dew.
He had his suspicions on the way here and hadn't used an illumination soul tool. Now, seeing it with his own eyes, his guesses were confirmed.
Compared to the Douluo Continent, the Sun Moon Continent was rich not only in mineral resources but also in rare herbs. After all, soul mentors in the Sun Moon Empire heavily relied on drugs to boost their soul power.
Perhaps due to the abundance of herbs, soul masters' over-reliance on them had led to their martial soul talents being inferior to those of the three great empires of the original Douluo Continent. In tens of thousands of years, not a single true level-ten soul mentor had emerged.
In Lin Xiao's memories, when Ye Xishui appeared, she was immediately recognized as not being from the Sun Moon Empire, precisely because, with the empire's soul master talents, producing an Ultimate Douluo was nearly impossible.
But now, looking at the herbs before him, Lin Xiao had little time to dwell on the differences between the Sun Moon Continent and the Douluo Continent. Instead, he carefully stepped forward, searching among the "starlight" for something specific.
This "starlight" was called Star Vein Grass. Though named a grass, by Lin Xiao's memory, it was more akin to a fungus. It grew in dark, damp places like fungi, shunning strong light.
However, this world didn't classify it as such, simply lumping it with grasses.
It was called Star Vein Grass because of the scene before him—"star" for the star-like glow it emitted in the dark, and "vein" because it typically grew in areas rich with minerals.
Like Silver Wolves, it absorbed rare metals to grow, but with a difference: the energy from those metals accumulated within it. Thus, the Silver Wolf King hadn't destroyed these grasses but frequently visited this cave.
For it, consuming Star Vein Grass was another way to absorb minerals.
Judging by the scale of this cave, these grasses had been growing here for quite some time. Some might even have developed characteristics of soul beasts.
Moreover, for the Silver Wolf King to have such defense—capable of cutting through the blade on that mechanical arm—the grass's age was likely considerable.
The light from an illumination soul tool would harm the Star Vein Grass's environment, so Lin Xiao relied on their faint glow to slowly navigate the cave. Meanwhile, the soul darted swiftly among the grasses.
Found it.
Lin Xiao, just bending down, suddenly perked up, looking toward a corner of the cave.
There, a naturally formed stone slab, likely fallen from the cave's ceiling, had landed at an angle against the wall. Beneath it, a Star Vein Grass swayed gently.
Even in sunlight, it might go unnoticed, let alone in this dark cave. It seemed like a coincidence, or perhaps something deliberate.
As Lin Xiao approached the wall, the Star Vein Grass swayed more noticeably.
Upon closer inspection, it differed from the others. Its glow was subdued, but its body was almost transparent, revealing the soil beneath, with visible vein-like patterns.
Lin Xiao reached out, and the grass's swaying grew visibly stronger, as if in fear or pleading.
But in the next instant, a flash of light came from Lin Xiao's left arm. A cold glint passed in the darkness, and the Star Vein Grass, along with a large chunk of surrounding soil, vanished.
Even though Star Vein Grass grew in mineral-rich areas, transforming into a crystal-like state by absorbing minerals required at least ten thousand years.
A ten-thousand-year Star Vein Grass, even without the consciousness of a plant-type soul beast, had acted purely on instinct earlier. Even if it were a plant-type soul beast, Lin Xiao wouldn't have hesitated.
As for its effects, the Silver Wolf King's example gave a good indication.
While not as potent as immortal herbs, a ten-thousand-year Star Vein Grass was a rare natural treasure. Whether for soul beasts or soul masters, consuming it could greatly enhance physical strength.
Glancing around the cave at the faintly shimmering Star Vein Grass, Lin Xiao didn't linger and turned to leave.
Having obtained the most valuable item, he'd leave the rest for now. He needed to hurry back, or staying away too long might raise suspicions.
The eastern sky revealed half a sun, its morning light falling on the forest. Mi Jia slowly awoke from meditation, his three soul rings—yellow, yellow, purple—gradually retracting.
"Senior Lin hasn't returned yet?" Mi Jia asked, looking around with some confusion.
"He came back once," Ma Rulong said, glancing toward the mountain with a hint of worry. Had Lin Xiao gone back because he wanted Silver Wolf materials? Could he be in danger?
"He should be back soon," Lin Jiayi said, also frowning.
Just as he spoke, a figure slowly descended from the mountain.
"Sorry for keeping you waiting."
A flash came from Lin Xiao's storage soul tool, and a dozen thousand-year Silver Wolf corpses appeared before him. "I found a few with decent age. It took some time."
"No worries. Good to have you back. Rest up; we still need to find soul rings today."
"Got it, Teacher."