The dagger's edge surpassed Yu Yan's wildest expectations; it slid into the tree trunk like a hot knife through soft tofu.
"Whoa!"
"So sharp!"
Xiao Wu, who had barely used any strength, pulled the dagger free and studied the cold glint racing along its blade, unable to hold back a cry of amazement.
"Try hacking a rock with it."
Marveling at the dagger's keenness, Yu Yan wanted to see just how far that sharpness could go.
At his words, Xiao Wu scooped a fist-sized stone off the ground, tossed it into the air, and slashed at it with perfect timing.
The dagger swept through the stone, slicing it cleanly in half with silky ease.
Yu Yan picked up the two halves and ran his thumb over the mirror-smooth cut, exclaiming again at the blade's fearsome edge.
Had the Emaciated Man's Second Spirit Ability—Blood Wolf Claw—not prevented him from wielding weapons, they would have had to reckon with this very dagger in his hands.
After a moment's thought, Yu Yan activated his First Soul Skill, Frost Scale Armor, detached the vambrace he had formed, and handed it to Xiao Wu so she could test the dagger against it.
The dagger bit into the Frost Scale Armor but failed to pierce through, lodging halfway.
"The dagger will be useful in a fight, but it doesn't suit my style. Xiao Wu, you take it."
When Xiao Wu tried to press the weapon back on him, Yu Yan explained his decision; his own Spirit Abilities clashed with the dagger's character.
Only in Xiao Wu's hands could the blade reach its full potential.
"Makes sense. It's mine, then."
Without further argument, she sheathed the dagger and tucked it at her waist for quick access in battle.
"No need to keep it on your hip—just stow it in the necklace. You can draw it straight from there whenever you need it."
Seeing the blade at her waist, Yu Yan pointed to the storage soul tool necklace in her palm.
"Hmm?" She looked at him in surprise. "You're sure you want me to use it? Haven't you always wanted a storage soul tool yourself?"
"I really don't wear necklaces—especially not a woman's necklace."
"I only wanted one to carry things conveniently. We're together every day; it makes no difference which of us holds it."
His words lit up Xiao Wu's face with a radiant smile, and she happily clasped the necklace around her throat.
Yu Yan didn't notice her expression; his attention had already shifted to the second box.
The lid lifted to reveal a yellow-brown stone that pulsed faintly with spirit power, hinting at its extraordinary nature.
Unable to divine its purpose, Yu Yan returned the stone to its box and told Xiao Wu to keep it in the necklace until they could identify it.
Compared to most people on the Douluo Continent, Yu Yan could pass for a walking library, yet even he had blind spots.
The third box opened to reveal a dusty, ancient bamboo scroll.
The instant he unrolled it, delight flooded his face: the slips listed four Immortal Herbs, complete with their uses—two of which had never appeared in the original canon.
The first was Yearning Heartbroken Red, the second crystal dragon blood ginseng, the third void clarity jade core, and the fourth Purifying Moon Duckweed.
Yearning Heartbroken Red, a Divine Grade treasure of all-around potency, easily absorbed. To pick it, one must think of one's beloved with utter sincerity, then spit a mouthful of blood onto the petals.
crystal dragon blood ginseng, born eighth-grade and evolving every ten thousand years, grows only where dragon blood has spilled. It exerts an extraordinary pull on Dragon-type and sub-dragon Spirits.
void clarity jade core is a crystal flower condensed from pure life energy, symbolizing life Origin in its most pristine, Dao-close state. It purifies Impurities, hidden injuries, and the murky Qi from faulty Acquired Cultivation, returning a Spirit to flawless purity.
Purifying Moon Duckweed sprouts only under special conditions of ample moonlight and sheer Opportunity. It cleanses Spirit Impurities and mends congenital flaws.
The slips added: taking Yearning Heartbroken Red together with crystal dragon blood ginseng maximizes both; pairing void clarity jade core with Purifying Moon Duckweed can erase any Spirit defect and render it perfect.
A final annotation by the Han ancestor read: "Searched the world yet found no trace of these herbs; what is written may be false. Do not waste your life on them—remember!"
The ancestor, having found nothing, deemed the record a hoax; Yu Yan knew better—Immortal Herbs existed, and he already knew where the first two could be found.
Yearning Heartbroken Red grew within the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well in Sunset Forest, while crystal dragon blood ginseng currently rested with the Speed Clan among the four single-attribute Families.
His gaze circled the descriptions before settling on the ginseng's details; a fuller, better plan took shape in his mind.
Xiao Wu stood beside him, staring at the entry for void clarity jade core in a daze.
She had seen that crystal flower before—at the Lake of Life in Star Dou Great Forest's heart—where her mother once cultivated a patch of the glittering blooms.
The Lake of Life is one of the Douluo Continent's three greatest gathering grounds; it was only natural for life-energy crystals to appear there.
Who knew those tiny blossoms held such power beyond mere healing? Since they did little for Spirit Beasts, she could bring Yu Yan a few as a surprise gift.
She would keep quiet for now; when she produced the jade cores before him, she would shock him speechless—hehe… After reading their true worth, she realized using them as simple salves had been a criminal waste.
After reviewing his plan and finding no flaws, Yu Yan rerolled the slips, returned them to their box, and handed it to Xiao Wu.
She tucked the box into the storage soul tool, grabbed the Emaciated Man's corpse, and dragged it out of the forest.
Whatever schemes they had, their immediate task remained: escort the caravan under Yu Qingfeng's protection to nearby Suotuo City.