Fang Ming's heart stirred. From Lin Xuan's memories, he knew this was a nearby mountain range inhabited by demonic beasts.
And that Shadow Moon Blood was precisely a spiritual medicine produced by demonic beasts.
So be it. He would visit a few more shops. If he truly couldn't find that purple-quality spiritual medicine, then he could indeed go to the Taihang Mountains to take a look.
After all, with his current Dao Foundation realm strength, he was sufficiently capable of obtaining those spiritual medicines.
"Thank you for the reminder," Fang Ming said politely before getting up to leave.
After leaving the Heavenly Treasure Pavilion, Fang Ming visited several more shops selling heavenly materials and earthly treasures. He spent about five thousand low-grade spirit stones and collected the remaining blue-quality spiritual medicine.
However, as the steward had said, he couldn't find the Shadow Moon Blood, a purple-quality spiritual medicine.
Since he couldn't find it, Fang Ming naturally wouldn't waste any more effort. He then set off for the Taihang Mountains.
The Taihang Mountains were a mountain range that spanned several surrounding counties, undulating for hundreds of miles. They were teeming with countless demonic beasts and a vast array of heavenly materials and earthly treasures. It was rumored that Golden Core realm demon kings roamed its depths.
Fang Ming was heading for the outer regions, which theoretically posed little risk. At most, he would encounter demonic beasts at the eighth or ninth level of the Vein Condensation realm. Dao Foundation realm demonic beasts were generally absent.
As for why he wasn't venturing deeper into the Taihang Mountains?
It was because, according to the steward's information, the Shadow Moon Blood was primarily found in the outer regions of the Taihang Mountains.
Therefore, Fang Ming had no intention of going deeper.
He wasn't looking for trouble and had no desire to challenge Dao Foundation realm demonic beasts.
After all, he couldn't fly, which was a significant weakness compared to the demonic beasts of this world.
...
Watching Fang Ming head towards the Taihang Mountains, a figure in black followed him at a leisurely pace, a few hundred meters behind.
"Top-tier mortal physique talent. If I were still in the city, I wouldn't have found an opportunity to act, fearing discovery by the Lin family's experts."
"Now, you're leaving the city and heading to the Taihang Mountains yourself. You're practically walking into your own death!"
The black-clothed man revealed a triumphant expression. He was an expert hired by Lin Yao. After waiting for several months, he had finally waited for Fang Ming to leave the Lin mansion and head to a remote area like the Taihang Mountains.
This period had truly tested his patience!
This Lin Xuan was too good at hiding, staying put for six months, nearly half a year. Who could endure such a long wait!
To be honest, even though the black-clothed man valued his reputation and was hired by Lin Yao to deal with Lin Xuan, he was close to his breaking point.
A few days prior, he had made a decision: he had never encountered someone who hid in the Lin family for so long. He simply couldn't stand it anymore. Just one more month, only one more month!
If he didn't find an opportunity to act within a month, he would break his promise and abandon the mission!
Whoever wanted to take on this mission then could have it!
He was done with it!
That was what the black-clothed man thought.
Fortunately, it was within the final month of his deadline that he saw this Lin Xuan leave the Lin mansion.
Therefore, the black-clothed man felt fortunate that he hadn't tarnished his perfect mission completion record and reputation for trustworthiness.
Given Lin Xuan's strength, the black-clothed man was confident that he could complete the mission as usual!
"I am at the eighth level of Vein Condensation. Lin Xuan, judging by his aura, is only at the fourth level. Once we reach the Taihang Mountains, I can crush him with one hand!"
A flicker of excitement flashed in the black-clothed man's eyes. The act of eliminating a genius stirred his blood. He couldn't wait to kill Lin Xuan and witness the despair on his face.
...
Taihang Mountains.
Fang Ming walked through them.
Spiritual medicines were, in the common sense, heavenly materials and earthly treasures.
Demonic beasts typically guarded these treasures, drawing spiritual energy from them. This was a symbiotic relationship between the beasts and the treasures.
"Shadow Moon Blood," as the name suggested, was the blood of the Shadow Moon Rat, a demonic beast. This was a heavenly material directly taken from the beast's body, indicating an even deeper connection – it was practically part of its being.
Thus, Fang Ming's desire to enter the Taihang Mountains to find heavenly materials and earthly treasures without clashing with demonic beasts was pure fantasy.
After all, he couldn't simply ask a demonic beast to lend him its blood, could he?
Even if the beast could understand him, it certainly wouldn't comply!
Therefore, Fang Ming was bound to clash with the Shadow Moon Rats.
In fact, he was likely to clash with other demonic beasts as well.
After all, Fang Ming's appearance wasn't so innocuous that demonic beasts would automatically avoid him. When a demonic beast saw a human, it would inevitably attack. Fang Ming couldn't expect every demonic beast he encountered in the Taihang Mountains to flee.
That was simply impossible.
Fang Ming moved past trees, using some treasure-hunting secret techniques to search for traces of heavenly materials and earthly treasures.
The Stellar Sword Art was merely one of the profound techniques he wished to cultivate.
In the original Lin Xuan's memories, there were other mortal-grade superior profound techniques. Fang Ming wasn't necessarily fixated on the Stellar Sword Art.
If, before obtaining the Shadow Moon Blood as a catalyst, he found a suitable catalyst for another profound technique, Fang Ming could directly cultivate that one.
It was all the same.
The Stellar Sword Art was a goal, but not an absolute requirement. It didn't mean he would only search for the Shadow Moon Rat as a catalyst; other catalysts were also acceptable.
"Treasure Hunting Secret Technique..."
"This is a secret technique left by his father in Lin Xuan's memories."
"It can be used to search for treasures in the wild and is considered a very good mortal-grade secret technique."
"However, at that time, Lin Xuan hadn't even reached the first level of Vein Condensation, so naturally, he couldn't employ this secret technique, let alone dare to venture into the wilderness alone..."
"Possessing an ancestral secret technique, yet being unable to use it..."
Fang Ming mused.
Now, he could venture into the Taihang Mountains and calmly employ this treasure hunting secret technique.
It remained to be seen if he could find the "treasures" described in the secret technique.
The result was quickly confirmed.
As Fang Ming calmly employed the secret technique, he suddenly felt an intuition.
His heart stirred, and he knew the treasure hunting secret technique had taken effect.
He didn't resist but followed his instincts to a certain location.
"Roar..."
Before Fang Ming's eyes appeared a Profound Fang Wolf, and behind it was the heavenly material and earthly treasure it guarded: the Fire Cloud Ganoderma.
Fire Cloud Ganoderma...
A smile spread across Fang Ming's lips.
This type of heavenly material and earthly treasure was also a catalyst for another profound technique: the Indestructible Iron Fist.
The Indestructible Iron Fist required a total of four catalysts.
This Fire Cloud Ganoderma was one of its blue-quality catalysts.
Although Fang Ming hadn't found the Shadow Moon Rat, he had found the Fire Cloud Ganoderma, which also indicated his good fortune.
"Excellent, excellent."
Fang Ming remarked.
The Profound Fang Wolf guarding the Fire Cloud Ganoderma, though unable to understand Fang Ming's words, did not hesitate to attack him.
This was because it clearly understood that this human had set his sights on the Fire Cloud Ganoderma behind it!