The First Demon of the Chan Sect
Chapter 413 - 101: Shennong Tastes the Hundred Herbs

Chapter 413: Chapter 101: Shennong Tastes the Hundred Herbs

In those years, to secure the warmth and fullness of the Human Clan, Shennong lit the first sandalwood incense left behind by Li Qingming. Many years have passed since then, and now, to solve the medical problems of the Human Clan, Shennong had no choice but to seek guidance once again.

It was still the same stone carving, and the same small cabin.

In front of Li Qingming’s stone carving, Shennong lit the sandalwood incense and then stood aside respectfully to wait.

Not long after, Li Qingming, clad in a dark green Taoist robe, floated out from the picture.

Upon seeing this, Shennong bowed down and greeted, "Disciple Shennong pays his respects to Master, may Master be safe and well!"

Li Qingming casually helped Shennong up and said, "Shennong, what brings you to summon your teacher?"

"Master, I’ve observed that our clansmen often fall ill, and if not treated promptly, they perish and are reincarnated. Although I can save them with the wonderful methods of the immortals, it is only a temporary measure, not a long-term solution!" Saying this, Shennong paused before continuing, "Therefore, I wish to ask Master to teach me a way to solve this!"

Upon hearing this, Li Qingming took out a scroll of lustrous white cloth from his storage space and said, "Shennong, this is the ’Hundred Herbs of China,’ which records most of the flora across Huaxia Land. It is now bestowed upon you!"

"Thank you for your generous gift, Master!" Shennong joyfully accepted it.

Li Qingming flung his robe sleeves and said, "Shennong, the thought that the Human Clan ultimately has to rely on themselves pleases me greatly. But you must remember! There is no such thing as obtaining without laboring, without putting forth effort, how can one reap the rewards?"

Shennong found these words from Li Qingming somewhat odd, but still nodded seriously and said, "Disciple shall heed Master’s teachings!"

"With that being said, I shall take my leave!" Suddenly, the corners of Li Qingming’s mouth revealed a mysterious smile as his figure gradually faded into the stone carving.

Shennong packed up the stone carving and sandalwood incense, returning to Chen Capital with great joy. When he opened the ’Hundred Herbs of China’ intending to study it in detail, he was rendered speechless.

It turned out that the ’Hundred Herbs of China’ merely listed some names of the herbs and their medicinal properties. There were no illustrations or descriptions of their appearance.

Now, Shennong truly comprehended the meaning behind Li Qingming’s parting words. You are to personally traverse Huaxia Land, taste each herb, and identify them in order to cure your fellow clansmen.

Because Shennong was born with a crystal belly, he had a clear view of his internal organs. This allowed him to directly observe every change within his body after ingesting each herb. With that, he could analyze the medicinal properties and effects and match them up, illustrating them in the ’Hundred Herbs of China.’

Determined, Shennong spent the following days making meticulous plans for the future of the Human Clan. Then, he bid farewell to his clansmen and ventured alone into the deep mountains and dense forests.

Time flew by swiftly, and more than twenty years had passed since he left his tribe. Along the way, he encountered steep peaks, mighty waves, fierce beasts blocking the way, and vicious demons. Shennong endured great hardship and traveled across rivers and mountains, leaving his footsteps all over Dongsheng Divine Continent.

Through the continuous trial of medicines and tasting of various herbs, Shennong discovered that each type of herb belongs to one of the Five Elements. Some herbs even contained several types of Five Elements Energy, and it was this uneven mix of the Five Elements Power that formed some so-called poisonous herbs. Consuming them would not only be unbeneficial to the human body but also lead to death from ingesting an overdose of Five Elements Energy. If it weren’t for Shennong’s cultivation as a Daluo Golden Immortal, he would have long been poisoned to death by the countless poisonous herbs.

Thus, Shennong distinguished them based on the properties and magnitudes of the Five Elements Energy contained within the various herbs, eventually deriving the Detoxification Technique from their cool, warm, neutral, or hot natures.

One day, Shennong arrived at a small mountain valley.

This valley was peculiar, shaped like a gourd, narrow at the top and wide at the bottom. There weren’t any useful herbs inside the whole valley, but it was very verdant, filled with pines, junipers, and green vines.

Shennong felt disappointed and was about to leave the valley when he accidentally discovered an odd little grass on a sheer cliff, its whole body a bright green, with flowers blooming at the top.

The plant was entirely green, with smooth branches, leaves growing opposite each other, shaped from ovate to lanceolate, tapering at the ends, and narrowing or near-round at the base. It bore flowers at the top, pale yellow in color, with a funnel-shaped corolla and even light red spots within.

Shennong’s expression became solemn; throughout his journey, he had seen plants growing on cliffs and precipices, but they were usually creepers or small plants with strong vitality, such as Shiwei, dwarf quinoa, and Spiral Juniper, which mostly did not bloom. It was rare to see such a small grass with flowers on top growing on cliffs.

After pondering for a moment, Shennong stepped onto an auspicious cloud and rose into the air. After flying into the cliff, he observed carefully for a while, then exerted a slight force with his left hand, removing the grass along with a foot’s radius of the rock around it.

After descending the cliff, Shennong first shattered the excess rock, cut off some roots to put into his storage space, and then without hesitation, stuffed the entire plant into his mouth. After chewing a few times, a faint fragrance filled the air from Shennong’s mouth. Sweet saliva flowed straight down his throat into his organs.

Once the grass was swallowed, Shennong felt a warm glow throughout his body, a powerful force surging from within. He muttered in wonder, "What a sweet and fragrant little grass, but it seems like it’s not in the ’Hundred Herbs of China’!"

"Ah!"

Just as Shennong was about to continue on his way, he suddenly felt excruciating pain in his abdomen, as if his intestines were being torn apart. He couldn’t help but cry out in agony.

It turns out that the little flower was sweet to taste, and indeed produced a strange power when it first reached the five viscera. But in fact, it was named "Intestine-breaking Herb," containing endless Sharp Gold Qi, which only erupted after being ingested. If not treated in time, even a Daluo Golden Immortal would struggle to escape this peril.

Shennong looked through his transparent crystal belly and saw a stream of white and gold Sharp Gold Qi rapidly swimming within his body, wildly destroying his internal organs.

Suddenly, Shennong’s immense Power of Primordial Spirit surged out like a storm, as he consciously tried to direct the Sharp Gold Qi.

Unfortunately, the Sharp Gold Qi was too vast, simply beyond what Shennong’s bit of Primordial Spirit Power could suppress.

"Ah! Am I going to die just like this? The sickness of my clansmen has not been solved, I am not willing, I am not willing!" Shennong howled in pain, his bright eyes revealing deep yearning and sorrow.

Gradually, Shennong felt his Primordial Spirit shake and involuntarily returned to the Primordial Spirit Sea, while his internal organs within his crystal belly were already a tangled mess.

Shennong felt darkness before his eyes, his dim consciousness vaguely saw a huge hoof kicking towards his face, the familiar fluctuations of Five Elements Energy. After that, he fell unconscious.

A Five-Colored Divine Bull, glowing with colorful light, shook its head and forcefully opened Shennong’s mouth with its hoof, feeding him an elixir. It muttered, "Dammit, why is it always you, a freak that’s neither human nor bull! If it wasn’t for the old ancestor telling me to be your mount, I would be too lazy to care about your life or death!"

I wonder if Shennong would be furious enough to pass out again upon hearing this.

When Shennong woke up again, it was already noon on the third day.

The sun was blazing at this moment, with fierce sunlight piercing through the clouds and directly shining into the small valley.

"Uh!" Shennong cried out in a murmur, suddenly sitting up.

"You’re awake!" The Five-Colored Divine Bull, which had been guarding by Shennong’s side, casually glanced at him and said.

"Eh?" Shennong was startled, looking strangely at the Divine Bull by his side, then suddenly remembered the Five-Colored Divine Bull that had besieged the Lie Mountain Tribe in the past, and asked, "Why are you here?"

"Damn it, do you think Grandpa Niu wants to be here? If it weren’t for the old ancestor commanding me to be your mount, why would I bother with your life?" The Five-Colored Divine Bull stood up briskly, its bovine eyes wide with anger.

"Um..." Shennong looked somewhat speechlessly at the resentful Five-Colored Divine Bull before him and asked, "Who is your old ancestor?"

"Your mom!" The Five-Colored Divine Bull’s eyes instantly turned blood red, with a violent aura rising to the sky. Its hooves dug into the ground as it roared, "Dammit, if you don’t recognize Grandpa Niu’s old ancestor, why should I bother to be your mount? Come on, let Grandpa Niu beat you up first to release this pent-up frustration!"

At this moment, Shennong had just healed from his injuries and had no extra strength to contend with the bullish bull before him. He smiled wryly, shaking his head, and muttered to himself, "What is going on here?"

"Boom!"

Just as the Five-Colored Divine Bull was about to beat Shennong, the space beside it cracked open, and a middle-aged man with bull horns on his head and an imposing stature stepped out from the rift in space. Accompanying him was a clear laugh: "Chou Niu, take good care of your Xiaowu! Next time, I’ll skin him and pick his bones, boiling them for a feast!"

The bullhorned middle-aged man shuddered, hurriedly took a few steps, and slapped a powerful hand on the head of the Five-Colored Divine Bull, angrily scolding, "Niu Xiaowu, you brat! Can’t you speak nicely?"

"Boom!"

With a single slap from Chou Niu, the Five-Colored Divine Bull named Niu Xiaowu was smashed into the ground. A deep hole appeared on the surface instantly, and an overwhelming surge of Earth Spiritual Energy rose into the sky.

The tumultuous yellow earth energy disturbed the serene environment of the small valley, leaving it in disarray.

Shennong watched the scene dumbfoundedly. How could this formidable middle-aged uncle be so fierce, and was Niu Xiaowu really his progeny? And that voice, why did it sound so familiar?

"Hahaha, alright! A lesson is enough, from now on, instruct him to serve my disciple properly, or else I really will stew him!" The voice rang out again, and a green figure slowly materialized from the void, walking towards Shennong.

Shennong, excitedly seeing the familiar figure, promptly knelt in respect and called out loudly, "Disciple Shennong pays respects to Master!" (To be continued. If you like this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for it with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)