The morning mist clung to the mountains like a veil of silk. Pale clouds curled lazily through the valleys, and the dew-covered spiritual herbs glistened with light as the sun crept over the eastern peaks.
In the herb garden, Lin Xuan moved like a shadow between rows of plants. His movements were practiced, precise—but slow, humble.
To the outer disciples who passed him on their way to morning shift, he was just a quiet servant boy. Weak, forgettable.
Exactly how he wanted it.
But while moving , Lin Xuan's mind was on the system panel.
> [Lifespan: 17 / 51.6]
[Cultivation: Qi Refining – 1st Layer]
[Spiritual Root: Low-Grade Wood spiritual Root]
[Technique: Ironbone Pulse (Passive)]
[Life Devourer Active]
He had absorbed another 1.5 years overnight—harvesting from rare herbs deep within the neglected parts of the garden. Some are so old and withered that their lifespan barely got registered in the system panel.
He, however, tasted every second.
And he'd learned something new: the older the plant, the stronger the lifespan. Mature roots gave more than fresh sprouts. Herbs exposed to sunlight, rain, and Qi for decades pulsed with rich vitality.
It was slow… but safe.
And he could wait.
I'll build quietly, Gao is away to go, he thought. Grow under their noses until they can't ignore me even if they try.
---
Suddenly, a cry echoed from deeper within the valley.
"Medic! Someone—! She's poisoned!"
The words sliced through the calm like a blade.
Lin Xuan looked up instinctively, and within seconds, disciples began running toward the source of the voice.
A small crowd formed near the edge of the herb garden.
Curious, Lin Xuan followed—quietly slipping into the rear.
In the center of the commotion, a young girl in white robes lay on the ground, trembling. Her face was pale as paper, lips tinged blue. Her body was curled into a tight ball, and her fingers spasmed uncontrollably.
Poison.
Two disciples knelt beside her, panicked and helpless.
"She said she was collecting Redthorn Blossoms," one whispered. "But she must've touched the Blackshade Lily by mistake!"
"Those two look identical," another muttered. "She's done for if we don't get an antidote soon."
Lin Xuan's eyes sharpened.
Blackshade Lily. Deadly neurotoxin. Causes full-system collapse within an hour.
He remembered the plant well. Earth's poisons had taught him to recognize patterns in toxins, and this one mimicked several he'd studied during his former life.
He scanned the girl more closely.
She looked barely older than himself. Her face was delicate, framed by long black hair now matted with sweat. Her cultivation robes were higher quality than the others—embroidered with a golden phoenix insignia.
Not an ordinary disciple.
And yet, she'd been gathering herbs alone?
"Get Elder Du! Or someone from the Alchemy Pavilion!"
"There's no time! She has maybe fifteen minutes left!"
"No one here has the antidote!"
"I do," Lin Xuan said.
Silence fell like a blade.
All eyes turned toward him.
Zhao Chen, who happened to be among the crowd, stepped forward and sneered. "You?"
Lin Xuan ignored him. He knelt beside the girl, gently lifting her wrist to feel her pulse.
Weak. Rapid. Poison coursing through her meridians.
"Her symptoms confirm it," he said. "You need to grind Windpetal Leaves with Coldshade Root and infuse it with Frost Qi to counteract the nerve toxin. No one in the outer sect carries that."
He looked up, voice steady. "But I can make something that will hold it off."
Zhao Chen scoffed. "You? What can a weed-puller do that the Alchemy Pavilion can't?"
"I don't have time to argue," Lin Xuan replied calmly. "You can watch her die, or help me save her."
One of the other disciples—the girl's senior brother—gritted his teeth and nodded. "Do it. Save her."
---
Lin Xuan moved quickly.
He knew where the Windpetal grew: far to the east side of the garden, near the stone cliffs where few dared venture due to beast nests and venomous vines.
The others couldn't recognize it—they weren't trained. But Lin Xuan had memorized hundreds of medicinal species in both worlds.
And he had help.
> [Lifespan Detected: Windpetal Bloom – 3 Years]
[Absorb? Y/N] → N
Not now, he thought. She comes first.
In under five minutes, he returned with a bundle of leaves and root fibers, already mashed into a thick green pulp.
He sat beside the girl and pricked her finger with a silver thorn.
She groaned, her eyelids fluttering weakly.
"Just breathe," he murmured. "You're not dying today."
He rubbed the paste onto her wrists, temples, and neck—targeting key meridian points. Then, using a dull bone needle, he pressed on three acupoints along her spine.
A faint glow spread through her skin. The blue faded slightly from her lips.
Gasps echoed around the crowd.
"She's… stabilizing."
"No way."
"She was on death's edge…"
Zhao Chen's face twisted with disbelief, then suspicion.
"Where did you learn to do that?" he snapped.
Lin Xuan stood slowly, brushing dirt from his sleeves. "From pulling weeds."
---
Ten minutes later, the girl was resting comfortably in one of the inner sect infirmaries. The sect medics confirmed Lin Xuan's diagnosis and praised the temporary antidote for keeping her alive until treatment arrived.
A white-robed elder even took down his name.
Zhao Chen had disappeared by then, his mind replaced by confusion and quiet rage.
---
Later that evening, Lin Xuan sat alone on a stone bench behind the herb shed, gazing up at the stars.
> [Lifespan: 17 / 52.9]
[+1.3 Years Gained from Dryleaf Orchid, Starroot Bulb]
[Potential Technique Unlock Available]
[Unlock? Y/N]
He chose Y.
> [Technique Acquired: Verdant Flow Breathing Art (Qi Circulation – Tier 1)]
– A basic breathing art derived from Wood-based herbs.
– Enhances Qi control and meditation efficiency.
He inhaled deeply.
For the first time, real Qi flowed through his meridians. It was weak, shallow—but there.
And then—
"Lin Xuan."
The voice startled him.
He turned quickly, rising to his feet.
The girl from earlier stood at the edge of the moonlight, dressed in fresh robes, her pale face touched by healthy color.
Her presence was graceful, almost noble.
"I wanted to thank you," she said.
Lin Xuan bowed politely. "You're welcome, Miss…?"
She smiled faintly. "Xuan Ruo. Disciple of the Inner Palace. My father is one of the elders."
His eyes flickered. Of course.
Not only inner sect—but an elder's daughter.
Xuan Ruo stepped closer, her eyes studying him with curiosity. "You saved me when no one else could. That's rare in this sect."
"I only did what I could."
"You also diagnosed a poison only an alchemist should know. And used a non-sect technique." She tilted her head. "Who are you really?"
Lin Xuan chuckled softly. "Just a weed-puller."
She studied him for a moment, then smirked. "Well, weed-puller or not, you have my favor."
Before he could respond, she leaned in and whispered, "You might want to be careful though. That Zhao Chen… doesn't like being surpassed by servent disciple."
She turned and vanished into the shadows, her fragrance lingering like wild plum blossoms.
---
Lin Xuan stood in silence.
His heartbeat slowly returned to normal, and he sat once more under the stars.
The night was silent again.
But this time… the world felt like it had tilted just slightly in his favor.
---
End of Chapter 3