Mushroom of Vigor.

As the morning dawned, a gentle breeze swept through the tranquil village, bringing a sense of peace that sharply contrasted with the chaos of the previous day.

Emerging from his room, Chen Yang's clone looked utterly exhausted, with dark circles under his eyes and hair that seemed to have lost a battle with a windstorm.

A cultivator at the foundation establishment stage can go a month or two without eating or sleeping, but Chen Yang's clone had used up too much of his spirit energy and qi, leaving him physically and mentally drained.

He glanced at the two red pills in his hand and chuckled. These were mid second-tier Blood Reign pills, capable of resupplying qi and removing impurities for anyone below the foundation establishment realm. Amazingly, he had managed to refine them using only first-tier herbs.

Even though he wasted five portion of hearbs to successfully refine it . Success is still a success.

He thought with a wry smile, giving himself a thumbs up. "I feel like I just invented gourmet instant noodles." Without delay, he rushed to Xu Lin and Xu Mei's room, where they lay unconscious.

Gently, he fed them the pills, hoping it would improve their condition. Hours passed, but the only noticeable difference was a slight reddening of their faces.

Just as Chen Yang leaned in to check on them, the space behind him seemed to shift, and an old beggar appeared out of thin air.

"Gahh!" Chen Yang screeched, leaping about three feet in the air. He whirled around, fists raised defensively. "Who are you, old man? And why are you haunting my place?"

The beggar looked thoroughly unimpressed. "Put your fists down, sonny. That pill ain't gonna wake Sleeping Beauty over there. The bloodline spirit she awakened had consumed too much of the spiritual energy, almost depleting it."

Chen Yang's eye twitched as he realized his efforts had failed. "Well, then, I will just take them to someone who is capable of helping them. But if you know the solution, you can tell me ."

The old man stroked his wispy beard contemplatively. "Only one thing can save her now..." He leaned in with a mysterious glint in his eye. "The legendary...Mushroom of Vigor!"

A dense silence fell over the room. Chen Yang could have sworn he heard a dramatic guitar riff.

"You've got to be kidding me," he finally deadpanned. "If you don't start making sense, I'm going to show you the vigorous mushroom...with my foot up your—"

The old beggar raised his hand and chuckled softly. "Easy there, sonny. I'm serious. The Mushroom of Vigor is real. It is rare, but it is your best chance to improve your friend's physical condition."

Chen Yang sighed and rubbed his temples. "Alright, where can I find this mushroom?"

The beggar's eyes twinkled and mischievous smile appeared on his face " Well boy , just look for it on your lower body and if you still couldn't find it . Then forget it , you won't find it in your life time."

Chen Yang head almost explode in his anger " Ahrrrr... Old man I am gonna have your....."

Chen Yang's threat was cut short when the old beggar sprang into action with surprising agility given his age. He grabbed Xu Lin, who was unconscious, and cradled her in his wiry arms.

"Unhand her, you decrepit coot!" Chen Yang roared, his nostrils flared. He charged forward, fists raised to pummel the intruder.

However, the old man simply chuckled, deftly sidestepping Chen Yang's furious blows with skilled footwork. " Why do I leave young miss to a middle aged man who even have to ask whereabout of his mushroom "

Chen Yang staggered, thrown off balance by the beggar's moking words. "Young miss ? Do not give me that nonsense! Do you think I will let you go if you claim her as your young miss?" He trailed off, his cheeks flushing slightly. "Erm and I know where is my mushroom."

"Huh you know!" The old man's eyes twinkled with mischief. "But she is indeed a daughter of Xu clan head . If it were not for those narrow-minded old men, young Miss would have been strong enough to sweep through all of the experts in this Silver Moon Empire at the time!"

Chen Yang opened his mouth, then closed it again, utterly confounded. The old man cackled and threw a mushroom in his face. Chen Yang yelped and swatted it away, but when he looked up, neither the beggar nor Xu Lin remained.

Chen Yang stood dumbfounded in the center of his hut, the lingering scent of fungus the only evidence that the strange encounter had actually occurred. His brow furrowed as he recalled the old beggar's final words.

"Xu family head , old guys ? What in the nine hells was that codger spouting about?" he muttered, scooping up one of the stray mushroom slices with a disgusted expression. Why the hell did that old man throw these.

A wave of exhaustion washed over him, the all-nighter finally catching up as the excitement wore off.

Chen Yang sank into a threadbare chair with a weary sigh, kneading his throbbing temples. Perhaps a quick nap would revive his faculties. His eyelids became heavy as he drifted off into a fitful sleep.

Chen Yang's dreams were haunted by visions of massive, leering mushrooms closing in from all sides, their slimy caps looming like ominous thunderstorm clouds.

Each time he knocked one down, two more would sprout up in its place, until he was completely surrounded and their spores choked him. He awoke with a strangled gasp, his robes drenched with cold sweat.

As the nightmare's disorienting tendrils faded, Chen Yang noticed a strange, pungent scent in the air.

He swiveled his head groggily toward the source, a bamboo basket brimming with the largest, most vividly colored fungi he would ever seen.

Each cap seemed to undulate hypnotically, bringing him closer.

Chen Yang jumped to his feet, knocking the basket over as he scrambled back in disgust. "W-What kind of evil is this?"