Chapter 9 Characteristics of Grass and Wood Recognition

After learning from the Special Affairs Group, Qin Chuan already knew how to use the equipment item slot and could take the herbs and fruits before his eyes for emergencies.

He carefully picked the herbs, trying to preserve their medicinal properties as intact as possible, and then stored them in the equipment item slots.

Guessing Qin Chuan's intentions, Water Flower approached a low bush bearing fruit, controlling the water to sweep past and gently catch the falling fruits, placing them on the ground.

By the time Qin Chuan had filled an equipment item slot with herbs, amounting to ten times what Water Flower had picked before, there were already over a dozen pieces of fruit piled up in front of Water Flower.

"Good job," Qin Chuan praised as he rubbed Water Flower's head and carefully collected the fruits.

With Water Flower's Grass and Wood Recognition trait, he became quite confident about the upcoming wilderness survival.

Having secured the fruits, Qin Chuan cupped his hands around his ears and listened attentively.

Just as Water Flower had mentioned, he indeed faintly heard the sound of the water flow.

Thinking of the description in the Wilderness Survival Guide, Qin Chuan hesitated no more and lay on the ground, one ear pressed to the earth, attempting to capture a clearer sound.

Seeing this, Water Flower blinked, showing a puzzled expression.

"Woof?" (What are you doing?)

"I'm trying to figure out which direction the sound of the water flow is coming from."

"Woof~" (It's from that way!)

Water Flower lifted a paw, pointed in a certain direction, and wore an expression that seemed to say, "Do you really need to lie on the ground to hear that?"

Qin Chuan: "..."

He silently stood up and discreetly dusted the dirt off himself.

He had almost forgotten that Water Flower possessed extremely keen senses.

"Let's go. Let's check over there."

Without hesitation, he lifted his feet and moved in the direction Water Flower had pointed.

Water Flower followed closely behind Qin Chuan with a thoughtful look on its face.

It was considering whether it should pretend not to have seen what had just happened.

After all, it seemed that Qin Chuan was rather embarrassed...

"Woof~" (This fruit can quickly restore energy!)

"Good, take more."

"Woof~" (This herb can detoxify!)

"Take it!"

"..."

As the duo made their way in stops and starts, the empty spaces in the equipment item slots were also gradually filling up.

After following Qin Chuan for several hundred meters, Water Flower suddenly sniffed the air, its face showing a hint of surprise.

"Woof! Woof!" (Wait! Something good is nearby!)

"What good thing?" Qin Chuan stopped in his tracks, his face showing interest, "Is it another special herb?"

Water Flower sniffed carefully again, its face uncertain.

"Woof~" (I'm not sure, but it should be of great help to me.)

"Then let's have a look," Qin Chuan declared decisively.

Enhancing a Contracted Spiritual Beast's level was one of the main methods to increase power in the Dream World.

This was something the Special Affairs Group had stressed, and Qin Chuan wholeheartedly agreed.

If they really could find something that would strengthen Water Flower, they couldn't simply pass it by.

Water Flower nodded vigorously and sniffed attentively along the way, finally lifting its head sharply to look at the cliff side of the valley.

At about fifty meters high on this mountain cliff, a stubborn branch was protruding from a crevice in the rocky surface. Hanging from the branch was a water-blue fruit roughly the size of an apple, plump and round, its surface having a sparkling radiance.

It was clearly something good.

"Woof!" (That's it!)

Water Flower barked, feeling the unique allure of the fruit; desire filled its eyes.

"This cliff…"

Qin Chuan approached the cliff before him and looked again at the fruit fifty meters above.

The cliff was not as steep as cut by a knife, but it still had an inclination of about seventy degrees. Fortunately, there were plenty of rocks scattered above, making it not too difficult to find footholds.

For Water Flower, a canine-type Spiritual Beast, climbing a cliff was extremely difficult, but for Qin Chuan, although it was a bit troublesome, it was not entirely impossible.

After all, the Wilderness Survival Guide had detailed numerous rock climbing techniques.

He was certain he had memorized them well, even if he had never practiced them.

Testing the grip on the protruding rocks at the base of the mountain, Qin Chuan made up his mind.

"Water Flower, wait for me down here, I'll go pick the fruit."

He shouted, grabbed a handful of rock dust from the ground to rub on his hands, and without hesitation started to climb.

"Woof!" (Be careful!)

Water Flower sat apprehensively below Qin Chuan, gazing up. With every new footing Qin Chuan found, its expression grew tenser, only relaxing when Qin Chuan steadied himself.

One step, two steps...

Qin Chuan quickly climbed to a small platform about ten meters high and began a short rest.

Due to this being his first attempt, he had made a few minor mistakes and had expended more energy than a professional climber would have, leaving him without the strength to continue upwards at the moment.

He reached into his equipment slot, took out a fruit that restored stamina, and ate it. After resting for a minute or two, Qin Chuan felt almost fully revived.

Without time to marvel at the fruit's recovery speed, he hastened to climb further up using his hands and feet.

What doesn't kill you makes you stronger; this time Qin Chuan's movements were distinctly more agile.

It was only when he reached twenty-five meters high that he had to stop again, exhausted, taking out a second fruit to recover.

By the time he had eaten the third fruit for recovery, he was less than ten meters away from the water-blue fruit on the cliff.

Gazing at the glistening light on the water-blue fruit, Qin Chuan made one last-push upwards.

Eight meters... five meters... two meters...

He was getting closer and closer to the water-blue fruit, just within reach, when suddenly there was empty space beneath his foot.

The stone Qin Chuan had been stepping on as his foothold suddenly broke off.

In this critical moment, Qin Chuan swiftly redistributed his weight, barely managing to support his body with his hands, preventing a direct fall.

However, without a new foothold for his floating foot, he could only struggle to maintain his position. As his strength drained away, he would ultimately fall.

Water Flower, panicked, leaped onto the cliff to help, but after climbing less than five meters, it fell heavily to the ground, its face filled with frustration and anxiety.

Feeling the growing soreness in his hands, Qin Chuan gradually calmed down.

"Water Flower, use Rapid Stream Break on my footsoles!"

The words had barely left him when a stream struck fiercely against the soles of Qin Chuan's shoes.

The Rapid Stream Break, having ascended nearly fifty meters, no longer had the strong force it did upon release, but its remaining momentum was still enough to easily push Qin Chuan upwards.

In the instant his hands were relieved of pressure, Qin Chuan seized the momentum to reach upwards, snatching the water-blue fruit and tossing it into his equipment slot, while his foot found another previously unreachable foothold.

His hands also caught onto the rocks before him and after some shaking, he finally stabilized his stance.

He had succeeded!

Listening to Water Flower's jubilant barking from below, a radiant smile appeared on Qin Chuan's face.