Interstellar Farming: I Make Potions and Climb to the Top

"Come on, let’s go! Looking at his state, he might not last much longer. We need to pick up the pace, or we’ll be in danger if we fall behind." The person speaking supported their companion as they hurried away.

"She Jin’s Superpower Body is toxic. Those Flying Elephant Ants will be stuck on him for a while, so don’t worry too much."

There were a dozen or so people in that group. Aside from the one running at the very front, every single one of them was wounded, and they all looked to be in a sorry state.

Ning Xuan continued toward the field of herbs. Purple Marrow Star Pattern Grass was a common catalyst used in creating Star-grade Medicine, making it a fairly valuable herb. Since she had stumbled upon it, she was determined to take it all.

The combat boots worn by Ning Xuan, Lin Mo, Chen Nan, and the others were crafted from a new type of material, offering excellent protection. They were soft on the inside with hard, durable soles. Seeing that Ning Xuan was about to enter the herb field, Lin Mo moved to walk in front of her.

Lin Mo stopped several dozen meters away from the purple, misty patch of herbs. He stared at the ground ahead, which was covered in scarlet ants. They were packed so densely that they blanketed the entire area. Each ant was as long as a finger, and squeezed together, they looked like a living red carpet. A quick estimate put their numbers at over a thousand. The ants’ red, compound eyes all swiveled toward Ning Xuan in unison, a deeply unsettling sight.

Three hundred meters away, at the edge of the purple herb field, stood a small red hillock. Red ants continuously tumbled off it, while new ones scrambled to take their place. In a brief gap in the swarm, Ning Xuan saw that the center of the hillock was a person. It had to be the teammate that group had just abandoned—the one apparently named She Jin.

She Jin was completely submerged in a writhing, red tide. The toxins from his green, scaly snake Superpower Body were nearly depleted, yet the number of Flying Elephant Ants showed no signs of diminishing. He could feel the ants gnawing at his flesh, devouring his Superpower Body, but there was nothing he could do.

His body had grown rigid. Black veins bulged along his exposed neck. He could feel his own flesh being stripped away, his body heat fading into nothingness.

Suddenly, the weight on his body vanished. He sluggishly opened his eyes, and a stunningly beautiful, gentle-looking woman appeared before him.

’This must be a hallucination before I die,’ She Jin thought. ’To think I’d conjure up such a beautiful woman at the end.’

Lin Mo’s Superpower Body, the Blue Flame White Tiger, spewed scorching fire. The flames billowed out, trapping countless Flying Elephant Ants in a blazing inferno.

Leng Yue brandished her long saber. With a single slash, she cleaved countless red ants in two.

A small, chubby red bird flickered in and out of sight above Ning Xuan’s head as a wisp of flame materialized in her palm.

The Purple Marrow Star Pattern Grass suddenly stirred, though there was no wind. Ning Xuan whirled around. The star-like patterns on the grass resonated with the starlight from the heavens, a sign that it could influence celestial phenomena. This meant this patch of Purple Marrow Star Pattern Grass was at least fifty years old. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

It was unknown how long the Flying Elephant Ants had lived here, but they had long since claimed this patch of Spiritual Medicine as their own. Now that Ning Xuan’s group had come to take it, the ants were naturally prepared to fight to the death.

Unfortunately for them, the Flying Elephant Ant swarm had already fought a battle with She Jin’s team. Although they had driven off the team’s main force, the ant colony had also suffered significant losses. They could have recovered their strength over time, but it was precisely then that Ning Xuan’s party arrived.

Lin Mo had heard Chen Nan say that Ning Xuan was a powerful fighter, but he had never seen it for himself. Today, he finally witnessed it firsthand. Her movement technique was agile, and her attacks were crisp and decisive. She single-handedly cleared a quarter of the area infested with Flying Elephant Ants, not only avoiding any danger but also finishing her section with incredible speed.

Even if individual pack-based Exotic Beasts weren’t strong on their own, they became immensely lethal when gathered in a group.

By the time Lin Mo’s saber split the carapace of the final Flying Elephant Ant, the red-stained area outside the purple herb field was completely clear.

With the trouble resolved, Ning Xuan called Lin Mo and the others over to help gather the herbs. This patch of Purple Marrow Star Pattern Grass was of excellent quality and highly valuable. With this catalyst, once she gathered the remaining materials needed for a Star-grade Medicine, she might just be able to try crafting one.

Just as Ning Xuan finished collecting the herbs and was preparing to leave, a hand shot out and grabbed her ankle. She had assumed the man was long dead and had let her guard down completely.

When Ning Xuan’s group first arrived, they had drawn the swarm’s attack. The ants had suddenly abandoned She Jin, who had been buried under them like a small, red hillock. He had immediately collapsed to the ground, and only now was he just beginning to regain some stiff control over his body.

"Save... save me," She Jin pleaded with Ning Xuan, the words a struggle.

Ning Xuan jumped in surprise. She frowned as she assessed his injuries. "You’re too badly hurt. I can’t save you."

"My... my healing ability is very strong. Please, just give me a hand. Just get me somewhere safe," She Jin said, his gaze fixed on Ning Xuan with stubborn intensity.

"There’s a cave several miles from here. Lin Mo, take him there and leave him some food." Ning Xuan saw an intense will to live in the man’s eyes. As long as it didn’t interfere with her plans, she was willing to help.

"Thank you," She Jin said, filled with gratitude.

"I’m giving you this medicine. You can take it internally or apply it externally, but it’s unpleasant either way. It’s up to you whether you use it or not." Ning Xuan took out a bottle of Dragon Saliva Clearing Miasma Potion and handed it to him.

Lin Mo hoisted the unconscious survivor onto his back. A faint green light, about an inch deep, gathered beneath his feet, and he shot through the dense forest like a streak of light.

He had cultivated a Light Body Technique and was an expert at redirecting momentum. As he ran, his speed was incredible.

Lin Mo and She Jin quickly reached the cave. It wasn’t large, and its stone walls were covered in faintly glowing moss. As Lin Mo laid the man down in a dry spot, he noticed that She Jin’s shirt was torn to shreds, revealing a back covered in a dense network of wounds.

"COUGH..." She Jin suddenly coughed violently, blood beading between his fingers. Lin Mo immediately unstopped the waterskin at his hip and offered it to him so he could wet his throat.

"Alright, this is as far as we take you. Whether you live or not is up to fate." Having done his part, Lin Mo turned to leave.

She Jin felt a chill creep over him—the familiar sensation of his body heat draining away. He dared not delay. Tilting his head back, he downed the medicine Ning Xuan had given him. The instant the turquoise liquid hit his throat, his entire body curled up like a shrimp. It felt as though a thousand tiny snakes were slithering beneath his exposed skin. She Jin’s eyes flew open in agony. He began tearing at his own flesh with his fingers, driven by an instinct that this was the only way to help the medicine take full effect.

He was like a wild beast licking its wounds in solitude. As the first sliver of moonlight filtered into the cave, She Jin finally felt his body temperature beginning to return. Drenched in cold sweat and a bloody mess, he leaned against the stone wall, gasping for breath. He let out a quiet sigh. ’That girl’s medicine... it’s a true miracle cure.’