Chapter 1518: Refining God Grass

In the vast expanse of the starry sky, countless types of elixirs can restore a physical body. However, those capable of restoring the soul are far fewer and significantly more expensive.

The elixir Lu Ye had purchased from the Myriad Forms Merchant Guild was supposedly the best available, yet its effects were rather disappointing.

After a moment of thought, he retrieved a handful of seaweed from his storage ring and began to chew it.

To his surprise, Li Shang, who had been guarding him, looked astonished upon seeing the seaweed. "Soul Forging Grass?" she exclaimed.

Lu Ye looked up, a hint of surprise in his eyes. "You recognize this?" he asked.

He had brought this seaweed back from the Star Palace, which had been entirely enveloped by it, making the structure appear as if it were covered in fur. It had taken him several months to clear it all, giving him a clear idea of the enormous quantity.

He had kept all the seaweed, believing it to be valuable, particularly for its remarkable efficacy in restoring soul power.

However, he had never definitively identified what the seaweed was.

"May I see it?" Li Shang requested.

There was no reason to refuse. Lu Ye took out another handful of seaweed and offered it to her. Li Shang took it, examining it meticulously. Her expression was peculiar. "It resembles Soul Forging Grass," she mused, "but it's also somewhat different from the Soul Forging Grass I'm familiar with. Where did you acquire this?"

"I found it," Lu Ye replied casually, which was, in a sense, true.

Li Shang was somewhat speechless. To simply "find" Soul Forging Grass was incredibly fortunate.

"Tell me more," Lu Ye prompted. He was quite invested in this seaweed, as its ability to restore soul power made it incredibly valuable, especially given the vast quantity he possessed.

Explaining its origin would be difficult, and since Lu Ye wasn't in need of spirit jade, he had never revealed its existence. Otherwise, he would have traded it for spirit jade long ago.

"Soul Forging Grass is a specialty from my homeland," Li Shang explained, her expression still puzzled. "Even there, it's an extremely precious spirit herb, highly beneficial to our Soul Clan. Its name describes its function: it's used to temper the soul. While its effectiveness might not be unparalleled, it's considered the safest option, free from any hidden dangers. This plant certainly resembles Soul Forging Grass, but there are distinct differences."

Lu Ye's heart stirred. "Perhaps it looks different because of its unique growing environment? But it definitely benefits the soul."

While typical environments might not significantly alter Soul Forging Grass, the peculiar conditions beneath the Myriad Forms Sea could certainly account for the variations.

"That's a possibility," Li Shang nodded, acknowledging Lu Ye's point. "However, to confirm it, I'll need to test it myself."

Upon hearing this, Lu Ye promptly gave her a substantial pile of the seaweed.

Li Shang's eyes widened. "This much?" she gasped.

*Is it a lot?* Lu Ye wondered, recalling the mountains of seaweed he had stored in the Star Palace. *This is just a tiny fraction.*

"Isn't this a specialty of your homeland?" Lu Ye inquired. "Is it not abundant there?"

Li Shang looked at him with a complex expression. "While Soul Forging Grass is indeed a specialty of my homeland, each individual plant is incredibly rare... And please stop chewing it. This isn't meant to be eaten."

Lu Ye's chewing motion paused. "It's not for eating? Then how do you use it?"

He had always consumed it this way. Previously, when practicing the Tide of Ten Thousand Waves, he would eat a bit of the seaweed each time.

"Please wait a moment," Li Shang said, settling beside him. "Let me confirm if this is truly Soul Forging Grass." With extreme care, she withdrew a single strand from the pile Lu Ye had given her and held it in her palm.

Lu Ye sensed her soul power beginning to surge. To his astonishment, the seaweed in her palm emitted a faint glow, and a remarkably peculiar energy began to emanate from it.

Lu Ye's eye twitched involuntarily. He silently spat the Soul Forging Grass he had been chewing for some time into his palm.

A moment later, Li Shang opened her eyes, which were filled with delight. "This *is* Soul Forging Grass," she confirmed, "though it does appear slightly different from the kind produced in my homeland."

"Where did you find it?" Li Shang asked, but as the words left her lips, she realized her impropriety; such a question was ill-advised.

Lu Ye paid no mind. "I stumbled upon it by chance in a certain realm, but it's no longer there," he said casually. "So, this substance needs to be refined by channeling soul power?"

He had previously attempted to refine it using spiritual power, but to no avail, which was why he resorted to ingesting it. Protected by his Talent Tree, he wasn't concerned about being poisoned. He had noticed that consuming it did help restore his soul power, so he continued to do so, never realizing he was using it incorrectly.

"Yes, precisely. You must channel soul power to refine it. This is a spirit herb for tempering the soul. Chewing and swallowing it like that is far too wasteful."

Lu Ye immediately attempted to refine the seaweed using Li Shang's method. Moments later, his expression brightened; he discovered that this approach yielded significantly greater effects than simply ingesting it.

Direct ingestion merely restored a small amount of his soul power. However, refining it by channeling soul power not only restored a greater quantity but also allowed his own soul power to be tempered!

While the immediate effects might not be drastically evident, prolonged use would undoubtedly forge an incredibly resilient and powerful soul.

*So, I was wrong all along,* Lu Ye mused, feeling a pang of regret for all the Soul Forging Grass he had previously swallowed. Fortunately, the quantity he possessed was immense, rendering his past consumption almost negligible.

He wondered if it could be used in alchemy. If so, its potential applications would be even more significant.

As Lu Ye was lost in thought, Li Shang pushed the pile of Soul Forging Grass back towards him.

Lu Ye looked up at her.

"Soul Forging Grass is incredibly precious," Li Shang stated. "Your soul power is currently weakened, so it would be ideal for your recovery."

Lu Ye smiled, pushing the Soul Forging Grass back towards her. "You keep it," he said. "Consider it my token of gratitude. I still have plenty of this, more than enough for myself."

Li Shang pursed her lips, a hint of hesitation in her eyes.

Had it been anything else, she wouldn't have cared; most treasures in the starry sky were useless to the Soul Clan. But Soul Forging Grass was different; it was precisely what the Soul Clan needed. This very pile of Soul Forging Grass even ignited a flicker of hope that she could ascend to the Moon Radiance realm.