Chen Yu had been curious for a while about how the Moss Monster secreted acid. While digesting one, he had studied the acid-secreting gland inside the Moss Monster's body and discovered strange patterns within.
These patterns didn't even seem to qualify as organ tissue, let alone have any special significance. They were constructed from some mysterious glowing gas.
Or perhaps it should be called...
Magic power?
With just some simple nutrients and complex catalysis, the "magic organ" acid-secreting gland could secrete large amounts of acid, giving a decomposer creature offensive capabilities that didn't match its appearance.
Back in his thatched cottage in Xu Xuan Heaven, he had tried carving magic patterns into jade, but even when he infused them with spiritual energy, the patterns showed no reaction. After that, he didn't investigate further.
After all, Zeyarila was a magical world—anything unreasonable could be explained away with magic here.
It was perfectly normal for a Moss Monster to have a magic organ.
Even if someone told him now that slimes and humans were the same species, he would firmly believe it.
He could only hear an unsettling, high-frequency buzzing sound coming from the swamp trees. From time to time, Moss Monsters and Swamp Worms were stung by poison stingers and carried back to the Poison-stinger Wasp nest as nourishment.
It was as if the area under these trees was their breeding ground—they would come down to hunt only after the magical creatures on the ground had grown another batch.
And his earlier act of preying on the Moss Monster was no different from a wild wolf sneaking into a farmer's sheep pen to steal lambs.
No wonder those Poison-stinger Wasps had specifically targeted him first.
Glancing at the twisted oak tree before him with its knotted trunk covered in moss and lichen, and the Poison-stinger Wasps foraging around, Chen Yu thought:
Even if he had to be a wolf, he would be the biggest alpha wolf.
One day he would reach the highest point of this forest and become the overlord of the swamp.
He'd snack on Poison-stinger Wasps, one per bite.
And when he had time, he'd go out to see the vast magical world beyond...
Chen Yu's small bean-like eyes shimmered faintly. This thought was like a stone thrown into calm mucus, gradually spreading ripples of "longing" throughout his gelatinous body.
He imagined himself standing on a high cliff, seeing the possibly existing, never-before-seen wondrous sights beyond the forest—floating islands, rivers flowing with starlight, or mage spires reaching into the clouds...
The more he thought about it, the more his chest swelled with heroic spirit, as if he could already feel the bright sunlight from the heights shining on his mucous body.
However, this surging sense of triumph lasted less than three seconds—the Poison-stinger Wasps discovered him hiding in the shadows and chased after him, shooting their poison stingers.
Chen Yu hurriedly ducked back into the muck, his lofty feeling of looking down upon all living beings deflating like a punctured balloon with a soft poof.
The ideal is plump, but reality is bony.
Before becoming the great swamp overlord, he first needed to figure out how to step over the small stepping stone right outside his door.
Otherwise, it would be too embarrassing for a swamp overlord to be blocked at his own doorstep by a few Poison-stinger Wasps.
...
After returning to the slime nest, Chen Yu got up from the hardwood bed in Xu Xuan Heaven and stretched his limbs.
Pushing open the creaking wooden window, he propped up the window frame with a bamboo stick. Outside the thatched cottage, the rain had just cleared, and the warm afternoon sun pierced through the bamboo tips, making the water droplets rolling off the leaf tips appear translucent and exquisite. The entire bamboo grove looked increasingly lush and emerald green.
This scene couldn't help but lift one's spirits.
However, no matter how good the mood, it couldn't fill one's stomach.
Chen Yu rubbed his belly, which emitted some protesting sounds, reminding him it was time to eat.
Even a future immortal cultivation master and slime demon king would be stumped by his next meal during his humble beginnings.
"Time to go out and find some work."
He reached out and picked up the red sandalwood sword leaning against the bedside.
This wooden sword had spiritual light restrained within—it was a fine treasure, but it seemed too new, as if it hadn't even slain a single monster. It felt more like an accessory for his training journeys.
But that wasn't the main point. The main point was that he noticed a pattern appearing in the corner of his eye on his palm.
It was exactly the same as the magic pattern on his slime body.
Oh no.
Could it be that before he even achieved immortality, he had cultivated some unorthodox path?
Fortunately, when he touched it, there were no cracks on his palm—it remained warm and fleshy, as if the magic pattern didn't exist at all.
"Good thing there's no mutation, otherwise being mistaken for a demonic cultivator would be troublesome."
Curious, Chen Yu fetched a porcelain bottle and, following instinct, pressed his left hand against the pattern on his right palm. The "magic power" in his palm was drawn out thread by thread, and droplets of acid materialized out of thin air, sliding down his fingertips into the porcelain bottle.
Immediately, a strong thirst assaulted him, and his stomach rumbled loudly.
He seemed even hungrier now.
When removing the porcelain bottle, he accidentally let a few drops of acid fall onto the stone bricks. They sizzled, emitting wisps of green smoke.
Looking down, he saw that the hard stone bricks had actually been corroded into several small holes by the acid.
"So terrifying..."
He hadn't expected that the acid, which he could touch freely with his palm, would have such high corrosiveness.
No wonder he hadn't seen any corrosion-resistant shells inside the Moss Monster's body—it turned out it had no effect on the original owner.
He instinctively raised a question: "But why? Could it be that the magic power that forms the acid recognizes its own kind?"
It all felt so complicated.
Chen Yu couldn't help but fall into deep thought.
But the more he thought, the more he felt an itch on the top of his head.
It felt like a brain was about to grow out.
After a few seconds, he gave up.
Indeed, he wasn't cut out to be a scholar—swamp overlord suited him better.
Chen Yu took out two or three drops of acid for testing and discovered that the slime acid's corrosiveness was slightly inferior to the Moss Monster's acid.
Probably because their "Acid Secretion" levels were different.
Improving talent levels wouldn't be easier than obtaining talents. Rather than thinking about how to level up his talent, it was better to first sell the slime acid he had on hand.
There should be cultivators at the sect's small market who would have use for it. If he could sell it, his next meal would be secured.
Thinking this, Chen Yu mustered his energy and spent considerable effort to condense two more bottles of acid.
Now he was completely drained, so exhausted that his face had turned pale.
Fortunately, he wasn't completely debilitated—he could still walk.
Storing the celadon-glazed porcelain bottles, Chen Yu picked up his red sandalwood sword, left the thatched cottage, and stepped onto the winding stone path leading to the North Peak of the Emerald Bamboo Forest.
His target was South Bridge Market on North Peak.
On the cliffs of Three Origins Sect's North Peak spanned a cold iron chain bridge. The iron chains were as thick as a bowl, heavy and pitch black, reaching directly into the cloud-shrouded mountain region of Three Origins Sect's inner sect. This bridge was the main passage for inner sect disciples coming and going.
Therefore, on the open ground by the bridgehead cliff, many outer sect disciples had spontaneously gathered. They set up simple bamboo stall frames or spread out coarse hemp cloth mats, hawking talismans, cinnabar, spiritual plants, ores, and even monster materials.
Over time, this bridgehead area had formed a bustling market—South Bridge Market.
Whether inner or outer sect disciples, whenever they went down the mountain for training or returned from completing missions, passing by this bridge, they would always stop for a while at this crowded South Bridge Market, either to purchase supplies or gather information.
Chen Yu also planned to take advantage of the afternoon bustle to set up a small stall there and sell his slime acid.
Step by step, he walked along the winding stone path, passing through the bridge gate and the bustling, lively crowd. After considerable effort, he finally found an unoccupied spot in a corner of South Bridge Market. He simply sat on the ground, spread out coarse cloth, and displayed his porcelain bottles.
He also borrowed a wooden sign and writing implements from a nearby cultivator, scribbling a few crooked characters:
"Medicinal liquid with corrosive effects, wide range of uses, ten broken spirit stones per bottle."
Hmm...
He didn't actually know what slime acid could be used for, so he could only claim wide uses.
As for the price of ten broken spirit stones—it was just enough to buy two liang of spiritual rice, which mixed with regular rice to make porridge or cooked rice, could last for several days.
In the swamp forest, he was an anomaly among magical creatures—a slime that hunted with a flying sword.
But in Three Origins Sect, he was also different from these immortal cultivators—he cultivated through dietary nourishment.
Going three days without meditation and quiet cultivation was fine, but he couldn't go a single day without eating.
Therefore, achieving enlightenment and becoming an immortal was currently too ethereal for him.
Having a full stomach was still the most important thing.