https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-136-The-Hundred-Eyed-Bizarre-Tree/12543972/
Chapter 137: An Invitation
Chapter 137: An Invitation
"Brother Lu, are you there?"
One day, as Lu Chen was cultivating his spiritual herbs, a voice called out from outside his courtyard.
"It's Senior Sister Yao. It's been a while, and you look more radiant than ever."
Lu Chen opened the gate and saw a beautiful woman standing at the entrance—the same woman who had given him the task of cultivating the Monkey-faced Orchid in the medicinal garden.
"Brother Lu, you flatter me," she said, stepping into the courtyard. She surveyed the surroundings, sensing the vibrant life force beneath the faint mist, and praised, "It seems you've been cultivating quite a collection of rare spiritual herbs. Such vibrant vitality can't be contained by mere formations."
Despite her words, she maintained a sense of propriety and did not ask to inspect his spirit fields.
"Senior Sister Yao, what brings you here today? Is there something I can help you with?" Lu Chen asked curiously.
"Actually, I do have a favor to ask, and it's a great opportunity," the beautiful woman said with a smile. "You see, I've been managing a medicinal garden for a Foundation Establishment uncle. This uncle has many businesses outside the sect, and recently one of his spiritual herb gardens has been plagued by pests, and the source of the infestation hasn't been found yet."
"He has asked me to resolve the issue, but I'm afraid I can't handle it alone. That's why I want to invite you to come with me, Brother Lu."
Senior Sister Yao was deeply impressed by Lu Chen. During his cultivation of the Monkey-faced Orchid, he had managed to understand the subtle changes in the plant's expressions and make corresponding adjustments, ultimately improving the quality of the orchid. This had earned her much praise from the Foundation Establishment uncle.
When she received this task, Lu Chen was the first person she thought of. Firstly, she knew that Lu Chen had profound knowledge in spiritual herb cultivation and believed that with his help, they would have a higher chance of solving the pest problem.
Secondly, she wanted to do him a favor. The task was simple, and the rewards were generous—it was a true welfare mission.
"Senior Sister Yao, I'm afraid I must decline," Lu Chen said with a smile. "I tend to neglect my cultivation and have mediocre skills in combat. My only talent lies in cultivating spiritual herbs, so I can only apologize for not being of assistance in this matter."
"But, Brother Lu..." Senior Sister Yao paused, a strange look flashing in her eyes. "...I'm inviting a spiritual herb master..."
...
"I've been too careless," Lu Chen thought to himself, realizing his mistake. "I directly refused without considering that Senior Sister Yao is specifically inviting a spiritual herb master." The atmosphere fell silent for a moment.
"Brother Lu, you mentioned your cultivation and lack of combat experience. Are you worried about possible dangers?" Senior Sister Yao asked gently, seeming to understand Lu Chen's cautious nature.
"You don't have to worry about that at all," she continued. "The spiritual herb garden is only a few hundred miles away from the sect, and there are no hidden demonic beasts or rogue cultivators along the way. I've also borrowed a third-grade spiritual artifact from my uncle, so we'll have excellent speed and protection."
"As for the spiritual herb garden itself, most of the cultivators there are at the lower or middle stages of Qi Refining. There are very few at the peak stage, so you can rest assured on that front."
"A few hundred miles isn't considered a long journey," Lu Chen said. "But may I ask, Senior Sister Yao, why doesn't the uncle cultivate these spiritual herbs within the sect?"
"Those spiritual herbs require vast resources," she explained. "Cultivating them within the sect would need a large area of spirit fields, and the growth environment might not be suitable. So, the uncle outsources the cultivation to small family sects. These cultivators are descendants of outer or inner sect disciples and can be trusted."
"Then, I'll have to trouble you to take care of me during the journey, Senior Sister Yao."
"It's only natural."
"With your cultivation, Brother Lu, you'll surely have no trouble among a group of low to mid-stage Qi Refining cultivators. Plus, with your talent in nurturing spirit herbs, it should be me who needs your care!" Senior Sister Yao replied with a smile.
A hint of joy appeared on the beautiful woman's face. With Lu Chen's expertise in cultivating spirit herbs, she felt more confident about finding and eradicating the source of the pest infestation.
She informed Lu Chen of the departure time and some preparations before taking her leave.
Two days later, a shuttle-shaped flying boat descended onto the blue stone square in Jianmen Town.
Lu Chen, the beautiful woman, and an ordinary-looking young man at the ninth layer of Qi Refining stepped off the boat.
"Fellow junior brothers, let's stay in Jianmen Town for a while and stock up on supplies. We'll meet at the Stone Sword in half a day," the beautiful woman instructed.
Lu Chen was delighted to have some time to himself and readily agreed with a nod. He then set off to explore the town on his own.
After half a bell, he returned to the small courtyard with the materials he had purchased.
As he opened the formation, Lu Chen could already sense the chilling yin wind and the lingering presence of over ten vengeful spirits drifting within the courtyard, emitting mournful, low roars.
The last time he left, he had released fifty vengeful spirits from the Grudge Spirit Bell. Now, only a little over ten remained.
"These five Ghost-Faced Stone Mushrooms sure have a big appetite," Lu Chen remarked in surprise.
He walked up to the mushrooms, and after each of them had absorbed seven or eight vengeful spirits, their strange patterns appeared brighter and more vivid, making them seem more lively despite their unchanged size.
Lu Chen took out the Grudge Spirit Bell artifact from his storage bag and released another fifty vengeful spirits from its inner walls.
Instantly, the small courtyard was filled with yin energy, and the temperature dropped noticeably.
He then approached the Thornbone and observed that the slender white bone had become even more starkly white and icy after absorbing the demon beast's skeleton. Small bone spurs had also grown on both sides of the larger bones.
With a loud crash, the massive skeleton of the Barbarian-Armored Bull fell around the Thornbone, deliberately arranged by Lu Chen so that the empty space in the center of the bull's skeleton enclosed the Thornbone, providing ample nourishment and warmth.
After tending to the Ghost-Faced Stone Mushrooms and the Thornbone, Lu Chen took out a fourth-grade Hundred-Eyed Bizarre Wood spirit herb from the Life Birth Bag and planted it in the spirit field.
Next, he retrieved a demon beast corpse, still dripping with blood, which he had specifically bought from a stall in town to meet the growth requirements of the Hundred-Eyed Bizarre Wood.
Using a shard of the Silver Splitter Blade, Lu Chen carefully dug out the demon beast's eyeballs and placed them gently on the ancient bark of the Hundred-Eyed Bizarre Wood.
Before long, the eye closest to the demon beast's eyeball slowly opened, and a nearly transparent, slender tendril shot out from the slit of the eye, pulling the eyeball towards it at incredible speed, like a gecko's tongue.
The eyeball seemed to be pinned in place, stuck on the half-closed eye without moving.
Lu Chen focused his mind and sensed the feeling of satisfaction emanating from the Hundred-Eyed Bizarre Wood, which eased his worries.
"It's definitely gotten a lot more eerie here since the last time I came."
In the small courtyard, dozens of vengeful spirits drifted aimlessly, their howls echoing through the space, but they were unable to escape the enveloping formation.
The enormous demon beast skeleton resembled a small mountain, with the Thornbone faintly visible within.
Adding to the eerie atmosphere was the newly arrived Hundred-Eyed Bizarre Wood, its ancient bark adorned with strange eyes and the fresh blood of the demon beast's eyeballs.
All of this made the small courtyard even more sinister and otherworldly.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
