Chapter 138: Spirit Peach of Water Marsh
Chapter 138: Spirit Peach of Water Marsh
"Below is our destination for this trip."
High in the sky, Senior Sister Yao pointed to a vast lake on the ground and said to Lu Chen and the other disciple.
The lake stretched for hundreds of miles, and within it were more than a dozen small islands of varying sizes.
After a brief rest in Jianmen Town, the trio set off together. In less than an hour, their flying boat arrived near their destination.
"Several small clans live on those islands, mainly raising aquatic beasts and cultivating spirit herbs for a living. We're heading to the Zhang clan among them."
"The current head of the Zhang clan's grand-uncle was once an outer disciple of Celestial Sword Sect, and he was quite close to the senior uncle who sent me here."
"However, he failed to breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment stage multiple times and eventually passed away, his lifespan exhausted."
"Because of this connection, Senior Uncle asked his fellow disciple's descendant for help in cultivating spirit herbs, which can also be considered a form of protection for them."
As the beautiful woman spoke, the flying boat landed on one of the larger islands.
Over a dozen cultivators were already waiting on the island, and their faces lit up with eager smiles when they saw Lu Chen and his companions.
"Greetings, Senior Sister Yao, and fellow senior brothers."
The leader, an elderly man with white hair but a vigorous spirit, bowed to the trio. He seemed to be at the eighth layer of Qi Refining.
"Senior Brother Zhang is too polite. You are much older than me, so please just call me Junior Sister," Senior Sister Yao said, gently lifting her hands to help the white-haired elder, who had bowed deeply, to his feet.
The crowd behind the white-haired elder, Zhang Yutang, maintained a similarly respectful attitude. Lu Chen scanned them with a glance, noting that there were people of all ages, mostly at the middle stages of Qi Refining, and even some cultivators still at the lower stages.
After some brief pleasantries, Zhang Yutang led Lu Chen and the others into a grand hall.
"When I heard that Senior Sister Yao was coming to help with the pest problem, I asked my family to prepare in advance. We're ready to serve the meal as soon as you arrived," Zhang Yutang said with a smile.
"Senior Sister Yao, senior brothers, please taste this freshly prepared spirit fish."
"This spirit fish is a specialty of our Starlake. It lives in the deep waters and is rarely seen. Special means are required to capture it."
As Lu Chen heard this, he lifted the white jade lid in front of him, and instantly, a burst of steam escaped, carrying a tantalizing aroma that filled his nostrils.
He picked up a piece of fish that was so white it was almost transparent and popped it into his mouth.
The fish meat melted in his mouth, and a rush of fresh and tender flavor surged to the top of his head.
"Delicious," he nodded in satisfaction and praised aloud.
"Indeed, it's been years since I last tasted this spirit fish. I've always remembered its unique flavor," the beautiful woman said with a smile.
"Senior Brother Zhang, it's been years, and your cultivation has progressed. You might even be close to breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage," the white-haired elder said with a bitter laugh.
"I'm well aware of my situation. Although I seem close to the Foundation Establishment stage and might be able to reach the eighth layer of Qi Refining, this is the best I can do. Progressing further is as difficult as ascending to the heavens," Zhang Yutang shook his head.
"My current wish is to manage the Zhang clan well and nurture a few outstanding juniors who can strive to join the Celestial Sword Sect and restore the glory of our clan."
"Oh? Does the Zhang clan have any talented young cultivators this generation? If so, I can inform Elder He on your behalf," Senior Sister Yao said thoughtfully, with a smile.
"There are two who are passable. Cheng Xin and Cheng Ning, come and greet Senior Yao," Zhang Yutang clapped his hands, and two youths stepped forward from the crowd, bowing respectfully to the beautiful woman.
"Indeed, they are quite talented. Keep up the good work, and strive to enter the Celestial Sword Sect together," Senior Sister Yao affirmed to the two youths.
"Here are a pair of first-grade spiritual tools that I used when I was at the middle stage of Qi Refining. I've kept them all this time, and now I gift them to you both. I hope to see you soon in the Celestial Sword Sect."
She took out two first-grade spiritual tools from her storage bag and presented them to the youths.
The two youths expressed their gratitude profusely.
Lu Chen and the other disciple, meanwhile, were busy savoring the delicious spirit fish.
They had only come at the invitation of the female disciple and had no relation to the Zhang clan cultivators, so it was natural that they wouldn't mirror Senior Sister Yao's actions.
"Senior Brother Zhang, please take us to see the spiritual herb that has been afflicted by the pest problem," Senior Sister Yao said after they had eaten their fill.
"The sooner we resolve this, the sooner we can put our minds at ease."
"Of course, I'll take you to see the spiritual herb now," Senior Brother Zhang eagerly replied, having been waiting for this request.
Lu Chen and the others followed Senior Brother Zhang and the Zhang clan cultivators. After a short walk, they entered a massive spiritual herb garden.
The garden was different from Lu Chen's previous spiritual fields; it wasn't in the form of fields but seemed to be built directly on a swamp.
The ground was damp and rotten, with numerous puddles, and not far away, the lake's surface shimmered with ripples.
Hundreds, if not thousands, of peach trees were planted in the garden, and in this environment, the leaves grew exceptionally vibrant, exuding a dewy luster.
Among the dense leaves hung numerous bright red peaches, their surfaces marked with shallow ripples like water waves.
"These are the Water Marsh Spirit Peaches cultivated by the Zhang clan. They are first-grade spiritual herbs. The ripe spirit peaches can be eaten as spirit fruits or used to refine pills," Senior Brother Zhang introduced to Lu Chen and the others.
"Recently, a strange insect has appeared in the Water Marsh Spirit Peach trees. They usually hide in the rotten mud and are highly camouflaged, making them difficult to detect."
"The insects resemble the appearance of the spirit peach tree trunks, and while they aren't very aggressive, even low-level Qi Refining cultivators can handle them. However, they cause severe damage to the spiritual herbs."
"The Zhang clan has organized several large-scale pest control efforts, but we've been unable to eradicate them completely. We clear out one batch, and another emerges."
"Fearing that this would continue to affect the growth of the Water Marsh Spirit Peaches, we had no choice but to seek help from the sect. We hope that with the help of a powerful spiritual herb master from the sect, we can successfully resolve the pest problem," Senior Brother Zhang explained the situation in detail.
"The Zhang clan cultivators must have captured many of these strange insects recently. Couldn't you identify their species from their physical characteristics?" Yan Ping, who had a plain appearance, asked.
"After capturing them, our clan's spiritual herb master consulted the classics and also asked the other cultivators from the families on the island, but no one had seen these insects before," Senior Brother Zhang replied.
"However, the foundations of a small family like ours are limited compared to the sect. I'm sure Senior Sister Yao and the two Senior Brothers will be able to identify the insect species," the white-haired elder, Zhang Yutang, said slowly.
Lu Chen and the other two disciples separated and each chose a direction, carefully observing the growth of the Water Marsh Spirit Peach trees.
(End of Chapter)
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