Chapter 15: Dark Marrow Grass
Chapter 15: Dark Marrow Grass
"Brother Lu, it's been a while. How have you been?" Zhang Hong asked with a hearty laugh as he greeted Lu Chen.
"Thank you for your concern, Brother Zhang. All is well, and congratulations on your safe return from the wilderness," Lu Chen replied with a smile.
"Haha, I got lucky. I only sustained minor injuries and managed to obtain some treasures by chance," Zhang Hong said.
"I also wanted to express my gratitude to you once again, Brother Lu. My wife told me that you helped resolve the pest problem our family was facing," he continued.
"That little rascal, Zhang Xiuyuan, hasn't stopped bragging about how he can now earn Spirit Stones and support the family with his earnings since he returned," Zhang Hong said, laughing as he recalled his son's proud demeanor.
"Brother Zhang, there's no need to be so polite. You've helped me a lot in the past, so what I did was negligible in comparison," Lu Chen said humbly.
"As for little Xiuyuan, he saved me a lot of time and unnecessary trouble, so it's only right that I compensate him for his efforts," he added.
"What can a little brat like him do anyway?" Zhang Hong waved it off.
"Honestly, Brother Lu, you've surprised me. I thought you were just a peaceful farmer, but I never expected you to possess such a profound sword art skill," he said, clearly impressed.
"With that ability alone, you can defeat many cultivators at the third layer of Qi Refining."
Lu Chen, with the concealment provided by the Concealment Art, was not worried about Zhang Hong detecting his true cultivation base.
"My spiritual fields were among the first to be affected by the pest problem. I had to spend nearly seven Spirit Stones to hire a mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator to resolve it," Lu Chen explained, spinning a tale to account for his knowledge of the Golden Sword Art.
"To prevent it from happening again, I spent a significant sum to acquire a first-rate sword art. Surprisingly, despite my slow progress in cultivating spiritual energy, I seem to have a natural talent for practicing sword arts," he continued.
"My proficiency with the sword art improved rapidly, even allowing me to help others with their pest problems. So, I thought I might as well earn some Spirit Stones to recoup the cost of purchasing the sword art," Lu Chen concluded, providing a plausible reason for his ability to use the Golden Sword Art to eradicate pests.
Zhang Hong was none the wiser and accepted his explanation without doubt.
As the two men chatted, the conversation naturally turned to Zhang Hong's recent experience in opening up the new secret realm.
"The array master from the Wang Family broke two formations. According to the mid-stage Qi Refining cultivators who ventured deeper into the secret realm, this new realm is vast, possibly rivaling the size of Linyang Bazaar," Zhang Hong said.
"Us Qi Refining cultivators at the second and third layers mostly lingered on the outskirts. We neither have the capability nor the qualification to delve deeper into the realm," he added.
"I mainly followed a team of rogue cultivators, collecting spiritual herbs and clearing out lower-tiered demons," Zhang Hong explained.
"Even with the protection of the Wang Family's high-stage cultivators at the front, the casualties were still significant. I'd say about three out of ten didn't make it," he continued, his expression turning grim.
"Our squad was relatively lucky. We only encountered danger twice. The first time was when we were gathering spiritual herbs, and we stumbled upon a mutated herb with extreme aggression and expertise in camouflage. Two of our members unfortunately perished," Zhang Hong recounted.
"The second time, we came across a peculiar demon—a spider with a human face on its back. It moved with incredible speed, making it nearly invisible. One of the rogue cultivators was sliced in half by its limbs before a high-stage Qi Refining cultivator arrived and vanquished the beast," he said, his face paling as he relived the terrifying encounters.
Lu Chen, listening intently, found the stories thrilling, glad that he could experience the adventure vicariously without having to face the dangers himself.
"Are you interested in exploring the new realm, Brother Lu? The first foray into a secret realm always yields the greatest rewards, but it also carries the greatest risks. Subsequent expeditions are generally safer," Zhang Hong asked, a gleam of excitement in his eyes.
"Of course, I'm curious. However, I can only speak for the outskirts of the realm, as I have no idea what lies deeper within," he added, acknowledging the limits of his knowledge.
The white light orbs he had accumulated from the spiritual energy cultivation provided very little in terms of artifacts, talismans, and pills, so to speak, it was almost none.
Zhang Hong's offer was merely a passing comment, and he quickly moved on.
"By the way, Brother Zhang, did you happen to come across any unknown wild spiritual herbs during your trip to the wilderness secret realm? If so, I'd be interested in purchasing them with spirit stones." Lu Chen steered the conversation in a different direction.
"Unknown wild spiritual herbs? Wild spiritual herbs are already rare, and unknown varieties are even scarcer," Zhang Hong replied.
"I didn't come across any myself, but I heard that a rogue cultivator found a wild spiritual herb in a desolate area of the secret realm. I can ask about it for you if you'd like."
"However, that spiritual herb is of an unknown variety, and the cultivation method is also unknown. If you plan to cultivate it, Brother Lu, the risk is considerable, and you may end up wasting your time and spirit stones." Zhang Hong couldn't help but offer a word of caution upon hearing Lu Chen's inquiry.
"I just want to experiment; I'm not betting on that tiny chance of success," Lu Chen explained.
"Even if I fail, I can still gain some experience in nurturing spiritual herbs and broaden my horizons."
Lu Chen came up with a reasonable excuse.
"Alright! I'll inquire about it for you!" Zhang Hong nodded.
He was efficient, and just two days later, he brought good news.
In the Zhang family's courtyard...
Zhang Hong introduced Lu Chen to a bald cultivator at the third layer of Qi Refining, whom he addressed as Brother Long.
"This is Brother Long; he's quite powerful."
"And this is Brother Lu. He has a talent for cultivating spiritual herbs and is interested in learning about the unknown spiritual herb you found." Zhang Hong facilitated the introduction, and they quickly got down to business.
"I found this spiritual herb in a desolate area on the outskirts of the secret realm. I discovered more than ten wild spiritual herbs there, and the Wang Family steward rewarded me with one of them."
"But I've never been able to identify the exact variety. However, judging from the location where I found it, it should be no less than a first-rate herb."
"If you're interested, Brother Lu, it's yours for five spirit stones." Brother Long cut straight to the chase.
Lu Chen took the spiritual herb from him and examined it carefully.
The spiritual herb resembled a tiny fungus, dark red in color, with vein-like structures on its surface that seemed to flow with a viscous substance.
"Five spirit stones isn't expensive. That was the price I paid for the Red Cloud Pine," Lu Chen thought to himself.
"But considering how bizarre this spiritual herb looks, its grade and rarity are likely no less than that of the Red Cloud Pine. If I knew exactly what variety it was, the price would surely be much higher than the Red Cloud Pine."
Lu Chen quickly made up his mind.
"Brother Long, I'll take it."
"You're a straightforward man, Brother Lu," Brother Long said with a smile.
They exchanged spirit stones for the spiritual herb, both pleased with the transaction.
Brother Long was delighted that an unknown wild spiritual herb had earned him five spirit stones, while Lu Chen was excited to add another rare spiritual herb to his spiritual field.
More importantly, he anticipated the white light orbs that would come with the herb's maturation.
Upon returning home, Lu Chen activated the Earth-Drawing Technique, clearing a small section of his spiritual field to plant the dark red fungus.
As he focused his mental energy, detailed information about the spiritual herb flashed through his mind.
"Dark Marrow Grass, a second-rate spiritual herb. It can be used to refine certain body-strengthening pills, or it can be consumed directly to enhance a cultivator's physique.
"A spiritual herb that thrives in darkness, it requires neither light nor spiritual rain, only the company of decaying spirit wood in a shadowy corner."
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
