https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-163-Look-at-how-well-behaved-other-people-s-children-are/12543999/
Chapter 162: Gaining Favor Starts with Cultivation
Chapter 162: Gaining Favor Starts with Cultivation
"Spending over two hundred spirit stones on a demon beast's eye and more than a hundred on insect eggs sure burns a hole in your pocket." Lu Chen sighed as he held the black beetle egg and the vial containing the silver-lined mantises.
"One for cultivating the Fourth-Rank Hundred-Eyed Mystical Wood and one for the Fourth-Rank Spirit Insect Vine. I guess that's acceptable."
After purchasing the demon beast's eye and insect eggs, he was left with approximately 1,400 spirit stones. This fortune would have been a huge sum during his days as a wandering cultivator, but within the Sky Sword Sect, it was barely enough to get by.
He arrived at the spiritual field where the Spirit Insect Vine was located. The vine had not yet sprouted, but the hidden wing cicada egg and the spirit seed had almost fused into one, with the seed's surface exhibiting a strangely harmonious appearance.
Lu Chen selected several spots and skillfully employed the Earth Drawing Technique, seamlessly placing the black beetle egg onto the surface of the Spirit Insect Vine's seed.
As for the two silver-lined mantis larvae, Lu Chen had just taken them out of their vial when they seemed to sense something, halting in mid-air above the Spirit Insect Vine. They scurried about, sniffing incessantly.
Then, using their pair of white jade-like forelegs, they began to dig into the spiritual soil as if yearning for a closer contact with the vine.
Lu Chen couldn't help but intervene, directly employing the Earth Drawing Technique to create a straight passage for the two larvae.
They eagerly crawled into the tunnel, one after the other, as if glued to the Spirit Insect Vine's seed, clinging tightly and refusing to budge.
"With the First-Rank hidden wing cicada, the black beetle, and the Second-Rank silver-lined mantises, the Spirit Insect Vine should have all it needs for its initial growth."
After inspecting the spiritual field, Lu Chen summoned a spiritual crane and headed toward the Administrative Hall.
The hall was livelier than usual, with several dozen cultivators gathered before the massive light screen.
Lu Chen maneuvered around the screen and went to the side, where he canceled the demon beast eye collection task he had posted previously.
It was common for sect cultivators to venture out, exploring and hunting demon beasts. Lu Chen realized that if he kept the task active, he might soon find himself bankrupt.
The fourteen eyes brought by the female cultivator, along with some en route, would be sufficient for cultivating the Hundred-Eyed Mystical Wood for a while.
After canceling the task, Lu Chen noticed that the number of cultivators gathered before the large light screen was increasing. He gently tapped the cultivator beside him and asked curiously, "Senior brother, why does the Administrative Hall seem busier than usual? Is something exciting happening?"
"You don't know?" The young cultivator turned, a hint of surprise in his voice.
"I mostly tend to my spiritual plants and rarely go out, so I'm not very informed about the sect's recent developments," Lu Chen explained.
"I see," the young cultivator nodded, believing Lu Chen's words. "Not long ago, about a thousand miles from the sect, a small secret realm appeared. It's said that some fellow disciples obtained quite a few good things from that secret realm."
"So, recently, tasks related to that secret realm have been very popular. I've heard that the sect even plans to organize some Foundation Establishment elders to go and completely open up the secret realm."
Lu Chen understood. Everything within a newly discovered secret realm was unknown and full of infinite possibilities. Back in Lin Yang Bazaar, he had often heard similar rumors—someone finding high-grade cultivation techniques or rare treasures within a secret realm.
The chances of obtaining opportunities and treasures in a new secret realm were much higher than usual, and it was no wonder that his fellow disciples were so excited.
"Would you like to come and take a look, junior brother? With Foundation Establishment elders protecting us, the Sky Sword Sect's strength will easily overwhelm that small secret realm," the young cultivator invited, his face flushed with enthusiasm.
"No, no," Lu Chen quickly declined. "I still have spiritual plants to harvest in my fields. I can't afford to miss the harvest season."
Lu Chen politely refused, knowing that Foundation Establishment cultivators exploring a secret realm could mean either ensuring the safety of sect disciples or encountering high-ranking demon beasts or sinister beings within.
"Once my cultivation base improves a bit more and I acquire a few more treasures, I can consider venturing out."
Lu Chen murmured to himself as he calmly exited the Administrative Hall and summoned a spiritual crane to take him back to his cave abode.
After tending to his spiritual plants in the spirit field, Lu Chen made his way to the spirit spring, where he retrieved an iron crab from beneath a strange rock.
The reward for the fully matured iron crab's glowing orb had already been activated, and Lu Chen kept the remaining two crabs in the spirit spring to ensure he could enjoy the freshest ingredients.
"Get ready! Get ready!"
The Cloud-Treading Lynx gently padded over, and with its fluffy, cloud-like paws, it easily stunned the unruly iron crab. Then, the Grass Puppet extended two gray grass ropes from its body and securely bound the crab.
The Wind Falcon chick didn't wait for instructions and grabbed the grass ropes, placing the crab directly into the pot.
"Why are you, a Grass Puppet, so eager when all you eat are spirit stones and Grass Spirit Essence?"
Lu Chen gave the Grass Puppet a sidelong glance, and it slowly retreated back into the spirit field, its massive gray grass head bowed.
"Let's eat!"
Lu Chen lifted the lid off the pot, uncaring of the surging heat, and flipped over the crab, revealing the golden, tender crab meat within.
"So white, tender, and fragrant. One word: perfection!"
Lu Chen exclaimed as he swallowed a mouthful of crab meat.
The Cloud-Treading Lynx and the Wind Falcon chick sat beside him, their eyes fixed on the crab, seemingly urging him to give them a share.
Lu Chen broke off a crab leg for each of them, and the two creatures eagerly hugged their legs, chewing away until their faces were covered in oil.
"Cheep!"
Just as the trio was relishing their meal, a somewhat familiar voice caught Lu Chen's attention.
He looked up and saw the mysterious phoenix bird that had appeared before, silently materializing in the courtyard once more.
"Here, catch!"
Lu Chen tossed a crab leg to the phoenix, which gently fluttered its pristine feathers and nodded slightly in gratitude.
"What a high level of spiritual intelligence," Lu Chen marveled. The last time the phoenix had appeared, its sudden arrival had startled him, and he had refrained from probing further out of concern for offending it.
Now, with this second encounter, Lu Chen was less reserved. He quietly focused his spiritual sense on the phoenix and was astonished by what he discovered.
[Xuan Tian White Luan, growth stage, third-rank demon beast, guardian spirit beast of the Sky Sword Sect, descendant of the sixth-rank Xuan Tian White Luan, with the potential to reach the seventh-rank as a spiritual beast.]
"Descendant of the sect's guardian spirit beast... with the potential to reach the seventh-rank... This is definitely a rapidly growing opportunity!"
Lu Chen marveled inwardly. The mixed-blood Ink-Scaled Flood Dragon he had encountered before had impressive talent, but compared to this Xuan Tian White Luan, it paled in significance.
"The first step to capturing a spirit beast's heart is to capture its stomach."
"If I want to hitch a ride on its coattails, I need to start by nurturing it!"
(End of Chapter)
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