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Chapter 189: Underground Fire Heart Lotus, Moon Dew Grass
Chapter 189: Underground Fire Heart Lotus, Moon Dew Grass
"You've worked hard."
Lu Chen leapt off the back of a tall spiritual crane and took out a bright red spirit fruit, popping it into its beak.
The spiritual crane gently pecked at his palm, its head, adorned with pristine feathers, nuzzling affectionately before letting out a crisp call and soaring into the sky.
Lu Chen, familiar with the routine, made his way into the main hall of the Agricultural Temple.
He approached a familiar elder cultivator, a fellow herbalist, and smiled, "Brother Xia, it's been a while. I'm here to exchange for some spirit seeds again."
The elder cultivator, his face etched with wrinkles, glanced at Lu Chen and immediately sensed the change in his aura. His spiritual sense carefully probed, and his expression changed as he bowed respectfully.
"Uncle Lu, you're here. How may I be of service?"
"Brother Xia, there's no need to be so formal," Lu Chen said gently. He couldn't help but feel a bit helpless at how his old acquaintance had become so distant upon seeing his progress. But he understood; the cultivation world valued strength above all, and once one broke through to a new realm, there was no going back to how things used to be.
"Reporting to Uncle Lu, if you wish to apply for free spirit seeds or refinement techniques for the Foundation Establishment stage, you'll need to go to the inner hall and register with your identity plaque." The elder cultivator explained.
"Then I'd appreciate it if you could lead the way, Brother Xia."
The elder cultivator nodded and escorted Lu Chen through a side door. "Uncle Lu, the inner hall is just ahead, but outer disciples aren't usually allowed in. I can only bring you this far."
"Thank you, Brother Xia," Lu Chen said gratefully as he reached the entrance of the inner hall.
He waved his identity plaque at the restriction set up at the doorway and stepped inside.
The elder cultivator watched Lu Chen's retreating figure, his expression shifting slightly as he sighed softly to himself.
The inner hall, unassuming from the outside, revealed its true grandeur upon entering. The spacious hall was adorned with a carpet made from the hides of high-ranking demonic beasts. Several potted spirit plants exuded a compelling aura, and the furniture appeared to be crafted from various spirit woods, their natural patterns intricate and mystical. Everything seemed simple yet luxurious.
The vast inner hall was guarded by only two early Foundation Establishment cultivators. Aside from Lu Chen, no one else was present, a stark contrast to the bustling outer hall.
"This position seems perfect for slacking off..." Lu Chen mused to himself, approaching one of the young male cultivators.
The cultivator had an ordinary appearance but exuded a restrained and steady aura. Seeing Lu Chen approach, he quickly stood up to greet him. "Greetings, fellow cultivator. I am Zhang Ce. You seem new here. Is this your first time in the inner hall?"
"Greetings, Brother Zhang. I am Lu Chen, and yes, it's my first time here," Lu Chen replied politely.
After some small talk, Lu Chen stated his purpose for the visit. "Brother Zhang, I've recently broken through to the Foundation Establishment stage, and I learned that as an inner disciple, I can obtain certain cultivation resources from the sect. As I have a great interest in spirit plants, I've come to the Agricultural Temple."
"That is correct," Zhang Ce affirmed. "According to sect rules, at the early Foundation Establishment stage, you are entitled to receive a seedling or spirit seed of a fourth-grade spirit plant, three third-grade spirit plants, and ten second-grade spirit plants, with the varieties chosen from a specified range."
"Additionally, you may select several spirit seed refinement techniques. However, due to their greater rarity compared to spirit seeds and seedlings, you may only choose one third-grade and three second-grade spirit seed refinement techniques."
"These are the perks of being an inner disciple..." Lu Chen was deeply touched by the benefits on offer. A fourth-grade spirit seed and the refinement technique for a third-grade spirit seed—these would cost a small fortune in spirit stones and sword seals!
Seeing Lu Chen's silence, Zhang Ce continued, "If Brother Lu reaches the mid Foundation Establishment stage, you will be eligible for the same number of spirit seeds and refinement techniques of the corresponding grade. The same applies to the late Foundation Establishment stage."
He composed himself and asked the young cultivator, "Brother Zhang Ce, I have another question. Are similar resources effective for other cultivation arts as well?"
"Usually, it's limited to a specific category, so you can refer to the options and choose the cultivation resources that interest you, Brother Lu," replied Zhang Ce.
"For example, in the field of pill refining, you can select several pill formulas and some rare spirit herbs for pill refining. The overall value is comparable to that of spirit plants," he added.
"Most fellow disciples excel in only one type of cultivation art, so they usually choose the corresponding cultivation resources. Over time, this has become an unwritten rule. If you want to acquire resources for both spirit plants and pill refining, it's possible, but it will be much more troublesome."
Lu Chen nodded, indicating his understanding. If the sect provided equal resources for Foundation Establishment cultivators in every aspect, from pill refining and artifact forging to array formation and puppet manipulation, it would surely go bankrupt.
"Brother Zhang, I have a soft spot for spirit plants, and my decision is final. I won't consider resources from other categories. Please introduce me to the options for spirit plants."
"All the available spirit seeds are listed here, so you can make your choice, Brother Lu," Zhang Ce said as he took out a thick jade catalog. The catalog recorded over a hundred spirit plants, with the most being second-grade and the least being fourth-grade, and there were also quite a few restrictions on the varieties.
The second-grade Sword Grass that Lu Chen had planted on his peak and the Sword Peacock he had seen in the secret realm were not among them.
Lu Chen flipped through the catalog, comparing the options before making his decision.
"Brother Zhang, I want to apply for a fourth-grade Underground Fire Heart Lotus spirit seed," he said, pointing to a slowly spinning fiery red lotus.
The lotus's rhizome was a pale red, adorned with intricate, fine veins. At first glance, it looked as if the rhizome was formed by countless irregular pale red crystals. The leaves were also fiery red, with hints of fiery red lava flowing within the veins.
After his windfall at Thousand Dragon Lake, Lu Chen had considered the Underground Fire Heart Lotus spirit seed before, but as he couldn't meet the condition of planting it in scorching lava, he had ultimately chosen the equally fourth-grade Mystical Insect Vine.
Now, with the lava river flowing within the peak, the conditions were ideal for cultivating this fourth-grade Underground Fire Heart Lotus.
"Very well," the young cultivator said, glancing at the catalog and seeing that the picture of the Underground Fire Heart Lotus was illuminated, indicating that there was an available spirit seed. He nodded in confirmation.
"For the third-grade spirit seed, I'll choose the same type—the Moon Dew Grass," Lu Chen continued, flipping through the catalog and pointing to one of the illuminated patterns.
A serene spirit grass appeared, shimmering with a silvery-white hue as if bathed in a soft moonlight, giving off a hazy feeling.
The annotation below the spirit grass stated that the mature Moon Dew Grass was extremely suitable for feeding demonic beasts and could accelerate their growth, which piqued Lu Chen's interest.
Cultivating the Moon Dew Grass would not only grant him light spheres as a reward but also help him curry favor with the White Luan and accelerate the growth of other demonic beasts he was raising, thus earning him more light spheres.
It was indeed a multi-beneficial choice.
(End of Chapter)
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