Chapter 374: I'm Here to Assist You
Chapter 374: I'm Here to Assist You
Over the next few days, Lu Chen remained in his cave abode, tending to his spiritual beasts and plants as usual. Aside from this routine, he spent most of his time studying the mutated Dragon-Patterned Wood.
He conducted various small experiments, exposing it to different spiritual energies and feeding it with demonic beast meat, all in an effort to observe and summarize its unique characteristics. Through these trials, he hoped to gain a deeper understanding of this peculiar plant.
After several days of diligent research, Lu Chen paid another visit to Ge Pu's cave.
"Brother Ge, I've spent the last few days carefully observing this peculiar spiritual plant, and I think I've made some headway."
"After perusing through some ancient texts on spiritual plants, I believe I've identified its predecessor as a third-grade Dragon-Patterned Wood, based on its distinctive features."
On the peak of the black and white mountain, a pair of colossal kunyangs—their necks intertwined and tails wrapped around each other—embodied the harmony of yin and yang as they swam gracefully through the air.
Lu Chen addressed Ge Pu, his eyes flickering between the black and white orbs that served as the elder cultivator's eyes.
"Dragon-Patterned Wood, I've heard of it. But it seems to be quite different from the spiritual plant before us, doesn't it?" Ge Pu gazed at the mutated Dragon-Patterned Wood, now docile after Lu Chen's careful tending, his brow furrowed in confusion.
"Brother Ge, look here," Lu Chen said as he twisted his fingers, rotating the plant as if screwing in a light bulb. "These faint patterns resemble a coiling dragon. However, due to generations of mutations, they have become much fainter compared to a typical Dragon-Patterned Wood, and their form has also changed significantly."
He straightened the plant and pointed to the subtle patterns on its trunk and leaves.
"So, are you saying that all the spiritual plants in that blessed land have undergone similar mutations? What could have caused such a widespread change?" Ge Pu asked, his curiosity piqued.
"It might have something to do with a certain sanguine aura, but I can't be sure," Lu Chen replied thoughtfully.
"A sanguine aura, you say? Perhaps that's something our fellow disciples in the blessed land can investigate further," Ge Pu mused.
"You've done an impressive job, Brother Lu. To gather so much information in less than ten days is truly admirable," Ge Pu said, bowing slightly to Lu Chen.
"It's my honor to be of some assistance to the elders and fellow disciples in the blessed land," Lu Chen responded humbly, choosing to keep the true nature and purpose of the mutated Dragon-Patterned Wood to himself. He knew that explaining its origins and the cause of its mutation might lead to more questions, and he preferred to avoid that complexity.
He returned the mutated Dragon-Patterned Wood to Ge Pu and took his leave.
Back in his own cave abode, several days passed in the blink of an eye.
Lu Chen stood beneath a lush vine, his fingers gently caressing a white sphere of light that hung from the vine.
Obtained a third-grade Sword-Nurturing Gourd and a fourth-grade Howling Ocean Sword Talisman.
The thought flashed through his mind, and a talisman, neither made of metal nor jade, appeared in his palm. Within it, infinite sword intent surged like ocean waves.
"Another fourth-grade sword talisman," Lu Chen murmured in satisfaction. In the past few days, three Sword-Nurturing Gourds had fully matured on the vines, yielding three fourth-grade sword talismans.
Among them were the Starfall Sword Talisman, the Dragon-Elephant Sword Talisman, and the Howling Ocean Sword Talisman.
With these additions, there were now seven verdant gourds remaining on the three vines, each nearing maturity.
Lu Chen now possessed a total of ten fourth-grade sword talismans. He estimated that even a cultivator in the early stages of the Core Formation realm would struggle to withstand them all at once.
After collecting the rewards from the three spheres of light, Lu Chen continued his routine of inspecting the spiritual fields and tending to the needs of each spiritual plant.
One day, as he was cultivating his spiritual plants in his cave, Lu Chen's spiritual sense suddenly detected a talisman vibrating outside the defensive array at the foot of the mountain.
He opened the Flowlight Talisman Array and drew the talisman towards him. It carried the voice of Ge Pu.
"Brother Lu, please come to my cave. I have a matter to discuss with you."
Shortly after, Lu Chen found himself once again standing on Ge Pu's black and white mountain peak.
"I've invited all of you here today because I need your help with something."
"A Nascent Soul elder from the sect discovered a large number of peculiar spiritual plants while developing a blessed land, and brought some of them back to the sect."
"All of you here today are well-known spiritual herbologists within the sect, each with unique abilities in cultivating spiritual plants and beasts. I hope that by joining forces, we can uncover the peculiarities of these plants and experiment to find their potential uses."
As Ge Pu finished speaking, he waved his hand, and over a dozen strange spiritual plants appeared on the ground.
Among them was a spiritual plant that burned with raging flames, one that left a thick layer of frost wherever it went, and another that continuously sprayed poison at the group...
Each spiritual plant resembled the mutated Dragon-Patterned Wood, possessing strong offensive capabilities.
The black and white light in Ge Pu's eyes flashed, and all the spiritual plants' movements slowed and eventually stopped.
"These spiritual plants are now in your care. I hope to hear of your findings soon. If we can uncover their vulnerabilities and weaknesses, we may be able to speed up the exploration of the blessed land by our sect members. Furthermore, discovering their uses will undoubtedly create tremendous value for the sect."
With that, Ge Pu flashed into the black and white mountain, leaving the bewildered group with a collection of bizarre spiritual plants.
"Fellow sect members, let's begin our research on these peculiar spiritual plants," said a middle-aged cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Stage.
"Brother Zhong, you have the highest cultivation level here, so it's only right that you take the lead and assign tasks to each of us," said another cultivator.
Zhong Hao, who was at the late Foundation Establishment Stage, shook his head. "Researching these spiritual plants is not solely dependent on cultivation level. Otherwise, Elder Ge Pu wouldn't have invited us here."
"We all know each other well, and when it comes to expertise in spiritual plants, Brother Lu Chen's skills are undoubtedly the best. Let's have Brother Lu take the lead in organizing and assigning tasks."
"No, no, Brother Zhong. I'm here to assist you," Lu Chen said with a smile.
"Brother Zhong, your cultivation level commands respect, and your reputation in raising spirit beasts is well-known. These spiritual plants resemble demonic beasts, and I believe you will be able to easily explore and understand their peculiarities."
"Very well, then. Let's start with this arrangement. I ask that everyone work together to uncover the secrets of these peculiar spiritual plants." Zhong Hao nodded and agreed, then proceeded to distribute the spiritual plants to Lu Chen and the others.
Lu Chen received a spiritual plant that was engulfed in flames.
Its trunk was a vivid red, emitting a scorching heat that could be felt from a distance, as if it were made up of charcoal that had just finished burning.
Its branches and leaves were dense, resembling a magnificent canopy. The edges of the pale red leaves flickered with countless sparks, and within the foliage, flames writhed like fiery snakes.
As Lu Chen approached, the fiery snakes lashed out like lightning, and the sparks on the leaves intensified, condensing into various flame shapes and attacking Lu Chen from all directions.
"Compared to this spiritual plant, the Blazing Flame Fruit seems a bit of a misnomer," Lu Chen remarked.
With a thought, he manipulated the flames, gathering them together to form a dark red fireball.
I am guilty... Today is the birthday of a close relative, and I was invited to celebrate, so I couldn't refuse. I didn't get back until 11 p.m.... Sorry, sorry....
(End of Chapter)
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