Chapter 375: Far Ahead
Chapter 375: Far Ahead
The ability to control countless flames that he displayed was none other than the technique from the experience packet he had obtained in the past, the Flame Manipulation Method.
Derived from the sphere of light that appeared after plucking the Fiery Fruit, it allowed one to manipulate flames with greater ease and fluidity.
Having absorbed several of these experience packets, Lu Chen had already achieved a modest level of proficiency in this art, and the attacks of the fiery spirit plant before him posed little threat.
Lu Chen squeezed his fingers gently, instantly crushing the dark red fireball into countless sparks that scattered with a gentle stir of his spiritual energy.
He pretended to observe the flame spirit plant, feigning a thoughtful expression now and then. Occasionally, he would perform small tests, using various types of spiritual energy and basic farming techniques to study the unique characteristics of the spirit plant.
Half a day later, Lu Chen secretly scanned the others with his spiritual sense. They were all still in the initial exploration phase, making slow progress. Realizing this, Lu Chen relaxed and continued to fiddle with the flame spirit plant before him.
After multiple attacks, the flames on the spirit plant's trunk and branches had dimmed significantly, indicating considerable consumption of its energy.
"Brother Lu, how is it going?"
Li Yu approached him quietly and inquired.
In the cultivation world, strength was revered. Now that she knew Lu Chen had advanced to the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, she naturally switched from addressing him as "junior martial brother" to "senior martial brother."
"This flame spirit plant is rather peculiar. I've been studying it for a while and have a vague idea, but I'm not entirely certain yet," Lu Chen replied slowly.
"The rest of us are in the same situation. Who knows what kind of place that blessed land is, giving rise to so many unusual spirit plants," Li Yu sighed, returning to her own spirit plant, which was covered in frost, and continued to ponder with a furrowed brow.
"On the surface, I seem clueless, but in reality, I'm orchestrating everything from behind the scenes," Lu Chen thought to himself.
He focused his mind on the flame spirit plant, having already experimented with nurturing it using different types of spiritual energy and techniques. In an instant, he understood the spirit plant's nature.
Unknown spirit plant. After being influenced by a powerful flesh and blood force over a long period, it gradually mutated from the original third-grade Flowing Flame Wood. The spirit plant is rich in fiery spiritual energy and can release flame attacks comparable to third-grade techniques.
Upon maturity, the spirit plant condenses fire essence, which can be used to assist high-grade fire-type techniques.
"Once again, the influence of flesh and blood power... It seems there is indeed something in that blessed land," Lu Chen muttered to himself. He had once come across a record of the Flowing Flame Wood in a spirit plant tome. It was a third-grade spirit plant that could be used to refine high-grade fire-type talismans upon maturity.
"As for the fire essence..."
Lu Chen's eyes gleamed with a hazy layer of substance as he stared at the mutated Flowing Flame Wood.
Within the trunk, he spotted a small sphere dense with fire spirit, slowly drifting through the plant. Wherever it went, the fire-attributed spiritual energy in the plant rapidly recovered.
"Found you," Lu Chen chuckled softly, retracting his eye technique and jotting down notes on a piece of paper.
After a while, Ge Pu emerged from his cave and proceeded to observe everyone's progress.
When he reached Lu Chen, Lu Chen took a step forward and said in a low voice, "Brother Ge, I've been observing this flame spirit plant for quite some time. Suddenly, a thought occurred to me, and I recalled a similar spirit plant I had seen in a tome long ago. After several experiments, I was finally able to confirm its identity."
"Oh?" Ge Pu's eyebrows rose in surprise. He hadn't expected Lu Chen to identify the origin of the spirit plant so quickly.
"Although this spirit plant has undergone significant changes, one can still vaguely discern traces of the original Flowing Flame Wood here."
Lu Chen explained to Ge Pu the similarities and differences between the mutated spirit plant before them and the Flowing Flame Wood, a well-known third-grade spirit plant.
Ge Pu's black and white irises shone brighter, and several nearby spirit plant cultivators were drawn by Lu Chen's words, listening intently.
"As expected of Lu Chen, you didn't disappoint me. To be able to identify the origins of this flame spirit plant in just one day." Ge Pu nodded in approval.
"I made an unexpected discovery during my experiments. This mutated Flowing Flame Wood has condensed a Fire Spirit within its body. It can be used to enhance the cultivation speed of high-grade fire-attributed divine techniques, making it extremely valuable."
"That Fire Spirit is deeply integrated with the mutated spirit plant, making its aura hard to discern, which is why it hasn't been easily discovered," Lu Chen attributed the discovery of the Fire Spirit to luck.
Upon hearing this, Ge Pu's dark eyes deepened, and he stared at the mutated Flowing Flame Wood with indifference.
Suddenly, a minuscule black and white vortex appeared near the base of the Flowing Flame Wood's trunk. The vortex rapidly expanded, swirling with black and white spiritual energy until it reached the size of a small bowl.
A fiery red diamond-like Fire Spirit slowly drifted out of the vortex and hovered in the air.
"Indeed, it's a Fire Spirit. Lu Chen, your discovery is a great contribution," Ge Pu's face lit up with a smile. The presence of the Fire Spirit within the Flowing Flame Wood greatly increased its value. The sect members could now purposefully hunt this flame spirit plant and obtain a large number of rare Fire Spirits to assist in their cultivation.
With the Fire Spirit in hand, Ge Pu disappeared from the black and white mountain peaks.
After the Fire Spirit was extracted, the mutated Flowing Flame Wood's attacks became less frequent and intense, posing only a challenge to a mid or late-stage Qi Refining cultivator.
"As expected of Lu Chen, the best-known spirit plant cultivator in the sect. To be able to understand the nature of this mutated spirit plant so quickly is truly remarkable!"
"His progress is terrifying. While we're still in the exploration phase, he already grasps the essence of this spirit plant."
"Far ahead of the rest!"
"Far ahead, indeed!"
The gathered spirit plant cultivators couldn't help but exclaim in admiration, deeply impressed by Lu Chen's expertise.
"Brother Lu, could you share your method with us? If there's anything inconvenient, feel free to gloss over it," one of the young cultivators asked, unable to contain his curiosity.
"Of course," Lu Chen agreed.
"It's quite simple, really. Observe carefully, make bold assumptions, and verify them cautiously," Lu Chen explained. "These spirit plants are obviously mutated, and while their forms and characteristics have changed significantly, they still retain some features of their original selves. With careful observation, one can always find a few telltale signs."
"Then, based on your observations, make bold assumptions about the direction of the mutation, its possible uses, and how to handle or resolve it," he continued.
"Lastly, experiment to prove your hypotheses and speculations," Lu Chen concluded gently.
He understood that the process of unraveling the mysteries of these spirit plants inevitably involved these steps. However, due to his causal ability, which provided him with the outcome first and then the cause, the sequence was reversed for him—he started with the result and worked his way backward.
By observing and verifying based on the known outcome, he could naturally stay far ahead of the other spirit plant cultivators.
(End of Chapter)
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