https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-394-The-Remains-of-the-Ancient-Qiong-Niu/12544472/
Chapter 393: The Dark Mud Vein
Chapter 393: The Dark Mud Vein
After a while, as Lu Chen and the others searched within the dimly lit passage, the Yaoguifen quietly slithered out from the dark red spirit soil and returned to the folds of Lu Chen's robe.
On the gray vine lay eighteen deep green spirit seeds, each no larger than a slender finger.
"Good job, Yaoguifen. You did very well. Once we leave this blessed land, I'll reward you with some delicious spirit fruits." Lu Chen whispered his praise.
Yaoguifen's keen senses had led them to the Qiqiu Hand Spirit Seeds, but what was surprising was its ability to retrieve all the seeds intact without Lu Chen by its side.
It was admirable that despite carrying its favorite treat on the vine, it had resisted the temptation and dutifully returned everything to Lu Chen. This certainly deserved some praise.
"Eighteen Qiqiu Hand Spirit Seeds. Even if I can only arrange a simple array, it's still quite a haul." Lu Chen marveled to himself as he followed the group deeper into the dark red passage.
"Huh? What's that?" A late-stage Foundation Establishment disciple cried out as he caught a slender, black-red insect that flew out from the shadows.
The black-red insect, seemingly pulled from a pile of rotten flesh, was nauseating to look at. It exuded a dense aura of yin energy and continuously spewed forth an evil, corrupt miasma at the disciple.
Fortunately, its attack wasn't very strong, and with his late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivation, the disciple easily dealt with it. However, there were just too many of them, making them a persistent nuisance.
Lu Chen noticed that these black-red insects, which he identified as Shishengchong, were emerging from a patch of dark spirit soil. This soil seemed to carry a putrid, fleshy scent.
As he passed by, his keen spiritual sense detected the fluctuations of yin energy. His palm turned crystalline and jade-like, and a thick layer of spiritual power covered its surface, grabbing one of the sneaky Shishengchong.
Just before crushing it, he forcefully injected a strand of spiritual power into the insect, extracting detailed information about it.
Shishengchong, a third-grade insect, loves to dwell within Dark Mud Veins. It allows itself to be nourished by the bloody aura of the spirit soil, possessing a strong desire for ownership. It enjoys devouring spirit seeds within the Dark Mud Vein and can refine them into special Gu insects.
Dark Mud Vein, an ordinary spirit soil that has evolved under the prolonged influence of powerful fleshy and bloody forces over the years. It contains abundant restrictions and fleshy spiritual power, which can be used to cultivate certain special spirit plants.
Normal spirit plants growing in the Dark Mud Vein will, over time, be affected by the fleshy spiritual power within. There is a high probability that they will undergo mutations, and in some cases, the plants may even develop fleshy parts.
"Dark Mud Vein?" Lu Chen looked at the dark soil by his feet with a spark of interest.
He crouched down and carefully observed the soil.
With the constant nourishment of the Yunshen Post-it, his spiritual sense had improved significantly, allowing him to perceive the strange bloody power lurking deep within the soil, which resembled dried meat mud. The longer he stayed close to the soil, the more his calves itched, as if tiny flesh sprouts were trying to force their way out through his skin.
"Containing bloody spiritual power... This Dark Mud Vein spirit soil is rather peculiar."
"However, with the presence of the Shishengchong in this soil, it's unlikely that any other spirit plants could grow here."
Lu Chen's legs were enveloped in a hazy spiritual light, dispelling the sinister aura completely.
"What is it, Brother Lu? Have you discovered something?" A middle-aged cultivator at the late stage of Foundation Establishment noticed Lu Chen's prolonged stillness and walked over curiously.
"This patch of spirit soil is rather odd. I couldn't help but take a closer look."
The middle-aged cultivator drew closer, intrigued.
Lu Xuan stepped aside graciously, not bothered by the other's behavior. With his profound knowledge in spirit herbs, he could only identify this sinister mud through external means, and he doubted that this late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator could discern anything more.
"Brother Li, when did you become interested in spirit soil?" the middle-aged cultivator asked with a hint of mockery.
"Just taking a closer look," Lu Xuan replied nonchalantly.
The presence of the true disciple deterred the middle-aged cultivator, causing his fleeting curiosity to dissipate. He left with a slight huff.
"Brother Lu, are you interested in this peculiar spirit soil?" Huo Lin'er asked curiously.
"Thank you, Brother Huo, for your support," Lu Xuan said with a grateful bow.
"Yes, Brother Huo. I am indeed intrigued by this unique spirit soil, and I'd like to bring some back to the sect for further study," Lu Xuan admitted.
"If you're interested, Brother Lu, take all of this spirit soil with you," Huo Lin'er said with a hint of authority in his tone, leaving no room for argument.
"Is that appropriate?" Lu Xuan asked, concerned about the propriety of claiming such a large amount of resources discovered during a sect-organized expedition.
"I have that authority," Huo Lin'er replied calmly. "Besides, your contributions to the exploration and opening of this blessed land likely surpass even us true disciples. A mere amount of strange spirit soil is insignificant compared to the rare treasures we seek, and its bizarre nature makes it clear that it's not something desirable. Only someone as dedicated to spirit herbs as you, Brother Lu, would want to acquire it."
"So, even if you take all of this peculiar spirit soil, the Core Formation master won't have any objections," Huo Lin'er assured him.
Throughout the process of opening up this blessed land, Lu Xuan had consistently demonstrated his prowess. He had excelled in the sect's research on mutated spirit herbs, outperforming other spirit herb cultivators. His invitation to join the expedition was well-earned, and he had leveraged his knowledge to acquire valuable spirit herb varieties from the other two sects. His understanding of the Tuyin Silk's essence had given the Sky Sword Sect an advantage over the others, earning them abundant cultivation resources. Additionally, when faced with mutated spirit herbs capable of forming arrays to counter their attacks, it was Lu Xuan who devised a strategy to overcome them, resolving a significant challenge with ease.
"In that case, I won't hold back," Lu Xuan said, reaching into his storage bag and retrieving a large container. He swept all the sinister mud into it and sealed it with spirit-restraining and exorcism talismans before carefully placing it back into his storage bag.
As fellow sect members passed by, they paid no heed to Lu Xuan's actions, hurrying on their way.
"However, Brother Lu, I must warn you about this spirit soil. Its appearance is extremely sinister, and if you intend to use it for experiments, you must be cautious. Ensure that your other spirit plants are not contaminated and transformed by its influence," Huo Lin'er said, his youthful face carrying a hint of gravity.
"Thank you, Brother Huo, for your kind reminder. I will certainly take precautions to avoid such a situation," Lu Xuan replied, his smile harmless and sincere.
"As long as I use this sinister mud to nurture underworld spirit plants, I won't have to worry about contamination or transformation," he added to himself.
(End of Chapter)
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