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Chapter 492: An Acceptable Trade-off
Chapter 492: An Acceptable Trade-off
Ever since obtaining the fifth-grade treasure, the Tongming Sword Heart, Lu Chen noticed a significant enhancement in his innate sword talent. What used to be challenging concepts that exhausted his mental faculties were now easily comprehended with little effort.
As a result, his progress in the Peacock Sword Formation and the Qinglian Sword Scripture was remarkably swift, and he no longer needed to be as cautious and meticulous as before when cultivating sword grasses.
Indeed, he was worthy of the title 'Sword Genius'.
As his thoughts wandered, he entered the main hall of the Sword Hall.
"Greetings, Brother Lu," came the enthusiastic greetings from the Sword Hall disciples who passed by. Some even went out of their way to be friendly, their attitudes bordering on ingratiating.
Lu Chen's skill in cultivating sword grasses had become common knowledge within the Sword Hall.
Sword grasses were notoriously tricky to nurture, as it was challenging to find the right balance of sword qi nourishment and stimulation. Too much force would cause the grasses to wither, while too little would hinder their growth, resulting in a significantly higher failure rate compared to other spirit herbs.
However, Lu Chen boasted a staggering 100% success rate in cultivating sword grasses. He had even independently improved the third-grade Wind and Thunder Sword Grass, adding to the variety of third-grade sword grasses available in the Sword Hall and granting its disciples more options.
Through various sources, the disciples had also learned that Lu Chen possessed several types of fourth-grade sword grasses.
To sword cultivators, fourth-grade sword grasses were akin to innate sword artifacts. Lu Chen, who had successfully cultivated them, was, to a certain extent, qualified to dispose of them as he saw fit.
This fact made the other Sword Hall disciples especially eager to curry favor with him.
Lu Chen maintained a smile and nodded in response to the greetings, making his way with familiarity to Shen Ye's location.
"Senior Brother Shen, why was my application to cultivate sword grasses rejected again?" A passionate voice rang out even before Lu Chen reached the door. "This is already my third application!"
"Brother Zhong, while your sword cultivation has indeed reached the Transformation Realm, your skill in cultivating spirit herbs still falls short," Shen Ye replied gently, his fingers lightly caressing the black sword box in front of him. "When you were cultivating the third-grade sword grasses before, you had a nearly 30% failure rate. How can I possibly entrust you with the spirit seeds of fourth-grade sword grasses?"
"But how am I supposed to improve my skill in cultivating spirit herbs if I don't even get a chance to try?" Brother Zhong, whose full name was Zhong Baiyu, argued. "Senior Brother Shen, I've already mastered several fourth-grade sword techniques. This time, I'm confident I can succeed."
Lu Chen hesitated at the door for a moment before quietly stepping inside. He recognized Brother Zhong as a fellow disciple whom he had once entered the Sword Pool with; Zhong Baiyu was currently at the late stage of the Foundation Establishment.
Shen Ye acknowledged Lu Chen's presence with a slight nod before turning back to Zhong Baiyu with a helpless smile. "Brother Zhong, even if I approve your application here, given your past record in cultivating sword grasses, you won't be able to get Ancient Sword Master Kong's permission anyway."
"Sigh." Zhong Baiyu heaved a sigh and turned to leave. Upon seeing Lu Chen, he nodded briefly without saying much.
"Brother Lu, please have a seat. It's been a while since we last met," Shen Ye said, his face as serene as jade, a smile playing at the corners of his lips.
"Senior Brother Shen, I was at the blessed land of the Myriad Demon Cave for a period, so I haven't been to the Sword Hall much lately," Lu Chen explained as he took out the Jian Qianxiao and handed it to Shen Ye. "This time, I came to give you the Jian Qianxiao that I obtained before."
"Oh? It matured so quickly?" Shen Ye, known for his calm and steady temperament, couldn't hide his delight as he accepted the spirit herb.
He casually performed a sword flourish, and the owl-like sword intents perched atop the plant's branches opened their eyes in unison, emitting a chilling light. Their long, sword-like feathers brushed out, exuding a formidable sword aura.
Under Shen Ye's control, the numerous owl-like sword intents shot out from the branches, dancing wildly within the room and leaving trails of intersecting sword auras in their wake.
"Brother Lu, your talent in cultivating spirit herbs truly impresses me. To cultivate a fourth-grade sword grass successfully on your first attempt, and with such impeccable quality, is just a hair's breadth away from perfection."
The higher the grade of sword grass, the more challenging it is to cultivate, and the easier it is to damage. It was common for Sword Hall disciples to produce inferior-quality sword grasses when attempting to cultivate fourth-grade ones, so much so that successfully cultivating a high-grade sword grass on the first try was akin to finding a needle in a haystack.
"In this world, sincerity is the key to success," Lu Chen replied casually. "I merely dedicate the time others spend cultivating to the nurturing of sword grasses."
"Hahaha, you're right! Without a sincere heart, it would be difficult to cultivate such a remarkable fourth-grade sword grass."
"What does Brother Lu plan to do with this Jian Qianxiao?"
"If I wanted to keep it for myself, to have the first fourth-grade sword grass that I cultivated with my own hands, it wouldn't be a problem."
"But if you want a second or third one, you'll need to apply to the Sword Hall. However, given your contributions to the Sword Hall, Brother Lu, I believe you'll have no trouble acquiring more."
"If you don't want it, the Sword Hall will compensate you generously."
Shen Ye's eyes softened as he gazed at the Jian Qianxiao, addressing Lu Chen.
"For now, I'll take the compensation."
Lu Chen preferred the Sword Peacock, which was still in its cultivation stage, so he didn't hesitate to make his choice.
"Alright, here are four hundred Sword Seals as compensation for cultivating the Jian Qianxiao."
A pile of Sword Seals floated towards Lu Chen.
"So many... That's almost enough to exchange for a fourth-grade spirit seed."
Lu Chen marveled at the Sword Hall's generosity, but soon understood.
A fourth-grade sword grass was worth more than most artifacts of the same grade, and it was a core competitive advantage for the Sky Sword Sect. Sword cultivators coveted it, and with its extremely high cultivation difficulty, receiving such generous compensation was only fitting.
"Right, Brother Lu, now that you've cultivated the Jian Qianxiao, are you willing to cultivate another fourth-grade sword grass?"
"The Sword Hall recently condensed three Sword Peacock spirit seeds, and two of them are still available. Brother Lu, you can take one if you'd like."
Shen Ye brought it up proactively.
"I'd be delighted to, but won't I need to apply to the Hall again?"
Lu Chen recalled the scene he had witnessed upon entering and asked curiously.
"Didn't I just apply for you?"
A mischievous smile appeared on Shen Ye's face.
"..."
Damn these double standards!
Lu Chen thought of Zhong Baiyu's treatment and silently criticized the unfairness.
"However, if the better standard of the double standards is applied to me, then I suppose I can't complain."
"No, it's too acceptable!"
The very same fourth-grade sword grass spirit seeds that other disciples desperately sought were now being offered to Lu Chen by Shen Ye, and he couldn't help but feel secretly thrilled.
"Then, thank you, Senior Brother Shen."
Lu Chen smiled and expressed his gratitude.
"By the way, Brother Lu, there's a fifth-grade sword grass spirit seed currently gestating in the Sword Pool. If you're interested, you can keep an eye out and reserve it."
"It will probably take about half a year to a year to mature."
Shen Ye suddenly remembered something, swept his spiritual sense over the surroundings, and then whispered to Lu Chen.
"A fifth-grade sword grass spirit seed?"
Lu Chen's spirit lifted at the mention of it, and his desire to obtain it intensified.
(End of Chapter)
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