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Chapter 554: Returning to the Sect
Chapter 554: Returning to the Sect
"I never thought that Brother Lu would be thinking about the spiritual herbs he planted and thus choose to return to the sect." Zhou Qi chuckled lightly.
"I'll make the necessary arrangements in the next few days, and I'll inform you when it's time," he assured.
"Thank you, Brother Zhou," Lu Xuan replied gratefully. His heart was already longing to return.
Three days passed in a flash, and Lu Xuan collected the over two hundred Waterthorn Grass and the remaining three Arrow Vines from his small courtyard, storing them in his Beast Nurturing Pouch.
"The biggest gain from leaving the sect and coming to the cities surrounding the Black Demon Abyss was this Demon Fanged Seed," he murmured to himself as he took out the broken fang that emanated a dusky black glow. "An exotic demon breed born from a foreign demon, reaching a high rank of six. Unfortunately, the nurturing conditions are too demanding and harmful to the harmony of heaven and earth, so I can only set it aside for now and wait for the right opportunity."
Additionally, he had acquired a large amount of flesh and blood from patrolling and clearing out demonic beasts, as well as numerous medium-grade spirit stones, artifacts, pills, and more from dealing with Chen Luo and his companions.
After tidying up everything in the courtyard, Lu Xuan made his way to the gathering place of the Tianjian Sect disciples.
In a spacious courtyard, over ten disciples of the Tianjian Sect were already waiting.
Lu Xuan greeted several familiar faces and stood quietly in a corner, awaiting further instructions.
Soon, a few more people joined them, and Lu Xuan noticed that only a small portion had chosen to return to the sect. The vast majority of his fellow disciples were confident in their abilities and believed that they could seize great opportunities from the Black Demon Abyss, despite the rampant demons and monsters.
Among the two dozen or so who had chosen to return, some had relatively low cultivation levels, mostly at the early Qi Refining stage, while others had suffered severe injuries and had no choice but to return to the sect to recuperate.
"I apologize for keeping you all waiting," Zhou Qi said as he stepped out and let out a sharp whistle.
In the blink of an eye, a Four-Winged Thunderburst Tiger appeared in the courtyard. With its two pairs of broad, meaty wings spanning fifty or sixty feet, and its body surrounded by silvery-white lightning, it looked formidable.
"Today, this Four-Product Spirit Beast, the Four-Winged Thunderburst Tiger, will escort you all back to the sect," Zhou Qi announced.
"Although its defensive capabilities are slightly inferior to other transport artifacts, its speed far surpasses them. And in case of any unexpected situations, it can also assist you in fighting against enemies."
Zhou Qi selected a late-stage Qi Refining inner disciple who looked somewhat listless and gave him instructions to control the Four-Winged Thunderburst Tiger.
Lu Xuan and the others climbed onto the broad back of the tiger.
"Roar!"
The Four-Winged Thunderburst Tiger let out a low growl, and the silvery-white lightning crackled, forming a protective barrier of countless tiny lightning bolts that enveloped Lu Xuan and the others. Then, with a swift movement of its wings, it soared into the sky.
"Farewell, Black Star City," Lu Xuan murmured softly as he gazed down at the rapidly shrinking city below.
In the distance, the vast and boundless depths of the Black Demon Abyss could be faintly seen.
"Black Demon Abyss... When I become stronger and more confident, perhaps I'll venture in for a look," Lu Xuan mused.
As he contemplated, the Four-Winged Thunderburst Tiger transformed into a silver-white lightning ball, speeding through the air like a bolt of lightning.
"Brother Lu, I never expected that you would also be returning to the sect with us," a calm and steady young man beside him said, initiating a conversation.
"I have no choice," Lu Xuan replied sincerely. "As my fellow disciples know, I'm just an ordinary spirit herbologist. Although I wanted to follow them into the Black Demon Abyss to pick up some scraps, my strength and the treasures I possess do not permit it."
The group of Tianjian Sect cultivators chatted for a while, with those who were injured expressing varying degrees of regret and frustration, as if they felt that a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity had just slipped through their fingers.
Those with lower cultivation levels were more cautious, and Lu Xuan couldn't help but feel a sense of camaraderie with them.
The Four-Winged Thunderburst Tiger, renowned for its speed, had rushed back without incident, safely reaching the outer perimeter of the sect at Jianmen Town.
"Fellow disciples, if anyone needs to rest or resupply in Jianmen Town, feel free to disembark here and make your own way back to the sect," announced the late Qi Refining cultivator who was controlling the tiger, his voice carrying a sense of authority.
Lu Xuan, along with over ten others, leaped down, entering the town.
He found an unoccupied corner and, after scanning the area with his spiritual sense to ensure there were no abnormalities, donned the Thousand Soul Mask and made his way to the entrance of the Underworld Courtyard.
He opened the Vanishing Five Elements Formation, which had been diligently guarding the courtyard, and stepped inside.
The moment he passed through the formation, it was like entering a new world. Wandering spirits and vengeful ghosts filled the air, piles of flesh and blood formed small mountains, and the dark spirit soil, covered in tiny fleshly buds, emitted a constant chorus of shrill cries and mournful wails that grated on one's nerves.
Yet, Lu Xuan felt a deep sense of familiarity and warmth.
"My little darlings, I'm back, and I'll be cultivating you properly from now on."
He first released the pale pink meatball from the Gluttonous Insect Pouch.
After feasting on numerous meals outside, the Meat Spirit was in high spirits. It rolled around playfully in the courtyard, and whenever it passed by the mounds of flesh and blood, it would open its mouth and take a big bite, as if enjoying a post-meal dessert.
Lu Xuan paid no heed to the Meat Spirit and made his way directly to the Five Viscera Treasured Plant. From his storage bag, he took out Chen Luo's and the other cultivator's five viscera.
"Brother Chen, and that other fellow cultivator whose name I don't know, Lu Xuan apologizes for using your five viscera to nurture this spirit plant. If you are aware of this in the underworld, please forgive me."
"Oh, so you haven't entered the Netherworld Hell yet."
Lu Xuan took out the Soul Luring Lamp and extracted the two cultivators' souls.
After being refined by countless vengeful souls within the lamp, the two souls, which belonged to late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators, had lost most of their sanity.
However, upon seeing their own viscera being used to worship a spirit plant, their faces—now blurred and indistinct—twisted with venomous hatred and deep-seated fear.
Lu Xuan ignored their reactions and, following a specific order, integrated their organs into the Five Viscera Treasured Plant.
The Treasured Plant had a bizarre appearance, resembling a golden-stone temple. The five viscera merged together, each distinct yet harmonious, forming a unified whole.
After nurturing the Treasured Plant, Lu Xuan turned his attention to the Weeping Soul Tree and the Soul Flaming Flower.
He extracted hundreds of vengeful souls from the Four-Product spirit artifact, the Soul Mourning Bell, and fed them to the Weeping Soul Tree. As for the Soul Flaming Flower, it also devoured souls but required pure souls untainted by malevolent energy.
Fortunately, Lu Xuan had collected numerous pure souls from the mutated demonic beasts he had slain, preventing them from being contaminated by evil cultivation methods or artifacts, thus satisfying the Soul Flaming Flower's nutritional needs.
One by one, the demonic beast souls floated above the Soul Flaming Flower. Under Lu Xuan's control and the flower's absorption, they seemed to ignite spontaneously, turning into wisps of smoke that merged with the plant.
He then dug out some infant souls from the mysterious stone coffin and used them to nurture the Holy Infant Fruit Mother Plant and its two offspring.
As for the Evil-Ward Fruit, due to the lack of sufficient evil energy, it could only be temporarily left in the Underworld Courtyard, barely sustaining its vitality.
After tending to all the spirit plants in the Underworld Courtyard, Lu Xuan gave a few instructions to the Meat Spirit before returning to the sect.
(End of Chapter)
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