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Chapter 643: Black Water Star Cave
Chapter 643: Black Water Star Cave
In the spirit field, Lu Chen gazed at the enormous vine before him, its coils resembling those of a massive python. With caution, he harvested it from the spirit soil.
This vine was the third-grade Jiao Vine that he had brought over when he left Tianjian Sect long ago. A long time ago, a fifth-grade body-refining technique, the upper volume of the Tai Xu Hua Long Scroll, had blossomed from its light orb, and Lu Chen had been eagerly anticipating the rest of it ever since.
"What a pity, it's just an ordinary third-grade treasure."
After harvesting the light orb, Lu Chen gazed at the reward in his hand, his expression tinged with slight disappointment.
However, he could understand why. After all, the Jiao Vine was only a third-grade spirit plant, and he had already been at the peak of the Qi Refining realm when he planted it. Now that he was at the Foundation Establishment realm upon harvesting the light orb, the downgrade in cultivation level during both the nurturing and harvesting processes would naturally affect the quality of the treasure.
"It seems that if I want to obtain the subsequent techniques of the Tai Xu Hua Long Scroll, I must either improve the Jiao Vine to a higher-grade spirit plant or acquire it from a similar spirit plant's light orb."
He thought to himself.
Lu Chen quickly accepted the fact that he didn't get the reward he had hoped for.
"Well, there's still the fifth-grade Golden Bodhi. Judging by its effects, there's a high chance it can blossom into at least a fifth-grade, if not sixth-grade, body-refining treasure."
In addition to the third-grade Jiao Vine, he had also brought along other spirit plants initially, including the fourth-grade Earthfire Heart Lotus and the Five Elements Fruit, as well as the condensation methods for both the Earthfire Heart Lotus and the Five Elements Fruit.
Therefore, after the spirit plants matured, he didn't rush to harvest them or collect their light orbs. Instead, he used them all for condensation.
"Once I have enough spirit seeds from the Five Elements Fruit and the others, I can plant them on a large scale. While mass-producing them, I can also try to improve them through modification."
Spirit plants of the fifth grade and above were extremely difficult to obtain, and Lu Chen wanted to see if he could acquire one or two through modification and induction.
Both the Earthfire Heart Lotus and the Five Elements Fruit had left a good impression on him, whether it was the spirit fruits they bore or the rewards from their light orbs. That was why he had specifically obtained the condensation methods for these two spirit plants.
Following the prescribed methods, he used various means to guide the wood spirit energy, essence, and other beneficial elements within these two mature spirit plants, causing them to coalesce together as he slowly waited for them to condense into spirit seeds.
"Is Fellow Daoist Lu in the cave abode?"
Just as Lu Chen was inspecting his spirit plants in the field, a cold female voice drifted from outside.
Lu Chen's mind conjured up the image of a female cultivator with silver hair. Her name was Ye Xuanyin, and they had met once before when she came to his cave abode to congratulate him on his advancement to the Foundation Establishment realm.
"Fellow Daoist Ye, Lu Chen is here."
His figure flashed, and he appeared outside the cave abode.
"May I ask what brings Fellow Daoist Ye here today?"
Lu Chen looked at the female cultivator, a gentle smile on his face.
"I came here today to deliver an invitation to you, Fellow Daoist Lu."
"An invitation?"
Lu Chen asked, puzzled.
"Fellow Daoist Lu has been cultivating spirit plants in your cave abode, so you might not be very informed about the happenings in the Celestial Star Cave," Ye Xuanyin explained. "Not long ago, Xing Xingshi of the Black Water Star Cave successfully broke through to the late Foundation Establishment stage. He wishes to invite all the Foundation Establishment cultivators remaining in the Celestial Star Cave to attend a celebration feast in his honor. He has specifically asked me to inform you, Fellow Daoist Lu."
As she spoke, a strange talisman appeared in Ye Xuanyin's hand.
The talisman was a deep black color and had no fixed shape. It resembled flowing water droplets, and a faint rustling sound could be heard.
"Xing Xingshi of the Black Water Star Cave..."
Lu Chen murmured softly. He had occasionally heard the name of this Xing Xingshi from fellow cultivators during social gatherings, but they had never crossed paths.
"Very well, Lu Chen will surely arrive on time."
As the invitation came from a late Foundation Establishment cultivator and a high-ranking member of the Celestial Star Cave, Lu Chen naturally couldn't refuse. Moreover, it was just a banquet, so he readily agreed.
"Yes, I've been in the Thunderfire Star Cave for several years now, mostly tending to my spirit plants in my cave abode. I only occasionally visit the Star Plucking Tower," Lu Chen replied honestly.
"Each of the Eighteen Star Caves has its own wonders. The most famous attraction in the Thunderfire Star Cave is undoubtedly the boundless sea of thunder, teeming with various spirit and divine thunderbolts," Ye Xuanyin continued, her silver hair dancing wildly in the air as faint traces of thunder flickered at the tips of her strands.
"As for the Black Water Star Cave, it is renowned throughout the Liyang Realm for its variety of spirit liquids. If you're interested, Fellow Daoist Lu, you can take some back to your cave abode. Many of these liquids are beneficial for the growth of spirit plants."
Lu Chen nodded eagerly, his interest in the Black Water Star Cave piqued.
"The Black Water Star Cave is dotted with numerous islands, where cultivators in the Qi Refining realm reside. Most cultivators in the Foundation Establishment and Pill Formation realms live within the black waters," Ye Xuanyin explained.
"Deep within this ocean lie several ancient secret realms from primordial times. However, those places are incredibly dangerous. Even a Pill Formation master cannot guarantee their safe return," she added, a hint of caution in her voice.
"The restrictions, sea beasts, hidden evils lurking in the black waters, and evil cultivators—each poses a mysterious and formidable threat."
As they traveled, Ye Xuanyin provided Lu Chen with detailed information about the Black Water Star Cave, even pointing out secret realms they passed by and sharing what she knew.
Lu Chen's eyes narrowed slightly as they traversed a particular stretch of the ocean, his brows furrowing momentarily before smoothing out again.
"Have you noticed something, Fellow Daoist Lu?" Ye Xuanyin asked, her curiosity piqued.
"No, it's just that I practiced a peculiar art, and it caused a slight sensation in my heart," Lu Chen replied nonchalantly.
"Do you know if there's something peculiar about this area, Fellow Daoist Ye?"
"I'm not entirely sure about this area either, but it is said that hundreds of years ago, a variant flood dragon with seventh-grade strength appeared here. However, no cultivator has seen it since," Ye Xuanyin explained without a hint of doubt.
"There are a few secret realms nearby, but they have been thoroughly explored by the cultivators of the Black Water Star Cave."
"I see. Perhaps there's something familiar to me in one of the secret realms, causing me to sense it by chance," Lu Chen nodded, improvising a plausible explanation.
As they had just passed through this area, Lu Chen's spiritual sense detected a slight disturbance from the Gluttonous Insect Pouch at his waist. Upon closer inspection, it was the sixth-grade treasure, the Alligator Dragon Pearl, that he had obtained from the light orb of the Dragon Corpse Grass.
The pearl trembled slightly within the pouch, as if something in the depths of the ocean below was drawing it towards itself.
"Could it be that there's a cave belonging to an alligator dragon, or perhaps a related treasure, deep within these waters?" Lu Chen wondered silently.
He committed the surrounding scenery to memory, his expression unchanged, as he followed closely behind Ye Xuanyin toward the cave abode of that Xing Xingshi fellow.
(End of Chapter)
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