Chapter 81: Saving Seeds
Chapter 81: Saving Seeds
As soon as Lu Chen opened the courtyard gate, the Cloud-Stepping Lynx, who had been perched on his shoulder, leapt down and trotted straight to the Spirit Spring Pool, fixating intently on the lone Red-Whiskered Carp within.
Lu Chen scanned the surroundings of his spirit fields, and everything appeared normal. The grass puppets were diligently patrolling and guarding the entire area.
He approached the section where he had been cultivating the mutated spirit plants and extracted the five Copper-Bone Bamboos.
Employing the Earth-Drawing Technique, he subtly altered the structure of the spirit soil, creating a fissure that perfectly matched the roots of the Copper-Bone Bamboo seedlings, leaving no gaps whatsoever.
After planting all five Copper-Bone Bamboo seedlings, Lu Chen concentrated his mental energy on the purple-red bamboo, and instantly, a stream of information about the Copper-Bone Bamboo flowed into his sea of consciousness.
Copper-Bone Bamboo: A second-rate spirit plant. The bamboo cultivated from this is extremely resilient and can be used to forge magical artifacts, especially flying swords. It can also serve as a material for certain special elixirs.
During the cultivation process, adding copper-iron ore will promote the growth of Copper-Bone Bamboo. Spiritual ore is even more effective, and the smaller the ore, the faster it will be absorbed and digested by the bamboo.
For a Copper-Bone body to break through its limitations and grow taller, what is required?
"It needs copper-iron ore, with spiritual ore being preferable." Lu Chen mused. "Although the cultivation conditions are a bit peculiar, they're not overly challenging, and it's certainly less demanding than the third-rate Flood Dragon Vine."
Copper-iron spiritual ore was relatively common in the loose cultivator's market and wasn't exorbitantly priced.
Lu Chen first cast a round of Spirit Rain Technique, causing delicate strands of spiritual rain to fall and merge into the spirit soil near the Copper-Bone Bamboo, where it would be absorbed by the bamboo's roots.
His plan was to let the Copper-Bone Bamboo adjust to the spirit soil environment first, and then he would purchase spiritual ore in a few days to accelerate the cultivation process.
Two days passed in the blink of an eye. After inspecting his spirit fields, Lu Chen heard his neighbor, Wu Wenjing, calling out from outside.
"Fellow cultivator Lu, come over for a small drink!"
Lu Chen shook his head and smiled. He retrieved a piece of dried demonic beast meat from the kitchen and, accompanied by the Cloud-Stepping Lynx, made his way to Wu Wenjing's home.
"Fellow cultivator Wu, is something on your mind?" Lu Chen asked, seeing the elderly man's restless and distracted demeanor after a few cups of warm spirit wine.
"Fellow cultivator Lu, are you aware of the recent developments in the market?" Wu Wenjing inquired.
"I've been tending to my spirit plants at home and haven't ventured out in the past few days," Lu Chen replied, shaking his head to indicate his lack of knowledge.
"Fellow cultivator Lu, you truly shut yourself off from the outside world and dedicate yourself solely to cultivating various spirit plants..." Wu Wenjing sighed.
"There's a rumor going around," Wu Wenjing continued, "that the group of cultivators from the Wang family who opened up the secret realm have reached the core area, but they're having difficulty breaking through the restrictions. As a result, they've invited other families and forces from the market to join them."
"The outer regions of the secret realm have also been opened up to outsiders, and many loose cultivators are eager to venture into this new secret realm in search of opportunities."
"So, fellow cultivator Wu, you're feeling tempted to dive into this chaotic situation?" Lu Chen asked, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
"Indeed, I must admit I'm feeling a bit moved," Wu Wenjing replied with a bitter smile.
"The demonic beasts and evil creatures in the outer regions have mostly been cleared out during the Wang family's exploration, so it's also the time when resources are most abundant. That's why many cultivators want to take a look," he explained.
"As for me, I don't really have any intentions," Lu Chen stated, seeing that Wu Wenjing seemed to be gauging his interest in joining him on this venture.
"Even if there aren't many demonic beasts or evil creatures left in the outer regions, do you have the confidence to secure cultivation resources from the hands of other cultivators?" Lu Chen asked.
"Fellow cultivator, with your far greater experience, you should understand that sometimes, cultivators from the same race can be far more terrifying than demonic beasts or evil creatures," Wu Wenjing said.
"For decades, I thought I had achieved a calm and detached state of mind, no longer yearning for opportunities or treasures. But when faced with such a chance, my heart still can't help but indulge in fantasies."
"With my time running out, I guess I'm still not ready to accept my fate."
Lu Chen remained silent, unsure of how to comfort the older cultivator. He understood Wu Wenjing's predicament; a Qi Refining cultivator's lifespan was limited to over a hundred years, and no one could easily come to terms with their approaching death.
When faced with even the slightest chance to alter their fate, they would cling to it desperately, like a drowning man grasping at a straw, expending all their energy to break free.
Lu Chen couldn't help but feel fortunate that cultivating spirit plants granted him the white light orbs as rewards. Otherwise, he might have found himself in a similar situation as Wu Wenjing, struggling to stay afloat in the bitter sea of cultivation and vulnerable to any turmoil.
"I guess I'll just stay put in the market town," Wu Wenjing said with a bitter laugh, his eyes dimming. "I'm past my prime, no longer as capable as I used to be, and my combat abilities have diminished over the years. If I were to venture into the secret realm, I'd probably be easily dealt with by any peer cultivator."
Lu Chen didn't respond but raised his wine cup in a silent toast.
Wu Wenjing clinked his cup against Lu Chen's and looked at him.
"I really don't know what to make of you sometimes. Despite your young age, you're more level-headed than this old man."
"You managed to maintain your composure and resist the temptation of such a promising opportunity. That's truly admirable."
"Haha, that's what happens when you're free from desires."
"I'm content with being an ordinary spirit herbologist."
Lu Chen skillfully maintained his facade.
After the hearty meal and drinks, Lu Chen returned home and continued tending to his spirit plants, meticulously caring for them by controlling their instantaneous states.
Another five days passed in a flash.
During this time, Lu Chen purchased a pound of ungraded ore from the rogue cultivator market to test its effects when mixed with the Copper-Bone Bamboo.
Out of the remaining nine Blood Jade Ginseng plants, five had matured, yielding three of good quality and two of superior quality.
The five white light orbs that appeared also brought forth their rewards.
Harvested one Blood Jade Ginseng and obtained two second-rate Blood Essence Pills. x3
Harvested one Blood Jade Ginseng and obtained the second-rate secret technique, Blood Flame Arrow. x2
From the five light orbs, Lu Chen obtained three second-rate Blood Essence Pills, which he stored away in his pouch, awaiting the right moment to use the Blood Flame Arrow technique.
After absorbing the two Blood Flame Arrow experience packages, his understanding of the secret technique deepened further.
Reluctant to waste his essence and blood, Lu Chen hadn't attempted to use the technique yet, but he could already sense that its casting speed and power had increased significantly.
As for the remaining four Blood Jade Ginseng plants, he intended to try and cultivate their seeds.
In the cultivation world, when spirit plants matured naturally and were left unharvested, they would either wither and return to the heavens and earth after some time, or they would gather the essence of the spirit plants, condensing into seeds. These seeds would then spread through various means, and when they encountered abundant spiritual energy and suitable conditions, they would germinate and grow into new spirit plants.
The naturally condensed seeds varied in quality and were relatively scarce, so they might not always successfully cultivate new spirit plants.
However, the method of seed condensation that cultivators had summarized over countless years not only increased the number of seeds produced but also ensured their quality, greatly enhancing the chances of successful cultivation.
Lu Chen kept the four Blood Jade Ginseng plants to test the seed condensation technique passed down by the Hundred Grass Hall.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
