Chapter 19 Soybeans! Spirit Grade! ...

Soybeans! Spirit-grade!

Li Chang'an stood there stunned for several seconds before walking up to the spiritual soybean plant.

This soybean plant produced a total of fifty pods, each pod was very plump, about seven centimeters long, and shimmered with a faint iridescent light.

He picked a bean pod and peeled it open.

There were eight soybeans inside, all round and plump. After they left the pod, their multicolored light dimmed considerably, and they were not noticeable unless you looked closely.

Li Chang'an clearly remembers that he planted two rounds of soybeans on this poor spiritual soil, about thirty plants in total. When harvesting the soybeans, he only harvested a portion, leaving the other half on the plants to continue growing until they became soybeans.

Of these thirty-odd plants, only one from the second round produced a high-quality soybean.

When it was still a soybean, this plant hadn't even become a spiritual plant yet. Perhaps it stayed in the inferior spiritual soil for a few more days and absorbed more spiritual energy.

This plant originally had fifty bean pods. Half of the edamame were picked, leaving twenty-five bean pods, which is two hundred soybeans.

Although it was far less than a pound, while five pounds were needed for the sacrifice, Li Chang'an was already very satisfied.

These high-quality soybeans can all be planted as seeds. When they grow up, five pounds will be a piece of cake.

Moreover, the appearance of the spirit-grade soybeans undoubtedly told Li Chang'an another thing: crops grown on inferior spirit soil have a chance of becoming spirit-grade!

Before it's certain whether spirit-grade crops can be repeatedly propagated over many years, at least as long as one crop becomes spirit-grade, he will have spirit-grade seeds. Then, if he plants them on inferior spirit soil, he can guarantee that the crops that grow will all be spirit-grade!

Li Chang'an's hands, holding the spirit-grade soybeans, trembled slightly.

After a long while, he smiled and carefully picked all the soybean pods from the plant, then carefully wrapped them in his coat.

Li Chang'an picked the remaining ten or so soybean plants, intending to sell them to the Qingfeng Sect as well.

*

Soybeans grown on inferior spiritual soil, even if they are not spiritual products, are of excellent quality.

A dozen or so soybean plants yielded a little over a pound of produce. Xie Kuling brought them back to Qingfeng Sect and pondered what kind of vegetables to prepare them.

A few days ago, Li Chang'an sold him four kinds of dishes, and he made steamed buns, spicy braised edamame, millet porridge, and yellow millet porridge.

He sent the menu to Qingfengpai's members' group in advance; the quantity was limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis.

Of course, it's also very expensive.

But the members were all regular customers, and as soon as they heard that it was produced by Xianshan Farm, they snapped up all the spots.

This pound or so of soybeans can be used to make soy milk, tofu, or maybe even sprout some beans—that would be quite nice...

However, as soon as Xie Xuan returned to Qingfeng Sect with the soybeans, before Xie Kuling could even send out the menu, Xie Xuan walked into the kitchen of the dining hall with a speechless expression.

Xie Kuling had his disciple soak the beans, then turned and asked, "Uncle, what's wrong?"

Xie Xuan hesitated for a moment, then put his hands in his pockets and said speechlessly, "That person has come to the main hall again."

He rolled his eyes and said, "After you arrived, you still said the same things."

His ears are practically calloused from hearing it.

Xie Kuling paused, smiled, and instructed his disciples to make some soy milk and stir-fry some cabbage, which would be delivered to the reception room later.

Xie Xuan grew anxious: "Kuling, are you going to serve him Li Chang'an's dishes?"

That person doesn't even deserve it!

Xie Kuling said softly, "Even if he doesn't come to me, I'll still go to them. These dishes are our confidence."

"Let's go, Uncle, let's go meet him."

Xie Xuan frowned, but had no choice but to follow him.

Inside the main hall, the person Xie Xuan mentioned was the manager of the amusement park company.

Six years ago, after Xie Kuling decided to open Qingfengpai to tourism, Ling'an City's Culture and Tourism Bureau took the lead in finding some companies to invest.

The Qingfeng Sect has existed for six thousand years and is associated with the Wuya God. From the beginning, it received investment from several companies.

However, no one in the Qingfeng Sect possesses spiritual roots, and as a cultivation sect, it lacks distinctive cultivation features, resulting in poor business for tourism in recent years.

Therefore, over the past six years, companies have gradually withdrawn their investments, leaving only the amusement company.

The reason why Amusement Park hasn't withdrawn its investment is not because it has high hopes for Qingfeng Sect, but because it wants Xie Kuling to transfer Qingfeng Sect to their Amusement Park company for operation and management.

Over the past six months, the amusement company manager visited Xie Kuling several times, using every possible method of coercion and inducement, but Xie Kuling remained unyielding.

He came today, still for the same reason.

Upon arriving at the main hall, Xie Xuan and his nephew Xie Kuling led the manager to the reception room.

As soon as he sat down, the portly manager said, "Thank you, Master Xie. Business has been good lately."

Xie Kuling held up his teacup and said, "It's acceptable."

Recently, the number of customers visiting Qingfengpai has increased significantly, with most of them coming specifically for the dining hall.

Since Xie Ku Ling has waived the entrance fee, the income from its canteen in the past two weeks alone is equivalent to the entire previous year's income.

The manager chuckled, ignoring the no-smoking signs that were everywhere in Qingfengpai, and lit a cigarette: "I heard they became popular because of the vegetables from some Immortal Mountain Farm?"

"What, is Qingfengpai planning to transform itself, abandoning tourist attractions and switching to the catering industry?"

Xie Kuling had the same idea, but he didn't want to tell him.

He turned his head and pushed open the window of the reception room.

A gentle breeze swept through, dispelling the smell of smoke from the room.

The manager flicked his cigarette ash and continued, "Then the Qingfeng Sect's formations and buildings are just sitting there empty, aren't they? What a waste."

Xie Kuling smiled slightly: "These things have existed for six thousand years. As long as they exist, they are not a waste."

The manager scoffed, "A waste if it doesn't bring in profit. If the Qingfeng Sect doesn't know how to utilize it, how about this: the Qingfeng Sect manages the canteen, and the amusement park develops a tourist attraction. We'll split the profits, how about that?"

Xie Xuan clenched his fist.

If it weren't for the fact that assault is illegal, he would have punched him long ago.

That sounds nice, and they even "mercifully" refrained from taking any money from the canteen's revenue.

But what's the difference between handing over other places to amusement park operators and selling off the Qingfeng Sect?!

The Xie family ancestors guarded the Qingfeng Sect for six thousand years, but they handed it over to him and Xie Kuling. How can they face their ancestors after death?!

Xie Kuling patted Xie Xuan's hand reassuringly from under the table.

He was still smiling when he said, "Sir, the Qingfeng Sect will not be handed over to outsiders to run."

The manager was tired of hearing that phrase.

At this moment, the disciples brought out soy milk and placed it in front of the three of them.

The manager fiddled with the glass of soy milk and said, "Master Xie, I think your Xie family is just too stubborn. You don't understand how to appreciate the value of the Qingfeng Sect's things, which is why you've lived such a poor life for so many years."

"Take that formation for example, wouldn't it be better to charge a fee when the monsters attack?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Xie Xuan's face darkened, looking very unpleasant.

A cold glint appeared in Xie Kuling's eyes. "A monster attack, a matter of life and death, how can you charge a fee?!"

"Look at you, you don't understand. It's precisely in times of crisis that people pay without the slightest hesitation."

After the manager finished speaking, he threw down his cigarette butt and took a sip of soy milk.

The soy milk has a silky smooth and rich texture, with a strong flavor. It has no added sugar but no trace of beany taste.

The manager was taken aback and was about to say something when Xie Kuling suddenly stood up, snatched the soy milk from his hand, and splashed it on his face.

The soy milk was still a bit hot, and the manager immediately let out a scream like a pig being slaughtered.

Xie Kuling stood there, looking down at him, and said coldly, "Get out of Qingfeng Sect."

The manager, wiping the soy milk off his face and ignoring the pain, slammed his hand on the table and stood up: "You bastard, Xie Kuling, how dare you splash me! Don't you want the investment for next quarter?!"

Xie Kuling slammed the cup against the wall behind the manager.

The glass shattered violently, shards flying everywhere, even scraping across the manager's body.

He awkwardly covered his head and tried to avoid it, his greasy belly jiggling three times.

Xie Kuling stood there, glaring at him: "Get out! The Qingfeng Sect doesn't need your investment!"

The manager scoffed and shouted, "Such arrogance! Without investment, let's see how long your Qingfeng Sect can last! Relying on the meager food in your canteen? Bah!"

As Xie Kuling stood up, Xie Xuan had already gone out and summoned two of his most senior disciples.

Just after the manager finished speaking, he walked in with his disciple.

Xie Xuan lunged forward and shoved the rag in his hand into the manager's mouth: "I think you're the most arrogant one! Get out!"

Two disciples quickly stepped forward, grabbed the manager's arms, and dragged him out.

The manager kept humming and muttering, but soon his voice faded away.

The reception room was a complete mess.

Xie Kuling looked down at the shards of glass on the ground, his eyes dark and unreadable.

Xie Xuan looked at him with concern: "Bitter Ridge..."

But all he heard was his nephew muttering, "Without investment, it has persisted for six thousand years, hasn't it?"

Xie Xuan shut his mouth.

Xie Kuling clenched his fist tightly.

He can ensure that the Qingfeng Sect will not disappear in his hands!

...

Inside the Xuanling Immortal Mountain, Li Chang'an planted high-quality soybeans in the five square meters of inferior spiritual soil.

Once the five square meters of soybeans and the one acre of sacred rice have matured, two of the conditions for offering sacrifices to the mountain god will have been met.

After finishing his work for the day, Li Chang'an had dinner in the evening and was summoned by the sword spirit to the large open space by the river.

"Now that you have passed the early stage of Foundation Establishment and entered the middle stage, it is time to start practicing swordsmanship."

Each cultivation level is divided into early, middle, and late stages, with three stages forming one period, and the tenth stage being the completion period.

Now, Li Chang'an has reached the fourth stage of the Foundation Establishment period, officially entering the middle stage.

As soon as the sword spirit finished speaking, the basic manual floated in front of Li Chang'an. The pages turned, and the golden particles formed a small figure, practicing sword moves.

After Li Chang'an finished reading it once, the sword spirit tossed him a wooden sword: "Let's begin."

Li Chang'an took the sword and weighed it lightly in his hand.

The wooden sword looks light and airy, but it actually has some weight to it.

But it's much easier than the Black Sword.

—Li Chang'an had tried to pick up the black sword before, but when he gripped the hilt, he suddenly felt a strong weight and fell to the ground.

As expected of a divine sword, his current cultivation level is not high enough to lift it.

Concentrating his mind, Li Chang'an began practicing swordsmanship following the instructions of the golden figure.

When learning to draw symbols, he was able to draw them perfectly by following the guidance of the golden particles.

However, when practicing swordsmanship, he could not achieve 100% correct posture.

"Lower your hand a little."

After the sword spirit finished speaking, the black sword floated over and gently pressed down on Li Chang'an's arm.

Li Chang'an's forehead was covered in sweat, and he nodded: "Yes."

This was repeated several times.

The moon in the Mysterious Immortal Mountain gradually rose to the center of the night sky.

Li Chang'an swung his sword and then stopped.

He wiped the sweat from his forehead, turned around, and found that the sword spirit was gone.

They appear and disappear without a trace.

Li Chang'an muttered something to himself, then took the wooden sword back to the bamboo house and began meditating and cultivating.

Night deepened, and the sacred mountain was quiet.

Inside the bamboo house, the cultivator's certificate that Li Chang'an had placed on the table suddenly emitted a golden light.

Li Chang'an, with his keen senses, suddenly opened his eyes.

The golden light emanated from the gilded characters for "Cultivator," followed by a human voice:

"A demonic beast has appeared in Guanshan Street, Ling'an City. Foundation Establishment cultivators are summoned to come and help."

A note from the author:

----------------------