9ooo3[o]1327 Chapter 247 Qingxuan Establishes Spirit Gathering
"Li Yun, hurry up and get the scallion segments. Let me show you my skills!" The kitchen staff member, Nuan Jia, let out a smug voice. With a sizzle, a fragrant aroma of egg wafted out, followed by a flurry of scrambling sounds as everyone frantically stirred.
After staying at Peach Blossom Abode for three days, Xuan Qingban unusually stopped all his cultivation. He prepared some materials; in the bedroom, one could see many minerals that did not exist on Earth: Star Stone, Blue Flame Stone, Earth Spirit Stone, and Red Copper. Among them, Earth Spirit Stone was used the most, as it was used to construct the base of most of the small spirit-gathering arrays.
The other building materials served the purpose of fusion; though few in number, they were even more precious. All the materials were enough for two Spirit Gathering Arrays, half of the supplies the Grand Elder had accumulated over hundreds of years. The Grand Elder gave one set to Zhang Guodong. Xuan Qinghui received two sets, leaving little. As for Qingzhu, the Tenth Elder didn't give her any materials at all. Of the eight, Qingzhu and Xuan Qinghui were the only two women, and their relationship was the best. It was conceivable that the two women would rarely be separated in the outside world, so the Tenth Elder, Lin Linglong, smiled and said to the Grand Elder, "Senior Brother, I feel more at ease with Qingzhu and Qingji together. The only set of materials for a small Spirit Gathering Array has been given to that little fellow Lin Xian, so I won't give Qingzhu any Spirit Gathering Array materials; I'll provide some crystals instead!"
The Tenth Elder gave Qingzhu five thousand low-grade crystals in one go. Adding these to Qingzhu's own crystals, she had a total of over six thousand six hundred low-grade crystals—a considerable fortune! Compared to Xuan Qingxia, the title of "little rich girl" should definitely go to Qingzhu. In Western mythology, dragons are known for their love of collecting shiny things, only taking and never giving—a fitting description for Qingzhu.
For the past three days, Qingzhu and Li Yun couldn't stay still; they loved excitement. And Xuan Qingbo hadn't said when he would implant a soul into Li Yun. Naturally, Qingzhu, being "eager to learn," and Li Yun, beaming with pride, began to act as her teacher, instructing Qingzhu in cooking.
It has to be said that cooking requires talent. Li Yun, that silly girl, worked really hard to learn cooking skills in order to satisfy Zhang Guodong's appetite. Now her skill level is quite good, even surpassing Zhang Guodong's, and she is good enough to be Qingzhu's chef.
And the first dish was scrambled eggs. *Sigh*
Unexpectedly, Qingzhu learned very diligently. From initially pouring eggs directly into the frying pan and turning them into charcoal, she now knows how to fry eggs with cooking oil, and has even progressed to seasoning eggs with scallions and other condiments. This progress is quite significant.
After all, using electrical appliances and cocoons is new knowledge. Qingzhu has mastered quite a bit now, but to be proficient requires the accumulation of time.
Li Yun, feeling a great sense of accomplishment, was instructing Qingzhu from the sidelines; she had been preparing most of the meals for the past three days. Even Xuan Qingban couldn't stomach what Qingzhu cooked, which was quite a blow to her.
Zhang Guodong is coming over today, so Qingzhu volunteered to make this stir-fried eggs with scallions. Although her skills are still not very good, it's still edible, albeit barely.
The scallions were a little burnt. The omelet was a bit charred, and the eggs were overcooked, but at least they weren't completely burnt. Li Yun was secretly pleased and didn't want to dampen her enthusiasm.
"Sister Qingzhu, you've made great progress today. Don't throw this dish away; use the one you cooked." Li Yun said, offering a forced compliment.
Qingzhu smiled sheepishly and quickly cleared the scrambled eggs with scallions from the wok. Li Yun watched in trepidation. The reason was that Qingzhu had paid a considerable price to learn how to use bowls and plates. In three days, she broke an average of five or six bowls or plates each day. Qingzhu said she used too much force and couldn't control herself.
"Hey, Li Yun, do you think Guo Dong can tell that I made this?" Qingzhu placed a dish she had made herself on the table, suddenly remembering this question, and asked with some concern.
"Is that unlikely? Actually, this dish has improved a lot. I used to be unable to even make a dish like this." Li Yun said, suppressing a laugh.
Qingzhu nodded vigorously, immediately relieved. Then she and Li Yun busied themselves in the kitchen, this time with Li Yun taking over. Qingzhu could only watch helplessly as she prepared the more "complex" dishes; she couldn't do them.
"Li Yun, you must teach me other dishes in the future!" Qingzhu said enviously.
“No problem. Hehe. We’re like brothers!” Li Yun said.
The thought of becoming one of the powerful cultivators selected by the tree filled Li Yun with excitement. However, she also knew that even if she successfully implanted her soul, she would only be a low-level cultivator and would need to constantly cultivate to become stronger.
"Sister Qingzhu, what do you think of my talent? Will I be able to successfully implant my soul?" Li Yun asked while busy with her work.
This was exactly what she was worried about. Many people are simply not cut out for plant cultivation due to a lack of talent, as Qingzhu had said. Through conversation with her, Li Yun gradually learned some basic common sense about plant cultivation, such as the concepts of magical artifacts, crystals, talismans, pills, and medicinal herbs, and the different grades of natal demonic vines. The Martian Grass demonic seed that Zhang Guodong gave her was only a superior-grade demonic seed among ordinary ones, but it was still considered ordinary.
Although she envied Qingzhu and Xuanqingban, who were both top-tier spirit-grade demon vines, possessing five times the cultivation speed and powerful abilities of ordinary demon vines, Li Yun worried about whether she could pass this first hurdle. If she could, then she would be satisfied.
Zhang Guodong encouraged her, saying that even ordinary-grade demon vines could evolve, and with the help of the spirit-gathering array, cultivation could be accelerated by up to thirty times! This gave Li Yun boundless hope.
However, the conditions for the demon vine to evolve are extremely demanding, but having hope is better than having none.
"I saw Zhao, outside the courtyard, the sound of a car horn. Qingzhu rushed out to see. Zhang Guodong was carrying things down when he suddenly cheered."
"Zhang Guodong, have you bought the laptop I wanted?" Qingzhu asked immediately.
"I bought them. You each get one. The internet is also activated. We'll be able to connect soon after the router is installed!" Zhang Guodong said with a slight smile.
The box in his hand contained three brand-new laptops. Zhang Guodong didn't know why Qingzhu was so obsessed with the internet, insisting that he buy her laptops. He figured it would be easier to connect with society online, so he simply bought three at once.
"yeah!"
Qingzhu looked curiously at the packaging box in Zhang Guodong's hand and asked in confusion, "This is a laptop? It's so small?"
Zhang Guodong was both amused and exasperated, ignoring her. He figured it was better to leave the business training to Li Yun; she was better at it, and he couldn't handle the task. He moved the three laptops into the room, intending to immediately begin installing the router on the phone line.
"Hey, time to eat?" As soon as Zhang Guodong entered the three women's room, he saw several hot dishes already on the table. The aroma of the dishes was irresistible, and they were made with ingredients from his own Taoyuan.
"Guodong, dinner's ready!" The beautiful Li Yun came in carrying the last dish, braised pork belly. She immediately noticed Qingzhu unpacking a box and asked curiously, "What's that?"
"I bought three laptops because I was worried you'd be bored, and I also got internet access for them!" Zhang Guodong said.
"Senior Sister, it's time to eat!" Li Yun nodded and called out to another room. Although the two rooms were connected, Zhang Guodong was a man who only came occasionally, so a curtain was hung on the door. Xuan Qingmin was inside at the moment, having basically prepared the materials needed for the small spirit-gathering array, having familiarized herself with the process several times in her mind.
As Zhang Guodong entered, he glanced at the next room, and the scene immediately flashed through his mind: four types of materials for setting up a small spirit-gathering array, these ores piled up all over the floor. These four ores were top-tier rare materials even in the plant cultivation world, incredibly precious. However, he also possessed these four materials!
That's right. He has it all!
However, it wasn't the set of materials given by the Grand Elder, but enough to set up four small spirit-gathering arrays. Some materials even had some left over.
Besides that, what he gained the most was the Space Jade! The only material for building a teleportation array!
Upon returning, Zhang Guodong could see everything in the turbulent void outside the passage. He never expected that he could instantly teleport those things, like spatial jade, from the turbulent void into Peach Blossom Spring! This was something that cultivators could not do.
Fortunately, no one noticed his subtle movements at the time, and in the blink of an eye, everyone was out of the passage. The passage also quickly disappeared; the pressure on the Grand Elder to maintain its existence was immense.
Xuan Qingbo responded and came out from next door. She nodded slightly to Zhang Guodong. Normally, she would lose track of time while cultivating, sometimes spending a whole month in seclusion without eating or drinking. But here, due to the thin spiritual energy, her seclusion time was much shorter.
"Dinner's ready!" Li Yun brought out bowls, chopsticks, and a rice cooker, giving the order in a rather amusing manner.
Zhang Guodong buried himself in his food and, sure enough, noticed a plate of eggs that had been stir-fried with green bamboo, which secretly pleased her.
Zhang Guodong didn't notice Qingzhu's smug expression. Eating with Xuan Qingwei made Zhang Guodong very uncomfortable. This senior sister had a gentle and calm demeanor, but the subtle aura she exuded gave off a great deal of pressure.
Is this the oppressive aura of the strong?
He chuckled to himself and then quickly finished eating.
"I'm full, you guys take your time eating." Zhang Guodong put down his chopsticks, went out into the yard, and naturally lit a cigarette, taking a deep drag.
Smoking is supposedly a way to relieve stress, so eating here is just asking for trouble.
"Senior Sister, where should we set up our small spirit-gathering array?" Qingzhu couldn't help but ask as soon as Zhang Guodong went out.
Li Yun also watched Xuan Qing use the small spirit-gathering array with curiosity, as she now knew a thing or two about it.
Xuan Qing glanced around the room; there was still an open space. He said, "The small spirit-gathering array inside can cover a radius of ten meters. Outside that range, it's not safe!"
"Why isn't it safe?" Li Yun couldn't help but ask. "Is it possible for someone to steal it?"
Qingzhu said, "Of course! The Small Spirit Gathering Array can actually be moved, but it requires a lot of strength. If it's left outside and someone steals it, it'll be a loss. However, no one in these realms should be able to steal the Small Spirit Gathering Array!"
"Why?" Li Yun asked, much like a curious child, greatly satisfying Qingzhu's vanity.
"Don't underestimate the small spirit-gathering array. Once it's built, it's incredibly heavy and sturdy. No one can destroy it without level 50 strength, let alone steal it, hehe!" Qingzhu said.
Actually, Qingzhu was referring to the magical effects of those mysterious runes. Once successfully inscribed on the Spirit Gathering Array, the array would miraculously connect with the earth's energy veins, making it extremely difficult for anyone other than a master to destroy or steal it.
Li Yun nodded as if she had just realized something.
After dinner, Zhang Guodong hurried back. He had overheard the conversation between the three women clearly; Xuan Qinghui was about to begin refining the array base!
So exciting!
The first step on the memory talisman is to use one's natal life demonic fire to smelt enough materials to build an array, a task that consumes a great deal of life demonic power. Even with Xuan Qingji's cultivation level, he can barely manage it. "Sister, I'd like to ask Senior Sister to build a small Spirit Gathering Array for me! I'll provide the materials!" Zhang Guodong made this request to Xuan Qingban.
Xuan Qingban was somewhat surprised, but building a small spirit-gathering array would consume a considerable amount of spirit stones. Moreover, success could not be guaranteed. She was about to refuse, but Qingzhu spoke first: "Zhang Guodong, building a small spirit-gathering array is not simple. Senior Sister will need to spend a lot of spirit stones!"
"I will provide the crystals needed for the two spirit-gathering arrays. In addition, I will also provide the crystals needed for Senior Sister to restore her cultivation after the arrays are completed!" Zhang Guodong said hurriedly.
The three women looked at Zhang Guodong in surprise, and Qingzhu asked suspiciously, "How many crystals did the Grand Elder give you?"
"One hundred yuan!" Zhang Guodong said with a slight smile.
“That’s not right. You just gave Senior Sister and me a hundred yuan, hehe, and you also gave Li Yun a hundred yuan. Building two small spirit-gathering arrays will cost at least six hundred low-grade spirit stones, and restoring Senior Sister’s cultivation will also cost twenty low-grade spirit stones. That’s eight hundred and twenty low-grade spirit stones. Where did you get so many spirit stones?” Qingzhu said, gesturing with her fingers as she calculated.
More than eight hundred crystals. This shouldn't be something someone with Zhang Guodong's low level of skill should possess. This is a considerable fortune!
The hundred yuan given to Xuan Qingban also included a share for Qingzhu; in fact, it was given to her by Xuan Qingxuan. Zhang Guodong broke out in a cold sweat upon hearing this.
"Actually, I did refine some pills, so I sold some and exchanged them for crystals," Zhang Guodong said.
This explanation is somewhat better. Xuan Qingji and Qingzhu suddenly understood. Qingzhu glared at Zhang Guodong, as if to say, "Zhang Guodong, you're not being honest! You actually have so many crystals behind my back!"
"Okay!" Xuan Qingban pondered for a moment, then agreed to let Che Lai. Zhang Guodong was overjoyed and immediately took out 650 low-grade crystals. The sheer number of them was impressive and eye-catching, showcasing his wealth and power.
"Wow, thirty more coins! Hehe!" Qingzhu exclaimed from the side. She wanted to grab them, but they were for building a spirit-gathering array; she could only look, not take.
When everything was ready, Xuan Qingji underwent a complete transformation, releasing his aura. The powerful pressure made Zhang Guodong feel breathless—this was the strength of a level 32 plant cultivator! It was something a level 20+ plant cultivator couldn't compare to. Level 30 was a huge hurdle; breaking through this bottleneck meant a massive leap in strength!
At this moment, Qingzhu also became serious, no longer joking, and released her level 28 strength. Zhang Guodong did not notice that Qingzhu's strength was actually level 28!
With Zhang Guodong and Li Yun protected, the pressure lessened considerably.
The six hundred and fifty low-grade crystals were casually tossed around Xuan Qingji, and the three of them held their breath and waited quietly for Xuan Qingji to adjust his breathing and get into the best state.
Suddenly, Xuan Qinghan opened his eyes. All the earth spirit stones on the ground flew into the air with a whoosh. Out of nowhere, a large ball of green flame shot from Xuan Qinghan's fingertip, enveloping the earth spirit stones and sizzling. At a speed visible to the naked eye, the originally incredibly solid earth spirit stones were actually melting and being refined under the green flame.
"Blue Flame Stone!" Under the tempering of Xuanqingwen's natal life demonic fire, the earth spirit stone was reduced by about half in half an hour. The remaining piece, about the size of a basketball, had completely turned into liquid. At this moment, another pile of material, Blue Flame Stone, flew up and entered the flames.
"Starstone!"
"Red copper".
Zhang Guodong could see that Xuan Qingying was sweating profusely. Her life force was also being severely depleted. Suddenly, a surge of life force erupted from the crystal on the ground and flowed towards Xuan Qingying, where it was absorbed. She then used it to transform into the flames of her life-giving demonic fire!
This refining process took three hours!
The four materials were now completely fused together, and the large mass of the new colored liquid did not diminish in the slightest under the melting flames!
"Memory Talisman!" At this moment, Xuan Qingwen produced a white jade talisman and threw it into the smelting materials. With a bang, the jade talisman exploded, and countless runes transformed into tiny specks of starlight, like countless characters, beginning to merge into the materials.
The way the spirit-gathering array talisman was inscribed is truly astounding!
"Gather Spirit! Array Complete!" Xuan Qingban suddenly withdrew his Life Demon Flame. The materials being smelted, however, seemed to come alive. They danced and shifted in the air, finally forming an array diagram two meters in diameter, shimmering with countless runes. Bursting with intense fluctuations, at that moment, about three hundred low-grade crystals on the ground suddenly exploded into powder. The immense life demon power was completely absorbed by the array diagram. With a flick of Xuan Qingban's life demon power, the array diagram immediately fell to the ground.
To Zhang Guodong's surprise, the mysterious array diagram actually landed directly on the open ground, then disappeared! Zhang Guodong felt a sudden surge of spiritual energy around him, which lasted for a minute, maintaining a level about thirty times that of the outside world before stabilizing.
"The Spirit Gathering Array is complete? It's underground?" Zhang Guodong asked incredulously. Nothing could be seen on that open ground. But once he channeled his life force, he could sense its presence. But how could he move it?
Editor's Note: This chapter is a bit long, 4900 words, but this is the first update. The next update will be later; it's currently being revised. Looking out the cabin window, the Boeing 737's wings gleamed brightly in the sunlight, and in the distance, a vast expanse of white mist stretched out.
This is a flight from Kunming to Beijing. In the business class, the pretty flight attendants pushing various food carts are moving around much more frequently than usual. Their steps are as quiet as cats, without making a sound.
An Xiaowan wore a well-tailored dark green suit, looking elegant and radiant. In a few days, there would be a large investment promotion conference in Beijing, and as the Minister of Publicity, she had been frequently flying between the two cities, keeping her extremely busy.
Gently pulling down the sun visor, An Xiaowan felt a little downcast. She'd had another big argument with her husband on the phone yesterday, naturally over his good-for-nothing cousin, Ye Peigen. Although An Xiaowan knew Ye Peigen had business dealings in Liaodong, she hadn't expected him to be involved in a bribery case. A few days ago, officers from the anti-corruption bureau had contacted her to inquire about the situation, speaking very politely. But An Xiaowan knew things were far more complicated than they seemed. With the leadership transition approaching, many things had become sensitive, especially since she hadn't seen her father in a long time, and her mother always looked worried. She figured her father must be very tired right now.
What about Ye Peigen's matter? Could someone be stirring up trouble to undermine my father's prestige within the party? Or is this all part of a conspiracy?
An Xiaowan couldn't help but turn her head to look at the powerful figure sitting next to her who was resting with his eyes closed. What role did he play in this matter?
I heard that he has been in frequent contact with Beijing recently. A few days ago, when the General Secretary visited, he had a private talk with the General Secretary for more than an hour. What did they talk about?
If only he could talk to her about his feelings. This thought flashed through An Xiaowan's mind, then she shook her head and smiled. Who could he really confide his true thoughts to?
Suddenly, An Xiaowan remembered something her mother had inadvertently let slip a few days ago: "Your father brought this on himself. If only..." Although her mother didn't finish her sentence, An Xiaowan understood her meaning. Her mother had always been resentful about Tang Yi's marriage, especially at this crucial juncture. Her somewhat petty mother was even more prone to fantasizing about what things would have been like back then. And wasn't Tang Yi now likely one of the most powerful figures opposing her father? The difference in their opposing forces was immeasurable.
count.
Although she didn't care much about what peak her father would eventually reach, An Xiaowan felt extremely sorry for him. Thinking that she couldn't share her father's burdens, An Xiaowan sighed softly again.
The young, powerful figure beside her seemed startled, slowly opening his eyes. An Xiaowan quickly composed herself, averting her gaze from him. Unconsciously, their relationship seemed to have gradually grown distant, the tacit understanding of the past gone. In the turbulent vortex of politics, friendship seemed to have become a luxury.
Tang Yi had been pondering his conversations with several people over the past few days, including the General Secretary. It seemed everyone wanted him to have a clear stance. Tang Yi himself knew that there would eventually be a day when he would reveal his hand.
The conversation with the General Secretary seemed to have disappointed him, perhaps because the General Secretary originally didn't consider himself someone who would exclude dissidents. Moreover, while supporting the academic system would give it a more significant advantage in the balance of power within the party, Tang Yi also had every opportunity to gain the academic system's approval. For Tang Yi's personal political future, this would have been more beneficial than detrimental, but Tang Yi clearly disappointed the General Secretary.
Rubbing his temples, Tang Yi felt a little tired. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw An Xiaowan looking preoccupied. Tang Yi sighed inwardly. In this era, no one who gets close to the highest levels of politics can get away with it easily.
"Minister Xiao Wan, don't be stressed. I know about your cousin's case. It's still under investigation. Even if he does have problems, it has nothing to do with you. I know you better than anyone!" He wanted to say a few words of comfort, but somehow they came out of his mouth in an official tone. Tang Yi could only sigh inwardly.
Upon hearing Tang Yi say "your cousin," An Xiaowan looked up sensitively and corrected him warily, "He's my lover's cousin. I'm not familiar with him."
Tang Yi paused for a moment. Then he chuckled, shook his head, and said nothing.
An Xiaowan immediately realized that she seemed to have placed him on the opposite side, but as for their relationship now, it was no longer the tacit understanding and closeness they had a few months ago. Xiaowan really couldn't find any topics to ease the atmosphere between them. After a moment of silence, An Xiaowan sighed softly and said, "The innocent are innocent, I'm not worried about myself."
Tang Yi nodded. He smiled and said, "There are some things you can't change by worrying about them, right?"
An Xiaowan remained silent.
"No time to play games now, huh?" Tang Yi suddenly smiled. Thinking about it, An Xiaowan was quite a cute girl. The director of the provincial government office, playing a life simulation game? Nobody would believe it if you told them. Tang Yi had long forgotten the game's name, but he remembered it was somewhat interesting.
"Ah," An Xiaowan was stunned for a moment, then quickly shook her head, her words becoming stammering, "No, occasionally. Occasionally, just once in a while." As she spoke, two blushes appeared on her face.
Tang Yi gave her a strange look, but didn't ask any further questions.
An Xiaowan was incredibly embarrassed. She stole a glance at Tang Yi, unsure whether he was doing it on purpose or genuinely unaware. An Xiaowan hadn't played that game much in a long time, but a few months ago, when she logged on, she suddenly received a marriage proposal email from Tang Yi's game character. An Xiaowan was stunned; her mind went blank, and she clicked "accept" without thinking. Only later did she learn that the character had always been played by that mischievous little girl. Fortunately, the little girl didn't tease her, but the cute emoji and the word "wife" made An Xiaowan's face burn. Yet, the fact that the character representing Tang Yi called her "wife" left her with an indescribable feeling. She couldn't quite explain what that feeling was.
"I wanted to make Grandpa's 99th birthday celebration more lively, but he wouldn't allow it. Why don't you come and join in the fun?" Tang Yi had come to Beijing to prepare for his grandfather's birthday and happened to be on the same flight as An Xiaowan.
An Xiaowan was slightly taken aback, probably never expecting Tang Yi to invite her. She then said, "Yes, I will definitely go. I've never been able to visit Old Master Tang, and I've always felt bad about it." After thinking for a moment, she hesitated and said, "Then what about my father?"
Tang Yi shook his head helplessly, "It's just a family celebration for Grandpa, let's not turn it into a political meeting. Relax, okay?"
An Xiaowan blushed again, glanced at Tang Yi, and nodded silently.
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