Chapter 141 Earth Spirit Orb
Eight dishes and two soups were laid out on the stone table, and the fragrance of the sacred food wafted in the breeze.
Ji An and his two companions sat around a table, with two female cultivators standing beside him waiting.
The two were in the prime of their youth, and even in their grey Taoist robes, their curves still shone through.
They were beautiful, with identical features, and turned out to be twins.
At this moment, both sisters pursed their lips tightly, their small hands gripping the hem of their Taoist robes, plucking out a wrinkled chrysanthemum.
This cooking competition is crucial to their survival, so they can't help but be nervous.
When they arrived, Liang Qiu had told them about the situation here. His master had a very good temperament and did not treat people like servants. He usually had a lot of free time.
If one is selected to stay and cultivate in this second-tier spiritual vein blessed land, the number of pills that can be purchased can be greatly reduced, and there is a high chance of establishing one's foundation.
Given a choice, no cultivator would not be concerned about their own path of cultivation.
Ji An picked up his chopsticks, tasted all the spiritual food, and nodded slightly:
"Not bad. The cooking skills for the spirit fish were a bit lacking, but the other dishes were just as delicious as Fellow Daoist Liang's. You two can stay."
He had been thinking of recruiting a female cultivator a few days ago, but now that he has found two good ones, he might as well take them both.
Once the spirit mulberry is cultivated to the middle grade of the first rank, Crimson Flame Peak will be very busy, and now is the perfect time to build up manpower.
"Thank you, Uncle-Master!"
The two sisters, Xia Yuhan and Xia Yulian, bowed in unison. They exchanged a glance and saw the joy on each other's faces and in their eyes.
Ji An nodded slightly, paused for a moment, and then said:
"Fellow Daoist Liang, do you have a secret recipe for cooking a fish four ways? If so, I'll buy it."
Even with the same ingredients and cooking time, different chefs can produce vastly different flavors, as each chef likely has their own secret recipe.
"I do have the secret recipe, but I have no intention of selling my cooking skills."
Liang Qiu took out a jade slip and presented it, smiling as he said:
"Thank you for your care over the years. This is my experience with spiritual cooking and raising spiritual fish. I would like to offer it to you, fellow Daoist. Please do not refuse."
Before I leave, I will also teach Yuhan and the others the techniques and recipes for cooking spirit fish.
He was able to cultivate in the second-tier spiritual vein and purchase the Foundation Establishment Pill at an early age all thanks to the other party. He knew very well how much the relationship between them meant to him.
More importantly, giving these insights to the other party will not have any adverse effects on them.
The other party has an exceptional talent for planting and is diligent in his daily cultivation. He has neither the need nor the time to study the art of spiritual cooking and raise spiritual fish, so he will not compete with him for his future livelihood.
"It would be impolite to refuse, so I'll accept it without hesitation."
Ji An accepted the jade slip and raised his cup to drink with everyone.
Nourished by the second-tier spiritual vein and with Ji An's tireless care, Fei Ye Sang has already grown taller than a person.
A gentle breeze blows, causing the emerald waves to ripple and the leaves to rustle against each other, creating a beautiful scene reminiscent of the rippling blue waves on a lake.
The mulberry tree has basically reached its maximum height; from now on, it will only grow horizontally, producing more branches.
The green ivy tree is nearly ten feet tall, with lush branches and leaves that form a canopy, casting large patches of shade under the sunlight, with golden dappled light showing through the gaps in the leaves.
On the stone table by the cold pool, there were various seasonal berries, pine nuts, spiritual tea and wine, dried fruit and meat.
Wei Songnian praised loudly:
"In less than two months, my senior brother has managed to cultivate these thousands of acres of spiritual trees to such an extent."
In terms of planting ability, I have never seen anyone who can compare to you.
He wasn't lying; of all the spirit farmers he had encountered, the one before him was the strongest, without exception.
The family has a Spirit Farmer Elder at the fifth level of Foundation Establishment, whose expertise in planting magic is far inferior to that of the other party.
Jiang Wanrong looked surprised and said:
"These mulberry trees were only planted two months ago?"
"Of course, you can ask Senior Brother Ji himself if you don't believe me."
Ji An noticed the inquiring gaze and nodded slightly.
"These mulberry seedlings were indeed planted only two months ago."
Today he invited his neighbors from near Crimson Flame Peak to a banquet, hoping to strengthen their bonds and perhaps help each other out in the future.
He looked around and found it somewhat amusing. Among the cultivators present, he was the most powerful, while the other three were all Foundation Establishment cultivators this year.
Zeng Rui has a dark reddish complexion and a weathered, aged look, but he is actually only in his fifties.
His eyes gleamed with envy as he exclaimed in admiration:
"My senior brother's talent in planting is truly awe-inspiring, I admire him greatly!"
I'm also a spiritual farmer, but compared to my senior brother, alas... I feel utterly ashamed.
His cave dwelling was located west of Crimson Flame Peak, at the very edge of the sect, where the spiritual veins were only of the first-grade middle level.
The reason for choosing this place is that the sect provides special care, allowing us to be allocated an extra ten acres of spiritual land to cultivate for free.
The two sisters, Xia Yuhan and Xia Yulian, carried trays, bringing steaming hot spiritual food:
"This is stewed rabbit with king oyster mushrooms and grilled red-tailed squirrel. Please enjoy."
Ji An picked up his chopsticks and smiled:
"Please don't stand on ceremony, gentlemen, and try some of the monster meat produced here."
"It tastes wonderful!"
"tasty."
Ji An raised his glass again, and for a moment, the atmosphere was harmonious as glasses clinked and toasts were exchanged.
After eating until he was about half full, Wei Songnian put down his chopsticks and said with a smile:
"Senior Brother Ji and Senior Brother Zeng are spirit farmers, while I do some buying low and selling high. I wonder what kind of tasks Junior Sister Jiang usually takes on from the sect?"
True to business sense, I first gather all the useful information from everyone so that I can provide targeted services later.
After drinking a few cups of spirit wine, Jiang Wanrong's cheeks flushed slightly, as if two red clouds were rising.
She coughed lightly and cleared her throat:
"I am a disciple of the Beast Taming Hall. I am skilled in raising spirit silkworms and can also weave robes. If any of my fellow disciples need robes in the future, you can come to me."
Wei Songnian became interested and asked:
"I wonder what level your junior sister's woven robes will reach?"
“A first-grade superior quality robe. If you provide the materials, I can also weave a top-grade robe.”
Jiang Wanrong's tone carried a hint of pride. With her skills in raising spirit silkworms and weaving magic robes, she became one of the first Foundation Establishment cultivators among the disciples who entered the sect.
"sharp."
Wei Songnian praised, "Cultivators with good craftsmanship are valued everywhere. First-grade high-quality magic robes are still very popular. He will have another avenue to pursue in the future."
"I don't deserve your praise, senior brother."
Jiang Wanrong nodded with a smile, then turned and said:
"Senior Brother Ji is skilled in planting. If you cultivate a first-grade superior jade leaf mulberry in the future, you must sell me some mulberry leaves. I need a lot."
Her silkworm swarm was unable to expand due to a lack of high-quality mulberry leaves, and now that she had found a high-level spiritual farmer as a neighbor, she couldn't have asked for more.
"Once we cultivate a first-grade high-quality spirit mulberry, my junior sister and I will sign a long-term supply agreement."
If any of my junior sister's friends need high-grade spirit mulberry leaves, you can also introduce her to me.
Of course, I won't let my junior sister do it for nothing. For every friend she refers who needs high-quality mulberry leaves, I'll give her 100 jin (50 kg) of mulberry leaves as a gift.
Ji An said with a smile that with his level of magic, the mulberry leaves of the more than 400 acres of Emerald Leaf Mulberry trees would grow back in less than a month or two after they were picked.
He learned from other sources that Chiyan Peak is one of the areas with the most Ling Sang plants.
Once he cultivates the spirit mulberry, if the number of spirit silkworms raised by the sect and other disciples does not expand accordingly, they will likely face sluggish sales, and he may have to worry about sales channels in the early stages.
"Okay, it's settled then."
Jiang Wanrong smiled broadly. If she had a continuous supply of high-quality mulberry leaves, she could try to cultivate a higher level of spirit silkworms.
Using high-grade spirit silk produced by one's own spirit silkworms yields greater benefits.
The exchange meeting turned into a business negotiation meeting, and everyone was very satisfied.
Zeng Rui was also very satisfied. His spiritual fields were planted with jade marrow rice and spiritual herbs, which had almost no conflict with the output of Crimson Flame Peak.
As everyone was chatting happily, a silver light flew towards the stone table.
Ji An reached out and caught the flying communication talisman sword. He probed it with his divine sense to read the information, and then continued drinking wine and tea with everyone without changing his smile.
As the sun set and the sky was ablaze with evening glow, the crowd dispersed.
Under the sunlight, the Red Copper Mountain shimmers with iridescent colors, a reflection of the ore.
Ji An landed slowly at the entrance of the cave, made a hand seal to retract the shuttle, and cupped his hands in greeting:
"I thought it would be another month or so before I could get the magic weapon from my senior brother, but I didn't expect it to be so soon."
"The acquisition of materials went very smoothly, so it was completed much ahead of schedule."
As Zhang Yuanshan spoke, he handed over a fist-sized, earth-yellow magic bead.
Ji An reached out and took the item, bringing it close to his eyes for a closer look. He hadn't examined it closely when he received the Earth Spirit Orb last time.
The magic bead resembles a crystal ball, with numerous tiny, rice-grain-sized runes on its surface. Inside, it appears as if yellow sand is churning and flowing, and occasionally, one can see a few lines of magical prohibition runes flashing within.
He channeled his magic power, and a faint earth-elemental aura enveloped him like clouds.
He used the Wind Riding Technique to dart and leap, and then unleashed the Explosive Flame Technique, without any impact on his spellcasting.
Ji An nodded in satisfaction, put the magical artifact into his storage bag, and smiled:
"Senior brother's skills are becoming more and more exquisite. I'm afraid he's not far from being able to forge spiritual weapons on his own, is he?"
Zhang Yuanshan sighed and shook his head:
"It's still a long way off. Refining spiritual artifacts requires a very high level of spiritual sense. I estimate that you'll only be qualified to try it when you reach at least the sixth level of Foundation Establishment."
"If only I could learn a secret method to enhance spiritual consciousness, or acquire a magical artifact made of high-grade soul-nourishing wood to nurture my spiritual consciousness."
The two methods mentioned earlier are both difficult to implement. There are no methods within the sect that can enhance spiritual sense for Foundation Establishment cultivators, and high-grade Soul Nourishing Wood is beyond his reach.
If his spiritual power is strong enough, he estimates that he can try to refine spiritual weapons once he breaks through to the mid-Foundation Establishment stage.
The two entered the cave and took their seats as host and guest, and a maid served them spiritual tea.
Zhang Yuanshan said, "Junior brother, you have been at the Foundation Establishment stage for ten years, and you have never received any missions from the sect?"
"No, I guess the sect thinks I, a spirit farmer, have no combat power, so they've forgotten about me."
Ji An had also wondered why the cultivators he knew had all carried out missions outside the region. Chu He, who broke through to the Foundation Establishment stage the latest, had also been stationed at a stronghold for two years.
"I have received news that the sect is planning a major operation, which will involve mobilizing a large number of cultivators."
Junior brother should also prepare some combat supplies, so that he won't be caught off guard if he's drawn into the force.
"Thank you for the reminder, senior. I will be prepared."
(End of this chapter)
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