Chapter 254 A Sad Story
"Congratulations, Junior Brother, on your great achievement! It's truly enviable that you, who stayed in your cave without moving, could still encounter such a wonderful thing as spirit stones falling from the sky."
Such a situation deserves a hearty drink.
Ye Changqing cupped his hands and smiled, a look of joy on his face.
This is going to be a feast, you can't miss it!
The other party is truly blessed; he gained unexpected wealth by helping Liangqiu, and the same is true in his own cave.
Cultivating immortality also depends on opportunity and luck, and the other party's luck was good enough.
“No problem, I’ll bring out second-grade pine nut wine today, I guarantee it will satisfy you, senior brother.”
Before leaving, my senior brother took some back with him, and also gave two jars to Uncle Zhang to try.
Today marks the official start of my connection with Uncle Zhang, so giving him a small gift isn't out of the ordinary; otherwise, forcibly giving a gift would give the impression of being scheming.
Ji An pursed his lips, licked them a few times, and then said:
"Senior brother, the environment here is too harsh. Let's go outside to talk."
He had already used the fire-avoiding bead, but the magical artifact could not block the continuous onslaught of fire energy.
The Emerald Leaf Fire Lotus has the ability to neutralize fire evil, but its purification range is limited to a few feet around the spiritual plant and cannot accommodate many people breathing spiritual energy here.
If he stayed there for a while, he would feel as if he were breathing flames, and his internal organs were burning.
“The environment here is indeed unfavorable for my junior brother,” Ye Changqing said as he followed behind.
He practices fire-based techniques and feels perfectly at home here.
Although there is some fire element, there are ways to neutralize it within the cultivation method, making this a precious place for cultivation.
Just as they were about to exit the cave, Ye Changqing said again:
“Junior brother, although Uncle Zhang didn’t give any instructions, I must tell you not to make a fuss about what’s going on here.”
The news of the rare plant's birth will undoubtedly attract much scrutiny and conflict, causing unnecessary trouble.
"Don't worry, senior brother, I will definitely keep my mouth shut."
"The digging of the tunnel was done by me and the two beast tamers; we didn't delegate it to anyone else."
If secrets are not kept, they can cause harm. Thinking of this, he felt that the protective measures for the Soul-Nourishing Wood were too poor.
"Senior brother, how much for the simulated magic array that seals the entrances of this size? I want two more sets."
The mimicry array will not block the light; all that is needed is to install a small portal inside the passageway where the Soul-Nourishing Wood is planted.
At that time, he ordered the golden retriever to guard the gate, keeping it closed during the day and open at night, so as not to delay the spirit tree from absorbing the moonlight.
"These small-scale mimicry arrays are relatively inexpensive, costing only four hundred small merits per set."
The magic array requires mid-grade spirit stones to operate and must be kept active at all times, which is a considerable expense in the long run.
Ye Changqing then considered the other party's financial resources and felt that this expenditure was just a drop in the ocean.
He felt that Junior Brother Ji's current financial situation was not much different from that of a veteran late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.
Ji An nodded slightly. If you really think about it, the price isn't cheap, but since the mimicry array also has a defensive function, it's still worth the money.
Back at the cold pool, Ji An gave the instructions:
"Prepare for the banquet. Take out ten jars of second-grade pine nut wine."
The two returned to the living room and sat down. Ye Changqing glanced around and smiled:
"Junior Brother, the furnishings here are still so simple. You are free from external distractions and can focus on your cultivation. That's good!"
A painting depicting the pursuit of immortality and the Dao hangs in the central hall, along with a few tables and chairs; nothing else is there.
"I'm used to it."
Ji An responded that he was currently in a period of improvement in his cultivation, so of course he had the energy to cultivate.
He changed the subject, asking curiously:
"Senior brother, what is Uncle Zhang's green gourd-shaped magical artifact? What grade is it? How fast can it fly?"
The fact that the two of them were able to arrive at Crimson Flame Peak so quickly must be thanks to that magical artifact.
"The gourd is called the Azure Flame Purple Spirit Gourd. It is a second-grade high-quality spiritual artifact. When my uncle rides the spirit gourd, his flight speed is three or four times faster than the sect's spirit boat gourd."
The wind was so strong while I was riding that I needed to use my magical artifacts to protect myself.
"If you think this is just a flying artifact, you are very wrong. It has the same function as your Purple Fire Spirit Gourd. It can nurture flames and release fire attacks."
It has a larger capacity and deals more fire damage.
"The alchemical fire of a cultivator in the Chaoyuan stage is stronger than that of many second-tier mid-grade earth fires."
Three Crimson Flame Soul-Slaying Blades were constantly being tempered within the spiritual artifact; it was a set of high-grade second-tier spiritual artifacts, and these were his martial uncle's offensive spiritual artifacts.
"A gourd with multiple uses, how ingenious! I wonder if the Purple Fire Spirit Gourd can be made into such a spiritual artifact?"
Ji An was stunned. A magical artifact that combined attack, nurturing, and flight was exactly what he needed.
It is filled with the cultivator's alchemical fire, which is equivalent to constantly refining the spiritual weapon, saving a lot of effort.
Ye Changqing grinned, "You're just dreaming. The gourd used to refine spiritual artifacts doesn't even reach the second-tier high-grade level, so it's impossible to stack so many spiritual restrictions on it."
"Hehe," Ji An scratched his head, "Does Martial Uncle have any spirit gourd seeds?"
"No, I heard Uncle Zhang mention this before. It's a spiritual plant he discovered while traveling, and it has two Azure Flame Gourds growing on it."
This spiritual plant can grow to a second-tier top-grade level, and it's perfectly fine to use it as a prototype for a magic weapon.
However, the place where he found the spirit gourd was too far from the sect, and at that time, he didn't know how long it would take for the spirit plant to fully mature. He picked a gourd from the spirit plant vine, then used an array to conceal the spirit plant, hoping to obtain a top-grade material.
“Every ten years, my uncle would return to his old property to take a look. About twenty years ago, when he returned to that secret place, he found that the magic array used for concealment was still there, but the spirit gourd had disappeared.”
What's most infuriating is that a jade slip was hanging where the spirit gourd grew, containing the words, "Thank you for the treasure, fellow Daoist." My uncle was furious at that moment.
"According to my uncle, he judged that the spiritual plant would take another thirty or forty years to mature. It must have been forced to mature by someone using a secret technique, which caused the spiritual vine to wither."
He sighed more than once, lamenting that he had done all the work for someone else.
It's a truly sad story. Ji An was seething with hatred. If Uncle Zhang had obtained the mature gourd, there would surely be seeds in the sect, which would have made things much easier.
"Sigh, when something like this happens, you'd definitely be furious. Is your martial uncle still holding a grudge?"
"Who can argue with that! Fate is unpredictable."
Ye Changqing sighed deeply. Such spiritual seeds are rare and hard to come by. If they could obtain the seeds, the sect would gain another layer of strength.
After a moment of silence, he said seriously:
"Junior brother, let's talk about serious matters."
There's a tricky task ahead, and after much deliberation, I still think it's safest for you to carry it out.
Due to the intense fighting at the front, the consumption of various supplies was enormous, with the most prominent problem being the supply of food.
He explained in detail the current difficulties and the predicament of Fallen Maple Valley, and said with difficulty:
"We must find spiritual farmers to cultivate spiritual rice and related medicinal herbs in large quantities. Time is tight and the task is heavy. I plan to assign you and Junior Brother Kong Yunyi to be mainly in charge of this matter."
You only need to focus on planting; I'll assign others to handle the harvesting and elixir refining.
Cultivators above the Chaoyuan stage can maintain their physical strength by absorbing spiritual energy, but many Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment stage cultivators must replenish their physical and spiritual energy through food.
Ji An nodded slightly and echoed:
"It is my duty, senior brother, please rest assured."
The outbreak of the demonic calamity was a major catastrophe for the cultivation world of the Western Continent. He had to either support the front lines from the rear or go to the front lines himself; he chose the former.
If he were truly on the verge of death and needed to go to Mingfeng Mountain, he would obey the arrangement.
When the nest is overturned, how can any egg remain intact?
"Alright, the sect will requisition all the spiritual fields near Crimson Flame Peak. Junior Brother, try to cultivate as much land as possible."
Only yellow-sprouted rice and a certain proportion of Solomon's seal and ginseng need to be planted. The sect will provide the seeds, and the rewards will be settled after the war ends.
Yellow sprout rice has the shortest maturation time, making it the most suitable for the current situation.
A glint of light flashed in Ye Changqing's eyes, and he said in a deep voice:
"This matter is extremely urgent; we can't let the cultivators on the front lines fight on an empty stomach."
Tomorrow I will complete the requisition of the spirit field, and then I will hand it over to my junior brother.
Junior brother, you must sacrifice some of your cultivation time to ensure there is enough spiritual rice and medicinal herbs for alchemy.
"You can rest assured that I will handle things properly, Senior Brother."
He paused, then frowned and said:
"Senior brother, the fact that Fallen Maple Valley has suffered a severe insect infestation at this critical moment is quite intriguing."
Maple Valley is famous for its alchemy and has many spiritual farmers as its support. It must be on high alert against insect plagues on a daily basis, and will deal with any signs of trouble immediately, so it is impossible for it to cause a serious insect plague.
There must be someone sabotaging this.
Ye Changqing transmitted his voice:
"It is highly likely that demon cultivators were involved. The sect's law enforcement hall has increased its patrol scope to prevent such incidents from happening."
The sect covers a vast area, and the protective array can only defend the area within the spiritual veins.
Ji An nodded slightly, it was good that the sect was prepared.
The following day, at the beginning of Shen time (3-5 PM).
Ji An piloted the flying shuttle, surveying the area around Crimson Flame Peak.
Ye Changqing guided him from the side, saying:
"There are about 10,000 mu of spiritual fields nearby. Junior brother, do your best."
Ji An's expression suddenly stiffened, and he said with a wry smile:
"Senior brother thinks too highly of me. It would be good enough if I could cultivate several thousand acres."
Mana is a big problem. Fortunately, he has now reached the seventh level of Foundation Establishment and all his planting spells have reached the Great Perfection level, otherwise this job would be exhausting.
He frowned slightly and said solemnly:
"From now on, I will go down the mountain to cast spells every day at the hour of Mao (5-7 AM) and ensure that my magical power is at its fullest."
"Let's continue until noon, or until our magical power is completely exhausted. What do you think, Senior Brother?"
Because there are still spiritual fields on Crimson Flame Peak to take care of, doing this is almost equivalent to giving up cultivation.
"Junior brother, you have worked hard. The sect will remember your contributions."
This is the most difficult time, but things will get much better once we get through it.
Once the spirit grains outside have matured, the disciples in charge will allocate the planting ratio of spirit rice and medicinal herbs based on the acreage of spirit fields you are capable of cultivating.
After some time, the situation in Falling Maple Valley will gradually stabilize. The rogue cultivators of Mingfeng Mountain have no way to replenish their supplies, and every death of one means one less to be found, so their food consumption will gradually decrease.
The two returned to Crimson Flame Peak and landed in the icy pool.
Ye Changqing took out a storage bag and handed it out, "Inside are three sets of mimicry magic arrays."
Ji An took the item, examined it, and then took out his own pale gold jade token, saying:
"Senior brother, please deduct the minor merit. I will start the planting spell tomorrow."
“Excellent! I will arrange for my disciples to accompany me to survey the fields.”
The previous chapter has been patched; originally, Zhang Zizhao left without giving a major reward, but now that's been added.
(End of this chapter)
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