Chapter 344 Phoenix Wood
At the summit of Ningcui Cliff, True Man Zhengyang controlled the fiery clouds to descend smoothly, and smiled:
"How's the speed?"
A cultivator at the sixth level of the Golden Core stage flew away at full speed on the clouds; the word "fast" doesn't even begin to describe it.
If Xuanhuang Pagoda weren't unskilled in flight techniques, he would have used a magical artifact, which would have been even faster than riding the clouds.
Ji An offered a sincere compliment:
“Ancestor, yours is soaring through the clouds, but mine is climbing the clouds.”
Bodhi Patriarch once said that Wukong was climbing clouds, and he compared himself to climbing clouds, hoping that he could have the talent to be equal to the heavens in the future.
"Haha," Master Zhengyang was very pleased and strode into the cave of the teleportation array.
Ji An hurriedly followed behind him, activated the magic array, and left.
The light and shadow distorted, and a gray spatial passage appeared.
The next moment, the two arrived at Crimson Flame Peak. Ji An walked in front and pointed to a rocky outcrop, saying:
"Ancestor, let's go to the underground cave to check out the top-grade Earth Spirit Fruit Tree first."
His own Earth Spirit Tree, which was cultivated to the second-tier superior grade a few months ago, is currently "molting".
He made a hand seal, opened the mimicry array, and the rocks dissipated like smoke, revealing a narrow opening that could only accommodate two people walking side by side.
"Yes, Zhang Zizhao reported that you also have a Green Leaf Red Lotus here. Is it also inside?"
Master Zhengyang asked, "When I visited Crimson Flame Peak last time, I didn't enter the underground cave. I just flew around in the air and took a quick look."
Second-tier mid-grade spiritual plants are not worth his much attention.
This time, his mood was different. He would carefully inspect each top-grade spiritual plant. It wasn't that he didn't trust his disciple; it was just a habit.
Second-tier high-grade resources can be used to trade with cultivators in the Central Continent.
The Golden Cores of the various sects in the Western Continent were all obtained by exchanging massive amounts of resources.
Ji An shook his head slightly and said:
"The two underground caves, 'Emerald Leaf Red Lotus' and 'Red Cloud Pine Forest,' are not connected."
Senior Brother Li Haoran brought out a spiritual plant from the Canglan Secret Realm and gave it to his disciple, but he couldn't identify what it was. He asked the Ancestor to help him identify it later.
"I can take a look, but I might not recognize it."
Master Zhengyang was wearing a suit of armor. He didn't know much about spiritual plants; he might not even be as knowledgeable as his disciple.
The two stepped into the cave and descended. Master Zhengyang scanned the ground, noticing a thin layer of loose soil, and said:
"No one has walked through this passage for a long time."
"Since breaking through to the Chaoyuan stage and learning the Earth Escape Technique, I have been using magic to travel between the underground caves."
A spirit-seeking rat was kept in the cave, which also used earth-moving techniques to travel to and from the surface.
Ji An led his men to the innermost part of the cave and pointed to the earth spirit tree, which was over four feet tall:
"It's this one."
The earth spirit tree is shedding its bark, revealing a delicate luster like that of Tianhuang jade, with ancient and mysterious patterns on it.
The bare branches sprouted tiny bumps, resembling the branches of trees in the mortal world when winter turns to spring.
The Earth Spirit Fruit Tree initially had no leaves, but it showed signs of growing leaves, which was completely unexpected by Ji An.
The sect has never cultivated a high-grade earth spirit fruit, and there is no record of it in its inherited records.
Master Zhengyang grasped the spirit tree with his hand, feeling the surging life force within it, and nodded with a smile:
"A life force fluctuation at the second-tier high-grade level, very good!"
He looked away, pointed to the black saplings, and his smile softened even more:
"Since there's even a Soul-Nourishing Wood hidden here, we must further improve the quality of the spiritual vein."
The sect's Soul-Nourishing Wood is far from enough; spiritual objects that nourish the soul are needed by all cultivators.
This spiritual tree is the disciple's private property, but the higher the level of the spiritual plant, the more difficult it is to transplant after it has been cultivated to a higher level.
If a spiritual plant is cultivated to the second-tier top-grade level or above, it will have a deep connection with the earth veins. At this point, unless the entire earth vein is moved, it cannot be transplanted at all.
The consequence of forcibly transplanting the sacred tree is that it will most likely wither and die.
Therefore, the sect and future disciples will ultimately benefit from these spiritual plants.
This is also why he upgraded the grade of the Crimson Flame Peak spiritual vein at any cost and without compensation; the benefits are all in the pot, and the rewards are yet to come.
Even a Golden Core cultivator's lifespan cannot outlive these high-grade spiritual plants.
Master Zhengyang probed the living wood with his divine sense and said:
"Currently, it's at the first-tier high-grade level, which means I can collect leaves to make low-quality soul incense."
First-grade superior soul incense can meet the needs of mid-Foundation Establishment cultivators to restore their divine consciousness.
"I plan to cultivate it to the highest grade before harvesting its leaves."
If only leaves are harvested, the spirit tree will use more nutrients to promote the growth of new leaves, while cutting too many branches will slow down the growth of new branches.
Ji An felt that the Soul-Nourishing Wood in the sect was only at the second-tier low-grade level, partly because there were too many cultivators who needed to make offerings to it.
“You are Lingnong, so you must know the answer.”
My hope is that in the future, you can contribute a larger share of the Soul-Nourishing Wood production to the sect.
"I have been doing this all along. Ancestor can find out by checking my exchange records."
Ji An laughed, saying that he now has fewer and fewer resources left. Apart from the resources he uses for his own cultivation, most of them have been converted into minor merits.
If any supplies are needed, please have the sect negotiate with other forces; the main goal is to save time and effort.
"I've heard Jia Yu mention it," Master Zhengyang said earnestly.
"A person's energy is limited, and spiritual practice will take up most of our time."
Even if you reach the Golden Core stage in the future, the sect can still help you collect resources.
With the efforts of all disciples, the sect will become more prosperous and powerful, and in turn, the sect will provide more support to its disciples.
He paused, then said:
"Alright, now that we've finished looking at this, where's the next place?"
Preaching won't win people's hearts; he will give Chiyan Peak more support in the future.
Even if this disciple were to travel away for many years and never return, the second-tier spiritual plants covering the mountain would still be a tremendous treasure.
"Let's fly west and see the Black Leaf Sword Bamboo Forest."
Two fiery clouds passed through the Xuan Yang Wood Forest. True Man Zheng Yang said softly:
"Planting Xuan Yang wood here is a waste."
Xuan Yang Wood is a first-tier spiritual wood, which can occasionally grow to the second tier, somewhat inconsistent with the high-end image of Crimson Flame Peak.
"When I first moved in, there were still purple yang trees growing here. There are three reasons for preserving this forest."
First, this is the sunny side of the mountain, the area most intensely baked by the golden fire spirit energy, making it unsuitable for planting spirit fruits like the Crimson Cloud Pine;
"Secondly, the spirit charcoal produced here supplies a large number of alchemists. According to feedback from the Diligent Work Hall, the supply of high-quality spirit charcoal has improved the quality of the alchemists' pills."
"Third, after I opened the Fire Palace, I chose the combination of Ding Fire Qi and Sun Bing Fire Qi from the Fire-elemental spiritual plants, and I need this forest."
Upon hearing the explanation, Master Zhengyang nodded slightly and said:
"Other disciples who open up their fire palaces often choose the Ding fire energy from the earth's lung fire veins, which requires refining the fire evil."
In this way, the disciples will have another good place to practice their qi and nourish their bodies.
Now that Crimson Flame Peak can simultaneously satisfy the energy needs of cultivators who have opened up both the Fire Palace and the Wood Palace, he felt even happier.
Crossing a clearly defined boundary, the two entered a silvery ocean. The metallic leaves of the copper-patterned mulberry tree reflected the sunlight like mirrors, as if they were speeding across a shimmering sea.
As the fiery clouds descended upon the "golden island," Ji An said:
"There are three top-grade Xuan Ye Jian Zhu plants and one copper-patterned mulberry plant in this area."
Previously, when cultivating earth-elemental and metal-elemental spiritual plants, only the Yellow Dragon Enhancing Yuan Technique was available. After he comprehended the deeper divine meaning of the Azure Dragon Awakening Insect Technique, the spiritual plants could enjoy the bonuses of both spells.
Even so, it still enjoys one less Great Perfection level spell than other spiritual plants.
Therefore, the number of high-level spiritual plants such as Earth Spirit Fruit, Mysterious Leaf Sword Bamboo, and Copper Pattern Mulberry is significantly lower than that of other types of spiritual plants.
Master Zhengyang sighed softly:
"Top-grade sword bamboo leaves! The weapon refiners have something good to use again."
"Very good. Of the sword bamboo planted in the sect's superior-grade spirit field, only two are of superior grade."
A gentle breeze blew as he gazed at the rolling waves of gold and silver, a faint joy welling up in his eyes—this was hope.
As more high-quality bronze-patterned mulberry quilts are cultivated, the population of high-level golden-bearded silkworms raised in the Beast Taming Hall will gradually expand.
Second-tier mid-grade and high-grade spirit silk is a resource in great demand in Falling Maple Valley, which can be exchanged for more high-grade pills.
He examined each of the superior plants, and the two of them once again flew north on the clouds.
Ji An pointed to the ironwood below and said:
"Due to its location and terrain, this area only receives sunlight for half an hour each day."
In winter, the sunlight only lasts for half an hour, so only ironwood can be planted there.
The sect is protected by a magic array, so the temperature can be like spring all year round, but the amount of sunlight depends on the sun's favor.
A mystical light swirled within the Crimson Pine Forest, its allure as enchanting as fire.
"The differences between the spirit trees can be clearly seen from above. There are twelve top-grade spirit pines, and their radiance is even more brilliant."
Ji An explained that they landed in the forest, where high-grade spirit trees were concentrated in mid-grade spirit fields.
After examining it once, Master Zhengyang asked:
Can the Crimson Cloud Pine be cultivated to the second-tier top-grade level?
If a spiritual material reaches the second-tier top-grade level, it can be used as the blank material for a top-grade spiritual weapon, and its value is much higher than that of a high-grade material.
Ji An shook his head slightly and said:
"It shouldn't be possible. I saw in the records that the limit for this kind of spiritual plant is the second-grade upper quality, but there are spiritual pines that have grown for thousands of years that have broken through to the top quality level."
Due to species limitations, no matter how powerful an ant is, it can never grow to the size of an elephant.
Otherwise, a single herb growing in a third-tier spiritual vein could become a spiritual medicine, but that's impossible.
"I was greedy."
Master Zhengyang sighed softly, but a smile quickly spread across his face:
"Let's go see the green leaves and red lotus."
Ji An opened the magic barrier and immediately saw bubbles rising from the magma pool. The aura that rushed towards him was like a warm breeze, and he did not feel any heat at all.
He is now very adapted to this environment. As a cultivator in the Chaoyuan stage, he has opened up the Five Elements Divine Palace and, in a sense, has already transcended the category of "human".
After entering the magma pool, Master Zhengyang glanced around and appeared in front of the nameless treasure plant in the next instant.
He examined it carefully for a moment, then his eyes suddenly narrowed, and his heart began to pound uncontrollably.
"Phoenix wood?!"
He could feel his voice trembling and shaking; even when facing a demon cultivator at the ninth level of the Golden Core stage, his heart had never been beating so fast.
He felt a dryness in his throat. He had heard about this spiritual plant from a Nascent Soul cultivator during his travels in the Central Continent.
The most distinctive feature of the phoenix tree is the pale golden feather-like pattern on its bark; this sacred tree is capable of producing...
"The ancestor knows him?!"
Ji An was overjoyed and hurriedly asked:
"What is the use of this spiritual plant?"
He had been struggling to identify the precious plant for a long time, and only by figuring out what species it was could he calculate its value.
He clearly heard that the ancestor's voice was distorted, so it must be a good thing, a spiritual plant even better than the Soul Nourishing Wood!
Master Zhengyang suppressed his excitement, exhaled, then took a deep breath and slowly spoke:
"This spiritual plant is the Phoenix Tree, a very high-level fire-elemental spiritual plant that can reach the fourth tier of treasure plants!"
The fruit can be used as the main ingredient in several kinds of spiritual medicines. It is said that this spiritual plant may be able to nurture the phoenix rebirth fire, a spiritual fire of heaven and earth, which has the effect of bringing the dead back to life.
A cultivator who refines spiritual fire is essentially given an extra life!
Fourth-tier spiritual plants? Aren't those spiritual items that only Nascent Soul stage cultivators are qualified to enjoy?! And the Heavenly Spiritual Fire too, this is a huge windfall!
Ji An felt a surge of excitement, pondering how much benefit he should give Li Haoran.
Master Zhengyang noticed the drool dripping from his disciple's mouth and chuckled:
"Don't be so happy yet. This kind of spiritual plant won't flower and bear fruit until it's cultivated to the third level!"
"So, I won't get any benefits until it reaches the third tier?"
"Yes."
Master Zhengyang nodded slightly, giving an affirmative answer.
The spiritual plant is excellent and can serve as the foundation for a sect's Nascent Soul, but it's unknown how long it will take to cultivate it to the third rank.
He carefully sensed the density of spiritual energy here and shook his head inwardly.
This spiritual vein node is not yet up to the second-tier superior grade. To cultivate a third-tier spiritual plant, it must be at least a second-tier top-grade spiritual vein.
'This is outrageous!'
Ji An's good mood vanished in an instant. How many years does it take to cultivate a spiritual plant to the third level?
He didn't know the answer to this question, but it would take at least a hundred or two hundred years. In that long, he might have already reached the Golden Core stage.
He scratched his head and grinned:
"I feel that cultivating Soul-Nourishing Wood is still the better option."
There are immediate benefits, and the Soul-Nourishing Wood can accompany him as he grows.
"Don't say that. If you break through to the Golden Core stage, you'll understand the importance of third-tier resources. Resources of this level are scarce even in the Central Continent."
Master Zhengyang looked up and said:
"The crown of the phoenix tree is quite high, so you need to raise the cave a bit more."
Furthermore, this area is now sealed off. No one is allowed to enter without my token, except for you and the other palace lords!
Spiritual plants with an upper limit of four tiers are not necessary for ordinary disciples to know of their existence.
From now on, only core disciples will be allowed to enter this cave.
"Disciple understands."
Ji An nodded; he understood the principle that possessing a treasure is a crime.
The sects are dominant forces in the Western Continent, but they are weak in the Central Continent and cannot compare to some forces in the Southern Continent.
If word gets out and is spread by someone with ulterior motives, it will be difficult to handle if it attracts unwanted attention.
If even a Nascent Soul cultivator were to appear, the sect's small size wouldn't be able to withstand it.
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com