Chapter 214 - 181: Maturity, Spiritual Qi

Chapter 214: Chapter 181: Maturity, Spiritual Qi

Thanks to Xiaohai’s tireless efforts, the cultivation of Spirit Beasts like Little Wooden Head, Xiaobai, and the Insect Mother steadily progressed.

Meanwhile, Yan Shaoyuan and Hao Yuegui were stunned to see the grass-green Crystal Stones work. Once their shock subsided, they buried the stones among all the Concentration Flowers they were cultivating.

If not for the bloody aura that constantly lingered around Li Changsheng’s small courtyard, the two of them would have long since come to visit and lavish him with praise.

As for the formula?

They wouldn’t dare to fantasize about it. This was a Spirit Plant Master’s most treasured secret, something incredibly precious.

Half a month passed quickly.

「On this day.」

Unable to hide his excitement, Li Changsheng went to his Spirit Field without even eating.

He looked at the Concentration Flowers in the Spirit Field, each stalk a vibrant green and topped with a large bud.

Li Changsheng’s gaze fixed on one of the stalks.

[Target: Concentration Flower]

[First-Order, High-Grade: 99%]

[Efficacy: Spirit Nourishing.]

[Status: Healthy.]

’It’s finally reached maturity. There’s just one last step.’

The corners of Li Changsheng’s mouth turned up slightly. He waited for the insect swarm to finish clearing the Spirit Field before stepping inside.

He squatted down and placed his hand above the Spiritual Vortex.

The spiritual light between his eyebrows flickered, and streams of jade-green radiance flowed from his palm.

For a fleeting moment, a grid dotted with countless stars appeared in his mind. Below it was a vortex the size of an egg.

Streams of jade-like vital life energy poured into the vortex, where they were dispersed and channeled along the grid into every star.

Time trickled by.

After an unknown amount of time, a tearing sound suddenly reached Li Changsheng’s ears. A few breaths later, more tearing sounds followed one after another.

「Meanwhile, in the outside world.」

Inside the Spirit Field.

The bud atop one Concentration Flower suddenly trembled for a moment, then its petals unfurled one by one.

In just a few breaths, a flower the size of an adult’s palm was in full bloom.

Its petals were entirely silver-gray, while the stamen was a lustrous white, dotted with dozens of dusty-gray particles that shimmered with specks of spiritual light.

As the flower bloomed, the invisible restriction enveloping the Concentration Flower slowly vanished. A faint, pure fragrance spread out, and the Spiritual Qi accumulated within the Spirit Plant instantly surged forth.

As this Concentration Flower bloomed, the others seemed to set off a chain reaction, blooming one after another. In A Cup of Tea’s Time, they had formed a sea of flowers.

A dense wave of Spiritual Qi rippled outward, catching the attention of not only the man in the Profound Robe standing on a withered branch, but also Yan Shaoyuan and Hao Yuegui, who both felt the fluctuation.

The eyes of the man in the Profound Robe lit up when he saw the Concentration Flowers bloom. With a few leaps, he landed in a three-mu Spirit Field on the mountainside.

Hao Yuegui walked over to him and asked quizzically, "What is it?"

The man in the Profound Robe glanced at Yan Shaoyuan nearby and said with a chuckle, "Steward Li’s Concentration Flowers have bloomed."

He made no effort to hide it, so Yan Shaoyuan, who was standing nearby, heard the news as well.

Their eyes lit up, and they were visibly tempted.

When Spirit Plants mature, they release the Spiritual Qi they have accumulated. The Spiritual Qi from one mu of Spirit Plants is comparable to several Second-Order, Low-Grade Spirit Pills. The fragrance of the Concentration Flower was especially beneficial, as it could also replenish the soul.

Li Changsheng was in the Vein Condensation Realm, so this amount of Spiritual Qi and fragrance was of little use to him. For the other two, however, it was a great boon.

The man in the Profound Robe smiled at their expectant gazes, then grabbed them both and leaped into the air.

「The Mountaintop Spirit Field.」

As the Concentration Flowers bloomed, a look of covetous conflict appeared on the stiff face of Big Smarty, who was standing beside Li Changsheng. After a few moments of struggle, its mouth opened wide, and an invisible suction force emanated from it.

The fragrance, which had been spreading outward, was pulled back by this suction and surged into its mouth.

As it devoured the fragrance, Big Smarty’s somewhat illusory body grew slightly more corporeal.

Li Changsheng opened his eyes.

He was greeted by the sight of Big Smarty standing nearby, its mouth hanging foolishly open.

’Huh?’

Li Changsheng froze for a second, but then he noticed something was off.

A moment later.

He looked at Big Smarty, who had returned to normal, its body now somewhat more solid.

Li Changsheng took out the Soul Nourishing Jade to check it, then placed his hand on Big Smarty’s head for another inspection.

He breathed a sigh of relief after confirming that the restriction on it was unchanged.

’Big Smarty is very useful. I’d rather not have to get rid of it.’

He patted its head. Gazing at the expanse of silver-gray flowers before him, Li Changsheng fixed his eyes on a single stalk.

[Target: Concentration Flower]

[Second-Order, Low-Grade: 1%]

[Efficacy: Spirit Nourishing.]

[Status: Healthy.]

’They’ve finally matured...’

An irrepressible joy appeared on Li Changsheng’s face. After admiring his work for a moment, he strode over to the second mu of the Spirit Field.

Big Smarty followed him like a shadow.

Just as he was using his vital life energy to ripen the Concentration Flowers, the man in the Profound Robe arrived at the edge of the Spirit Field, bringing Yan Shaoyuan and Hao Yuegui with him.

They stared at the sea of silver-gray flowers before them, their eyes filled with envy.

The Concentration Flowers in their own Spirit Fields had only produced buds smaller than a fingernail; they were still close to half a year away from maturing.

They were envious, to be sure, but they didn’t find it strange.

They knew that Li Changsheng often used his vital life energy to hasten the growth of these three mu of Concentration Flowers. Combined with the grass-green Crystal Stones he had given them not long ago, it was perfectly normal for the plants to mature so early.

The two then found spots upwind, sat cross-legged on the field’s edge, and began circulating their Cultivation Techniques to absorb the Spiritual Qi wafting from the Concentration Flowers.

A moment later.

The next mu of Concentration Flowers slowly began to bloom.

Along with a rich floral fragrance, the Spiritual Qi that had accumulated within the flowers surged out.

INHALE...

Yan Shaoyuan and Hao Yuegui inhaled deeply. Pure Spiritual Qi flooded their bodies, instantly merging with their own Spiritual Power and causing their cultivation to rise rapidly.

Not to be outdone, Big Smarty, standing in the middle of the Spirit Field, opened its mouth wide to absorb the fragrance.

When Li Changsheng opened his eyes and stood up, he saw the two of them sitting cross-legged on the nearby field path, with the man in the Profound Robe standing guard beside them.

The man in the Profound Robe cupped his fists in greeting, and a somewhat deep voice sounded in Li Changsheng’s ear.

"The two of them are absorbing the Spiritual Qi being released by the Spirit Plants. I hope Steward Li will not blame them."

"It’s fine."

Hearing this, Li Changsheng smiled and nodded.

’It’s only the Spiritual Qi dissipating from the plants. Rather than let it return to the heavens and earth, it’s better to let them absorb it.’

He glanced at Big Smarty devouring the flower’s fragrance, then walked toward the final mu of the Spirit Field.

At the edge of the Spirit Field.

The man in the Profound Robe also sighed in relief. If Li Changsheng had taken offense, he really wouldn’t have known what to do.

’Leaving aside his status, Li Changsheng’s Spiritual Power alone, as vast as a great river, could have easily crushed me.’

’It must be nice to be a Spirit Plant Master...’

The man in the Profound Robe couldn’t help but feel a pang of jealousy.

’I’ve faced death for decades just to claw my way to the Vein Condensation Realm.’

’After decades of cultivation, I’ve only managed to temper two main Spirit Veins, and my Spiritual Power is approaching the peak of the Early-Meridian Condensation stage. Yet in the end, I’m not even a match for someone who just broke through to the Vein Condensation Realm...’

"Sigh..." The man in the Profound Robe sighed, shaking his head to clear it of stray thoughts. He scanned his surroundings.

「A Cup of Tea’s Time passed.」

The Concentration Flowers in the final mu of the Spirit Field bloomed one by one. A wave of fragrance accompanied the torrent of Spiritual Qi that spread out.

Feeling this fluctuation and knowing it was the last wave, Yan Shaoyuan and Hao Yuegui inhaled great gulps of air, pushing their Cultivation Techniques to their absolute limits.

Li Changsheng stood up, glanced at Big Smarty feasting on the fragrance, and after a moment’s thought, walked over to the path at the edge of the field.

"Greetings, Steward Li," the man in the Profound Robe said with cupped fists.

Li Changsheng was in an excellent mood. "No need for such formalities," he said with a smile and a wave of his hand. "Just call me Li Changsheng."

The man in the Profound Robe smiled but didn’t reply.

Glancing at Yan Shaoyuan and Hao Yuegui as they refined the Spiritual Qi, Li Changsheng smiled and asked, "Could you tell me a bit about the sect?"

’The situation in the sect?’

The man in the Profound Robe paused, giving Li Changsheng a deep look. "What is it that Steward Li wishes to know?"

Li Changsheng thought for a moment, then asked out of curiosity, "How many true Spirit Plant Masters are there in the sect? Are there any Grandmaster Spirit Plant Masters? Or any existences even higher?"

The man in the Profound Robe pondered for a moment before shaking his head. "I’m not entirely sure of the exact number of Spirit Plant Masters." He paused, then added, "But it couldn’t be more than a hundred."

"That many?"

"Many?"

The man in the Profound Robe replied, "The sect’s territory is vast, with numerous Spiritual Lands. Spread across them, it’s not actually that many..." He trailed off, his gaze landing on the perfect, flawless Three-leaf Mark between Li Changsheng’s eyebrows. He continued with admiration, "However, among them, you could count the number of people as accomplished as you, Steward Li, on two hands."