Chapter 71: Lotus Seeds, Yellow Paper, Ten Thousand Laws Spiritual Essence?

Zhao Xing entered the Heavenly Altar Plaza right on the hour of Xu, which was seven in the evening. His comprehension of the Thunder Art was very fast; using up the Thunder Art Spiritual Essence, it wasn't even the fifth quarter of Xu yet, and there was still nearly one and a half hours until Zi.

"Still plenty of time." Zhao Xing glanced at the sundial, intending to continue examining the other two Spiritual Essences, but suddenly, through a gap in the crowd, he spotted several familiar figures.

"It's Zong Shichang. He still came up the mountain in the end."

Zong Shichang and a few others were resting by a pillar. There were three people by his side, their qi and blood full, their vital essence thick — clearly the three experts the Zong family had hired for him.

Letting his gaze sweep on, Zhao Xing spotted, in a corner of the plaza, a woman wearing a veiled hat.

It was precisely Lu Qian, who had earlier failed in her attempt at seduction and ended up getting beaten instead.

"Wearing a veiled hat to cover her face — afraid people will see her panda eyes?"

Lu Qian seemed to sense something; the dark circles under her veiled hat turned to look in a certain direction.

When her gaze swept to the scarecrow, her breathing immediately became heavier.

"It's him! He's here too!" Lu Qian's teeth itched with hatred. Even if that person's scarecrow turned to ash, she'd still recognize it!

"Qianqian, what's wrong?" The woman beside her holding a willow zither asked curiously: "You've been really strange today. First you put on a hat for no reason and absolutely refused to take it off, and when I talk to you, you're miles away."

"I'm fine, Sister Mu. I just feel a bit unwell, don't ask." Lu Qian didn't want to tell anyone what had happened to her — at the very least, she'd wait until the marks were gone. Her eyes were still swollen right now!

"The experts are increasing. When I first arrived, there were only a few above the seventh stage of Qi Gathering."

"Now they're everywhere." Zhao Xing swept a glance around with his 'Five Elements Observation', knowing that tonight's fight for the first incense would likely be a brutal one.

"I wonder how Shen Zhui is doing."

Zhao Xing had arranged with Shen Zhui to meet at the Heavenly Altar Plaza the next day and enter the temple together, but there was still no sign of him now.

Entering the Divine Temple from the Heavenly Altar Plaza still required some distance; fighting at close quarters among so many people as a Si Nong was genuinely dangerous.

If he could team up with Shen Zhui, the odds would be a bit better.

"Forget it. If he doesn't come, I'll handle it my own way." Zhao Xing had already prepared himself to fight alone.

In the end, one's own strength had to be solid.

He pulled his gaze back, and Zhao Xing picked up the second Spiritual Essence.

It was the blue lotus pod he had plucked from the spring water in the mountain cave.

At the time, he had found four blue lotus flowers, but only this one had matured and produced seeds.

"So cold, why is this lotus pod so icy?" Previously, Zhao Xing had always let the scarecrow hold it and hadn't paid much attention. Now, holding it himself, he felt a chill piercing straight to his heart.

"The cold comes from these lotus seeds."

Zhao Xing looked — there were eight seeds on it, each one radiating a crystalline, translucent blue luster.

Examining it with Five Elements Observation, he immediately detected a dense Water-element force, but its structure was strange: it wasn't a single soft mass, but rather a grain-by-grain icy crystalline state.

"Frost force?"

Gently plucking one off, Zhao Xing immediately understood how to use this Spiritual Essence.

"An edible-type Spiritual Essence — could it be similar to the Vermillion Fruit?"

He placed the lotus seed in his mouth, chewed, and swallowed.

Very cold, like biting into ice. Zhao Xing couldn't help but shiver.

A chilling sensation spread through his entire body; Zhao Xing felt as if he was about to freeze solid.

The bone-piercing cold seemed to bring his thoughts to a halt.

"Hiss~"

Zhao Xing couldn't stand the cold any longer and hurriedly circulated his Qi Gathering cultivation method. The vital essence in his Origin Dantian immediately mobilized, like soldiers, besieging and tearing at this cold force.

Soon, his thoughts returned to normal, and Zhao Xing felt a bit warmer.

As the vital essence in his body 'encircled and hunted' and 'slaughtered' the frost force, Zhao Xing's vital essence was also being continuously consumed.

But as long as he successfully devoured a portion of the unique 'frost force', it could be transformed into nourishment and replenished into his Origin Dantian.

Although there was a gap in power levels, as one side diminished, the other grew.

The vital essence in Zhao Xing's body quickly gained the upper hand.

At the same time, with every portion of frost force devoured, Zhao Xing's comprehension of Water-element arts in his mind deepened a little more.

"So that's how it is." Zhao Xing immediately understood the efficacy of this Spiritual Essence, and devoted himself wholeheartedly to the comprehension and devouring.

Two quarters of an hour later, the first lotus seed was completely digested.

【You have consumed the Water-Art Spiritual Essence 'Venerable Han Bing Lotus Seed'. Vital essence +800.】

【Your Water-element affinity has increased. You have gained insight; Ice Rain Spell proficiency +1000!】

【Your beginner spell Rain Calling has broken through to the eighth revolution; intermediate Ice Rain has broken through to the second revolution!】

"Venerable Han Bing Lotus Seed combines 'essence' and 'art' — it both increases vital essence and enhances spell comprehension." Zhao Xing now understood the efficacy of this Spiritual Essence.

The Thunder Stone is purely a Thunder-Art Spiritual Essence; the Venerable Han Bing Lotus Seed is an Essence-Art Spiritual Essence.

"However, consuming this Spiritual Essence is a bit harder than the Thunder Stone, and takes longer." Zhao Xing noted inwardly.

The Thunder Stone is pure comprehension.

The Venerable Han Bing Lotus Seed, however, requires first digesting the 'frost force', and only then can one derive spell comprehension from it.

The former works from the outside in — Zhao Xing enters a state similar to 'sudden enlightenment' through the Spiritual Essence, deepening his understanding of the spell and fundamentally gaining an improvement in Thunder Art.

The Venerable Han Bing Lotus Seed is digested from within, enhancing Zhao Xing's 'Water-element affinity', so no strange phenomena appeared.

Once affinity increased, naturally, his comprehension of the spell deepened as well.

"Although it's not as explosively effective as the Thunder Stone, in the long run, the Venerable Han Bing Lotus Seed's effect is actually greater."

The Thunder Stone's influence targets only the 'art'; the Venerable Han Bing Lotus Seed, however, enhances both the 'art' and the 'body'.

In the future, when Zhao Xing casts Water-element spells, it will inevitably be easier and more powerful.

One gives fish directly; the other teaches one to fish.

"Eat, eat, eat!"

After understanding the difference, Zhao Xing also knew how to quickly digest this Lingxiu.

The first Cold Ice Lotus Seed took two quarter-hours to fully digest.

But the second took less than one quarter-hour.

Yuan Qi rapidly broke down the unique 'Frost Power,' and at the same time, naturally brought additional insights into water-element spells.

The third, the fourth… each took less and less time.

By the time all eight were consumed, the total time was even shorter than that spent on the Lei Ting Stone.

However, the subsequent effects correspondingly weakened somewhat.

"The first Cold Ice Lotus Seed raised spell insights by 1000 points, the second by just over nine hundred, and each one after that dropped by around a hundred."

"A total increase of 5420 points in water-element spell insights! This far exceeded expectations!" Zhao Xing was pleasantly surprised.

The Lei Ting Stone greatly raised his spell realm, and even allowed Zhao Xing to comprehend a new spell.

Meanwhile, the Cold Ice Lotus Seeds raised his affinity with water-element power! In other words, it raised his cultivation speed.

In a short time, it gave him many insights into water-element spells, raising the proficiency of his Ice Rain spell by a full five turns, proving the effect was extremely exaggerated!

From now on, ice-attribute spells within water-element spells would definitely cultivate faster than the rest, several times faster at that!

Of course, limited only to 'ice-attribute spells' within the water element.

The basic spell Rain Calling went from seven turns to max level, but that was merely an incidental increase.

"My talent in ice-element spells now is simply terrifyingly strong." Zhao Xing couldn't help but feel this way.

Looking at the panel, Zhao Xing found that although the affinity boost gradually weakened,

the Yuan Qi increase remained relatively constant; even by the eighth seed, it hadn't weakened much, totaling a 6300-point Yuan Qi increase.

He had now reached 7456 points at the sixth stage of Gathering Yuan; if calculated precisely, it could be called 'late sixth stage of Gathering Yuan.'

The eight Cold Ice Lotus Seeds ultimately allowed Zhao Xing's basic spell Rain Calling to reach max level through this Lingxiu.

The mid-tier spell 【Ice Rain】 reached six turns.

Yuan Qi increased greatly, and there was a hidden, long-term benefit: his ice-element spell cultivation speed had increased several times over.

"No wonder so many people climb Spirit Mountain, especially in the years of the Great Opening Mountain — they practically fight each other bloody for it."

"Without any family background, obtaining one Lingxiu could change one's fate."

Zhao Xing watched the gradually increasing number of people outside, with the occasional glance cast his way.

If it weren't currently the 'Ceasefire' period,

countless people would probably rush over to snatch his Lingxiu.

One person, three Lingxiu — far too enviable!

However, as Zhao Xing used up two portions of Lingxiu,

that heart-stirring feeling also weakened considerably.

Covetous gazes also decreased.

"One last portion remains."

Zhao Xing looked at that thin sheet of yellow paper.

Mysterious secret patterns covered its surface, light flowing across it, looking quite extraordinary.

The yellow paper was very thin and light; the moment it reached his hand, Zhao Xing's eyelid twitched: "This is… a Myriad Law Lingxiu?"

What is a Myriad Law Lingxiu?

Simply take this yellow paper and stick it on your body.

Whatever spell you want to break through, that spell will break through!

And it pulls it directly to the nine-turn level! Of course, the spell itself cannot exceed mid-tier.

"Creation favors the spiritual and elegant; ten thousand laws are bestowed upon the body — this one yellow paper can bring any mid-tier spell to nine turns."

"It is the strongest and rarest among mid-grade Lingxiu."

"For a Spirit Mountain of East Lake Mountain's level, a Myriad Law Lingxiu might not appear once in twenty or thirty years — and I actually encountered one?"

Zhao Xing now really wanted to reward Zhou Gang and Fang Jie with several hundred taels.

Lucky stars! This karmic tie is too great; it would be inexcusable not to give them something.

"Are they near the Heavenly Altar?" Zhao Xing stood up, scanned his surroundings, and actually spotted those two.

"Go."

Zhao Xing split off a straw figure and sent it walking toward Zhou Gang and Fang Jie.

"Brother Zhou, how did you and Brother Fang get injured?" a close friend asked with concern. "The wounds look like blade cuts…"

"Hmph, it was those bastards Qin Feng and his lot." Fang Jie said hatefully. "He held a grudge against my two brothers, followed us secretly, and ambushed us the moment we discovered a Lingxiu."

"What? How could that be? You both apprenticed under Instructor Zhang!" the friend exclaimed in surprise.

"It's absolutely true. If a mysterious expert hadn't happened to pass by and lent a hand, my two brothers would probably have been killed by them…"

"Oh? What expert?" the friend asked curiously.

"It was a Senior Agronomist." Fang Jie was just getting into his story when his peripheral vision caught a straw figure walking over, and he suddenly froze.

"It's me." Zhao Xing's voice drifted over with the wind.

"Senior, what are your orders?" Zhou Gang asked.

"Come over here for a moment."

Fang Jie and Zhou Gang exchanged a glance and walked over bracing themselves.

When they reached the straw figure, Zhao Xing had it part to reveal his true appearance.

"Sen…" Zhou Gang looked at that excessively young face, and the word 'senior' simply wouldn't come out.

The contrast was just too great!

They had assumed that anyone who could wield the Agricultural Mage's spells to such a level would at least be a veteran clerk, but they hadn't expected someone so young!

"My name is Zhao Xing. You two don't need to keep calling me 'senior'—just use my name." Zhao Xing said with a smile.

"Brother Zhao, is there anything you need?" Zhou Gang's attitude became even more respectful; Zhao Xing was so young, which made him feel even more unable to offend him.

"I told you earlier—once I gained something in the cave, I would certainly repay you." Seeing Zhou Gang about to speak, Zhao Xing immediately raised his hand: "Don't mention the life-saving grace. One thing at a time. What I said, I'll do."

"Now, tell me what the two of you want."

Zhou Gang said nothing, but Fang Jie blinked: "If you really want me to say it, then we want money."

Money?

That's actually hard to arrange—who brings that stuff up the mountain?

Zhao Xing thought for a moment and realized he really didn't have anything valuable to give. The things he'd taken from Qin Feng's body were only worth twenty or thirty taels.

The Tianyuan Pear pills and such, he needed to keep for his own use. The Que Ling Dharma Robe? That wasn't appropriate either.

For a moment, Zhao Xing was genuinely at a loss.

You say you'll give it after going down the mountain?

Once you pass the Forget-Worry Stele, who would even remember?

While he was struggling, Zhao Xing caught sight of Zong Zong Shichang out of the corner of his eye.

"Wait here for me. Don't move. I'll go get the money for you."

The two obediently waited where they stood.

"For tonight's race to be first to light the incense, my demands aren't high—I just need someone to make the top ten. As for Yang Junxiong's matter, you needn't worry about it. When the time comes, just escort me down the mountain…" Zong Zong Shichang was discussing something with the people beside him.

Suddenly, he noticed strange looks from those nearby and immediately turned to look as well.

Zhao Xing was carrying the Ten Thousand Laws Spiritual Essence on him—it was hard not to draw attention.

"Zhao Sanjia, have you finished digesting your Spiritual Essence?" Zong Zong Shichang asked.

"How did you know?"

Zong Zong Shichang laughed, "The moment I arrived, I heard people saying someone carried three Spiritual Essences—truly worthy of Zhao Sanjia. Seeing you surround yourself with wind walls and straw figures, I didn't come over to disturb you."

Zhao Xing waved his hand and said, "Let's not talk about that for now. I have something to discuss with you."

Zong Zong Shichang said, "Go ahead."

"Do you have money on you? Silver notes would be best, other valuable jade items would also work."

Zong Zong Shichang nodded and said, "I actually do have silver notes. How much do you need?"

Zhao Xing said, "Two hundred taels."

"Alright." Without a second word, Zong Zong Shichang immediately pulled out the money.

A burly man wearing a saber at his side couldn't stand watching any longer and spoke up to remind him: "Young Master, you're lending money to someone on the mountain, and you can't write up a contract, nor will you remember…"

The Forget-Worry Stele would erase the memories of these past few days, including any means that might leak what happened on the mountain. Written records naturally wouldn't work either.

Another person, meanwhile, looked at Zhao Xing with an appraising gaze, as if asking how he intended to repay these two hundred taels.

Zong Zong Shichang laughed, "I find him pleasing to the eye. Even if it's only for these three days that he looks pleasing to me, it's worth two hundred taels. You needn't try to persuade me further."

Zhao Xing took the silver notes and gave them a flick: "I won't take them for nothing. Before we go down the mountain, I'll definitely pay you back."

Zong Zong Shichang smiled and said no more. Two hundred taels was a trivial sum to him; he had prepared these silver notes for the mountain precisely to spend.

"Anything else? We'll chat again later."

"Go ahead." Zong Zong Shichang waved his hand.

He returned to Zhou Gang and Fang Jie.

Zhao Xing handed over two silver notes of one hundred taels each.

Fang Jie and Zhou Gang were stunned, as if they hadn't expected Zhao Xing could really give them money.

"What are you staring at? Think it's too little?" Zhao Xing frowned slightly.

"No, no, no." Zhou Gang and Fang Jie hurriedly said, "It's already a lot. Thank you, thank you."

A hundred taels was enough to raise their standard of living several notches. Even for cultivation, spending some time to break through to the next level would still be more than enough.

"Good. Remember: don't show your wealth, don't let trouble come from your mouth." Zhao Xing said calmly, "Go."

"Yes, we understand. We'll go down the mountain right now." Zhou Gang and Fang Jie nodded heavily.

Clearly, these silver notes weren't just Zhao Xing's share of the benefits for them—they also carried the meaning of hush money, telling them not to reveal the secret of that cave.

Zhou Gang and Fang Jie were honest men. After the Qin Feng incident, being able to keep their lives and receiving a hundred-tael note each was already something to be immensely grateful for; naturally, they wouldn't think of anything else. They immediately left the altar and went down the mountain.

Having settled the matter with Zhou Gang and Fang Jie, Zhao Xing felt much lighter in his heart. He then took that Ten Thousand Laws Spiritual Essence and pressed it against his chest.

The mid-tier spells Zhao Xing knew included【Wild Growth】, 【Lei Ting Noose】, 【Lei Ting Giant Palm】, 【Lightning Attraction】, 【Ice Rain】, and【Yin Wind】.

Other mid-tier spells required at least five transformations minimum—using the Ten Thousand Laws Spiritual Essence on them clearly wasn't cost-effective.

Only Yin Wind hadn't even reached one transformation; it was merely at the level of having just been grasped.

"The Yin Wind spell is absolutely worth maxing out. It can blow away people's souls, specifically countering those close-combat professions with thick skin and flesh. Against those who affect the mind, it can also counter them back. It's one of the signature skills of the Military Agricultural Mage."

"Furthermore, Yin Wind is extremely difficult to practice. It's only easy to cultivate during the solar terms of Major Cold, Minor Cold, and Qingming, or it requires an exceptional cultivation location."

"Even if there are other mid-tier spells, Yin Wind should be prioritized."

Zhao Xing closed his eyes, focused his mind, and continuously recalled the Yin Wind spell in his mind.

Gradually, a chilling sensation emerged from the 'yellow paper' on his chest, spreading from his chest down to his feet.

Then it extended all the way downward, as if wrapping around Zhao Xing's soul in an endless descent.

"Whooo~"

A wind sound like wailing ghosts and howling wolves appeared in his ears.

It made Zhao Xing feel as if he were deep within the earth's veins, truly sensing the existence and operation of Yin Wind.

At the same time, countless techniques for using Yin Wind flooded into his mind.

The panel's records kept refreshing, and the progress of the Yin Wind spell began to climb rapidly.

Time slowly passed.

Sweat seeped from Zhao Xing's forehead, and his face grew paler and paler.

The moment the yellow paper on his chest completely vanished, Zhao Xing's eyes snapped open, his pupils deep and dark, as if hiding a terrifying storm within.

"Whooo~" At the Heavenly Altar plaza, everyone shivered for no reason, as if a gust of wind had slipped into their necks in the dead of winter.

Zhao Xing wiped the sweat from his forehead, a faint smile curling at the corner of his lips. The Yin Wind spell had reached the Nine Revolutions realm!