Chapter 165: Accelerating the Growth of Spirit Plants

Two days later.

Wu Jiang returned to Wangyue Island, but he did not go to find Qin Ming immediately.

Instead, he held his head high and chest out, striding with an air of recognizing no one, approached his clansmen, wore an expression of arrogant pride, and asked the crowd, "Do you know where I went these past two days?"

Seeing his look as if he had flown up into the sky, Mu Ruyin felt a surge of anger, pinched Wu Jiang hard in the waist, and lightly scolded, "Look how proud you've become; stop beating around the bush and speak quickly—did Fellow Daoist Qin send you to handle some important matter again?"

She then poured him a cup of tea.

The members of the Wu family looked at their young master, whose tail seemed ready to soar into the heavens, and could not help but feel extremely curious.

"Young Master Wu, could it be that Qin Qianbei has issued you a Foundation Establishment Pill?"

"Yes, yes, yes!"

Hearing this, Wu Jiang was severely choked, coughing violently, "Cough, cough, cough!"

Only then did he regain his normal expression, glaring at that person and saying, "A Foundation Establishment Pill? How dare you even think such a thing?"

"Even if Fellow Daoist Qin were willing, our Wu family could only exchange equivalent resources; you all must hurry and work hard at farming."

"Strive to accumulate enough spirit stones to add bricks and tiles to my great undertaking of Foundation Establishment, and strive for the rise of the Wu clan."

"Forget it, let's not talk about that for now."

Wu Jiang changed to a grinning expression and then said to the Wu family crowd, "I went to the core district of Canghai Xiancheng; the scene inside there, tsk tsk tsk..."

"What?!"

"The core district even deeper than the inner city? Is that a place you could enter?"

Wu Jiang immediately took out the Canghai Token and waved it before everyone's eyes, "Hehe! With this, couldn't I enter?"

Mu Ruyin saw clearly the gold-embossed token in his hand, covered her small mouth in surprise, and asked, "It's actually the Canghai Token! Did Fellow Daoist Qin give it to you?"

"Hehehe! This Canghai Token is truly effective! Holding this token, I entered, announced Fellow Daoist Qin's name, and immediately a mid-Foundation Establishment attendant of Canghai Xiancheng came out to personally receive me." Wu Jiang recounted his legendary experiences of the past two days, adding oil and vinegar, and boasted fiercely before his clansmen.

"Therefore, you following me here was extremely wise; as far as I know, even True Person Canghai holds Fellow Daoist Qin in high regard; if our Wu clan holds tight to this big tree, we certainly won't go wrong!"

After listening to Wu Jiang's brainwashing, the members of the Wu family were stirred into a state of boiling blood.

For a mighty mid-Foundation Establishment expert to personally receive a Qi Refining small cultivator, what immense face must that be?

"Young Master Wu, then you must get closer to Qin Qianbei."

"Indeed, indeed; among the Wu family disciples, I have seen since childhood that Young Master Wu has the most promise!"

"Say no more; I will farm land for Qin Qianbei on Wangyue Island for my entire life."

"Planting spirit rice will bring glory to our ancestors!"

Watching the crowd's impassioned reaction, Wu Jiang's face revealed an expression of great satisfaction.

Mu Ruyin beside him could not bear it any longer and urged him, "That's enough; hurry back and report to Fellow Daoist Qin; if you delay matters, you'll suffer for it!"

"Don't worry, don't worry, it won't be delayed; I'm going right now, hehe."

Inside a cave dwelling on the island, Qin Ming's divine sense had already witnessed this entire scene; the corners of his mouth twitched involuntarily, finding it both funny and frustrating: "This Wu Jiang... is truly interesting."

A moment later.

After holding his head high before his clansmen, Wu Jiang came before Qin Ming with a radiant face, handed a small packet into his hand, and said, "Fellow Daoist Qin, I have not failed my mission; I bought back the eggshells of the Flame-tailed Oriole; see if they are suitable?"

Qin Ming took the bag, opened it immediately, and saw several fist-sized white eggshells lying inside, covered with crimson spirit patterns, exactly matching the illustrations in the spirit plant atlas.

"Mm, this is indeed the item; you did well."

"Fellow Daoist Qin, it is only proper; next time there is such a matter, just give the order." Wu Jiang then returned the Canghai Token and the remaining dozens of spirit stones to Qin Ming, his gaze lingering reluctantly on the Canghai Token.

Qin Ming put away the Canghai Token and tossed the remaining dozens of spirit stones back to Wu Jiang, saying, "Consider this your labor fee."

"Thank you, Fellow Daoist Qin; then... I shall not decline your generosity." Wu Jiang came to his senses, happily stored the spirit stones, and left.

After finishing the task, Wu Jiang returned below the island to tend the spirit fields with the others.

'The Wu family's loyalty towards me has truly been maxed out...' Qin Ming watched Wu Jiang depart, shaking his head and thinking silently.

'However, I didn't expect Lü Liang to be so accommodating; next time I go to Canghai Xiancheng, I can find him for a chat.'

With the Flame-tailed Oriole eggshells in hand, Qin Ming immediately went to that Hualing Yao Cao plant, crushed all the eggshells, and spread them evenly over the Xunmu Qingkong Lingrang.

In an instant.

These crushed eggshell fragments reacted immediately upon meeting the Xunmu Qingkong Lingrang; like a small net, they gathered the wood-attribute spiritual qi emitted by the spirit soil within their range, while a faint crimson spiritual essence rose up, continuously nourishing the spirit plant.

Thus, the third-tier spirit plant Hualing Yao Cao took root and grew completely within this small patch of spirit soil, considered thoroughly saved and successfully cultivated.

Emerald-yellow tender shoots grew out again from its roots and stems, unfolding four strange leaves.

This Hualing Yao Cao that Nalan Xi had given him was originally five hundred years old, bearing demon fruit once every ten years.

Qin Ming's 【Ripening】 tag had been exhausted; he planned to plant some low-tier spirit herbs to refresh some more.

As for the 【Space-Time Leaf】 tag, his sea of consciousness still had the final three left; using them to accelerate this already mature-stage Hualing Yao Cao would be using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.

He planned to wait until he had spirit seeds, then use the 【Space-Time Leaf】 tag to catalyze a brand new Hualing Yao Cao plant to keep for his own use.

In the days that followed.

Qin Ming planted some fast-growing low-tier spirit herbs in the medicine garden outside his cave dwelling.

Several months later.

Qin Ming obtained five more 【Ripening】 tags; he could hardly wait to go before that Hualing Yao Cao plant.

After using three 【Ripening】 tags, the new tender shoots of the Hualing Yao Cao grew crazily within Qin Ming's line of sight, visible to the naked eye.

A branch gradually took shape, blooming at its tip with four palm-sized yellow leaves.

Subsequently, dozens of spirit flowers bloomed; their rich, exotic fragrance made the Black Water Crocodile and the Silver-Yin Yi Shuangfeng drool with desire.

The pollen of these third-tier spirit flowers naturally could not be wasted; Qin Ming immediately summoned the bee swarm to pollinate the spirit plant.

A few days later, the aura of each bee in this hive of Four-Winged Frost Bees surged violently; they seemed to have gained great benefit, and while flying back to brew royal jelly, they appeared poised to advance in rank once again.

Seven more days passed; the dozens of spirit flowers withered one after another, and ultimately, only three green spirit fruits shaped like hearts successfully formed.

Unfortunately, no attributes refreshed on the spiritual plant this time.

Otherwise, Qin Ming was quite curious whether the attributes refreshing on a third-tier spiritual plant would be more powerful.

"It seems that upon reaching the stage of third-tier spiritual plants, the fruiting rate of spiritual fruits has become extremely rare."

"Perhaps this also has some relation to the second-tier spiritual vein environment of the Spiritual Island."

Subsequently, Qin Ming used up the remaining two 【Ripen】 attributes.

Half a day later.

The cyan spiritual fruits instantly began to grow and ripen, transforming into three earth-yellow spiritual fruits the size of chicken eggs; astonishing spiritual essence swirled around them, and a burst of colorful aurora appeared over the entire spiritual plant, appearing quite divine and strange.

(End of Chapter)