Chapter 230: Big Mushroom!

The distance from the Black Mist Zone to the Cold Sky Nail is quite far.

However, for Luo De and Xiao, a day's time is enough to make several round trips.

So they weren't in any particular hurry.

All along the way they proceeded at a normal speed.

It must be said.

No wonder the Layered Rock Abyss can become Liyue's largest mining area.

From the moment they entered the underground mining area, wherever Luo De went, even the already-mined region near the entrance, exposed ore could be seen scattered across the ground.

Among them were high-quality Nightmoor Stone, Liuli Sand, and other precious ores.

It was also precisely on the road to the Cold Sky Nail.

Luo De and Xiao encountered a giant mushroom as tall as a towering tree, and it was a talking giant mushroom.

Praised Orchid.

That is the name of that giant mushroom.

For Luo De, who carried the aura of red sand and rainforest, the Praised Orchid, also hailing from Sumeru, showed great delight; after praising him repeatedly, it asked Luo De to help dispel the abyssal power on him and around him.

Although this matter was unlike before, there was no Primogem reward.

But faced with the request of this 'old fellow townsman', Luo De still chose to help it out, and incidentally collected some special mushroom samples influenced by the Praised Orchid.

While clearing away the abyssal power,

Luo De would occasionally glance at the Praised Orchid.

Even in Sumeru, a giant mushroom like the Praised Orchid that can speak, withstand abyssal power, and remain unrotten for hundreds of years is an extremely special variety.

In Luo De's impression,

Those possessing such abilities seem to be only those who bear the familiars bestowed by the gods.

For example, the fungal beast creatures within Apep's body, and likewise the familiars of the Great Merciful Tree King, Lan Naro.

But like the Praised Orchid, this special giant mushroom,

he really hasn't seen one like that before.

nor has he heard of one.

Regarding Luo De's question,

The Praised Orchid didn't say anything, merely replying that its memory had gone awry and it couldn't recall past events.

She said all that.

Luo De then didn't continue asking further.

After clearing away the abyssal power that had long troubled the Praised Orchid,

it also presented a gift.

The Praised Orchid called it the Blessing of Talent and Wisdom.

It is a bottle of viscous spore slurry; its effect is simple—it can purify abyssal power.

Its effect is very similar to that of Luminite Stone.

This is indeed a good thing.

Although it's not particularly useful for Luo De,

but for Liyue, and for any nation with a need to cleanse abyssal pollution, this is a priceless treasure.

Before departing,

Luo De also helped the Praised Orchid by plugging the hole that kept spewing black mist at its location.

This act also earned high praise from the Praised Orchid.

Later, after Luo De and Xiao had gone far away, they could still hear its incessant voice from behind.

"Could this guy possibly be a familiar of some god?"

Luo De glanced back at the distant, faintly visible mushroom cap, pondering thoughtfully.

The Praised Orchid is a giant mushroom with an extremely strong presence.

This is mainly evident in its enormous cap, resembling a starry sky.

It is very bright.

Especially after the abyssal power's corruption was cleared away, it became even brighter.

Even several kilometers away, its emitted light can still be seen clearly.

Not only that,

While walking along the road, Luo De also took out the bottle of Blessing of Talent and Wisdom that the Praised Orchid had given him to conduct a few small experiments.

This substance is very sticky.

In appearance it especially resembles a lump of jelly.

Upon close observation,

one will discover.

the spores making up this seemingly viscous, dense slurry are actually not adhered to each other, but are scattered individually.

"Interesting."

Out of curiosity, Luo De opened the bottle and poured a bit onto the carving that Hafudan had given him.

Upon contact,

the tiny amount of spore slurry immediately began to boil violently; the black smoke that had been constantly drifting across the carving's surface was instantly suppressed by the slurry, and in the blink of an eye, those black smoke turned into a lump of wet, black mud.

After observing it closely for a moment,

Luo De suddenly realized.

The carving whose Abyssal power had been cleared away by the spore slurry unexpectedly sprouted slender white mushrooms on it.

Amazed, Luo De took a small sample of these mushrooms, then dripped different concentrations of the Blessing of Talent and Wisdom onto the several carvings with the strongest and weakest Abyssal power.

The result was still the same.

After clearing away the Abyssal power, mushrooms grew on the black mud of all the carvings.

Initially they were still dim and lightless.

If we continue to water them with spore slurry, these little mushrooms will emit a soft, moist glow while growing, eventually becoming plants similar to the star mushroom variety unique to the Chasm.

Such peculiarity.

This made Luo De involuntarily think of the Flower God, wondering if Zanshulan had once received the Flower God's favor.

Probably not.

Xiao had a different opinion on this, and then said: "The fluorescence on that mushroom is very similar to the composition of the Lumine Stone in your hand; having such a strange property, perhaps it's related to the crystal you mentioned."

Huh, is that so?

After Xiao's analysis, Luo De also found it quite reasonable.

Referring to the Lumine Stones beneath the Chasm that have undergone changes due to the influence of the Frost Heaven's Nail.

Perhaps Zanshulan also came to the Chasm after that.

Only under the radiation of the Frost Heaven's Nail did such an aberration occur.

We've been at it half a day.

So this Zanshulan is now basically a super-sized living Lumine Stone.

Luo De joked, then shook the spore slurry in his hand: "In that case, if Liyue wants to develop the underground mining area, they definitely need to maintain good relations with Zanshulan."

Compared to the spore slurry provided by Zanshulan.

The drawback of Lumine Stone not being a renewable resource becomes obvious.

The Liyue side has previously conducted research on Lumine Stone.

It was confirmed that the fundamental reason Lumine Stone clears Abyssal power lies not in the ore itself, but in the power brought by the Frost Heaven's Nail that contaminates them.

Once they stray too far from the range of the Frost Heaven's Nail,

the effectiveness of the Lumine Stone will gradually fade, until it eventually reverts to ordinary ore.

As a comparison.

As a living organism, Zanshulan can at any time propagate spore slurry that can likewise purify Abyssal power.

Moreover, after clearing Abyssal power, the spore slurry can grow mushrooms that continue to suppress Abyssal power; if the quantity is sufficient, it can even prevent the formation of breeding grounds for monsters like the black mud mire.

Furthermore, the spore slurry also has the same illuminating effect as the Lumine Stone.

It can be said that it is completely a superior substitute for the Lumine Stone.

Good things should be put to full use.

After studying the spore slurry, Luo De put it away, and together with Xiao continued onward, soon arriving at the location of the Frost Heaven's Nail.

However, it differed from the preset scene.

Upon arriving here,

Luo De saw not Yelan waiting at the entrance, but Dadaliliya leading a group of the Foolish People as they noisily dismantled the mechanism.

(End of chapter)