Chapter 29: Yang Sun Flower Pollen

“He Brother, follow me!”

Wang Dun led He Pingsheng out of the cave where True Man Kumu resided.

After walking for a little over a quarter incense stick’s time, the two arrived again at the place where the fiery Yang Sun Flowers grew.

“Let me explain a little to you.”

Wang Dun looked at He Pingsheng, then pointed to the nearby sea of flowers: “These Yang Sun Flowers are second-grade spiritual plants.”

In the cultivation world, spiritual plants—also called immortal herbs—are ranked.

They are divided into first grade, second grade… up to ninth grade.

Similarly, elixirs are also ranked.

First-grade spiritual plants can only be used to refine first-grade elixirs; second-grade spiritual plants can refine second-grade elixirs.

And so on, by analogy.

These two are second-grade spiritual plants, fire-affinity; they originally grew where earth-fire surfaced, requiring absorption of fire-affinity energy to thrive.

Of course, this is not absolute.

Artificially cultivated Yang Sun Flowers can also grow without earth-fire exposure, as long as an array supplies fire-affinity spiritual power.

The condition is that they require a stable source of fire-affinity energy.

Fire spirit stones can work, but the spiritual power within them is unrefined and impure; though usable to power the array and nourish the Yang Sun Flowers, they easily cause mass death of the plants.

Survival rate is very low.

Besides fire spirit stones, one can nourish them with a cultivator’s own fire-affinity spiritual power.

Fire-affinity spiritual power refined by a cultivator is pure and stable, capable of continuously supplying fire-affinity spiritual energy to these Yang Sun Flowers.

That is why one must seek a cultivator whose primary spiritual root is fire.

“See this stone?” Wang Dun pointed to the stone used to test He Pingsheng’s fire-affinity spiritual power concentration: “This is the energy core of the entire array!”

“Let me tell you again: this stone has four colors—crimson, yellow, gold, and purple!”

“Later, channel all your spiritual power into it!”

“If it glows crimson, your power will last only one day—you must supply it daily!”

“If it glows yellow, you can leave it alone for three days—its power will last three days!”

“If it glows gold, one charge will last seven days!”

“Understood?” Wang Dun’s voice grew louder.

He Pingsheng nodded and repeated: “Understood—crimson for one day, yellow for three, gold for seven.”

“Good!” Wang Dun smiled warmly at He Pingsheng’s quick grasp: “Alright… now ask me anything you don’t understand.”

He Pingsheng asked: “What about purple? How many days does that last?”

Wang Dun’s face darkened instantly: “Don’t even think about purple.”

It wasn’t that Wang Dun refused to answer—he simply hadn’t been told anything about purple when True Man Kumu instructed him.

“Oh…” He Pingsheng nodded.

Wang Dun added: “Your duties aren’t just supplying fire-affinity spiritual power to this array—you must also collect the Yang Sun Flower’s pollen!”

He Pingsheng blinked: “Pollen?”

I’m not a bee…

“Yes, pollen!” Wang Dun affirmed: “Of course, the pollen doesn’t fall off on its own, and you don’t need to collect it daily—every three or five days is enough.”

“He Brother, you don’t know—of all parts of the Yang Sun Flower, the pollen is the most valuable.”

“Once collected, the pollen is ground into powder and mixed with beast blood to make talisman ink.”

“Talisman ink?” He Pingsheng heard another new term: “What’s that?”

He felt he was asking too many questions today.

But if he didn’t ask, he’d regret it.

Wang Dun was friendly enough, answering each of He Pingsheng’s questions in turn.

Talisman ink is a substance used by cultivators who draw talismans.

Yang Sun Flower pollen is one of the main ingredients for crafting second-grade talismans—the Flame Talisman—and it’s extremely expensive.

Of course, the pollen itself is also divided into four grades: inferior, medium, superior, and supreme, easily distinguished by color—matching the stone’s colors: red, yellow, gold, and purple.

“Come… take a look over here!”

Not far opposite the Yang Sun Flower field was a sheer cliff, upon which someone had carved a circular opening.

Wang Dun pointed to the opening: “To prevent fire in the spiritual herb garden, no palaces or buildings are allowed—even True Man Kumu and everyone else live in caves!”

“Don’t worry—this cave is spacious, and inside is a fire-affinity spirit stone that keeps it dry year-round, no dampness!”

“This used to be the dwelling of the previous disciple tending the Yang Sun Flowers—it’s yours now!”

“Follow me!”

He Pingsheng followed Wang Dun into the cave.

Inside, it was indeed large.

There were three connected rooms, each with a stone door.

Quiet and comfortable.

Above the center of the main hall, on the stone wall, hung a date-sized red spirit stone, flickering faintly.

Waves of warmth flowed down from it.

As Wang Dun had said, the cave had no dampness—it was quite pleasant to live in.

“This is the tool for collecting pollen!” Wang Dun pointed to a jade vial on the shelf.

The jade vial looked much like those used for storing elixirs.

“Normally,” Wang Dun said, “you can collect ten vials per month!”

“After collecting the pollen, you must grind it here… into powder!”

“All collected pollen must be handed over to True Man Kumu—no hoarding. If caught, you’ll get a good beating.”

“That’s all!” Wang Dun said. “You’ll have to find your own meals, but if you run short of grain, I have plenty—I’ll give you thirty jin of spirit rice each month.”

“Take care of yourself.”

With that, Wang Dun left.

He Pingsheng didn’t start working immediately—he first familiarized himself with the surroundings.

This place was deep within the valley, far from Wang Dun’s area.

Not too far from True Man Kumu, but a leisurely walk would take half an incense stick’s time.

Quiet enough, undisturbed.

After becoming familiar with the environment, He Pingsheng finally approached the Yang Sun Flower field.

He reached out and pressed his palm against the stone.

Boom…

His internal fire-affinity spiritual energy surged forth like a flood, pouring into the stone.

The stone blazed with light.

It first glowed crimson, then yellow.

When He Pingsheng had poured about eighty percent of his spiritual power into it, the stone finally glowed gold.

Huh…

He Pingsheng took a deep breath and withdrew his power.

That was enough.

It was gold!

Of course, he didn’t know whether he could make the stone glow purple—but even if he could, he had no intention of trying.

Because revealing that would bring him no benefit.