Chapter 297: Spirit Jade Knots Fragrance

The fifteenth of the third month, the full moon hangs in the sky.

In a relatively open area, a campfire is burning.

Brother Jiang lies limp on the ground, his eyes vacant.

Meng Chunqiu is also sitting on the ground, his back against a giant rock, looking up at the mountain moon in the distance. At this moment, the sky darkens, and the moonlight spills onto the rock, making the surface of the boulder look as if it were covered in a thin layer of frost; he cannot help but think of his own dreams of poetry.

Unfortunately, he is now just someone who watches pigs.

"Poof..."

A figure descends from the sky.

The two turn their heads mechanically to look.

"Brother Chen..."

Feeble and listless.

"Brother Chen..."

Dejected.

Meng Chunqiu asks in a low voice: "Are you done video chatting with your girlfriend whom you aren't dating?"

"Yeah!"

Chen Shu nods in agreement and walks toward them: "Why are you two so low on energy? Did something happen between you in the short hour I was gone?"

"Brother Jiang has no strength left..."

"And you?"

"I have lost my dream..."

"Didn't you change your dream to becoming a Ninth Stage and holding up the sky for the Imperial Family?"

"Yeah..."

Meng Chunqiu's expression is numb: "I came here originally wanting to experience danger and feel the thrill of battle, or at the very least to help you out with something, but for these three days, I've stayed in the same spot from morning till night, guarding a group of pigs..."

"Eh~"

Chen Shu makes a sound of disagreement: "That is where you are being inflexible, Brother Meng. The pigs are only stunned by electricity; if you want to find some fun, you could totally wake one up to play with. It doesn't matter if it runs away."

"I can't beat it..."

"Then that can't be helped."

"Sigh..."

Meng Chunqiu sighs long and hard, forces himself to stand up, picks up the shaker cup Jiang Lai used for his supplement, and goes to wash it for him.

Chen Shu stands on the giant rock, gazing into the distance.

Under his Spirit Eye, the Forbidden Land remains pitch-black and deep, yet there is golden light shining within.

Could it be that some rare treasure has appeared in the world?

For the past two nights, Chen Shu has often gone to the edge of the Forbidden Land to search, but flying is no longer allowed at the edge of the Forbidden Land, which lowers search efficiency. Plus, most Spirit Plants have their Spirit Power highly restrained before they mature, just like the Dark Silence state of a Cultivator, making them hard to spot with the Spirit Eye, so his gains haven't been great.

Occasionally, when he finds one or two, they are already occupied by exotic beasts, and Chen Shu doesn't go to fight for them.

This is essentially the same as hunting Sword pigs; making money is incidental, and the main thing is to have fun, enjoying the pleasure of picking mushrooms. If a mushroom has an owner, then he just continues to look for other mushrooms. Even if he doesn't find a single mushroom in the end, it doesn't matter; he is just out mountain climbing anyway.

Sometimes, when he sees those Spirit Plants growing in large patches, like Full Moon See, with several exotic beasts guarding them, preparing to divide them according to their strength, Chen Shu will go join in the fun—after all, those who see it get a share.

Just then, a rustling sound comes from the woods ahead. Chen Shu immediately turns his head to look and activates his Spirit Eye.

It seems to be a person.

But the movement produced doesn't seem human, because the trees in the forest are shaking.

The visitor seems to be very large.

Jiang Lai and Meng Chunqiu have both become vigilant.

Soon, a youthful and beautiful figure walks out of the forest, followed by a giant beast. The person and the beast look up toward their campsite.

"Eh? Senior Brother Chen! Jiang Lai!"

"Junior Sister Yan, what a coincidence!"

Chen Shu relaxes and glances at the giant beast.

At this moment, in his Spirit Eye, the giant beast is pitch-black; it seems it has learned its lesson and mastered Spirit Power Dark Silence.

"Haha, what a coincidence..."

Yan Keling leads the giant beast over. Seeing Jiang Lai on the ground, she can't help but laugh again: "Jiang Lai, have you been online these past two days? Do you know you've become famous on the internet? Everyone is calling you the 'Pig-Carrying Youth' now. If you open a short video account, you can be a streamer in the future. Others stream catching seafood, you stream carrying pigs."

"Ah?"

Jiang Lai scratches his head.

"It's because you carry dozens of pigs out to sell every day. Someone saw it, filmed it, and posted it online. Some say you have a professional team, others say you've mastered a unique technique for hunting Sword pigs. Someone even did a count today and said you carried forty-four Sword pigs out in one day. I knew as soon as I saw it that it must have been Senior Brother Chen who caught them." Yan Keling's smile is sweet, "In a couple of days, when you carry pigs out again, there might even be media coming to interview you."

"..."

Jiang Lai is somewhat dazed.

Chen Shu introduces her: "This is our other roommate, named Meng Chunqiu, the younger brother of the group leader, and he is a man."

"Ah?"

Yan Keling is startled and quickly straightens up: "Greetings, Imperial Grandson."

"No, no!"

Meng Chunqiu also quickly stands up, tidies his clothes, and his mental state instantly recovers, as he cannot lose the grace of the Imperial Family: "In this day and age, those things are long gone. I have actually seen your brilliance in the Martial Body Association and online a long time ago; I admire you, I admire you."

"Not at all, not at all. Imperial Grandson is truly worthy of his Imperial background, truly a man of talent and extraordinary temperament..."

"Student Yan is the role model for our generation..."

"Stop your commercial mutual flattery." Chen Shu interrupts them and asks again, "Junior Sister Yan, what are you doing in Qingshan Ridge this time?"

"Hunting Sword pigs, making money, honing my coordinated combat with my Spirit Beast Master, and going to the edge of the Forbidden Land to find some useful Spirit Plants." Yan Keling says, "I thought about meeting you here before I came, and sure enough, I did."

"How was the harvest?"

"I only arrived today, caught a few Sword pigs, and found some Spirit Plants," Yan Keling said. "It's just that the Spirit Plants I found are all guarded by exotic beasts; if I want to divide them, I have to fight them, and I'm too embarrassed to go and fight."

"What are you looking for?"

"Spirit Jade Knot Fragrance."

"Spirit Jade Knot Fragrance..."

Chen Shu repeated, recalling for a moment: "I think I saw a patch of it when I was catching Sword pigs today, but it hadn't bloomed yet... This thing has to be in full bloom before it can be picked and used, right?"

"Yes, where is it?"

"To the southwest, seven or eight kilometers away, right next to the Forbidden Land."

"Many thanks, Senior Brother!" After thanking him, Yan Keling realized something and hurriedly asked, "Do you and your companions need it, Senior Brother?"

"We don't have any special requirements, but if it can be sold for money, we can take some."

"Spirit Jade Knot Fragrance is very valuable." Yan Keling paused. "However, there are usually many exotic beasts guarding Spirit Jade Knot Fragrance. We can cooperate; we can divide what we get from the exotic beasts. You take the lion's share, and I'll take the smaller portion."

"That can be considered..."

"Spirit Jade Knot Fragrance blooms very quickly. From the moment the buds appear, they will bloom that same night. If we want to go, we must hurry."

"Alright then!"

Chen Shu turned his head to look at the two people beside him: "Are you two going? Do you still have the energy?"

"Going! Yes!"

Jiang Lai climbed back up, fully recovered.

Meng Chunqiu hesitated and said: "Will I hold you back?"

"Let's go, stand a bit further away and watch the excitement," Chen Shu said to him. "Exotic beasts won't hurt people for no reason; just don't show any hostility."

"Okay."

The four of them buried the campfire and left the campsite.

The mountain forest was difficult to traverse, but fortunately, none of them were ordinary people, and they soon arrived at the place where the Spirit Jade Knot Fragrance that Chen Shu had encountered during the day was growing.

Spirit Jade Knot Fragrance is also a type of Spirit Plant that grows in patches and only blooms after ten years, blooming once every five years. The plant is pitch-black and thick like an old stump, and when it blooms, there isn't a single leaf on it. The flowers are like jade carvings, non-toxic, can assist in cultivation, prolong life, and have a wider range of applications than Full Moon See.

It is just that Spirit Jade Knot Fragrance is even rarer than Full Moon See.

When the four people and one beast arrived, this large patch of Spirit Jade Knot Fragrance was accumulating Spirit Power. Under the moonlight, they were as crystalline as jade, and under the Spirit Eye, one could already capture a faint glimmer of Spirit Power.

"Such a large patch," Yan Keling whispered, looking ahead.

"How much money can it sell for?" Chen Shu asked.

"If we take it all, it might be counted in the hundreds of millions. Spirit Jade Knot Fragrance has the effect of prolonging life for Intermediate and Low-level Practitioners. The most precious thousand-year Spirit Jade Knot Fragrance can even allow an Intermediate Cultivator to possess a lifespan comparable to a High-level Practitioner without having to endure the Spirit Decay of a High-level Practitioner, so it is very sought after."

"Are there any thousand-year ones here?"

"No, they are all very ordinary."

"Ordinary ones are this valuable?"

"Yes."

"I'm tempted."

"It's a pity we definitely can't take them all away. Master Linjian said there are Sixth Stage exotic beasts hiding in the dark, and many Fifth Stage ones as well. It's already good enough that we can participate and get a portion."

"How many do you want?"

"At least a dozen, at most a hundred. More is fine too; I can take them to sell for money. I've been a bit short on money lately."

"Oh..."

Chen Shu hid his figure and quietly aimed toward the front.

He couldn't see a single exotic beast.

Clearly, most of the exotic beasts present had mastered methods to hide themselves; before launching an attack, there wouldn't be the slightest leakage of Spirit Power.

"It's about to bloom."

Yan Keling reminded him in a low voice.

Chen Shu also noticed it.

Under the Spirit Eye, the ocean of Spirit Jade Knot Fragrance hidden under the lush tree shade ahead had successively bloomed with Spirit Power radiance, which was becoming increasingly rich. He hurriedly turned around to remind Brother Meng to step back, keep his distance, and not easily aim his weapon at the exotic beasts.

As the first Spirit Jade Knot Fragrance bloomed, emitting a dazzling radiance in the Spirit Eye, it was as if it had triggered a chain reaction, and a large patch of Spirit Jade Knot Fragrance bloomed rapidly.

Chen Shu saw an ocean of light.

The group did not act rashly.

It wasn't until some exotic beasts walked out one after another, no longer hiding themselves but instead displaying their own strength.

There were two Sixth Stage exotic beasts; the difference in strength between them was not large, but they couldn't monopolize so much Spirit Jade Knot Fragrance alone. If there was too much, it would be a waste if they couldn't finish it, and they knew this truth. Therefore, many Fifth Stage exotic beasts walked out one after another behind them, each displaying their strength.

Below the Sixth Stage, the strongest was an exotic tiger. From Yan Keling, he learned that Master Linjian estimated its strength to be between the Fifth and Sixth Stage.

"Are we going too?"

Chen Shu asked Yan Keling and Jiang Lai.

"Okay!"

The three people and one beast walked out.

Instantly, all the exotic beasts turned their heads to look at them.

Just at this moment, Chen Shu caught a glimpse from afar of the exotic tiger narrowing its eyes. Its gaze swept over Jiang Lai, himself, and Yan Keling one by one, finally stopping on the giant beast, and a look of contemplation actually appeared on its face.

"Wait..."

Chen Shu stopped in his tracks instantly and said to Yan Keling: "This exotic tiger, it seems to be the one we encountered last time."

"How did you recognize it, Senior Brother?"

"I guessed."

"Its strength is progressing so quickly?"

"The Strange Tiger is a Sixth Stage strange beast by nature; he hasn't even reached his peak period yet."

"Then what should we do..."

Yan Keling clearly also remembered Senior Brother Chen's promise from two years ago. Although these words were spoken by Senior Brother Chen, she had been standing by his side at the time, effectively sharing Senior Brother Chen's stance, and having enjoyed the Full Moon See brought about by Senior Brother Chen's promise, she had tacitly accepted being represented by him. In the two years since, she had often snuck to the edge of the Forbidden Land to search for Full Moon See and other Spirit Plants, but she had never gone back to that original place again.