Inside the room, Lu Xuan sat cross-legged on his wooden bed, circulating his energy. After a full cycle, he slowly exhaled a breath of stale air. Although he had been diligently practicing for many days, he knew that it couldn't compare to the benefits gained from a Spirit Firefly Grass. Still, Lu Xuan continued to work hard.
Most of his energy was focused on caring for and cultivating spiritual plants and beasts, while practicing techniques and spells came second. It had been over half a month since he moved to the new courtyard, and during this time, he rarely went out, fully dedicated to nurturing spiritual plants.
There had been significant changes in the spiritual field. The Three-Tailed Red-Bearded Carp in the spiritual spring had grown about two inches, and its long red whiskers had extended over half a foot. When it shot out of the water to catch insects, it could stretch to more than five feet in an instant.
The hundred Spirit Firefly Grass plants had grown taller, and tiny glowing spots began to appear on their long, green leaves. By midnight, countless glows sparkled like tiny stars in the sky. The Blood Jade Ginseng had sprouted from the spiritual soil, looking like freshly unearthed jade, clear and sparkling.
Once the spirit ginseng grew, its movement speed increased significantly. If he wasn't careful, they would either get tangled up together or wander into the area of the Spirit Firefly Grass, making Lu Xuan stay alert at all times.
The Red Cloud Pine had quietly produced five small pine cones, which peeked out from among the fine red needles. The Sword Grass had grown to the size of the Silver Splitting Blade and required even more sword energy. Lu Xuan had to release the Gengjin Sword Art for it every hour. Occasionally, he noticed tiny cracks in the spiritual soil nearby, caused by the sword intent leaking from the Sword Grass.
As for the Dark Marrow Fungus, countless dark red mycelium had tightly wrapped around the decaying spiritual wood, leaving almost no gaps.
"The decaying wood has been mostly absorbed by the dark red mycelium. I need to find a few more pieces; otherwise, the growth of the Dark Marrow Fungus will be affected," Lu Xuan muttered to himself.
"Perfect. I can take this opportunity to go out and see if I can find any interesting spiritual beasts or unknown spiritual seeds."
He walked out of the courtyard and squinted his eyes against the bright light.
"Lu Xuan, my friend, you finally came out of your courtyard today! It's quite a rare sight," a voice called from the opposite courtyard.
Lu Xuan looked over to see a middle-aged cultivator lounging on a wooden chair. Upon seeing Lu Xuan, he got up and walked over.
"Hello, Wang Dao." Lu Xuan greeted him.
The middle-aged cultivator was named Wang Shan and lived next door. He had visited Lu Xuan's courtyard once after he moved in. Wang Shan was at the fifth level of Qi training and was a small leader of the patrol in the market town. In his spare time, he liked to relax in the entertainment district.
"Lu Xuan, staying cooped up at home like this isn't good. One day, come out with your Uncle Wang, and I'll show you the world," Wang Shan teased.
Lu Xuan showed a hint of embarrassment and waved his hand to decline.
"Thank you for your kindness, Wang Dao, but with my low level of Qi training, if I went into the entertainment district, wouldn't I just be eaten alive?"
When he first moved in, he controlled his Concealment Technique to show he was at the third level of Qi training. After all, many nearby cultivators were at the mid-level of Qi training, and if he stayed at the second level, it would draw attention.
The third level, while still low, at least looked more normal. As for the entertainment district, he wasn't wrong; the female cultivators there practiced various seductive arts to please their customers, but they could easily drain one's spiritual energy and essence without realizing it.
Moreover, just listening to music was one thing, but if he wanted to engage in deeper interactions, it would cost a significant amount of spirit stones.
"You're no fun. Aren't we cultivating to gain more power for enjoyment?" Wang Shan clicked his tongue, losing interest.
"You have deep cultivation and can handle those enchanting women, which is great for you."
"As for me, I don't enjoy such pleasures; I prefer the company of spiritual plants and beasts. Everyone has their own aspirations!"
"Fair enough, I won't force you. If you change your mind one day, just let me know, and I'll take you to see it. I'll cover the spirit stones."
With that, the two parted ways, and Wang Shan swayed back to his courtyard.
Lu Xuan continued on, passing by another courtyard where a strong smell of alcohol wafted out.
The owner of that courtyard had also met Lu Xuan; he was a fourth-level Qi cultivator who couldn't go a day without alcohol and had even mastered the skill of brewing spiritual wine. After learning about Lu Xuan's identity as a Spiritual Plant Cultivator, he had asked if Lu Xuan grew any plants suitable for brewing spiritual wine, but after Lu Xuan denied it, he dropped the subject.
When Lu Xuan first moved in, he attracted some curiosity and prying eyes from the surrounding cultivators. However, once they saw his low level of cultivation and realized he was just an ordinary Spiritual Plant Cultivator, their interest gradually faded.
The scattered cultivator market was not far from his new courtyard, and in less than a quarter of an hour, Lu Xuan arrived at the market.
Inside the market, people were bustling about, and he could hear various vendors calling out.
"Don't miss out! We have all kinds of top-quality artifacts; if you can think of it, we probably have it!"
"Fresh monster meat, just hunted from the wilderness, still warm! Buy a pound or two, and it's worth half a month of cultivation!"
"High prices for second-hand artifacts, second-hand formations, damaged talismans, and we're also buying various rare treasures and unknown materials!"
Lu Xuan walked slowly through the market, shaking his head repeatedly as he looked at the goods on display.
Most stalls had essential resources for cultivators, such as artifacts, monster materials, spiritual herbs, talismans, and pills. However, things like unknown spiritual seeds, spirit beast eggs, or young beasts were extremely rare. Even when they appeared, they were usually sold as an afterthought and rarely had dedicated stalls.
Suddenly, he stopped in front of a stall.
The vendor was a girl at the second level of Qi training, with an ordinary appearance and healthy oat-colored skin. Upon seeing Lu Xuan looking at her goods, she hurried over.
"Hello, friend! I have various monster bird feathers and specially made monster bird eggs here, filled with rich spiritual energy and delicious flavor. Would you like to try some?"
Lu Xuan shook his head and pointed to a black cage in the corner of the stall.
"What about the young monster birds in there?"
Inside the cage were several colorful young birds, their feathers bright and dense, revealing only a pair of black and white patterned claws.
"Oh, these Colorful Brocade Chickens? I found their nest in the mountains. You can tame and raise them, and when they mature, they might lay spirit eggs. If not, you can eat them; the meat is delicious."
The girl explained to Lu Xuan.
"How long does it take to raise the Colorful Brocade Chickens to maturity?"
"About two and a half years."
(End of Chapter)