67: Cultivating spiritual plants, the steamed bun ascends to the Innate Realm!
Chen Changsheng took the bag of Spirit Crystals, already pondering how to make use of them.
Spirit Crystals were fragments of Spirit Stones, mostly used by Qi Refining Cultivators in the cultivation world. Unfortunately, no one in the Chen Family had advanced to the Qi Refining Realm yet, so using them to increase cultivation was out of the question.
However, they could still be useful in various cultivation arts like Artifact Refining, Alchemy, or Formations. While Chen Changsheng lacked legacies for those, he had obtained the [spiritual plant manual] from the Family's Treasure Trove for cultivating spiritual plants!
It recorded methods for cultivating spiritual plants. With the help of Spirit Crystals, Chen Changsheng could entirely create a small artificial Spiritual Field to grow the spiritual plants he needed.
"This bag contains over two hundred Spirit Crystals. It should be enough to set up a few square meters of Spiritual Field, right?"
Chen Changsheng mused to himself. With spiritual plants, he could brew the highest-grade five elements soup, which would greatly accelerate the martial arts progress of the Chen Family members, allowing them to rapidly reach the Innate Realm!
However, spiritual plants were difficult to cultivate. Even choosing the fastest-growing Five Elements Spiritual Plants would still take three years.
It seemed the Chen Family needed to keep a low profile for three years. Three years later, it would be time for Chen Family experts to emerge one after another like dumplings being dropped into a pot!
"Chuanwen, take Howling Heaven down to treat its wounds first. Mantou, come with me for a moment!"
Chen Changsheng had Chuanwen take Howling Heaven away while he brought Mantou to the backyard.
"Mantou, this Medicinal Pill is a xiantian pill. It can increase a Martial Artist's chance of reaching the Innate Realm by fifty percent! You already had a thirty percent certainty; with another fifty percent, it's practically a sure thing!"
Chen Changsheng handed the jade bottle containing the pill to Mantou. Even someone as cold as Mantou couldn't help but gasp, a hint of emotion showing on his face!
"Thank you, My Lord!"
Mantou cupped his hands in gratitude to Chen Changsheng. Being given such a precious Medicinal Pill was a testament to Chen Changsheng's trust and reliance on him. Mantou was a man who repaid kindness; although he didn't say much, he had already decided in his heart to repay Chen Changsheng's favor even at the cost of his life.
"Go ahead and take it. I will act as your Protector. Our Chen Family will rely on you in the future!"
Chen Changsheng patted Mantou's shoulder, then walked to a nearby stone table and casually brewed a pot of jasmine tea for himself.
Mantou walked under a mulberry tree, sat cross-legged, took a deep breath, and then opened the jade bottle, swallowing the xiantian pill in one gulp.
Soon, Mantou's face turned bright red, and the rushing sound of blood and Qi could be heard from within his body. This was the effect of the xiantian pill, causing his blood and Qi to boil!
Mantou then guided his blood and Qi to condense at his Dantian. Fifteen minutes later, he suddenly opened his eyes.
A gust of wild wind blew around Mantou. He stood up and reached out toward the short blade beside him. A strand of golden blood and Qi directly sucked the short blade into his hand!
"I have not failed your expectations, My Lord. I have broken through the four barriers and entered the Innate Realm!"
Mantou walked up to Chen Changsheng and bowed respectfully!
"Haha, excellent! Our Chen Family has another pillar of support!"
Seeing Mantou's successful Breakthrough to the Innate Realm, Chen Changsheng laughed heartily. He then pulled out the Xiantian Martial Art that Zhao Song had offered him and handed it to Mantou!
"This is the Golden Blade Hero's Full Moon Saber Technique. It is a powerful Xiantian Martial Art. Take it and comprehend it, Mantou, to improve your combat strength!"
Chen Changsheng knew that while Mantou's Martial Skills were supreme in the Blood Refining Realm, they were slightly lacking for the Innate Realm, so he quickly gave him the Xiantian Martial Art to study.
"Yes, My Lord!"
Mantou tucked the martial art into his robes. Having just entered the Innate Realm, he still needed to familiarize himself with it to grasp the unique aspects of the Realm and unleash his full strength.
"By the way, Mantou, since you've broken through to the Innate Realm, escort Chuanwen to Longkou County and look into the situation of the Zhao Family!"
Chen Changsheng had arranged everything, but one concern remained: whether the Zhao Family would focus all their attention on the Black Ice Platform as they hoped.
"Yes!"
Mantou cupped his hands to Chen Changsheng and went to find Chuanwen to discuss the plan.
Chen Changsheng finally had some time, so he planned to study the cultivation of spiritual plants.
He took several herbs from the warehouse that could grow into Spirit Medicines and headed to the back mountain.
By a large bluestone on the back mountain, a grand and comfortable doghouse had been built. Usually, when Howling Heaven had nothing to do, it would either patrol the back mountain or lie in this doghouse.
Currently, Howling Heaven was lying in the doghouse recovering. Its wounds had been treated with hemostatic medicine. Seeing Chen Changsheng approach, Howling Heaven immediately ran over, rubbing its head against his trouser leg and making soft, whimpering sounds to please him.
"Good boy, Howling Heaven. I'm giving you an extra treat today!"
Chen Changsheng placed a braised pork knuckle he had taken from the kitchen into Howling Heaven's bowl. The dog immediately began to feast greedily.
Near the doghouse, Chen Changsheng found a flat patch of black soil. He took out fifty of the two hundred Spirit Crystals and buried the rest under one square meter of soil.
"With the nourishment from these Spirit Crystals, this soil will generate Spiritual Qi, which is enough to sustain these few spiritual plants!"
Chen Changsheng remarked as he looked at the narrow Pseudo-Spiritual Field. After all, the Spiritual Qi in this soil was provided by the spirit crystals; once their energy was exhausted, it would return to being ordinary soil, so it could only be called a Pseudo-Spiritual Field.
Chen Changsheng then planted several types of herbs in the Spiritual Field and watered the patch, standing up with a satisfied look.
"Howling Heaven, you'll be responsible for guarding these herbs from now on. Don't let anyone take them or allow any wild beasts to damage them!"
Chen Changsheng said to Howling Heaven, who was gnawing on a bone. The dog looked up intelligently and gave a howl in response.
With Howling Heaven guarding it, his plan for growing spiritual plants was now fundamentally secure.
Chen Changsheng then left the back mountain and returned to the Courtyard House. Now, he just had to wait for news from Chuanwen. If the Zhao Family's attention was diverted, the Chen Family would have an opportunity to develop.
Time passed, and in the blink of an eye, seven days had gone by!
During these seven days, all of Longkou County was embroiled in an undercurrent. Countless people were asking about an unfamiliar name—the Black Ice Platform!
The name Black Ice Platform spread widely among the upper class of Longkou County. Some said they were roaming bandits, while others claimed they were a secret organization within the county!
The reason it became so famous was that the news of the Zhao Family suffering at the hands of the Black Ice Platform could no longer be suppressed!
With Chuanwen spreading rumors and the Black Dog Gang adding fuel to the fire, the upper-class figures in the county all knew that the Zhao Family's smuggling business had been intercepted by the Black Ice Platform, and the Zhao Family had even lost an Innate Master.
The Zhao Family erupted in thunderous rage. Not only was their subordinate Viper Gang searching everywhere for traces of the Black Ice Platform, but Zhao Zhiyi also issued a bounty in his name: three thousand taels of silver for information on the Black Ice Platform, and ten thousand taels for capturing one of its members alive!
Such a massive bounty immediately caused a stir throughout the city. People didn't know what the martial arts hall was so crazed about, but the name of the Black Ice Platform had become thoroughly renowned!