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Chapter 896: Chapter 902: Spirit Seed
As expected.
Shen saw that Li Zhirui didn’t intervene in this matter, so when the little Kylin once damaged the freshly planted Spirit Seed, he used a spell to suspend it in the air, hanging it among the tree branches, and didn’t let the little Kylin down for several days.
By this time, Li Zhirui had already left the Secret Realm and embarked on his journey back to Wanxian Island.
Because he wasn’t in a hurry to return, Li Zhirui didn’t rush on his way but walked between heaven and earth with the attitude of sightseeing and appreciating the scenery.
Perhaps it was due to the difference in cultivation, but his perspective had also improved, and Li Zhirui gained a more profound understanding of the Central Territories.
The reason why the Central Territories are far superior to the other territories is not only due to the rich spiritual energy but also a kind of peculiar energy akin to virtue, permeating every corner of the Central Territories.
"What is this?"
Li Zhirui was endlessly curious, but he couldn’t touch it and could only ’see’ it with his Divine Sense.
If he could decipher and replicate this energy, perhaps Wanxian Island could rival the Central Territories, which would be greatly beneficial to the development of both Li Zhirui and the Li family.
After pondering deeply to no avail, Li Zhirui reluctantly suppressed it in his heart, waiting for a future increase in cultivation before possibly probing into its mysteries.
Along the way, Li Zhirui stopped and went as if he truly were a worldly scholar, admiring the beautiful scenery everywhere.
During this process, he continuously pondered over the Jade Slip given by Dao Tong and the cultivation insights exchanged from the Ten Thousand Swords Sect, absorbing the essence beneficial to himself.
Although he wasn’t in the Spirit Realm, where the concentration of the Purification Principle was rich and his cultivation speed far slower than before, Li Zhirui’s realm was improving slowly and steadily.
...
One day, Li Zhirui arrived at the gates of a colossal Immortal City.
The city gates were towering and thick, the city itself majestic and spectacular. The Great Way outside the city was filled with people – mortals and cultivators alike – mixed together, creating an extraordinarily lively scene indicative of an imminent major event.
Struck by curiosity, Li Zhirui concealed his aura to appear as a minor Qi Cultivating little cultivator and joined the end of the queue.
"Dare I ask the elder, what is the occasion here? There are so many mortals and cultivators gathered," Li Zhirui asked the old man in front with a face full of curiosity.
"You must be from out of town, aren’t you?"
The old man wasn’t concerned about Li Zhirui’s identity and spoke respectfully yet without servility, in a full and strong voice, "Tomorrow is the annual Spirit Testing convention of the Tao-seeking Immortal City. We mortals either bring the younger generation for Spirit Testing, or come to enjoy the excitement."
It could only be the Central Territories for mortals to muster up and participate in Spirit Testing on their own. Where else would dare to do this? Those mortals would probably be eaten or kidnapped by Devil Beasts and Demon Cultivators halfway there.
"As for those cultivators, they take this opportunity to exchange what they have and don’t have. As for the specifics, I’m not too clear myself."
"I see! Thank you for informing me," Li Zhirui’s heart instantly understood. After expressing his gratitude, he quietly stayed at the end of the line, moving forward with the crowd.
Despite the long line, the entry speed was fast. In just a moment, Li Zhirui entered the city.
From the outside, he felt the city was immense, but after entering, Li Zhirui realized that he might have underestimated its size.
After casually wandering around, Li Zhirui found the gathering place for cultivators — behind an enormous square that could accommodate hundreds of thousands of people.
Passing through the marketplace, Li Zhirui saw several cultivators inspecting a Formation; it was likely set up for mortals to test their Spiritual Roots.
Entering the cultivators’ Territories, he found it just as bustling and lively with voices haggling and peddling all around.
Only a Formation stood as a barrier, rendering the ongoings invisible and inaudible to mortals.
"Fellow Daoist, I have several second-order Spirit Seeds here, all of excellent quality. Once matured, they will definitely sell for a high price. A large quantity comes with a discount. Just ten Spirit Stones can take away a hundred Spirit Seeds!"
The stall owner closest to Li Zhirui, seeing him looking around with evaluating eyes and noticing his mid Qi Cultivation Stage, immediately knew this was a novice fresh on the path and was quick to draw his attention.
After all, newcomers were the easiest to deceive.
Li Zhirui naturally saw through the stall owner’s trick, a playful smile flashed in his eyes as he feigned innocence and approached, asking, "Senior, are these really second-order Spirit Seeds? May I take a closer look?"
"Of course, you can!" The stall owner was not the least bit worried about being exposed. These Spirit Seeds were carefully falsified by him. Based on Li Zhirui’s status as a little cultivator in the mid Qi Cultivation Stage, he wouldn’t be able to see through the deception. The owner immediately passed a small bag of Spirit Seeds over.
But who could have known that this was an old monster at the stage of Divine Transformation, and also a Fifth-order Alchemy Master?
Without even picking them up, Li Zhirui easily identified that these were the most ordinary Purple Alfalfa Seeds, not even qualifying as first-order Spiritual Objects, merely containing a trace of Spiritual Energy, used as snacks for meat-eating first-order Spirit Beasts like the Yellow Spirit Ox.
This small bag was worth, at most, one Spirit Stone!
"Eh?"
Li Zhirui subconsciously probed into the bag with his Divine Sense—as a cultivator, using Divine Sense had become an instinct embed into his Bloodline—and discovered an odd-looking seed.
It seemed to be on the verge of lifelessness, about to turn into a dead seed, but Li Zhirui keenly sensed that it was due to the surrounding Spiritual Energy not satisfying the Spirit Seed’s needs, causing its vitality to continuously wane and leading it to this state.
’Even the rich Spiritual Energy of the Central Territories cannot fulfill the needs of a single Spirit Seed?’
One must know, the ordinary Spiritual Energy of the Central Territories was comparable to the second and third ranks of Spirit Veins!
Even fourth-order Spiritual Objects could barely survive, far from a trivial ’grass seed.’
With a thought, he took the seed into his spatial realm, nonchalantly picked up ten seeds, put down one Spirit Stone, and decisively turned to leave.
"Eh, Fellow Daoist! Perhaps you’d like to look at something else?" The stall owner, with a flash of surprise and joy in his eyes, quickly pocketed the Spirit Stone. When he lifted his head to call back the customer, Li Zhirui had already blended into the crowd, nowhere to be seen.
The reason Li Zhirui left in such a hurry was because he sensed a surge of Spiritual Energy storm as soon as the Spirit Seed entered his space!
The dense Spiritual Energy within his space, transforming into substance from every direction, was incessantly being absorbed by this inconspicuous Spirit Seed, smaller than a grain of rice.
By the time Li Zhirui rented an inn and entered his spatial realm in his true form, he acutely noticed that the Spiritual Energy in his space had thinned by a tenth!
It’s worth noting that ever since Li Zhirui’s breakthrough to Divine Transformation, the Spiritual Energy in his space was comparable to a top-grade fifth-order Spirit Vein!
Yet, in front of this Spirit Seed, the Spiritual Energy reduced by a considerable tenth in less than a quarter of an hour!
Fortunately, the Spirit Seed seemed satisfied and stopped devouring Spiritual Energy, falling from the sky.
Before it landed on the Spirit Soil, Li Zhirui acted, moving the Spirit Seed atop a large mountain, where common low-rank Spiritual Objects were planted; he wouldn’t be upset if they were destroyed.
