NOVPUBChapter 272: A Big Shot is a Big Shot
As the saying goes, you reap what you sow.
“Today, this Venerable will plant a bushy beard. Next year, I’ll harvest a bushy beard.”
Chen Huaian tugged at the leaf of the Nine-Turn Spirit Orchid and swiftly yanked it out, roots and all.
Legend had it that if you were fast enough, plants wouldn’t even react in time and could be transplanted seamlessly.
“Ah—!”
The Nine-Turn Spirit Orchid let out a scream comparable to a certain teacher from San Shang Sensei’s movies.
Its leaves shriveled up, desperately trying to cover its roots.
But Chen Huaian didn’t even look at it, casually setting it aside.
Then, he stuffed the Bushy Beard Crystal into the Nuwa Earth and replanted the Nine-Turn Spirit Orchid right back into the soil.
The orchid's screams stopped abruptly.
It wiggled uncomfortably for a bit as if the dirt felt strange, but eventually it accepted its fate.
“Let’s add some potion.” Chen Huaian took out a potion prepared by Dan Bai.
This potion had an ominous milky-white color and gave off a strange and unpleasant smell. Looking at the orchid, Chen Huaian hesitated and muttered, “Would this potion be absorbed by the Nine-Turn Spirit Orchid...?”
“Better safe than sorry. I’ll just transplant it into regular soil for now. It’s still a spiritual herb, so it’s got to be tougher than ordinary weeds.”
As soon as he finished speaking—
The Nine-Turn Spirit Orchid furiously shook its leaves.
“So you’re saying... you won’t absorb this potion, right?”
The orchid nodded.
A kind smile spread across Chen Huaian’s face.
He knew this herb was intelligent enough to understand him.
After all, it had previously delivered the Purple Heaven Divine Thunder Talisman with Little Qing.
Although, after that, the orchid had never done anything unusual again, standing in its pot like a completely ordinary plant.
Sometimes you just had to be tough.
Give it some “medicine.”
Otherwise, certain spirit plants loved to play dumb and act innocent.
Since the Nine-Turn Spirit Orchid promised it wouldn’t absorb the potion, things were simple now.
Without further ado, Chen Huaian uncorked the bottle and poured the potion right onto the orchid.
It wasn’t out of some weird hobby.
But letting the potion slowly seep through the soil and into the crystal was much better than forcefully soaking the crystal directly.
Otherwise, what if he ended up cultivating a big man’s face on a baby’s body? Wouldn’t that be a total disaster?
After finishing, Chen Huaian observed it carefully.
Indeed, the orchid didn’t absorb the potion.
It just looked extremely aggrieved, curling up all its leaves like it had been bullied.
Chen Huaian shook his head, dismissing the absurd image forming in his mind.
It was just a little plant spirit.
Could it possibly turn into a cute little girl?
If it really could, he’d eat the entire pot of Nuwa Earth!
On the windowsill, Bajii and Little Qing watched as their “big brother” got bullied, neither daring to say a word, nor even move.
They looked calm on the outside but were terrified inside.
Until—
Chen Huaian took out ten Spirit Crystals from his player inventory and placed them on the ground.
【T-That’s Spirit Crystals!】
Bajii sat up with a flip.
Spirit Stones were everywhere in the Ancient Era, people wouldn’t even bother picking them up if they fell.
But Spirit Crystals were different. They were the essence of Spirit Stones, containing highly concentrated and purified spiritual energy, so pure that cultivators could directly absorb it without refining.
Even in the Ancient Era, Spirit Crystals were precious and monopolized by the major sects.
Yet now, Spirit Crystals had appeared in this barely revived spiritual energy era —
the equivalent of someone pulling out a missile during the cold weapons era.
It just didn’t make sense!
【Where did the boss get these Spirit Crystals?!】
Bajii stared at the sparkling crystals, drooling.
Just now, it faintly sensed spatial fluctuations.
Could it be... the boss had a private space for storing Spirit Crystals?
Highly likely.
These old monsters who sealed their memories and souls during the end of the Dharma era always left themselves a backdoor.
Now that the spiritual energy was reviving and the era of great competition was here, of course the boss would reactivate his hidden resources.
Bajii narrowed its eyes.
It felt like it had seen through the truth.
And as the boss’s little “kitty”...
It could definitely drink some soup from the big pot!
What?
The dignity of an Ancient Fierce Beast?
What the h*ll was that supposed to be?
With that thought, Bajii jumped off the windowsill and rubbed against Chen Huaian’s leg, wagging its tail furiously.
“Oh? Bajii.”
Chen Huaian finished setting up the Advanced Spirit Gathering Array, and when he felt the soft fluff by his leg, he chuckled.
“What’s up? Planning to train with this Venerable? No problem.”
He knew Bajii had absorbed so much spiritual energy by now it was clearly more intelligent than ordinary cats.
It definitely knew he was preparing something good.
The Nine-Turn Spirit Orchid couldn’t supply enough spiritual energy.
He’d have to use Spirit Crystals combined with the Advanced Spirit Gathering Array.
That, paired with the Primordial Heaven-Mending Pill, would achieve the best effect.
“Woof!” Bajii barked.
Don’t ask why it didn’t meow.
It was because the boss liked to hear it bark like a dog.
Chen Huaian sat cross-legged in the center of the array, placing Bajii on his lap. He then took out the Primordial Heaven-Mending Pill that Dan Bai had refined.
That little girl even apologized to him.
But honestly, he already knew Dan Bai’s true refining capabilities.
He could see part of the ‘game’ character information.
Dan Bai’s character sheet spelled it out clearly:
【Dan Bai, daughter of Danyun, Dao Companion of the Dan Sect’s former Sect Master】
【Alchemy prodigy, born with Spirit Eyes. Alchemy success rate 92% (provided she has the formula, materials, and a qualified cauldron). Specializes in refining Primordial Heaven-Mending Pills (+10% success rate). Has a chance to produce Top-Grade or Celestial-Grade Pills (if Heaven, Earth, and Man are all aligned)】
So when Dan Bai claimed she only had a 10% success rate, he knew immediately that the girl was guarded against him.
He didn’t know why she was wary.
But he had no intention of exposing her.
Chen Sword Master had always conquered people with virtue.
He would never pressure the younger generation, especially a kid like Dan Bai.
Compared to forcing others to submit through power,
Chen Huaian much preferred winning them over with charm.
Just look at Lingxi Valley — every female cultivator there practiced swordsmanship.
That, was proof of his personal charisma!
【A Divine Pill!】
Bajii’s pupils shrank as it stared at the pill in Chen Huaian’s hand.
Just the scent alone was enough to make its head spin.
Just how many treasures did this boss still have up his sleeve?
At this moment, any thought of escaping was utterly gone.
To put it bluntly, it used to view Chen Huaian as a tiger, an enemy of gluttonous beasts, like a rival predator.
But now, it saw him as an elephant — while Bajii was just an ant.
Would an elephant even bother squashing an ant?
Might as well cling to him and scrounge whatever it could.
Don’t hesitate!
Hesitating would be disrespectful to the boss!
…
Chen Huaian downed the Primordial Heaven-Mending Pill in one gulp.
From today on,
the last remaining flaw in his body would be completely remedied.
Other than not having a Dao Physique,
all his other conditions combined made him the kind of monstrous genius even the Jade Pool Holy Land would drool over.
Buzz—!
The Advanced Spirit Gathering Array activated.
Pure spiritual energy surged from the Spirit Crystals, forming mists within the array, even condensing into liquid that circled around Chen Huaian.
Bajii, sitting within the array, also benefited.
However, just as it had absorbed a little purified spiritual energy, a terrifying suction came from the boss’s Dantian.
【Oh no!】
Bajii’s fur stood on end.
It tried to flee the array immediately.
But it was too late.
The suction force directly pinned it down against the boss’s Dantian.
At the same time, the hard-earned demon energy it had cultivated was showing signs of being refined and purified.
【What kind of pill did the boss just take…?】
Bajii struggled frantically, tears almost bursting out.
That tiny bit of cultivation it worked so hard for...
It could only watch helplessly as it was being drained away bit by bit…
Meanwhile, Chen Huaian was still savoring the pleasure of his Dantian upgrading.
He had no idea that Bajii was about to be squeezed dry.
Nor did he notice, deep within his Dantian,
the slumbering Dragon Soul was slowly awakening,
its scales glowing with dazzling golden light under the cleansing of the pure spiritual energy.
…
…
