Chapter 208
Chapter 208
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 208
Chapter Title: Two Years of Time, a Tremor in the Spiritual Platform
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"Me?"
Xiao Hei froze, pointing a short, sturdy claw at himself, its beady eyes filled with disbelief.
"Me, incubate an egg?"
"Do you have any common sense about raising turtles? The eggs of us Black Crystal Mystic Turtles are buried deep in the sand at the bottom of the lake and hatch on their own."
Xiao Hei hopped up and down, scolding Chen Jianghe, accusing him of being a Fishery Farmer at Mirror Moon Lake for years without even knowing the basics about Black Crystal Mystic Turtles.
"But what does that have to do with you incubating the egg?" Chen Jianghe narrowed his eyes and asked.
"You're an idiot!"
Xiao Hei placed its short limbs on its hips and snorted coldly. "I can eat the egg, though."
Chen Jianghe chuckled, not teasing Xiao Hei any further. Telling it to incubate the egg was just a joke.
He wouldn't really make Xiao Hei incubate it.
This was a job he had to do himself.
Although he didn't know how either, he was aware of some basic principles of raising spirit beasts: nurturing a demon beast egg with spiritual power over a long period, allowing the life force within to grow until the young beast hatched.
Besides, this demon beast egg was damaged. The cracks were obvious, and some of the egg's liquid had already seeped out.
Chen Jianghe didn't know if his supreme art, the Jade Dew Flesh-Generating Incantation, could repair the cracks on the demon beast egg.
Chen Jianghe formed the Jade Dew hand seal.
Wisps of Jade Dew spiritual energy generated, flowing from the Shenmen point on Chen Jianghe's right hand and into the demon beast egg resting on the eye of the spirit spring.
He didn't use the Jade Dew spiritual power directly, worried it might damage the egg.
When he bought this demon beast egg,
he didn't have high hopes of hatching it. After all, even the Beast Taming Immortal Zhou Clan had failed.
How could a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator like him succeed?
One had to remember that the Beast Taming Immortal Zhou Clan had Core Formation experts. Even with their heaven-defying methods, they couldn't heal the demon beast egg.
His supreme art, the Jade Dew Flesh-Generating Incantation, might not be effective either.
"It's working."
Chen Jianghe enveloped the demon beast egg with his spiritual sense, observing the changes as the Jade Dew spiritual energy floated over the cracks.
He discovered that the Jade Dew spiritual energy could indeed repair the cracks on the egg.
But the effect was minuscule, almost negligible.
Chen Jianghe formed the Jade Dew hand seal again. This time, he used his Jade Dew spiritual power to heal the egg.
The Jade Dew spiritual power, imbued with the profound essence of the water attribute, clung to the demon beast egg and began to mend its cracks.
"Heh~"
Chen Jianghe gave a dry laugh.
He looked at the cracks being repaired by a single drop of Jade Dew spiritual power—four five-inch-long fissures forming a sunflower-like pattern.
The area repaired by one drop was invisible to the naked eye; it could only be barely perceived with spiritual sense.
"My supreme art, the Jade Dew Flesh-Generating Incantation, is truly profound. It can even heal a damaged demon beast egg. It's just that my cultivation is too low. If I were a Core Formation expert and had cultivated the Jade Dew Flesh-Generating Incantation to the state of Profound Comprehension,"
"I could surely heal this egg's damage within five years and hatch a young Frost Triangle Python."
Chen Jianghe shook his head helplessly.
With his current cultivation level and the state of his Jade Dew Flesh-Generating Incantation, even if he worked on healing the egg twenty-four hours a day, it would take thirty to fifty years.
Then, nurturing it with spiritual power until it hatched would require another ten years.
In other words, to hatch this egg healthily, even with the profoundness of the Jade Dew Flesh-Generating Incantation, it would take over fifty years to complete.
But at the auction, the female auctioneer had stated clearly.
In ten years, this Frost Triangle Python egg would lose all its spiritual energy and life force, becoming a dead egg.
No wonder the Beast Taming Zhou Clan put it up for auction.
It was simply impossible to hatch.
Even he, with his supreme art, the Jade Dew Flesh-Generating Incantation, would need to waste fifty years of his own time.
Those Core Formation experts were certainly powerful, but without healing-type arts or divine abilities, they too would be helpless.
"Forget it. It's not a loss to roast it for Xiao Hei to eat. It can even improve the purity of its bloodline."
Chen Jianghe sighed helplessly.
He thought he could have a Frost Triangle Python with a fourth-grade, low-tier bloodline. It seemed he had been too optimistic.
Fortunately, Xiao Hei could absorb and refine the bloodline power within the demon beast egg.
His five thousand spirit stones weren't wasted.
The next moment.
With a thought, Chen Jianghe used his spiritual power to lift the Frost Triangle Python egg from the eye of the spirit spring and looked at Xiao Hei, who was lying under the Dragon Pattern Red Pine.
"Alright, this demon beast egg is too heavily injured to hatch. You can have it."
With that, he tossed the egg to Xiao Hei.
Not caring how Xiao Hei would eat it, he returned to his room to cultivate the Myriad Waters True Scripture and refine the Spirit Spring Pearl.
He had to completely absorb the Spirit Spring Pearl within five years and then attempt to break through to the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment.
The day the secret realm opened was drawing near, and he didn't have much time left.
A month of hard cultivation passed.
The eighth drop of spiritual power was about to condense.
During this month, he had drawn another Crimson Flame Cloud-Riding Talisman.
Just then, the courier box outside trembled. He used his spiritual sense to retrieve the letter inside, which turned out to be a message from Ruan Tieniu.
He had come to pick up the Crimson Flame Cloud-Riding Talisman.
"He's quite punctual about picking up the talisman."
The second day of the second lunar month every year was the day Ruan Tieniu came for the talisman.
However, this time Chen Jianghe didn't have any extra talismans to sell to Ruan Tieniu, so he could only give him the one he was gifting him first.
He walked out of the room.
Chen Jianghe glanced at the spirit spring.
At the bottom of the spring, Xiao Hei was hugging the Frost Triangle Python egg and cultivating, seemingly refining the bloodline power within it.
He had wanted to use the spring water to make tea, but since Xiao Hei liked it, he would let it use it as a cultivation spot.
When it came to Xiao Hei, Chen Jianghe was quite generous.
"It's been a month, and it's still cultivating. Luckily, the mountain monkeys are helping Maoqiu in the spirit fields, or they'd be neglected."
Chen Jianghe was a bit puzzled.
Xiao Hei seemed to be refining this Frost Triangle Python egg a bit slowly.
Wasn't it supposed to swallow it whole and then slowly refine it?
Why was it hugging it to absorb the power instead?
The pest control season was in two months. Without Xiao Hei to command the Azure-Feathered Swallows, it wouldn't work.
Although Maoqiu was also a second-rank spirit beast, its ability to manage the unranked birds and beasts was far inferior to Xiao Hei's.
"I can't delay Xiao Hei's cultivation. If it comes down to it, I'll go help with the pest control myself."
Chen Jianghe thought to himself.
He took out the Treasure Storage Vase and watered the Dragon Pattern Red Pine with thirty catties of Crimson-Scaled Fire Python spirit blood.
*Sigh*, not much spirit blood left. I'll have to buy more. More spirit stones!
He flew out of the mountain-protecting formation.
"Brother Ruan."
Seeing Ruan Tieniu waiting on a tree branch on the cliff, Chen Jianghe flew over and took out two Crimson Flame Cloud-Riding Talismans.
One was a gift for Ruan Tieniu, and the other was for sale.
He didn't ask much about Chen Jianghe selling him a talisman this time.
After taking the two talismans, he took out fourteen hundred spirit stones.
"Brother Chen, did you manage to ask for me?" Ruan Tieniu asked with a simple smile.
"Brother Ruan, have you perhaps gathered all the materials for the Spirit-Nurturing Defensive Artifact?"
Chen Jianghe didn't answer Ruan Tieniu's question, instead asking one of his own.
"Uh... not yet."
Ruan Tieniu was taken aback and shook his head helplessly.
A single supplementary material for refining a Spirit-Nurturing Artifact was worth over seven thousand spirit stones, not to mention the value of the main material.
The main spiritual materials for refining a Spirit-Nurturing Artifact usually couldn't be bought with spirit stones.
For Ruan Tieniu to obtain such a treasure, he would need great fortune and opportunity to find it in the Arctic Snow Forest.
Or even in the boundless ocean.
"Once Brother Ruan has gathered all the materials, I will do my best to ask Fairy Luo on your behalf."
Chen Jianghe said.
He was only in the early stage of Foundation Establishment and didn't have the capital to trade with Luo Xiyue yet. Only when he reached the mid-stage and could draw second-rank, high-grade talismans would he be qualified.
As for owing favors?
Too many favors would make Core Formation a truly unattainable, illusory dream.
If he hadn't been so ignorant in the past, he wouldn't even have accepted help from Gao Peiyao and Luo Xiyue.
Now he owed each of them a favor.
The secret realm was dangerous, but with thorough preparation, he might still find opportunities.
The key was the two matters he owed Luo Xiyue for, which made him feel uncertain.
"Alright, I will gather the materials as soon as possible."
This time, Ruan Tieniu was preparing to venture deep into the boundless ocean. He had already found five like-minded fellow cultivators.
One of them was even a collateral descendant of the Beast Taming Immortal Zhou Clan.
However, he was only at the early stage of Foundation Establishment.
If he were at the mid-stage, these rogue cultivators weren't fools; they wouldn't cooperate with a cultivator of a higher level.
Especially the direct descendants of top immortal clans.
Uh... and sect disciples.
Adventuring with them, you'd have half a foot in the grave before you even entered the Arctic Snow Forest or the boundless ocean.
Before finding a treasure, demon beasts were the most dangerous.
After finding a treasure, the danger from demon beasts would lessen, while the danger from companions would increase.
"Brother Chen, did you know the Xu brothers have also come to Thousand Mountains Market City?" Ruan Tieniu asked.
"I know. I met them a month ago," Chen Jianghe replied with a smile and a nod.
He wasn't worried that Ruan Tieniu would be angry about him trading with the Xu brothers.
It was Ruan Tieniu asking him for a favor, not the other way around.
"Yes, I'll be heading to the boundless ocean to the east in the next couple of days, and the two brothers will be going with me."
"We will try our best to slay a second-rank water-attribute demon beast."
Ruan Tieniu said solemnly.
"If Brother Ruan obtains a medium for drawing second-rank, mid-grade talismans, you can trade it to me. When the time comes, I'll draw the talismans and sell them to you as well. That should reduce the risks of your ventures."
Chen Jianghe said earnestly, a hint of concern in his voice.
Ruan Tieniu's face lit up upon hearing this, and he felt a little touched.
He hadn't expected that while he hadn't even broken through to the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment, Chen Jianghe could already draw second-rank, mid-grade talismans.
Indeed, this was a brother worth befriending.
He could help him go further on the path of cultivation.
"Thank you, Brother Chen. I will keep an eye out for talisman-crafting materials."
With Chen Jianghe's words, it meant that in his heart, Ruan Tieniu's status was higher than that of the Xu brothers.
As long as he could get the materials for second-rank, mid-grade talismans, he would be able to obtain them.
Immediately, a satisfied Ruan Tieniu left Golden Turtle Mountain.
Chen Jianghe watched Ruan Tieniu depart in high spirits and gave a faint smile.
Returning to Golden Turtle Mountain, he first went to the Clear Sound Pavilion at the turtle's tail. Coincidentally, neither Jiang Ruxu nor Zhuang Xinyan were in seclusion.
"Ruxu, Xinyan, let me buy this first-rank alchemy furnace. Running back and forth like this disturbs your cultivation."
Chen Jianghe said.
Coming three to five times a month was indeed a bit frequent.
And it was easy to disturb others' cultivation.
"Ah?"
Jiang Ruxu and Zhuang Xinyan looked at each other, both showing reluctance, yet they seemed to have no reason to refuse.
If they didn't sell it to Chen Jianghe,
he could just as easily go to the Hundred Treasures Pavilion to buy one.
"Master bought this first-rank alchemy furnace for me back then for eight hundred spirit stones. It's been so long now, a hundred spirit stones is enough, Brother Chen."
Jiang Ruxu didn't want to sell the alchemy furnace to Chen Jianghe. She really hoped he would come to the Clear Sound Pavilion to practice alchemy more often.
She believed her senior sister felt the same way.
Before, on Qiyun Mountain, they wouldn't see Chen Jianghe more than once or twice a year. But after coming to Golden Turtle Mountain, they could see him several times a month.
This made them feel very happy and secure.
"As long as an alchemy furnace isn't overused, it won't break. Even if it does, you can find a refiner to repair it. It doesn't get scrapped. How can it be so cheap?"
"Let's say six hundred spirit stones. The two hundred less can count as a depreciation fee."
Chen Jianghe took out six hundred spirit stones and gave them to Zhuang Xinyan. Zhuang Xinyan was basically in charge of the two girls' finances.
Then, he put the first-rank alchemy furnace into his storage bag.
Zhuang Xinyan bit her lip, wanting to ask if Chen Jianghe would still come to the Clear Sound Pavilion.
But the words wouldn't come out.
Jiang Ruxu didn't know what to say either.
They couldn't force Chen Jianghe to visit more often. After all, it was already very good of him to let them stay nearby.
Asking for more would be ungrateful.
And it might make him dislike them.
Watching Chen Jianghe leave, both Zhuang Xinyan and Jiang Ruxu had looks of disappointment in their eyes.
He returned to the Spirit Spring Abode.
Chen Jianghe glanced at the spirit spring. Xiao Hei was cultivating while hugging the Frost Triangle Python egg. He didn't disturb it. If it was still cultivating during the pest control season, he would step in to help.
His cultivation was important.
But Xiao Hei's cultivation couldn't be delayed either.
Next.
Chen Jianghe placed the alchemy furnace in the prepared alchemy room. He decided to use this spare time to refine a batch of Spirit Awakening Pills.
Spirit Awakening Pills were low-grade spirit pills.
Spirit Nurturing Pills and Spirit-Containing Pills were also low-grade spirit pills.
Spirit Accumulating Pills, however, were mid-grade spirit pills.
These were the four main types of pills he refined now, as they could help him raise spirit beasts.
To help the Black-Armored Turtles become spirit beasts sooner and aid his cultivation.
Time flew, swift as a fleeting shadow.
Two years passed.
At the Spirit Spring Abode, beneath the pavilion, Chen Jianghe sat cross-legged in a meditative posture, circulating the fourth level of the Myriad Waters True Scripture.
He absorbed the spiritual energy from within the Spirit Spring Pearl.
Even after being absorbed and refined by Chen Jianghe for two years, the spiritual energy it contained was still incredibly dense.
A thick, pure stream of spiritual energy surged into his dantian.
Following the cultivation method of the Myriad Waters True Scripture, it circulated through his meridians for a full cycle, and a drop of spiritual power condensed in his dantian.
The pure, water-attribute spiritual power, dark and translucent, emanated a powerful pressure.
A single drop could crush a dozen ninth-level Qi Refining cultivators.
An hour passed.
Chen Jianghe exhaled a breath of turbid air and opened his eyes, a sharp glint flashing within them.
A smile then appeared on his face.
"I've finally broken through to the third level of Foundation Establishment."
With another drop of Foundation Establishment spiritual power condensed, he now had twenty-four drops in his dantian.
His spiritual power was so abundant it felt inexhaustible.
For instance, when infusing a second-rank talisman with spirit, as long as his soul was strong enough, he could draw a second-rank, low-grade talisman in a single day.
When fighting others, he no longer had to worry about exhausting his spiritual power.
Even when flying long distances on his sword at full speed, he didn't need to fear running out of spiritual power and encountering robbers.
Having reached the third level of Foundation Establishment, as long as he didn't use his supreme arts at full power, there was basically no risk of running out of spiritual power.
In battle, he could fight continuously from seven in the morning until nine at night.
In the mortal world, it was often said that when immortals fought, the sun and moon would trade places, mountains would move, and seas would overturn.
The "sun and moon trading places" part meant that an immortal's battle could last for months, or even a full year.
Although it was an exaggeration.
Fighting for a whole day was still an easy feat.
This was the purpose of cultivating spiritual power in the early stage of Foundation Establishment: to solidify one's foundation, making one's spiritual power incredibly abundant and free from worries of depletion.
Now, with his current spiritual power, Chen Jianghe could cast the Lesser Cloud and Rain Art and make it pour for three days and three nights over an area with a ten-li radius.
If he were to enter a mortal village or town, he could flood a city in three days.
Once in Foundation Establishment, one is no longer mortal.
This was not just an empty saying.
With his spiritual power and arts, in the eyes of mortals, he was a lofty, omnipotent immortal.
An immortal's wrath could change the landscape.
"With my cultivation increased, the speed at which I refine the Spirit Spring Pearl has also quickened. In two more years at most, I can reach the peak of the early Foundation Establishment stage."
Once he reached the peak of the early Foundation Establishment stage, he could use the Ice Heart Barrier-Breaking Pill to break through.
And become a mid-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.
At that time, he would be able to draw second-rank, high-grade talismans, giving him the confidence to trade with Luo Xiyue and Gao Peiyao.
Chen Jianghe stood up, walked to the edge of the spirit spring, and looked at Xiao Hei cultivating at the bottom.
More than two years had passed.
Xiao Hei was still hugging the Frost Triangle Python egg and cultivating.
"Is it really that hard to refine the bloodline power contained in the Frost Triangle Python egg?"
Chen Jianghe frowned and complained.
Because Xiao Hei wasn't there to command the Azure-Feathered Swallows, the pest control seasons for the past two years had been handled by Chen Jianghe and Maoqiu together.
As for the mountain monkeys helping?
These monkeys were clumsy. They were fine for harvesting Immortal Crystal Rice.
But they couldn't handle a delicate job like pest control.
Although the Azure-Feathered Swallows also helped, their work wasn't thorough, and they missed many pests.
And Chen Jianghe couldn't help all the time.
Thus, the pressure fell on Maoqiu. No matter how hard it tried, it couldn't clear the spirit insects from eighty acres of spirit fields in three days.
As a result, the Immortal Crystal Rice harvest had declined somewhat.
The first year, the yield per mu dropped to 3.4 shi, for a total value of 8,160 spirit stones.
Subtracting the seed cost of 4,800 spirit stones,
the profit was 3,360 spirit stones.
It seemed like a lot, but he still hadn't deducted the land rent.
The second year, the yield per mu dropped again to 3.1 shi, for a total value of only 7,440 spirit stones.
Subtracting the seed cost, that left 2,640 spirit stones.
As for the aquaculture on Golden Turtle Mountain, it had been left to its own devices.
After losing Xiao Hei, Chen Jianghe, this fake Fishery Farmer, showed his true colors. He was completely clueless about aquaculture.
"Maoqiu still can't handle things on its own!"
"Without Xiao Hei, Maoqiu can't support this massive operation of mine at all."
Chen Jianghe lamented.
To nurture Maoqiu and help it reach the mid-stage of the second rank before entering the secret realm, he had given it that second-rank water-attribute spirit core.
Letting Maoqiu absorb and refine it.
He had even given Maoqiu the second-rank water-attribute spirit core that Ruan Tieniu had brought the previous year.
During these two years, because Xiao Hei was in secluded cultivation and he had to help with pest control, he had only drawn twenty-five second-rank talismans.
Eighteen Crimson Flame Cloud-Riding Talismans and seven Golden Light Body-Protection Talismans.
He gave two Crimson Flame Cloud-Riding Talismans to Ruan Tieniu, as part of their ten-year deal, which included one free talisman per year.
He had now given Ruan Tieniu eight talismans. Two more, and the ten-year deal would be over.
Another Crimson Flame Cloud-Riding Talisman was traded with Ruan Tieniu for a second-rank water-attribute spirit core.
Of the remaining fifteen Crimson Flame Cloud-Riding Talismans, he sold ten to Ruan Tieniu, earning fourteen thousand spirit stones.
The last five Crimson Flame Cloud-Riding Talismans and the seven Golden Light Body-Protection Talismans were sold to the Talisman Master Alliance.
Earning him thirteen thousand four hundred spirit stones.
In total, he earned twenty-seven thousand four hundred spirit stones from drawing talismans.
Adding the profit from growing Immortal Crystal Rice, the total was thirty-three thousand four hundred spirit stones.
Subtracting one payment of the Golden Turtle Mountain rent, seven thousand five hundred spirit stones.
Then subtracting the sixteen hundred spirit stones for a Peachwood Clear Heart Talisman Brush and three hundred spirit stones for three boxes of second-rank spirit ink.
He spent thirteen hundred spirit stones buying second-rank demon beast blood for the Dragon Pattern Red Pine.
And after various miscellaneous expenses, he had pocketed twenty-two thousand six hundred spirit stones over two years.
Adding the spirit stones he had saved up before,
he now had twenty-seven thousand five hundred sixty-five spirit stones and twenty grains of spirit sand on him.
He had finally escaped the predicament of being short on spirit stones.
He didn't go to the Talisman Master Alliance to have his skills as a Talisman Master verified.
Even if he did, it would just mean helping the Alliance draw second-rank, mid-grade talismans.
Cen Linchuan knew of his relationship with Gao Peiyao and was interested in befriending him, but he wasn't overly proactive.
Coincidentally, Chen Jianghe wasn't a proactive person either.
Thus, their relationship remained at the level of nodding acquaintances and didn't progress further.
Neither Ruan Tieniu nor the Xu brothers had managed to obtain any mediums for drawing second-rank talismans.
This gave Chen Jianghe a clear understanding of just how precious the materials for second-rank mid-grade and high-grade talismans were.
Fortunately, his Dragon Pattern Red Pine was about to become a second-rank, high-grade spirit plant.
By then, he wouldn't lack mediums for drawing second-rank, mid-grade talismans.
For him, this meant his annual income from drawing talismans would rise again, while his costs would remain the same.
Why had Chen Jianghe been able to accumulate so many spirit stones in these two years?
It was because he didn't need to buy Spirit Gathering Pills.
That saved him twelve hundred spirit stones a year, or twenty-four hundred over two years.
Xiao Hei was refining the Frost Triangle Python egg to improve its bloodline, so it didn't need Water Spirit Pills.
Maoqiu had two second-rank water-attribute spirit cores.
It didn't need Water Spirit Pills either.
Five Water Spirit Pills a year meant ten pills over two years, worth five thousand spirit stones.
Only by cutting these expenses could Chen Jianghe save up so many spirit stones.
"I have nearly thirty thousand spirit stones. While that's not considered wealthy among Foundation Establishment cultivators, it's enough to visit the barter fair."
"But before going to the barter fair, I need to ask Luo Xiyue to help me refine the Thousand Illusions. That way, even if I obtain a treasure, I won't have to worry about my identity being exposed."
Chen Jianghe thought to himself.
Just then.
The courier box trembled.
Chen Jianghe reached out, and a thread of spiritual power retrieved the letter.
He glanced at the signature; it was a message from Ruan Tieniu.
"I almost forgot to refine the Ice Heart Barrier-Breaking Pill for Ruan Tieniu," Chen Jianghe said to himself, reading the contents of the message.
He suddenly remembered the two-year deadline he had mentioned to Ruan Tieniu.
He had only been thinking about how he himself wouldn't need the pill for another two years, forgetting that Ruan Tieniu urgently needed it now to break through to the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment.
"I should let Ruxu try her hand... Huh?!"
Suddenly.
Chen Jianghe's expression changed drastically.
The Spiritual Platform in his sea of consciousness trembled violently, shocking Chen Jianghe to his core.
A tremor in his Spiritual Platform—this had never happened before.
In an instant, he turned his spiritual sense inward.
And saw that the lifespan displayed upon his Spiritual Platform had begun to change...