LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 415: Searching for a Sword in the Sword Pool
Although Lu Xuan expressed disdain, his spiritual consciousness delved into his storage bag, searching for poisons and toxins that would satisfy the young worm. Confident in his ability to monitor the worm's physical condition closely, he believed he could rescue it from the brink of death, even if it were poisoned to near fatality.
Soon, he pulled out a piece of beast meat from the bag. Encased in an exquisite jade box sealed with runes to preserve its freshness and prevent the loss of spiritual energy, Lu Xuan remembered this meat came from a third-grade beast, the Ice Toad. Inhabiting the coldest of lands, the Ice Toad absorbed the extreme yin and cold, its body accumulating a rich virus.
"Try this?"
He tossed a fist-sized piece of Ice Toad meat to the young Poisonous Heart-Eating Worm.
Sensing the cold poison within, the worm's eyes, small as mung beans, lit up. It swallowed the meat in just a few bites. The moment it did, a thin layer of frost rapidly formed over its body. The frost thickened, and in a few breaths, the worm was encased in ice, looking like a block of ice with faint black qi moving inside, emitting an extreme yin and cold aura.
Seeing this, Lu Xuan's consciousness quickly focused on the worm.
A thought flashed through his mind:
"The Poisonous Heart-Eating Worm, a fourth-grade poison insect with a special constitution, the Perilous Poison Body… Consuming third-grade Ice Toad meat has subjected it to intense cold poison. Without timely intervention, its spiritual power, physical body, and even soul will soon freeze, leading to gradual death. It requires the warmth of an extremely yang and rigid fire, along with a masterful fire control technique, to slowly roast the worm and dispel the cold poison from its body."
"Fortunately, I can resolve this myself. Otherwise, I'd have to seek help from Brother Ge and others."
As for fire control, his experience with the "Flame Manipulation Technique" from the Flame Fruit light orbs allowed for precise manipulation. He was confident he wouldn't overcook the little poison worm.
Lu Xuan circulated his spiritual power, envisioning the majestic figure of a barefooted Golden Crow as a wisp of pale golden fire emerged from his fingertips. Under his spiritual control, the flame morphed, quickly forming a thin net of fire that gently enveloped the ice-encased worm.
The extreme cold ice melted rapidly like snow under the blazing sun, revealing the worm's form, though it looked worse for wear, its body tinged blue-black with faint black qi moving on its surface, exuding a dense and intense cold aura.
With a calm demeanor, Lu Xuan continued the careful roasting. After several breaths, strands of black qi seeped from the worm's body, compressed by Lu Xuan's controlled pale golden fire net into a droplet of dark, cold liquid.
The worm opened its eyes, shivering violently but quickly recovering its vitality. It circled around Lu Xuan, sending him a wave of gratitude.
"Did it taste good?" Lu Xuan asked with a chuckle.
The worm nodded eagerly.
"Any regrets then?"
It shook its head without hesitation.
"I'll just indulge you," Lu Xuan said, waving his hand as the satisfied worm quickly departed, hiding somewhere to digest the cold poison from the Ice Toad meat.
After introducing new poisons to the young Poisonous Heart-Eating Worm, Lu Xuan's days proceeded tranquilly, quietly awaiting the complete maturation of the last Spirit-Nurturing Pine.
Unexpectedly, he was visited by a familiar face he hadn't seen in a long while.
On the mountainside, a two-headed Armadillo sneakily transporting Spirit Soil into its cave sensed something terrifying and vanished from Lu Xuan's sight, burrowing deep into the mountain.
"Junior Brother Lu, I've come to visit you."
A middle-aged cultivator with a gentle demeanor, carrying a dark sword case, slowly ascended the mountain.
"It turns out to be Senior Brother Shen. It's been a while. How have you been?"
The visitor was Shen Ye, who had introduced Lu Xuan to the Sword Hall. Having interacted multiple times, they had become quite familiar with each other.
"Everything's fine, except I've always been thinking about those third-grade Wind and
Thunder Sword Grasses of yours," Shen Ye said half-jokingly.
Lu Xuan led him into the courtyard, serving Ice and Fire Spirit Fruits and Hundred-Fruit Spirit Juice.
"Senior Brother, how many Wind and Thunder Sword Grasses have you improved lately?"
After savoring the complex flavors of various spirit fruits in the Spirit Juice, Shen Ye asked slowly.
"I've developed a few mutations, currently nurturing them in the dwelling," Lu Xuan replied.
"Oh? Junior Brother Lu is truly remarkable, capable of improving third-grade Wind and Thunder Sword Grasses at any time. Have you explored the method to condense seeds for the Wind and Thunder Sword Grass?" Shen Ye straightened up a bit, asking hopefully.
"I'm in the experimental stage; it's not very certain yet," Lu Xuan spoke cautiously.
Although he had some clues about condensing seeds for the Wind and Thunder Sword Grass, he needed to verify the method's correctness. Hence, he responded to Shen Ye conservatively, without giving a definitive answer.
"Hahaha, I believe with Junior Brother Lu's talent in cultivating spiritual plants, there won't be any problems," Shen Ye laughed heartily.
Lu Xuan's remarkable talent in nurturing sword grasses had instilled an almost blind confidence in him from Shen Ye.
"Senior Brother has too much faith in me," Lu Xuan responded with a helpless smile.
"If I say you can, you can. My judgment won't be wrong," Shen Ye assured, changing the subject.
"This time, I've come with a request for you, Junior Brother."
"Oh? Please, speak, Senior Brother."
"Junior Brother has been in the Sword Hall for quite some time now, and you must have gained a deep understanding of it."
"Have you heard of the Sword Pool within the hall?"
Lu Xuan nodded, "I have some knowledge. I heard it contains many high-grade swords, sword pellets, and even fifth-grade items."
"That's correct."
"The Sword Pool nurtures swords and sword pellets, housing many swords left behind by ancestors of our sect at their passing, or swords replaced by sword masters. There are also high-grade flying swords forged by the master swordsmiths of the Sword Hall."
"Every so often, the Sword Hall provides a chance for certain disciples to enter the Sword Pool and find a sword that resonates with them."
"However, slots for entering the Sword Pool are limited, reserved for those with exceptional talent in swordsmanship or who have made significant contributions to the Sword Hall."
"Junior Brother, although you've developed mutated Wind and Thunder Sword Grasses and ordinary second-grade sword grasses, you're just a bit short of qualifying for the Sword Pool. Knowing you're likely to unlock the condensing method for the Wind and Thunder Sword Grass, and missing this opportunity would mean waiting many years for another chance, I've gone to great lengths to secure a slot for you to search for a sword in the Sword Pool."
Shen Ye spoke with a gentle smile, warmly conveying his message.