You Cultivate, I Farm

"Many thanks to Senior Brother Shen for seeking such a precious opportunity for me."

Lu Xuan rose to his feet, clasping his fists in a salute.

Though many magical tools and swords like the Wind Thunder Sword, Purple Lightning Sword, and Pills could be obtained from the rewards of the luminous orbs, who would complain about having too many treasures if given the chance to enter the Sword Pool?

The luminous orbs are valuable, but free gains are even more so.

"Junior Brother Lu, you don't have to be so polite. This opportunity was earned by your own abilities."

"If it weren't for your success in cultivating Sword Grass with a one hundred percent success rate and the potential to obtain a method for condensing a third-grade Sword Grass, I would not have been able to snatch this opportunity for you," Shen Ye said solemnly.

"Since it's your first time entering the Sword Pool, let me introduce you to how to obtain sword-related treasures from it."

"The Sword Pool is rampant with sword energy. Without the sect's token, even a cultivator on the verge of forming their Core would not fare well if they rashly entered."

"Once inside, you may freely choose swords and sword pills. Lower-grade treasures can be forcefully claimed, while higher-grade swords have been nurtured within the Sword Pool for many years and might have developed sentience. They require mutual compatibility to acknowledge an owner, essentially allowing the spirit swords to choose their masters."

"Many factors influence the recognition of masters by high-grade swords and sword pills, including a cultivator's sword techniques, sword intent, and sword heart. Of course, if one's luck is profound, these aspects become less crucial."

"Junior Brother, are you acquainted with our sect's true disciple, Sister Jian Wuxia?"

"I've met her a few times when the sect was opening new blessed lands," Lu Xuan nodded lightly.

"Sister Jian Wuxia, being born with a congenital sword body, attracts various swords and sword pills greatly. Every time she enters the Sword Pool, she gains the recognition of many swords."

There was a hint of envy in Shen Ye's tone.

"This sword dao talent... While others risk their lives entering, she goes in to stock up," Lu Xuan secretly sighed in his heart.

"By the way, Senior Brother Shen, has there ever been a case where someone entered the Sword Pool and came out empty-handed?"

"Yes, there have been individuals with high standards who looked down on ordinary swords, aiming only for higher-grade swords and sword pills but ended up with nothing."

Hearing this, Lu Xuan quickly nodded, committing Shen Ye's advice to memory.

After imparting some precautions, Shen Ye did not stay much longer and took his leave.

Lu Xuan watched him leave and then turned to inspect the detailed status of the numerous spiritual plants in the spiritual field.

While patrolling the spiritual field, he happened upon a grass puppet patrolling tirelessly on its long, thin legs.

With a thought, Lu Xuan called over the diligently guarding grass puppet and took out a green spirit pearl from his storage bag.

The spirit pearl, a Grass Spirit Pearl derived from a light orb of Hidden Essence Grass, contained pure and rich grass and wood spiritual energy, making it especially suitable for feeding the grass puppet.

He stuffed the green spirit pearl into the giant gray grass tumor of the puppet.

Strands of verdant spiritual energy spread from the center of the tumor outward, and after a dozen breaths, the grass puppet's body changed from grey-black to vibrant green, full of life.

Sensing with his spiritual consciousness, he saw the green spirit pearl coalesce inside the gray grass tumor, slowly rotating, allowing the grass puppet to draw upon the pure grass and wood spiritual energy.

Having absorbed numerous grass and wood spiritual treasures and even a bit of fifth-grade Green Wood Source Qi, the grass puppet had developed a certain level of intelligence, akin to a baby's. It expressed its gratitude to Lu Xuan and continued its patrol with its long, thin legs.

"The remaining hundred or so Water Firefly Grasses have gradually reached full maturity. I'll need to keep about fifty of them for seed condensation."

"Additionally, if I advance to the Core Formation Realm, the cultivation boost from the second-grade Water Firefly Grass light orbs might decrease significantly compared to before."

"Precautions must be taken in advance to see if it's possible to cultivate a third-grade variant of Water Firefly Grass."

"However, third-grade spiritual plants are already within the scope of Foundation Establishment, and unlike first and second grades, the gap between grades isn't so small. The difficulty of improving spiritual plants is expected to be much higher."

Lu Xuan thought to himself.

Having learned from the experience with Lingying Grass upon reaching Foundation Establishment, he decided to start improving second-grade Water Firefly Grass once his cultivation reached the late Foundation Establishment stage.

As his thoughts drifted, he arrived at a secluded part of the mountain, suddenly hearing a soft, enchanting melody.

The sound continuously stirred up desires within his heart.

Looking up, he saw a swath of pink miasma, with tender pink peaches peeking through the pale peach leaves, half-hidden, tempting Lu Xuan as if to bite into them fiercely.

Accompanied by the seductive sounds from nearby Illusion Sound Bamboo, the allure intensified several levels.

"The visual and auditory allure of Enchanting Spirit Peaches and Illusion Sound Bamboo is no wonder the Demon Ghost Vine visits daily, staying for a day each time, utterly content."

After harvesting the Enchanting Spirit Peaches once, they began to bear spiritual peaches again, promising a bounty of white light orbs in time.

Before leaving, Lu Xuan cast a Purification Mantra on himself, his heart free of desires, calmly walking away from the two unorthodox spiritual plants.

"The last Spirit-Nurturing Pine has matured."

He approached the solitary Spirit-Nurturing Pine.

The Spirit-Nurturing Pine, nurtured by his spiritual consciousness over the years, was already in tune with his thoughts. From afar, waves of pine waves greeted him, with a cyan pine cone standing proudly at the top, awaiting Lu Xuan's approach.

Lu Xuan confirmed that the translucent progress bar below was fully filled and gently plucked the cyan pine cone.

The pine cone, shaped like a spire, had scales resembling translucent cyan jade, layered upon one another, exuding a sense of clarity and purity when held.

"Another Spirit-Nurturing Pine cone, of good quality. I wonder what rewards it will bring."

He was extremely satisfied. To harvest a good-quality spiritual fruit from a fourth-grade spiritual plant was beyond his expectations.

The four cyan pine cones from the four Spirit-Nurturing Pines had not yet been consumed by Lu Xuan, carefully stored in his Gluttonous Insect Pouch.

After securing the pine cone, Lu Xuan's gaze shifted to the top of the pine tree, where a white light orb quietly emerged, twinkling slightly.

Unable to suppress his anticipation, he gently touched the surface of the light orb.

With a soft pop, the light orb burst into countless tiny light spots, rushing into Lu Xuan's body.

Instantly, his sea of consciousness felt inundated with numerous sharp intentions, his thoughts flashing.

【Harvested one fourth-grade Spirit-Nurturing Pine cone, obtained a fifth-grade magical artifact, the Soul Piercing Spike.】

A spike appeared quietly in his hand.

The spike was silver-white, over half a foot long, adorned with many intricate and obscure hollowed-out runes, exquisitely beautiful, and profoundly deep, as if drawing Lu Xuan's soul into it.

Upon inspecting it with his spiritual consciousness, he felt a sharp intent assault him, causing a slight prickling pain.

Focusing his mind on the silver-white spike, detailed information about it flashed through his sea of consciousness.

【Soul Piercing Spike, a fifth-grade magical artifact, when activated, can cause great harm to the souls of cultivators and demon beasts alike, severely injuring or even obliterating the soul, resulting in immediate death.】