You Cultivate, I Farm

After presenting the "Blissful Heart Sutra" obtained from the luminous orb of the Enchanted Peach, Lu Xuan noticed his encounters with the old dragon turtle had noticeably decreased.

When they did meet recently, even the physical resilience of the dragon turtle, a sixth-grade spirit beast, showed signs of weakness.

According to it, it had been continuously contemplating and practicing a certain technique, day and night, consuming a great deal of mental and spiritual energy, leading to its current state.

Lu Xuan could only choose to believe it, casually advising the dragon turtle to take care of its body and not overexert itself.

"Spending all day with the 'Blissful Heart Sutra', could it have stumbled upon some dual cultivation technique of yin and yang?"

Lu Xuan thought amusingly to himself upon his return.

The thought of the solitary old dragon turtle deciphering the path of dual cultivation made Lu Xuan chuckle inwardly.

Giving away the fourth-grade "Blissful Heart Sutra" to the dragon turtle didn't pain him much.

After all, the second batch of Enchanted Peaches was about to mature, and he could open it from the luminous orb then.

With these thoughts, Lu Xuan walked towards his dwelling in the Cloud Houses, stepping on thick clouds.

"Brother Lu."

A voice rang out. Looking towards the source, he saw an early Foundation Establishment cultivator greeting him, carrying a load of spirit fruits.

"Junior brother, are these spirit fruits for feeding the blessed land's spirit beasts?"

"Yes, brother."

The cultivator promptly responded.

Lu Xuan nodded and walked past him.

Having spent some time in the Myriad Beasts Grotto, Lu Xuan had gained a certain understanding of how Sun Yun and the others cared for and fed the spirit beasts.

The dense and pure spiritual energy within the blessed land meant that most spirit beasts needed only to absorb it to sustain their growth. Occasionally, treasures like Emperor Flow Nectar would descend from the sky, strengthening their physical bodies.

This also served as a perk for those residing in the blessed land of the Sky Sword Sect, with the Cloud Houses constructed precisely to better absorb and refine such treasures.

Besides, Sun Yun and the others would regularly provide certain spirit beasts with spirit fruits or demonic beast meat.

Lu Xuan noticed that the spirit fruits were generally of low grade and average quality, far from being as diverse in combination as his own.

And the demonic beast meat, untouched by any culinary process, lacked the variety of cooking methods like steaming, frying, or stewing.

"No wonder the white ape and the bored phoenix birds love to feast in my cave dwelling. Having to eat these items all the time, they must grow terribly weary."

Lu Xuan instantly understood the behavior of his two powerful spirit beasts.

Although the spirit fruits and demonic beast meat might not be gourmet, they were essential for the spirit beasts, indispensable for their upkeep.

Despite having his own opinions on their feeding methods, Lu Xuan refrained from criticizing, choosing not to interfere with their established habits.

On a vast mountain peak.

An old ape sat cross-legged on a flat stone platform, leisurely sipping spirit tea amidst the swirling clouds, a picture of serene contentment.

"Lu young friend, you've drunk quite a bit of my Hundred-Fruit Spirit Juice these past days. Today, try my specially brewed Monkey Wine."

The old ape poured a cup of golden spirit brew for Lu Xuan sitting beside him.

The spirit brew gently swayed in the cup, enticing Lu Xuan's soul, as if he were about to be forever lost in its depths.

He sipped cautiously.

Upon entering his stomach, the Monkey Wine made Lu Xuan's spirit scatter uncontrollably, spreading his consciousness far and wide.

His veins, flesh, and organs all radiated a warm sensation.

"This Monkey Wine of yours is indeed extraordinary, senior. Even tasting it a second time, I find it hard to acclimate."

Lu Xuan said, slightly tipsy.

"The first drink offers the strongest marrow-cleansing effect. Subsequent drinks lessen the bodily refinement effect, requiring long-term consumption for slight improvements."

Hearing Lu Xuan's praise for his Monkey Wine, the old ape's face lit up with pride.

"That would indeed make it a supreme spirit brew."

"However, I'm curious about something. I remember hearing about Monkey Wine in the market when I was still an independent cultivator. Why is there such a huge difference between that and yours?"

Lu Xuan asked curiously.

"The name might be the same, but the quality of the spirit brew ultimately depends on other factors."

"Among them, the original materials and the brewing secret technique are most crucial."

"The technique, in particular, is of utmost importance."

The old ape patiently explained to Lu Xuan, devoid of the ferocity previously known.

"I recall you are a spirit plant cultivator?

The quality of the spirit plants you cultivate seems to be above average."

When spirit fruits were mentioned, the old ape remembered Lu Xuan's identity.

That his own offspring and the little phoenix bird were so fixated on him indicated the high quality of Lu Xuan's cultivated spirit plants.

"Indeed, I do have some accomplishments in spirit plant cultivation, rarely failing in nurturing them, and the average quality is somewhat higher than that cultivated by other spirit plant masters."

Lu Xuan modestly said.

"In the sect, my reputation in spirit plant cultivation is quite good. The Pill Hall has commissioned me to cultivate several batches of spirit herbs for pill concoction."

"Even a Core Formation elder has asked me to cultivate a fifth-grade spirit plant for him."

"A Core Formation True Immortal requested you to cultivate spirit plants? And fifth-grade ones at that?"

The always calm and serene old ape showed a hint of surprise.

"Yes, it was True Immortal Li Qingxu."

Lu Xuan confirmed.

Seeing the old ape's reaction, Lu Xuan felt a secret thrill.

He had deliberately brought up the difference in Monkey Wine to lead the old ape to think of his identity as a spirit plant cultivator, thus showcasing his skills in spirit plant cultivation.

Naturally, this was to gain the old ape's interest in the spirit fruits used for brewing Monkey Wine and possibly the secret recipe obtained from the luminous orb.

As expected, upon hearing that True Immortal Li Qingxu had commissioned Lu Xuan to cultivate a fifth-grade spirit plant, the sixth-grade White Jade Heavenly Ape clearly became intrigued.

The spirit fruits and the secret recipe were key to brewing this particular Monkey Wine. For the ape, cultivating a spirit plant was challenging due to the need for constant care and considerable time and energy, even more so than battling with the old dragon turtle in the blessed land.

Knowing Lu Xuan's prowess in spirit plant cultivation, the ape couldn't help but consider entrusting him with cultivating the spirit fruits.

"Lu young friend, would you be willing to cultivate the spirit fruits for brewing Monkey Wine for me?"

The old ape tentatively asked Lu Xuan.

"To serve the senior, I am more than willing."

"However, since those spirit fruits involve such a rare and exquisite spirit brew, wouldn't entrusting them to me pose a risk of leakage?"

"Hahaha, you're overthinking it. The key to Monkey Wine is the secret recipe. As long as I keep the recipe to myself, no one else will know how to brew it."

The old ape laughed heartily, his laughter causing the clouds below to churn violently.

"Is that so? Then it was my undue concern."

Lu Xuan said, bowing his head.

"Old fellow, you know nothing of the power of the luminous orbs..."

He silently thought to himself.