LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 457: A Devout Cultivator with a Heart for the Righteous Path
"Feeding on resentful spirits, its habits are somewhat similar to the Ghost-Faced Mushroom I cultivated before," Lu Xuan reflected, feeling somewhat troubled. It wasn't for any other reason than a shortage of resentful spirits in his possession.
Currently, he had two treasures containing resentful spirits. One was a fourth-grade Soul-Inducing Lamp, previously filled with numerous resentful spirits and grievances in a secret realm, including those of mid to late Foundation Establishment cultivators—valuable for their quality, not quantity. The other was the Wood Infant he had acquired a long time ago.
With a thought, the cyan-black infant floated out of the Gluttonous Insect Pouch. "Poor child, nearly drained by the Holy Infant Fruit tree," Lu Xuan lamented as he looked at the cyan-black infant with gray-white pupils and a resentful expression.
Seeing the infant's defiant appearance, the Wind and Thunder Sword in his hand emitted a clear sword chime, revealing half of its blade surrounded by dancing arcs of electricity. "Do you want to taste the electric shock again?" The infant, having been struck by the Purple Lightning Sword and Wind and Thunder Sword numerous times, instantly switched from a resentful to a fearful expression upon seeing the blade.
Lu Xuan looked at the Wood Infant's abdomen, which had previously been round and full of infant souls but was now much more shriveled, and the speed at which it spat out souls had significantly slowed. After satisfying the needs of the Holy Infant Fruit tree, the Wood Infant clearly showed signs of exhaustion.
Now, with two Holy Infant Fruit trees and the newly acquired Weeping Ghost Wood, the demand for resentful spirits had sharply increased. "Cutting expenses is out of the question, as it would delay the harvest of luminous rewards. I must find a way to increase supply," he concluded, securing the Weeping Ghost Wood seed for planting in the Underworld Courtyard next time.
"Speaking of which, the number of sinister plants in the Underworld Courtyard is increasing," he noted. "Just at the fifth grade level, there are the Aberrant Longevity Peach, Holy Infant Fruit, Blood Woe Flower, and now this Weeping Ghost Wood, not to mention the Blood Spirit Palm Ginseng, Filth-Eating Grass, and Thousand Tendril Hand."
"And there's that disaster-level sinister Flesh Spirit Deity being nurtured."
"But this doesn't change my identity as a cultivator of the righteous path."
The Underworld Courtyard had fully developed into a place where a demonic beast carcass would be devoured entirely—blood, meat, bones, and soul—leaving nothing behind, a practice he likened to a clean plate movement.
As he pondered, he took out another multicolored spiritual seed. Planting it in the spiritual soil, he concentrated, and a thought emerged in his mind.
"The Seven Emotions Bean, a fourth-grade spiritual plant, requires the absorption of seven emotions—joy, anger, sorrow, thought, confusion, fear, and shock—during its growth stage. Upon maturity, it can assist in the cultivation of the Emotion Extinguishing Extreme Nature Technique. Direct consumption can help a cultivator discard all desires, focus solely on cultivation, and remain undisturbed by external influences."
"Cultivating the Seven Emotions Bean long-term, providing it with various emotions, will lead to the cultivator's own emotional desires being severed."
"Passion is always frustrated by apathy."
"No wonder this is my first time hearing about such a plant capable of absorbing emotions," Lu Xuan mused silently.
"I wonder what effects it would have if cross-bred with the Enchanting Spirit Peach."
"One incites the deepest desires of a cultivator's heart, while the other devours desires, leading to a cessation of emotions—a battle between spear and shield."
A quirky thought flashed through his mind, but in the end, he decided to plant it properly in the spiritual field, keeping them separate.
Another fourth-grade magical tool, the Demon-Subduing Stake, was carefully maintained by Lu Xuan's spiritual consciousness. Having recently visited a broken secret realm, he planned to emerge from the Myriad Beasts Grotto after some time, harvesting luminous rewards while also visiting the Underworld Courtyard and the broken secret realm.
The Enchanting Spirit Peach had entered its maturity stage, and he wondered if the second batch of spiritual fruits and the luminous rewards they provided would be affected.
Jade Dew Fruit, Earth Fire Heart Lotus, and Profound Insect Vine were also approaching maturity, and he anticipated they would ripen soon.
Though the Flame Fruit and Ice Gourd Fruit in the broken secret realm hadn't been planted long,
nourished by the pure spiritual qi within and being of only second grade, they too had begun to bear Flame Spirit Fruits and Deep Blue Ice Cold Spirit Fruits.
About to venture into the Myriad Beasts Blessed Land, he meticulously inspected the spiritual field one last time.
The Arrow Vines had grown many arrow-shaped branches, swaying gently in the wind, not yet displaying the formidable array of thousands of arrows being released.
Using the Instantaneous Arrow Technique, Lu Xuan condensed arrows of spiritual power that merged into the numerous small arrows on the vines. After practicing the "Instantaneous Arrow Technique" for some time, he had finally managed to cast it properly.
In the Sword Grass area, the fourth-grade Thousand Owls Sword Grass, Sword Peacock, and Green Lotus Sword Grass were all thriving. The first-planted Thousand Owls Sword Grass was gradually showing the might of a fourth-grade Sword Grass, with many owl-shaped special sword qi swiftly moving through the air with a whoosh.
On the Sword Peacock plant, hundreds of sword qi, resembling peacock feathers, freely contracted and expanded, the sword qi flamboyant and filled with endless lethal intent.
After practicing the "Thousand Owls Sword Technique" and "Peacock Sword Formation," Lu Xuan approached the Green Lotus Sword Grass. His mastery of the "Green Lotus Sword Scripture" was still at a beginner level, so he proceeded with utmost caution in cultivating the Green Lotus Sword Grass.
After carefully inspecting all the spiritual plants in the cave dwelling's spiritual field and leaving enough spiritual fruits and demonic beast meat for the Wind Falcon and Cloud-Stepping Lynx, Lu Xuan once again entered the Myriad Beasts Grotto.
He felt a familiar sense of solidity under his feet. Landing on the thick clouds, the Cloud Houses that merged with the clouds were not far away.
"Junior Brother Lu, you're back." Sensing someone outside, Sun Yun and the others came out from the Cloud Houses, all smiling brightly upon seeing Lu Xuan.
"Yes, I'm back," Lu Xuan nodded to everyone.
"These past few days, thank you, brothers, for looking after the blessed land's spiritual beasts. Everything went smoothly, I hope?"
"Everything as usual, no problems with the spiritual beasts," replied Sun Yun, the highest in cultivation.
"That's good."
After chatting with the group about recent developments in the Myriad Beasts Grotto and resting for a while in a Cloud House, Lu Xuan headed to the lake where the old dragon turtle resided.
"I was wondering why today's divination showed auspicious signs; it turns out you've returned."
"What, finally remembered this old turtle?"
The old dragon turtle was leisurely lying on a flat giant rock, its belly facing up, with the "Blissful Heart Sutra" opened above its head.
"Of course, I've missed you, Elder. As soon as I entered the blessed land, I hurried over to see you," Lu Xuan responded, knowing well the character of this ancient being who had lived through countless years.
He carefully avoided looking directly at the shallow yellow silk, fearing to embarrass himself in front of the old dragon turtle, and replied with his head lowered.
"At least you still have some conscience."
"Next time you go out, see if you can find a similar magical tool for me, one that allows for simultaneous viewing and can switch on its own."
"Oh? Such good fortune?" The old dragon turtle perked up at the thought, imagining the bliss of being surrounded by the "Blissful Heart Sutra" from all sides, each offering a different splendid scene—a truly fortunate life for a turtle.