Creating a paradise in an ant nest

Chapter 96 Nourishing the Soul with Moonflower

"Senior Brother Liu, my monthly salary is meager; please don't find this small token of my appreciation offensive."

Ma Guanming knew this was the custom when asking for help; everyone did it this way.

Liu He didn't reach out, shaking his head repeatedly: "Given our friendship, why would I accept spirit stones for such a small matter?"

He didn't lack those two spirit stones; on the contrary, Ma Guanming, as a menial disciple of the Talisman Peak, only received four spirit stones a month. "This—"

Seeing that Liu He wasn't being polite, Ma Guanming didn't know what to do.

"You can keep the spirit stone. I happen to need your help with something, so we're helping each other out."

"All right."

Ma Guanming put away the spirit stones, wondering why Liu He, with his cultivation level, would need his help.

"I have to go out on some business. Wait for me here at the beginning of tomorrow morning, and I will take you to Spirit Plant Peak."

Liu He and Ma Guanming agreed on a time, and then Liu He took his leave and headed to the Wangyue Peak Kung Fu Pavilion.

Inside the five-story main hall of the Gongfa Pavilion.

The books and classics on all sorts of things, from cultivation techniques to various unorthodox methods, are as vast as the ocean.

Liu He searched through them and found a treasure in the "Ganoderma lucidum" category after a while: the Soul-Nourishing Moonflower Ganoderma.

"So precious? It's actually a second-tier treasure!"

He was very excited; anything of the "second tier" was very valuable.

The book describes the Soul-Nourishing Moonflower Mushroom as a second-tier treasure that can enhance the strength of the soul, and its growth environment is very demanding.

First, there needs to be spiritual energy; the concentration of spiritual energy must be at least that of a second-tier spirit-gathering array.

Secondly, the terrain and environment are important. It needs to grow on a solitary peak or in a wide-open mountain valley, with no obstructions around it so that it can absorb the essence of the bright moon.

Furthermore, no other spiritual plants are allowed within a three-zhang radius of the place where the Soul-Nourishing Moonflower Ganoderma grows, so as not to compete for spiritual energy and nutrients. Cultivators or animals should be kept away from the surrounding area to avoid contamination by impure energy.

The age can be identified by the "moon halo" on its cap. It takes two hundred years to mature, and three hundred years is the limit. The price varies depending on the condition.

"The Soul-Nourishing Moonflower Herb in Commander Fu's storage bag is two hundred years old and worth approximately five thousand spirit stones!"

"No wonder he doesn't have much spirit stone savings."

"He probably bought the Soul-Nourishing Moonflower to prepare for breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage. Now I've gotten a good deal."

Liu He was secretly delighted.

The soul and spiritual energy are different. Qi cultivators can cultivate spiritual energy to improve their cultivation, but very few can cultivate their soul on their own.

To break through to the Foundation Establishment stage, one needs to reach the peak in spiritual energy, divine soul, and life force.

What can a cultivator who has reached the Qi Refining stage do if their soul strength is still a bit short of its limit? They can only buy resources and treasures to enhance their soul and nurture it to the limit of the Qi Refining stage.

Among all kinds of resources and treasures, those that enhance the soul are the rarest and most precious.

According to the records, the second-tier Soul Nourishing Moonflower has a slight effect on improving the soul of those who have reached the Foundation Establishment stage, and is even more effective for those who cultivate Qi.

Taking the Soul-Nourishing Moon Essence in the later stages of Qi Refining will definitely raise the strength of one's soul to the limit of Qi Refining.

"Place the Soul-Nourishing Moonflower Herb into the ant nest—"

Liu He thought to himself that he no longer needed to worry about the "divine soul" aspect of breaking through to the Foundation Establishment stage, as he had already met the requirement ahead of schedule.

After searching for the most crucial "Soul-Nourishing Moonflower Herb", he continued to search for information about the Spirit Vine in the Cultivation Techniques Pavilion.

He wanted to know what kind of second-tier spirit plant vine Fu Shuai was using.

"The Yama Vine, also known as the Yama Silk, is not considered strong among second-tier spirit vines, but it can grow by parasitizing other spirit trees, making it a parasitic spirit vine."

"And there's also the spirit vine that Steward Meng uses—the ever-changing magic vine."

The scene of Meng Yunxiang defeating Pang Qing high in the sky that day with the help of the ever-changing magic vine is still vivid in my mind.

Liu He has vivid memories of those battle scenes.

"Vine-type spiritual plants are often used as combat-type spiritual plants, and various combat spells have been developed for them, resulting in the selection and breeding of various varieties with strong vines and powerful combat capabilities."

It is not used as a resource-type spiritual plant for alchemy.

"Next time I go to Lingxiao Market, I'll go and see the seedlings of the Spirit Vine."

He has a unique advantage in cultivating spirit vines in the ant nest, and can try to learn the art of plant manipulation.

Besides the information on spirit vines and plant manipulation techniques, Liu He also browsed information on the Way of Talismans in the Cultivation Techniques Pavilion, and also checked the information on "Secret Realms of Space".

Liu He learned about the "Secret Space" from Commander Fu, who regarded his ant nest space as some kind of secret space.

The content about spatial secret realms in the cultivation method pavilion is very limited, consisting of only a few paragraphs.

"My ant nest is not a secret space, but something far more mysterious and unpredictable."

Liu He thought to himself, if the spatial secret realm is a treasure, then his ant nest is a treasure several levels higher.

Liu He spent the entire day reviewing various materials in the cultivation method pavilion.

He returned to Lingzhi Peak the following morning.

At the agreed time, he picked up Ma Guanming outside Lingzhi Peak and entered Lingzhi Peak.

"I'll take you to visit the Spirit Tree Garden first, and then we'll go to the Flower and Plant Garden."

The tests for identifying spiritual plants are primarily conducted in these two gardens; the spiritual plants in the Spirit Fruit Garden and Grain Garden are not tested much.

Liu He led Ma Guanming to Lingmu Garden first.

"Thank you, Senior Brother Liu."

Ma Guanming expressed his gratitude.

Upon entering Lingzhi Peak, surrounded by the sounds of birdsong and the fragrance of flowers, as well as the rich spiritual energy, he felt a deep sense of envy.

He lived on Qixia Peak, where the spiritual energy concentration was low and he also lived with a large number of menial disciples, making the environment much worse.

As he toured the Spirit Plant Peak, he identified each spirit tree and plant with an accuracy rate as high as 90%.

"Not bad, you recognize all these spiritual plants. You'll definitely pass the spiritual plant identification test."

Liu He praised.

Ma Guanming humbly replied, "Senior Brother Liu, you flatter me. I've seen the Spirit Plant Compendium countless times in the Cultivation Techniques Pavilion. This is the easiest part of the test. I wonder what the most crucial practical test is like?"

Last time Ma Guanming participated in the Lingzhi Peak selection, he did not undergo any practical testing.

With too many people applying for the selection, Lingzhi Peak will only select a small number of outstanding talents for practical testing.

Liu He had participated in a practical examination before and successfully passed the selection process, so he had experience.

"Practical tests assess the degree of mastery over magic."

Besides those with medium-level spiritual roots and those with the three attributes of wood, earth, and water, those with special talents in a particular area are more likely to be selected.

For example, pest control or promoting the growth of healthy plants. In short, one must excel in at least one area, or be outstanding in all aspects.

The path of spiritual plants is primarily based on the wood element, with earth and water elements as secondary elements. For those with spiritual talents of these three attributes, participating in practical examinations is merely a formality.

"Alas, it's a pity that I have mediocre talent and am not outstanding in any aspect of magic."

This is the best chance yet, with Lingzhi Peak selecting twenty menial disciples, far more than before.

If I fail to be selected this time, I will have to stay at Fulu Peak.

I also lack the talent for drawing talismans. If I cannot advance to the fourth level of Qi Refining in four years, I will have to leave the sect and become a rogue cultivator.

Ma Guanming was helpless; he knew his situation, but there was nothing he could do about it.

What can he do if he's not as talented as others?

The sect only gives its menial disciples ten years; if they cannot break through to the mid-stage of Qi Refining, they must leave the sect.

Don't be fooled by Liu He's rapid advancement from Qi Refining Level 3 to Level 4 in just one year; it wasn't an easy feat for a menial disciple.

The menial disciples lived on Qixia Peak, had no second-tier spirit-gathering array, and received very little monthly stipend in spirit stones.

There is still a small bottleneck between the third and fourth levels of Qi Refining.

Of all the miscellaneous disciples in the entire Qian Yuan Holy Sect, half of them cannot break through to the mid-stage of Qi Refining within ten years.

"Are there twenty slots available for miscellaneous discipleship this year?"

Liu He noticed the news and casually asked a question.

Last time he participated in the selection, there were only twelve spots available, but later two more were added.

"Yes, this time the Spirit Plant Peak has selected more outer disciples and miscellaneous disciples than before, increasing the chances of being selected, and everyone is very happy."

I heard it's because of something at your Spiritwood Garden—"

What happened at Lingmu Garden?

Liu He recalled Pang Qing's matter, which led to the disciplining of over twenty disciples at the Spirit Wood Garden. These vacancies could be filled during the Spirit Plant Peak selection.

"Ma Guanming, since you are a disciple of Talisman Peak, why are you so fixated on Spirit Plant Peak? Aren't there any good opportunities on Talisman Peak?"

Liu He asked curiously.

Logically speaking, Lingzhi Peak is the path to advancement for those menial disciples in the outer mountain forest farm.