Chương 51: Chapter 50 – On The Road to Wealth

"These are marvelous! You really do have an affinity for growing herbs, junior!" Senior Biyu remarked as she examined the results of a month of Ren's efforts. The Morning Mist Iris looked ephemeral beside the Heaven Swallowing Gourd, which almost seemed to draw everyone's eye. The herbs were glowing to Ren's qi sense, densely filled with qi. Ren had underestimated the difficulty of growing foundation realm herbs.

Just because he provided them their ideal environments didn't mean he didn't also have to pay close attention and care rigorously for them. If it weren't for the sutra's assistance in compensating for his initial mistakes, Ren no doubt would have failed. The herbs' requirements changed as they grew and needed intricately balanced qi flows to grow well. Ren had learned quickly and adjusted his methods in time to ensure a successful harvest.

To his surprise, both the herbs were on the verge of qualifying as high quality. It turned out, when he wasn't hindering the plants' growth with his mistakes, the environment enhanced their quality significantly.

"It was nothing much, Senior! But if you feel that it is something worth mentioning to your friends, then this junior would be most grateful." Ren clasped his hands to indicate his gratitude. The entire reason he had taken this risk entirely upon himself was to secure their aid in getting more clients.

"Naturally, we will. A talented herb grower such as yourself will inevitably be sought out by many. For now, start with these 3 disciples. They should also be seeking specific herbs that you might be able to help them with. Just don't forget us when you become successful." Senior Biyu said with a smile and gave him a way to contact those she mentioned.

"How could I ever forget your aid?" Ren had gotten this far with the aid of others. Even his cultivation depended on the bonds he forged with others. Naturally, he knew the value of relationships. Now that Ren had decided to be brave and actively grow the number of karmic connections he forged, he had formed a seed of intent to connect with the two seniors. To help the seed bloom, his intent this time was to have a successful business exchange.

Once the seeds bloomed, he would reinforce them with a karmic strand construct.

"Here, you've earned this!" Senior Biyu handed him two mid-grade spirit stones. The moment he received them, he felt the seed of his intent trigger and bloom into a connection as expected. Ren quickly infused the connections with a prepared strand, feeling the intangible connection firm up. The two mid-grade spirit stones were the first he had ever earned. They concealed in their crystalline depths far more qi than a spirit stone.

While it may not have been equal in quantity to a 100 spirit stones, the purity of the qi was a step above, thus worth more. This transaction alone had fetched Ren a profit of around 150 spirit stones! The market for foundation realm resources was on a whole other level, and Ren could see himself becoming rich enough to obtain all the techniques and resources he desired. Since the trial had ended 4 months ago, Ren's life had practically been one of a pauper, albeit one with a hidden stash of unusable gold.

Ren was now finally in a place to start earning wealth once again. However, when Ren recalled the amounts of spirit stones thrown around during the auction, he curbed his expectations. He still had a long way to go. Yet just as undeniably, he had begun progressing toward that kind of wealth if he kept working diligently. Ren headed to the Hall of Contribution to see if there were any other herb-growing missions he could accept and to convert the stones to merit points.

He had considered for a long time what his immediate requirements were, and with a month to go over the various descriptions of techniques, Ren already had a few techniques in mind. At the hall, he left a message for the three disciples Senior Biyu had recommended. He accepted one request for a herb that he had a good chance of growing well. He also converted the stones into merit points. As he was leaving, Ren ran into Senior Chun Wei.

It wasn't too surprising, as the outer sect had mostly returned to its normal levels of activity, but Ren still didn't expect to meet him here. He looked more gaunt and tired than before, and as Ren looked him over, he saw the left sleeve of his robe hang empty. To Ren's senses, the cultivator before him was at the same stage he was. Or even slightly lower as Ren was starting to approach the third layer of the foundation realm.

He averted his eyes and bowed to greet the senior who had guided his early days in the sect.

"You look well, Zhao Ren! I am pleased to see you have joined us in the inner sect! I had no doubt you would." Chun Wei greeted him warmly in turn. They hadn't met since Chun Wei had ascended to the inner court over a year ago. Ren had always held this man in high esteem and owed him a great deal, so his voice held nothing but respect when he addressed him. They got to talking and shared some of their experiences since they'd last met.

It turned out that Senior Chun Wei had lost his arm in the inheritance trial, but despite that, he still behaved the same as before, offering plenty of helpful advice. As they talked, Ren observed how instead of being diminished by the loss of a limb, he still showed the same resolute will to move forward. The degree of respect he had for this cultivator grew higher in his heart. They parted ways when Senior Chun Wei cited some work but only after he invited Ren to visit his abode later.

Ren headed to the Hall of Scripture and bought the three techniques he most needed and could afford. For 240 merit points, the ' Turning Seasons Sword Array Technique'. A versatile sword manipulating technique that boasted strong defense and was perfect for formation users. For 100 merit points, a qi sensing technique, the ' Sky Piercing Divine Sense,' is finally replacing Third Eye Sense. And with the last 60 points, the ' Intermediate Insect Control', which was a step above the basic technique he had.

Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Truthfully, Ren could have waited to purchase the qi sensing technique, instead choosing to save for a body cultivation manual. That and one other technique he fervently yearned for. But as he had come to terms with where his talent lay, he decided not to be thrifty. He anticipated his business would grow enough that this small amount of points wouldn't matter much.

Same as last time, he copied a few of the free jade slips to take home to study. There was a lot of information about foundation establishment realm herbs, and plants this time as he had faced his shortcomings. He also saw a notice for a lecture on formations and alchemy in the coming months, so he remembered the dates to attend. His business in the inner sect taken care of, it was time to return. As Ren approached his mountain abode, he couldn't deny it any longer.

The chaotic flows of qi around the mountain had grown more turbulent. From his vantage point in the sky, he could see how the mountain peak was almost free of the storm, which had receded to the upper-middle range. The longer his formations worked, and the more the storm was pushed back, the stronger it was growing. Part of the problem was whatever treasure lay concealed in the heart of the mountain.

Because Ren hadn't identified its properties, it created holes and imbalances in the vast formation, gradually disrupting qi flows after he spent days redirecting them. And its effects were slowly growing stronger too. Ren suspected it was going to mature soon, and before that happened, he needed to act. He couldn't put it off much longer. If the treasure catastrophically disrupted the formation and the dragon veins in unpredicted ways, then it was entirely possible Ren wouldn't have a mountain left to call home.

The storm of qi that railed against the shackles of his formations would be explosively set free. The unknown risks awaiting him inside were soon going to be outweighed by not acting. Ren hopped off his sword and surveyed his abode after his journey. After months of operation, the formation at the center of his mountain-spanning array had greatly impacted the environment. The spirit spring still emanated large amounts of qi, which his formation would pull apart and purify.

The Yin qi present had grown from mere traces to a palpable effect, where the air felt a little colder and the shadows darker. Ren had done his best to mitigate the buildup of the yin qi by using all the yang attribute plants he could find to complete the inner circle of the formation. Sadly, none of the spirit plants were treasures capable of competing with 5 fully empowered yin attribute formation eyes.

Now the buildup of yin qi was reaching levels that let the formation continue operating at peak efficiency even during the day. Only during the afternoons when the sun was at its highest would it halt. Despite the dangerous accumulation, Ren had no intention of stopping it. On the contrary, his plan called for even more yin qi. The benefit of having such a rich environment was also evident from the growth of the formation eyes. The Resin Willow Tree, while young, had grown quickly.

The streamer-like leaves sprouted from its branches to sweep low against the ground. The thick resinous sap it was known for had started to drip from its trunk already, where it seeped into waiting receptacles. The Ossiferous Lunar Yin Flame was almost completely recovered. Very soon, Ren could begin forging. Beside the large pile of snake bones, he had already built a forge. He had carved formations of durability and heat containment within it and tested it by forging a few array flags.

The Flesh Eating Moss was now constantly in a state of expansion. The edges that hung over the boulder were usually harvested by Ren. Part of it was food for the tortoises, and the rest he stored away carefully for when he had time to experiment with it. The oldest moss at the center of the boulder was a deeper, darker red, and even that shade was starting to spread outward. The metal staff had a light buildup of frost on it.

That alone wouldn't have been that strange, but the lunar silver he had placed at the base of the metal staff had started to flake into small fragments that whirled around the staff like a silver fog. This transformation had taken time, but clearly none of the formation eyes were unaffected by the vast amount of qi of the spirit spring. The Purifying Life Lotuses in full bloom stood out starkly against the blood pool, the petals untouched and pristine.

Despite the copious amounts of blood he poured into the pool, it never overflowed, and the qi both the pool and the lotuses released had only grown stronger. A stream of moths fluttered past his head and crowded around the lotus flowers. The Corpse Silk Moths had grown up well. Ren's fears of them possibly leaving to find a better home had abated when he realized they had settled comfortably here.

They preferred to feed on the life qi tinged with death, and between the serpents he slayed and the Purifying Life Lotuses, they had all they could feast upon. In between feedings, they resided on the Ghost Face tree. They should be grown enough that his new insect controlling technique should induce a new reproductive cycle. He wavered between allowing them to increase their numbers or harvesting the cocoons for the silk.

The information he found said each female laid tens of eggs at a time so maybe he could harvest a small portion. Either way, he could wait until the eggs hatched to decide. The Ghost Face Tree had also grown remarkably well in the yin-heavy atmosphere, and even more of the eponymous faces had appeared on the trunk. Ren hadn't bought into the rumors surrounding it but couldn't help but be relieved the faces weren't those of snakes. It proved that the faces were unrelated to the essence they fed on.

The newest additions to the formation were his Mutating Bamboo shoots. His one plant had been harvested after four shoots had been produced. Ren made the easy decision to plant each shoot near the three nodes that matched his spirit roots of earth, metal, and wood. They would need time to grow, but hopefully they accepted the influences of their environments. They would be perfect for his new Sword Array art. The final shoot had been placed near the spirit spring so more shoots could be obtained in the future.

The parent bamboo was almost done being refined by Ren. It was strange, but the rounded bamboo had flattened and gained an edge nearing maturity. The qi had faded once the new shoots emerged, but it was still far superior to his qi gathering realm blade. Once it was complete, Ren would descend the mountain to explore the treasure that lay at the heart of the mountain. Finished with his survey, Ren was ready to return to the cave to rest when he froze.

He had just spotted one of his tortoises releasing strange fluctuations of qi. He cautiously approached trying not to distract the little one. After an initial examination, Ren realized what was happening. After all this time, the first of his Myriad Path Tortoises was finally settling into an attribute!