You Cultivate, I Farm

Chapter 226: Amber Spirit Seed

Lu Xuan gradually diverged from the path taken by his three fellow sect members as he advanced further into the unknown territory. After covering a considerable distance, he decided to halt his steps.

Carefully sweeping his spiritual awareness over the surroundings, he found no traces of other cultivators. However, the density of the peculiar vines had noticeably increased, making them stand out as he observed the area.

The ghostly vines were a twisted network of thick and slender dark green tendrils, giving off an eerie appearance resembling spirits lurking in the woods. The tips of the vines bore grim green flowers that flickered like ghostly flames from a distance, adding an element of horror to the plants.

Maintaining a safe distance from the ghost vines to guard against potential ambushes, Lu Xuan activated a large-scale Spirit Rain Technique, covering a radius of a hundred yards.

Threads of spiritual rain descended, penetrating all the ghost vines within the range. This technique allowed him to gather detailed information and real-time status of the spirit plants and creatures. Even if these ghost vines transformed into demonic beasts, Lu Xuan could gain insights into their nature by absorbing the spiritual rain.

His mental energy focused on the nearest ghost vine, and information flooded his mind.

【Ghost Vine, third-grade spirit plant, mutated plant with strong attack capabilities. It camouflages as a normal spirit plant and actively ambushes demonic beasts or cultivators that approach them.】

【Feeds on the blood and flesh of other spirit plants and demonic beasts outside its kind.】

【Cannot be cultivated.】

"A mutated spirit plant that actively attacks cultivators or demonic beasts," Lu Xuan mused. Encountering spirit plants with aggressive tendencies was a new experience for him. While in Linyang Fang Market, mutated spirit plants existed, but they did not display active aggression.

As he joined the Sect, the variety and grade of cultivated spirit plants increased. However, whether due to their innate nature or control by hidden cultivators, they did not exhibit behaviors like these mutated ghost vines – actively attacking.

Lu Xuan continued examining other spirit plants within the range of the Spirit Rain Technique. Out of nearly twenty ghost vines, most were mutated. Only after the sixth one did he find a normal ghost vine.

【Ghost Vine... Matured, it can be used to refine certain high-grade elixirs and assist in cultivating Yin-evil techniques.】

【Normal growth through the absorption of spiritual energy.】

Among the more than twenty ghost vines, only four were normal spirit plants, while the rest were mutated.

"There are still notable differences between mutated and normal plants."

"Their growth patterns slightly differ. Mutated plants are no longer satisfied with simply absorbing spiritual power; they have a strong craving for the blood and flesh of other spirit plants and demonic beasts outside their kind."

"However, during the mutation process, some unknown changes may occur, preventing mutated ghost vines from cultivating and continuing their life."

Lu Xuan sighed, making a mental note of the four normal spirit plants.

"What does it mean to be a professional?"

"No need for cautious elimination, no need for risky battles. A Spirit Rain Technique can quickly identify normal ghost vines."

"That's what being professional means."

While the previous three individuals adopted a violent approach, stepping on the vines one by one and dealing with them collectively, Lu Xuan's method was more like mine sweeping. He marked which ones were dangerous and which were not, then directly bypassed the mutated plants to harvest the normal ghost vines.

He approached a mutated ghost vine with small, careful steps. His hand extended slowly toward the grim green flowers on the vines.

"A third-grade spirit plant, soon to be in my hands."

Just as his fingertips were about to touch the flowers, Lu Xuan abruptly turned around and walked towards another vine.

The mutated ghost vines, which had shown signs of agitation as Lu Xuan approached, calmed down. Hundreds of tentacle-like roots retracted into the ground beneath him.

Lu Xuan repeated this process, pretending to approach mutated spirit plants and then swiftly withdrawing just before contact. When he encountered a true normal ghost vine, he harvested it without hesitation.

Lu Xuan's actions seemed to enrage the mutated spirit plants.

Upon harvesting the last normal ghost vine within the coverage of the Spirit Rain Technique, hundreds of thorny dark green tendrils suddenly emerged from the ground, attacking Lu Xuan like lightning.

"Come on!"

Prepared in advance, Lu Xuan slapped the mottled blue gourd at his waist.

Instantly, a sharp sword resonance echoed, and countless subtle sword energies shot out from the mouth of the gourd, intercepting the dark green tendrils.

The sword energy was extremely sharp, leaving numerous fine sword marks on the tendrils. As their number increased, and the marks became deeper, the dark green tentacles shattered, falling to the ground.

Lu Xuan, after deploying the sword energy from the sword gourd, activated the Purple Lightning Sword. Using the Autumn Wind Sword Technique from the Grand Mastery of the Four Seasons Sword Art, it was like a breeze sweeping through, carrying an eerie coldness with boundless killing intent.

Sections of dark green tendrils fell to the ground, wriggling like severed earthworms in the ashen-black soil, struggling in the throes of death.

After losing their deceptive abilities and suffering from the sudden attack, the aggressive nature of the mutated ghost vines decreased several notches. Lu Xuan easily dealt with the few that were attempting to surround him.

"Hmm? Why did they suddenly retreat?"

He noticed that after identifying them, the mutated plants in the distance quickly burrowed into the spiritual soil, taking with them the tendrils on the ground and the normal ghost vines, making them disappear instantly.

Lu Xuan sensed that something was amiss.

"Did they discover my restraint against them, or is this a premeditated action?"

He wondered, and a faint green light in his dantian gently rotated.

Strands of green wood-source energy emerged from his body. Controlled by Lu Xuan's spiritual awareness, they quickly wove into a large green net with an extremely small mesh, ensuring that no tiny spirit seed would be missed.

He planned to use this net to thoroughly plow through the empty medicine garden and discover any hidden spirit seeds.

Green wood-source energy naturally had an affinity with spirit plants, capable of keenly sensing the vitality within the spirit seeds. It was much easier than using spiritual awareness to search.

The pale green net continued to penetrate into the ground until reaching the limit of Lu Xuan's spiritual awareness before he retracted it.

Lu Xuan wasn't discouraged. He found a new area and continued screening and sifting for spirit seeds.

"There it is."

After numerous attempts, Lu Xuan sensed an extremely weak fluctuation of vitality from the pale green net.

He activated the Earth-Attracting Technique, constantly changing the soil structure, bringing everything to the surface.

A spirit seed resembling amber emerged.