Chapter 536
When Song Zhangmen heard this, his eyes lit up with envy. After all, they were in the business of selling elixirs, and they knew all too well the profits involved. Just looking at that shop, it was clear that Zhen Ling Sect had struck gold.
What was even more infuriating was that Zhen Ling Sect's alchemy skills were nowhere near as good as theirs!
"Zhangmen, we can't let that shop slip away! Hand it over to me! In less than three years..." The Grand Elder pondered for a moment before whispering, "We'll be even richer than before!"
Song Zhangmen nodded slowly, then let out a bitter laugh.
"Grand Elder, have you forgotten? We don't even have any medicinal herbs left in our sect..."
"Three years won't be enough for those spiritual herbs to grow."
The Grand Elder was taken aback, and his expression suddenly darkened.
No matter how skilled he was, without spiritual herbs, he had no means to work with.
While it was possible to buy spiritual herbs, the costs and channels involved were a huge hassle...
Calculating it all, it seemed quite difficult to make a lot of money in the short term.
Song Zhangmen and the Grand Elder exchanged glances, recalling the dismal state of their own herb garden, and their tongues felt bitter.
...
At that moment, Qian Zhenren spoke up, "Everyone, since we've finished looking around the market, why not visit our sect's herb garden?"
Herb garden?
To Song Zhangmen, those two words were like nails on a chalkboard.
The Grand Elder likely felt the same way.
Though it was unpleasant to hear, the group from Qing Mu Sect dared not refuse. They followed Sister Zhang with strange expressions and arrived at the herb garden.
At that moment, the experimental field in the herb garden was no longer filled with the previous spiritual rice and various crops; instead, it had been replaced with a new batch of medicinal herbs.
"Fu Yao Ye, Chang Chun Teng, Dian Xing Cao..."
The Grand Elder gaped, mesmerized, counting each herb one by one in a murmuring tone, as if he were dreaming.
Song Zhangmen's expression was about to split with joy.
The herbs in this experimental field were exactly what had been cultivated in Qing Mu Sect's original herb garden.
And they were even more robust.
This experimental field looked like the former herb garden of Qing Mu Sect—or rather, the herb garden of Qing Mu Sect from a dream!
They cultivated these herbs because the entire Qing Mu Sect was in dire need of these spiritual herbs!
At that moment, he realized that Jiu Shan Sect had grown these herbs to tempt him, to pierce his heart, making him drool with desire!
He had considered that Jiu Shan Sect might use temptation, but this level of precision was a bit excessive...
Who leaked the information that Qing Mu Sect was left with just a handful of resources?
As Song Zhangmen turned his head, he saw Zhao Jingfan grinning widely, his two rows of white teeth gleaming. In Song Zhangmen's eyes, this guy's face was shamelessly screaming three words:
"It was me!"
(End of this chapter)
---
Chapter 405: Not Important, On the Ship and Under the Ship
Zhao Jingfan's expression was quite obvious.
The herbs grown in Jiu Shan Sect's experimental field were far too deliberate.
But Song Zhangmen had to admit that it was hard for him and the other elders of Qing Mu Sect to tear their eyes away from the vibrant spiritual herbs in front of them.
Especially the Grand Elder of Qing Mu Sect, whose keen sense of smell made him intimately familiar with these herbs. His eyes narrowed slightly, his nostrils flaring, and his expression was one of intoxication, like a hopeless drunkard entering a century-old distillery.
"This Fu Yao Ye must be at least ten years old..."
"The spiritual energy of this Chang Chun Teng is top-notch; just one whiff reveals its potent medicinal properties! It's perfect for refining Feng Hua Dan..."
Though they were still several paces away from the experimental field, he seemed to gauge the quality of the spiritual herbs solely by scent, marveling at them.
"Hmm?"
The Grand Elder's nose twitched, and a look of confusion crossed his face, as if he were uncertain:
"Wait... this isn't right."
Everyone was puzzled.
Song Zhangmen asked, "What's not right?"
The Grand Elder suddenly opened his eyes wide, a piercing light shining from his withered gaze as he pointed at a particular spiritual herb in the experimental field: "This Dian Xing Cao, something's off!"
Upon hearing this, Song Zhangmen was even more bewildered.
But Sister Zhang and Qian Zhenren exchanged glances, and a hint of amusement appeared on their faces.
Qian Zhenren chuckled, "Elder, your insight into these spiritual herbs is truly impressive."
Sister Zhang looked at the Grand Elder with admiration; since her junior lacked talent in alchemy, the more capable this old man was, the better.
As for his eccentric personality, well, her junior had a way of dealing with such quirky old men.
"This Dian Xing Cao is unique to our Jiu Shan realm!"
"I just cultivated it."
Upon hearing this, the Grand Elder's eyes lit up, and he looked eagerly at the row of seemingly unremarkable spiritual herbs.
"This is my first time cultivating Dian Xing Cao; why not guide me, Elder?"
Qian Zhenren, who had been responsible for the market in his early years, had a keen mind, especially since this experimental field was designed to lure them in.
Now that the fish had taken the bait, why worry about it not biting?
As soon as he finished speaking, the Grand Elder of Qing Mu Sect sprang into action, leaping into the experimental field with lightning speed.
The old man squatted beside a Dian Xing Cao, his nose twitching, his eyes scanning from the tip of the herb to its roots. From his expression, it seemed he was eager to dig it up and study it thoroughly.
Seeing this, Song Zhangmen felt a bit awkward and softly explained, "Elder Xiong is being rude..."
Sister Zhang waved her hand, clearly not minding.
Jiu Shan Sect had also inquired about Qing Mu Sect's situation—how could they not? Zhao Jingfan was selling information like hotcakes.
This Grand Elder of Qing Mu Sect, whose surname was Xiong, was a pillar of the sect, so everyone simply referred to him as the Grand Elder.
His expertise in alchemy was second to none in the Hundred Immortals Alliance.
Sister Zhang naturally showed him a bit more tolerance.
"This Dian Xing Cao..." Over there, Elder Xiong spoke again, his tone puzzled, as if he couldn't quite understand, "It really is different."
Qian Zhenren smiled with a hint of pride.
Zhao Jingfan had relayed the "prosperity" of Qing Mu Sect's herb garden, and Zheng Fa had collected some corresponding spiritual herbs in the market—this was not solely to attract Qing Mu Sect but also to develop the alchemy industry, with herb cultivation being a crucial part.
Coincidentally, Jiu Shan Sect's agriculture had already established a solid foundation, and their expertise in cultivating and improving spiritual plants was at the forefront of the Xuan Wei realm.
In other words, even without the matter of the "Jiu Shan Golden Dan Method," the development of agriculture in Jiu Shan would naturally lead to advancements in their alchemical studies.
Due to the short time frame, Qian Zhenren had not achieved much in cultivating these spiritual herbs, with the only notable success being this Dian Xing Cao.
"Elder, you have a keen eye." After a bit of flattery, Qian Zhenren continued, "This Dian Xing Cao is a new variety we cultivated, and it is indeed somewhat different from the ones found outside."
Everyone from Qing Mu Sect focused intently on Qian Zhenren.
At that moment, Qian Zhenren, who was merely at the Foundation Establishment stage, had become the center of attention among the group of Nascent Soul cultivators.
He no longer felt the timidness of being an outsider in the Jiu Shan realm; though he didn't appear overly proud, he certainly spoke with confidence.
"We've compared them, and our Dian Xing Cao grows a bit faster than other varieties. In about three years, it can match the potency of those found outside that take five years to mature."
"Is that true?" Elder Xiong pressed for confirmation.
The members of Qing Mu Sect exchanged glances.
Three years versus five years didn't sound like much, but when it came to sixty years versus a hundred years, the difference was significant!
For Qing Mu Sect, the price of a hundred-year-old Dian Xing Cao and a sixty-year-old one was worlds apart!
"Elder, the one in front of you has been growing for twenty-seven years under the influence of the Sun and Moon Bell."
The members of Qing Mu Sect fell silent, staring at the Dian Xing Cao.
They didn't even need Elder Xiong's keen eyesight; they could tell that this Dian Xing Cao was brimming with medicinal properties... very much like a fifty-year-old Dian Xing Cao from their previous herb garden.
"How long did it take you to improve this Dian Xing Cao?" Elder Xiong asked a crucial question.
Every sect skilled in cultivating spiritual herbs usually had one or two unique varieties, and Qing Mu Sect had its own in the past.
"Half a month."
Qian Zhenren's three words left the members of Qing Mu Sect utterly stunned, their eyes wide as they stared at him.
They had unique varieties, but they had been carefully selected and cultivated over generations.
Half a month?
Was that even possible?
Seeing their incredulous expressions, Qian Zhenren felt a bit guilty and added softly, "Uh... actually, it was eighteen days."
Song Zhangmen twitched his lips, as if he hadn't been comforted at all.
Noticing their speechlessness, Sister Zhang seized the moment to speak:
Table of Contents
