You Cultivate, I Farm

Chapter 52

After exchanging a portion of third-grade Dragonvine for a second-grade Igniting Sword from a female cultivator, Daoist Lu continued to wander the black market.

Despite a thorough search, he couldn't find any more unknown spiritual species. Finding an empty spot, he hung the first-grade Flying Sword obtained from Qin Ming.

Finally, after negotiating, it sold for thirty-five spirit stones.

He didn't find any protective arrays that satisfied him in the market, and the cultivation techniques he encountered weren't of high grade either, so Lu had to give up on those.

After careful consideration, he spent thirty-two spirit stones on a first-grade shield named Iron Scale Shield, covered in tightly interlocked black scales, decent in terms of defense among first-grade artifacts.

The black market mostly housed exotic materials from demonic beasts and mature spiritual plants, followed by talismans and elixirs. These didn't pique Lu's interest much. Activating a guiding talisman with spiritual power, he followed the dense black mist's arrow-like indication and emerged.

As he stepped out, the cultivator guarding the entrance retrieved the guiding talisman.

Remaining vigilant, Lu swiftly left the outskirts of the black market.

Throughout his journey, nothing unexpected occurred. No one in the market seemed to have their eyes on this cultivator with seemingly average cultivation and background.

After more than half an hour, he returned outside his courtyard.

The protective array remained intact without any signs of intrusion.

Slightly relieved, Lu remembered the numerous rare spiritual plants within the spiritual field behind his courtyard.

First-grade Blood Jade Ginseng, Pure Snow Lotus, Crimson Cloud Pine, second-grade Sword Grass, Dark Marrow Fungus, and Clear Spirit Tea, third-grade Illusory Smoke Fruit...

Even without considering the rewards upon their maturity, their value alone could entice any cultivator to take risks.

Opening the courtyard gate, Lu caught sight of a streak of black light darting past him toward the back of the courtyard.

Startled at first, he quickly recognized the black figureit was the Blue-Eyed Cloud-Treading Lynx he had reluctantly left at home.

"This little fellow, has it been waiting for my return outside the door?" Lu wondered.

He circled to the outside of the courtyard, finding the lynx cub fixated on the Red Whiskered Carp swimming slowly in the spiritual spring pool, seemingly oblivious to Lu's return.

"I'm back!" Lu called out to the lynx, while the patrolling grass puppet's head rotated 180 degrees, its two hollow eyes glancing in the direction of the voice, continuing its patrol without hesitation.

The lynx remained undisturbed, its gray-white fur on the ears trembling slightly, revealing its inner joy.

Lu went straight back indoors.

Only then did the lynx turn its head, gazing at Lu's departing figure. Its ears perked up upon hearing Lu's approaching footsteps, swiftly turning around.

A soft thud.

A well-shaped piece of pufferfish meat landed in front of the lynx.

"Meow~" The lynx squeaked, grabbing the meat with its cloud-like paws and stuffing it into its mouth.

Lu chuckled softly, returning to the room.

This trip to the black market allowed him to trade the recently acquired second-grade Igniting Sword and the first-grade artifact Qin Ming left behind in his storage bag for a portion of third-grade Dragonvine and a first-grade defensive artifact, the Iron Scale Shield.

He broke even with spirit stones, renting a guiding talisman for three spirit stones, perfectly offsetting the three spirit stones earned from selling the sword and shield.

He retrieved the portion of Dragonvine from his storage bag. The deep black vine, about half a foot long, was a bit short if he intended to refine whip or rope-type artifacts.

However, it didn't greatly affect Lu. He had paid a considerable price for it mainly to cultivate and nurture it.

Holding the vine, resembling a snake, Lu arrived at an empty space within the spiritual field.

Each spiritual plant required a certain space, making the slightly more than an acre spiritual field somewhat insufficient.

Hence, Lu planned to prioritize quality over quantity. He'd acquire common spiritual plants like Firefly Grass and Blood Jade Ginseng from the Hundred Herbs Hall while seeking rarer, higher-grade species from other sources.

Employing his Earth Attraction Technique, the spiritual soil quietly changed, revealing a tiny fissure. Lu inserted the half-foot-long Dragonvine into the crack, leaving about two-thirds of it exposed. Threads of spiritual rain fell, soaking into the dry vine and permeating the surrounding spiritual soil.

The soil gradually moistened, and the water's spiritual essence seeped into the vine's surface, slowly penetrating its core.

Lu focused his mind on the dark, sinuous vine.

A thought flashed in his mind.

"Dragonvine, a third-grade spiritual plant. When matured, it can be used to cultivate and nurture Jiao Dragon monsters. After special treatment, it can be refined into whip or rope-type artifacts or serve as the main ingredient for certain rare elixirs."

"To cultivate Dragonvine, nourishment from serpent-type or Jiao Dragon-type monster blood can accelerate its growth. The higher the blood's grade, the faster the vine grows."

"I crave potent blood..." Lu instantly understood the vine's cultivation method through its immediate state.

"Requiring nourishment from serpent-type monsters or Jiao Dragons, usually, cultivators prioritize serpent skins, fangs, venom, and less on blood when hunting. Looks like I'll have to search the market thoroughly. If I can't find any, then..."

"Then, I'll have to use spirit stones to commission a cultivator to obtain serpent blood myself."

Lu pondered silently.

He couldn't venture into the wilderness or secret realms to hunt serpents personally. He'd rather spend more spirit stones to hire a cultivator than risk leaving behind numerous rare spiritual plants in his field to embark on an adventure.

As for Jiao Dragon monsters, he didn't even dare to think about them. Even the weakest Jiao Dragon's strength would be equivalent to a Foundation Establishment cultivator. Lu harbored no hope of acquiring Jiao Dragon blood.

"For now, I'll plant it in the spiritual field. Once I find serpent blood, I'll nurture it properly."

"Currently, with the Spirit Rain Technique and Wood Growth Technique, I can sustain its vitality. However, this method will lead to extremely slow growth, not a long-term solution."

After planting the Dragonvine in the spiritual field, Lu surveyed the numerous spiritual plants.

"Third-grade spiritual plants are indeed more troublesome. First and second-grade ones only have specific environmental and spiritual power requirements, while third-grade ones seem to have their personalities."

"Among the two third-grade plants in the field, the Illusory Smoke Fruit seems mischievous, setting up its space and challenging people to find it. If not found, it's reluctant to be cultivated."

"This Dragonvine is even more demanding. Each vine needs serpent or Jiao Dragon blood, and if there were Jiao Dragon blood, I'd rather use it on myself!"

Lu sighed, gazing at the increasingly dense mist created by the Illusory Smoke Fruit.

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