Chapter 21: Tantai Chan

Rote memorization of herbal knowledge would suffice for now. Since Wang Yu was heading to the medicinal garden to report for duty, it would be a good opportunity to integrate his knowledge through practice.

If he could master the Night Hiding Incantation, others would find it difficult to lock onto his position, preventing a repeat of the situation four days ago when he was ambushed by the Spirit-Confusing technique.

A gentleman hides his tools within himself, waiting for the right moment to act!

Only by hiding well can one have a future.

After packing his belongings, Wang Yu set out; he would not return for half a year.

The private medicinal garden of Deacon Tantai was located within the [Evil God Ward], under the jurisdiction of the Ninth Peak, [Evil God Peak].

There were no Nascent Soul True Monarchs in this lineage; the highest cultivator was a peak Core Formation cultivator, placing them in the lower tier of the Reverse Spirit Blood Sect. Consequently, the situation in the Evil God Ward was quite chaotic, as people from the other eight peaks had all established roots here to grab a share of the spoils.

Tantai Chan belonged to Cold Blood Peak, yet her medicinal garden was located in the Evil God Ward. This demonstrated the significant influence of the Cold Blood lineage; after all, a medicinal garden was no small facility, and its growth required the absorption of vast amounts of spiritual qi.

They were often situated directly above spiritual veins and required various formations to simulate the specific growth environments needed by different spiritual herbs.

First-grade spiritual herbs did not have overly stringent environmental requirements, so the difficulty of maintenance should not be too great.

Walking straight along the main street following the guidance of the mission scroll, Wang Yu finally arrived at the main gate two hours later.

From the outside, it appeared to be a large courtyard located on the outer edge of the Evil God Ward. The spiritual qi inside was extremely dense, almost manifesting as a thin mist.

Walls two men high enclosed the perimeter, with only the main gate designed as a paifang-style structure, featuring upturned eaves and corners carved with unknown small beasts.

The gate was guarded by a bat clutching a ring; Wang Yu knocked gently.

The eyes of the bronze-headed beast burst with two beams of light, scanning the mission scroll in his hand before the gate responded and opened.

Wang Yu stepped inside, and his eyes were immediately met with a vast expanse of spiritual herbs.

To the left were First-grade Spiritual Herbs: Five Essence Grass, one of the primary ingredients for refining Inedia Pills.

To the right were First-grade Spiritual Herbs: Bone-Strengthening Flower, one of the primary ingredients for refining Body Tempering Pills.

Spiritual herbs were not categorized into low, medium, high, or extreme grades, but rather by differences such as common, rare, and so on. However, the pills refined from them did have grades, which was determined by the skill of the alchemist.

Deacon Tantai’s medicinal garden utilized large-scale planting, which relieved Wang Yu considerably; at least it wouldn't be too troublesome.

This was merely the front courtyard; the two herb fields combined contained over a thousand spiritual herbs, making them quite valuable.

In the center was the Wind-Passing Hall, which was open from front to back, decorated only with a few thin veils and hanging wind chimes. As the breeze blew, the scent of herbs filled the air, making one feel refreshed and at ease.

Connected to the Wind-Passing Hall was a straight line of buildings that split the entire garden in half. The rear garden was divided into four herb fields, used for planting rarer spiritual herbs.

Yellow Lotus Lingzhi, Nine-Leaf Ice Grass, Jade Dragon Orchid... as well as two second-grade spiritual trees: Moonlight Trees. The fruits they produced, Moonlight Fruits, could both serve for beauty and allow Foundation Establishment cultivators practicing cold-attribute techniques to refine their true essence.

They only matured once every ten years. Among second-grade spiritual herbs, they were considered rare varieties; being fruit trees, they could provide a continuous output, making them more valuable than ordinary spiritual herbs.

As Wang Yu was looking around, his nostrils twitched as he suddenly caught a scent of fragrance coming from the right. He looked closely.

He saw a woman dressed in a pale green cinched waist skirt, her hair styled in an exquisite cloud bun adorned with golden hairpins, and a fish-shaped floral mark made of gold and green gemstones at the center of her brow.

Two strands of flowing gauze wrapped around her arms and shoulders as her long legs swayed toward him.

Her features were delicate, and her eyes were narrow, carrying a strange temperament that was both youthful and seductive, though the coldness in her eyes pierced to the bone.

While Wang Yu was struck by her beauty, he was not bewitched.

"Wang Yu, a cultivator from the Ice Snow Pavilion, pays respects to Senior Tantai."

Tantai Chan nodded slightly, glancing at Wang Yu's white hair and his noticeably aged face, before losing interest the next instant.

"Do you have the confidence to look after my medicinal garden?"

Wang Yu nodded and then shook his head.

"Except for those two Moonlight Trees, which I am unsure about, I have no problem maintaining the rest of the herbs for half a year."

"True."

Seeing the Black Blood Disciple token at Wang Yu's waist, Tantai Chan understood instantly that he was merely an outer disciple. She handed him a jade slip.

"This contains the methods for tending to the Moonlight Trees, as well as solutions for pests and diseases. I must enter seclusion for half a year to refine a batch of spiritual pills. Whether I emerge early or late, you must ensure not a single herb in this garden goes missing."

"This disciple obeys."

"Very well. The room on the right is yours, along with the tools and seeds needed for the herb fields. If any herbs mature, remember to harvest and replant. You may start your duties today."

"Yes—"

In the days that followed, Wang Yu became a farmhand in the fields, weeding and catching pests, patrolling the fields three times a day with notable diligence and responsibility.

Tantai Chan observed him for a few days, and after confirming there were no issues, she retreated to the study to the left of the Wind-Passing Hall to enter seclusion.

Although Wang Yu knew she was an alchemist, they had no personal connection, so it was inappropriate to ask too much; he simply focused on his farming.

In his spare time, he also practiced his cultivation diligently.

After all, at this stage, the effect of the "Placement Column" could be summarized in four words: "Diligence compensates for lack of talent." He needed to circulate his cultivation technique himself to compress his spiritual power and complete his first Spirit Refining to improve the quality of his spiritual power.

The difficulty of condensing ten parts into one was not low.

He would continue studying the Ice Shield Technique until midnight, even when his meridians reached their limit and he felt mentally exhausted, before finally going to sleep.

With a fulfilling life, time seemed to pass quickly.

In the blink of an eye, it was the thirty-fifth day of Wang Yu's outer disciple career; he had been at this private medicinal garden for a month.

On this day.

A knock sounded at the gate of the Tantai Medicinal Garden. Wang Yu took his herb hoe to open it.

Standing there was an elegant man in blue robes wearing a cloud crown. Two long, silver-white whiskers hung from his temples; though his face looked young, he was likely quite old.

The aura he emitted was quite immense to Wang Yu—he was a Foundation Establishment powerhouse. Wang Yu hurriedly bowed.

"Wang Yu, an outer disciple of Cold Blood Peak, greets Senior Foundation Establishment."

"Rise. You are..."

"A farmhand."

Wang Yu waved his small herb hoe a few times. The cultivator in the cloud crown showed an expression of realization. "I have business seeking Junior Sister Tantai. I wonder if she is home."

"Senior Tantai is currently in seclusion refining pills and should not be disturbed. She will emerge in at least half a year," Wang Yu answered quickly.

"In that case, please deliver this invitation to Junior Sister Tantai on my behalf."

"Yes!"

After the man left, Wang Yu closed the gate and looked at the red invitation in his hand. The date was approximately eight months from now.

"The Xu Family Pill Shop is opening and inviting Senior Tantai to attend the ceremony?"

"The Xu Family Pill Shop..."

Wang Yu had some thoughts. He still held some aspirations regarding the Dao of Alchemy; otherwise, he wouldn't be working here to build a foundation.

Otherwise, should he use that token worth a thousand contribution points to exchange for an alchemy inheritance?

After asking himself the question, Wang Yu was in no rush.

Practicing alchemy was extremely expensive. Aside from using the Placement Column to take a shortcut, he lacked the capital to learn. He would wait.

Once his spell cultivation was more or less complete, he would go and exchange it.