Chapter 55: Fire Spirit Stone

Chapter 55: Fire Spirit Stone

To avoid running into Elder You and the one-armed man on the stone cliffs, Hua Changxi deviated from her original path while climbing. This caused her to take a massive detour through the mountains before finally making her way back to the Medicine Valley.

As soon as she reached the medicinal fields under her responsibility, Hua Changxi immediately unleashed her spiritual energy, using the Soil Turning Technique to clear a patch of land, and then began rapidly planting medicinal seedlings.

Half an hour later, she had filled four acres of medicinal fields with seedlings.

After that, she did not continue planting.

Compared to the speed of other laborers, planting this many seedlings was considered a normal pace.

Once the seedlings were planted, Hua Changxi picked up a water bucket to fetch fertilizer.

When she returned carrying two buckets of stinking farm manure, she spotted the one-armed man standing on the field ridge.

"Master Guo."

As she approached, Hua Changxi proactively greeted the one-armed man.

The one-armed man sized Hua Changxi up, focusing particularly on her shoes. Seeing nothing unusual and noting that the medicinal fields were fully planted, he gave a grunt of acknowledgment and left without saying a word.

Watching his receding figure, Hua Changxi let out a sigh of relief.

Anyone who had spent time in the mountains knew that wandering through them would inevitably leave traces on one's person—be it mountain soil or specific scents. Fortunately, she had used the Cleansing Technique to clean her clothes and shoes immediately upon her return.

After fertilizing the fields and finishing her work, Hua Changxi did not return to her quarters immediately. Instead, she walked to a secluded spot and summoned the Shennong Cauldron.

"The Shennong Cauldron isn't that big, so how can it hold so much?"

Hua Changxi tinkered with the cauldron, and as she accidentally rested her head against it, a scene of the cauldron's interior suddenly flashed in her mind.

The inside of the Shennong Cauldron was vast. She couldn't say exactly how large it was, but she "saw" the Yuan Spirit Grass and dates she had collected appearing as tiny as grains of rice within it.

Hua Changxi was somewhat speechless. With a cauldron this large, would she even be able to control it?

With this thought, she instinctively condensed a ball of flame and threw it directly beneath the Shennong Cauldron.

During the process, Hua Changxi continuously output spiritual energy to make the flame grow larger.

After spending one hundred points of spiritual energy, the surface of the Shennong Cauldron showed no change in temperature.

After two hundred points, it remained the same.

After five hundred points, she discovered that even under the intense heat of the flames, the surface of the cauldron didn't emit a single trace of warmth. Hua Changxi then withdrew her spiritual energy.

She knew then that she couldn't use this Shennong Cauldron.

At least, not yet.

"I can only use it as a portable treasure for now."

As she thought this, she imagined taking out a date, and a date immediately appeared in her hand. "At least storing and retrieving things is quite convenient."

After putting the Shennong Cauldron away, Hua Changxi bit into the date with a "crunch."

As expected of something that made one salivate at a single glance, this date was incredibly delicious.

These were no ordinary dates; they were Fire Dates, spiritual fruits containing dense fire spiritual energy.

While Hua Changxi hadn't known her spiritual root attribute before, after entering the Qi Sea Realm and seeing the pristine, red Qi Sea opened within her dantian, she had guessed her attribute.

She likely possessed a Single Fire Spiritual Root.

Sure enough, after eating the Fire Date, she felt no discomfort; instead, her stomach immediately warmed up, followed by a warm current surging through her limbs and bones.

This sensation was not unfamiliar to Hua Changxi; it was the same feeling she experienced when consuming and refining Yuan Spirit Pills.

Sensing the growth in her spiritual energy, Hua Changxi immediately checked her data and found that eating a single Fire Date actually increased her spiritual energy by ten points.

She had harvested at least a thousand Fire Dates, which meant that after eating them all, she could increase her spiritual energy by ten thousand points.

Since she was stuck in the Medicine Valley under the watchful eye of the one-armed man and had no opportunity to refine pills, she could just eat Fire Dates to grow her spiritual energy.

Thinking about how there were still many unexplored areas at the bottom of the cliff, Hua Changxi felt a sense of restless curiosity. She wanted to go down again; perhaps she could find even more good things.

Even if she didn't find anything, gathering more spiritual plants to refine pills could help her upgrade her rank as an alchemist.

Fortunately, Elder You had to deliver medicine the day after tomorrow; she should be able to find another chance to descend to the bottom of the cliff then.

On the fourteenth of the third month, Hua Changxi continued her routine, diligently planting seedlings like the other laborers, though she would occasionally pull out a Fire Date to eat in places where no one could see her.

On the fifteenth of the third month, Hua Changxi woke up early, keeping a close watch on the movements of the West Mountain.

While the laborers were eating breakfast, Elder You, who had never appeared in public before, descended from the West Mountain accompanied by the one-armed man.

As soon as the two appeared, all the laborers put down their utensils and stood up respectfully. "Elder You."

Elder You scanned the area, his gaze sweeping over Hua Changxi without lingering, as if it were merely a casual glance. "I am taking Guo Yu to the Medical Bureau today. You must ensure the Medicine Valley is well-tended."

With a Grandmaster speaking, no one dared to voice an objection; they could only respectfully watch the two depart.

After leaving the Medicine Valley, Guo Yu looked at Elder You in confusion. "Master, usually you go to deliver medicine alone. Why did you call me along this time?"

Elder You's expression was indifferent. "If we don't go, how will that little girl act?"

Guo Yu's face instantly showed realization. "Master, I understand your meaning. I will pretend to follow you to the Medical Bureau first, and then I will quietly sneak back. If Hua Changxi truly has some scheme, I can catch her red-handed."

Elder You looked at Guo Yu, feeling a bit of a headache.

This disciple had spent his previous years wandering the martial world and was used to acting straightforwardly; he didn't realize that many things in this world could not be achieved through fighting and killing alone.

"If you go to catch that girl, have you considered the consequences?"

"The consequence is: if you cannot defeat her but discover her secret, you die. Even if you can defeat her and catch her, then what? Are you certain she will tell you her secret?"

Guo Yu frowned. "Then are we just going to do nothing?"

Elder You replied, "Are we not leaving the Medicine Valley?"

Guo Yu was still confused. "Master, if we both leave, even if Hua Changxi takes action, we won't know about it."

Elder You smiled, but this time he did not explain. He activated his lightwork and sprinted toward the Medical Bureau.

Seeing Elder You act this way, Guo Yu understood that his master already had a plan. He didn't ask further and quickly followed.

In the Medicine Valley, Hua Changxi was immensely delighted to see both Elder You and Guo Yu leave. Even though she was somewhat suspicious of their departure, it could not dampen her determination to explore the bottom of the cliff again.

Hua Changxi did not head straight for the West Mountain. Instead, she finished planting all the medicinal fields under her care. Only after confirming that both Elder You and the one-armed man had left did she take advantage of the lunch hour to sneak toward the stone cliffs.

The second time she jumped down the cliff, Hua Changxi was much more composed. With the experience from her previous attempt, she landed smoothly this time.

There were dozens of species of spiritual plants at the bottom of the cliff. Hua Changxi collected a bit of each, spacing them out as she did so, and then used the Soil Turning Technique to fill the holes, erasing any traces of her presence.

The most eye-catching thing at the bottom of the cliff was a lush, leafy Green Fruit tree. The tree was covered in dense Green Fruits, but they were very small, only about the size of a thumb.

Though small, the Green Fruits were incredibly fragrant, intoxicating to the senses.

The Green Fruit was a wood-attribute spiritual fruit. Because it was rich in life force, it was an excellent fruit for healing and recovery. The older the tree, the higher its grade.

First-grade Green Fruits were the size of a fist; the ones on this tree were clearly not yet fully grown. Recalling the fruit that Elder You and the one-armed man had picked yesterday, Hua Changxi guessed that the fruit they delivered to the Medical Bureau was likely the Green Fruit.

Since the fruit wasn't ripe, picking it now would be useless, which was a pity.

The second type of spiritual fruit at the bottom of the cliff was the Fire Date. Unlike the intoxicating fragrance of the Green Fruit tree, approaching the Fire Date trees gave one a sensation of being surrounded by roasting heat.

Since Hua Changxi possessed a Fire Spiritual Root, being under the Fire Date trees felt like soaking in a hot spring, but anyone else would find it extremely uncomfortable.

This was likely why there were so many Fire Dates, yet Elder You had not harvested them.

The Fire Date trees were also lush, with bright red dates hanging from the branches, looking exceptionally pleasing.

"Eh?"

Hua Changxi discovered that the Fire Date trees had actually produced second-grade Fire Dates, and in significant quantities.

She hadn't looked closely at the Fire Dates she had harvested with spiritual energy before, so she hadn't noticed this.

Hua Changxi climbed the Fire Date tree and picked all the second-grade dates, eventually gathering a total of five hundred.

Afterward, she took another stroll around the bottom of the cliff and found that there were more fire-attribute spiritual herbs, and only the fire-attribute herbs and fruits had progressed to the second grade.

"The fire spiritual energy is most concentrated here in the Medicine Valley."

"Where is this fire spiritual energy coming from?"

Although Elder You and the one-armed man were gone, Hua Changxi couldn't stay at the bottom of the cliff for too long, lest the other laborers notice her absence. Seeing that there was nothing else to find, she quickly climbed back up the stone cliff and returned to the Medicine Valley.

Elder You and the one-armed man returned early the next morning. Upon returning to the Medicine Valley, Elder You said nothing and went straight to the West Mountain. The one-armed man, however, questioned the Medicine Valley manager before heading to the West Mountain himself.

"Master, the manager said that Hua Changxi left for a period of time yesterday at noon."

Elder You gave an "hm" and leaped directly down the stone cliff. Half an hour later, he returned to the cliffside.

Seeing the look of joy on Elder You's face, Guo Yu couldn't help but ask, "Master, did you discover something?"

Elder You nodded. "That girl went to the bottom of the cliff."

The items at the bottom of the cliff involved imperial secrets. Even a single blade of grass or a single fruit was etched into his memory. Even though Hua Changxi had erased her tracks, the missing herbs and fruits could not be replaced.

Guo Yu's expression changed. "Then what do we do now? Should we go find Hua Changxi?"

Elder You shook his head. "We don't need to do anything."

Guo Yu was bewildered. "Why?" He paused, then tested, "Master, do you already know the secret Hua Changxi is hiding?"

Elder You shook his head again. "Your teacher does not know."

Guo Yu found it even more incomprehensible. "If you don't know, why not call her over and ask clearly?"

Elder You looked at him. "If we call that little girl over, will she just tell us?"

Guo Yu argued, "The things at the bottom of the cliff belong to the Imperial Court. She stole from the Court; with such a massive leverage in our hands, would she dare not listen to us?"

Elder You let out a scoff. "The things at the bottom of the cliff do not belong to the Imperial Court. Don't forget, the Three-Fork Medicine Valley was discovered by the local people first."

Hearing this, Guo Yu fell silent.

In his years wandering the martial world, he had often seen the Imperial Court forcibly seize the ancestral lands of commoners. Many clans that had lived in one place for generations were forced to migrate simply because the government set its sights on new medicinal plants appearing in their forests.

Items in the mountains and forests were originally ownerless.

If ownership was determined by who arrived first, the Imperial Court could be considered nothing more than robbers.

Elder You continued, "Our goal is to uncover the secret the girl carries. Threatening her as soon as we approach will not work."

Guo Yu's brow furrowed. "Then what should we do?"

Elder You replied, "The best and fastest way to succeed is through exchange. That girl possesses a secret we want to know; we must offer something of equal value in exchange."

Guo Yu thought for a moment and suggested, "Allowing Hua Changxi free access to the bottom of the cliff?"

Elder You shook his head. "She can enter and exit the bottom of the cliff without our permission; it's just a matter of a little extra effort. That is not enough leverage."

"The work in the medicinal fields will last at least until the end of March or the beginning of April. During this time, I must think carefully about what kind of conditions will move that girl."

Guo Yu could see that his master was very concerned about the secret Hua Changxi held—so concerned that he was being extremely cautious in his interactions with her, fearing he might upset her.

Elder You was indeed very concerned. Hua Changxi was the only person he could contact who might know the secrets of the cliff bottom.

Despite his status as a Grandmaster, he had not joined any faction because he did not want to be controlled by the powerful. While he enjoyed his freedom, he lacked a patron, which left him quite isolated from information.

In recent years, as more ferocious beasts were slain and more young, high-ranking martial artists appeared, he had increasingly felt that something was wrong.

The world seemed to be undergoing a massive transformation!

The source of this transformation pointed directly toward those newly appearing precious medicines and exotic fruits.

There was definitely a great secret hidden within this!

He had a strong premonition that if he did not investigate the secret behind this, he would be left behind, far surpassed by those young, high-ranking martial artists.

***

Hua Changxi noticed that the one-armed man was no longer watching her, which left her somewhat puzzled.

She wouldn't be going down to the bottom of the cliff again in the short term, so she didn't bother wondering why he had stopped. She simply performed her duties as a laborer dutifully, eating Fire Dates by day and cultivating by night.

Looking at her rapidly increasing data, Hua Changxi was in a very good mood: [Realm: Qi Sea Realm 20,000/100,000]

When her realm points hit 20,000, Hua Changxi discovered that the red Qi Sea in her dantian had more than doubled in size.

Seeing this, she understood: the outward manifestation of advancing in the Qi Sea Realm was the expansion of the Qi Sea itself.

In the blink of an eye, the last day of March arrived.

All the medicinal fields in the Medicine Valley had been planted, and it was time for Hua Changxi and the others to return to the Three-Fork Medicine Manor.

Before they left, Elder You appeared.

"Hua Changxi, come here. Elder You wishes to see you."

Looking at Elder You waiting at the entrance of the Medicine Valley, Hua Changxi frowned. She was wary, but her face wore a smile. "Elder You, what business do you have with me?"

Elder You looked at her with a kind expression. "I know you have been to the bottom of the cliff." Seeing her attempt to deny it, he raised a hand to stop her.

"I am not here to hold you accountable. I want to take you somewhere."

Hua Changxi naturally would not agree and was about to refuse, but at that moment, Elder You produced a red crystal the size of a fist.

Looking at the red crystal and feeling the dense fire spiritual energy within, Hua Changxi's expression changed.

A Fire Spirit Stone!

She should have guessed. Where else would the spiritual energy come from? It must be radiating from a spiritual mine.

The fire spiritual energy in the Medicine Valley was so dense; there must be a fire spirit mine beneath the ground.

Watching the change in Hua Changxi's expression, Elder You felt a sense of relief. Fortunately, she was just a young girl whose ability to maintain a facade hadn't been fully developed, allowing him to further confirm his suspicions.

"Little girl, do you want to know where this old man found this stone?"

Hua Changxi looked at Elder You, her mind racing.

Elder You had discovered her trip to the bottom of the cliff but had kept it quiet, and now he was approaching her with a Fire Spirit Stone. This meant he had a request.

The only thing about her that would be worth a Grandmaster's attention was her cultivation.

Seeing that Hua Changxi remained silent, Elder You turned and began walking toward the South Mountain. After a few steps, seeing that she hadn't followed, he paused to wait for her.

Hua Changxi looked at him and stepped forward to follow.