Chapter 176: Planting a Premium Soul Item!
Jiang He’s spirit retreated out of the jade scroll.
A System Notification jingled beside his ear then—
Ding!
[An immortal physique art: Nine Heavenly Star Body Formula had been detected in the farm. Consume 200 Farm Points to learn the First Tier?]
Learn!
Ding!
[-5000 Farm Points]
[Congratulations, Host! You have gained Mastery over the First Fold of the Nine Heavenly Star Body Formula!]
Ooom!
Almost at the same instant that the System Notification jingled, Jiang He sensed the Universal Force around him abruptly changing. It seems that that the energy was being drawn towards him from several miles around him, all of it flowing through his various orifices into his body.
And up in the air, streaks of starlight were descending, engulfing Jiang He’s body.
The view of starlight descending in the middle of the day may be a weird sight for most, but the truth was that starlight exists at any given moment, although the exceedingly bright shine of the sun concealed the radiance of the stars.
And right now, Jiang He could feel his body strengthening rapidly.
The veins of starlight were tempering his qi, muscles, skin, and even his bones, becoming crystalline.
Soon, the hardening stopped.
Jiang He promptly clenched his fist...
Boom!
The air rumbled.
Clenching his fist actually caused the air to burst.
“My physical strength alone had increased by a few hundred thousand catties, at minimum!”
“Even peak rank-nines would have a hard time penetrating my physical defense...”
Jiang He could feel how his body had changed with the barest of sensing, and he realized in surprise that his Dragon-Elephant Prajna had improved by a tier for some reason too...
“Nine Heavenly Star Body Formula!”
“Dragon-Elephant Prajna!”
“Indestructible Diamond!”
Suddenly inspired, Jiang He charged all three techniques at once, feeling like a G.o.dly soldier just then.
His body encircled with Nature Qi and emanating golden radiance, with winks of starlight visible underneath. The silhouette of a dragon soared over his head and an elephant trumpeted towards the skies, presenting Jiang He with the aura of a wild behemoth.
A tempest billowed, kicking up dust into the air.
Clenching his fists, Jiang He punched into the air.
Boom!
Even the air up in the vacuum was compressed and detonated by the punch, and thunder only echoed after Jiang He had punched out.
Retracting his aura in satisfaction, Jiang He withdrew his fist and said, “My physical strength is now enough to kill a rank-nine elite in a melee... at full strength, I would be slicing through them like vegetables!”
“My physical defense and regeneration had also strengthened significantly... if I’m up against the Black King Drake again, its tail whip would hardly break my bones now.”
Of course, his ability did not increase by much overall speaking—a notch and some was not all that obvious.
Musing to himself for a while, Jiang He made a simple and definite plan for his path in the future.
He would mainly cultivate the Nine Heavenly Star Body Formula to improve his physical strength. When his physical strength increase, his Dragon-Elephant Prajna would level up as well.
As for ‘immortal qi cultivation’, he could try to ‘fabricate’ one manual later. If he failed, he could try to ask around and find out if any martial clans like the Murong clan had them in store.
Before that, he would first cultivate in the Strengthened Nine Yang Technique.
In Jiang He’s perspective, the Nine Yang Technique which he strengthened would not lose out to some of the rubbish immortal cultivation arts.
As for his blade technique, he would definitely not be abandoning the Ninefold Thunderblade.
After all it was connected to his thunder will. Perhaps when he could fully master it, he might gain a perfect grasp over his thunder will.
And a perfect grasp over the Boundary of Wills is the key to reaching divine-tier.
“Perhaps I could get my hands on a swordplay to improve my sword will as well.”
A lightbulb shone in Jiang He’s mind, but he soon shook his head and chuckled. “Of course, this is a temporary plan. Why cultivate a swordplay if I somehow got my hands on an immortal qi cultivation manual? Wouldn’t directly ascending as a qi refinist, golden pellet and true child be even more awesome?”
With a turn of his hand, Jiang He took out a halved fragment of a sword’s edge.
The fragment was one of the gifts that the Martial Arts Department (MAD) had rewarded him, and it was said to be the fragment of a mystic item found by w.a.n.g Hou, from a heritage site above Mount Hua.
Of course, Jiang He had no idea whether it actually was one, and was not bothered to find out.
He would know just by planting it once.
Digging a hole, pouring in the remainder of his Mysterious Soil, he buried the sword and watered it.
He then checked the time—it was already time for lunch.
Jiang He returned home, and after washing up, Sora’s steaming hot dishes were all served on the table.
Today, hand-torn noodles were on the menu.
Jiang He asked for less, which was why Sora only cooked a portion of stir-fried black wood ear over meat and a bowl of tomato egg soup.
Jiang He first had a spoonful of the tomato egg soup.
Beside him, Sora quickly asked, “Master, is the tomato egg soup to your liking?”
Hence, Jiang He had another sip and imitated the judges on cooking shows—closing his eyes to taste it, smacking his lips... but he felt nothing. It was just an ordinary tomato egg soup, and the taste was as likewise plain.
“It’s alright, since both tomatoes and eggs are normal ingredients. I could plant some tomatoes when I have the time.”
“As for eggs...”
“I’ll try to catch a Feral Hen, but if there aren’t any, I’ll buy some hens and try to have them evolve. The eggs they would lay then would be sweeter and more nutritious.”
But even as Jiang He continued having his lunch, he suddenly did a double take.
Having a hen lay eggs?
How troublesome is that? Moreover, rearing a chicken at home meant feces everywhere, and they would ruin the environment with their flying everywhere. Why shouldn’t he just buy some chicken eggs and try planting it?
“I just might be able to plant it!”
“Moreover...”
“I need some high-grade rice and noodles to fit my standard as well.”
Jiang He had an idea.
With his farm’s expansion and thereby gaining s.p.a.ce, he might be able to plant some paddy and wheat.
After his lunch, Jiang He was about to drink some Origin Fluid and have a break, but his expression changed even before he could take a sip.
He felt a sharp sword will abruptly exploding outside.
Rushing out of the mansion and looking above, he saw a sword’s flash shooting out of his farm like a rocket up into the clouds, tearing it apart and fading right after.
What the heck?
Jiang He was at a loss for words.
He did not have to look to tell that his broken sword fragment had grown!
But did you have to make such a big deal because you were growing?
Can’t you be subtler?
Once he remembered the profound sight of violet qi when he planted the Violet Flame Lingzhi, Jiang he could not help feeling a headache.
Duan Tianhe, Cheng Dongfeng, and the others guarding Lingzhou City would definitely see the sword flash.
To avoid them having to come running and ask after him, Jiang He decided to give them a call ahead of time.
Even so...
Jiang He did not know that neither Duan Tianhe nor Cheng Dongfeng saw a thing.
One reason was that the sword flash did not last long. And secondly...
Average grandmasters would not easily detect anything that reaches the Boundary of Wills, and Chen Jingzhou was not in town.
Nonetheless, Jiang He dialed Cheng Dongfeng’s number.
After the dial tone rang for a while, Cheng Dongfeng answered, laughing, “Back from Jiangnan already, Jiang He?”
“Yep, I got back just this morning.”
“How was it? It must have been very rewarding, was it not? Tsk, tsk... The Blue King Drake attacking the city, General Pei fighting and even Minister w.a.n.g joining the fray later... I would have gone if I bleeding knew.”
“Nothing too major, honestly.”
Jiang He laughed. “But you know, I got a few tufts of Sword Will Barrenwort from Jiangnan.”
“Then, just now, I accidentally grasped sword will and caused a little weird phenomenon. Did I startle you?”
Cheng Dongfeng, who happened to be in a discussion with Duan Tianhe at the MAD of Lingzhou City was left stunned.
He was using handsfree, which was why Duan Tianhe heard what Jiang He said as well.
All at once, both men were left staring at each other, unsure what to say.
“h.e.l.lo?”
“h.e.l.lo?”
“Are you listening, Master Cheng?”
A little lost for words, Jiang He yelled over the phone and cursed quietly, “Whatever. I’m not calling them if anything happens next time. Aren’t they deliberately leaving calls hanging halfway through?”
Thud!
Jiang He promptly hung up.
Well, as long as he gave them a heads up. It was now time to harvest his mystic treasure.
He strode into his farm.
At a corner of the farm, Dumbo and Trumbo were clutching each other and shaking, their jaws grating.
They promptly dashed towards Jiang He when it saw Jiang He come, and ran up behind him.
Cat and dog hence clutched at Jiang He’s thigh, poking out their heads to look at the center of the farm. Dumbo even pointed with its paw, shaking as it spoke, “Master, what the heck is that? The Sword Qi high above almost scared dog to death!”
“Go away!”
Kicking away both Dumbo and Trumbo, Jiang He barked, “You two are such actors. Why didn’t you run out of the yard if you were that scared? What are you staying here for?”
Oh, right!
Dumbo blinked just as he climbed up from the ground, its canine face showing a flash of a human expression as it slapped itself on the head, exclaiming miserably, “Oh, my dog brain. I’m so stupid!”
“Meeeeeooooow~~~”
Trumbo was clutching its stomach and rolling around on the ground, laughing weirdly.
Jiang He was quite amused.
Withdrawing his gaze, he turned towards the sword flash at the center of the farm.
It hovered up in the air, and Jiang He could feel the keen edge of its Sword Qi even from thirty meters away.
And at the center of the flash was an old, scarlet longsword.
Jiang He reached out and plucked the scarlet longsword.
Ding!
[+10000 Farm Points]
A System Notification jingled beside his ears.
Jiang He was stunned... ten thousand farm points meant that the scarlet longsword was equal in value to the Nine Heavenly Star Body Formula.
He focused his eyes, and a series of data slowly appeared over the longsword.
[Scarlet Flame Sword]
[Tier: Premium soul weapon]
[Warm reminder: offer a drop of blood before use]