Chapter 353: The Elder Tea Tree of Enlightenment
As Jiang He worked in his farm overnight, he ate supper, as well as breakfast and lunch on the next day in his farm.
He finally planted and harvested every spirit stone at four in the afternoon the next day.
Then, he could not help doing a double take when he turned on his System to check his stats panel!
“1.83 billion...”
“I only needed a billion to improve my qi cultivation to full-fledged Mahayana, and 1.8 billion to up the Nine Heavenly Stars Body Formula to full-fledged Mahayana as well...”
Jiang He blinked.
If the math was correct, did that not mean he would have 30 million Farm Points left?
Moreover, the Clear Sky Mirror, the premium-grade sage ‘trousers’ and the Epiphany Pellets were not harvested yet.
There was no rush to improve his cultivation, however, since Jiang He did not know if he would cause some phenomenon if he improved his qi-refining and physique at the same time. What if there was, and said phenomenon extend over thousands of miles? Wouldn’t it alert those Daemon Foxes of Green Hill?
That was why it could wait until after he reached the doorstep of the Green Hill Foxes.
It was a matter of thinking it anyway.
“Hard work always pays... I only gained such rewards after I farmed overnight and did not sleep or rest for two days. In the future, no matter what accomplishments I gain, I would never forget to keep farming...”
Jiang He breathed a long sigh, before walking off to a corner and ‘plucked’ the combat garments growing out of the ground.
[Ding!]
[+500,000 Farm Points.]
A System Notification jingled in his mind then. Jiang He’s face twitched, and as he stared at the cool silver-white combat armor, a bunch of data appeared—
[Dark Sky War Armor]
[Tier: Demi-immortal item]
[Sacrifice a drop of blood for use.]
Jiang He was taken aback.
Dark Sky War Armor?
Why did that name reek of eighth-grader syndrome?
“Hmmm...”
“Wasn’t that Penglai Sect’s Mahayana elite called Dark Sky something?”‘
Jiang He remembered then that the Taixu Sect chieftain seemed to have mentioned the Daoist t.i.tles of the Penglai Sect’s Mahayana elites. The one with the Clear Sky Mirror was the White Brows Daoist, while the other was Dark Sky something?
Since this armor was his, could it have been named after his Daoist t.i.tles?
Nonetheless, Jiang He stop pondering about it after complaining a little—it was just a war armor, who cares what its name was?
Blood drop.
Invocation.
At his thought, the Dark Sky War Armor turned into a silver light that flashed once, and was equipped over Jiang He’s body in the next instant.
“Not bad, not bad. It’s a demi-immortal armor and its defense would be several times stronger than what I had before... it more or less works, though I can use them together.”
“The Green Hill Daemon Fox the other day seemed to have been wearing a demi-saint armor too... After I killed it and planted that armor, I would have immortal armor protection—who else other than immortals could hurt me then?”
On the other hand, the Clear Sky Mirror had grown atop a plain stone platform.
Jiang He reached out to pluck it, and—
[Ding!]
[+1 million Farm Points.]
A System Notification jingled and the stone platform turned to dust the instant Jiang He plucked the Clear Sky Mirror.
The item did not change much in appearance after strengthening through planting, although it has now turned gold entirely.
Within the mirror, the world on the other end were vivid, the mountain and waters within looking no different from the real thing.
[Clear Sky Mirror]
[Tier: Inferior-grade immortal item.]
[Sacrifice a drop of blood for use.]
Blood drop, invocation.
Jiang He gained a certain understanding of the Clear Sky Mirror then. He then charged it and twilight radiance promptly shot out from the mirror with overwhelming power.
“Is there such a huge difference between immortal item and demi-immortal items?” Jiang He exclaimed in shock. “If this thing had been this powerful when the White Brows Daoist wielded it, a few rays of twilight would have burned me to death.”
“Moreover...”
Jiang He charged the Clear Sky Mirror again then, and the world inside the mirror was refracted outside through the glare from the mirror.
“This world can be used for sealing!”
“Moreover... it seems to have a grotto-heaven of its own within!”
With another flash in the mirror, Dumbo, who had been sprawled on the ground and snoring away in its sleep, was moved into the world inside the mirror. It jolted awake and panicked when it saw the mountains and rivers around it. Even so, it could hardly budge the Clear Sky Mirror one inch no matter how it struggled.
Jaing He appeared thoughtful then.
The world refracted from within the mirror has the power of sealing, keeping an opponent in the mirror unless they possessed the power to break an immortal mirror.
Jiang He released Dumbo with a though then, and mused to himself, “The mirror world is a hundred kilometers wide and slightly larger than Penglai Island. It would be ideal as a base to develop a sect or faction.”
However, he had no such intention.
It would be better for walking his cats, dogs, and eagles instead.
Putting the Clear Sky Mirror away, Jiang He was left utterly frustrated when he glanced towards the Epiphany Pellet Tree.
He just could not understand what was growing out of the three rank-eight spirit pellets. It was now almost four days and it was only two meters tall and fruitless, not to mention that there was no telling when it would be ripe.
“The Clear Sky Mirror has borne fruit already. Could this stuff be more valuable than an inferior-grade immortal item?”
Jiang He walked up and study the small tree closely.
Though it was only over two meters tall, its trunk was twisted and strong, as well as filled with wrinkles of age. It gave the impression that it had stood for a thousand years.
Its branches and leaves, however, were spa.r.s.e.
Jiang He did a count, and it turns out that there were only 108 leaves on the tree. The patterns on each leaf were distinct, and the most important part was that there were different patterns with minute differences.
He stared at the mark for seconds and could not help stiffening, his entire being trapped in a curious trance.
Jiang He only recovered from the trance a dozen minutes later, and his face twitched as he said, “What was that?”
“Just now, that felt like... an epiphany?”
Jiang He was hesitant and uncertain since it was a little embarra.s.sing—he might have cultivated for quite a while now, but he had no idea what epiphanies were. That said, he heard that prodigies often had those, and was earnestly envious towards those prodigies.
Hence, Jiang He looked at the leaves again and was soon entranced once more, though this occasion was more deliberate, and he gained a more intimate experience.
“It’s not actually epiphany but not too far from it. I’ve simply entered a curious state, which allows me an easier time to grasp Dao.”
There was a look of surprise on Jiang He’s face at that thought.
He glanced at the Epiphany Pellet tree and then at its spa.r.s.e leaves.
Tree leaves?
Tea leaves?
Those leaves happen to resemble tea leaves a lot.
Jiang He hence plucked one, put it in his mouth, and slowly munched on it, and a thick tea aroma actually wafted out within this mouth then.
“They really are tea leaves... the three Epiphany Pellets have grown into a tea tree, which eases the understanding of Dao for humans...”
At that very moment, a name appeared in Jiang He’s mind: the Elder Tea Tree of Enlightenment!
Legends claimed that the Elder Tea Tree of Enlightenment was a wondrous tree, and that anyone meditating in its shade for two hours was better than meditating anywhere else for a month. Its 108 tea leaves were also different from each other as they contained different Daoist themes. Making tea with those leaves would even help a person to gain epiphany over Dao.
Jiang He, however, was baffled.
I just wanted to snack on the Epiphany Pellets. Isn’t it a little ridiculous, suddenly coming up with the Elder Tea Tree of Enlightenment?
That was when Jiang He shifted his gaze, and he strode out of his farm to look up at the distant horizon.
A daemonic cloud that covered the sun and the skies and stretched over hundreds of kilometers was streaking towards Lingzhou City.
It then paused five kilometers away from Jiang He’s house. On top of it, the Eminent Fox, which had ‘traded’ two blows with Jiang He on Mount Changbai, showed up. Looking down below, it called out sonorously, “Jiang He, where art thou?”
Surprise showed on Jiang He’s face.
He had a lasting impression on that fellow.
He was wearing demi-immortal armor...
“I let that dog flee the other day, and it’s coming to strut around at my house today?”
Quietly taking out a Violet Sky Thunder Talisman with a flip of his palm, Jiang He was about to target the Daemon Fox’s aura and charge the talisman to kill that d.a.m.ned dog, when he saw the young human form of the beast turned towards him from afar. His eyes blazing like torches, he flicked his fingers and shot a red flash at Jiang He.
Jiang He reached out to catch the red flash, and realized that it was a red invitation.
He opened to read through the contents...
Okay!
It was in Tadpole Script, so he had no idea what it said!
Jiang He was ready to throw away the invitation when he saw the daemonic cloud sped off rapidly, even though the Eminent Fox’s voice was echoing—
“Jiang He, the elders of my tribe hereby invite you to the Green Hill Holy Grounds. Would you dare to accept?”
With those words, he... to be precise, the fox had fled and was nowhere to be seen.
Perplexed, Jiang He’s mouth was left hanging open... What did that mean?
Were the Green Hill Foxes inviting him to their Holy Grounds?
Could your method of invitation be any more special and direct?
“Wait... Just when I was quite troubled that I couldn’t get into the Green Hill Holy Grounds... Doesn’t this mean I could get in under broad daylight?”
Jiang He’s face twitched, but he soon wrinkled his brow.
Could this be a trap?
Were the Green Hill Foxes having a brain stroke? They were actually inviting him to their Holy Grounds! Weren’t they afraid that he would flatten it???