You Cultivate, I Farm

Chapter 1083: Vigilance

After turning the Sword Mystic Porcupine into a subordinate, Lu Xuan just had to quietly wait for other Sword Mystic Porcupines to willingly come to him.

Every so often, he would take the Nurturing Xuan Sword Sheath from Heart Sword Lake, ostensibly to maintain the Sword Mystic Porcupines, allowing the sheath to relish the feeling of ‘thousands of swords piercing the heart.’

As a result, the efficiency of the scabbard greatly increased, and he subsequently obtained two mutated Thousand Thunder Sword Grass Spirit Seeds.

After hastening their maturity, the mutated fourth grade Thousand Thunder Sword Grass totaled eight plants.

For an ordinary Spirit Plant Master to develop a mutated fourth grade Spirit Plant in such a short time, who knows how much time and effort would be needed.

But he had the True Sword Elixir provided by the True Sword Master from the secluded Heart Sword Lake, the Nurturing Xuan Sword Sheath that could nourish and stimulate the Sword Grass Spirit Seeds, and a special ability to always grasp detailed information of the Spiritual Seeds. This made his efficiency in improving the Spiritual Seeds far surpass other Spirit Plant Masters; it was no exaggeration to say he was worth an entire sect by himself.

That day, as he was inspecting the status of numerous spirit plants in the Spirit Field, suddenly, a gentle voice sounded from outside his cave abode.

“Junior Brother Lu, are you in the cave abode?”

Lu Xuan’s Spiritual Sense swept over, and Mo Yuanfeng was quietly standing at the entrance of the cave abode.

He smiled and walked out to greet him.

“Mm, I spent quite some time comprehending a Divine Skill, fortunately, I made some progress.”

Mo Yuanfeng followed Lu Xuan into the tranquil courtyard.

“We should celebrate it properly.”

Lu Xuan immediately took out a bottle of True Sword Liquid and poured a full cup for Mo Yuanfeng.

“I didn’t come this time to share my secluded cultivation experience.”

Mo Yuanfeng said softly, his expression somewhat somber.

“Please speak, Senior Brother.”

Lu Xuan listened, his expression solemn.

“Wan Chong, Junior Brother Wan, failed his Nascent Soul breakthrough.”

“Ah?”

A simple sentence from Mo Yuanfeng made it seem like thunder had exploded next to Lu Xuan’s ear.

He reflexively responded, his face full of surprise.

“How is… Senior Brother Wan currently?”

Lu Xuan pondered for a moment before slowly asking.

“During Junior Brother Wan’s breakthrough, he failed to successfully overcome the Heart Demon Tribulation and his Divine Soul was heavily injured. Luckily, a Mid Nascent Soul Stage Elder acted as his protector and promptly rescued him back.”

“He is currently in the recovery stage, and it will take at least a year before he can somewhat recover.”

Mo Yuanfeng spoke with a heavy tone.

Lu Xuan’s face still showed disbelief:

“I really didn’t expect Senior Brother Wan to encounter an accident during the breakthrough.”

To him, Wan Chong was like those prodigious students he had seen in his previous life, exceptionally talented, and practicing cultivation as easily as drinking water.

Other cultivators would struggle to achieve breakthroughs that he easily surpassed.

Yet now, he had experienced failure in progressing to the Nascent Soul stage.

“Advancing to Nascent Soul is as difficult as reaching the heavens, even with the Sword Sect’s capability, we can only slightly increase the success rate.”

“Even though Junior Brother Wan is considered a one-in-a-million cultivation genius, whose success probability far exceeds other Golden Core Completion Cultivators, the likelihood is still not significant.”

Mo Yuanfeng spoke in a low voice.

“Success or failure depends on spiritual constitution; Junior Brother, you have had too smooth a journey, not enough to temper your will, which led him to fall at the Heart Demon Tribulation.”

He sighed softly.

“Once Senior Brother Wan’s Divine Soul recovers a bit, I’ll go visit him.”

Lu Xuan nodded lightly in response.

The two chatted for a while before Mo Yuanfeng took his leave.

Lu Xuan sat in the courtyard, feeling a sense of melancholy as he looked down upon the endless wisps of Sword Qi whistling through the sea of clouds below.

“For me, Senior Brother Wan’s failure in breakthrough this time also serves as a warning.”

“Lack of tempering of determination…”

“I have spent most of my years in the Cave Abode cultivating Spiritual Plants, rarely venturing out to explore the Secret Lands, nor have I utilized life-and-death situations to temper my will and Heart Realm. I don’t know if this will become a major obstacle when I try to break through to the Nascent Soul stage.”

He reflected on the past hundred-odd years since he first harvested the Light Cluster.

Except for very few occasions or when absolutely necessary, he had never ventured into dangerous territories, maintaining the highest level of caution.

This approach had its pros and cons. While it kept him safe from dangers, it indeed lacked the tempering of combat and determination.

“However, not venturing out to explore and engage in life-and-death battles does not mean my determination is weak.”

“I once spent a long time in front of the Red Dust Stele, experiencing countless joys and sorrows, separations, and reunions, making my determination no weaker than that of other same-level Cultivators.”

“Moreover, from the start of my cultivation journey, my initial intent has remained unchanged, seeking the path of cultivation as a Spirit Plant Master content with cultivating Spiritual Plants.”

A smile appeared on Lu Xuan’s lips.

“Lastly, I have two Seventh Grade Treasure Items to nurture Divine Sense and strengthen the Divine Soul, the Stealing God Jade and the Yellow Millet Jade Pillow.”

“After nurturing my Divine Sense in the Stealing God Jade a bit more, I can try to enter that so-called Huangliang Village.”

With more developed Divine Sense, the chances of safely navigating through Huangliang Village increase, and with the guidance of the Yellow Millet Jade Pillow, Lu Xuan felt confident enough to venture into the fabled Huangliang Village.

Soon, a year passed.

During this period, he mainly focused on two things: cultivating Spiritual Plants and preparing for the breakthrough to the Nascent Soul stage.

Everything was proceeding methodically.

That day, he visited the Cave Abode of Chong Xu at Sword Peak where Wan Chong resided.

“Brother Zhou?”

Outside the Cave Abode, before Lu Xuan could inform Wan Chong of his arrival, he unexpectedly ran into an acquaintance.

It was Zhou Chao, whom he had briefly met at the Liyang Taoist Sect, also an early entrant into the Golden Core Completion Realm, but with a different approach to cultivation compared to Wan Chong.

Zhou Chao was aloof, rarely smiled or spoke, concentrating all his thoughts on cultivation, a true cultivation zealot.

Additionally, Lu Xuan maintained a respectful yet distant attitude towards this Senior Brother Zhou, and after returning to the Sword Sect, this was their first encounter in years.

“Junior Brother Lu.”

Zhou Chao’s lips twitched slightly; his voice was somewhat hoarse, indicating his usual lack of interaction with others.

After the two communicated via Spiritual Sense, Wan Chong quickly came out to greet them.

“Brother Zhou, Junior Brother Lu, what brings you here?”

“I came to share a few drinks of Spirit Brew with Senior Brother Wan and just happened to run into Brother Zhou.”

Lu Xuan shook the wine flask in his hand and said with a smile.

“Perfect, the three of us can drink away a thousand sorrows!”

Wan Chong laughed heartily.

He wore a small golden bell at his waist, its surface marked with cracks of varying lengths and thickness, exuding an ancient, mottled appearance, seemingly centuries old.

With a gentle shake, an occasional crisp and prolonged bell sound would emerge, echoing persistently and entering the Sea of Consciousness, seemingly soothing all the turmoil and wounds deep within the Divine Soul.

“This is a Strange Treasure lent to me by the Chongxu Sword Master. It is extremely beneficial for Cultivators whose Divine Souls have suffered great damages, keeping it close can nurture the Divine Soul, allowing it to heal faster.”

Seeing that the two glanced at the ancient bell on his waist, Wan Chong explained with a smile.

Though his demeanor was still as carefree as usual, Lu Xuan caught a fleeting trace of gloom between his brows.

“Why are the two of you still standing at the doorway? Come in quickly for a few drinks, otherwise my Spirit Brew will evaporate.”

Lu Xuan said with a laugh.