20: Chapter 20 Accumulation and Planning (Part 1)

Morning light filtered through the window paper, casting mottled shadows on the floor of the Quiet Room.

Lin Xuan sat cross-legged on the cushion, his aura steady. Within his Dantian, thirty-six strands of Thunder Spiritual Energy were connected end-to-end, rotating slowly to form a stable vortex.

After a night of converting his Cultivation Technique, he had already attained entry-level mastery of the Purple Heaven Divine Thunder Art.

He opened his eyes, his gaze clear and bright. Compared to the exposed sharpness when he first made his Breakthrough yesterday, there was now more restraint and calmness.

"Level 1 Qi Refining is just the beginning." Lin Xuan whispered to himself as he stood up and stretched his limbs.

His bones emitted a slight cracking sound, a natural reaction after the initial Body Tempering by Spiritual Qi. With every movement, his sense of power and the sharpness of his five senses far exceeded what they had been before.

He changed into the pale green Dharma robe he had received yesterday. It felt cool to the touch, and the simple dust-repelling and cold-resisting runes on it shimmered with faint Spiritual Qi.

He fastened his identity jade token to his waist. The white token's Spiritual Qi was steady now, displaying the information: "Level 1 Qi Refining."

Pushing open the courtyard gate, the air of the early summer morning carried the fresh scent of bamboo leaves and the dampness of dew.

The courtyard next door, belonging to Chen Hao, was quiet; that guy must have Cultivated until midnight again.

Lin Xuan did not delay; he determined his direction and headed towards the Qinglin Valley Herb Garden.

He had not resigned from his job at the Herb Garden—on the contrary, it remained a stable source of contribution points and a channel for acquiring knowledge. Today was the day he was on duty.

The morning mist had yet to disperse, and the white mist Restriction at the entrance of Qinglin Valley flowed slowly. Lin Xuan presented his identity jade token, and the Utility Disciple guarding the valley nodded to let him pass.

The fragrance of herbs filled the air within the valley, and the Spiritual Qi, several times denser than outside, was mixed with the vitality of hundreds of spiritual plants.

Neat plots of spiritual fields stretched out in the morning light, displaying their emerald hues, and a few scattered Herb Garden Disciples were already busy on the field ridges.

Lin Xuan first went to Zone C to report to Old Qin. Old Qin was still his usual hunched self; seeing him arrive, he just nodded. "You're here? Today, continue looking after Zone C-5. That patch of silver-leaf chrysanthemums is recovering well; keep a close eye on them."

"Yes, Elder Qin." Lin Xuan acknowledged and skillfully picked up his tools.

After working in the Herb Garden for over an hour and completing most of the routine tasks like patrolling, weeding, and watering the spiritual plants in Zone C-5, Lin Xuan headed toward the simple bamboo house deep in the Herb Garden—the place where Deacon Wu usually handled affairs.

The bamboo house door was open. Deacon Wu was standing with his back to the door, bent over a "Seven-Star Orchid" with curled leaves and dull coloration, his brows tightly furrowed.

This old Deacon, who had stayed in the Herb Garden for decades, had a gaunt figure and deep wrinkles. His look of intense concentration at this moment was very much like an old physician diagnosing a difficult and complicated case.

"Disciple Lin Xuan greets Deacon Wu." Lin Xuan bowed respectfully outside the door.

Deacon Wu did not even turn his head, merely waving a hand. "Come in. Take a look at this Seven-Star Orchid."

Lin Xuan stepped into the room. He did not rush to look at the spiritual plant but stood quietly to the side, waiting for Deacon Wu to straighten up before stepping forward to examine it carefully.

The Seven-Star Orchid's leaves should have been spread out like stars, but they were curled inward, their edges yellowing, and there were several irregular brown spots on the leaf surface, with weak fluctuations of Spiritual Qi.

"It looks like 'Withering Spot Disease'?" Lin Xuan pondered. "But Withering Spot Disease usually starts from the leaf tips. The spots on this plant are scattered, and the leaves are curled abnormally tightly... How are the roots?"

A flash of approval crossed Deacon Wu's eyes. "The roots have slight atrophy, the soil moisture is normal, and there has been no recent fertilization or application of medication."

Lin Xuan crouched down, gently brushed away the soil at the base of the plant with his hand, leaned in to sniff it, and then rubbed a bit of the soil between his fingers.

"The soil is slightly sticky and has a very faint fishy smell... Deacon, has the Herb Garden used 'rotten fish bone meal' or similar fertilizer recently?"

Deacon Wu's eyes narrowed. "A batch of rotten fish bone meal was applied to Zone C-3 a few days ago to improve the soil quality, but this area is quite far away..."

"The wind." Lin Xuan pointed to a small window open on the side of the bamboo house. "There has been a southeast wind for the past few days, and the sudden heavy rain the day before yesterday might have carried the fine dust or odor over here. The Seven-Star Orchid is sensitive to this kind of fishy, putrid odor; even minor contact can trigger symptoms similar to Withering Spot Disease and cause it to curl up in self-protection."

He paused and continued: "The solution is not difficult. Transplant it to a place with better ventilation and away from strange odors, and water the roots with diluted 'Clear Spirit Dew' to help it expel the toxins. However, since this plant has already been affected, it will take some time to recuperate."

Deacon Wu stared at Lin Xuan for a few moments, and a very faint smile finally appeared on his stern face. "Your observation, thought process, and knowledge are all quite good. It seems you have truly thoroughly understood the 'introduction to hundreds of herbs' and can even apply it flexibly to reality."

"Deacon, you praise me too highly. This Disciple just read some miscellaneous notes and guessed correctly by luck." Lin Xuan said respectfully.

"No need to be overly humble." Deacon Wu waved his hand, walked behind the desk, and sat down. "You just had your Breakthrough yesterday, yet you came to work today; you are quite diligent. Is your cultivation stable?"

"It is initially stable." Lin Xuan replied. "It is just that this Disciple's cultivation is still shallow, and I heard that the Sect will open the outer perimeter of the Cloud Mist Valley in five months, so I want to prepare early."

"Cloud Mist Valley..." Hearing this, Deacon Wu tapped his fingers lightly on the tabletop. "That is a dangerous place, but also a treasure trove. Since you work in the Herb Garden, it is indeed necessary to learn more about the spiritual plants produced in the valley."

He stood up and walked to a bookshelf on one side of the room. The bookshelf was not tall, but it was piled with various yellowed books, scrolls, and leather notebooks.

Deacon Wu pulled out a thick volume wrapped in dark gray animal hide with heavily worn edges, patted the dust off it, and handed it to Lin Xuan.

"These are my casual records from my early years of traveling and these years of managing the Herb Garden regarding various spiritual plants—including some special varieties in cloud mist and miasma environments. They are a bit messy, but they are all practical experience. You may read them when you are not on duty, but there are three conditions: do not damage them, do not take them out of the Herb Garden, and do not pass them on to others."

Lin Xuan received it with both hands. It felt heavy, and he could feel the years and effort it contained. He bowed solemnly: "Thank you, Deacon! This Disciple will certainly keep this in mind; I will only read it within the garden and will never leak it!"

"Hmm." Deacon Wu nodded and added, "In the outer perimeter of the Cloud Mist Valley, the common cloud mist grass, water-condensing stone, and wind bell flower all have specific requirements for harvesting and processing. The cloud mist grass must be harvested with dew, stored in a jade box, and kept away from direct sunlight; the water-condensing stone must be wrapped in wet moss after leaving the water and processed within three days to retain its water spirit; the wind bell flower must be picked when it is in full bloom and the wind makes the bells chime; if picked too early or too late, the medicinal efficacy will be damaged."

"In addition," he paused, "there is a rare 'mist heart orchid' in the valley, often growing in damp, shady rock crevices. Its flowers are milky white and difficult to distinguish in the mist. Its fragrance has a slight hallucinogenic effect, but the 'mist orchid seeds' formed at the roots are excellent ingredients for refining several types of heart-clearing and barrier-breaking Medicinal Pills. If you have the Opportunity to encounter it, you must hold your breath when harvesting, use Spiritual Qi to wrap the entire plant before removing it, and be sure not to damage the roots."

"This Disciple has noted it down." Lin Xuan firmly memorized every point, especially the name "mist heart orchid."

Leaving the bamboo house, Lin Xuan carefully stored the book in his own locker at the Herb Garden rest area, then continued to finish his morning work in the Herb Garden.

After noon, the work in the Herb Garden came to a temporary pause. Lin Xuan had half a day of free time; he did not rest but went straight to the Mission Hall on the mountainside of Emerald Bamboo Peak.

Having attained Level 1 Qi Refining, his identity jade token was updated, and the range of missions he could accept had expanded significantly.

On the light screen outside the Mission Hall, all kinds of mission information were scrolling densely. Lin Xuan's gaze swept quickly, looking for targets that met his needs: could be completed in his free time outside of Herb Garden work, had decent contribution points, were safe and controllable, and could utilize his strengths.

Soon, he locked onto two:

"[Grade C] Alchemical Room Herb Sorting Assistance. Requirements: Familiarity with common Grade 1 Low Grade herbs, careful and patient. Time limit: Two hours every afternoon for ten consecutive days. Contribution points: 3 points per day. Limited to three people."

"[Grade C] Clear a small group of poisonous thorn vines in the 'Black Bamboo Ravine' behind Emerald Bamboo Peak. Requirements: Level 1 Qi Refining or above, must possess offensive Spells or corresponding combat power. Time limit: Complete within three days. Contribution points: 15 points. Note: The vines have poisonous thorns and fear fire and thunder attribute attacks."

The first one was stable, relied on knowledge, and its time did not conflict with his Herb Garden work, making it perfect.

The second one involved combat, but the poisonous thorn vines were wood-attribute Yao Beast plants, which his Lightning Strike Technique countered perfectly, and the contribution points were good; he could just find time to complete it within three days.

He immediately stepped forward and registered to accept both missions at the Deacon Disciple's station.

The Deacon Disciple glanced at him, confirmed the information on his jade token, and handed him two mission wooden tokens and a document detailing the precautions for sorting herbs in the Alchemical Room.

Just as he walked out of the Mission Hall, he heard a familiar loud voice: "Lin Xuan!"

Chen Hao walked over quickly from the side, still wearing that striking pale red Flame Peak uniform, with his usual hearty smile on his face. His aura was thicker than when they had last met, clearly indicating that his cultivation had improved again.

"Haozi? Why are you here?" Lin Xuan was somewhat surprised.

"I just turned in a mission and was preparing to go to the Dining Hall to treat myself, and I saw you from far away." Chen Hao leaned in, looked him over, and smiled. "You look good; it seems Level 1 Qi Refining is thoroughly stabilized. You are... accepting new missions again?"

Chen Hao had already known about Lin Xuan's Breakthrough; what he was asking about now was the newly accepted missions.

Lin Xuan nodded. "I want to accumulate more contribution points in my spare time from the Herb Garden. Isn't the Cloud Mist Valley opening soon?"

"I knew it!" Chen Hao had an "as expected" expression. "You are too hardworking! The work in the Herb Garden is not light, yet you are taking on other things... However,"

He scratched his head and pulled a slightly rough roll of parchment from his embrace. "This is for you; consider it a little support from me."

Lin Xuan took it and unfolded it to see that it was actually a hand-drawn map.

The lines were a bit crude, but the key information was clear: the entrance to the Cloud Mist Valley, several paths winding inward, several dangerous areas marked with red crosses, and several resource points marked with small grass or stone symbols, with small annotations next to them— "suspected cloud mist grass area," "water-condensing stone discovered here before," "wind bell flower slope."

"This is?" Lin Xuan looked up.

"There is a Senior Brother in our Flame Peak who went in when the Cloud Mist Valley was opened last time." Chen Hao laughed. "I pestered him for a long time and even treated him to a meal before he drew this rough map from memory. Although it might not be accurate enough, the general direction and dangerous points should be reliable; it's better than you going in blind."

A warm current welled up in Lin Xuan's heart. This map might not be as professional as those sold in the marketplace, but the friendship and thoughtfulness it contained were far more precious.

"Haozi, thank you."

"What are you thanking me for! We are brothers!" Chen Hao patted Lin Xuan's shoulder hard, then said with a serious expression, "But you must be very careful; there is a place on this map that the Senior Brother specifically emphasized to avoid."

He pointed to an area on the edge of the map that was painted gray-purple and had a blurred claw mark drawn on it.

"Here, the miasma is particularly thick, and the color is not right. The Senior Brother said that once he heard a very strange sound from inside from far away, like snoring and also like a low roar, and there were faint flashes of electric light. He didn't dare to get close, but he felt very uncomfortable. Marking it as 'Enter with Caution' on the map is an understatement; you'd better not even look in that direction."

Lin Xuan's gaze fell on the claw mark, and his heart stirred slightly. Miasma, strange sounds, electric light... this description inexplicably made him think of the "Purple Lightning Sable" recorded in the notebook from the back mountain and the traces he had discovered at Thunderfall Ravine.

Could it be that there were similar thunder-attribute Yao Beasts in the Cloud Mist Valley?

He suppressed this speculation in his heart and nodded. "I have noted it; I will avoid this place."

"That's good!" Chen Hao breathed a sigh of relief. "Alright, I won't delay your work. I have to go Cultivate too, striving to reach Level 2 soon so that we can look out for each other in the valley. By the way, if you are short on contribution points, tell me; I have some spare ones..."

"No need, I can handle it myself." Lin Xuan interrupted him. "You go Cultivate quickly; I have to go to the Alchemical Room too."

"Alright! If you need anything, make sure to find me!"