60: Chapter 60 Earth Vein Spirit Milk

The late winter morning breeze was still bone-chilling. As it blew across Emerald Bamboo Peak, it stirred up a rustling sound like waves of bamboo.

Lin Xuan pushed open the door to the Quiet Room and exhaled a puff of white mist. Today was the fifteenth day since he had ordered the Earth Vein Spiritual Milk; according to the middleman, it should have arrived.

He first made a trip to the herb garden. In Qinglin Valley, the bleakness of winter had been mostly dispelled by the Formation, but the growth rate of the spiritual plants had clearly slowed down.

After busying himself in the herb garden for a while, it was already mid-morning by the time he left. Lin Xuan did not return to his small courtyard but headed straight for the marketplace.

The marketplace appeared even more desolate than it had half a month ago. The once bustling streets now had more than half of their stalls emptied.

The few shops still in business had shopkeepers and assistants who looked listless.

The prices of Medicinal Pills and Talismans had risen by another half-percent, but their quality had visibly declined—some Medicinal Pills were dull in color, clearly lacking in proper refinement; some Talismans had diffused spiritual light, likely indicating a decrease in power.

Lin Xuan crossed the main street and turned into a quiet alley. At the end of the alley was an inconspicuous small shop with a weathered wooden plaque hanging above the door: "Hundred Flavors Studio."

Though called a "Studio," it was really just a small shop selling food for Mortals. The shopkeeper was a hunched old man, a Mortal, who was slowly wiping down a table.

Lin Xuan walked in, ordered a bowl of plain noodles, and sat in the corner.

Just as the noodles arrived, the curtain at the back door lifted, and a lean man wearing a bamboo hat slipped in and sat directly across from Lin Xuan.

"Fellow Daoist Lin, sorry to keep you waiting." The man's voice was low; it was the middleman.

Lin Xuan put down his chopsticks and took out his identity jade tablet from his Storage Pouch.

The man also took out a palm-sized jade box and pushed it over: "Inspect the goods."

The jade box felt warm and smooth to the touch, with simple isolation Formation patterns carved on the surface. Lin Xuan opened it a crack, and a thick, heavy Earth Spiritual Qi rushed out. Resting quietly inside were ten drops of milky white liquid, each as round as a pearl, radiating a heart-palpitating fluctuation of Spiritual Qi.

Most curiously, when the jade box was opened, the dust on the ground beneath Lin Xuan's feet actually vibrated slightly, as if pulled by some kind of force.

"It is indeed Earth Vein Spiritual Milk." Lin Xuan closed the lid.

"Genuine and authentic." The man lowered his voice. "I won't hide it from you, Fellow Daoist, the origin of this batch of spiritual milk... is a bit sensitive. It flowed out from a newly discovered ancient Immortal Cave ruin, and it was still stained with blood when unearthed. The seller was in a hurry to get rid of it, which is why the price was pressed down to seven hundred and fifty. If it were through proper channels, a single drop would cost at least one hundred points."

Lin Xuan remained calm: "I only want the goods; I don't ask about their origin."

"Straightforward." The man took Lin Xuan's identity jade tablet, swiped it on his portable Formation Plate, and deducted seven hundred and fifty contribution points.

The transaction complete, the man stood up: "If you have any needs in the future, Fellow Daoist, contact me using the old rules." With that, he lifted the curtain and left through the back door.

Lin Xuan carefully put away the jade box, finished his noodles in a few bites, paid, and quickly left the Hundred Flavors Studio.

Returning to the small courtyard on Emerald Bamboo Peak, he closed the courtyard gate and set up a simple warning Restriction; only then did Lin Xuan truly breathe a sigh of relief.

He walked into the Quiet Room, sat cross-legged, and took out the jade box.

Opening the lid, the aura of the Earth Vein Spiritual Milk permeated the room.

This time, it wasn't just the dust on the ground vibrating slightly; even the roots of the ordinary green plant in the corner of the Quiet Room began to stretch unconsciously toward the jade box—this was an instinctive reaction to the dense Earth Spiritual Qi.

"Good stuff." Lin Xuan praised sincerely.

With a thought, the Pangolin was summoned from the Spirit-Taming Tower Space.

As soon as the little guy appeared, it was immediately like being attracted by a magnet, staring fixedly at the jade box in Lin Xuan's hand.

On its dark brown scales, those golden thunder patterns flickered frantically, emitting a faint "crackle" of electrical sound.

It paced anxiously on the ground, emitting a rapid, low "gurgling" sound, conveying a strong, almost overflowing desire.

"Don't be anxious, it's all yours." Lin Xuan comforted it.

He placed the jade box on the ground, and the Pangolin immediately pounced over, but it dared not touch it rashly, only sniffing greedily with its nose, its eyes full of intoxication.

Lin Xuan took out a jade spoon—this was specially prepared for feeding Spirit Beasts. He scooped up a drop of Earth Vein Spiritual Milk and brought it to the Pangolin's mouth.

The Pangolin hesitated for a moment, seemingly confirming this wasn't a dream, then carefully extended its tongue and curled the spiritual milk into its mouth.

"Gulp."

The sound of swallowing was exceptionally clear in the Quiet Room.

The next moment, a sudden change occurred!

The Pangolin shuddered violently! The skin beneath its scales instantly glowed with an earthy yellow light; this light started from its abdomen and rapidly spread over its entire body.

Its body temperature rose sharply, and a hot, dry scent of soil baked by the scorching sun permeated the Quiet Room.

"Whimper..."

The Pangolin let out a painful whimper, its body beginning to sway uncontrollably, like it was drunk.

It transmitted a chaotic mix of emotions to Lin Xuan: extreme comfort, tearing pain, sleepiness, and a greedy desire for more spiritual milk.

Lin Xuan immediately transmitted a comforting thought through the contract: "Take it slow, don't rush."

He scooped up the second drop.

The Pangolin struggled to swallow it.

This time, the reaction was more intense. The earthy yellow light on its body began to flicker rhythmically, as if breathing.

Those golden thunder patterns were no longer just flickering, but were moving, extending, and deepening on its scales like living things.

The third drop, the fourth drop, the fifth drop...

When the seventh drop of spiritual milk was consumed, the Pangolin could no longer hold on. It transmitted a clear and urgent thought to Lin Xuan: "Sleepy... need to sleep... evolving..."

Then, it curled into a ball, the dark golden thunder patterns and earthy yellow light weaving into a cocoon, wrapping it inside.

Lin Xuan carefully returned it to the Spirit-Taming Tower Space, placing it beneath the thunder-attracting vine—that was where the Thunder Spiritual Energy was most concentrated, which also had a nourishing effect on its thunder-attribute aspect.

"Thunder-Light Bug, Herb-Seeking Mouse, do not disturb it." Lin Xuan commanded through the contract.

The Thunder-Light Bug flapped its wings, showering more purple light dust over the "cocoon" formed by the Pangolin.

The Herb-Seeking Mouse sensibly retreated to the distance, lying in its little nest, but its eyes stared unblinkingly in this direction.

Lin Xuan exited the space and looked at the floor of the Quiet Room—where the Pangolin had been lying, a faint earthy yellow mark remained, which was the dissipated pure Earth Spiritual Qi.

"Next, it is just a matter of waiting."

For three days, apart from his duties, Lin Xuan did not leave the small courtyard.

He was on duty in the herb garden during the day, and at night, he returned to the Quiet Room to Cultivate and practice making Talismans, while keeping a constant watch on the changes within the Spirit-Taming Tower Space.

The "cocoon" formed by the Pangolin remained very stable.

The earthy yellow light and dark golden thunder patterns intertwined and flowed, and from inside the cocoon came a low and powerful "thump-thump" sound, like the heartbeat of the earth.

On the evening of the third day, Lin Xuan was drawing a lightning strike talisman.

The tip of his brush landed on the Talisman paper, and the Thunder Spiritual Energy flowed steadily. The first three strokes were completed smoothly, the fourth stroke turned... the fifth stroke connected... the sixth stroke finished...

When the final stroke landed, the silver thunder patterns on the Talisman paper suddenly lit up, then immediately retracted, and a complete lightning strike talisman lay quietly on the table.

Success!

And it was the highest quality one Lin Xuan had drawn to date—the spiritual light was full, the patterns were clear, and it was estimated to have ninety percent of the power of his casual strike.