53: Chapter 53 Planting chalcedony fruits

"You, what am I supposed to say about you?"

"I only went back to my hometown for a trip, how did you end up looking like such a mess?"

"You are technically my Spirit Beast now."

"Why would you go and mate with those wild beasts?"

"Are you really that desperate?"

To prevent Ox Martial from running away again in the future, Zhao Mo continued to twist the knife.

Hearing this, Ox Martial lowered its head, not daring to face Zhao Mo. After all, it was the one who made the mistake of running away first.

But recalling its miserable life over the past two months, it began to wail loudly again. The sound was so tragic that even Zhao Mo was moved by it.

"Alright, alright, it's all in the past."

Zhao Mo patted the ox's head.

The person and the ox returned to Tianfeng Valley.

Ox Martial wobbled back to its shed and collapsed immediately. At this moment, it felt there was no place more comfortable than here.

Zhao Mo, however, didn't rest at all. He took out his Iron Shovel and began to pile up soil ridges.

Thud.

"Dammit."

Having been away for over two months, the spirit fields had long since dried up. It would be a miracle if he could dig into them.

Left with no choice, Zhao Mo had to water them first.

"Water Spirit Art."

[You have completed watering the spirit fields, Experience +20.]

Only after the spirit fields had soaked for three days did Zhao Mo enter the fields again.

Digging down shovel by shovel, the excavated soil was piled into ridges thirty centimeters high.

Zhao Mo worked for a full twenty days on the thirty-six mu of spirit fields.

[You have completed building ridges in the spirit fields, Experience +20.]

"Hehe, I finally understand why the Sect Master sent me to Tianfeng Valley. I have to say, this work is truly worse than facing a wall in Jingsi Valley."

Zhao Mo muttered, exhausted to the bone.

After preparing the spirit fields, the next step was to extract the green cores of the golden marrow fruits.

Zhao Mo set up an oversized copper pot and, under Ox Martial's curious gaze, began to boil the golden marrow fruit seeds.

First, he brought the water to a boil, added the golden marrow fruit seeds, and then boiled them over a high flame for twenty-four hours.

Finally, they had to be frozen for twenty-four hours. He also had to be especially careful that the extracted green cores were planted into the spirit fields within forty-eight hours, otherwise they would lose their vitality.

Zhao Mo operated while recalling the instructions.

"Bloody hell, they have to be planted within forty-eight hours? Does that mean I have to do it in two batches?"

Zhao Mo cursed. With such a bizarre planting method, no wonder that Nascent Soul Ancestor from the Xuan Sect failed to steal the technique; it was simply too perverted.

Gurgle, gurgle. Steam rose from the copper pot as the golden marrow fruit seeds tumbled continuously inside.

While keeping an eye on the time, Zhao Mo dug an ice cellar outside the Leisurely Residence.

As for the ice blocks, they were made using an Ice-Making Art Zhao Mo had just learned. One had to admit that Zhao Mo had a talent for Spells; he could basically learn any Spell as soon as he tried.

"That's enough."

Zhao Mo scooped the golden marrow fruit seeds out of the copper pot and threw them directly into the ice cellar.

A sizzling sound erupted, and a massive cloud of water vapor rose.

A day and a night passed in the blink of an eye.

Zhao Mo looked at the golden marrow fruit seeds in the ice cellar. The outer coats of the seeds had long since disappeared, leaving only tiny green cores scattered across the remaining ice.

Seeing this, Zhao Mo hurriedly transplanted these green cores into the spirit fields.

"The last one."

After twenty-four hours without sleep, Zhao Mo finally finished planting the first batch of green cores.

Next was the second batch.

From the ox shed, Ox Martial watched Zhao Mo lighting fires, making ice, and then huddling in the spirit fields alone, its eyes full of pity.

"This Zhao Mo must have gone mad. Could he have been captured by some Perfected Lord to be a male plaything during those two months back home?"

"Otherwise, how could he be so abnormal?"

Four days later, Zhao Mo put down the last green core and covered it with soil.

[You have completed planting the spirit fields, Experience +20.]

"Finally finished."

Since returning from the Song State, Zhao Mo hadn't had a moment's rest.

Twenty days of ridge building, eight days of planting; over a month had passed just like that.

[You have completed watering the spirit fields, Experience +20.]

[You have completed weeding the spirit fields, Experience +20.]

Next came another busy period for Zhao Mo.

The Spiritual Qi in Tianfeng Valley was appallingly thin. No one usually came here, and there were no social obligations, so Zhao Mo could focus all his attention on the spirit fields.

"Holy crap, this bug looks familiar."

When the golden marrow fruits bloomed, Zhao Mo actually spotted a familiar figure.

Aside from the hybrid spirit rice, he hadn't found this kind of Demon Worm while planting other spirit plants. Zhao Mo had thought these Demon Worms only ate hybrid spirit rice.

He didn't expect them to be interested in golden marrow fruits as well.

Unlike with the hybrid spirit rice, these Demon Worms only ate the flowers of the golden marrow fruits.

"Fortunately, there's only this one," Zhao Mo said, feeling lucky.

But Zhao Mo celebrated too early.

The next day, buzzing sounds rose from all directions.

If Zhao Mo hadn't been at the Golden Core Stage, he probably would have been overwhelmed by now.

"Die, die, die!"

Zhao Mo's figure was like a flash of light, constantly appearing and disappearing across the spirit fields.

Beside the spirit fields, the corpses of the Demon Worms had already piled up into a small mountain.

It was currently the peak blooming period for the golden marrow fruits. The entire spirit field had become a sea of flowers, wafting a strange fragrance.

Strangely, the floral scent didn't attract bees; instead, a massive wave of the same Demon Worms from the hybrid spirit rice planting arrived.

[You have completed pest control in the spirit fields, Experience +20.]

Zhao Mo's iron stake had been blunted from use. This iron stake was a Grade 1 Magical Artifact he had refined during his Qi Refining Stage, specifically tailored for these Demon Worms.

But the number of Demon Worms appearing today was over a dozen times more than when he planted the hybrid spirit rice. The iron stake was clearly insufficient.

"Once I'm done here, I need to visit the Star River Shop. How can I work without proper tools?"

While grumbling, Zhao Mo dug a large pit around the spirit fields.

There were too many Demon Worm corpses, and combined with the current weather, they were already starting to smell.

Just as he finished, before Zhao Mo even had a chance to rest, bursts of bright light suddenly appeared in the spirit fields.

"Will it ever end?"

Zhao Mo thought some more strange Demon Worms had arrived and took out his iron stake, ready for another battle.

For the sake of the spirit fields, he was giving it his all.

When he got close to the spirit fields, he was stunned.

He saw patch after patch of bright light, illuminating the spirit fields like it was broad daylight.

Looking closer, what bright light was this? They were all bees with bodies like white jade, and they were glowing.

These bees were busily flying back and forth among the golden marrow fruits, collecting nectar.

"During the day I was worried there were no insects for pollination. I didn't expect you little things to only come out at night."

Zhao Mo looked at the White Jade Bees flying all over the sky with joy, finding it quite magical.

These White Jade Bees emitted a white light while in the spirit fields. Once they had collected nectar and left the fields, the light would go out. It turned out they came with their own built-in flashlights.

"If there are bees, does that mean there's honey?"

Zhao Mo's thoughts began to wander.

Secretly following a group of White Jade Bees, Zhao Mo intended to see where their hive was located.

Who would have thought that from the moment the moon rose until dawn, those bees would still be flying.

"Dammit, it's that far?"

Zhao Mo was helpless and could only turn back.

The Demon Worms would be rampant during the day, and he had to go back to look after the golden marrow fruits. He couldn't be penny-wise and pound-foolish.

Buzz, buzz, buzz.

After the sun came up, just as Zhao Mo expected, it was another busy day.

He stabbed at the pests until his arms were sore.