218: Chapter 218 Senior Brother, where did you get these spirit bamboo shoots?

"The fourth version of the plan has been finalized and is currently being wrapped up. Revered Master said that delivery is guaranteed within half a month; it won't be dismantled again this time."

Zhou Changgeng bent down, pulled a pot of herbal tea from under the cabinet, poured two bowls, and pushed one of them over.

"However, there is one thing I must give you a heads-up about in advance."

Su Cheng picked up the tea bowl but didn't drink.

"Revered Master's intention is that the grade of the finished product might exceed previous expectations." Zhou Changgeng's tone carried a hint of subtle pride. "We originally talked about a low-grade Treasure Artifact, right? Revered Master's current plan has pushed it directly to a middle-grade Treasure Artifact."

The bowl in Su Cheng's hand paused in mid-air.

A middle-grade Treasure Artifact was the standard weapon level for a Golden Core Middle Stage Cultivator. Although the gap in grade between Treasure Artifacts wasn't large, it was more about the difference in functionality.

But with his Early Foundation Establishment Stage cultivation, whether he could activate it was a question.

"You don't need to worry about activating it." Zhou Changgeng saw his concerns. "When Revered Master was modifying it, he specifically created tiered Spiritual Power interfaces. A Foundation Establishment Cultivator uses the set of Array Inscriptions channels for Foundation Establishment Cultivators, which can unleash at most sixty percent of its power.

When your cultivation increases in the future, you can gradually unlock deeper Array Inscriptions circuits to make up for the remaining forty percent. This is called 'growth with the Revered Master,' Revered Master's original words."

Su Cheng put down the bowl: "Please thank Senior Sun for me."

"What's there to thank? You haven't repaid the favor you owe that old man yet." Zhou Changgeng gulped down a large mouthful of herbal tea.

Su Cheng didn't dwell on this topic.

He kept the favor debt in mind; since he owed it, he owed it, and he would pay it back slowly in the future.

"Then I will come to collect it in half a month."

"Sure, Revered Master said you must come in person at that time, as the core connection for that final step requires your own Spiritual Power."

Su Cheng nodded and stood up to take his leave.

By the time he walked out of Qingfeng Alley, it was already getting dark, and the flow of people on the long street was thinning.

Su Cheng walked slowly towards the inn, running through the few things he had handled today in his mind.

The team to meet his father would be arranged by Fang Zhenhai.

The test run for the second-tier supreme grade Medicinal Pill had also been arranged in advance.

The Su Family's Guard force had also been replenished.

The upgrade of the wanbao mirror would be completed in half a month.

There was one thing left: erasing his father's memory regarding the creation furnace.

He had already mastered the Wangchuan Formula, and his Divine Soul was sufficient.

Once his father returned from Xuanhuo Ridge, he would take care of this matter as well.

Su Cheng looked up at the night sky of the Prefecture City; sparse stars were dotted across the gray-blue canopy, flickering under the Spiritual Qi light rising from the market.

He found a wonton stall on the side of the street, sat down, and ordered a bowl of fresh meat wontons. It had been a long time since he had eaten Mortal food.

The stall owner was an old Mortal man, who skillfully cooked the wontons and served them up, piping hot.

Su Cheng took a bite.

The taste was average, with thick skin and little filling, but it had the advantage of being hot.

Having cultivated for so long, occasionally eating some Mortal food could be considered a change of pace in his life.

After eating, he wiped his mouth, dropped a large piece of silver Ore, stood up, and returned to the inn he had booked long ago.

Tiangang Sect, Jing Xuan Peak.

When Su Yunling walked out of the stone chamber where she was in seclusion, the morning light was just hitting the peak, reflecting the large patches of white clouds into a golden-orange color.

She stretched her wrists and neck, her joints clicking softly.

It was normal for her body to be stiff after two months of continuous cultivation to catalyze the Spiritual Sea.

The total amount of Spiritual Power in her Spiritual Sea had increased by half a percent compared to two months ago; this speed was considered quite good for a High-Grade Spiritual Root.

"Senior Sister, the spiritual food is being kept warm for you."

At the entrance of the Immortal Cave, Wenren Zimo was standing there holding a food box, with faint white Spiritual Qi mist drifting above the box.

A few years ago, Su Yunling was still his Junior Sister, but now she was his Senior Sister.

Previously, Su Yunling had entered the sect many years after Wenren Zimo, but both studied under Elder Jing Xuan, so according to the rules, they were fellow Disciples.

But now, Su Yunling had reached Foundation Establishment first, while Wenren Zimo was still at the Tenth Level of Qi Refining, so it was reasonable for him to call her Senior Sister.

He had come very early today.

To be precise, it wasn't just that he came early today, but rather that he had been coming here every three to five days during these two months.

On the smooth bluestone slab outside the stone chamber where she was in seclusion, there were shallow, smooth marks from where he had sat.

Underneath the food box was a low-grade Talisman for insulation, which could keep it warm for more than three hours.

In fact, Foundation Establishment Cultivators no longer needed to eat; fasting was a mundane habit that should have been discarded on the first day of entering Foundation Establishment.

But spiritual food was different; the trace amounts of Spiritual Qi and plant essence contained in spiritual food could nourish the Meridians and harmonize Qi and blood, which was of great benefit to the body's recovery after long-term seclusion.

Especially when just coming out of seclusion, with her Meridians having been strained for two months, eating some spiritual food to clear them was more comfortable than just sitting and cultivating.

Wenren Zimo had found these things in a miscellaneous record on health preservation, and he remembered them vividly.

The food box contained three things. The two spiritual poultry eggs had been simmered over low heat for an hour; faint Spiritual Qi seeped through the eggshells, and when peeled, the egg white was smooth and tender, and the yolk was firm without falling apart.

A small bowl of jade spiritual rice porridge; the rice grains were cooked until soft and melted in the mouth. It used jade rice produced in the spiritual field, which had an extra strand of wood-element Spiritual Qi compared to ordinary spiritual rice, nourishing the stomach and moisturizing the Meridians.

The third item took a bit of effort: a small dish of shredded spiritual bamboo shoots mixed with chili oil.

The bamboo forest behind Lingxia Peak was managed by the spiritual field branch, and it grew Qingxia spiritual bamboo, with the bamboo shoot tips containing a trace of extremely faint wood-element Spiritual Qi.

Cultivators at the Qi Refinement Stage could use it as a side dish to clear the flow of Spiritual Power, and it also had the effect of relaxing the Meridians for Foundation Establishment Cultivators.

Disciples who went in to pick bamboo shoots had to greet Junior Brother Lu who was guarding it.

Junior Brother Lu was good in every way, except he was very shrewd when it came to business, asking for three qi recovery pills right off the bat.

Wenren Zimo only had seven qi recovery pills left on him, but after hesitating for a moment, he gave them.

Three qi recovery pills for a small handful of spiritual bamboo shoots—no matter how you calculated it, it was a loss.

But Senior Sister loved eating bamboo shoots.

He had lived in the Su Family's small courtyard for a while. At that time, Su Yunling was still at the Qi Refining Fourth Layer, and the Su Family's dining table was always fully set for every meal.

Wenren Zimo had noticed while eating that whenever there were bamboo shoots on the table, Su Yunling would always reach out with her chopsticks a few extra times.

Whether it was stir-fried, mixed, or stewed in soup, she never refused.

She probably didn't even notice this habit herself, but Wenren Zimo had noticed and remembered it until now.

After setting up the food box, he sat on the steps at the entrance of the Immortal Cave and waited, his hands resting on his knees, watching the sky in the east brighten bit by bit.

The mountain wind blew up from the bottom of the valley, carrying the fresh scent of dew and Spiritual Plants.

He thought about many things, yet it seemed he thought about nothing at all, with only fragmented pieces turning over and over in his mind.

As his thoughts returned, Wenren Zimo stood up and handed over the food box.

Su Yunling took the food box, lifted the lid, and took a look: two spiritual poultry eggs, a small bowl of jade spiritual rice porridge, and a small dish of shredded spiritual bamboo shoots mixed with chili oil.

The bamboo shoot shreds were cut thinly, coated in bright red chili oil, and the Spiritual Qi steamed upwards with the heat, a fresh, sweet, and spicy aroma drilling straight into her nose.

"Senior Brother, where did the spiritual bamboo shoots come from?"

Although Wenren Zimo had long changed his address to call her Senior Sister, Su Yunling had never changed it back.

When she had just entered the sect, she didn't understand anything. It was Wenren Zimo who led her to get familiar with the mountain gate and taught her the sect's rules and regulations, worrying about many things, big and small.

At that time, she called him Senior Brother; she had called him that for several years and gotten used to it.

Later, her cultivation surpassed his, and their seniority was reversed, but this form of address could not be changed no matter what, so the two just started calling each other whatever they wanted.

"There is a bamboo forest behind Lingxia Peak; I traded for them with Junior Brother Lu, who Guards the spiritual fields." Wenren Zimo scratched his head. "He asked for three qi recovery pills; he's very black-hearted."

Su Yunling couldn't help but laugh, and she carried the food box into the Immortal Cave.