Chapter 6 - Red Cloud Pine

  "Nine stalks of firefly grass were exchanged for a total of 29 low-grade spirit stones and 70 broken spirits. With the six spirit stones and 82 broken spirits in my hand, I now have a total of 36 low-grade spirit stones and 52 broken spirits."

  "It's a pity that I was harmed a lot by the damn black budworm larvae that day, otherwise I would have a much richer fortune."

  Lu Xuan thought of the black thin line that cost him 6 spirit stones and 50 broken spirits, and he couldn't help but grit his teeth in hatred.

  Money makes people brave. With such a large amount of spirit stones, his back straightened a lot.

  After leaving Baicaotang, Lu Xuan was worried about the spirit field whose protection power was better than nothing, and hurried to the next destination.

  There are all kinds of shops in the market, including some small shops that specialize in or sell spirit seeds.

  He came to a shop with a familiar way.

  An ordinary middle-aged cultivator with a low level of Qi training was taking care of the spirit seedlings placed in the shop. Seeing Lu Xuan come in, he stood up to greet him.

  "Little brother, is there anything I can help you with?"

  The shop owner asked.

  "Let me take a look first."

  Lu Xuan replied, his eyes sweeping across the entire store.

  There were many kinds of spiritual seeds on display in the store, with various shapes, and Lu Xuan didn't recognize most of them.

  There were also many seedlings of spiritual plants in the corner, with strange appearances, which Lu Xuan was even more unfamiliar with.

  After the spiritual plants matured, if they were allowed to continue growing, there would be a certain possibility of producing spiritual seeds, but most of these spiritual seeds were not suitable for cultivating new spiritual plants.

  Most of the spiritual seeds need to be condensed through various special means, and there are even some condensation methods that only those large sects can master.

  Especially those spiritual seeds with rare varieties and high grades, their condensation methods will never be spread to the outside world.

  Even the condensation of ordinary spiritual seeds is not something that ordinary casual cultivators can master. There might be some great cultivators or big families standing behind this store.

  "How many spiritual firefly grass spiritual seeds are there?"

  Lu Xuan pointed to the spiritual firefly grass seeds that were like dry tea leaves on the shelf and asked the middle-aged cultivator.

  "Forty spirit fragments per piece, buy no less than ten at a time, fifty spirit fragments for retail."

  "I need twenty."

  "Also, please recommend me a first-grade spirit plant seedling or spirit seed, preferably one that does not require much spiritual energy and has simple growing conditions."

  Twenty-four spirit fireflies were planted in the small spiritual field in the yard before, but Lu Xuan did not plan to buy the same number of seeds this time.

  The spirit fireflies and the Eclipse Moon Tree have no grades. The Eclipse Moon Tree is more valuable, but it is not yet first-grade. The

  richness of the white light ball that appears after the spirit plant matures is affected by many factors, including the type and grade of the spirit plant.

  So Lu Xuan wanted to try planting a relatively simple first-grade spirit plant to see what kind of light ball reward it would have after it matures.

  "The spiritual energy requirements are not high, and the growth conditions are simple..."

  "What do you think of these two?"

  "Both are first-grade spiritual plants. One is the blood-sucking vine spiritual seed, which requires a certain amount of blood and flesh essence of exotic beasts or monsters to feed. After maturity, taking it directly can enhance the blood and qi in the body of the cultivator, or assist in practicing certain special exercises."

  "The other is the red cloud pine seedling. During the cultivation process, it occasionally needs fire spiritual energy to nourish it. The red cloud pine spiritual fruit produced is rich in spiritual energy and tastes strange and wonderful. It is very popular among female cultivators."

  The higher the grade of the spiritual plant, the more stringent the growth environment and conditions are required. There are various complex conditions such as spiritual energy, spiritual soil, and spiritual springs. The cultivation of these two first-grade spiritual plants is relatively simple.

  Lu Xuan first ruled out the blood-sucking vine. Just kidding, he is barely at the stage of food and clothing now, and he may not eat a meal of monster meat for ten days or half a month. What if he grows this blood-sucking vine? What can I use to feed it?   

  I can't cut my own flesh to feed the vines, can I?

  As for the Red Cloud Pine, I currently have the Fireball Technique, and there are more than ten Spirit Firefly Grasses and Eclipse Moon Fruits to be drawn later. Maybe some fire-related techniques will be drawn, so it is not a problem to supply it with a small amount of fire-related spiritual power.

  "How many spiritual stones does that Red Cloud Pine seedling need?"

  Lu Xuan pointed to a pine seedling in the corner. The small pine tree was less than two feet tall, and its pine leaves were like fiery red needles. From a distance, it looked like a small cluster of red clouds, which is why the Red Cloud Pine got its name.

  "Five spiritual stones." The middle-aged cultivator replied.

  "Twenty Firefly Grass seeds, this Red Cloud Pine seedling, and twelve Spiritual Stones, how about I take them all?"

  "Little brother, you are too hard on bargaining. How about this? I will lose money to gain publicity, and add seventy broken spirits."

  "Daoyou, you also know that it is not easy for a small casual cultivator to earn a few Spiritual Stones."

  "I was tempted by the idea because I saw that Red Cloud Pine was destined to be with me. I don't know if I can plant it successfully if I really buy it!"

  "Fifty broken spirits, no more."

  "Deal!" The middle-aged cultivator shook his head and smiled bitterly.

  He handed the twenty Firefly Grass seeds to Lu Xuan, and helped to pack the Red Cloud Pine seedlings in a cloth bag, and told Lu Xuan to plant them as soon as possible, because delaying for a long time would affect the vitality of the seedlings.

  Lu Xuan followed suit and nodded. With a look of regret, he took out the twelve Spiritual Stones and fifty broken spirits that were not yet fully warmed up, and the money and goods were settled.

  In the market, Lu Xuan argued with a casual cultivator with a red face.

  "Fellow Daoist, this protective formation is only second-hand, and there are blood stains on it. This is a very bad omen, and the meaning is unknown. Twenty spirit stones is already a high price!"

  The casual cultivator looked helpless.

  "Little brother, if the formation is brand new, then I will at least double the price. As for the blood stains, it will not affect its protective ability. You cut it from twenty-five spirit stones to twenty. Is there anyone who would bargain like this?"

  "There is nothing wrong with the formation, but its origin is unknown, which is a bit worrying. Moreover, I don't know how long it has been used. I'm afraid it can't be used."

  Lu Xuan pretended to want to buy it, but he was worried.

  "How about this, twenty-one spirit stones. If there is any problem with the formation, you can come to the market to find me. I have been setting up a stall here for more than ten years, and I still have some credibility."

  "Okay, just consider it as making friends with you."

  Lu Xuan made a decision and took out twenty-one low-grade spirit stones.

  "No, no, no, let's talk about spirit stones, not friendship."

  The casual cultivator quickly refused. Lu Xuan had been fighting with him for nearly half an hour to get a few spirit stones. If they really had some friendship, he didn't know how many spirit stones he would have to use to offset it.

  Lu Xuan took the array plate with a little dark red blood stain from the stall owner and carefully put it in his arms.

  He didn't care about the blood stain at all. After all, no matter how scary a ghost is, it can't be compared to a poor ghost.

  He used to never go to roadside shops to avoid bargaining. In this cultivation world, in order to save a little bit of spirit stones, he has developed a deadly bargaining skill.

  "The spirit stones brought by the nine spirit fireflies have all been spent, and my original family has also been lost."

  "However, the harvest is still quite large. Twenty spirit firefly seeds and a red cloud pine seedling."

  "The most important thing is that the protective array that I have been thinking about is finally in my hands."

  Lu Xuan pinched his chest, which had become shriveled again, and thought to himself.

  (End of this chapter)