Summer Bamboo Shoots and Brewing Wine

Outside Black Stone City.

Near the trade route.

A thunderous roar suddenly echoed through the void!

BANG!

A massive black wolf, as tall as two men and with two heads, crashed to the ground.

Linghu Yang landed lightly, his two thick palms instantly returning to a pristine, jade-like white.

"Uncle-Master Linghu's Five Thunder Hand grows ever more profound," Chunyu said with a gentle voice, offering congratulations. "You killed this Demon Wolf in a single blow!"

"Given time, Uncle-Master Linghu will surely become an elder of Yuan He Demonuntain. Even the position of sect master is within your grasp..." Qiao Wuchang said with a smile.

"It was merely the lowest grade of Exotic Demon... nothing to speak of," Linghu Yang waved his hand, his expression indifferent, as if it were not a matter worthy of pride. "You all clean this up, and I will head back first... Lately, Demon Beasts have been appearing frequently outside the city. There might be some hidden circumstances, so I need to write and inquire with the sect."

Chunyu and Qiao Wuchang exchanged a glance, a chill running down their spines.

These Exotic Demons, originally from the deep mountains and old forests, suddenly leaving their territories... perhaps it meant a stronger Exotic Demon had appeared in their territory, or even... a Demon!

But seeing the Martial Hall Masters assisting nearby, the two exchanged another look and remained silent.

After Linghu Yang departed, Qiao Wuchang looked at the foul-smelling wolf carcass and waved his hand in disgust below his nose. "You... handle this Demon Wolf properly and send it to Yuan He Demonuntain. Understood?"

"Understood!"

"As you command!"

The Martial Hall Masters exchanged glances. Although it felt somewhat humiliating, they agreed.

This operation to clear out Exotic Demons was led by the government, with Linghu Yang of Yuan He Demonuntain as the main force.

These Martial Hall Masters were usually imposing figures in the city, but now, with their Martial Arts and influence inferior to others, they were relegated to assisting roles, taking orders.

Fortunately, handling a Demon Beast, while dirty and tiring, posed no real danger, and they could even take some scraps as a bonus.

"Brother Feng, let's get to it!" a Martial Hall Master in a black robe said, watching the Yuan He Demonuntain contingent gradually depart.

"Mmm, this beast is quite heavy. I reckon it can yield at least several thousand catties of good meat," Brother Feng said with a smile, secretly calculating how much meat he could skim off and how much silver he could make.

The beast's hide, flesh, and blood were incredibly tough; even ordinary cultivators at the Three Changes of Qi and Blood stage might not be able to pierce it. Only Martial Hall Masters had some use for it.

They all stepped forward, skinning and dismembering the beast, busy and engrossed.

"Sigh... Yuan He Demonuntain is indeed Yuan He Demonuntain. Look at this Five Thunder Palm, its power is as fierce as heavenly retribution..."

Brother Feng was saying something as he peeled off a piece of wolf meat along the wound, when he suddenly cried out, "Not good!"

"Huh?"

The other Martial Hall Masters were startled and quickly retreated several steps, assuming their fighting stances.

"There's... there's something... moving!" Brother Feng, his back to the others, spoke intermittently.

And on the wolf carcass lying on the ground, a bizarre scene was unfolding.

Black, vine-like things were emerging from and burrowing into the Demon Wolf's corpse, seemingly replacing its blood vessels and bones, propping up the flesh anew.

CRUNCH, CREAK...

Grating sounds continuously echoed as the vines gnawed at the Demon Wolf's bones and marrow, gradually replacing them...

"ROOOOAR!"

In the blink of an eye, the now-dead Demon Wolf trembled and stood up again. Blood still dripped from its wounds, but it let out a roar, its deathly white wolf eyes staring blankly at everyone present!

"Giggle... giggle..."

One Martial Hall Master's face turned pale. "Brother Feng, this... what do we do?"

"How... should I... know?"

Brother Feng turned around. Tiny root-like tendrils were emerging from his mouth, nostrils, and ears... It looked just like the rootlets of some kind of plant!

Undoubtedly, he had also fallen victim.

"Oh no, Brother Feng too..."

"You fiend, taste my Rushing Thunder Hand!"

Various angry shouts erupted, followed by screams of agony.

In the end, all sounds vanished, leaving only the faint sounds of gnawing.

One by one, incomplete human bodies swayed and stood up, lining up with the wolf corpses. They gazed in the direction of Black Stone City, their ashen faces pulling into stiff smiles...

Fang Xi was unaware of the events unfolding outside Black Stone City.

He had already returned to the Southern Barrens Cultivation World.

Whether for cultivating Martial Arts or the Evergreen Art, the environment in the Southern Barrens Cultivation World was far superior.

Upon arriving at his own courtyard, Fang Xi saw Chen Ping, who had just returned from outside.

Hmm, the other man's steps were unsteady, and his figure inexplicably reminded Fang Xi of Old Mai Tou.

"Fellow Daoist Chen," he greeted first.

"Fellow Daoist Fang," Chen Ping replied, a look of satisfaction on his face. He added with a hint of gratitude, "That Red Bee Fairy is truly understanding... Thank you again for your advice last time."

"Think nothing of it," Fang Xi replied politely. After exchanging a few pleasantries and discussing their experiences, they both felt their relationship had deepened considerably.

"I've long wanted to get to know you better, Fellow Daoist, but I've always been too reclusive and hesitant to make the first move..." Fang Xi finally voiced his own troubles.

Upon hearing this, Chen Ping burst into laughter. "I know a few Fellow Daoists in the Marketplace. I'll introduce you to them, and then we can all..."

Watching the other man's retreating back as he entered his house, Fang Xi nodded, then shook his head.

Actually, if Chen Ping could transfer his obsession with Fellow Daoist Lu Zhi to that Red Bee Fairy, it might actually be a good thing... perhaps?

After all, it was a case of one willing to give and one willing to receive, wasn't it? It just cost quite a few Spirit Stones.

Spring turned to summer.

As the summer thunder boomed, Fang Xi, clad in a straw raincoat, arrived at the lush green bamboo forest.

"Spring wind transforms into rain, all things grow, hasten!"

In the bamboo grove, Fang Xi's expression was solemn as he formed a hand seal.

As the Magical Power within him rapidly dissipated, a seal appeared in his palm, gradually becoming clearer before flying into the air.

Balls of mist materialized out of thin air, enveloping the small plot of land before transforming into falling raindrops.

Each strand was like a dream, like mist.

The Spring Wind Rain Technique!

This technique not only summoned rain but also infused the raindrops with a faint spiritual energy, effectively promoting the growth of the spirit bamboo!

Rustle!

The spirit-infused raindrops fell onto the earth, quickly seeping into the soil and reaching the roots of the spirit bamboo.

Beneath the ground, a tenacious vitality broke through the soil, with tender shoots just beginning to emerge.

"Spring has come, summer has arrived, all things grow, it's truly marvelous..."

Fang Xi spread his arms, even tilting his head back, letting the spiritual rain fall on his raincoat and his face, a look of contentment on his features.

It was now time to plant the summer Spirit Bamboo Rice.

As a Spirit Farmer, he had to come and cast the Spring Wind Rain Technique periodically to provide nutrients for the spirit bamboo shoots.

This was directly related to next year's harvest, and no Spirit Farmer dared to be negligent.

Including Chen Ping!

Although he was reluctant, according to what he had said, Chen Ping had recently reduced the number of times he met with the Red Bee Fairy.

There was no helping it; his skill in drawing talismans was not yet sufficient to support his cultivation. For now, he still had to rely on farming the Spirit Fields to make a living.

"My Qi Refining third-layer cultivation is still too low."

After finishing the spell, Fang Xi looked displeased as he felt the more than half-depleted Magical Power within him.

The Spring Wind Rain Technique consumed a lot of energy, for one thing.

Another was that his cultivation level was too low, and the level of his cultivation technique was also too low.

This meant he could barely cast the spell a few times.

"What a pity... Changing cultivation techniques is simply too fanciful a notion. I don't even have a single Spirit Stone to my name right now..."

Returning to the shed, Fang Xi couldn't help but let out a wry smile.

He went to the cellar, where several wine jars were already stacked in a corner.

These were the main reason for his recent expenditure of Spirit Stones.

After visiting the Pill Cauldron Pavilion earlier, Fang Xi had conceived the idea of brewing Spirit Wine himself.

The Spirit Bamboo Rice was ready-made, and he had also happened to purchase a small bottle of Spirit Wine Yeast from a vendor in the Marketplace.

Although he didn't have a recipe, he began brewing the wine by trying it out.

Of course, Fang Xi wasn't reckless; he controlled variables for each jar, setting up several control groups.

Furthermore, he used very little Spirit Rice in each jar, so even if it failed, the loss wouldn't be too great.

This way, by next year, a suitable Spirit Wine recipe might be figured out.

'A single piece of yeast cost me one Spirit Stone.'

Fang Xi looked at the wine jars and solemnly buried them again.

This was an important harvest for next year; it would be heartbreaking if he accidentally knocked over a single jar.

He picked up the last jar of wine, examined it carefully, and then, with a flourish, wrote a line of small characters on the surface seal: "Spirit Bamboo Rice Wine, made with two jin of Spirit Rice, one liang of yeast, early spring snow water... hidden away during the summer thunder, awaiting next year's spring dawn..."

After burying the last jar of wine underground, Fang Xi let out a long breath.

Once these chores were done, he began to consume the Taisui Meat and then practiced White Cloud Palm and Red Snake Leg.

During this period, relying on the Taisui Meat, Spirit Bamboo Rice, and the spiritual energy environment of the cultivation world, his accumulation of Qi and Blood had advanced by leaps and bounds, far surpassing Mu Piaomiao.

Now, hearing the summer thunder, he faintly sensed signs of a breakthrough!

'There are too many experts in the cultivation world. If a Foundation Establishment Great Cultivator happened to pass by and their Spiritual Sense swept over me during my breakthrough, it wouldn't be easy to explain...'

'I don't know if the commotion of breaking through to the Martial Hall Master realm will be significant, but safety first.'

With a thought from Fang Xi, the surrounding world changed instantly.

When he looked again, he had already arrived in the Great Liang World, at the Fang Manor!