Dark Marrow Mushroom

"Little Brother Lu, it's been a long time. How have you been lately?"

Zhang Hong laughed heartily and greeted Lu Xuan.

"Thank you for your concern, Zhang Dage. Everything has been going smoothly. I should be congratulating Zhang Dage for returning safely from the Wilderness."

Lu Xuan said with a smile.

"Haha, my luck wasn't bad. I only suffered a small injury, and I was fortunate enough to obtain some Treasures."

"I came over this time because I still have to thank you, Little Brother Lu."

"I heard from my wife that there was an Insect Pest at home before, and it was all thanks to Little Brother Lu stepping in to resolve it."

"And that little brat, too. Ever since I came back, he's been showing off to me nonstop, saying he can earn Spirit Stones now and even thinking of using the Spirit Stones he earned to support the family!"

Thinking of Zhang Xiuyuan's smug, self-satisfied look, Zhang Hong burst into laughter.

"Zhang Dage, there's no need to be so polite. You helped me so much before. What little I did doesn't count for anything."

"As for Xiao Yuan, he helped me save a lot of time and unnecessary trouble. Giving him a bit of pay was only right."

"What can a little snot-nosed kid like him do!"

"But Little Brother Lu, you really surprised me this time. I thought you only knew how to farm steadily, but I didn't expect you to have such skill with Swordplay."

"With that alone, Brother Lu, you could beat quite a few cultivators at Qi Training Stage 3."

Zhang Hong praised.

With the Breath Concealment Technique covering him, Lu Xuan was not worried that Zhang Hong could detect his true cultivation level.

"The Spirit Field in my courtyard was among the first batch to encounter an Insect Pest. It cost me nearly seven Spirit Stones to hire a Qi Refining Middle Stage cultivator before it was dealt with."

"In order to prevent this kind of thing from happening again, I simply bled myself dry and bought a first-grade Swordplay. I didn't expect that while my progress in cultivating Spiritual Power was usually slow, I actually had some talent when it came to practicing Swordplay."

"My progress with the Swordplay was very fast, even reaching the point where I could help others resolve Insect Pests. So I thought I'd rely on it to earn some Spirit Stones and recoup the cost of buying it as soon as possible."

Lu Xuan made up a reason, explaining the sequence of events behind how he could use Gold Metal Swordplay to resolve Insect Pests.

Zhang Hong did not suspect him.

The two chatted for a while, and as they talked, the conversation naturally turned to Zhang Hong's experience in the Reclamation Secret Realm this time.

"The Wang Family Array Master broke through two arrays. According to those Qi Refining Middle Stage cultivators who entered the depths of the Secret Realm, this New Secret Realm is no smaller than Vast Forest Market in area, and the Spirit Plants and spirit medicines inside are countless beyond knowing."

"Rogue Cultivators like us at the second or third level of Qi Training only moved around the outer perimeter. We didn't have the ability or the qualifications to enter deeper into the Secret Realm."

"I mainly followed a team of Rogue Cultivators, collecting Spirit Plants and clearing out some low-grade Demonic Beasts."

"Although the Wang Family's great cultivators were blocking the very front, it's said that the casualties this time were still not small. Around thirty percent, I'd say."

"Our little team's luck was still fairly decent. We only encountered two relatively dangerous situations. One time, while gathering Spirit Plants, we ran into a mutated Spirit Plant. It was extremely aggressive and also good at disguise. Two people carelessly lost their lives."

"Another time, we ran into a special Demonic Beast, a spider with a human face growing on its back. It was extremely fast, and its figure couldn't be seen clearly at all. One Rogue Cultivator was directly sliced into two pieces by its limbs and joints. Fortunately, a Qi Refining High Stage cultivator arrived in time, and only then was it destroyed."

Thinking of those two encounters, Zhang Hong's face could not help turning deathly pale, his expression one of lingering fear. It was clear the shadow they had left behind was not small.

Lu Xuan, beside him, listened with great relish. In any case, he did not need to experience it personally himself, and satisfying his ears like this was already quite good.

"What, Little Brother Lu, are you interested in going for a walk there? When reclaiming a new Secret Realm, the first round has the greatest returns, but the risks are also the greatest. Later on, both will decrease."

"Of course, that's only how it is at the outer perimeter of the Secret Realm. As for what it's like inside, that's not something I can know clearly."

Seeing Lu Xuan's interested look, Zhang Hong invited him with a smile.

"No, no. My cultivation level is low, and I'm not good at Combat Arts. I also don't have Magic Tools or Talismans on me. I'd better just honestly be a Spirit Plant Master."

He said with a smile.

The Spiritual Power cultivation accumulated from the White Light Orbs, and the Magic Tools, Talismans, medicinal pills, and the like that they brought, were still too few. If he rounded it off, then it could be called "none."

Zhang Hong had only mentioned it casually, and he let the matter pass.

"Right, Zhang Dage, when you went to the Wilderness Secret Realm this time, did you harvest any unknown wild Spirit Seeds? If you did, I can buy them with Spirit Stones."

Lu Xuan changed the subject and asked.

"Unknown wild Spirit Seeds? Wild Spirit Seeds are rare to begin with, and unknown varieties are even rarer."

"I didn't run into any myself. It's just that I heard a Rogue Cultivator found a kind of wild Spirit Seed in a barren place within the Secret Realm. I'll help you ask about it when the time comes."

"It's just that the type of that Spirit Seed is unknown, and the planting method is unknown too. If you want to plant it, Little Brother Lu, the risk is very high. You may very well waste both time and Spirit Stones for nothing."

Hearing Lu Xuan's question, Zhang Hong could not help speaking to advise him.

"I just want to test it a little. It's not that I'm trying to gamble on that tiny chance of success."

"If it fails, I can still accumulate some experience in cultivating Spirit Plants and broaden my horizons a bit."

Lu Xuan found a reason to brush it off.

"Fine! I'll help you ask around!"

Zhang Hong nodded and said.

He was very efficient. Two days later, he brought good news.

In the Zhang Family Courtyard.

He introduced Lu Xuan to a Bald-Headed Cultivator at Qi Training Stage 3.

"This is Daoist Long, a man of formidable strength."

"And this is Little Brother Lu. He has some talent in planting Spirit Plants. He's the one who wants to learn about that Unknown Spirit Seed in your possession."

Zhang Hong introduced Lu Xuan and the Bald-Headed Cultivator to each other, then quickly moved to the main topic.

"I found this Spirit Seed in a barren stretch on the outskirts of the Secret Realm. At the time, I discovered more than ten wild Spirit Seeds, and the Wang Family steward rewarded me with one."

"It's just that I've never managed to figure out exactly what variety it is. But judging from the place where it was found, it should be no lower than First Grade."

"If Brother Lu wants it, take it for five Spirit Stones."

The Bald-Headed Cultivator said it directly.

Lu Xuan took the Spirit Seed from his hand and examined it carefully.

The Spirit Seed was shaped like a tiny fungus, dark red in color, with vein-like things on its surface where some viscous substance faintly flowed.

"Five Spirit Stones. The price isn't expensive. That was the same price when I got that Red Cloud Pine."

"However, judging by how strange and bizarre this Spirit Seed looks, its grade and rarity definitely won't be inferior to the Red Cloud Pine. If its exact variety were known, the price would certainly be far higher than the Red Cloud Pine."

Lu Xuan thought it over inwardly and quickly made his decision.

"Daoist Long, I'll take this Spirit Seed."

"Brother Lu is straightforward."

The two exchanged Spirit Stones in one hand and the Spirit Seed in the other, each revealing a faint smile.

The Bald-Headed Cultivator was delighted that an Unknown wild Spirit Seed could bring him five Spirit Stones, while Lu Xuan was pleased because his Spirit Field would soon have another rare Spirit Plant.

And, even more importantly, the White Light Orb brought by a matured Spirit Plant.

After returning home, he circulated the Earth Guidance Art, cleared out a small patch of Spirit Field, and planted the dark-red fungus.

With his Mind Focused, detailed information about the Spirit Plant flashed through his mind.

"Dark Marrow Mushroom, Second Grade Spirit Plant. After maturing, it can be used to refine certain Body Tempering pills, or it can be consumed directly to strengthen a cultivator's physique."

"A Spirit Plant that grows in darkness. It needs no light, nor Spirit Rain; it only wants to stay in the shadows, accompanied by rotting Spirit Tree."