Speculations Regarding Spiritual Roots

A few days later, the Ox Ridge Settlement gradually returned to calm, at least on the surface.

The crops in the Spirit Fields had all been harvested and sold collectively to the Blessed Land.

Perhaps the big shots in the Blessed Land also realized that the skyrocketing price of the quotas this year was already "excessive," and that further squeezing these ordinary people would be counterproductive. Therefore, they were not harsh regarding the acquisitions, and were even more lenient than in previous years.

At the very least, the Yu family's ten acres of Spirit Fields sold for two Spirit Stones more than expected.

Although this was a drop in the bucket compared to the price hike of the quotas, the sweet after the stick tasted especially sweet.

"Old Yu, this is the last chance. Are you really not leaving?"

Zhao Kun looked at Old Man Yu with a complicated expression. Although he already knew his old friend had made up his mind, he still couldn't help but try to persuade him a few more times.

After all, the situation this year was different from previous years.

Why did the Blessed Land suddenly increase the price of the Blessed Land quotas?

Even ordinary people like them understood the principle of sustainable development; how could the big shots in the Blessed Land not know it?

Ultimately, it was because of this year's bumper harvest.

Add to that the rumors.

Therefore, the answer was self-evident.

The Blessed Land didn't want those few Spirit Stones at all; they were deliberately keeping those ordinary people without potential in the Settlement.

Because according to the rumors, every time there was a bumper harvest, the intensity of the Black Annihilation Wind Disaster would increase, and the Zerg would come even more fiercely.

New Moon Blessed Land was only a small-scale Blessed Land, which also meant that the family that originally opened it was still only a Foundation Establishment family.

A cultivator in the Foundation Establishment Realm has a lifespan of five hundred years.

And since New Moon Blessed Land was opened, nearly four hundred and fifty years had passed.

In other words, even with life-extending elixirs, the Foundation Establishment "ancestor" who originally opened the Blessed Land was nearing the end of his life.

Compared to the "short" lifespan of cultivators, those Heaven and Earth Spiritual Roots were long-lived species.

Furthermore, a Blessed Land can be inherited.

Throughout countless history, it was not uncommon for a Blessed Land to suddenly change its ruling family.

It was foreseeable that the struggle for the position of Lord of the Blessed Land would once again set off a bloody storm.

Under these circumstances, having the Blessed Land keep a portion of ordinary people in the Settlement not only reduced the pressure of resisting the Black Annihilation Wind Disaster but also attracted a portion of the Zerg—it could be said to be killing multiple birds with one stone.

As for those ordinary people who served as sacrifices, how could they ever be seen as anything more than ants in the eyes of the big shots in the Blessed Land?

In fact, as long as the Blessed Land could be preserved, what did it matter if they abandoned all the Settlements?

"I'm not leaving. I'll save some Spirit Stones to buy more resources for Dashan, and strive to complete another Blood Change."

Old Man Yu shook his head.

He and Zhao Kun were close friends; how could he not have thought of the things the other man had considered?

But for his family, this might not necessarily be a bad opportunity.

"Fine, since you've made up your mind, I won't try to persuade you anymore. This is a bottle of Corpse Stench Devil Plant sap I managed to get someone to procure. If you smear it on your body at a critical moment, it can mask your scent from those bugs."

Zhao Kun took out a small bottle and handed it to Old Man Yu.

"You..."

Old Man Yu couldn't help but be moved. How could he not know about the Corpse Stench Devil Plant?

In fact, over the past two days, Yu Ershan had been quietly inquiring about this very item. However, because the merchant caravans had long since departed, even if someone in the Settlement still had some hidden away, they wouldn't sell it.

Besides, this stuff was somewhat useless for ordinary people.

A bottle of Corpse Stench Devil Plant sap sold for five Spirit Stones by the merchant caravans.

Any ordinary family that could afford such a thing could, with a little extra effort, secure a spot to enter the Blessed Land.

Those who couldn't enter the Blessed Land couldn't afford it either.

Right now, Zhao Kun gifting him a bottle of Corpse Stench Devil Plant sap was even more precious than giving him five Spirit Stones.

"I know that once you've made a decision, no one can pull you back, and I know that if I gave you Spirit Stones directly, you definitely wouldn't take them. So, I just got you this instead.

You don't need to feel bad about it. If it weren't for you risking your life to save me back then, my life would have been gone long ago.

If you don't accept it and don't let me do something, how could I have peace of mind?

Or are you saying you insist on me staying here with you?"

Zhao Kun said solemnly.

"Alright, then I'll accept it."

Old Man Yu did not resist any further.

He knew that with this bottle of Corpse Stench Devil Plant sap, even if he really encountered the Insect Race, his chances of survival would increase significantly. Refusing it now would just seem pretentious.

Seeing Old Man Yu accept it, a smile appeared on Zhao Kun's face. After chatting for a few more moments, he left in a hurry.

Old Man Yu stood in place for a long time before returning to the courtyard. He looked at the small tree, which had changed even more since a few days ago, and his gaze turned firm once again.

So far, the small tree had absorbed three Spirit Stones, roughly one every other day. Combined with the soil of the Spirit Field, it had shot up by more than half a meter.

Even the trunk had grown to the thickness of his wrist. Its surface was rough, as if covered in a layer of irregular grayish-brown scales, looking incredibly tough.

Old Man Yu had once tried testing a piece of shed bark; even using an axe, he had to exert fifty to sixty percent of his strength just to break through it.

If he fed all fifty Spirit Stones to the small tree and let it grow for a few more years, he couldn't even imagine how hard this Rare Species of his would become.

Perhaps by then, even if he stood there and hacked at it as he pleased, he might not be able to cut it down.

This undoubtedly bolstered his confidence in his Rare Species.

Yu An looked at Old Man Yu, who was close at hand, without even lifting an 'eyelid.'

Recently, he still hadn't given up on attempting the Flying Flower Plucking Leaf technique. Nearly a dozen leaves drifted down every day. Although they still couldn't even kill an ant, he discovered that with each continuous attempt, his control over his tree body improved accordingly.

This reminded Yu An of that saying: I've gone bald, but I've also become stronger.

When I am completely bald, that will be the day my divine art is perfected.

But the most crucial thing was that Yu An was not lacking in vitality right now. The Spirit Stones and the soil of the Spirit Field had allowed him to experience what it meant to grow at lightning speed.

If it continued like this every day, he was confident that he could advance to the next stage in at most a year or two.

A few days ago, he had accidentally learned from Yu Ershan that those in the Foundation Establishment Realm were qualified to open up a small Blessed Land. Linking this to the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Root, he had arrived at a few deductions.

That was, the level of a newly evolved Heaven and Earth Spiritual Root should be equivalent to the Foundation Establishment Realm of humans.

This was because humans in the Foundation Establishment Realm could already completely withstand the Black Annihilation Wind Disaster.

Therefore, a small Blessed Land that relied on a Heaven and Earth Spiritual Root to open up and could withstand the Black Annihilation Wind Disaster must be equal in terms of cultivation realm.

In other words, he could only evolve into a Heaven and Earth Spiritual Root once he reached the Foundation Establishment Realm.

Although there was still a long way to go before he could evolve into a Heaven and Earth Spiritual Root, it at least allowed Yu An to see the path ahead and know how to proceed.

This also made him feel much more at ease.

However, as time passed, he vaguely felt that the pace of the Black Annihilation Wind Disaster seemed to be accelerating.