Millet and the Tea Tree

Due to the nature of its material, tempered by the stellar power gathered by the Heavenly Stellar Formation, the Heavenly Stellar Cloud Sword would undoubtedly become like the formation's foundation stars. The restrictive divine patterns on its blade would grow ever more complete, making it even more powerful. In time, its might might even rival some formidable innate spiritual treasures.

At the same time, as Shi Mo looked at the dazzling simulated starry sky formed by the starlight gathered above Eight Treasures Peak by the Heavenly Stellar Formation, as well as the Flat Peach Mother Tree beneath that stellar radiance, brimming with vitality, he sensed the changes in its aura and could not help feeling even more expectant:

"With the nourishment of the power of the Heavenly Stars, the Flat Peach Mother Tree should be able to blossom and bear fruit."

"However, once the Heavenly Stellar Formation is set up and the power of the Heavenly Stars gathers, it ultimately cannot be hidden from Di Jun and the others for long. It probably will not be long before they come knocking," Shi Mo said as he looked up at the Heavenly Stellar Formation again. Yet he was not flustered by the thought.

"But this is Nine Tripod Iron Fork Mountain. With the Earth Vein Formation, the Heavenly Stellar Formation, and the Innate Chaos Restriction on Nine Tripod Iron Fork Mountain combined, the defenses are nearly without blind spots. Even Quasi-Sage-level power likely could not break through them. Even if Di Jun and the others use the innate supreme treasure, the Chaos Bell, they probably still cannot do anything to me."

Innate supreme treasures were powerful, but Donghuang Taiyi was only a Daluo Golden Immortal at present. How much of the Chaos Bell's power could he truly unleash?

Next, while Shi Mo secluded himself on Nine Tripod Iron Fork Mountain to cultivate and await the next lecture at Purple Heaven Palace, he did not leave the Earth-Core Fire Dragons under his command idle. He sent them to sort out the earth vein network, while also having them follow those veins to search for ownerless blessed lands and hidden paradises throughout the Primordial World.

Any blessed land or hidden paradise would more or less nurture one or two innate spiritual treasures or innate spiritual roots. Especially those whose ownership would become unclear in the future—if he did not seize them now, there would be nowhere to regret it later.

And before long, the Earth-Core Fire Dragons made some gains.

Previously, while repairing the earth veins in the Western Continent, the damaged veins had left Shi Mo with very few mineral ores and other spiritual materials. No wonder people said the Western Continent was barren!

But after avoiding the western region of the Primordial World, the Earth-Core Fire Dragons spread out in all directions. In a short time, they harvested quite a few treasures such as ores and other spiritual materials nurtured underground.

One of the Earth-Core Fire Dragons even happened upon a valley where several innate spirit plants and acquired spirit plants grew.

In a desolate mountain somewhere in the southwest of the Primordial World, Shi Mo stood in a mist-shrouded valley and looked at the spirit plants growing there, each resembling stalks of rice. His eyes filled with surprise. "Innate Millet? It even produced quite a bit of acquired millet. Good stuff! Even acquired millet can fill a cultivator's stomach."

Even if this millet degenerates generation after generation and becomes ordinary millet, it can still serve as humanity's staple food in the future. With that thought, Shi Mo's heart stirred.

"Right. Given the fertile lands of the Primordial World today, and with the earth vein power drawn in to nurture it, this acquired spirit plant millet should be able to be cultivated on a large scale. When the time comes, I can sell it to the Wu Clan, or cooperate with them and become a major grain grower in the Primordial World. I could make a fortune!"

What could be used for trade in the Primordial World, especially for large-scale transactions? Naturally, it had to be all kinds of resources and treasures, particularly innate spiritual materials and treasures, which could not be regenerated.

If he could exchange millet produced by regenerable acquired spirit plants for innate spiritual materials and treasures, Shi Mo would be making an absolute killing.

If he started doing business in the Primordial World from its early days, Shi Mo would have every chance to accumulate vast quantities of spiritual materials and treasures in the future. Becoming the richest man in the Primordial World would not be impossible.

"First, I'll bring them back and plant them in the valley beneath Eight Treasures Peak." With a thought, Shi Mo used the underground spiritual veins to transport all the innate and acquired spirit plant millet back to Nine Tripod Iron Fork Mountain.

Nine Tripod Iron Fork Mountain, in the valley between Eight Treasures Peak and the surrounding nine steep mountains.

Shi Mo cleared away the previously lush and disorderly vegetation. Aside from a few immortal herbs and spirit plants, he removed all the other worthless grass and trees, opening up a large stretch of empty ground.

After planting all the innate and acquired spirit plant millet he had brought back, Shi Mo scattered some of the many millet seeds he had harvested as well.

Nourished by the dense earth vein spiritual energy of Nine Tripod Iron Fork Mountain, those millet spirit plants naturally grew even better. Even the scattered millet seeds quickly took root and sprouted, growing into acquired millet spirit plants of excellent quality.

One day, inside the cave abode on Eight Treasures Peak, Shi Mo had simmered a pot of porridge with acquired millet and was leisurely savoring it.

"Mmm, with just a few grains of Innate Millet added, this porridge tastes absolutely incredible. Using Innate Millet for porridge is truly extravagant. This is the life of an immortal!"

Though it was only a pot of porridge, Shi Mo was likely the only one in the entire Primordial World who used Innate Millet to cook it. After all, there was probably only that one Innate Millet spirit plant in the whole Primordial World.

"Hm?" Shi Mo, holding a small jade bowl as crystal-clear as glazed glass and slurping the slightly thick, jelly-like rice porridge from its rim, suddenly paused and opened his narrowed eyes.

Setting down the bowl, Shi Mo sat up straight with a look of shock and uncertainty. Then, with a flip of his hand, he took out the faintly trembling Wind-Fixing Pearl.

"Who is it? Who dares lay a hand on my Earth-Core Fire Dragon?" Alarmed and angered, Shi Mo hurriedly entered the earth veins and rushed toward the Earth-Core Fire Dragon whose connection to him had become blurred after encountering danger.

Swiftly traveling through the earth vein network, Shi Mo soon arrived in a secluded mountain range with beautiful scenery.

Boom! Roar! Amid rumbling thunder and a dragon's shrill, agonized cries, violent lightning energy spilled forth from the summit ahead. A crimson-gold giant dragon twisted and struggled, its aura raging as lightning snakes and flames intertwined around its body.

"This is... a transformation lightning tribulation?" Shi Mo was both surprised and doubtful at the sight. "This Earth-Core Fire Dragon can actually take human form? Why so suddenly?"

Crackling, violent lightning energy spread down the mountainside like a waterfall. Yet when it reached a certain spot on the slope, it was blocked by a translucent barrier of light.

"That is?" Shi Mo looked at the tea-tree-like spiritual root faintly visible within the barrier and froze for a moment. "It possesses such spirituality that it can independently resist external energy attacks. Could it be an innate spiritual root? A tea tree... Could it be the Innate Enlightenment Tea Tree?"

Thinking this, Shi Mo saw another bolt of lightning descend from the sky. Unable to concern himself with the Earth-Core Fire Dragon, his expression changed slightly as he hurriedly entered the underground spiritual veins of the mountain before him. Then, he mobilized the earth vein spiritual energy and drew the tea tree into the earth veins.

Protected by the power of the earth veins, Shi Mo sensed the faint tea fragrance wafting from the shimmering tea tree—a refreshing scent that cleared his soul and consciousness, making them limpid and lucid. His gaze immediately turned fiery.

"The Innate Enlightenment Tea Tree. It really is!"