Blood Locust Rice

The incident of Fellow Daoist Long's death.

Like a layer of gloom, it hung over the Shantytown, refusing to disperse for a long time.

For several days in a row, every household nearby kept its doors tightly shut. The alleys had lost their usual bustle and felt cold and deserted.

At night, no one dared to leave their homes.

Although the Spirit Feather Sect had increased the frequency of its patrols, tenants still only dared to go out in groups.

Qin Ming was no exception. Whenever he went to work in the Spirit Field, he went along with everyone else.

These days, the Spirit Fields were actually much safer than outside.

That was because Elder Gu had personally led disciples in patrols around the Spirit Fields over the past few days.

Every three days, Elder Gu's enormous dharma vessel would remain suspended over the Spirit Fields for half a day.

That put Qin Ming much more at ease.

It seemed the Spirit Feather Sect did not want another incident to occur in the Spirit Fields.

After all, this concerned Supplies for the frontline War Camp.

They had no choice but to take it seriously.

Within the three mu of Yin Condensation Flower Spirit Fields.

Qin Ming used the 'Accelerated Growth' Affix.

Two days later.

Emerald-green sprouts emerged.

With nervous anticipation, Qin Ming looked into the Spirit Fields.

Three dazzling golden Affixes stood out before his eyes!

Name: Yin Condensation Flower Affix Bee Control Art (Maturity 2%)

Name: Yin Condensation Flower Affix Accelerated Growth X5 (Maturity 3%)

Name: Yin Condensation Flower Affix Bloodline Reversion X1 (Maturity 1%)

"Holy shit!"

Qin Ming stared at the Affixes in the Spirit Field in disbelief, taking a long while to recover.

"What is true destiny?"

"Hahaha!"

"One shot straight to the soul!"

He threw back his head and laughed aloud in the Spirit Field.

Bee Control Art: A Spirit Plant spell. Upon casting it, one could guide spirit bees to pollinate Spirit Plants.

Bloodline Reversion: After use, it could evolve a Spirit Plant into the form of an earlier generation.

Although the 'Quality Enhancement' Affix had not appeared.

An even sharper one had appeared instead.

Qin Ming immediately took out a book on Spirit Plants and opened it. The book was Chronicles of Spirit Plant Wonders, written by the legendary Spirit Plant master Shi Yienong.

It not only recorded a catalog of rare exotic flowers and unusual herbs from the Immortal Cultivation World, but also contained many introductions to the origins of Spirit Herbs and Spirit Plants.

Among them was an entry on Beast Fang Rice.

The ancestor of Beast Fang Rice was a First-Order Supreme Spirit Plant—

Blood Locust Rice!

It was only a thread away from reaching the level of a Second-Order Spirit Plant!

Its rarity was easy to imagine.

Blood Locust Rice resembled blood leeches, and its grains were red as blood, hence its name.

It had only one simple effect:

After consumption, it could greatly enhance an immortal cultivator's vital energy and blood! Those whose vital energy and blood had not yet condensed must use it with caution!

This spirit rice was not only something body-refining cultivators dreamed of, but also a holy-grade item for cultivating blood-path techniques. It could be encountered only by chance, never sought.

According to the book, Blood Locust Rice had already nearly vanished from the Immortal Cultivation World centuries ago.

Only in a few uninhabited regions could one occasionally find several stalks.

The growing conditions for Blood Locust Rice were extraordinarily demanding, surpassing even Beast Fang Rice. It required long-term watering with Beast Essence Blood and an abundant supply of spiritual energy.

Its maturation period often required ten years.

The older it grew, the more potent its effect of enhancing vital energy and blood became.

Qin Ming stood motionless, staring blankly at the 'Bloodline Reversion' Affix as he inwardly sighed, Alchemist Su truly is my benefactor.

However, he no longer had an 'Accelerated Growth' Affix. He could only wait for the next season of Golden Spirit Rice to produce one.

As he waited and waited.

Three months passed.

Perhaps Qin Ming truly was Blessed by Destiny.

In the Golden Spirit Rice Spirit Field, he obtained another 'Accelerated Growth' Affix.

Now, all he lacked was Beast Essence Blood.

"Where can I get it?"

Qin Ming propped up his chin, pondering incessantly as he paced back and forth around the room.

Hunting demon beasts is impossible.

I can't take even the slightest risk.

I can't be impulsive in the slightest.

After thinking it over and over, he still decided to spend Spirit Stones to buy it.

Though the price was exorbitant, as long as he could grow Blood Locust Rice, everything would be worth it.

Two days later.

Qin Ming spent a full one hundred and fifty Spirit Stones at a butcher shop in Qingyang Market that sold Beast Meat, buying ten jin of First-Order Beast Essence Blood.

"This should be enough, right?"

Next, he used the 'Accelerated Growth' Affix that had appeared in the Golden Spirit Rice Spirit Field to secretly accelerate the maturation of those three Yin Condensation Flowers with Affixes.

In Qin Ming's Sea of Consciousness, three Affix leaves instantly appeared—two green and one blue.

"To make a Spirit Plant undergo an Atavistic Phenomenon—worthy indeed of being a blue Affix." Qin Ming praised.

To ensure that nothing could go wrong.

Qin Ming went to Juxuan Pavilion and spent more than a hundred Spirit Stones with Manager Liao to purchase a Small Concealment Array.

This time, he was not only going all-in with his Spirit Stones; he was going all-in with his Affixes as well.

He planned to use up the 'Greater Spirit Rain Technique' too.

Fine steel had to be used on the blade's edge.

With every preparation in place.

Qin Ming first began accelerating the maturation of the Superior Beast Fang Rice.

Once this batch of Beast Fang Rice began to sprout, Qin Ming used the 'Bloodline Reversion' Affix on it.

In an instant.

The Spirit Plants before Qin Ming began growing madly, and several hundred sinister plants appeared before him.

And a dazzling golden Affix appeared:

Name: Blood Locust Rice Affix: Abundant Vital Energy (Maturity 30%)

The original spirit rice leaves of the Beast Fang Rice all withered away. Branches like tiny bamboo joints grew out, bearing long crimson spirit rice grains shaped like blood leeches.

Qin Ming pressed on while the iron was hot and continued using 'Accelerated Growth' Affixes on them.

Blood Locust Rice truly deserved to be a First-Order Supreme Spirit Plant.

Qin Ming used three 'Accelerated Growth' Affixes in succession before fully accelerating this batch of Blood Locust Rice to Ten-Year Maturation.

Afterward.

He used up the 'Greater Spirit Rain Technique' Affix and watered the Blood Locust Rice with Beast Essence Blood.

The moment he cast the Greater Spirit Rain Technique, more than half the mana in Qin Ming's body was drained away.

"As expected, this is a Spirit Plant spell that only those in the middle to late stages of Qi Refinement can cast." Qin Ming gritted his teeth and used two 'Faint Mana' Affixes in succession.

Rumble!

A pitch-black cloud gathered in midair, forming a vortex, with lightning flashing and thunder roaring within.

Qin Ming had deliberately reduced the spell's range. If he had cast it outside, its power would likely have been far greater than this.

Fortunately, Manager Liao's Concealment Array was unexpectedly effective, hiding everything happening inside his courtyard.

Unless a high-level cultivator deliberately investigated it, it would be difficult to discover the secrets within.

With that, Qin Ming let out a breath of relief and felt much more reassured.

The moment the Blood Locust Rice Spirit Plants encountered the spirit rain formed from Beast Essence Blood, they actually began writhing eerily toward the rain.

As though they had come alive, they frantically absorbed the essence blood.

A blood-red mist began to emanate from the Blood Locust spirit rice, tangling together without dispersing.

Under the effects of the Greater Spirit Rain Technique, the spiritual energy in the surrounding air was suddenly drained dry, transforming into powerful fertility that nourished the several hundred Spirit Plants.

At the branches of the Blood Locust Rice, bountiful spirit ears formed once more!

Qin Ming did not forget to savor this rare opportunity to gain insight from casting the Greater Spirit Rain Technique.

His Intermediate Spirit Rain Art had already become incomparably proficient. Next came touching the threshold of the Greater Spirit Rain Technique.

Half a month later.

Under Qin Ming's meticulous, tireless watering.

All the Blood Locust Rice matured!

All that remained of the Affixes in Qin Ming's Sea of Consciousness were:

Bee Control Art

Faint Vital Energy x2

Abundant Vital Energy x1

After harvesting the spirit rice.

Qin Ming carefully erased and concealed every trace of cultivation in the courtyard.

This thing absolutely could not be discovered by anyone.

After finishing all that.

Qin Ming looked with his spiritual sense at the Blood Locust Rice inside his Storage Bag, his heart brimming with excitement.

He licked his lips and smiled faintly.

"Next, I'll taste this legendary Blood Locust Rice and see what it actually tastes like."