nyslfriends Chapter 11 Fertile Soil Ditch
Chapter 11 Fertile Soil Ditch
In Yiling Village, two newly cultivated fields have taken full shape after more than a month of nurturing.
The soil was filled with a rich, flowing spiritual energy, so dense that it rivaled the natural spiritual field in the village.
A gentle breeze blew, and the spiritual energy in the fields surged like wisps of smoke. Xie San squatted on the edge of the field, reaching out to touch the soft spiritual soil, grinning from ear to ear: "Immortal Master, this spiritual field is amazing! It's even better than our old spiritual field. We'll never have to worry about planting spiritual rice again!"
Shen Gui stood with his hands behind his back by the field, a faint smile flashing in his eyes.
For the past month and a half, he nourished the spiritual field with his magic every day, using spiritual dew grass, moistening moss, and the "Nourishing Field and Enriching Spirit Method" to finally transform the mortal field into a spiritual one, laying the first foundation for Daling Village.
"Thank you, San. I'm taking Ahe to Wotugou. You and Wanniang will be in charge of the village affairs. Be vigilant day and night and don't slack off, especially with the spirit fields. We need to send able-bodied men to guard them in shifts so that no one can covet them." Shen Gui solemnly instructed.
Xie San immediately clasped his hands and bowed, his expression solemn: "Rest assured, Immortal Master! I will guard Daling Village and the spirit fields well, and there will be no mistakes whatsoever!"
Su Wanniang quickly stepped forward and handed a bundle of dried food to Shen Gui. Her gentle eyes were full of concern: "Immortal Master, the journey is arduous. You and Xiao He must take care. This is steamed spirit rice cake. Take it with you to eat on the road."
"Thank you for your trouble, Wan Niang." Shen Gui nodded slightly and accepted the dry rations.
Ahe skipped and hopped to Shen Gui's side, her little face full of anticipation. Now, her first level of fetal breathing was stable, her Xuanjing Wheel was round and crystal clear, and her spiritual energy was restrained. She was no longer the pale and thin little girl she used to be. Her eyes and brows were more lively and clear.
"Master, let's go!"
Shen Gui ruffled her hair, turned around, and strode forward: "Let's go."
The master and apprentice, one in front and one behind, walked along the forest path towards Wotugou.
The road was quiet, with only the chirping of birds and insects. The master and apprentice walked slowly, the atmosphere relaxed and leisurely.
Shen Gui turned to look at his young apprentice beside him and asked softly, "Ahe, how's your learning of the Heavenly Flame Elixir going these past month and a half?"
Mentioning the alchemy manual, Ahe's eyes lit up instantly, her little face full of seriousness, and she replied in a clear voice, "Master, I have memorized all the herbal and medicinal properties and spiritual material combinations in the first half of the manual, and I have even identified all the herbs in the village! It's just that the fire control techniques and alchemical fire condensation in the second half of the manual require an alchemy furnace to practice. Without an alchemy furnace, I can only memorize the formulas and cannot truly cultivate."
In the end, the little girl's lips drooped slightly, full of disappointment.
Shen Gui gently patted her head, his voice warm and reassuring: "Don't worry, we'll definitely get the alchemy furnace. This trip to Wotugou is to retrieve it for you. As long as we cure Old Man Wang's grandson, the furnace will be ours."
"Really?!" Ahe looked up instantly, her eyes sparkling with starlight, her little face full of joy.
"When has your master ever lied to you?" Shen Gui chuckled.
Ahe bit her fingertip, then suddenly remembered something. Her brows furrowed slightly, and she asked somewhat confusedly, "Master, I saw a sentence in the annotations on the title page of the *Heavenly Flame Elixir* that says those with an Immortal Foundation [Crimson Decree] are not skilled in alchemy and artifacts, therefore those who cultivate this alchemy scripture will find it difficult to attain the throne. What is an Immortal Foundation?"
Shen Gui suddenly paused, a glint of light flashing in his eyes.
Crimson Edict!
It's another name for a cultivation technique. It's said that the Great Yan Dynasty has always cultivated the virtue of fire. This [Crimson Edict] is probably a cultivation method that only the direct descendants of the royal family can cultivate, but they are not good at alchemy and weapon crafting.
Therefore, if one wishes to cultivate the Dao of alchemy, one must abandon the idea of continuing to practice this essential royal cultivation method.
He crouched down, looking directly into Ahe's bewildered eyes, his expression solemn as he lowered his voice: "Ahe, remember this: the Immortal Foundation is the fundamental Dao foundation a cultivator condenses when breaking through to the Foundation Establishment Realm. Each person has their own foundation, each with its own mysteries. The direct descendant of the Great Yan royal family, with the Immortal Foundation [Crimson Edict], is probably not skilled in side Dao arts such as alchemy and weapon crafting. Therefore, if a member of the royal family specializes in alchemy, it will conflict with the Immortal Foundation, preventing them from cultivating the [Crimson Edict] and naturally disqualifying them from succession."
He paused, then reiterated, "This matter, along with the origins of the Heavenly Flame Elixir and the name of the Crimson Edict, you must keep to yourself. Not even Xie San or Wan Niang must utter a single word, understand?"
Seeing Shen Gui's serious expression, Ahe knew this matter concerned her life, so she immediately nodded vigorously, her little mouth tightly shut: "Ahe remembers! I will never tell anyone!"
Shen Gui then got up with peace of mind, took Ahe's little hand, and continued walking.
The master and apprentice walked briskly and arrived at Wotugou in less than half a day.
Wotugou is slightly smaller than Daling Village. There are two strong young men guarding the entrance. As soon as they see Shen Gui and Ahe, they immediately step forward and bow respectfully: "Are you Immortal Master Shen from Daling Village? Our village chief has been waiting for a long time and instructed us to wait here."
"It is indeed me, Shen." Shen Gui nodded slightly.
The two mortal managers dared not neglect their duties and led the way on either side, guiding the two men into the village.
As Shen Gui passed a field in the center of the village, he paused slightly, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes.
This field looks no different from ordinary spiritual fields, but the spiritual energy flow is more favorable. The spiritual energy is pure but gentle, so it can not only be used to grow spiritual rice, but also to grow some nurturing spiritual creatures.
"Huh? Master, this field is strange." Ah He also noticed the abnormality and said in a low voice.
Shen Gui remained calm and reached out, digging his fingertips into the soil, letting a faint trace of magic power seep in to investigate.
A moment later, he withdrew his finger, already understanding.
Although spirit fields are scarce in Wotu Township, they are of much higher quality. No wonder Wang Liu, an old cultivator from the border region, was able to display so many rare fetal breathing spirit herbs in the market. It turns out that he relied on this spirit field!
"This fertile ditch is truly a treasure trove," Shen Gui thought to himself, but remained outwardly calm as he continued to follow the steward.
Before long, the two arrived at a wooden house.
Wang Liu was already waiting at the door, his white hair neatly combed. Upon seeing Shen Gui arrive, he immediately put on a smile and quickly stepped forward: "Immortal Shen, we've been waiting for you! This old man has been waiting for a long time!"
His gaze swept quickly over Ahe, and when he saw that the little girl's spiritual energy was contained and that she had already condensed the Xuanjing Wheel, his pupils shrank slightly, and a flash of shock and strangeness appeared in his eyes, which was then covered by a smile.
Yet Shen Gui still managed to capture that subtle change in his eyes with pinpoint accuracy.
"Senior Wang, I, Shen, have come as agreed, bringing my apprentice to treat your grandson." Shen Gui spoke calmly, subtly noting Wang Liu's unusual behavior.
"Very well! Fellow Daoist, please come in!" Wang Liu quickly stepped aside to lead the way, but instead of taking the two into the wooden house, he went around to the back of the wooden house, lifted a heavy stone slab, revealing a dark underground passage. "Fellow Daoist Shen, my grandson is weak and afraid of noise and light, so I built a quiet room underground. Please follow me."
basement?
Shen Gui's eyes darkened slightly, and his vigilance intensified, but he did not point it out. He took Ahe's hand and followed Wang Liu down the passage.
The passage was narrow, and the three of them arrived at a secluded underground room.
The room was simply furnished, with only a stone bed on which lay a pale-faced, weak-breathing boy, about fifteen or sixteen years old, his eyes closed and lips bloodless, bound tightly to the bed with iron chains.
Shen Gui gently checked the pulse and found that it contained two spiritual wheels, indicating the second level of the embryonic breathing stage!
At such a young age and with such cultivation, this is already an exceptional talent, especially considering it's located on the northern frontier!
At this moment, the young man was as weak as a candle in the wind, his life force scattered. Despite his considerable cultivation, he didn't even have the strength to open his eyes.
"Fellow Daoist Shen, this is my grandson, Wang Xiaoshi. Please, fellow Daoist, save him!" Old Wang Liu cried, tears streaming down his face, his expression filled with grief. "He has contracted some strange illness, his cultivation has stagnated, and his body is growing weaker day by day. I beg you, fellow Daoist, to help!"
Shen Gui helped the bowing Wang Liu up and said calmly, "Old Master Wang, please get up. Now that I have come, I will do my best."
He led Ahe to the stone bed and gestured for Ahe to explore it first.
Ahe approached the boy, her small face full of seriousness. She first carefully observed the boy's complexion and pulse, and then cautiously probed into the boy's body with a trace of her magic power.
A moment later, Ahe withdrew her magic, secretly raised her eyes, and gave Shen Gui a quick wink, indicating that something was wrong and she wanted to talk to him alone.
Shen Gui understood immediately, turned to look at Wang Liu, and said indifferently, "Old Master Wang, my disciple and I are treating a patient who involves the sect's unique secret techniques and cultivation secrets. We need to be alone for a while. Please excuse us for a moment, otherwise I will not treat this patient."
Wang Liu's expression changed, and he immediately shook his head: "No! My grandson's life is at stake, I must stay by his side!"
"Since you don't trust me, then I'll take my leave." Shen Gui's expression turned cold, and he immediately turned around, took Ahe's hand, and left without any hesitation.
"No! Fellow Daoist, please wait!" Wang Liu cried out anxiously, watching Shen Gui's resolute back, he gritted his teeth and stamped his foot, "I'll go! I'll go! Please, Immortal Master, save my grandson!"
Having said that, he turned back every few steps, reluctantly leaving the underground meditation chamber, and the stone slab was slammed shut behind him.
Once only the master and disciple remained in the quiet room, Ahe immediately moved closer to Shen Gui, her small face filled with seriousness. She lowered her voice, her tone tinged with anger:
"Master, this boy wasn't born with a congenital illness; it was caused by medication!"
Shen Gui's eyes darkened: "Is this true?"
"Absolutely true!" Ah He nodded emphatically, gesturing with her small hands as she spoke rapidly, "According to the records in the 'Heavenly Flame Elixir,' there are traces of medicinal properties from a large amount of spiritual materials remaining in his meridians and dantian. Moreover... the elixir records a large number of secret methods for harmonizing the human body with spiritual objects. This boy's symptoms are quite similar, and it is not a natural illness as the old man said."
Shen Gui's mind sank. If Wang Liu had such a secret, why would he let a wolf into the house?
It seems that this matter has reached a point where it must be resolved, and Wang Liu is also taking a risk.