Chapter 173: Senior, Please.

"Do you have seeds of spirit plants?"

After saying goodbye to Wen Yulong, Chu Liang promptly returned to the Hall of Alchemy to inquire information on spirit plant seeds.

The Mount Shu Sect maintained its own garden of spirit plants, so there were naturally seeds of various treasures of nature available. However, very few disciples regularly purchased these seeds. Therefore, when the attendant heard Chu Liang's request, he was slightly surprised.

"I have a small garden, and I'd like to try planting some seeds to see if they would sprout," Chu Liang said with an innocent and sincere smile.

The true intention behind seeking these seeds remained a secret, so he had to adopt a subtle approach.

The attendant stared at Chu Liang as though he was watching a daydreamer on a stroll.

"Junior brother, if you really need them, we do have some seeds. The price might be expensive though," said the attendant.

In this context, "expensive" was relative to the potential outcome of obtaining nothing.

In reality, the spirit plant seeds that he showed Chu Liang were all priced at less than one hundred sword coins.

After all, in the cultivation world, very few people would purchase and sell spirit plant seeds. After all, even if one had seeds, they wouldn't be able to guarantee that the seeds would sprout and grow. It was true that one seed would eventually produce many seeds, but even a top-tier sect would not be able to nurture every seed successfully.

Occasionally, some overly ambitious disciples of Mount Shu would ask about these seeds and attempt to grow spirit plants themselves. However, more often than not, the outcome would be disappointment.

"This is Taiyang Grass, and this is..." The attendant began to introduce them to Chu Liang.

Chu Liang raised his hand and interrupted in a straightforward manner. "Senior brother, you don't have to explain the plants to me. Just show me the most expensive one."

"

Heh.

" The attendant smiled and said, "That would be the seed of the Celestial Herb of Ascension."

"Celestial Herb of Ascension?" Chu Liang asked, "Mount Shu possesses such seeds?"

"The seniors of the Mount Shu Sect retrieved a Celestial Herb of Ascension in the past, and we kept two seeds from it. One of the senior elders from the Hall of Alchemy attempted to plant one, but despite their efforts, it never sprouted. The reason remains a mystery. The other seed is still here," the attendant explained, gesturing towards the large, milky-white seed.

"I will take this one then. How much is it?" Chu Liang asked.

Since he was trying to make a dream come true, he might as well dream big. Growing the Celestial Herb of Ascension would bring him much more value than any other treasures of nature.

"If you want it, you can have it for one hundred sword coins," the attendant offered.

"Okay." Chu Liang readily paid.

"If you aren't able to grow it, you can bring it back, and we'll repurchase it for twenty sword coins. It's the seed of a rare spirit plant so it holds significant collection value," the attendant added.

"..." Chu Liang was momentarily speechless.

Alright. Shady merchants.

After leaving the Hall of Alchemy, Chu Liang immediately rushed all the way and arrived at the cave where the golden skeleton was once buried. When he realized that there were no apparent changes nearby, he felt relieved.

"Senior, forgive my disrespect," Chu Liang muttered.

He arrived at the spot where he had previously buried the bones, bowed respectfully, and then dug around to confirm that the golden skeleton was still there.

He then carefully buried the seed of the Celestial Herb of Ascension among the ribs of the skeleton, covering it with soil and watering it meticulously. Additionally, he sprinkled Herbal Wood Spirit Powder, ensuring every element for its growth was provided.

After that was done, he stood up and started praying.

"Senior, if you can assist me in cultivating this seed into a stalk of the Celestial Herb of Ascension, I am willing to make offerings of incense to you every year. I won't expect this help for free.

"Senior, I am counting on you!"

...

The following day, Chu Liang received a message from the Hall of Weapons, informing him that the team bound for the Immortals' Marsh had been assembled. He was asked to confirm his readiness to depart. Without the option to wait for the Green Leaf enchanted tool to be repaired, Chu Liang promptly replied.

Shortly after, another message came back, directing him to promptly proceed to the Hall of Weapons for assembly.

The response came quite quickly.

Chu Liang didn't require much preparation, so he headed to the Hall of Weapons without any trouble.

A venture into the Immortals' Marsh was a ritual every disciple of the Mount Shu Sect undertook during the Core Formation stage. However, the discovery of the Celestial Herb of Ascension had been a rare occurrence over thousands of years. Many considered it a matter of luck and held little hope of finding the plant.

It's unfortunate that the Immortals' Marsh poses dangers, and I can't bring the koi with me. Otherwise, the likelihood of encountering the Celestial Herb of Ascension would be higher.

When Chu Liang arrived at the Hall of Weapons, he spotted Xu Ziyang, dressed sharply and displaying a cold, indifferent expression. He stood there with an upright posture and emitted an imposing aura. Whenever other disciples passed by, they would stare at him.

That was the case for some people. Even in the darkest night, they would shine like fireflies.

Jiang Yuebai and Xu Ziyang exemplified that trait. In this moment, Chu Liang harbored a fervent wish to one day become an outstanding figure like them.

"Senior Brother Xu," Chu Liang nodded in acknowledgment.

"

Hmm.

" Xu Ziyang nodded slightly.

So indifferent.

Chu Liang muttered inwardly, wondering if it was because he had rejected Xu Ziyang's request to become his brother-in-law.

As Chu Liang exchanged greetings with Xu Ziyang, he was unsure of what to say.

But then, a cheerful voice interrupted. "Senior Brother Xu!"

A tall, fair-skinned woman in simple attire hurried over from the square. She wore a flowing fringe dress over beige trousers, her hair tied up in a high ponytail, with a few strands delicately framing her forehead. With her fair complexion, soft facial features, and captivating eyes, she exuded a natural allure.

"

Hmm.

" Xu Ziyang nodded softly.

Upon witnessing his indifferent and aloof attitude towards the beautiful girl, Chu Liang felt that Xu Ziyang's behavior exemplified a sense of fairness.

This dude clearly treats everyone with this aloof attitude.

Upon realizing that this girl was a member of the group, Chu Liang politely greeted and introduced himself, "Hello, Senior Sister. I'm Chu Liang from Silver Sword Peak."

The woman appeared to be older than him, possibly even older than Xu Ziyang. It would be correct to refer to her as Senior Sister.

"

Haha

, Junior Brother Chu," the girl said with a gentle smile. "I know you. You stood out during the lecture meeting hosted by Jiang Jiang. I don't think there's any disciple of Mount Shu at the third realm of cultivation who is more impressive than you."

"I dare not claim such praise," Chu Liang quickly responded modestly.

"I'm Chen Su from the Spirit Horn Peak," the girl continued. "I am also an alchemy student at the Hall of Alchemy. If you have all the materials ready, I can help you refine the Golden Pill for free."

"Thank you so much, Senior Sister Chen!" Chu Liang said with a smile.

The process of Core Formation involved transforming the Golden Pill into the Golden Core. The first step was to refine these prepared materials into a pill.

While the refinement of pills wasn't too difficult, those unfamiliar with the art of alchemy would not be able to do it. And so, many sought the assistance of the Hall of Alchemy for refining.

While they were chatting, another voice from behind caught their attention. "Senior Brother Xu!"

Everyone turned back and saw a skinny man in scholarly attire walking briskly toward them.

He greeted Xu Ziyang while apologizing for being late, "Senior Brother Xu, sorry for my tardiness. Senior Sister, excuse me. This..."

When he saw Chu Liang, he froze.

Chu Liang also found him quite familiar.

This person appeared to be Shang Ziliang, the son of Shang Shuwen, the peak master of Cloud Horizon Peak.

Chu Liang had a brief encounter with him before. Given the somewhat strained relationship with Shang Shuwen, it was indeed an awkward situation.

Upon careful consideration, Chu Liang realized that among the current three other members of the team, two were raised by individuals who harbored animosity towards his teacher.

𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

Shang Ziliang had a very deep impression of Chu Liang.

He had previously attempted to plot against Chu Liang, but each scheme backfired, resulting in Chu Liang gaining something while he himself suffered setbacks.

After being blackmailed by Di Nufeng, Shang Shuwen soon discovered that his son had been the mastermind behind the schemes against Chu Liang. Out of anger, he punished Shang Ziliang by grounding him.

Shang Ziliang was only released due to the upcoming expedition to find the Celestial Herb of Ascension. Unexpectedly, he found himself on the same team as Chu Liang.

As a result of being grounded, he missed the lecture event and had no knowledge of Chu Liang's performance. All he knew was that the first time he met Chu Liang, Chu Liang's cultivation was only at the beginning stage of the Spiritual Awareness Realm.

It hasn't even been that long.

He's able to form his core? Is something wrong? No, did I get the wrong date? Has a day in the cave turned into a thousand years in the mortal world?

Shang Ziliang was bewildered.

Meanwhile, Xu Ziyang completely ignored his greeting. He turned away and coldly said, "Let's go." He didn't even respond.

Xu Ziyang walked to the edge of the square and let out a sharp whistle.

A sharp cry sounded as a massive golden falcon, with its entire body glowing, descended.

Whoosh—

As it landed, it created this gust of wind that made it almost difficult for people to stand steadily.

It was a Golden-Winged Falcon at the fifth realm of cultivation.

Legend had it that Xu Ziyang's mount was a creature that would evolve into the Majestic Golden-Winged Falcon upon reaching the seventh realm.

He took the lead in mounting the golden falcon, and the other three followed suit. Then, with a swift sound akin to an arrow leaving the bowstring, they shot out, prompting everyone to quickly grab onto the falcon's feathers.

The speed was incredible. After a while, they gradually adapted to this super speed.

"Now that we're all settled, let's get one thing straight. Our destination is the Immortals' Marsh, and we're on the hunt for the elusive Celestial Herb of Ascension. Keep in mind, don't set your expectations too high, or you might end up disappointed. Treat this as a learning experience, and you'll avoid any disappointments.

"According to legend, the Immortals' Marsh was created through the blood spilled in a fierce battle between the heavenly immortals and the evil gods of the mortal world. They say the Celestial Herb of Ascension appears only upon the death of an immortal.

"Although this might sound a bit dramatic, it underscores the rarity of the herb. It's no exaggeration to say it only appears once a century. Moreover, our sect is not the only one in need of this material for the formation of the ultimate-tier Golden Core. Even if we find the herb, we'll likely have to fight with disciples from other sects."

It was only when discussing important matters that Xu Ziyang would become more talkative.

"Of course, the key is to watch out for yourselves," he stressed. "Stick close to me and avoid straying too far. The Immortals' Marsh presents not only good opportunities but also..." He paused, then added, "Ba."[1]">https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/魃 is the link. [/ref]

1. A mythological creature in Chinese folklore that is often associated with drought. It is believed to have the ability to cause droughts. ☜