booktalesy Chapter 299 Mysterious Yin Spirit Grass
Chapter 299 Mysterious Yin Spirit Grass
When Chen Jinshu returned from the former residence, it was already late at night.
The guardian puppet in the courtyard sensed its master's return, trembled slightly, its eyes flashed with a spiritual light, and then returned to silence.
Chen Jinshu raised his hand to put away the puppet, glanced at the restrictions set up inside the stone house, and found them intact, indicating that no one had broken in.
She breathed a sigh of relief, sat cross-legged on the couch, and reviewed the day's events in her mind.
The stone statues, the white bone army formation, the stone door in the ruins, the "Xuanming Sha Ling" and the "Thousand Soul Sacrifice" oath in the jade slip.
"Gather a thousand souls to gain true understanding; if not, bury them here..."
She repeated the sentence in a low voice, the blue lotus mark between her brows slightly warm, as if reminding her not to easily believe the suggestion that "a soul is not necessarily a human".
"Master, you should rest." Qingheng materialized from the hairpin, squatted on her shoulder, her little face full of worry.
"You used up too much spiritual energy today. The pressure from that bone army formation is no joke."
Chen Jinshu shook his head slightly: "No rush. I'll go check on the changes in the spirit plant space first."
She closed her eyes and focused her mind, a bright blue light shone from between her brows, and in the next instant she appeared in the spiritual plant space.
As soon as she stepped into the space, she felt a rich spiritual energy rushing towards her.
She looked up and saw that the newly formed Xuan Yin spiritual field in front of her had completely stabilized.
The area of the gray-black soil has doubled since it was first formed, and is about several feet square. Its color is dark, and its surface is covered with a layer of warm and restrained black sheen.
Strands of extremely pure Yin energy emanated from it, forming a subtle Yin-Yang balance with the surrounding spiritual fields.
"Huh? What's that?" Qingheng flew off her shoulder and landed at the edge of the Xuan Yin Spirit Field, her green eyes wide open.
Chen Jinshu stepped forward, squatted down, and examined the area carefully.
In the very center of the grayish-black soil, a tiny seedling emerged, barely an inch tall, its entire body brownish-purple, its leaves as thin as cicada wings, and its edges gleaming with a faint blue luster.
There were only three leaves, each as small as a newly sprouted bud, yet they already exuded an extremely pure and intensely cold aura.
“This is…” Chen Jinshu’s eyes narrowed, and he reached out to carefully touch the seedling.
The moment her fingertips touched her, a cool sensation traveled through her body, sending a jolt through her soul.
Qingheng lay beside it, her little head very close, her green eyes fixed on the seedling. Suddenly, she exclaimed in surprise, "Mysterious Yin Grass! This is Mysterious Yin Grass! Master, you're so lucky!"
A look of surprise flashed in Chen Jinshu's eyes: "Mysterious Yin Grass?"
"Yes, yes!" Qingheng clapped her hands excitedly, her two little feet lightly jumping on the ground.
"This is an extremely rare third-tier Yin-attribute spiritual herb! I saw it once a long, long time ago, when I was traveling with my previous master, in an ancient cultivator's cave in the Eastern Region!"
As she spoke, she carefully pointed to the seedling's leaves with one finger: "Look at this color, brownish-purple with a bluish halo, and this shape, only three leaves, each with fine serrated edges. This is the most obvious characteristic of the Mysterious Yin Grass!"
Chen Jinshu carefully examined the seedling, his mind racing: "A third-tier Yin-attribute spiritual herb... what can it be used to refine into medicine?"
"Soul Nourishing Pill!" Qingheng blurted out, her eyes gleaming with excitement.
"Master, the Soul Nourishing Pill is a fourth-tier pill! It's specially made to nourish the soul and repair soul injuries! For cultivators whose souls are damaged, it's practically a life-saving medicine!"
"Moreover, if this Profound Yin Grass is cultivated properly and raised for more than a thousand years, it can bear Profound Yin Fruit! That is a sixth-order spiritual item! It is an extremely beneficial tonic for ghost cultivators and Yin-attribute spiritual beasts!"
Upon hearing this, Chen Jinshu's heart stirred slightly.
The Soul Nourishing Pill immediately reminded her of the soul imprint within Jiang Yi's soul.
Although Xuan Yinzi's remnant soul has been destroyed, Jiang Yi's soul is severely damaged. If he can be nourished with the Soul Nourishing Pill, it may accelerate his recovery.
And that little thing in the Gap, although it has the body of a ghost child, its soul has become much more solid after absorbing the Military Soul Banner. If it can be aided by the Soul Nourishing Pill, its cultivation will definitely reach a higher level.
"And the Mysterious Yin Fruit?" she asked. "What are its effects?"
Qingheng tilted her head and thought for a moment: "I remember that the Xuan Yin Fruit can greatly improve the cultivation of Yin-attribute spirit beasts after they take it, and may even stimulate their bloodline potential! Just like when Little Sparrow swallowed the Dragon Whale Demon Core! But for human cultivators... it's not very suitable, the Yin energy is too heavy, and it's easy to damage their foundation."
Chen Jinshu nodded slightly, having already made up his mind.
She stood up and glanced around the Xuan Yin Spirit Field. The layout of the spirit plant space had already taken shape: the lightning attribute spirit field was on the left, the ordinary spirit field was in the middle, and now the Xuan Yin spirit field was on the right. Spiritual energy flowed slowly between them, forming a subtle cycle.
“Now that the Profound Yin Spirit Field is complete, why not use it as the core to plan a complete ‘Yin Attribute Spirit Plant Area’?” she pondered, her gaze sweeping over the Profound Yin Grass seedling.
"However, these Yin-attribute spiritual plants are rare, and it's probably not possible to gather many in a short time."
Qingheng blinked her emerald eyes, resting her chin on her small hand: "Master is right, Yin-attribute spiritual plants are indeed rare. But..."
"I remember that the ten-thousand-year-old stone milk, when dripped onto the edge of the spirit field, can accelerate the circulation of spiritual energy in the soil! This Xuan Yin spirit field has only been formed recently, and the spiritual energy in the soil has not yet fully stabilized. If we nourish it with stone milk, it might make the Xuan Yin grass grow faster!"
Upon hearing this, Chen Jinshu took out the palm-sized jade box from his storage bag.
The moment the lid was opened, a rich, milky-white light poured out, carrying a refreshing, exotic fragrance.
That was the ten-thousand-year-old stone milk she obtained from the ruins. She originally intended to keep it for alchemy, but after hearing what Qingheng said, it had a better use.
She walked to the edge of the Xuan Yin Spirit Field, dipped her fingertip into a drop of stalactite, and gently dripped it down.
The stalactite vanished without a trace the moment it touched the soil.
Immediately afterwards, a faint sheen appeared on the surface of the gray-black soil, and that dark sheen became even more lustrous. Wisps of mysterious yin energy rose from the soil, becoming several times more concentrated than before.
The seedling of the Mysterious Yin Grass trembled slightly, and the ethereal blue luster on its leaves seemed to brighten a little.
"It works!" Qingheng exclaimed in delight, clapping her hands. "Master, give me another drop!"
Chen Jinshu dripped another drop of stalactite.
This time, after the stalactite seeped into the soil, the entire Xuan Yin Spirit Field trembled slightly, and fine light patterns appeared on the soil surface, as if a living thing was breathing.
The roots of the Xuan Yin Grass seedling slowly stretched underground, visibly extending three inches downwards.
Even the roots of the purple thunder bamboo in the thunder-attribute spiritual field next to it swayed slightly, as if they had been nourished by this cold and yin energy.
Chen Jinshu put away the jade box and nodded in satisfaction: "Indeed excellent. The spiritual energy contained in this ten-thousand-year-old stalactite is extremely pure. It is much more effective than ordinary spiritual liquid in nourishing spiritual fields."
She turned around, her gaze sweeping across the entire spiritual plant space, and a plan had already been made in her mind.
“Next, I need to set aside a small area specifically for Yin-attribute spiritual soil, which will be used exclusively for planting Yin-attribute spiritual plants.” As she spoke, she pointed to the empty space to the right of the Xuan Yin spiritual field.
“We can develop another area over there, draw some yin energy over, and plant a few ‘Netherworld Orchids’ and ‘Ghost-Faced Mushrooms’…”
Qingheng counted on her fingers: "The Netherworld Orchid can be used to refine Yin-attribute pills, and the Ghost Face Mushroom can be fed to the little sparrow! However, these spiritual plants all have one thing in common: they need extremely pure Yin energy to grow. The Yin energy in our current Xuan Yin Spiritual Field is already sufficient, but if we want to grow more varieties, we need to expand the spiritual soil area further."
Chen Jinshu nodded: "This matter needs to be dealt with slowly. The most urgent task is to cultivate the Xuan Yin Grass properly. Once it has grown, we can consider other things."
Qingheng skipped and hopped to the edge of the spirit field, squatted down, dug her little hands into the soil to touch it, then sniffed the Xuan Yin Grass seedlings, smacking her lips in satisfaction:
"Don't worry, Master! I'm here! I'll take good care of this little darling until it's plump and healthy!"
Looking at her confident expression, Chen Jinshu couldn't help but smile.
Just as she was about to leave the space, she suddenly remembered something, so she used her divine sense to probe into her storage bag and took out the pitch-black jade slip.
The jade slip was icy cold, and holding it in my hand felt like holding a piece of ancient ice.
She gazed at the jade slip, and the gentle yet authoritative voice of the middle-aged man echoed in her mind once more: "Gather a thousand souls, and you will obtain the true understanding..."
"A soul is not necessarily a human..." She repeated those six words softly, her gaze fixed on the Xuan Yin Spirit Field, lost in thought. Qing Heng leaned closer, curiously examining the jade slip in her hand: "Master, that Thousand Soul Sacrifice... are you really planning to gather souls?"
Chen Jinshu put away the jade slip, his expression calm:
"The lower volume of the 'True Explanation of the Mysterious Netherworld' in that jade slip records the art of soul cultivation. If I could obtain it, it would greatly benefit my future cultivation. But if I were to actually kill a thousand people to gather their souls, how would I be any different from a demonic cultivator?"
She paused, her gaze falling on the young seedlings of the Xuan Yin Grass, her voice low: "That voice said, 'A soul is not necessarily a human.' I think, perhaps we can use the vitality of plants to refine a spirit soul. Although it is not as powerful as a living soul, it has the advantage of being widely available and does not harm the natural order."
Qingheng blinked her emerald eyes, a thoughtful look on her small face: "Using the vitality of plants to refine the spirit... that's a novel method. However, Master, the spirits of plants are naturally scattered. To condense them into a spirit, the spiritual energy and effort required would probably be more than killing a person."
Chen Jinshu smiled slightly: "The path of cultivation is inherently difficult at every step. If one retreats because of difficulties, how can one go far?"
Qingheng tilted her head to look at her, then suddenly chuckled, "Master is right! Then I'll go with Master!"
Chen Jinshu reached out and gently rubbed her little head: "Okay."
She stayed in the spiritual plant space for a while longer, checking the growth of the Qingning tea tree and the Wuqing tea seedlings. She also looked at the roots of the purple thunder bamboo in the thunder attribute spiritual field. The roots had already sprouted three-inch-long tender buds, full of vitality.
Only after confirming that everything was normal did she exit the space and return to the stone house.
A sliver of dawn was already breaking on the horizon outside the window.
Morning comes early in Liusha City. Scattered hawking sounds can be heard on the streets, and occasionally camel bells can be heard, indicating that caravans are setting off early.
Chen Jinshu sat cross-legged and meditated for a while until his spiritual energy was mostly restored before taking out a communication jade talisman from his storage bag.
The jade talisman flashed, and she whispered, "Jiang Yi, come to the stone house."
About an incense stick's time later, there was a gentle knock on the courtyard gate.
Chen Jinshu raised his hand and waved, and the courtyard gate opened in response.
A young man wearing an old gray robe and with a sallow complexion walked in.
Upon entering, Jiang Yi respectfully clasped his hands in a fist and bowed, saying, "Senior, you wanted to see me?"
Chen Jinshu gestured for him to sit down and, without beating around the bush, went straight to the point:
"Have you made any progress in your investigation of Yan Shuo's matter in Liusha City?"
Jiang Yi's expression hardened, and he took out a jade slip from his robes, presenting it with both hands:
“Senior, this is information I found out in the ‘Gravel Tea House’ in the west of the city. According to the owner of a general store, Yan Shuo appeared in an abandoned underground cave in the west of the city half a month ago. At that time, his aura was disordered, he was injured, and it seemed that he had been chased by something.”
Chen Jinshu took the jade slip, probed it with his divine sense, and frowned slightly after a moment: "An underground cave? Where is it?"
"Ten miles west of the city, there is a place called 'Python Cave,' where a third-tier 'Black Scale Python' is said to be coiled. It is a notoriously dangerous place near Flowing Sand City."
As Jiang Yi spoke, a hint of worry flashed in his eyes, "Senior, are we really going to look for him? If Yan Shuo is Xuan Yinzi's second vessel..."
"They're probably not easy to deal with."
Chen Jinshu put down the jade slip and looked at him calmly: "Are you afraid?"
Jiang Yi gritted his teeth and shook his head, saying:
"I'm not afraid! It's just... I'm worried about your safety, senior. After all, the Blood Hand Demon's men have already appeared in the city. If he discovers we're tracking Yan Shuo, I'm afraid..."
"Bloody Hand Old Demon." Chen Jinshu repeated the name, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
"If he dares to come, I have my own ways of dealing with him."
She stood up, flicking her sleeves: "Let's go. Take me to that python's den."
"Now?" Jiang Yi was taken aback. "But senior, you just returned from the ruins, and your spiritual power hasn't recovered yet..."
"It's alright."
“We can recuperate on the way. Besides, if Yan Shuo is really possessed by Xuan Yinzi, the longer it drags on, the greater the chance that he will succeed in taking over the body.”
Upon hearing this, Jiang Yi said no more, but simply clasped his hands in a deep fist salute: "Yes! Senior, please come with me!"
……
Half an hour later, outside the west gate of Liusha City.
Yellow sand filled the sky, and the wind whipped up sand and gravel that stung my face.
Chen Jinshu had already changed into a plain blue outfit, her face covered with a light veil, revealing only a pair of calm eyes.
Jiang Yi walked beside her, holding the ancient sword "Yanhuang" in his hand. Although the sword was not drawn, the blade trembled slightly, as if sensing the danger ahead.
After traveling about seven or eight miles, a huge rift valley appeared ahead. The rock walls on both sides of the rift valley were dark black, and the entrance of the valley was piled with rubble, among which grew a few withered sea buckthorns.
“This is it.” Jiang Yi pointed to the depths of the rift valley. “The entrance to that cave is at the bottom of the valley.”
As he spoke, he jumped down into the ravine and nimbly moved among the rubble.
Chen Jinshu followed closely behind, his divine sense quietly extending outwards, like a fine net in the darkness, capturing all the movements around him.
The bottom of the rift valley was even colder and darker than the top, with soft sand beneath your feet that made no sound when you stepped on it.
The deeper you go, the stronger the stench becomes, and you can vaguely hear the sound of some large creature crawling, dull and slow, echoing in the darkness.
“The Black-Scaled Python,” Chen Jinshu whispered, “is just twenty feet ahead.”
Jiang Yi gripped the Flame Emperor Sword tightly, his breathing slightly rapid: "Senior, should we just charge straight through, or..."
"Go around." Chen Jinshu said succinctly.
"Find Yan Shuo first, then we'll consider the python."
As she spoke, she took out a pale yellow talisman from her sleeve, flicked it with her fingertips, and the talisman turned into specks of yellow light that spread out and enveloped the two of them.
The next instant, their figures blurred in the darkness, as if they had blended into the surrounding sand.
"Concealing Breath Talisman." Jiang Yi praised in a low voice, "Senior has made truly thorough preparations."
Chen Jinshu didn't reply, but made a "go" gesture and took the lead in feeling his way into the depths of the rift valley.
The two walked along the rock wall for about the time it takes to brew a cup of tea, and then a spacious cave appeared in front of them.
The cave entrance is about three zhang wide and two zhang high, and the edges of the entrance are covered with dark green moss, which is slippery and damp.
The faint sound of water could be heard from inside the cave, mixed with a low, panting sound that didn't sound like a human's.
"There's someone inside," Chen Jinshu whispered. "A very faint breath, but still alive."
She cautiously ventured into the cave entrance, circled around a cluster of stalagmites, and suddenly the view opened up before her.
The cave was much larger than I had imagined, about half the size of a football field. Countless stalactites hung from the cave ceiling, reflecting a faint, cold light in the pool of water in the center of the cave.
At the edge of the pool, a figure huddled there, leaning against the rock wall, his face pale and his breathing weak.
The man looked to be in his early twenties, with delicate features and short hair.
He was wearing a tattered black cloth robe, stained with blood and mud, and the sleeve of his left arm hung loosely, as if he had been seriously injured.
"Yan Shuo?" Jiang Yi lowered his voice, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes. (End of Chapter)