booktalesy Chapter 301 Mysterious Thunder Yin Earth
Chapter 301 Mysterious Thunder Yin Earth
The next morning.
Inside the Mysterious Female Treasure Furnace and Spiritual Plant Space.
Chen Jinshu awoke from his meditation. With a slight twitch of his fingertips, the clump of five-colored soil in front of him transformed into a dark luster and merged into his palm.
She stood up, and Qingheng immediately jumped onto her shoulder, nuzzling her ear with her little head: "Master, let's begin!"
Chen Jinshu walked to the edge of the spirit field and formed a hand seal.
The phantom of the Mysterious Female Treasure Furnace appeared behind her. The blue lotus birthmark between her eyebrows shone with light, and strands of pure green wood spiritual power probed into the void through her fingertips, resonating with the residual essence of the Yin Marrow Jade in the Mysterious Female Treasure Furnace.
“Yin Marrow Jade, with its extremely Yin nature, can form a Yin-Yang balance with the Thunder Attribute Spirit Field.” She murmured to herself, her fingertips tracing intricate paths in the void.
A wisp of gray-black light was drawn out from the Mysterious Female Furnace, twisting and swirling in the air like a miniature black lightning bolt.
Chen Jinshu gave a soft shout, and the gray-black light thread suddenly burrowed into the Xuan Yin spiritual field on the ground.
"boom--!"
The Xuan Yin Spirit Field trembled violently, and fine cracks appeared on the surface of the gray-black soil.
A faint blue light seeped from the cracks, a strange phenomenon resulting from the fusion of the essence of Yin Marrow Jade and the mysterious Yin Qi.
Qingheng gripped Chen Jinshu's sleeve nervously, her small face showing focused tension.
"Master, hold on! The Yin energy of the Yin Marrow Jade is too domineering. Forcing the fusion like this will crack the spiritual field!"
Upon hearing this, Chen Jinshu's gaze sharpened, and he reached for the storage bag at his waist with his other hand.
A wisp of silvery-white Gengjin sword energy flew out of the bag. It was the sword energy she had refined in the Xuanpin Treasure Furnace in the Sword Tomb of Illusion Sand Valley. It was incomparably sharp, yet it carried a strange gentleness.
"go with!"
The silver-white sword light disappeared into the gray-black light thread.
Three distinct forces—the extreme yin and coldness of Yin Marrow Jade, the unparalleled sharpness of Geng Metal Sword Qi, and the life-giving power of the Mysterious Female Treasure Furnace—quietly merged at Chen Jinshu's fingertips.
Sweat beaded on her forehead, and her ten fingers trembled slightly as she formed the hand seals.
Qingheng bit her lip, raised her small hand, and injected a wisp of vitality from the plants into the merging stream of light, trying to stabilize the violent yin energy and sword energy.
"puff--!"
A soft sound.
The gray-black light threads and the silver-white sword light finally merged completely, transforming into a stream of dark blue light, like a sleeping dragon, slowly sinking into the Xuan Yin spiritual field.
The tremors in the spirit field gradually subsided.
The cracks slowly closed, and a faint dark blue sheen appeared on the surface of the gray-black soil.
The luster echoed the silver-purple lightning of the adjacent lightning-attribute spiritual field, creating a delicate balance.
Chen Jinshu finished his stance and exhaled a breath of stale air.
Fine beads of sweat glistened on her forehead, and her face was slightly pale, but her eyes shone brightly.
"It's done."
Qingheng leaped to the edge of the spirit field, her small hands touching the soil that shimmered with a dark blue luster, her emerald eyes wide with surprise:
"It's really done! Master! Look at this soil! It has the dark blue of the Yin attribute, the silver-purple of the lightning attribute, and even a hint of the sharp light of sword energy... This is living soil!"
Chen Jinshu stepped forward, squatted down, picked up a pinch of soil with his fingertips, and crushed it in his palm.
The soil felt moist and elastic, as if it were breathing gently.
She could sense the delicate balance of three forces contained within the soil.
"Mysterious Thunder Yin Soil," she murmured, giving this newly cultivated spiritual soil its name.
Qingheng perched on her shoulder, curiously peeking out her little head: "Master, what can we plant in this soil?"
“You can plant your Qingning tea tree.” Chen Jinshu stood up, his gaze falling on the Qingning tea tree placed in the corner of the bamboo house.
"Purple thunder bamboo can also be transplanted here."
As she spoke, her brow twitched slightly, and a tea tree, about half a person's height, was moved from the ground and landed at the edge of the spiritual field.
The tea tree is lush and green, with tender leaves and shimmering silver veins—it is the Qingning tea tree.
The moment it was transplanted onto the Xuanlei Yin Soil, its roots seemed to be startled by the aura of the soil, and they stretched out slightly, greedily absorbing the spiritual energy of the new environment.
"They're growing well," Chen Jinshu nodded in satisfaction.
She took out the piece of ancient stone from her storage bag, opened the jade box, dipped her fingertip in a drop, and gently dripped it onto the base of the tea tree.
The moment the stalactite seeped into the soil, the tea tree trembled slightly, the silver light on its leaves shone brightly, and the entire tea tree seemed to be revitalized in an instant.
Next, she moved the purple bamboo along with its roots out.
It was a purple bamboo, no more than ten feet tall, with a deep purple body and sparks of lightning flowing across its surface. The Purple Thunder Bamboo was planted next to the Green Condensation Tea Tree. As soon as the bamboo roots entered the soil, they immediately interacted strongly with the Profound Thunder Yin Soil. The lightning-attribute spiritual energy in the soil merged with the lightning on the bamboo, producing a soft "crackling" sound.
The nodes of the purple thunder bamboo are tinged with a deeper dark blue-green color.
Qingheng skipped and hopped to the tea tree, squatted down, placed her little hands on the soil beside the roots, closed her eyes to sense it for a moment, then opened them and excitedly said:
"Master, the roots of the tea trees and bamboo are growing rapidly! They really like this soil!"
Chen Jinshu walked to her side, squatted down, and gently stroked the leaves of the Qingning tea tree with his fingertips.
The leaves are cool and smooth, with an excellent tactile feel.
A strange feeling arose in her heart; the satisfaction of watching a life grow from nothing to something, from weak to strong, was more reassuring than breaking through a small level.
Several hours later, the Qingning tea trees beside the spiritual field had fully adapted to the new environment and were emitting a faint fragrance of grass and wood.
Between the nodes of the Purple Thunder Bamboo, faint silver-purple lightning flickers, a sign that it is absorbing the Geng Metal Sword Qi and Yin Marrow Jade Essence from the soil.
At this moment, Chen Jinshu sat on a blue stone by the stream in Qingluan Valley, with an ancient jade scroll spread out in front of him.
Qingheng dozed off on her lap, her small body rising and falling gently with her breath.
Jiang Yi and Yan Shuo emerged from the forest, each carrying a large bundle of firewood. Both had beads of sweat on their foreheads, but they were full of energy.
"Senior!" Yan Shuo put down the firewood, ran to the stream, scooped up a handful of water and gulped down a few mouthfuls, then wiped his mouth.
"We cut down thirty logs! Enough to build three big houses!"
Chen Jinshu glanced at him and said, "You're quick."
"That's right!" Yan Shuo grinned, revealing two rows of white teeth. "Our senior gave us some work to do, so we definitely have to do it well!"
Jiang Yi stepped forward, neatly stacked the firewood on the open ground beside the spirit field, and took out a roll of animal hide from his robes:
"Senior, we found some traces of monster activity in the forest. Three miles from the valley entrance, there is a slope with a cave at the bottom. There are claw marks at the cave entrance, which look like they were left by some kind of large feline monster."
Chen Jinshu took the animal hide, unfolded it, glanced at it, and frowned slightly: "A black-striped tiger?"
“It looks like it.” Jiang Yi nodded. “Judging from the size of the paw prints, it should be an adult black-striped tiger, around the mid-stage of the third rank. The marks at the cave entrance are very fresh, so it probably lived nearby.”
Chen Jinshu pondered for a moment: "We don't need to worry about it for now. The Black-striped Tiger is a solitary demon beast with a strong sense of territory. As long as we don't invade its territory, it won't attack us on its own. But if it gets close to the valley entrance, we still need to be on guard." She flicked her finger, and a beam of emerald light flew out, landing in the direction of the valley entrance.
The emerald light landed and transformed into a fine, green vine that quickly spread among the rocks at the valley entrance, weaving into a semi-transparent vine net.
"This is the 'Green Vine Maze.' Without my spiritual power to guide them, cultivators below the Golden Core stage and demonic beasts cannot pass through it."
Chen Jinshu said, "When you enter or leave the valley, you need to use this incantation to clear the way."
She gathered spiritual power at her fingertips and drew a crescent-shaped rune in the void. The rune remained in the air for three breaths before disappearing without a trace.
Jiang Yi and Yan Shuo quickly memorized the incantation, practiced it once, and only felt relieved after confirming that it was correct.
……
Five days later.
In Qingluan Valley, three wooden houses have been built by the stream.
Although the wooden house was simple, it was structurally sound, and the roof was covered with thick thatch, which could keep out the wind and rain.
There was a small open space in front of each house. Jiang Yi paved a path with gravel, while Yan Shuo erected a wooden stake in front of the door and hung a lantern.
Chen Jinshu's wooden house is located in the very center, closest to the Lingtian field and the pond.
She cleared a small patch of land behind the house, wrapped it with vines to form a fence, and laid down several talismans, turning this patch of land into a temporary medicinal garden.
It was dusk, and the setting sun had turned the vegetation in the valley golden.
Chen Jinshu stood in front of the herb garden, her fingertips holding a dark blue seed, a "Netherworld Orchid" seed that she had obtained from the Ancient Relics Mansion.
She buried the seed in the soil, covered it with a layer of Xuanlei Yin soil, sprinkled some stream water on it, and then drew a few shallow runes around the seed, which were the "birth-inducing runes" recorded in the "Mysterious Female True Explanation".
Qingheng squatted down beside her, her little face pressed against the ground, her blue eyes fixed on the spot where the seed had been planted.
"Master, when will it sprout?"
"Three days." Chen Jinshu patted the dirt off his hands. "Give it some time."
Qingheng said "Oh," but didn't leave. She just squatted there, resting her chin on her hands, staring blankly at the soil where the seeds had just been planted.
Chen Jinshu couldn't help but smile at her serious expression.
"Qingheng, go and call Jiang Yi and Yan Shuo. It's time to eat."
"Alright!" Qingheng jumped up and skipped towards the wooden house.
A moment later, in the open space in front of the wooden house, the four people sat around a campfire.
A simple iron pot sat over the campfire, simmering a pot of spirit rice porridge. Spirit honey and a few calming grass leaves were added to the porridge, filling the air with its aroma.
Beside it, a plucked mountain chicken was skewered on a branch and sizzling over a fire, its fat dripping into the flames and creating a smoky aroma of meat.
Yan Shuo diligently turned the roasted chicken over, swallowing hard. "Senior, I hunted this chicken in the forest at the valley entrance. It's a genuine 'Red-tailed Mountain Chicken,' with tender meat. One can sell for twenty spirit stones in Liusha City!"
Chen Jinshu took a skewer of grilled chicken, tore off a piece, and put it in his mouth.
The tender meat melts on the tongue, its delicate sweetness perfectly blending with the smoky aroma of charcoal.
She nodded: "That's good."
Yan Shuo smiled so hard his eyes narrowed into slits after receiving the praise, and then eagerly tore off a large piece for Jiang Yi as well: "Brother Jiang, you should try some too!"
Jiang Yi took it and ate it slowly, a rare relaxation in his expression.
Qingheng held a small bowl filled with spirit rice porridge. She sipped it slowly, occasionally glancing up at the roasting pheasant. Her longing expression made Yan Shuo laugh.
"Senior Qingheng, don't worry, the chicken wings will be ready soon!"
"Who are you calling senior!" Qingheng protested, her cheeks puffed out, her voice muffled.
"Alright, alright, little sister Qingheng!"
Qingheng snorted and lowered her head to continue drinking her porridge, but the tips of her ears quietly turned red.
Chen Jinshu watched them make a ruckus, a faint smile always playing on his lips.
Over the years, she has traveled to various places, from the Eastern Region to the Southern Frontier, from Liusha City to the Ancient Relics Palace, fighting and traveling all the way, hardly ever stopping to rest.
Sitting in this valley, listening to the sound of the stream and the crackling of the campfire, and looking at the three people beside her who hadn't known each other for long but had already developed a certain tacit understanding, she suddenly felt that perhaps stopping here for a while wouldn't be a bad thing.
“Senior,” Jiang Yi suddenly spoke, interrupting her thoughts.
"Tomorrow I want to go outside the valley to investigate and see if there are any signs of high-level demonic beasts appearing in Crimson Python Ridge. If we can hunt a few demonic beasts and collect some materials, we can exchange them for some supplies we need for living."
Chen Jinshu came to his senses and pondered for a moment:
“Yes. But be careful. Deep within Crimson Python Ridge, there are Rank 3 high-grade ‘Crimson Crown Pythons.’ With your Foundation Establishment cultivation levels, you shouldn’t fight them head-on.”
"I understand," Jiang Yi nodded.
Yan Shuo raised his hand: "I'll go too! Although my cultivation level has dropped, my lightness skill is still there, so I can run fast!"
Chen Jinshu glanced at him: "Your injury hasn't fully healed yet, don't push yourself too hard."
"It's alright, it's alright!" Yan Shuo patted his chest. "I've taken all the pills the senior gave me on time, and now I feel like I have inexhaustible energy!"
Chen Jinshu didn't say anything more, he just nodded.
As night deepened, the flames of the campfire danced in the evening breeze, scattering sparks everywhere.
In front of the house, Jiang Yi was carefully tempering his newly acquired sword, his whole body radiating an undisguised crimson spiritual light!
Yan Shuo lay on the bed in the next wooden house, his hands behind his head, staring blankly at the thatched roof.
……
The bamboo house where Chen Jinshu was located was enclosed by a layer of array restrictions, causing the spiritual energy inside to surge wildly.
Qingheng was curled up on her lap, fast asleep, a satisfied smile on her little face.
Chen Jinshu sat cross-legged on the couch, closed his eyes and looked inward, his spiritual energy flowing continuously within his body.
The Mysterious Female Treasure Furnace floated quietly in the sea of consciousness, absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, with the chaotic patterns on the furnace wall appearing and disappearing.
She separated a wisp of her divine consciousness and probed into the spiritual plant space within the treasure furnace.
Inside the space, the newly opened Xuan Yin spiritual field was already about an inch square, its surface shrouded in a layer of misty cold air.
The young Xuan Yin Grass swayed gently among them, its leaves shimmering with a deeper blue luster than yesterday.
In the nearby lightning-attribute spiritual field, the root system of the Purple Lightning Bamboo has stabilized, and the lightning light between the bamboo nodes flickers intermittently, full of vitality.
Looking at the few acres of spirit fields that had just been harvested, she had already cultivated a portion of them. The green lotus had nourished the soil with the vitality of the vegetation, and the soil had regained some of its fertility.
She nodded in satisfaction, withdrew her divine sense, then opened her eyes, looked at the moonlight outside the window, and murmured to herself involuntarily:
"Azure Phoenix Valley... is indeed a good place for seclusion." (End of Chapter)