Chapter 173: Senior, Please.

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.

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.

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. ☜