66 Cultivation (1/2)
”Chirp!”
A black dot appeared in the blue sky and accompanying it, a bird's caw.
”Hu!”
A large eagle with metallic wings flew down and landed in front of Fang Yuan.
”I'm back!”
Fang Yuan walked forward and patted the Iron-tailed Black Eagle.
”Keke!”
Black Eagle did not appear to reject him, which pleased Fang Yuan, because he knew that they had gotten even closer than before.
”Is everything alright in the secluded valley?”
He took a few steps forward and reached the entrance. A white flash appeared and stopped at his legs. It was the Flower Fox Ferret.
All this while, they had no spiritual tea, and the two beasts also didn't know how to start a fire. They had no choice but to return to their old ways of hunting and eating meat raw and therefore, both of them longed for his return.
For instance, the Flower Fox Ferret had already caught two plump chickens and was waiting for Fang Yuan to cook them.
”Greedy fellow!”
Fang Yuan scolded him jokingly and entered his home.
Even though there were two spiritual beasts looking after the secluded valley, Fang Yuan was still worried and went around to check on things.
He arrived at the farm and firstly went to look for the Questioning Heart Tea. He couldn't contain his excitement as he noticed small leaflets sprouting from the branches of the tree.
This trip made him realise the importance of having higher than average magic points.
He owed it all to his magic points that he could survive the ordeal this time.
”This tea should be spring tea, as the season is coming soon...”
Fang Yuan as extremely pleased, as he arrived at the farm and realised almost all the Vermilion Jade Rice had been harvested. However, the surroundings were not barren.
Shrubs of Emerald Grass were sprouting around the farm in an orderly manner, full of life.
”The Emerald Grass is growing rather well!”
As it was the lowest form among spiritual plants, it only two purposes was to cultivate a plot of land and also be harvested as food for spiritual beasts. Fang Yuan scanned the area and could not find any plant with evolved special traits, and was a little disappointed.
”Let's take a look at the spiritual bamboo!”
With shocking healing abilities, the bamboo fruit could even heal wounds caused by elemental forces, and this made Fang Yuan realise the importance of it.
As he approached the bridge, he was overwhelmed with joy.
Beside the rock, a green bamboo stood tall and strong. Its branches were emerald-green and had no signs of rotting.
”When a spiritual bamboo blooms, fruits will form. It would then rot and die after its fruits ripen, and re-sprout into a new spiritual bamboo... This is because it cannot receive enough nutrients to sustain itself... But now, what is happening?”
Fang Yuan looked at his [Botany] and knew that this was one of the special traits that the spiritual bamboo evolved to have.
Even though the spiritual bamboo was not completely evolved, it already had certain traits of it being improved, and for instance this time, it did not rot.
”Keke!”
The Flower Fox Ferret pointed to a little bulge on the ground, as it tried to hint to Fang Yuan that it was something new.
”Eh? Could it be...”
Fang Yuan gently dug out the layer of soil above, and a purple shoot appeared.
”Indeed... When spring comes the bamboo will flourish, what an unexpected gain!”
It was different from the spiritual bamboo. Its bamboo trunk had a layer of purple and hidden within it, there was spiritual energy which emitted a pleasant fragrance.
”I could locate other bamboos by following its roots, and for this root...”
Fang Yuan followed then bamboo root and discovered a few more bamboo shoots. He gingerly covered the shoots with soil and was smiling from ear to ear.
”Keke…...Chirp Chirp...”
The Flower Fox Ferret was pulling at his clothes, its paws pointing about. Fang Yuan was amused, ”You want to try the bamboo shoot?”
”Chirp Chirp!”
After hearing this, the black eagle at the side seemed to understand what was happening and appeared as excited as the Flower Fox Ferret.
”You guys... This spiritual bamboo is a treasure, how can we kill the source of our food?”
Fang Yuan continued, ”There's quite a lot of spiritual bamboo within the red-eyed white king bird's nest, as well as other spiritual things... When we have a chance, I shall bring you guys along to loot the entire place!”
With his improvements in martial arts and his two spiritual beasts, Fang Yuan started to have ideas on the Green Peak once again.
”Chirp Chirp!”
The Iron-tailed Black Eagle had bad blood with the red-eyed white birds all along and was excited at the thought of Fang Yuan's suggestion.
Even though they have decided on the plan, it still wasn't easy to deal with the red-eyed white king bird.
After all, the king bird was equivalent to a martial artist of the 4 Heavenly Gates and would be even more unpredictable when angered.
The Iron-tailed Black Eagle was extremely lucky to have escaped the previous ordeal, and there was no way it could have escaped again given the same situation.
Furthermore, Fang Yuan had just returned and he should be resting and recuperating.
...
”Phew... I am finally able to rest after this hectic period!”
The next day, Fang Yuan held a teacup, took a sip and was in deep relaxation.
”Spiritual bamboo shoots for breakfast, coupled with Meditative Questioning Heart Tea. Even the gods couldn't ask for this!”