Cultivation Begins From The Desert-Chapter 756 - 739: Huge Harvest
The Mysterious Black-robed Man's transaction request was indeed irresistible.
The benefits were so obvious, while the cost seemed so minimal.
Although Zhouyang suspected that this might be a trap, that there might be a huge cost hidden behind the visible price, he still couldn't resist this temptation.
He forcibly suppressed the desire in his heart, not asking the Mysterious Black-robed Man about any hidden costs, but simply nodded solemnly and said, "I accept this transaction, elder."
"In that case, I would ask Fellow Daoist Zhou to swear with your Dao Heart in front of me!"
The Mysterious Black-robed Man gazed deeply at Zhouyang, nodding slightly, his tone unusually grave and solemn.
Upon hearing this, Zhouyang didn't hesitate at all and immediately swore a great oath with his Dao Heart, his expression serious.
After he made the oath, the Mysterious Black-robed Man's gaze toward him immediately softened considerably, and he even took the initiative to bow and salute him, saying, "Lan greets Fellow Daoist Zhou, and hopes for your guidance in the future."
Seeing this, Zhouyang quickly returned the salute and said, "Elder Lan is being too polite; it is I who should seek your guidance, elder."
Lan Daoist, upon hearing this, looked at him with a serious expression and said, "Please don't use the term elder anymore, Fellow Daoist Zhou. Since I am following you, we should refer to each other as fellow daoists."
"This..."
Seeing Lan Daoist's earnest expression, Zhouyang thought for a moment before nodding, saying, "Since you insist, then I shall comply."
Lan Daoist smiled, half-jokingly and half-seriously saying, "Fellow Daoist Zhou, with your great fortune, your future achievements will be immeasurable. Lan may have to rely on your fortune in the future."
At this moment, Lan Daoist gave Zhouyang the impression of a truly autonomous and emotional being.
After establishing their master-servant relationship, Zhouyang no longer needed to be as cautious as before with Lan Daoist.
He immediately showed a curious expression as he looked at the other and asked, "I wonder, if Lan Daoist leaves the Kunxu Realm, will this place, which opens once every eight hundred years, continue to open in the future? And if Holy Infant Valley no longer has Lan Daoist to preside over it, how will the Holy Infant Fruits be allocated when they mature?"
"In the past, the opening and closing of the Kunxu Realm have been controlled by me according to regulations. If I leave, it generally will not open again."
"However, if Fellow Daoist Zhou wishes, I can create a puppet to handle this matter in my place. Ordinary puppets, however, cannot last as long as I can and may need replacing every thousand years!" 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂
"As for the Holy Infant Fruit tree, if Fellow Daoist Zhou has a good place in the outside world to cultivate this spiritual root, I can assist you in transplanting it."
Lan Daoist seemed to have anticipated Zhouyang's question, calmly answering each one.
Zhouyang was undoubtedly very satisfied with this answer from Lan Daoist.
Such a rare and unique Heaven and Earth Spiritual Root like the Holy Infant Fruit tree could now be exclusively his, meaning the Zhou family would never again worry about not having a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator to oversee them.
In fact, given a few thousand years, it was not impossible for the Zhou family to become the number one cultivation clan, or even the number one cultivation influence, in the Spirit Realm.
After all, possessing the Holy Infant Fruit tree was almost equivalent to holding the key to the Nascent Soul Stage, and Nascent Soul Stage cultivators were the most critical standard for determining the strength of an influence.
He immediately said, "The environment in the Kunxu Realm is extraordinarily unique; if it were to permanently close due to my actions, that would be excessive. Lan Daoist, please first create a puppet to carry out this duty. Should I successfully cross the tribulation to immortality in the future, I might devise a perfect solution to this issue."
"Since the Holy Infant Fruit tree can be transplanted and taken away, it surely should not remain here. In terms of environment for growth, the Donglai Immortal Island which I inherited from my master is superior to this place!"
Hearing this, Lan Daoist nodded and said, "Fellow Daoist Zhou, with your noble character, those future cultivators who might come here should be grateful to you. Lan understands what needs to be done."
Saying this, he beckoned, smiling slightly at Zhouyang, saying, "Come now, Fellow Daoist Zhou, please follow me to the treasure vault. Although my collection over the years is not large, each item is a masterpiece. Surely, it will not disappoint you too much."
These were the words Zhouyang had been waiting for, and upon hearing them, he immediately smiled and said, "Then I must take a good look!"
As Lan Daoist said, his treasure vault was not large, only a small annex, and the collection inside was not vast.
However, once Zhouyang stepped inside, his eyes were glued to the treasures, completely captivated.
The total number of treasures was only twenty or thirty, seemingly unworthy of the status of Lan Daoist as the master of the Kunxu Realm.
Yet in Zhouyang's eyes, the value of this small treasure vault exceeded that of the Zhou family's tenfold larger vault by at least tenfold.
Because all those twenty or thirty treasures were Tier Six treasures!
Among these treasures, there were seven Tier Six magical artifacts, including one high-grade, two mid-grade, and four lower-grade artifacts.
The remaining treasures included three bottles of Tier Six spirit pills, four Holy Infant Fruits, two Tier Six demon pills, and various rare and precious artifact refining materials.
However, the most captivating treasure for Zhouyang was not the Tier Six high-grade magical artifact or spirit pill, but a silver-grey ore seven feet tall and three feet wide.
He could not discern the origin of this silver-grey ore, but the rich golden Qi emitted from it was something he had never seen before.
"Fellow Daoist Zhou has keen eyes; this Celestial Meteorite Gold fell into the Kunxu Realm over eight thousand years ago. At that time, it nearly pierced through the surface of the entire Kunxu Realm, and I exerted much effort to extract it,"
Lan Daoist explained with a light smile, noticing Zhouyang's gaze fixed on the silver-grey ore.
Upon hearing this, Zhouyang's eyes flashed brilliantly, and he curiously asked Lan Daoist, "Does Lan Daoist know the true origin of this Celestial Meteorite Gold? Could it really be, as legend says, from the Upper Realm?"
"Regarding the origin of the [Celestial Meteorite Gold], there are several theories. One theory suggests that after a Great Power from the Upper Realm shattered space during a Magical Combat, metallic minerals nurtured in the Upper Realm's land were swept into the void, eventually scattering across the All Realms to form it."
"The second theory suggests that after Storage Spiritual Artifacts and various Pocket World Spiritual Artifacts and Secret Realms shattered, the Spiritual Objects within them scattered across the All Realms to form it."
"The third theory posits that after celestial bodies and some worlds shattered, the fragments scattered across the All Realms forming the [Celestial Meteorite Gold]."
"These three theories each have their believers, and some Great Powers have spoken similar words. Whether this is true remains a matter of opinion!"
Lan Daoist indeed did not disappoint Zhouyang, as he immediately shared several secret legends that Zhouyang had never heard before.
After hearing these secret legends, instead of feeling satisfied with answered questions, Zhouyang found himself with even more doubts due to certain information revealed in his words.
Recalling the definition of celestial bodies from his previous life, Zhouyang couldn't help but look at Lan Daoist and ask, "Fellow Daoist Lan, can you explain in detail about those celestial bodies? I've always been curious about what they truly are and why their light can illuminate the All Realms, allowing them to be seen!"
"Fellow Daoist Zhou, you've stumped me with this one. Regarding the existence of those celestial bodies, I also don't know much. It's said that only Harmonious Celestial Immortals can truly ascend to those celestial bodies to understand their mysteries!"
Lan Daoist slightly shook his head, finally stumped by Zhouyang's question, unable to enlighten him further.
Seeing this, Zhouyang felt a bit regretful but did not ask further. He simply nodded and said, "I understand, thank you, Fellow Daoist Lan, for enlightening me."
Then, without hesitation, he stored that piece of [Celestial Meteorite Gold] into his own Storage Ring, and carefully inquired with Lan Daoist about the origin and use of other treasures in the Treasure Vault.
Many treasures here were collected by Lan Daoist from the relics of cultivators who had fallen in the [Kunxu Realm], each one unique.
After introducing the origins and functions of various treasures to him, seeing that he stored many treasures in his Storage Ring, Lan Daoist then said to him, "Let Fellow Daoist Zhou know, besides these Magical Artifact Ores and Elixirs, I have also cultivated a Spirit Garden, which contains many High-tier Spirit Elixirs, including some Tier Six Spirit Elixirs. If Fellow Daoist is interested, you may come with me for a look."
"Interested, of course, I'm interested. Fellow Daoist Lan, please lead the way."
A smile spread across Zhouyang's face, and he immediately appeared eager, following Lan Daoist to the Spirit Garden he mentioned.
The Spirit Garden was also an isolated peak, on which Lan Daoist set up various Arrays to alter the environment and climate, cultivating several dozen kinds of High-tier Spirit Elixirs with strict environmental requirements.
As Lan Daoist himself mentioned, those High-tier Spirit Elixirs included some very precious Tier Six Spirit Elixirs, with the lowest being Tier Five Spirit Elixirs, many of which were rare varieties almost extinct outside.
Zhouyang was originally worried about obtaining materials for his Dao Companion Xiao Ying to advance as a Tier Six Alchemist. Now, with such a Spirit Garden, along with the large amount of rare Spirit Elixirs he brought from [Donglai Immortal Island] and those obtained through various means over the years, the material aspect seemed covered.
Moreover, Lan Daoist himself is an Alchemy Grandmaster, having his personal guidance would undoubtedly make it easier for Xiao Ying to advance to a Tier Six Alchemy Grandmaster compared to exploring on her own.
"Fellow Daoist Lan has truly helped me greatly! With the treasures gifted by you, Fellow Daoist, the time certainly needed by my Dao Companion and relatives to find cultivation resources in the future will be vastly reduced, giving us much more time for cultivation. You are truly a benefactor to me!"
With such rewarding gains, Zhouyang, full of joy and satisfaction, bowed deeply to Lan Daoist to express his gratitude.
Seeing this, Lan Daoist hurriedly helped him up and said, "Fellow Daoist Zhou, there's no need for such courtesy. These are things you deserve. Moreover, I, as a mere puppet, have no use for these items."
After some courteous exchanges, Lan Daoist said to Zhouyang, "Now there are three years until the[ Kunxu Realm] closes. I need some time to refine puppets. If Fellow Daoist Zhou is interested, you may explore various places to see if you have any unexpected gains."
These words were exactly what Zhouyang wanted to hear. He himself wished to see if, with his Sixth-layer Nascent Soul Stage cultivation, he could explore all the forbidden zones in the [Kunxu Realm] to find the Spiritual Objects nurtured within.
He immediately bid farewell to Lan Daoist and went to find Qin Yue'Er, who had returned from cultivation, to lead the way as he ventured into the forbidden zones within the [Kunxu Realm].
Within the [Kunxu Realm], there is no shortage of strong Demon Kings capable of threatening Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators. In the past, it was not unheard of for Nascent Soul Stage Cultivators to fall due to greed for treasures guarded by these Demon Kings.
Had it not been for these powerful Demon Kings being restrained by Lan Daoist and prohibited from leaving their lairs during the open period of the [Kunxu Realm], far fewer cultivators entering the realm would have left safely.
However, faced with Zhouyang, a formidable force, these powerful Demon Kings didn't end well.
Zhouyang knew that after Lan Daoist left the [Kunxu Realm] with him, unrestrained, these powerful Demon Kings would certainly no longer follow the rules set by Lan Daoist. The next time the [Kunxu Realm] opens, these guys might conspire to ambush and kill the cultivators entering it.
Given this, it was better for him to take the initiative to destroy these guys, slay demons and harvest pills, clearing dangers for future cultivators entering the [Kunxu Realm].
"Roar! Damn human, do you really think you can bully me if I don't show my power!"
Above a patch of emerald waters, amidst a green poisonous fog, a hundred-meter-long, multicolored Poisonous Flood Dragon roared, spewing green toxic flames towards a humanoid figure.
This Poisonous Flood Dragon King within the Poisonous Flood Dragon Pool was extremely powerful, ranking among the top three of all the Demon Kings in [Kunxu Realm]. According to the information Lan Daoist gave to Zhouyang, this Poisonous Flood Dragon had lived for over five thousand years and its cultivation was close to a Tier Six High-grade Demon King.
Unfortunately, encountering Zhouyang, whose cultivation cannot be judged by common standards, the Poisonous Flood Dragon King's fate was very tragic.
After a fierce battle, Zhouyang managed to slay the Poisonous Flood Dragon King at the cost of slight injuries, turning the once infamous danger zone, the Poisonous Flood Dragon Pool in the [Kunxu Realm], into history.
Killing the Poisonous Flood Dragon King not only granted Zhouyang a rare Tier Six Middle-grade Poisonous Flood Dragon corpse but also found a large cluster of [Thousand-year-old Dragon Saliva Grass], a powerful Antitoxic Elixir, and abundant toxic herbs and poisons in its lair.
As the saying goes, wherever venomous snakes appear, there must be antitoxic drugs within a hundred steps.
The [Thousand-year-old Dragon Saliva Grass], able to grow in the poisonous breath and drool dripped from the sleeping Poisonous Flood Dragon King, undoubtedly possessed potent detoxification effects.
During his battle with the Poisonous Flood Dragon King, Zhouyang was injured by its toxic smog Divine Techniques, inflicting him with a severe Poisonous Flood Dragon toxin. However, after crushing and drinking the sap of a[Thousand-year-old Dragon Saliva Grass], he quickly expelled the toxin from his body.
Seeing the herb's miraculous effect, he unhesitatingly cleared out the Poisonous Flood Dragon King's lair of various Spirit Grass, toxic herbs, and any valuable Spiritual Objects, then stored the Poisonous Flood Dragon King's body and headed to the next forbidden zone.
