I Am Cultivating in the Apocalypse-Chapter 872 - 962: These Plants Are Treasures

Jing Shu asked Xiao Wei and the old Taoist to move farther away, then controlled these insects to wander through the underground swamp.

However, it was still safe underground.

This eerie place didn’t seem to have any dangerous spots at all.

"Crack," Guo Tou snapped off a plant that looked pretty terrifying.

Even though it was pale and wax-like, it was actually crisp and crunchy.

Jing Shu extended her hand into the air, speechless for a while. Guo Tou was really quite brave!

The sound seemed particularly jarring in this strange and quiet place, and the gentle breeze blew by without any movement.

Guo Tou excitedly raised the plant in his hand and shouted, "Sister Jing, it seems safe, there’s no reaction at all!" He held onto the bizarre wax figure, drooling.

"This looks really delicious."

If it were someone else, Jing Shu might think there was ambiguity in those words, surely some sordid thoughts, but this was Guo Tou. If he said that, he genuinely meant it looked delicious!

With a crunch, Guo Tou took a bite.

Juice burst out from the leg—

He spat!

The next second, Guo Tou spit it all out, his face a mask of agony, and quickly spat a few more times:

"Ugh~ I thought, with the whole pool smelling like fermented crap, how could anything tasty grow? It’s ridiculously awful, sour and bitter, like a corpse fermented for a hundred days."

Jing Shu didn’t move, meticulously surveying the surroundings to ensure that even after disturbing these plants, nothing else happened, then slowly approached to observe the plant in Guo Tou’s hand.

Guo Tou lamented with a mournful face, "Sister Jing, we’re really at a loss. If we could’ve found an edible plant, it would’ve been worth a fortune considering the national food shortage, but this plant clearly isn’t edible."

Jing Shu pinched off a piece from the plant. It dripped a milky yellow juice, extremely sour. She lightly touched it to her tongue, instantly overwhelmed by the sour and bitter sensation.

But within it, she tasted something familiar.

"This is—" Jing Shu’s eyes gradually lit up, her heart pounding.

"Guo Tou, if I guessed right, we’ve stumbled upon a treasure!" Jing Shu’s voice tinged with excitement.

Guo Tou scratched his head, "What could be so good about this bitter, astringent thing?"

"You know in Wu City, their specialty is hops. Wu City’s beer is famous nationwide; the infamous ’Life-Threatening Big Urso’ is a favorite of many. Unbrewed hops taste almost just like this."

Guo Tou incredulously clutched the leg in front of him, "This thing? Used to brew alcohol? Oh, to brew beer?"

Jing Shu nodded and took a few steps forward, grabbing and crushing an eyeball staring at her. Juice oozed out, and Jing Shu tasted it, her eyes lighting up once more:

"Hops have a lot of difference in flavor from fermentation to raw brew, with over a hundred types of flavors. These plants, despite their different appearances, offer varied raw brew flavors. Guo Tou, this time we’ve struck it rich again!"

Guo Tou seemed puzzled, "What we’ve found isn’t food, just plants to brew beer. What’s so good about that? Beer isn’t as valuable as food."

"You fool, food is produced nationwide, everywhere. But ever since the national ban on alcohol brewing a few years ago, do you know how scarce it is on the black market?

If we could brew alcohol without wasting grains, do you know how crazy its price could be? You could buy anything you want and trade for anything you can’t get otherwise."

More crucially, Jing Shu didn’t mention that this time, she came with those above, and because she contributed to cutting the air wall using dark energy, she had an agreement with Old Zhou that more than half of the island’s resources belonged to her.

In other words, Jing Shu was about to team up with the country to open a factory.

The thought alone made her excited again.

Previously, the cigarette factory was only in partnership with the local township government, but now, it’s a collaboration with the country. This was a huge leap!

Jing Shu crushed the eyeball into a pulp, rubbing it back and forth. Not only could this plant brew beer, but could the pulp be pressed into oil or further developed into other edibles?

If so, its developmental value would be immense; without exaggeration, it’s a treasure inside and out, top to bottom!

Wait!

Jing Shu’s expression turned dark; she forgot a critical point.

The last time dark energy was discovered, it was at least domestic. Although it was a bit dangerous, transportation was convenient with nearby locations.

But this time, she’s at the Mirror South Sea. If materials were scarce, they might make a quick fortune. But if abundant, how could they transport everything back?

Besides, this plant has no apparent dangers, which is very unusual. Or perhaps its dangers haven’t surfaced yet, which are major issues.

Guo Tou observed Jing Shu’s face shifting from excitement to contemplation and then to a knitted brow.

"Sister Jing, what do we do now? This leg is quite heavy. How about I put it down first?"

Jing Shu pondered for a moment, "First, let the insects come and pick all these plant fruits, then I’ll figure it out and delve deeper, tracing the base of these plants."

Currently, she still hasn’t discovered where the dark energy is. If her guess is correct, it should be underground.

Otherwise, how could such bizarre plants be nurtured?

The insect army started picking the fruits methodically.

With no immediate danger, Xiao Wei and the old Taoist arrived as well.

After checking, the old Taoist’s eyes sparkled with wonder, "Wow, who would’ve thought Heaven could create something so close to a finished product..."

Xiao Wei curiously asked, "What do you mean? Aren’t they just materials for making beer?"

The old Taoist shook his head, "There’s a big difference, little girl. Let me enlighten you. Industrial beer is mainly made from corn, rice starch, with a singular taste.

True beer is brewed from malt, hops, yeast, and water, fermented for dozens of days to achieve a rich flavor. This craft beer can be a raw juice for various beers, mixed with fruit juices, spices, etc., forming unique flavored beers.

And the plants we’ve discovered, though they look terrifying, their juice is almost concentrated original beer essence, skipping the complex fermentation process of dozens of days, and with simple processing, becomes excellent tasting beer."

Jing Shu was all ears to the side, "Hearing the old Taoist say this, we don’t even need malt? This plant is indeed a treasure."