I Can Devour Spirits-Chapter 79: Millennium Ancient Wood
The ancient tree, over three hundred years old, looked more like an old man who had weathered the storms of life, with its wrinkled bark resembling a face full of wrinkles!
Duan Rong felt a slight tremor in his heart and thought quietly, "Read Artifact Spirit!"
Artifact: Ancient Ginkgo (Tree age: 361 years).
Artifact Spirit Tier: Tier Nine.
Devouring Requirements: Host’s Spiritual Power Level 9 (Unmet).
Devouring Effect: Memories of Ages (Can increase host’s spiritual power).
Duan Rong looked again at the data of the ancient ginkgo’s artifact spirit that appeared before him, his gaze fixed intently on the words that signified an increase in the host’s spiritual power.
At this moment, as he looked again, these words stimulated his nerves even more!
A Tier Nine artifact spirit that he couldn’t devour. What about a Tier One?
If he could find a Tier One tree-like artifact spirit, might he have the chance to break through the current hardship?
Duan Rong, as if suddenly finding a path in a fog, began his search swiftly!
Duan Rong first searched through all the slightly aged trees in the front and middle courtyards of the Yuan Shun Escort Agency!
But they were all blanks!
The devouring effects were all none!
Besides the ancient ginkgo, the oldest tree was an old locust tree on the other side of the Martial Arts Arena, with an age of forty-two years!
However, the devouring effect remained blank!
This indicated that even a forty-two-year-old tree, its artifact spirit had not yet awakened intelligence!
After touching all the trees in the Yuan Shun Escort Agency, Duan Rong went out and began to inspect the trees along the West Main Street!
Duan Rong only touched the older trees!
After all, even the old locust tree that took two people to circle in the Martial Arts Arena had not awakened intelligence, not to mention those lush trees that were still growing; there’s no need to touch them to know they’re blank!
The western sky hung with a blood-colored residual glow, and twilight slowly rose from all directions...
Duan Rong stood at the entrance of the City God Temple in disbelief, his face full of astonishment!
Artifact: Ancient Mulberry (Tree age: 1,227 years)
Artifact Spirit Tier: Fifteenth Rank.
Devouring Requirements: Host’s Spiritual Power Level 15 (Unmet).
Devouring Effect: Witness to Epochs (Can increase host’s spiritual power).
"Millennial ancient wood, Fifteenth Rank artifact spirit!"
Duan Rong stared dumbfounded at the set of data before him!
Fifteenth Rank artifact spirit, the highest artifact spirit tier he had ever read!
As the sky darkened, Duan Rong had almost touched every old tree in the entire city!
Although he had touched all the old trees in the city, Duan Rong still couldn’t understand the tier distribution pattern of tree-like artifact spirits!
Only two ancient trees had devouring effects, the three-hundred-year-old ancient ginkgo and the twelve-hundred-year-old ancient mulberry. Aside from these, the oldest tree was a ninety-two-year-old old banyan, but its devouring effect was still blank!
The three-hundred-year-old ancient ginkgo had an artifact spirit tier of Tier Nine, while the ninety-two-year-old old banyan had not yet entered a tier!
What he needed to figure out now was the tier distribution pattern of tree-like artifact spirits between ninety-two and three hundred and sixty-one years!
It was evident that there weren’t enough samples in Xianggu County!
"Gotta choose a place!" Duan Rong thought as he stood on the street at dusk, the early lights flickering in his eyes.
Duan Rong had dinner on the street and then went to Xiao Zongting’s yard to ask for a few days off, saying he needed to handle some personal matters!
The impression of Duan Rong being passionate about martial arts and diligent in cultivation had already been deeply imprinted in Xiao Zongting’s mind. When Duan Rong said he needed to handle personal matters, Xiao Zongting naturally didn’t doubt him and waved it off, telling him to arrange his own schedule.
The apprentice’s time was mainly self-arranged, and Xiao Zongting’s management style was always laissez-faire.
He only set an examination day to check your cultivation results!
An old devil like Xiao Zongting could gauge an apprentice’s potential with just a few looks when they first entered!
Only by examining your cultivation results could he know whether you’ve been practicing diligently during this time!
Why bother supervising you like a foreman?
Those who slack off without diligent practice would get a knock on the head or be persuaded to leave; he would never be lenient.
But for an apprentice like Duan Rong, even examinations were waived!
A genius freak, why even test?
Duan Rong was well aware of Xiao Zongting’s management style, but he still thought it was better to inform him, as he wasn’t sure how many days this trip would take.
Next day.
At the first light of dawn, the breakfast stalls and vendors at the street corners were already bustling with heat...
Duan Rong left the Yuan Shun Escort Agency early and went to a beef soup stall he frequented, sitting down heavily on a stool.
"Boss, a big bowl of beef soup! Lots of scallions, lots of cilantro!"
"And three sesame buns!"
"Got it! Just sit tight! Coming right up!" The stall owner, a tall and skinny middle-aged man, recognized Duan Rong’s familiar face and greeted him warmly.
His hands were calloused from work, but he skilfully sliced a sufficient amount of beef and placed it at the bottom of a green porcelain bowl. Then, holding the porcelain bowl, he went to a large pot set over a big wood fire, where a whole cow’s head was visible with its horns sticking out.
The boss ladled boiling hot soup into the bowl, grabbed two handfuls of scallions and cilantro, and sprinkled them in.
He then placed the steaming big porcelain bowl in front of Duan Rong.
Duan Rong swallowed his saliva, added two generous spoonfuls of chili oil to the bowl, and started to eat and drink.
With a large bowl of beef soup and three sesame buns down, Duan Rong’s stomach became round and full.
After finishing his meal, the sun was fully up. He walked to the rental stable and rented a sturdy chestnut colt!
The stable was bustling early, with plenty of people coming and going; the clamor of the staff made it even more chaotic...
In ancient times, transportation wasn’t convenient, so people usually set out early!
The early market business accounted for more than eighty percent of the stable’s daily revenue!
Duan Rong led the chestnut horse out, stepped onto the mounting block, got on, and leisurely headed towards the East City Gate!
In the city, you couldn’t gallop on horseback; if you galloped and injured someone, you’d either pay a hefty fine or face branding or imprisonment, exceptionally severe punishments!
Duan Rong rode out of the East City Gate, walked for a while, and seeing that there were few people on the road, he struck the chestnut horse sharply on the butt with a whip!
The chestnut horse, hurt, galloped wildly, kicking up dust along the official road!
Duan Rong’s destination for this trip was Wild Boar Mountain, eighty miles southeast of Xianggu County.
Wild Boar Mountain, with its steep peaks and precipitous terrain, stretched east to west for nearly a hundred miles, and deep in the forest, wild beasts often roamed!
Whipping the horse along the way, Duan Rong rushed quickly, and by early afternoon, he could already see the lush, vague mountain range in the distance!
Duan Rong whipped the horse three times in quick succession on the rump; the weary chestnut horse, with its nostrils puffing out white air, began to gallop again!
Nearing 3 p.m., Duan Rong finally reined in the horse and stopped!
He dismounted near a mountain village not far from Wild Boar Mountain!
The chestnut horse was already weary, with slight foam at its mouth; if it continued, it might die from exhaustion!
The saying "a horse dies running towards a mountain" is no exaggeration!
Duan Rong led the horse to a household at the eastern end of the village, and called over the fence to an emaciated, dark old man in the yard, "Old man, could I trouble you for a bowl of water?"
