Chapter 479 - 346: New Spirit Medicine
"So, based on what you’re all saying, that mysterious Spirit Refiner first found the location where Iron Wolf Castle kept its Demon Jar?"
"The possibility is very high. If that wasn’t the case, it would have been very difficult for the mysterious Spirit Refiner to annihilate Iron Wolf Castle while also preventing them from sending out any information."
"We need to move the hiding spot for our Demon Jar. Change it to a more concealed location."
They analyzed the situation and formulated strategies to better deal with the mysterious Spirit Refiner.
As the discussion went on, they came up with more than one plan.
"During this time, we are willing to go out and perform Guardian duties."
"Guardian duties don’t seem to require us, do they?"
"But they can involve us."
When the discussion reached this point, the upper echelon of the Profound Essence Sect all fell silent.
Tasks like going out on Guardian duty were typically handled by Elders at the Peak of Qi Refining within the sect. It wasn’t necessary for high-ranking members like them to perform these missions.
The cultivation environment at the locations they would guard was much worse compared to within the Profound Essence Sect itself.
For Demons at the Peak of Qi Refining, the impact wasn’t significant, but for them, it was a major issue.
Now, in their silence, they were actually quite tempted by such tasks.
’In times like these, it’s fine if cultivation is a bit slower.’
"At least half of our people must remain within the sect." The Profound Essence Sect Leader’s gaze swept over all the high-ranking members.
If all the high-ranking members went off to perform Guardian duties, it would be utterly ridiculous.
"Those who wish to perform Guardian duties can do so in rotation."
On this matter, the Profound Essence Sect Leader made the final decision.
And as the Sect Leader of the Profound Essence Sect, he naturally had to guard the sect at all times. After all, he was its strongest member.
The mysterious Spirit Refiner was powerful, but as long as they could detect his movements, the Profound Essence Sect Leader was confident that with his strength, he could at least hold him off for a short while.
The Foundation Establishment Stage was, in the end, still just the Foundation Establishment Stage.
’No matter how powerful, there’s a limit.’
The mysterious Spirit Refiner was extremely skilled in stealth. Perhaps many of his successful attacks were only because he took advantage of trickery.
Faced with a sudden attack, many Foundation Establishment cultivators couldn’t display their true strength.
"Since the Sect Leader has spoken, I have no objections."
"I have no objections either."
"Then it’s settled."
...
「Celestial Cloud Sect.」
Nearly half a year had passed since Fang Yun annihilated Iron Wolf Castle, a Foundation Establishment Influence affiliated with the Celestial Demon Sect.
At this very moment, Fang Yun was speaking with Yang Yingjie.
He learned from Yang Yingjie some recent information from within the Celestial Demon Sect’s Earth Realm.
The most important piece of information was that it could now be confirmed: the Celestial Demon Sect knew that Iron Wolf Castle had been destroyed.
This was bound to happen sooner or later.
What Fang Yun cared about was how the Celestial Demon Sect would react and what countermeasures they would take after learning about the situation.
As long as the Celestial Demon Sect didn’t take large-scale action because of this, it was fine.
The current situation was within his expectations.
He had only destroyed a single Iron Wolf Castle, not wiped out all of the Celestial Demon Sect’s subordinate forces. If the latter had happened, the Celestial Demon Sect might have sought help from all sides and then made a major move.
That was something Fang Yun did not want to see.
Gradually wearing down the Celestial Demon Sect’s power, and finally wiping them out in one fell swoop—this was not a quick process.
If they really did destroy the Celestial Demon Sect quickly...
...it wouldn’t be a good thing.
Everything has two sides. For them, if they really did it, the good news would be quickly taking down the Celestial Demon Sect and settling a grudge that had lasted for over a thousand years.
The bad news was that the Demons’ Nascent Soul Influence would very likely target them because of it.
The ability to quickly destroy the Celestial Demon Sect would indicate that the Celestial Cloud Sect itself was very powerful. A Core Formation Sect like that would attract the attention of the Demons’ Nascent Soul Influence.
Regarding the rapid destruction of the Celestial Demon Sect...
Within the entire Celestial Cloud Sect, only Fang Yun knew that their sect truly possessed this capability.
The others didn’t know the specifics of his strength. They only had a general understanding of it and wouldn’t think the sect had the ability to quickly destroy the Celestial Demon Sect.
After considering all the factors...
...Fang Yun had chosen this strategy.
This was also the best strategy for the Celestial Cloud Sect at its current stage.
Having gotten the news from Yang Yingjie, Fang Yun felt relieved.
After this, he just needed to chip away at the power of the Celestial Demon Sect’s subordinate forces bit by bit, accumulating Talent Points along the way.
After destroying Iron Wolf Castle, he had drawn the Life Talent over a hundred thousand times. It felt great and had advanced his talent’s upgrade progress by nearly one percent.
After bidding farewell to Yang Yingjie...
Fang Yun’s plan for what came next was to first tend to his Spirit Medicine, followed by Alchemy and cultivation.
As for his vessel-clone, there were even more things he wanted it to do.
At the Second Tier, Lower Grade Spirit Field.
Fang Yun’s figure had already appeared there.
He had come to tend to the Three-Core Spirit Flower today for a rather important reason.
The mutated Three-Core Spirit Flower was entering its maturation period a full year earlier than the others.
’A superior-quality Three-Core Spirit Flower... compared to other mature ones, there’s almost no difference.’
Fang Yun carefully examined the newly matured Three-Core Spirit Flower.
The mutation’s effect was accelerated growth; there were no other changes.
A Three-Core Spirit Flower with accelerated growth required more total nutrients than an unmutated one.
The nutrients for planting Spirit Medicine were almost all produced over at Smoke Cloud Peak.
These nutrients were actually part of a resource recycling process. Some of them, before being processed, were simply the pure byproducts of Spirit Beasts.
’Consume a few more nutrients to mature a year early.’
This mutated Three-Core Spirit Flower was completely up to standard.
The care cycle for a mutated, fast-growing Three-Core Spirit Flower was also somewhat different from a regular one.
These were all conclusions Fang Yun had drawn based on the changes in the Three-Core Spirit Flower, and they had, of course, been confirmed through experimentation.
If his conclusions were wrong, it would have affected the care of the mutated Three-Core Spirit Flower.
In that case, the Three-Core Spirit Flower he was tending to wouldn’t be of superior quality, but of inferior quality. The chances of it even being of good quality would be minuscule.
’It’s time to summarize this experience.’
That’s right, Fang Yun was going to write another book—this time on cultivating the mutated, fast-growing Three-Core Spirit Flower.
This time, he should be able to write it directly, without needing to use a Jade Scroll.
Later, when the Elders of the Spirit Field Institute wanted to plant the new Three-Core Spirit Flower, they would all have to read the book he wrote to better care for the flowers that could now mature in just eleven years.
’Compared to the earlier growth periods of a Spirit Medicine, the breeding period requires much more careful attention.’
Fang Yun couldn’t help but think this as he looked at the Three-Core Spirit Flower before him.
When this mutated Three-Core Spirit Flower officially entered its breeding period, he would have to focus more effort on it.
Among the Sixth Stage of Spiritual Plants, the withering period was generally the shortest, followed by the maturation period.
The maturation period of a Three-Core Spirit Flower was only two months.
Although the maturation period wasn’t long, the optimal harvest time during this period varied for different Spirit Medicines.
There was a lot of nuance to it.
For the same Spirit Medicine, the harvest time within the maturation period would differ depending on whether it was used as a primary or auxiliary ingredient.
For example, a Three-Core Spirit Flower used as the main ingredient for Refining a Spirit Ascension Pill should ideally be harvested within three days of entering its maturation period, with the absolute best time being around the two-day mark.
Time flew.
「Three months later.」
At this moment, Fang Yun was tending to the mutated Three-Core Spirit Flower.
A little over a month ago, the mutated Three-Core Spirit Flower had entered its breeding period. Compared to an unmutated one, its maturation period was shorter, lasting less than two months.
’In another three days, I’ll be able to harvest seeds from this Three-Core Spirit Flower.’
During its breeding period, the Three-Core Spirit Flower produced seeds once every month or so, with the cycle lasting between thirty-five and thirty-nine days.
Generally, the interval for the first seed production and the last seed production differed the most.
After he finished tending to this Three-Core Spirit Flower...
...Fang Yun began to care for the other Three-Core Spirit Flowers.
These Three-Core Spirit Flowers were in the final stage of their growth period, and their cores were already visible.
As its name suggested, the Three-Core Spirit Flower had three cores, arranged in a triangular pattern.
"Huh? This Three-Core Spirit Flower..."