Chapter 118: Sealing a Third-Grade Spirit Plant, Plans for the Journey

"Shenfeng Valley Market.

Of course, if the unrest within the Fengmingwu Market ends in the short term, Sister Shen also said that they would return immediately. After all, the Shuiyun Pavilion has deep roots here and will not easily abandon its position. However, I am different; once I leave this time, I will accompany my sisters to the Shuiyun Immortal Sect to participate in their entrance examination. So, Fellow Daoist Zhou, what are your thoughts?"

Qian Xiaoyue spoke while her beautiful eyes remained fixed on Zhou Changwang. She knew that Zhou Changwang also possessed a Shuiyun Token given by Shen Xinyue. If he wished, he could easily travel with her to the Shuiyun Immortal Sect to take the entrance exam.

"I will take things one step at a time. If the situation remains unclear, I will likely consider heading to the Shuiyun Immortal Sect as well," Zhou Changwang replied after a moment of silence, sensing something underlying her words.

What he did not mention was that, besides the Shuiyun Immortal Sect, he also had the option of the Qingyuan Sect. When he had previously participated in the Spirit Planter examination, he had inadvertently taken first place and obtained a Qingyuan Token, which effectively granted him direct entry into the Qingyuan Sect as a disciple. Compared to the unfamiliar Shuiyun Immortal Sect, he knew much more about the Qingyuan Sect because the Fengmingwu Market was located within its territory. He was aware that the sect’s primary industries were spirit plants and spirit beasts, which were more conducive to his own growth and capabilities.

As for the Shuiyun Immortal Sect, they were most famous for the "Water-Cloud Immortal Technique," a cultivation method said to be passed down from the "Upper Realm," along with other water-attributed magical arts and divine abilities. For a cultivator like him, who possessed all five elements without a particularly prominent water-attribute spiritual root, it was not the optimal choice.

"Still, I didn't expect time to pass so quickly; the market is about to fall into chaos. It really is time to plan ahead and leave this place of turmoil as soon as possible," Zhou Changwang added, his expression turning solemn.

During the previous night of chaos, even though his strength was low and he didn't dare approach the battlefield, he still understood the intensity of that battle. The reports that emerged later confirmed it: Foundation Establishment cultivators had fallen, no fewer than twenty late-stage Qi Refining cultivators were killed or injured, and lower-level cultivators suffered heavy casualties. Even half a year later, the Fengmingwu Market had not fully recovered, and the flow of people was far less than before the chaos erupted. Now, with a second wave of turmoil imminent—this time a battle between the two largest cultivation families in the market—it was bound to be even more fierce and violent than the first.

He certainly did not want to get involved and needed to leave as soon as possible. Three days later? He felt that even three days might be too late; he should leave tomorrow. However, he had no confidence in successfully navigating the Endless Forest and the various dangerous spirit veins between the Fengmingwu Market and the Shenfeng Valley Market on his own. Therefore, he had to wait for Shen Xinyue and the others to set off. It wasn't just about safety in numbers; only these large factions possessed the secure routes required to traverse the distance. Even merchant caravans that traveled between the two places year-round suffered losses; it was unthinkable for a mid-stage Qi Refining cultivator who had rarely left the market to attempt it alone.

"Right. Well, don't forget about three days from now. I still need to go tell Lu Wei'er, so I'll be going first," Qian Xiaoyue said, remembering her friend, and headed off.

Zhou Changwang did not stop her. After seeing her out, he returned to his courtyard.

"I will be leaving in three days. This century-old Red-Leaf Spirit Tea tree in the backyard can no longer remain planted here. I must dig it up and transplant it as soon as possible."

Zhou Changwang walked to the backyard, his gaze falling upon the hundred-year-old spirit tea tree he had carefully cultivated. It was currently bare, lacking a single tender leaf, and the soil was dry and cracked, as if it were dying. Although not massive, it stood about a zhang high, with its branches spread out to form a sphere roughly as wide as it was tall.

"With such a size, combined with the taproot buried in the spirit field, digging it up and transplanting it won't be easy. I must make some compromises." Zhou Changwang calculated, primarily focusing on the space available in his spirit beast bags.

When he killed the Insect King Xue Tong, he had acquired not only a storage bag but also three spirit beast bags. The smallest one, only three feet in diameter, served as the nest for his Golden-Armored King Cicada. It was worth noting that after some time of feeding, the cicada had grown significantly; its forelimbs and hind legs had become stout and hard, shimmering with a metallic luster, and its wings, sharp as flying blades, made it highly intimidating. Its cultivation had also improved, likely reaching the level of a second or even third-layer Qi Refining cultivator. Soon, this three-foot bag would no longer be enough.

The second bag, five feet in diameter, was intended for his Gold-Devouring Spirit Bees and their hive. After a period of growth and reproduction, their numbers had surged. The queen, though a low-level insect, had a much stronger aura, likely around the second layer of Qi Refining. Among the worker bees, there were seven "bee guards" at the first layer of Qi Refining, and eighteen smaller ones that had not yet reached that level. These changes were the result of Zhou Changwang’s constant feeding of various insects and the flesh of the Five-Poison beasts. There were over a hundred other bees as well. His swarm had now formed a formidable scale; if they attacked with full force, their combat power would be significant—certainly far surpassing the Black-Needle Poison Bees that the Insect King Xue Tong had once commanded.

The third bag, the largest, was seven feet in diameter. While not small, it still couldn't accommodate the entire tea tree. Therefore, he had to prune it drastically. Of course, he first had to extract the root system. Zhou Changwang spent a great deal of effort digging it out, preserving the main root, three secondary roots, and thousands of rootlets. Fortunately, roots were more flexible than branches.

He worked with extreme caution. After every cut, he utilized the "Withered Wood Rejuvenation Technique" to maintain the tree's vitality. He even gathered the severed twigs and roots, used the "Life-Severing Finger" to extract essence, and injected this vital spirit liquid into the main trunk. After half an hour, the Red-Leaf Spirit Tea tree, now pruned by thirty percent, was finally ready to be placed into the bag.

However, he dared not act rashly. A third-grade spirit plant was hardy but had an enormous demand for spiritual energy. Without proper treatment, it would wither or "regress" into a second-grade plant within a night. Using his Spirit Vision, he confirmed that the spiritual energy was already dissipating rapidly.

Zhou Changwang took out a large stack of spirit talismans he had crafted recently—seal talismans. He had focused on this for the past five days since mastering the technique. He began applying them to the roots and trunk, one by one. It took dozens of high-quality and finished-grade talismans before the energy leakage was completely sealed.

"As expected of a third-grade spirit plant, the consumption is immense. If I had to buy these, it would cost at least five or six hundred low-grade spirit stones. And this is only the first sealing. High-quality seal talismans only last fifteen days, and finished ones only a month. The longer the journey, the higher the cost."

He felt a sense of relief that he was a talisman master himself. With him soon leaving for the Shenfeng Valley Market, he couldn't be certain how long the journey would take. If it exceeded a month, he would have had no way to maintain the plant's vitality without the ability to craft these talismans himself.

Once the tree was securely stored, he covered the hole and used a cleansing spell to erase the traces of the spirit plant. He then moved the Gold-Devouring Spirit Bee hive into another bag. Although his official departure was in three days, he had to be prepared in case the conflict between the Bai and Chen families broke out early.

"Right, I need to go out tomorrow," Zhou Changwang thought, his expression shifting. He had previously purchased the "Thousand Thunder Flash" and "Five-Element Thunder Transformation" from the Bai Clan Trading Company. These two were components of a higher-level thunder technique called the "Small Five-Element Thousand Thunder Art." He had already mastered both, and he intended to purchase the complete high-level technique before the market descended into war. If the Bai family lost, he would lose the chance to ever acquire it.

He also needed to prepare for the road ahead. He realized that the journey to Shenfeng Valley would likely be perilous, filled with venomous insects, wild beasts, and perhaps even terrifying demon beasts. He needed more defensive talismans. Spending the rest of the night in his talisman room, he crafted various defensive and offensive talismans, focusing particularly on more seal talismans to store his own thunder-based spells.

By the next morning, after his routine of meditation, cultivation, and training, Zhou Changwang felt ready. As he stepped out of his house, he encountered his neighbor, a man known as "Ghost Eye" Zhao Shanhe, who was also heading out.

(End of chapter)