Chapter 106: Golden Rain
Chapter 106: Golden Rain
On the Silver Sword Peak...
When Liu Xiaoyu'er saw Chu Liang approaching with a smile, she knew what he would request even before he had said a word.
"Requesting another round of blessings, right?"
"Thank you for your hard work."
Amused by Chu Liang's peculiar nature, Liu Xiaoyu'er shook her head.
Chu Liang quickly arrived within the White Pagoda. The thorny black balls moved surprisingly fast; after a brief pursuit, he had managed to cut down around a dozen. The rest of them had scattered and vanished into the unknown and Chu Liang couldn't be bothered to search for them.
Considering that these little ghosts probably wouldn't yield anything too valuable, he decided to head home and check his rewards first.
With the auspicious blessing of the lucky koi, he confidently pressed the "Refine" button.
Boom—
A tiny radiant white ball emerged in a burst of light.
[Berry Seed: Planting it will yield Golden Vein Flowers and Golden Vein Berries. Consuming them can replenish energy, detoxify, and nourish the skin.]
"Seed?"
Given the precedent set by the Spirit Beast Egg as a reward, Chu Liang wasn't taken aback by this tiny seed.
However, he silently conveyed a message to those thorny black balls.
In accordance with the martial world's customs, when given a seed, it was customary to utter a phrase of goodwill to the gifter. "May you have a peaceful life."
Chu Liang didn't forget this etiquette.
Chu Liang then pondered his options and decided to plant the seed since there was nothing else demanding his attention.
He ventured out to a small hill, identifying a flat space where he proceeded to dig a hole for the seed. Although it didn't require much space, it was essential to have an open area. After all, with over a dozen thorny black balls still locked in the cages within the White Pagoda, this place could potentially transform into a sizable fruit field in the future.
However, the duration for the seed to blossom into a flowering and fruit-bearing plant remained uncertain. Therefore, Chu Liang promptly headed to the Hall of Alchemy, where he purchased a bag of Herbal Wood Spirit Powder.
This particular powder found widespread use on Mount Shu for catalyzing spirit plants and fostering vegetation. It had the capacity to swiftly replenish the spiritual energy necessary for plant growth, promising the rapid creation of a ten-year forest.
Nonetheless, its efficacy was limited to regular flowers, grass, trees, or ordinary spirit plants. Rare and precious spirit plants with lifespans spanning several hundred years required optimal conditions for growth. Even with a bucket of medicine powder, stimulating their growth proved challenging.
Nevertheless, this Herbal Wood Spirit Powder was not cheap; a bag would cost three sword coins.
Having secured the medicine, Chu Liang returned to the spot where he had planted the seed. Methodically, he used his fingers to sprinkle the medicine powder onto the soil and then watered it.
Now, all that remained was to wait in silence.
Liu Xiaoyu'er found his behavior strange. She approached, taking a look, and inquired, "Big Brother Chu Liang, what are you doing?"
"I'm waiting for the seed to sprout," Chu Liang replied.
Liu Xiaoyu'er, feeling intrigued, decided to join him in watching.
The two of them squatted on the open ground. With their heads tilted, they fixed their gaze on the barren soil.
The Herbal Wood Spirit Powder was indeed effective. In just a short span, a small, tender shoot emerged from the soil—pink, delicate, and tiny.
And it continued to grow at a visible speed. In less than half an hour, it rapidly expanded, sprouting leaves, blossoming, and bearing fruit...
Soon, a red and hefty fruit, large and brimming, emerged from the slender stem, weighing down the leaves almost to the ground.
"Wow..." Liu Xiaoyu'er exclaimed, "It actually blossomed and bore fruit."
"Yeah," Chu Liang was also quite pleased. This could be considered a case of small efforts yielding significant results.
He gently plucked the Golden Vein Berry. It was about the size of a baby's fist, with soft skin and visibly full juice. A golden vein adorned the skin, subtly conveying a sense of spirituality.
This was likely considered a basic treasure of nature, displaying a slightly more spiritual nature than ordinary fruits but less valuable than actual spirit plants.
After plucking the fruit, the veins of the leaves drooped, but the other flowers had already bloomed, indicating that more fruits could be harvested.
"Not bad at all." Chu Liang muttered to himself.
This could potentially evolve into a sustainable business.
Considering this, Chu Liang took a bite. As expected, the juice splattered, and the taste was exceptionally refreshing and sweet.
It seemed that whether the offerings from the White Pagoda were useful or not, they were undeniably delicious.
Having taken two or three bites with both skin and flesh, Chu Liang wiped his hands. It seemed like anything could be planted. Even if used as a seasonal fruit on the Silver Sword Peak, it would still be a good thing.
Considering this, just as he was about to take action, he lowered his head and noticed Liu Xiaoyu'er squatting on the ground, looking up at him with eager eyes.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
Liu Xiaoyu'er blinked as she said, "I want to eat too."
"Let me taste the first fruit for you." Chu Liang remained expressionless as he said, "If you wish to taste this fruit, we can plant more."
As he explained, he started digging more holes, pressing the "Refine" button on the remaining dozen or so thorny black balls, and then planting the seeds in the soil. He then sprinkled all of them with the Herbal Wood Spirit Powder.
He then handed the water jug to Liu Xiaoyu'er.
"Do you want to get a taste of these fruits? Then I have a task for you. From now on, you are responsible for watering these Golden Vein Flowers every day. When they bear fruit, you can taste them," Chu Liang said.
"Okay!" Liu Xiaoyu'er nodded vigorously.
Soon, a large patch of Golden Vein Flowers sprouted, broke through the soil, leafed, and fruited, forming a vibrant and dazzling field of flowers.
"Wow..." Liu Xiaoyu'er asked, "Can I eat them now?"
"You can," Chu Liang agreed, then reminded, "Don't forget to water them in the future."
Liu Xiaoyu'er frowned. "But what if I forget?"
"If you forget, then there won't be good fruits to eat," Chu Liang said in a serious tone.
After instructing Liu Xiaoyu'er, he was ready to head back.
No matter how delicious the Golden Vein Berries were, they were just fruits, and they didn't offer significant benefits to cultivation.
As he was leaving, he heard Liu Xiaoyu'er holding a small water jug and saying with a sigh, "If only it rained every day."
Chu Liang smiled and shook his head.
Before he could reach his room, he saw a dark cloud forming above his head. In a blink of an eye, it actually started to rain.
He turned back and stared at Liu Xiaoyu'er in amazement. This was shocking to him.
Overcast clouds were rare on Mount Shu, as the sea of clouds below and the steaming spiritual energy made rain and snow infrequent.
Moreover, even for regular rainfall, clouds wouldn't form within one second and result in rainfall within the next second, right? This seemed a bit too fast.
If this were indeed the result of the lucky koi's wish, it was simply hard to believe that her words could make miracles happen. It was as though koi fish had the power to make anything appear out of thin air.
As he marveled, raindrops began to fall on him.
Suddenly, a slight itch tingled across his body. It wasn't uncomfortable; rather, there was a subtle sense of spiritual energy permeating through him.
What is this...
He gazed at the rain in the sky, scooped a few drops with his hand, and noticed that the rainwater held a trace of golden light.
Golden rain?
After the raindrops fell into his palm, the golden light quickly faded, seeping into his skin.
What's going on?
Though the reason remained unknown, he swiftly pulled Liu Xiaoyu'er under the eaves to hide from the rain.
Soon, an elderly voice resonated from the direction of the Heaven-Reaching Peak, echoing across Mount Shu.
"With the True Dragon now dwelling on Mount Shu, it generates this dragon energy that frequently transforms into a cloud of rain. This unique rainwater holds the essence of the dragon and can nourish the physical body and enhance your cultivation progress. It poses no harm. Therefore, disciples of various Peaks, there is no need to worry."
It sounded like the voice of the Alchemy Master. As Chu Liang heard that familiar tone, he finally understood the origin of this unusual rain on Mount Shu.
He was almost fooled into thinking that Liu Xiaoyu'er's wish had summoned this rainfall.
Since this rainwater was good, there was no need to avoid this rain in the future.
Wait a minute...
As Chu Liang gazed at the rain-laden clouds above, a hint of doubt gradually crept across his face.
Even if the rainfall formed from the dragon energy was normal...
While rainfall generated from dragon energy might be considered normal, the strange thing was that this rain cloud appeared to only hover above the Silver Sword Peak. Was this truly normal?