Chapter 688: Tea Tree Ascends

Under the state of All-Encompassing Spiritual Connection, Zhuo Ming precisely controlled the dosage of Myriad Transformation Thunderwater, ensuring that all five peach fruits Chen Mobai had selected received the maximum amount of spiritual liquid. Consequently, under the amazed gaze of everyone, the peaches, which were originally jade-green, began to turn reddish-yellow with vibrant colors at a speed visible to the naked eye. During this process, the surrounding spiritual energy of heaven and earth, along with sunlight and water vapor, was continuously absorbed by these five peach fruits. This caused the originally unripe peaches to gradually become plump, resembling beating hearts pulsating with surging vitality and vigor.

“Master, these five peach fruits are almost ripe, but there’s still some lingering efficacy of the Myriad Transformation Thunderwater that hasn’t been fully digested,” Zhuo Ming reported after communicating with the fruits using All-Encompassing Spiritual Connection. “We can wait another month for the fruits to ripen completely and fall off naturally.”

“Excellent, excellent, Ming’er, you’ve worked hard,” Chen Mobai said, laughing heartily as he looked at the five plump, vibrant peaches on the branches. Although he wasn’t sure if his prior consumption of third-tier immortal peach fruits would affect the efficacy of these fourth-tier ones, Chen Mobai felt it wouldn’t be an issue. The Immortal Sect’s theory had always been that higher-tier effects could supersede or encompass lower-tier ones. Having just broken through to the fifth layer of the Golden Core realm, he could greatly shorten the process of accumulating pure Yang spiritual energy by consuming these ripe fourth-tier immortal peach fruits after consolidating his cultivation. He just wondered how much it could help him improve.

“Master, there’s still nearly half of the spiritual liquid left,” Zhuo Ming said, handing the vial of Myriad Transformation Thunderwater to Chen Mobai after finishing the ripening of the immortal peach fruits.

“My Dao Comprehension Tea Tree has been stuck at the second tier for many years. Ming’er, can you try to advance its tier?” Chen Mobai had waited in line for many years to finally obtain this vial of Myriad Transformation Thunderwater, so he naturally intended to use it to its fullest potential. The reason Wenren Xuewei was able to quickly upgrade her Dao Comprehension Tea to the third tier was not only due to feeding it various tea tree essences but also because she had access to Myriad Transformation Thunderwater. Wenren Xuewei had only told him about this after they had become more familiar with each other.

“Yes, Master!” Zhuo Ming replied. She was also very curious if the Myriad Transformation Thunderwater would benefit the advancement of spiritual plants. The immortal peach tree, having been forcibly enhanced through premature development, no longer had the possibility of advancing its tier, which was why the liquid was directly injected into its fruits for ripening.

The group of four soon arrived at the tea garden on the mountainside. Zhuo Ming once again employed her All-Encompassing Spiritual Connection. She then carefully took about one-sixth of the spiritual liquid used for ripening the peach fruits and dripped it into the tea tree's roots. Subsequently, Zhuo Ming used the Earth Mother Cultivation Method to help the tea tree digest the Myriad Transformation Thunderwater, which was practically a heavy burden for it.

The vial of Myriad Transformation Thunderwater Chen Mobai had purchased was of fourth-tier quality. Of course, it could also be fifth-tier, but Immortal Peach Master would certainly not sell that quality, and Chen Mobai couldn't afford it either. For fourth-tier immortal peach fruits, fourth-tier quality was perfect for ripening. However, for the Dao Comprehension White Tea, which was only upper second-tier, it was a bit beyond its digestive capacity. When the Immortal Sect encountered such situations, they usually diluted the liquid and injected it in several doses. Chen Mobai didn't know this. Fortunately, he had called upon Zhuo Ming, the Divine Wood Sect's foremost spiritual plant cultivator. After ripening the immortal peach fruits and then communicating with the tea tree, she discovered this problem. Therefore, she only used a very small amount of Myriad Transformation Thunderwater for irrigation, and also employed her All-Encompassing Mother Qi to draw on Mount Xiaonan's terrestrial energy to aid the tea tree's digestion.

After three such applications, Chen Mobai saw the tea tree's bark suddenly crack open, and then it grew double the branches, expanding in circumference and sprouting new growth at a visible speed. The air was suddenly filled with an even richer tea fragrance, which was refreshing and invigorating.

“Master, I haven’t let you down!” Zhuo Ming exclaimed. Seeing this scene, she happily released her right hand from the tea tree's trunk and gently wiped the glistening sweat from her forehead. After all, she was only at the Foundation Establishment realm, and helping the tea tree refine fourth-tier Myriad Transformation Thunderwater was extremely strenuous for her. Her spiritual energy was now almost depleted.

“Ming’er, you’ve worked hard. Go and rest for a bit.” Chen Mobai, also noticing her state, took out a high-grade spirit stone for her. Zhuo Ming didn't stand on ceremony, accepting it and heading to the wooden house on the mountaintop to meditate and recover her depleted spiritual energy. Chen Mobai asked Gu Yan to accompany her and take care of her, while he remained in the tea garden, observing the newly advanced tea tree.

Although there was still a gap in tier compared to Wenren Xuewei's tea tree, the potential of this one was definitely stronger. After all, Chen Mobai would soon become the ruler of the entire Eastern Barrens, and would be able to collect tea trees from all over the world. After breaking through the bottleneck from the second to third tier, as long as he had enough different varieties of tea trees, it could very quickly upgrade to upper third-tier. One should know that Wenren Xuewei, utilizing the power of Jumang Dao Academy, had collected tea tree resources from the entire Immortal Sect, yet she had only managed to cultivate hers to that degree.

Thinking of this, Chen Mobai decided that the Immortal Sect’s resources couldn't be overlooked either. At that time, he would use the excuse of establishing a tea garden to upgrade tea trees, and have Wenren Xuewei send over all the tea seeds she had collected. He could designate a plot of land on Danxia Mountain for cultivation as a cover. Covertly, he could have Zhuo Ming plant the tea seeds on Mount Xiaonan, striving to cultivate this Dao Comprehension White Tea into upper third-tier within the shortest possible time. By that time, he wouldn't have to count the leaves when drinking tea, no longer needing to practice such frugality. Thinking about being able to freely drink third-tier Dao Comprehension Tea in the future, Chen Mobai couldn't help but laugh out loud.

While Zhuo Ming was recovering her spiritual energy, he even, uncharacteristically, personally used "Echo of the Empty Valley" to listen to the newly advanced Dao Comprehension Tea Tree, drawing in more spiritual and terrestrial energy to help it consolidate.

By evening, Zhuo Ming’s spiritual energy had recovered to about seventy or eighty percent. Just then, Jiang Zongheng also returned with spiritual rice, spiritual chicken, spiritual fish, and other ingredients. Zhuo Ming, familiar with the routine, took out kitchen utensils and began preparing the meal. Gu Yan, having been by Chen Mobai's side for years, had also developed cooking skills under him and helped with food preparation on the side.

“Master,” Zhuo Ming said as Chen Mobai was eating the third-tier Pure Bamboo Spiritual Rice, “I saw Tai Sui today. It inherently possesses earth-escape power, allowing it to travel underground with ease. Keeping it here on Mount Xiaonan is a bit of a waste of its abilities. How about I take it to the Eastern Barren Highlands when I return this time?”

“Ming’er, you rarely ask your master for anything,” Chen Mobai replied, a slight pause. “Since you’ve made a rare request, I naturally agree.” Chen Mobai had originally considered using Myriad Transformation Thunderwater to cultivate Tai Sui into a fourth-tier being. However, after careful reconsideration, he realized Tai Sui might be able to break free from its contractual restraints with him after reaching the fourth tier. So, to be safe, he abandoned this idea. Anyway, if Yan Shaoyin were to refine the Infant-Nurturing Pill, it would definitely be after the Golden Liquid Jade Return Pill. They could discuss it when the need arose. Chen Mobai didn't hide this matter from Zhuo Ming either. After all, in the future, when she brought Tai Sui, she could constantly observe it and see if they could find a way to cut off a piece and cultivate it into a fourth-tier main ingredient for the Infant-Nurturing Pill using Myriad Transformation Thunderwater.

“Yes, Master!” Zhuo Ming acknowledged. Although she didn't know what an Infant-Nurturing Pill was, she reasoned that since it required a fourth-tier Tai Sui as a main ingredient, it must be at least a fourth-tier medicinal pill. Considering the pill’s name, she roughly guessed it might be related to the Nascent Soul realm. So, as soon as Chen Mobai spoke, she immediately nodded solemnly.

“Take this Myriad Transformation Thunderwater,” Chen Mobai continued. “When the time comes, use some of it to help Qingmei upgrade her innate spiritual plant to third-tier as well. Consider it my gift to congratulate her on completing Foundation Establishment.” After acquiring fourth-tier immortal peach fruits, Myriad Transformation Thunderwater had little further use for Chen Mobai. He then thought of Yin Qingmei, his goddaughter. Over the years, she had diligently and selflessly followed Zhuo Ming, employing the 'pulling up seedlings to help them grow' technique in the Eastern Barren Highlands to plant trees and reclaim the desert. Now that she had completed Foundation Establishment, she deserved a proper reward.

That Jade Phoenix Tree was initially in Beiyuan City. Later, after conquering Mount Liujia, Chen Mobai personally acted and, together with Zhuo Ming, transplanted it to the fourth-tier spiritual vein there. Over the past decade or so, under the fourth-tier spiritual energy and the nurturing sunlight gathered by the Haotian Mirror, it had also upgraded to upper second-tier. If it were further irrigated with Myriad Transformation Thunderwater, it could, like the Dao Comprehension Tea Tree, upgrade to third-tier. Practitioners of the Azure Emperor’s Longevity Scripture could also simultaneously feel the transformative advancement during the evolution of their innate spiritual plant. This would be of immense benefit for Yin Qingmei’s future Core Formation. It was equivalent to experiencing an alternative Core Formation in advance, similar to Chen Mobai and Meng Huang’er’s dual cultivation, which brought a leap and transformation in terms of spirit and consciousness.

As a Heavenly Spirit Root and a practitioner of the Azure Emperor’s Longevity Scripture, Chen Mobai had great expectations for Yin Qingmei. He hoped she could achieve Core Formation without drawing upon the inherent potential of her Heavenly Spirit Root. If so, the Divine Wood Sect might gain another Nascent Soul cultivator in the future. It was precisely for this reason that Chen Mobai had already secretly reserved one of the Golden Liquid Jade Return Pills refined by Yan Shaoyin this time for Yin Qingmei. Experiencing the transformation of the Jade Phoenix Tree, coupled with the Golden Liquid Jade Return Pill, and if he further imparted his Core Formation insights through direct teaching, Yin Qingmei should be able to pass the Core Formation hurdle without drawing upon her inherent potential.

“Master, Senior Sister Yin will definitely be very grateful to you if she knew,” Zhuo Ming said, taking the nearly half-full vial of Myriad Transformation Thunderwater, already imagining Yin Qingmei's surprised face upon learning of the spiritual liquid's effects.

“Once the Jade Phoenix Tree advances to the third-tier, have Qingmei come to Beiyuan City to find me,” Chen Mobai instructed. “Besides Core Formation insights, there are many secrets regarding Heavenly Spirit Root Core Formation that I need to instruct her on.” Zhuo Ming nodded upon hearing this and committed Chen Mobai’s instructions to memory.

Early the next morning, Zhuo Ming came to the Longevity Wood Daoist Temple to bid farewell, as she intended to take the teleportation array back to the Eastern Barren Highlands. Seeing his precious disciple so busy, Chen Mobai felt a little uneasy. But thinking of the several major tasks she was currently responsible for, he could only lament the scarcity of talented subordinates, finding that there was no one who could replace Zhuo Ming.

“Oh, right,” Chen Mobai asked just as Zhuo Ming was about to leave, “how is your disciple’s cultivation coming along?”

“Zhi Ling? She’s preparing for Foundation Establishment!”