Wiping away the divine sense imprints on the storage rings, Shi Yu briefly scanned their contents.
Inside the three storage rings, spirit stones and other common goods were plentiful. Alchemist Hu in particular, being an alchemist who had committed no small number of pillagings, had amassed an extraordinarily large fortune. Aside from spirit stones, however, nothing else caught Shi Yu's eye, so she distributed them casually among her group and pocketed the rest.
Looking at the three corpses, Shi Yu flicked her fingers, shooting out three embers of spiritual fire. The flames wrapped around the bodies, leaving the nearby flowers and trees completely unscathed. Within a few breaths, the corpses were reduced to ash. A light breeze swept past, scattering the dust without leaving a single trace.
“Let’s go.”
Now that she had the phosphorus powder, she only needed to gather some Jade-Blood Cold Gold before she could begin crafting the Flying Star Dragon-Wandering Talismans.
Jade-Blood Cold Gold was an item only occasionally found where baleful and Yin energies converged. Furthermore, her recent stagnant progress in converting Yin and Yang energies also required the assistance of such a malevolent Yin location.
If things go smoothly, I can handle both at the same time.
With that thought in mind, Shi Yu summoned her cloud boat, and the four set off once more.
...
On the deck of the cloud boat, Shi Yu tallied the various rewards given by Hua Qingrui.
First were several large bags of spirit flower seeds. Among the many spirit flowers cultivated in the Hundred Flowers Sect, the most valuable were naturally the mature plants that were hundreds or even thousands of years old. In comparison, seeds were worth far less, as growing them required meticulous care, and older plants were rarer and more effective.
Because of this, Hua Qingrui had been quite generous with the seeds. These several large sacks contained a blend of hundreds of flower species, all carefully selected, high-quality strains. Once planted and in bloom, they would provide nectar for common spirit butterflies and bees.
Shi Yu hefted them in her hand. They felt heavy, likely weighing around seven or eight catties.
As for the bees and butterflies that fed exclusively on specific species, their seeds were packaged separately in substantial quantities.
With the Fate-Tapping Bell, these seeds were actually far more convenient than fully grown spirit plants. Planting them inside and watering them with a bit of Life Spring water would likely allow them to reach the maturity of a century-old plant in the outside world within just a few months.
After counting the seeds, Shi Yu extended her divine sense into the Fate-Tapping Bell, designating a portion of the herb field to scatter the mixed spirit flower seeds. She allocated smaller plots for the rarer seeds kept separately, naturally including the Spectral-Jade Flowers that the Phantom Spectral-Jade Butterflies consumed.
Once the seeds were scattered, she extracted a single drop of Life Spring water, mixed it into a full bucket of mountain spring water, and thoroughly soaked the plots.
With that done, Shi Yu paid them no further mind for now and turned her attention to settling the spirit pupae and bee eggs.
Taking out the jade tray holding the butterfly pupae and bee eggs, Shi Yu examined them closely for a moment.
The bee eggs were no larger than grains of rice, their surfaces pure white and lustrous, emitting a faint glow. The butterfly pupae were the size of a thumb, displaying various colors and pulsing with faint signs of life.
Napping lazily by her side, the Seven-Color Luan raised its head and glanced over. After staring at the unhatched eggs and unopened pupae for a moment, it took advantage of Shi Yu's distraction to peck at a few butterfly pupae, swallowing them whole. Its expression looked immensely satisfied, as if it had just tasted a rare delicacy.
Shi Yu was startled and hastily stopped it.
Little Seven had always been well-behaved inside the Fate-Tapping Bell, never touching or disturbing the precious spiritual plants in the herb field. Today, however, it had taken an interest in these bees and butterflies, likely triggered by its predatory instincts.
She gently pinched Little Seven's beak and warned, “You can't eat these. Only when they reproduce in larger numbers later will you be allowed to eat some.”
Little Seven let out an aggrieved, soft chirp.
Seeing this, Shi Yu released its beak and stroked its feathers gently to comfort it.
After counting the remaining bee eggs and butterfly pupae, Shi Yu placed them all beside the herb field inside the bell where the spirit flowers were planted.
She noticed that in just this short moment, the seeds she had sown earlier had already taken root and sprouted. A lush sheet of vibrant green sprouts poked through the soil, offering a lovely sight.
“At this rate, the spirit flowers should bloom in about a month, ready for the bees and butterflies to feed on.”
Finally, there was the finished phosphorus powder, along with the honey and bee nectar.
She skimmed over the phosphorus powder and turned her attention to the bee nectar...
The distinctions in quality were clear: Hundred Flowers Nectar made by common bees, Royal Honey made by bee queens, and Royal Jelly made by bee empresses could be distinguished at a glance.
Hua Qingrui had given a total of fifteen jade gourds containing honey and bee nectar. Most contained common Hundred Flowers Nectar, light in color and thin in texture. Shaking the jade gourds revealed a light, thin residue clinging to the transparent walls.
There were also three gourds of Royal Honey, which were bright golden and far thicker in consistency.
As for the single gourd of Royal Jelly, its color was extraordinarily rich, almost condensed into a solid lump resembling unhardened amber. When she tilted the gourd, the lump of Royal Jelly slowly slid forward, and when tipped back, it left not a single streak on the vessel's inner surface. Faint specks of broken gold swirled within, making it striking to behold.
Shi Yu pulled out a gourd of common Hundred Flowers Nectar and fetched four small porcelain cups, intending to sample one first to see what made this Hundred Flowers Sect specialty so unique.
The moment she uncorked the bottle, a fresh and alluring aroma wafted out. The scent was deeply refreshing, washing over the mind and leaving one feeling invigorated with a heightened appetite.
The fragrance spread rapidly. Smelling it, Ji Yu, Qingzhou, and Mo Tong turned their heads almost simultaneously and crowded over without needing an invitation.
“Sister, what is this? It smells so good!” Ji Yu leaned in with a blissful expression, his nose twitching.
Shi Yu pushed away his fluffy head with a laugh. “It’s Hundred Flowers Nectar.”
Looking to the side, she saw that Qingzhou and Mo Tong also wore enchanted expressions.
She raised an eyebrow in surprise.
Ji Yu was simply a glutton, but Qingzhou and Mo Tong were different... Qingzhou had very little interest in food; he had only developed excellent culinary skills for Shi Yu's sake, having few personal cravings. Mo Tong was born from him, so his tastes were virtually identical to Qingzhou's.
However, this Hundred Flowers Nectar was an exceptionally nourishing and delicious treat for spirit beasts. Carrying a spirit beast bloodline himself, Qingzhou could hardly resist the temptation. His brow relaxed, his throat bobbed, and his eyes remained fixed on the nectar, nearly impossible to tear away.
Finding it rare and novel to see such an obvious display of craving on his face, Shi Yu nudged the bottle opening closer to him. Sure enough, Qingzhou swallowed hard once more.
She couldn't help but snicker.
Seeing her reaction, Qingzhou turned his face away in rare embarrassment, pressing his lips tightly together.
“Alright, alright.” Stopping her teasing, Shi Yu lowered the bottle and poured the nectar into the porcelain cups. The portion wasn't large; pouring four small cups brought the gourd down to its very bottom.
Beside them, Little Seven hovered anxiously. Seeing that about a cup's worth remained in the gourd, Shi Yu handed it over to Little Seven. Wrapping its wings tightly around the gourd, Little Seven spat out a burst of Seven-Color Glazed Fire. The flames swept inside, cleanly drawing out and consuming every last drop of nectar...
Turning back to Qingzhou and the others, she saw them taking tiny sips. With each sip, they looked as if they were drinking an exquisite divine elixir, their expressions profoundly entranced and relaxed.
Is it really that good? Shi Yu marvelled inwardly and picked up her own cup to take a sip.
Instantly, a sweet, silky liquid flowed across her mouth, carrying the delicate scent of a hundred flowers. The sweetness was not cloying, but rather carried a crisp, invigorating quality, like drinking fresh mountain spring water. Rolling her tongue slightly to savor the distinct floral notes, her eyes shimmered with a hint of intoxication.
“It really is delicious...” Shi Yu couldn't help taking another sip. She discovered that the Hundred Flowers Nectar was not only rich in taste, but also contained a faint trace of spiritual Qi, seemingly condensed from the very essence of a hundred flowers. A warm current circulated within her body, sending gentle ripples of spiritual Qi through her.
She examined the sensation carefully, her astonishment growing the more she felt it.
A moment later, she set down her porcelain cup and looked up at Qingzhou and the others. They were all still deeply entranced, with Ji Yu having licked his porcelain cup spotless, licking his lips with lingering desire.
Qingzhou spoke slowly, “This nectar nourishes spiritual roots, condenses spiritual energy, and enhances divine sense. Long-term consumption will yield immense benefits for one's cultivation.”
Not only that, but... Shi Yu sensed that deep within her body, her locked bloodline vibrated slightly upon consuming the nectar. She conjectured, “This nectar might also refine bloodlines. No wonder it holds such a powerful pull over spirit beasts.”
Even though her sealed bloodline had only quivered for a brief instant, if consumed long-term... Shi Yu marveled to herself, This Hundred Flowers Nectar truly is no ordinary item.
And this was merely common Hundred Flowers Nectar; higher-grade Royal Honey or Royal Jelly would surely produce far more pronounced effects.
Unfortunately, her supplies were limited, especially the Royal Jelly, of which she had only one gourd that could not be used recklessly. After all, once the bees hatched, the young bees would be unable to gather nectar and would need to be fed Hundred Flowers Nectar until adulthood. Once a queen or empress bee emerged, they would require higher-tier nectar until the swarm became self-sustaining and produced surplus honey...
Shi Yu thought, I originally came for the butterfly pupae, viewing the bees as a mere bonus. But now it seems I'll need to devote a bit more effort to rearing these bees.
Refining bloodlines and loosening bloodline seals—even Life Spring water possessed no such effect.
Rate on N.U.
