“Master Wen, these are the spiritual plants you need. I remember you mentioning them a few times before, and I happened to spot them in the secret realm. Thank you for teaching me during this time.”
As soon as Jiang Lu returned to the herb garden, she presented the spiritual plants to Master Wen, looking at him with a grin.
Master Wen was taken aback. Looking at the spiritual plants before him, and then at Jiang Lu, he chuckled and gave her a gentle tap on the head, his voice filled with affection.
“You silly girl, why would I need these? Keep them for yourself.”
“Master Wen, I treat you as my elder. As your junior, isn't it only right for me to show my respect and filial piety?”
Jiang Lu looked at him, her eyes filled with sincerity.
Master Wen stared at her in a daze, his heart softening. This girl had a good conscience.
“Alright, alright, I'll take them.”
He waved his hand, putting the spiritual plants into his storage bag, before noticing a demon beast behind her.
“And this is...?”
Jiang Lu immediately held up the demon beast—a sprinting chicken—her eyes shining brightly.
“Master Wen, didn't you say your roasting skills are unmatched? I wonder if I'll be lucky enough to taste it today.”
Master Wen burst into laughter upon hearing this.
This girl certainly knew how to enjoy life. If she sold this sprinting chicken, it would be worth quite a few spirit stones, yet she was willing to eat it.
However, at the thought of how delicious the meat was, he also found himself craving it.
“Hehe, you little rascal. Fine, today I'll let you taste my cooking.”
With that, he took the sprinting chicken from Jiang Lu's hands, weighing it. It was quite heavy.
“Then I'm in for a treat!”
Jiang Lu giggled as she placed the remaining spiritual plants into Master Wen's back basket. With a wave of her spiritual energy, the basket floated behind them as they headed back to the courtyard.
“Girl Jiang, it seems you've obtained quite a few opportunities this time. Your strength has even reached the fourth layer of Qi Condensation.”
“Yes, I did have some good fortune this time.”
Jiang Lu nodded, wondering what Master Wen was getting at.
“Mm, not bad. With your current strength, if the Alchemy Division takes a liking to you, you might have a chance to become a disciple there. I've seen how well you work in the herb garden; you're a smart girl. You won't stay here forever anyway. Sometimes opportunities appear just like that. If one comes along, you should go try your hand at it.”
Jiang Lu was stunned for a moment. The Alchemy Division?
Then she smiled, her tone carrying a hint of playfulness.
“Master Wen, you think too highly of me. My talent is average, and I only have a mixed spiritual root. I only reached the fourth layer of Qi Condensation because of a stroke of luck. How could I dare to aim for the Alchemy Division?”
Master Wen shook his head at this. This girl was said to have come from the mortal realm, so she clearly didn't understand certain things. High talent had its own advantages, but low talent had its own unique uses; there was no need to underestimate oneself.
Besides, he didn't believe that leaping from the first layer of Qi Condensation to the fourth layer of Qi Condensation in just a few months wouldn't catch the elders' attention. It was only a matter of time.
Even if her strength really stopped here and her talent was limited, just her skill in sorting spiritual plants alone would make her highly sought after.
He decided not to say more. It was best to let nature take its course; pushing too hard might cause unnecessary pressure and have the opposite effect. Things were quite good as they were.
“Master Wen, this is delicious!”
Jiang Lu swallowed the last bite of chicken, tossed the bone into the campfire in front of her, and let out a satisfied burp.
Chi Li and Cang Chen also nodded vigorously. A large chunk of meat was placed in front of each of them, and they were eating with absolute satisfaction.
It had been a long time since they had tasted such fragrant food. After all, those in the upper realm could drink fine nectar and jade dew, and practiced inedia year-round, so who would care about mundane food?
Unless someone was truly passionate about cooking and made it themselves, such spiritual dishes were hard to come by.
Eating this now truly satisfied their culinary desires.
Jiang Lu patted her stomach, feeling a warm sensation in her dantian. This was the spiritual energy contained within the demon beast meat.
In the cultivation world, there were spiritual dishes prepared by spiritual chefs. Consuming them could increase one's spiritual energy. The higher the level of the spiritual chef, the better they could preserve the spiritual energy when preparing the dish, resulting in the best effects upon consumption.
It was considered a branch of Dao that foodies in the cultivation world highly yearned for.
“Of course. My culinary skills were honed since childhood. It's only because we're short on ingredients today, otherwise, I'd have you swallowing the bones as well.”
Master Wen joked with a laugh. After speaking, he lay down on the haystack in satisfaction, crossing his left leg over his right, resting his hands behind his head, and quietly gazing at the full moon in the sky.
He was already in his sixties but only had the strength of the mid stage of Qi Condensation. He had no hope of reaching Foundation Establishment in this lifetime. Such was the fate of ordinary cultivators like them; some accepted their fate like him, while others refused to resign themselves and insisted on venturing out to make a name for themselves.
The geniuses of the cultivation world were as numerous as crucian carp crossing a river. Without talent or connections, what did they have to venture out with? It was merely the unwillingness in their hearts that made them reluctant to face reality.
He looked at Jiang Lu. Though she had a mixed spiritual root, he could see things clearly.
Despite having a mixed spiritual root, her spiritual root purity was unusual. Even with great opportunities, leaping three layers within a single month was no simple feat.
If there was a chance, he would like to see how far she could go. She was destined to be different from ordinary people like them.
After consuming a demon beast, lying down in the most relaxed posture or meditating would allow one to rapidly absorb the spiritual energy within the spiritual dish.
The two of them stopped talking, leaving only the sound of Chi Li and Cang Chen chewing.
A few days later, a disciple dressed in red robes came looking for Jiang Lu. Walking up to Master Wen, he asked, “Master Wen, is Junior Sister Lu here?”
“Yes, she is. She's over in the spiritual plant garden. Are you looking for her for something?”
A sudden realization flashed through Master Wen's mind, and he asked.
The disciple grinned. “Don't worry, Master Wen, it's a good thing.”
Seeing this, Master Wen had a faint premonition. It seemed they were indeed here for Girl Jiang, and perhaps it wouldn't be impossible for her to directly enter the Alchemy Division.
With a joyful smile, he led the way. “Girl Jiang, come over here quickly!”
Hearing Master Wen's voice from afar, Jiang Lu turned around and looked at the two approaching figures.
“Master Wen, Senior Brother.”
She stood up and greeted them.
“Girl Jiang, he's looking for you,” Master Wen said, then stepped aside and fell silent.
“Junior Sister Lu, do you still remember me? I'm Chen Qi from Alchemy Courtyard No. 1. You can call me Senior Brother Chen or Senior Brother Qi.”
Jiang Lu nodded. She had some recollection of him. With a trace of doubt in her tone, she quickly recalled whether there had been any issues with the recent spiritual plants. After thinking it over and finding nothing amiss, she asked, “Senior Brother Qi, is there something you need me for?”
Seeing the doubt on Jiang Lu's face, he chuckled softly and spoke reassuringly, “Don't worry, Junior Sister Lu, it's a good thing. Over this period, the division has noticed that you have an extraordinary talent for sorting spiritual plants. Previously, your strength was insufficient, but now that you have reached the mid stage of Qi Condensation, would you be willing to join Alchemy Courtyard No. 1? Disciples who enter the courtyard will have the opportunity to refine elixirs. Since you possess a fire spiritual root, I believe you should give it a try.”
With that, he waited for Jiang Lu's response. Any normal, motivated cultivator wouldn't pass up such an opportunity.
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