"Ancient Spiritual Plants," "Immortal Garden Oddities," "Spirit Extracts and Strange Tales"...
Young Master Ning Zhuo pored over the books painstakingly, his brow furrowed.
These were not merely simple introductions to rare and exotic herbs; they were truly profound cultivation tomes that delved into the planting, pruning, nurturing, and seeding of numerous Spirit Plants and more.
Some of the rare herbs mentioned were so scarce that even the authors of these books lacked practical experience. Nevertheless, by means of solid theory, the authors had deeply deduced their cultivation methods.
The contents were too profound for Ning Zhuo, so much so that although he could see the explicit explanations in the books, when it came to practical application and slightly extrapolating steps forward, he found himself plunged into a state of confusion.
Ning Zhuo understood the reason.
"The cultivation knowledge taught in the family school is indeed basic. But it's only the most rudimentary of basics."
"What I'm reading now is the high-end portion. There's an important transition missing in the middle that makes it difficult for me to comprehend."
Fortunately, among these encyclopedic records, there was a cultivation plan for Spirit Hidden Willow.
Only one book lacked any mention of Spirit Hidden Willow but did offer enlightenment about the wisdom of a similar Spirit Flower.
Of course, Ning Zhuo wouldn't follow the books to the letter.
Because next, the soil, water, and other materials still needed to be purchased from Ten Thousand Medicine Valley.
Once any observant person summarized Ning Zhuo's purchases, it would be easy for a Cultivator skilled in cultivation from the Ten Thousand Medicine Sect to guess that Ning Zhuo intended to cultivate the Spirit Hidden Willow.
Although Ning Zhuo could not comprehend the principles of the cultivation plan, by comparing multiple cultivation plans in the books, synthesizing them, and making slight improvements, he could still manage it.
He immediately immersed himself in the world of books, spending several two-hour periods devising a final plan.
He presented this plan to Sun Lingtong, who couldn't find any flaws. Sun Lingtong was also a novice in this area.
"To be safe, it's better to still use the Spirit Hidden Willow to revise the final plan!"
Ning Zhuo also worried about the error of missing by a fraction of an inch and thus being off by a thousand miles.
Ning Zhuo first mixed a jar of Spirit Water, entered the Storage Cabin, and took out the Spirit Hidden Willow.
He placed the Spirit Hidden Willow on top of the large jar, immersing its roots fully into the richly Spiritual Energy-infused Spirit Water.
This was a method he learned from the encyclopedic cultivation records, to be used in an emergency.
Standing under the Spirit Hidden Willow Tree, Ning Zhuo extended his hand to pat its robust trunk, "Spirit Hidden Willow, oh Spirit Hidden Willow, I didn't want to use you. But these texts are truly difficult to understand. I'm afraid that the cultivation method I've improved will hurt you."
"So, first I'll rely on your power to help me review it."
"What I am doing is for your own good."
Ning Zhuo sighed, and without any wind, the willow branches gently brushed his face.
The youth in white looked up at the tall willow tree and revealed a relieved smile, "I understand now; you want a stable environment to live in, right? Let's begin then."
Having said that, Ning Zhuo took out a Cushion and once again sat cross-legged under the tree.
He took out his revised plan, along with the many Secret Books he had acquired, and began to comprehend.
Willow leaves detached from the branches, scattering around Ning Zhuo, and the diffusing dots of jade light made Ning Zhuo seem ethereal, like a transcendental immortal.
Yuanlai Mountain, Martial Arts Arena.
Lin Shanshan, light as a swallow, attacked Ning Zhuo.
Her palms moved lightly, creating breezes that were unpredictable and elusive.
Ning Zhuo's gaze sharpened; he stepped forward, his body gliding like a travelling dragon, effortlessly avoiding Lin Shanshan's palm winds. He moved to her side and with a jolt of his fists, the howling punch winds directly targeted Lin Shanshan's waist and abdomen.
Seeing this, Lin Shanshan swiftly turned to avoid Ning Zhuo's attack and then struck with both palms. In a moment, her palm shadows multiplied and surged towards Ning Zhuo like a tide.
Ning Zhuo remained calm, his hands interweaving, countering strength with softness, maintaining perfect stability.
As Lin Shanshan showed signs of breathlessness, Ning Zhuo took the opportunity to step forward and thrust with his fists, knocking Lin Shanshan into the air.
Ning Zhuo showed no mercy, pressing his attack fiercely, forcing Lin Shanshan to retreat repeatedly.
With vigorous energy and abundant strength, Ning Zhuo seized the opening presented by Lin Shanshan's defensive lapses and rammed his shoulder into her.
Her fists were already raised defensively before her chest, yet she was still overwhelmed by the massive force, stumbling backward several large steps.
In a real fight, under these circumstances, Ning Zhuo would undoubtedly have pursued his advantage to severely injure his opponent. But this was a sparring session, and seeing Lin Shanshan's large opening, Ning Zhuo promptly pulled back.
"Miss Lin, are you alright?"
Lin Shanshan, who had been knocked back, felt stifled in her chest and showed a trace of sweat on her face, yet she was in good spirits.
She looked at Ning Zhuo with keen eyes, "Young Master Ning Zhuo, your progress is visible to the naked eye and particularly noticeable. I still remember when we first sparred, you were all defense and not a very good one at that, full of openings."
"Now you've shifted from defense to attack, with an incessant offensive that even I am finding hard to handle."
Ning Zhuo smiled, "All this is thanks to Miss Lin. Sparring with you has given me numerous insights into martial arts. After absorbing and learning, making adjustments and improvements has indeed been immediately impactful."
"But recently... I've felt that these martial arts insights have become much less."
Lin Shanshan nodded, "That's normal."
"For one thing, the higher you climb in martial arts cultivation, the harder it is to advance. You've already ascended to a certain height."
"Secondly, it has always been you and me practicing together, and you're very familiar with my martial arts and fighting style. You've already mastered the ability to counter my moves," he said. "Therefore, to cultivate solid martial skills, you must practice using human stakes after laying a firm foundation."
Ning Zhuo's face showed a sudden understanding.
"I see now," he said.
"Next, I should find someone else to practice with. That's how my training will regain its former feeling."
"But who should I choose?"
Ning Zhuo turned to Lin Shanshan and asked, "Does Miss Lin have anyone she can recommend to me?"
"Who is the strongest in close combat within the entire Ten Thousand Medicine Sect?"
Without any hesitation, Lin Shanshan replied, "Of course, it's the eldest apprentice brother."
"His sword technique is extremely outstanding. With your ability, Young Master Ning Zhuo, you wouldn't last more than three rounds."
"But the eldest apprentice brother isn't readily available to meet with you."
The two chatted while resting.
"By the way, how is your cultivation project progressing?" Lin Shanshan asked proactively.
Ning Zhuo then said, "Speaking of which, I owe it all to you, Miss Lin. You've truly helped me a great deal this time."
"I have already laid out my plans, now I just need to gather the various materials."
Lin Shanshan's eyes lit up, she eagerly inquired, "What are they? Tell me, I might be able to think of a way to help."
Ning Zhuo replied, "For soil, I need Nine-Colored Divine Sand and Seven Treasures Spirit Soil."
"For the water source, I need Star River Spirit Liquid."
"If I could have Ten Miles of Spring Breeze and Heavenly Sound, that would be even better."
Lin Shanshan, who had been listening with interest, grew paler with each material Ning Zhuo mentioned.
When Lin Shanshan heard the list, she quickly extended her hand to stop Ning Zhuo from continuing, "Young Master Ning Zhuo seems to be under some misconceptions. These cultivation treasures are either priceless or extremely rare in the world. Even in the core bottom fields of our Ten Thousand Medicine Sect, we only have a little Five-Colored Divine Sand and Three Treasures Spirit Soil."
"We do have some Star River Spirit Liquid, but the collected starlight is only from a few stars. For the top-grade variety, you need at least thirty-six stars."
"As for Ten Miles of Spring Breeze and Heavenly Sound, they're things money can't buy. Whoever obtains them would treasure them greatly. They only occasionally appear at high-end auctions where high-level cultivators trade by barter."
Lin Shanshan sighed deeply as she looked at Ning Zhuo, "Young Master Ning Zhuo has only just started learning about cultivation. The secret texts you've studied are the highest grade in our sect. This misunderstanding is somewhat inevitable."
Ning Zhuo actually knew how precious these materials were; he had deliberately mentioned them to pave the way for a request he was about to make.
He touched his nose sheepishly, "So it's like that."
"In that case..." Ning Zhuo pondered aloud, "I will lower my request proactively."
"Since your sect has Five-Colored Divine Sand and Three Treasures Spirit Soil, may I know if it's possible to spare some for me?"
"Even the Star River Spirit Liquid that has absorbed the light of two or three stars, I need it too."
"As for Ten Miles of Spring Breeze and Heavenly Sound, even though there aren't any, could there possibly be two or three miles of spring breeze or delightful sound? "
Lin Shanshan blinked, "That might indeed be possible..."
Although these treasures were very difficult to obtain, compared to Ning Zhuo's initial request, they now seemed somewhat more acceptable.
Yet, Lin Shanshan still found herself in a bind, her brow lightly furrowed.
She looked at Ning Zhuo.
Ning Zhuo gazed back at her, his eyes clear and steady.
She dodged the gaze, not meeting his eyes, ready to speak of the difficulty.
Buddha Heart Demon Seal!
Life Hanging Thread!
The next moment, Lin Shanshan said, "Ah, Young Master Ning Zhuo, I'll try my best to get some for you."
"Miss Lin, your assistance moves me deeply," Ning Zhuo said with a long sigh, standing and bowing deeply in gratitude.
Lin Shanshan clenched her teeth, "I can only say I'll do my best."
Ning Zhuo responded, "Miss Lin, you've always been so supportive with my affairs. I am willing to actively cooperate and bear the financial burden. Certainly, I cannot expect Miss Lin to cover for me."
"Very well, follow me," Lin Shanshan then led Ning Zhuo away from the Martial Arts Arena to seek out apprentice brothers and Sect Elders for the necessary materials.
The Ten Thousand Medicine Sect's specialty was its variety of medicinal herbs. The disciples were generally proficient in cultivation.
Lin Shanshan personally pleaded and negotiated, and although most of the disciples found it quite difficult, they eventually lent the materials, albeit reluctantly.
Ning Zhuo naturally also paid a substantial amount of Spirit Stones, as well as many other treasures.
Lin Shanshan's role was crucial!
Even with ample resources, without this connection, Ning Zhuo would have had difficulty obtaining the urgently needed items. Even if he could obtain them, he would have been heavily overcharged, paying a price far exceeding the norm.
Alone afterwards, Ning Zhuo returned to his Cave Mansion and entered the Ten-Thousand-Li Travelling Dragon.
In the Spiritual Plant Cabin, Ning Zhuo took a deep breath and officially began the construction.