"Even those at the third level of Qi Refining are coming to work as menial laborers. The competition is too fierce!"
The disciple guarding the realm boundary of Minor World No. 1 watched Li Chuan's disappearing figure and couldn't help but feel relieved.
Luckily, he had slipped some Spirit Stones to the steward, securing this simple and well-rewarded task of guarding the realm boundary.
The realm boundary of a Minor World is essentially a spatial passage, generally very stable and hard to destroy. The Yin-Yang Sect stationed people there merely to prevent too many from entering, causing unnecessary destruction and conflict.
Having cultivated for so many years, Li Chuan had entered several Minor Worlds before, so upon entering Minor World No. 1, he didn't find it novel. Instead, he immediately took to the skies to observe.
Everywhere he looked, there were Spirit Fields and Spirit Soil, with the figures of Yin-Yang Sect disciples scattered about.
In fact, he had already guessed this scene when he heard Zhou Hanhe mention Minor World No. 1.
Since it was the first discovered Minor World, it must have been explored countless times, making it almost impossible to find first-tier Spirit Plants.
But just being able to enter here made him extremely happy.
Because with his level 7 Spirit Plant Identification, he could recognize 95% of the first-tier Spirit Plants in the world, making him unique in this branch of the Yin-Yang Sect.
Even across the entire Yin-Yang Sect, including those old monsters, there weren't many stronger than him.
He believed that in such a vast Minor World, there would definitely be overlooked Spirit Plants for him to find.
Quickly scanning the distant dense forest, Li Chuan flew over without hesitation.
During his flight, Li Chuan roughly assessed that about 30% of this Minor World's Spirit Land had been cultivated, with large patches of Spirit Fields and Spirit Soil every mile or two.
Most were Spirit Fields, given the high demand for Spirit Rice, which was easy to cultivate. Though the profit was smaller, it was simple.
After flying a few miles, Li Chuan entered a dense forest about two miles in circumference, surrounded by Spirit Land, clearly a place frequently visited.
"Hope for a good start," Li Chuan prayed as he began his search.
***
An hour later, he crouched down in a patch of weeds and carefully dug out a plant.
"Not bad luck, it's actually a first-tier Dew-Congealing Grass!"
When Li Chuan held up the grass, indistinguishable from other weeds, the sunlight revealed a round dewdrop on it, exuding a misty aura.
Dew-Congealing Grass itself had no value in alchemy, but it could condense the surrounding Spiritual Qi into dew.
This dew, whether consumed directly or combined with other spiritual foods, had excellent effects, akin to a hen that lays eggs, making it quite valuable.
"Hehe, it's worth at least 30 Spirit Stones." Li Chuan happily sealed the Spirit Dew on the Dew-Congealing Grass with a spell, tucked it into his robe, and continued searching.
Due to his unfamiliarity with Minor World No. 1, many areas had already been developed into Spirit Land, causing him to take many detours and spend a lot of time. By the time he reached a more densely forested area, it was already the next day.
He had to admit, his harvest was quite good.
"First-tier Spirit Leaf Grass, essential for alchemy. Although one plant is only worth 2 Spirit Stones, this one has mutated into three leaves, selling it for 100 Spirit Stones isn't excessive. These guys don't even recognize two-leaf Spirit Leaf Grass, tsk tsk."
"First-tier Azure Spirit Vine, 1 meter for 1 Spirit Stone, there's only half a meter here. Oh well, I'll take it all!"
"First-tier Bitter Spirit Tree, its Bitter Spirit Fruit can fully open a cultivator's senses, making it excellent for breakthroughs and desperate situations. Unfortunately, this tree has just sprouted, selling it for 200 Spirit Stones is the best I can do. If it were a hundred-year-old Bitter Spirit Tree, I'd strike it rich."
He was dreaming big; a hundred-year-old Bitter Spirit Tree would be worth at least several thousand Spirit Stones. Such a well-known item, if there were truly a hundred-year-old one, it wouldn't be his to find.
When today's Fortuitous Fate Points arrived, he upgraded his Spirit Plant Identification to level 8.
First-tier Spirit Plant Identification Level 8 0/3
Level 8 Spirit Plant Identification allowed him to clearly distinguish each stage of every Spirit Plant, an incredible fortune, so there was no need to be too greedy. What should come, would come eventually.
Seeing that today's harvest was good, Li Chuan didn't continue searching elsewhere. After scouring the dense forest in this area, he left Minor World No. 1.
Originally, he planned to earn 100 Spirit Stones before looking for Chu Mengyou, but now he had exceeded that.
A man must keep his promises to himself.
***
At the Mission Hall, seeing Li Chuan hurriedly walk in, Zhao Mingxuan nudged Zhou Hanhe: "Junior Brother Zhou, that junior brother just returned. From his determined look, he might be here to ask you to return the elixir."
Watching Li Chuan stride confidently, Zhou Hanhe frowned and snorted, "He wouldn't dare, unless he never wants to take on Spirit Plant missions from me again."
As they spoke, Li Chuan arrived at the table, quickly placing his previous finds on it, and said to Zhou Hanhe, "Senior Brother, I didn't expect my luck to be so good. I actually found quite a few Spirit Plants. Please settle the account for me."
Looking at the items on the table, Zhou Hanhe and Zhao Mingxuan were dumbfounded.
Zhao Mingxuan exclaimed, "These, you found them all in Minor World No. 1?"
He had been to Minor World No. 1 many times, but never found Spirit Plants as quickly as Li Chuan did this time.
Zhou Hanhe picked up the Dew-Congealing Grass from the table, glaring at Li Chuan, "What's this?"
"Dew-Congealing Grass, Senior Brother doesn't recognize it?" Li Chuan asked, puzzled that a disciple responsible for Spirit Plants didn't recognize Dew-Congealing Grass.
"Of course, I know it's Dew-Congealing Grass. I'm asking about this," Zhou Hanhe pointed at the round drop of water on the Dew-Congealing Grass, "Don't tell me this is Spirit Dew! Such a large drop of Spirit Dew must be at least 3 years old. Just this drop is worth 7 Spirit Stones.
Even if Dew-Congealing Grass looks like grass, a 7 Spirit Stone dew exposed for 3 years without being discovered, do you think that's possible?"
Li Chuan was speechless. So, it was their incompetence that they didn't see this thing, and now they were blaming him.
Wait, no, isn't 3-year-old Dew supposed to be worth fourteen or fifteen Spirit Stones? How did it become 7? This guy was trying to cheat him.
At this moment, a faint female voice suddenly came from the door next to Zhao Mingxuan, "Zhou Hanhe, how can you not recognize Spirit Dew? Bring it in, let me take a look."
"Yes, Senior Sister Mo." Zhou Hanhe replied respectfully, then took the Dew-Congealing Grass into the room.
Shortly after he entered, Li Chuan heard a slight sucking sound, followed by Senior Sister Mo's voice again, "It is indeed 3-year-old Spirit Dew, and the Spiritual Qi inside is very pure."
Then came Zhou Hanhe's flattery, "It takes Senior Sister Mo's discerning eye to immediately identify its authenticity."
Li Chuan thought Senior Sister Mo truly had a discerning eye, but when Zhou Hanhe came out of the room with the Dew-Congealing Grass, and Li Chuan saw the leaf with noticeably half the Spirit Dew missing, he couldn't help but twitch his mouth slightly.
So it wasn't a discerning eye, but a discerning mouth. Why didn't you just suck it all up?
Proofreader & Editor: Peter Pan