Chapter 6: Spirit Fruit Body Tempering
Chapter 6: Spirit Fruit Body Tempering
Was there a choice?
No!
From the moment the young lady laid out her plan, Lu Hangzhi knew he had no alternative.
Who could refuse Zhu Fuqin’s ambitions and still expect to walk out of here alive?
Fortunately, the terms Zhu Fuqin offered were quite generous. She would secretly supply manuals and cultivation secrets, and each month she’d pay him the stipend of a guest advisor, all provided directly by her without using the Zhu Residence’s official accounts. On the surface, he remained just an ordinary servant of the Zhu Residence, except for an Identity Tablet to save himself only in desperate situations.
Leaving the basement, Lu Hangzhi had several cultivation manuals in his mind and two thumb-sized, sparkling stones radiating astonishing Magic Power in his hand.
Low-Grade Spirit Stones, containing dense Spiritual Energy, cultivators could absorb their power directly to replenish themselves. Market value: two hundred Spirit Coins.
“Our Zhu Residence has three small Spirit Gathering Arrays,” she explained. “They concentrate the Spiritual Energy within the estate, slightly boosting a cultivator’s progress. One of these Magic Formations is right here. I have guests to receive today, so you can cultivate here until tomorrow morning. It won’t be convenient after that.” At this point, Zhu Fuqin paused, tossed out an instruction to “make good use of it,” and left.
The door shut firmly!
Lu Hangzhi stood dumbfounded for a good while, feeling a little annoyed.
‘Sure, the master shows the way, but cultivation depends on the individual. But that’s just irresponsible!’
Yet, upon recalling the cultivation manuals the young lady had given him, a blazing fervor ignited in his heart.
The Zhu Residence controlled the only free Auction House for thousands of miles around. Most techniques obtained from ruins or fallen cultivators circulated through here, leaving them with an astonishing stockpile. While most were fragmented and useless scraps, some good secrets remained.
Zhu Fuqin, supporting her first newcomer, had gone all out. She’d brought out all the techniques she considered potentially useful and let him choose freely.
Most were common spells he’d heard of:
Water Control Art, Fire Control Art, Tongue Sword Art, Fireball Technique, Frost Technique, Separating Fire Art, Rainfall Art, Revitalization Technique…
All were basic, low-tier manuals and cultivation secrets, easy to grasp.
An ordinary person seeing so many methods would likely choose an offensive spell to strengthen themselves. But after thinking, Lu Hangzhi realized offensive spells were actually the least useful right now.
The Zhu Residence held a lofty position in Violet Cloud Town; no one dared cause him trouble within their turf. Besides, even if he cultivated these techniques, he couldn’t surpass the Zhu family’s advisors like Yao San in a short time.
“The young lady said she’d support me unconditionally,” he mused. “But resources won’t be piled on endlessly. If I don’t demonstrate corresponding value quickly, her enthusiasm might wane. So… I must highlight my usefulness, prove her backing was correct.”
Therefore, Lu Hangzhi unhesitatingly chose the Water Control Art, Rainfall Art, and Revitalization Technique, only symbolically picking one offensive art at the end: the Tongue Sword Art.
Nurturing a sword with Magic Power, expelling it with a breath. Reach: up to ten yards. The longer the force gathered, the greater the power.
“Time to cultivate.”
Lu Hangzhi sat cross-legged, deciding to start with the Water Control Art, mastered even by maids like Lü’e. A spell even mere servant girls could easily grasp should be an excellent entry point.
Focus and concentrate the spirit.
In essence, it followed the method’s instructions: clear the mind, banish distractions, and then sense and gather Spiritual Energy to command it.
Divided attention!
Actually quite easy. Young people back on Earth could mostly do it. Like listening to music while doing homework or something else, both things independent.
“This is simple,” he thought.
Lu Hangzhi silently recited the technique’s verses. His mind emptied. Soon, he felt a force materializing around his body, growing clearer, its connection with him tightening… Even with his eyes closed, he ‘saw’ globs of water elements rapidly suspending and coalescing into an ever-growing sphere.
Success?
Huh? This water sphere seemed larger than the ones Lü’e could conjure.
“Could it be… because of the Spirit Gathering Array?” Lu Hangzhi beamed with joy, guessing the reason behind the unusual ease amidst his excitement.
“Strange, though.”
“Lü’e clearly felt drained and strained after casting it once. Why don’t I feel like that?”
Puzzled, Lu Hangzhi could only credit it to the Spirit Gathering Array.
The truth was exactly that…
The Spirit Gathering Array condensed Spiritual Energy nearby. Casting within the Magic Formation, especially a basic spell requiring minimal Magic Power, meant power was expended and simultaneously replenished. The net effect was almost no depletion, hence no strain.
Lu Hangzhi was… persistent. Now that he’d started cultivating, he aimed to master it completely!
Spotting a potted Spirit Fruit Tree in the room, he picked up the water sphere. Imitating Lü’e’s actions, he began gently moistening each leaf, one by one.
On one hand, the Spiritual Energy flowed outward.
On the other, the Spirit Gathering Array continuously channeled Magic Power into his body, replenishing the loss.
He felt no burden at all.
Lu Hangzhi quickly immersed himself in the intricate control nuances of the Water Control Art. It was like viewing everything through a microscope. He sensed each water droplet’s liveliness, felt the Spirit Fruit Tree’s pleased unfurling and… growth… as it absorbed the moisture.
Fascinating!
Happiness bloomed across Lu Hangzhi’s face.
Having been interested in plants and fruits since childhood, and having helped his parents run a fruit stall, he soon became utterly engrossed in the delight of nurturing the Spirit Fruit Tree.
The Spirit Gathering Array provided an endless flow of Spiritual Energy!
He didn’t notice that as the water sphere shrank slightly nourishing the leaves and trunk, the missing volume was swiftly replenished by the Magic Formation, restoring it to its full size.
Oblivious to this peculiar phenomenon, Lu Hangzhi delved deeper into hastening the tree’s growth.
Minutes passed.
A tiny flower bud appeared on the Spirit Fruit Tree.
Lu Hangzhi’s eyes brightened. Ecstatic, knowing the tree was entering its mature stage, he doubled his efforts.
Time trickled by…
As bud after bud filled the branches, Lu Hangzhi’s lower back and legs grew numb. Only then did he realize how much time had passed.
“So the Spirit Gathering Array has this effect too?” he wondered, frowning slightly at the water sphere in his hand, still large as when he’d started casting. The frown soon softened; he returned to work on accelerating the Spirit Fruit Tree.
He’d come this far; backing out now wasn’t an option!
It was certainly time-consuming, but for someone persistent, leaving the task half-done would stick in his mind as unfinished business. Cultivation demanded clear thoughts! He had to see it through!
Continue!
Another hour passed. The Spirit Fruit Tree bulked up slightly. The first tart, green fruit slowly turned pink…
“Almost there! Almost there!”
Second, third…
Lu Hangzhi lost all track of time, tirelessly nourishing the tree, urging on the Spirit Fruits, watching as one after another turned from green to red, emitting a faint, fresh sweetness.
Seeing the plump, vivid Spirit Fruits hang heavy on the branches for the first time, he unintentionally drooled.
“I brought these Spirit Fruits to life. Finishing its whole pot should be fine.”
Watching the last fruit turn fully red, the fragrant Spirit Fruits weighing down the tree, Lu Hangzhi couldn’t fight a gulp. He reached out and plucked one.
“Huh?”
“This fruit’s quite plump,” he noted, immediately noticing it was larger and heavier than those he usually saw at the Marketplace. Without dwelling on it, he stuffed the whole thing into his mouth, chewing blissfully as luscious sweetness exploded. Bliss.
“Yum!”
“So good!”
He felt his mind grow cool and clear, while his body warmed pleasantly – very much like the medicinal ideal of a “cool head and warm feet.”
Sharp hearing, keen vision; clear thoughts.
The backache and leg numbness from hours of work vanished instantly, replaced by an ocean of boundless warmth and contentment.
Bliss!!
Savoring the new delight, Lu Hangzhi plucked another fruit. His whole body remained immersed in the cozy warmth…
Unseen by him, thin trickles of dark impurities seeped from his pores. The moment they emerged, they were instantly broken down and cleansed by the Spirit Gathering Array’s purifying effect within the room.
Had anyone from the Zhu Residence been present, they would have been stunned to see that the five-hundred-year Spirit Fruit Tree bought at auction had not only flowered and borne fruit but had crossed its five-century milestone, yielding superior “Essence Spirit Fruits”!
Essence Spirit Fruits typically only appeared in large sects. They could enhance a cultivator’s vital energy, strengthening their physique. Additionally, the very first batch carried incalculable value – because to break through the five-hundred-year barrier and transform their quality, the initial fruits contained many times the Spiritual Energy of ordinary “Essence Spirit Fruits.”
A regular Essence Spirit Fruit cost ten Low-Grade Spirit Stones on the market. A newly emerged “Essence Spirit Fruit” was worth fifty Low-Grade Spirit Stones!
Eating just one brought significant benefits even to seasoned cultivators, let alone Lu Hangzhi, who had just begun his journey into cultivation.
Poor Zhu Fuqin! Her painstakingly nurtured, previously fruitless five-hundred-year Spirit Fruit Tree had been unknowingly hastened to maturity by Lu Hangzhi’s obsessive focus. Worse still, he unceremoniously devoured all the fruits! His physique underwent radical improvement – impurities purged thoroughly, his vital energy limit suddenly leaping to the Second Rank Peak equivalent for a cultivator.
Lu Hangzhi, naturally unaware of all this, simply thought the fruit tasted great but strangely failed to satisfy hunger, instead making him feel emptier the more he ate.
This, actually, was the illusion created by his body adjusting to its raised potential after being purified.
Only after devouring more than forty Essence Spirit Fruits did Lu Hangzhi vaguely sense something amiss with his body!
He felt light on his feet. Astonishingly, he could clearly hear the whispers of maids gardening nearly a hundred yards outside the room…
“Lü’e, your dear Hangzhi still hasn’t come out of the young lady’s room.”
“No…”
“It is odd. The Young Lady has never called for male servants. Why the sudden interest in your kid brother Hangzhi? And even kept him in her room for half the day? Could he be specifically tending to that five-hundred-year Spirit Fruit Tree from the auction?”
“He couldn’t possibly! He’s just an ordinary person.”
Hearing this cold water poured on him, Lu Hangzhi broke out in a cold sweat!!