Chapter 15: The Secret is Out
Chapter 15: The Secret is Out
The five-minute sale outside the Auction House did become a topic of conversation among cultivators, but it drew little real attention.
First, it was brief; second, most didn’t notice exactly how many Spirit Fruits Lu Hangzhi had sold. At most, they were curious why the prestigious Zhu Residence had shifted gears to run a casual trade like just an ordinary Marketplace business.
Back at the Zhu Residence, Lu Hangzhi resumed his cultivation.
That night, the young mistress summoned him.
Lu Hangzhi held nothing back, clearly reporting all his achievements over the past few days. The numbers were staggering.
When Zhu Fuqin learned that the Spirit Fruits alone had netted nearly sixty Low-Grade Spirit Stones in just a few days, she was deeply impressed.
At this rate, just the Spirit Fruit Trees could generate over three hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones per month.
The cash inflow speed was frightening!
Lu Hangzhi continued:
“Additionally, that Spirit Tree left behind by Miss’s Senior Brother is almost fully healed. But I suspect it isn’t a fruit-bearing Spirit Tree at all.”
“What? That Spirit Tree… it’s healed?”
Zhu Fuqin was stunned once more.
Deep down, she’d already written the tree off as dead. She never expected Lu Hangzhi had silently nursed it back to health.
“Yes, Miss.”
“Take me to see it.”
Zhu Fuqin’s expression turned serious as she stood abruptly.
Soon, both stood before the potted Spirit Tree.
After close inspection, Zhu Fuqin’s face lit with excitement. “Yes! Indeed, the damaged portions have healed over, scarring is evident. No spiritual energy is leaking anymore. It should flower and bear fruit soon with a little more time…” She paused suddenly. “Wait, Hangzhi, you just said this isn’t a Spirit Fruit Tree?”
“That’s correct.”
Lu Hangzhi nodded truthfully.
Zhu Fuqin frowned. “Reason?”
“Caring for Spirit Fruit Trees these days, I’ve learned something. All Spirit Fruit Trees, once nourished for a while using the Water Control Art, concentrate their spiritual energy towards the branch tips, culminating in flowering and fruiting. But this Spirit Tree is different,” Lu Hangzhi explained. “While tending to it, I observed that once the energy leakage stopped, all the spiritual energy flowed downwards.”
“Oh?”
Without hesitation, Zhu Fuqin summoned a water sphere from the air…
As a Third Rank Peak cultivator, her condensed water sphere held far purer and denser spiritual energy. Upon injecting it into the Spirit Tree, she immediately detected the anomaly. “Strange indeed,” she murmured, frowning. “If it doesn’t bear fruit, what kind of tree is it? What purpose does it serve?”
For a moment, silence hung between them.
Lu Hangzhi coughed lightly:
“Ahem… Miss, since this tree can’t produce fruit, it means I can never fulfill the condition of making it flower and bear fruit.”
“Relax. Just saving this Spirit Tree proves your worth. My Senior Brother will honor his promise. He will secure an Outer Sect Disciple position for you within the Xuanxin Sect.”
A smile returned to Zhu Fuqin’s face:
“Honestly, you’re practically my lucky charm.”
“Since you arrived here, not only have you rid us of that parasite Yao San, but your new incentive system has boosted yields far beyond previous levels for both the Spirit Fruit Trees and the Spirit Grain Paddy Fields. Plus, with the agreements signed with the other Spirit Fruit Tree owners, my future monthly resources will soar to at least a thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones! This will drastically shorten my timeline for breaking through to Fourth Grade. Next month at the Sect Grand Competition, I might even jump from my former rank beyond 100th place to within the top 50!”
Her cheeks flushed with excitement as she spoke. Then she added:
“Hangzhi, did you know? The Xuanxin Sect is the largest sect near Violet Cloud Town, but the marketplace towns around Xuanxin aren’t limited to just Violet Cloud Town. Competition within the sect is fierce, crawling with countless talented individuals and cliques. I was the only one from Violet Cloud Town. My aptitude wasn’t extraordinary either, so I was severely sidelined.”
“…”
“The main reason Senior Brother Leng came here last time was simply because he knew I possessed a spell that could restore spiritual energy. He wanted me to heal his tree. Honestly, our relationship isn’t close at all…”
Lu Hangzhi frowned slightly. He hadn’t known this.
Speaking to him now almost as an equal, Zhu Fuqin seemed to find a confidante. Words long buried poured out.
Piece by piece, Lu Hangzhi began to understand…
So, while sect resources were plentiful, factionalism was intense. Resource distribution was decided at the half-yearly Sect Grand Competition. High ranks received abundant resources; low ranks barely scraped by. Zhu Fuqin, alone and average in talent, found progression difficult within the sect. That’s why she returned to Violet Cloud Town under the guise of an outing, relying on the resources from the Third Courtyard of the Zhu Residence for faster growth.
“But now it’s different.”
Zhu Fuqin smiled brightly:
“With this Spirit Tree saved, Senior Brother Leng owes you a debt. He’ll sponsor your entry into the Xuanxin Sect. With that connection, few in the Xuanxin Sect would dare bother you.”
Hearing this, Lu Hangzhi understood.
Zhu Fuqin hoped to forge a link with Senior Brother Leng but lacked his regard.
Now, with the Spirit Tree healed, she’d gain an influential ally. Through him, she might even secure Ling’s backing. Her position within the Xuanxin Sect would transform instantly…
Compared to that, mere extra Spirit Stones each month paled in significance!
However…
Despite her excitement, Zhu Fuqin didn’t lose her head. She quickly regained composure and issued directives:
“The Sect Grand Competition is next month. I need to return early to prepare. You’ll come with me back to the sect! Until then, Lü’e and Cong Fang will manage the rear courtyard. Focus solely on cultivation.” She paused briefly, then delivered a chilling reminder: “After all, bathed by the first harvest of my 500-year Spirit Fruit Tree, your physique is nearing a Second-rank Cultivator, and your Magic Power has just tipped into early Second-rank Stage. It’s the perfect time to start mastering Second-Rank spells.”
Lu Hangzhi froze, momentarily petrified.
Zhu Fuqin feigned annoyance:
“Hmph! That 500-year Spirit Fruit Tree has flowered and produced fruit twice already. Surely you didn’t think I was completely oblivious to you enjoying the very first batch, did you?”
“… Please forgive me, Miss.”
Lu Hangzhi forced a bitter smile and bowed.
Zhu Fuqin shook her head.
Had Lu Hangzhi not almost instantly doubled the productivity and resources of the Third Courtyard, sheer outrage might have propelled her to deal with him on the spot. But now he was the vital link to Senior Brother Leng. Swallowing the loss of the Essence Spirit Fruits was the only sensible move.
“Follow me.”
Zhu Fuqin led Lu Hangzhi into the basement chamber again.
The spacious underground room held a stone table boasting ten new manuals.
Zhu Fuqin declared:
“These manuals contain Second-Rank spells. Extremely valuable. Any single one circulating outside would fetch at least fifty Low-Grade Spirit Stones.”
“These…”
“Cannot leave this room. But you are free to study them here. Once you’ve mastered them all, you’ll truly be a Second-rank Cultivator, ready to take a shot at the Outer Sect Disciple ranking list.”
(To better assist you in climbing higher within the Xuanxin Sect, is that it?) Lu Hangzhi surmised silently, outwardly he said:
“Thank you, Miss.”
“It’s senior sister now,” Zhu Fuqin corrected him with a smile.
Lu Hangzhi swiftly amended, “Yes! Senior Sister!”
“Good. Study well. Consider the Spirit Stones and Spirit Fruit in the pouch your reward for correcting your address.” Zhu Fuqin generously handed over the sixty Low-Grade Spirit Stones and nine hundred forty excellent Spirit Fruits she’d planned to use as ‘coaxing payment’, now resolved to nurture this junior brother.
Stunned by this sudden windfall, Lu Hangzhi’s excitement quickly refocused on the spell manuals.
Second-Rank Spells!
Only by mastering Second-Rank spells could one truly be considered a Second-rank Cultivator.
The greatest plight facing ordinary rogue cultivators was acquiring spell inheritance!
A cultivator lacking spell inheritance, even with supreme talent, was destined for limited heights.
He never imagined crossing this chasm so effortlessly, ten spell manuals laid before him.
Scanning them carefully, Lu Hangzhi soon discovered some spells were utterly useless.
Gale Art?
What practical use was this?
Lightning Art
Okay… might be eco-friendly – maybe I could get rich back on Earth with it!
Mire Art? Forget it.
He started checking for actually functional spells.
Not too bad.
Though several seemed questionable, the Zhu Residence hadn’t stocked only useless spells. There were some solid choices. Like this:
Wooden Body Art – Upon casting, part of the body hardens like ironwood, durability soaring to withstand Second-rank spell attacks.
Flowing Fire Art – Conjures a stream of ground-born flame to attack enemies. Devastating firepower, but slow speed makes it easy to dodge; needs restraining/controlling spells to pair.
Mystic Armor Art – Constructs Mystic Gate armor using elemental forces to shield the caster. Can resist three direct hits from ordinary Second-rank spells.
Lu Hangzhi settled on just these three practical spells: two defensive, one offensive.
The sole regret was being unable to use the Spirit Gathering Array for practice. That would have accelerated grasp of these spells and stabilized his early Second-rank foundation immensely.
Luckily, Zhu Fuqin had granted this stash of resources. Mastering the three spells would otherwise have been painfully lengthy.
“Let’s give it a try.”
Eagerly drawn to the challenge, Lu Hangzhi began practicing.
He cast Activation Art on himself. A two-meter-wide Spiritual Energy Vortex swiftly formed.
Enveloped in dense energy, spellcasting felt smoother, mana reserves constantly replenishing the costs…
Half a minute later, sweat beaded Lu Hangzhi’s forehead.
Second-Rank spells consumed terrifying amounts of magical power. Even failed attempts instantly sapped an entire cycle’s worth of Water Control Art’s expenditure! His early Second-rank Magic Power foundations already felt drained. He estimated sustaining only six such spellcasting attempts before collapsing.
Physical exhaustion also bred mental fatigue, subtly increasing casting difficulty – precisely why many first grade cultivators struggled to break into Second-rank…
Ordinary cultivators reaching Second-rank barely scraped together basic spells, let alone enjoyed sixty Low-Grade Spirit Stones plus nearly a thousand excellent Spirit Fruits!
Without hesitation, Lu Hangzhi popped a Spirit Fruit into his mouth, soothing both body and mind, refilling his resolve, all senses tuned to summoning the surrounding world’s elemental energies as the instructions dictated…
Fail!
Lu Hangzhi mentally reviewed the casting flaw, then slipped a second Spirit Fruit past his lips.
Again!
Fail?
Once more!
Maintaining sharp focus, brimming energy, and full reserves, Lu Hangzhi methodically probed the secrets of the Mystic Armor Art, his resolve steady and unshaken. After consuming thirty-six excellent Spirit Fruits, he finally completed a rough, but successful casting.
Hwoom!
Golden, shimmering plates of light erupted from his body.
Dozens of armored scales whirled around him, streams of light flashing. In an instant, they interlocked into a full-body suit covering him head to toe. The radiance then swiftly solidified, condensing into tangible, tangible arcane armor.
Lu Hangzhi’s eyes snapped open.
Casting successful!