Immortality begins with raising apprentices

Chapter 113 The Rustling Herb Garden, Learning Flying Swords

Baiqiyuan is located in an extremely remote corner of the back mountain of Bencaofeng, shrouded in clouds and mist all year round, and rarely visited by people.

As Chen Ye traveled, the landscape became increasingly desolate.

The mountain path was rugged and overgrown with weeds, and the air was filled with a strange smell that was a mixture of decay and herbs.

When he finally parted the last vine, the entire panorama of the Garden of Wonders was revealed before his eyes.

It's less of a "garden" and more of an abandoned ruin.

The once meticulously tended medicinal herb field is now covered by waist-high weeds, and its spiritual energy is so thin it's almost nonexistent.

In the center of the garden, a few dilapidated thatched huts still stand there forlornly, adding to the desolation.

"This place... is truly a godforsaken place." Chen Ye clicked his tongue, but he wasn't too disappointed.

For him, having a quiet place to settle down and focus on his training to improve his proficiency is enough.

Although this garden is desolate, it has the advantage of being undisturbed.

He first carefully explored the garden.

Most of those so-called elixirs of the Crossing Love Sect were strangely shaped and exuded an unsettling aura.

Some flowers are as vibrant as blood, some vines are as black as ink, and some orchids exude a faint chill.

"Strange," Chen Ye wondered. "The spiritual veins here are so depleted, these demonic spiritual herbs from the Crossing Love Sect should have withered and died long ago. How come they still have some vitality?"

He shook his head, temporarily suppressing his doubts, and walked towards the dilapidated thatched huts.

Presumably, this will be his resting place in this Garden of Wonders.

He pushed open the door of one of the rooms that looked the tidiest, but the expected musty smell and dust did not hit him.

Although the room was simply furnished with a wooden bed, a wooden table, and a few wooden shelves, it was exceptionally clean and tidy, with a smooth floor and spotless furniture.

This place has been abandoned for many years. Who would have the time to come here regularly to clean it up?

Are the disciples of Bencao Peak in charge of cleaning?
Chen Ye's gaze swept around the room, and he soon noticed a wooden box neatly arranged next to the wooden table, as well as some items hanging on the wooden shelf.

He walked closer to take a closer look and found that what was hanging on the wooden frame was not ordinary junk, but a set of small and exquisite spiritual plant tools.

A small jade hoe, a shuttle that flies through the rain, bronze scissors...

In addition, there was a neatly folded golden Taoist robe hanging on the wall.

"Are these all work kits provided for the herbalists in the medicinal garden?"

When Chen Ye unfolded it, he saw that the Taoist robe was of an ancient style and its size was surprisingly well-fitting to him.

"Hey, that's not bad."

A hint of joy appeared on Chen Ye's face.

The deacon's robe he is wearing now is also a magical artifact, with the effect of purifying dust.

However, this herb garden is mostly filled with magical plants, and one might accidentally damage the butler's robe.

It would be better to replace it, which would save a lot of trouble.

After a quick tap on the props, Chen Ye didn't linger any longer. He put on his golden Taoist robe and returned to the herb garden.

He took a deep breath, circulated the spiritual energy of the Evergreen Technique within his body, and formed hand seals.

"Cloud and Rain Technique!"

In an instant, wisps of spiritual energy gathered above Baiqi Garden, transforming into a light drizzle that gently fell upon the parched medicinal fields.

[Cloud and Rain Technique Perfected: 109/400]

With a thought, Chen Ye activated the Rain-Traveling Shuttle.

This ritual implement is commonly used by plant practitioners. It can spread plant techniques more widely through the Rain Shuttle without the need for them to travel around.

"Nourishing Rain Elixir!"

A vibrant blue aura, brimming with life force, seeped into the Rain Shuttle.

Afterwards, Xingyu shuttled through the medicinal herb field, providing targeted nourishment to the most withered spiritual plants.

He wasn't in a hurry to deal with the demonic energy contained in those spiritual herbs. Instead, he planned to use these two most basic and gentle spiritual plant techniques to improve the overall growing environment of the Hundred Wonders Garden and restore some of the soil's fertility.

This kind of spell consumes a lot of spiritual energy, but fortunately he is now at the sixth level of Qi Refining and has the support of a master-level Evergreen Technique, so his spiritual energy recovery speed is much faster than before.

Even so, by the time he had done a preliminary nourishment of the entire outer medicinal field of the Hundred Wonders Garden, it was already evening, and he had exhausted most of his physical and spiritual energy.

[Small Success in the Sweet Rain Nourishing Technique: 75/100]

[Cloud and Rain Technique Perfected: 159/400]

"That's right, one day now is equivalent to several days before."

The increase in proficiency was beyond Chen Ye's expectations.

But it was also expected.

With his breakthrough in self-cultivation and the successful visualization of Jupiter using the Seven Luminaries Soul Nourishing Technique, his leveling speed is much faster than before!
Chen Ye straightened up and rubbed his slightly sore lower back.

From dawn till dusk, he hardly stopped.

The sect's benefits are good, but the workload is also heavy...

However, the initial request from Peak Master Pang was only to restore the vitality of the herb garden, without having to treat each spiritual plant individually. Otherwise, even with eight hands, Chen Ye would have been exhausted to death.

Just as Chen Ye was about to leave, his expression shifted slightly, and his keen senses detected a barely perceptible rustling sound coming from outside.

There's someone outside!
He concealed his presence and silently approached the window, peering out through the crack.

Behind a few waist-high medicinal herbs at the entrance of the Hundred Wonders Garden, three or four furtive figures could be vaguely seen peeking and peering toward the thatched hut.

Judging from their clothing, they were clearly outer disciples of the Herbal Peak.

"Hmm?" Chen Ye frowned slightly. What were these disciples doing in this abandoned Hundred Wonders Garden so late at night?
The disciples seemed hesitant, lingering in place for a moment. One of them seemed to have mustered up his courage and took a few steps toward the thatched hut.

But they were quickly pulled back by their companions, and the group argued in hushed tones, looking quite tense.

Chen Ye sneered inwardly; this guy was clearly no pushover.

He pushed open the door, walked out slowly, and asked in a calm voice, "Junior brothers, what brings you to my Hundred Wonders Garden so late at night?"

The disciples, who had been whispering among themselves, were startled when they heard Chen Ye's voice. Like frightened rabbits, they turned and ran away.

In their panic, they fled into the dense vegetation and disappeared in the blink of an eye, not daring to look back.

Chen Ye was dumbfounded; he had thought they were coming to cause him trouble.

On the other side, the three or four outer disciples ran a long way before they dared to stop and lean against a tree trunk, panting heavily, only after they were sure that Chen Ye was not chasing them.

"Oh my god... I was so scared! Why did Deacon Chen suddenly appear!" a round-faced disciple said, still shaken.

“Who says otherwise! I thought he had already retired for the night.” Another tall, thin disciple chimed in, his face showing a hint of lingering fear.

"It's all your fault! Why did you have to drag me here to watch this show! Now look what happened, we got caught red-handed!" complained the disciple who had tried to approach the hut earlier.

"Shh! Keep your voice down!" The round-faced disciple quickly made a shushing gesture, glanced warily in the direction of the Hundred Wonders Garden behind him, and whispered, "Have you forgotten where this is?"

The tall, thin disciple shrank back, his voice becoming much softer: "Of course I haven't forgotten... this... this is Uncle Bai's courtyard!"

"you do not say!"

Another disciple nodded repeatedly, his face filled with reverence.

"I've heard that Martial Aunt Bai has a very eccentric temper. Back when True Person Bai Li was still alive, she often came here to tend to the flowers and plants. After True Person Bai Li passed away, this Hundred Wonders Garden became her forbidden area. Anyone who dares to trespass will surely suffer the consequences!"

"Then...then weren't we just..." The disciple who had spoken earlier turned pale.

The round-faced disciple sighed, "We were just curious to see what kind of magic this new Steward Chen possessed that he dared to take over the Hundred Wonders Garden. We never expected... that we almost got ourselves into trouble. In my opinion, Steward Chen probably doesn't know the true taboos of this garden yet, otherwise he wouldn't dare to move in even if he had ten times the courage."

"That's right. Only we old disciples who have been on Bencao Peak for a long time know about these old stories. The new stewards and peak masters wouldn't bother to remind them of these things." The more they talked, the more frightened they felt, and at the same time, they felt a strange sympathy for Chen Ye's ignorance and fearlessness.

"Let's go, let's go. It's best if we stay away from this Garden of Wonders in the future."

"That's right, so as not to be caught by Uncle Bai, that would be the worst luck imaginable!"

"Heh... but there's going to be a good show coming up..."

……

After leaving the Hundred Herbs Garden, he did not return directly to the Fallen Pear Courtyard. Instead, he changed his mind and decided to go to the Transmission Hall.

The Hall of Transmission of Skills is where disciples exchange their contributions for cultivation techniques.

He still has seventy contribution points left, so he can make some good plans for himself.

Chen Ye withdrew the Geng metal energy swirling around his fingertips.

[Geng Metal Formula Limit Break: 420/800]

These days, he practices the Gengjin Technique with his fingertips whenever he has free time, and his proficiency has increased by half.

However, it is ultimately just a low-grade first-order technique, inherently deficient. Although it continues to break through, it will eventually be completely different from what it was before.

But how much time will it take...? It'll be a really long time.

The current Geng metal energy is only equivalent to a first-tier high-grade spell.

Of course, Geng metal energy also has an advantage: Chen Ye can release ten of them at once!
And the spiritual power within his body is enough to support the release of forty beams!

Even a low-grade first-level spell can be cultivated to this level.

He suspected that if a first-grade high-level spell were cultivated to the point of breaking its limit, it might have some of the power of a Foundation Establishment cultivator!
Chen Ye composed himself and stepped onto the stone steps leading to Zixiao Peak.

Zixiao Peak is one of the twenty-four outer peaks of Lingyin Sect, renowned for its swordsmanship. Its Transmission Hall houses a wide variety of sword manuals, each with extraordinary power.

Now that he is a steward of the Lingyin Sect, he is naturally qualified to enter the transmission halls of each peak to select the cultivation method that suits him.

With the steward's waist token, we entered the Transmission Hall of Zixiao Peak without any hindrance. The hall was indeed magnificent and filled with sword energy.

Various flying sword diagrams were hung on the four walls of the hall, and many disciples were intently selecting them, while some cultivators dressed in instructor's robes were giving guidance.

Chen Ye's purpose for this trip was clear: to find a powerful first-grade high-level sword technique to complement his reforged iron sword and enhance his offensive capabilities.

Although the goal was clear, once inside, the dazzling array of sword manuals and jade slips left them somewhat overwhelmed.

Fortunately, at that moment a middle-aged instructor approached:
"Sir, are you looking to choose a sword technique?"

In the Lingyin Sect, after finishing their lessons, some diligent instructors would come to the Transmission Hall to teach other disciples.

Of course, this teaching... also costs contribution points, similar to tutoring.

Chen Ye nodded. The instructor in front of him had a square face and a solid aura.

His cultivation level is at the eighth level of Qi Refining, ranking among the top among many instructors.

Seeing this, Chen Ye did not hesitate:

"Instructor, you have a discerning eye. I am indeed looking for a flying sword technique. However, the sword manuals in the hall are vast and numerous, and I am unsure how to choose one. I hope you can offer some guidance."

Upon hearing this, the instructor sized Chen Ye up and down, his gaze finally settling on Chen Ye's waist tag:
"I am Li Yanfeng. Since you are a steward of the Herb Peak, you must be a spirit plant master. Spirit plant masters are diligent in cultivation and have their own insights into the manipulation of spiritual power. Practicing flying sword techniques would be quite beneficial for you. Tell me your thoughts, what kind of weapon do you usually use, and what your preferences are for swordsmanship?"

Chen Ye gestured to Li Yanfeng with the iron sword behind him:
"My sword is quite heavy. Therefore, I hope that the sword technique I seek will be powerful yet agile. The grade will be high-grade first rank."

However, Chen Ye was somewhat conflicted at this moment.

Speaking of which... his iron sword is so heavy, can it really be used as a flying sword?

Upon hearing this, Li Yanfeng pondered for a moment.

Although Zixiao Peak has many first-grade high-level flying sword techniques, it is not easy to find one that is both powerful and agile.

He said in a deep voice, "Is there a way to have it all? If you want to have both, the training will be very difficult and require a lot of talent. Think it over carefully."

The cultivation was difficult, but it didn't affect Chen Ye. Chen Ye nodded quickly.

Li Yanfeng frowned.

He thought he had made himself very clear, but why was this steward still such a greenhorn?
Do you really think you're so talented...? If you were so talented, why are you still just a third-class butler?

Li Yanfeng said no more, lest the steward get angry and think he was mocking him, and turn to someone else.

After all, he still needed to support his daughter Li Qiuyun's spiritual practice...

Li Yanfeng took out a bluish-green jade slip and explained:

"Judging from your sword, it is a low-grade magic sword of the Lingbao Sect. It can be controlled with spiritual power, but it would be best to change to a flying sword..."

"Within Zixiao Peak, there are seven first-tier high-grade flying sword techniques. The Azure Wave Sword Technique is undoubtedly the best, comparable to the flying swords of the Refining God Sect. Back then, True Person Bai Li cultivated this flying sword technique, but even with his talent, he could only barely reach the fifth level in his youth. With your aptitude..."

As the conversation progressed, Li Yanfeng couldn't help but relapse into his old habit.

In the past, he lost business opportunities because he was always too talkative.

Fortunately, the plant cultivator in front of us had a strange focus:
"Instructor Li, even this high-grade spell requires a jade slip?"

Li Yanfeng secretly breathed a sigh of relief:
"In the late stage of Qi Refining, one can already make preliminary use of divine sense. However, the way of flying swords requires the combination of divine sense to cultivate to a high level. Since it is related to divine sense, only jade slips can contain its contents."

"Of course, it doesn't matter if you don't have divine sense. The Azure Wave Sword Technique is divided into six levels, and the first three levels can be cultivated using only spiritual power."

Chen Ye pondered for a moment. Since he had a proficiency panel, the difficulty of cultivation was not a problem for him.

Since that's the case, Chen Ye made up his mind: "Thank you for your guidance, instructor. I will choose the Azure Wave Sword Control Technique."

Seeing that he didn't hesitate at all, Li Yanfeng was unsure whether to call him resolute or a hothead...

“Alright.” Li Yanfeng nodded slightly. “Now that you’ve made your choice, this jade slip is yours. As your instructor, I will offer some guidance on selecting the sword technique; no contribution is required. However…”

He changed the subject, and his expression became more serious:

"The Azure Wave Sword Control Technique is extremely difficult to learn. Its exquisite requirements for the circulation of spiritual energy and the control of flying swords far surpass those of ordinary sword techniques. If you try to figure it out on your own, let alone master it, it will probably take you several months of hard work just to get to the first level. Moreover, you are very likely to go astray and it will be difficult to make progress in the future."

Li Yanfeng spoke harshly, but Chen Ye didn't take it seriously.

He has a proficiency panel, and he can improve simply by practicing.

but……

If someone can guide him, he can gain proficiency more quickly.

For example, when he read the insights of the disciples of the Herbal Peak, he gained a lot of proficiency in spiritual plants.

Seeing that Chen Ye was listening patiently,

Li Yanfeng stroked his beard and said against his will, "I see that you are sincere in your pursuit of the Dao and are not a frivolous person. If you are willing, I can set aside some time each day to personally guide you in learning the basics of the 'Azure Wave Sword Control Technique.' However, such private instruction will cost contribution points. Twenty contribution points can be set aside for one hour each day, for a total of seven days, which will be enough for you to begin learning this technique."

"As an instructor at Zixiao Peak, I have mastered four of the seven superior sword techniques, among which the Azure Wave Sword Control Technique has reached the third level!"

Chen Ye immediately agreed, but then touched his waist pendant, which still contained seventy contribution points.

He coughed and asked in a low voice, "But... Instructor Li, how much does this Azure Wave Sword Control Technique cost?"

Li Yanfeng's eyelids twitched: "In the market, a first-grade high-level flying sword technique easily costs a hundred spirit stones, let alone a sect's secret teaching? One hundred and twenty contribution points!"

Chen Ye still has 224 spirit stones, but his contribution points are far from enough.

His herb garden mission at Baiqi Garden does offer a reward of fifty contribution points, but that's not enough to solve his immediate problem.

However, there are always more solutions than problems.

Although you can't exchange spirit stones for contribution points, but...

"Instructor Li, how about this? I'll give you spirit stones, and you can help me make up for the shortfall in contribution points?"

(End of this chapter)