Heaven rewards diligence, but there are always fairies plotting against me.

Deacon Liu stared intently at the green jade in the box, his breathing becoming somewhat rapid.

As a steward of the Mission Hall, he naturally recognized this treasure.

He immediately closed the box to block out the strange fragrance, then looked at Chu Chang with a very complicated expression.

"Chief Chu, this mission is no small matter. Are you sure you killed Zhao Meng all by yourself?" Deacon Liu lowered his voice, his tone carrying a hint of inquiry.

Chu Chang remained calm and answered according to the words he had discussed with Lin Ruoxue beforehand:

"Reporting to the Steward, while I was training in Black Wind Valley, I happened to encounter Senior Sister Lin Ruoxue from the Inner Sect nearby. After learning of Zhao Meng's whereabouts, Senior Sister Lin and I joined forces to ambush him in the Misty Forest. Zhao Meng was already seriously injured and was then besieged by bandits from Black Tiger Stronghold. We took advantage of their internal strife and managed to kill him by sheer luck. This mission was completed jointly by Senior Sister Lin and me, but Senior Sister Lin has already returned to the main peak to report to the elders and has asked me to come and deliver it."

Upon hearing the name "Lin Ruoxue," Deacon Liu's face revealed a relieved expression of "I see."

If it was Lin Ruoxue, a prodigy from the inner sect, who made the move, then it would make perfect sense.

"Good, very good!"

Deacon Liu stroked his beard and loudly praised, "Heroes have always emerged from among the young. You two have rid the sect of this great scourge and retrieved the secret treasure, rendering unparalleled service! I will register your deeds and issue your rewards immediately!"

Deacon Liu took out a specially made jade pen and quickly drew on the magic circle on the black jade cabinet.

"Mission No. 09 of the Heavenly Order is complete! Participants: Outer Disciple Chu Chang, Inner Disciple Lin Ruoxue."

"Mission Rewards: 50,000 Sect Contribution Points (split equally between the two, 25,000 points each); 5,000 Low-Grade Spirit Stones; Two Marrow Cleansing Pills; Additionally, you may be granted exceptional access to the third floor of the Scripture Pavilion to choose any high-grade Xuan-rank cultivation technique or martial skill!"

Upon hearing the rewards read out by Steward Liu, all the outer disciples in the hall instantly turned red in the eyes, their breathing becoming heavy and labored, like bellows.

25,000 contribution points!

This is equivalent to the total amount of time an ordinary outer disciple would spend completing three years of regular tasks without eating or drinking!

Not to mention the "Marrow Cleansing Pill" that can cleanse the marrow and strengthen the body, and the privilege of choosing a high-grade Xuan-level cultivation technique from the Scripture Pavilion!

"Thank you, Deacon Liu."

Chu Chang calmly accepted the identity token handed to him; the contribution points inside had already skyrocketed. He put the spirit stones and pills into his storage bag, and carefully kept the token for entering the Scripture Pavilion close to his body.

"Master Chu, the sect has always been generous to disciples who have made meritorious contributions. However..."

As Deacon Liu returned the nameplate, he suddenly leaned closer and said in a voice only the two of them could hear, with a meaningful tone:

"Once you've received the reward, focus on your secluded cultivation. There's nothing else to do recently, so don't get involved in anything related to Zhao Meng. This 'Quiet Mind Avoiding Poisonous Marrow'... it's a hot potato."

Chu Chang felt a chill run down his spine, but on the surface he simply bowed respectfully: "This disciple will remember your teachings, sir."

Having said that, he didn't linger. Under the gazes of countless envious, jealous, and even somewhat greedy eyes, he flicked his sleeves and strode out of the mission hall.

The sunlight outside the mission hall was a bit too bright.

Chu Changgang stepped out of the tall threshold, took a deep breath, and left all the malicious, sticky gazes behind him.

He touched the heavy jade token and marrow-cleansing pill in his sleeve, pondering whether to go to the Scripture Pavilion to choose a cultivation method first, or go directly back to his stone house to cultivate and break through.

"Senior Brother Chu!"

A clear, bell-like voice, tinged with a hint of elation, came unexpectedly from under the shade of a nearby tree.

Chu Chang looked in the direction of the sound.

A girl dressed in bright yellow outer disciple robes was skipping and hopping toward him with her hands behind her back.

She was about sixteen or seventeen years old, with a round and lovely oval face, and beneath her two arched eyebrows were a pair of incredibly lively almond-shaped eyes that seemed to speak volumes.

Zhou Linzi.

"Junior Sister Zhou, it's true that we meet again in this world." Chu Chang stopped and smiled gently.

"What do you mean 'meeting'? I've been waiting for you here!" Zhou Linzi rolled her eyes at him, her expression charming.

Then, she leaned closer mysteriously, sniffed her delicate little nose, circled Chu Chang twice, and asked suspiciously, "I heard someone outside the mission hall say that you and Senior Sister Lin Ruoxue killed that traitor Zhao Meng? And you got a huge reward?"

"It was just good luck, a coincidence," Chu Chang said modestly. "It was mainly Senior Sister Lin who did a lot of work."

"Come on, others may not know you, but do you think I don't? You seem mild-mannered on the surface, but you're actually quite cunning... no, I mean, you've got a lot of ideas."

Zhou Linzi smiled slyly, then grabbed Chu Chang's sleeve as if afraid he would run away, and hurriedly lowered her voice, saying:

"Perfect timing! You've finished your mission and are free now, right? Quick, do your junior sister a big favor! I recently found an excellent tributary of a spiritual spring in the back mountains and plan to cultivate a secluded spiritual land to grow an extremely rare and precious Blood-Stasis-Clearing and Spirit-Nourishing Grass! It's a high-grade level two spiritual herb!"

Chu Chang raised an eyebrow slightly.

The second-tier high-grade spiritual herb, "Blood Stasis Nourishing Herb," ​​not only greatly nourishes the soul but is also a sacred medicine for treating hidden injuries to the meridians, worth a fortune. Even obtaining just one or two leaves would bring immeasurable benefits to his future cultivation.

Moreover, he had just experienced a life-or-death battle in Black Wind Valley. Although his true essence was solid, it was too heavy with killing intent. He needed a period of peace to harmonize his yin and yang and calm his mind.

Planting medicinal herbs and getting close to nature are among the best ways for cultivators to refine their minds.

"Since Junior Sister Zhou has asked, I, Chu, will naturally do my duty without hesitation." Chu Chang smiled. "However, this Blood-Stasis-Dispelling and Spirit-Nourishing Grass is extremely difficult to cultivate. It has strict requirements regarding temperature, spiritual energy, and even the moisture content of the soil. Are you confident, Junior Sister?"

"Hmph, who do you think you are? My Yi Wood Technique isn't something I practiced for nothing!" Zhou Linzi proudly raised her little fist. "Come on, come on, I've prepared all the materials, all I'm missing is you, the laborer!"

Before Chu Chang could say anything, Zhou Linzi grabbed his sleeve and ran briskly toward a secluded path behind Tianxuan Peak.

She had thought it through. She took Chu Chang with her, and on the one hand, they planted crops, and on the other hand, they cultivated their relationship.

The two walked through dense bamboo forests, where the terrain became increasingly treacherous and rugged.

After traveling for about half an hour, Zhou Linzi led Chu Chang to the foot of a secluded cliff.

The area is hidden by strange rocks and dense vines, making it extremely difficult to find without someone leading the way.

Below the cliff is a clearing of about half an acre, sheltered from the wind and facing the sun, with a faint fragrance and moisture in the air.

Most remarkably, at the deepest part of the open space, a stream of spring water, shimmering with a faint milky white glow, is slowly dripping from a crack in the hard rock, falling into a natural stone pool below.

"How is it? This place is remote, sunny, and nourished by a tributary of the earth's spiritual spring. It's definitely a natural breeding ground for spiritual herbs," Zhou Linzi said with a hint of pride.

Chu Chang focused his mind and sensed the place for a moment, then nodded slightly: "It is indeed a rare blessed land. However, there are too many rocks here, and the soil has become somewhat alkaline due to being soaked by spring water for many years, which is not suitable for the growth of the Blood Stasis Nourishing and Spirit-Nourishing Grass."

"That's why we need you, the laborer!"

Zhou Linzi took out a small, exquisite shovel with a bronze luster from her storage bag and handed it to Chu Chang: "Here, Senior Brother Chu, first use your metal-attribute true essence to clear away all these messy rocks, then turn the soil over and plow it three feet deep!"

Chu Chang looked at the toy-like little shovel and gave a wry smile.

However, he did not refuse.

He took a deep breath, and the Golden Geng True Essence within his body flowed slowly.

He did not use brute force, but instead concentrated his incomparably sharp Golden Geng True Essence in his palm and on the bronze shovel.

"rise!"

Chu Chang stretched out his figure and swept into the open space like a whirlwind.

With each swing of his shovel, he precisely cut into the crevices of the rock.

Under the cutting power of the sharp true essence, the hard basalt was easily shredded and sent flying like tofu.

Moreover, Chu Chang skillfully controlled the vibration frequency of his true essence while turning the soil.

The true essence spread downwards along the soil layers, shattering the hardened soil deep inside and removing impurities and toxins from it.

Zhou Linzi watched in stunned silence.

"Such precise control over your true energy! You'd be an excellent farmer!"

"Junior sister, you flatter me. It's just a matter of practice makes perfect." Chu Chang wiped the slight sweat from his forehead, but a thought suddenly occurred to him.

During the process of turning the soil, he divided his true essence into countless strands, which penetrated deep into the ground like the roots of a tree. This was not only a physical exertion, but also an excellent training in his control over true essence and mental strength.

In just half an hour, Chu Changkai transformed the originally messy wasteland into a soft, flat, and fragrant black field.

"Next, we need to divert water and improve the soil."

Zhou Linzi clapped her hands and took out several large jars from her storage bag.

"This is a special herbal nutrient solution I made using spirit bee honey, Qingdao grass juice, and Hundred Flower Dew. Senior Brother Chu, I'll use the Yi Wood Technique to adjust the water in a moment. You use your True Essence to evenly sprinkle this medicinal solution onto the furrows. Make sure it's even; not an inch more, not an inch less!"

"Okay, I'll follow your instructions, junior sister."

The two cooperated tacitly.

Zhou Lin flicked her jade-like fingers repeatedly, sending streaks of emerald light into the stone pool. The cool spiritual spring water instantly transformed into a fine mist, forming a magnificent rainbow in the sky, which slowly descended towards the field ridges.

Just as the mist began to fall, Chu Chang shattered the clay jars with a single palm strike.

The true essence within his body transformed into an invisible hand, completely dispersing the viscous medicinal liquid into particles invisible to the naked eye, which then perfectly blended with the spiritual spring mist falling from the sky.

"fall!"

Chu waved his long sleeves.

The "spiritual rain," imbued with abundant vitality and medicinal power, was sprinkled evenly across the entire field.

The soft, black soil absorbed nutrients frantically, its color instantly turning as deep as ink, radiating an extremely alluring aura.

"Phew...the first step is finally complete."

Zhou Linzi wiped the sweat from her forehead, her delicate face flushed slightly, but her eyes shone with an astonishing brightness.

She carefully took out a box carved from ice jade from her bosom.

The box is opened.

Inside lay three seeds, each about the size of a thumb, dark purple in color, and covered with countless mysterious golden patterns.

"The seeds of the Blood-Activating and Spirit-Nourishing Herb!" Chu Chang's expression turned solemn.

The three seeds were extremely plump, with faint, heart-beat-like ripples emanating from them, full of vitality.

"This is something I spent three whole years' worth of savings to get from an elder of Wanbaoge. Whether it works out today depends on this one."

Zhou Linzi's expression became extremely solemn.

Using a very special pair of tweezers made of thousand-year-old agarwood, she carefully picked up the first seed and placed it in a deep pit in the very center of the field.

Then, she quickly formed hand seals in front of her chest.

A series of profound and gentle cyan magic seals flew from her fingertips, transforming into strands of pure vitality that enveloped the seed.

"The Wood element is in its growth phase, and all things begin to sprout! (Improve!)"

With Zhou Linzi's delicate shout, the seeds beneath the soil seemed to sense the call of life, and their golden veins suddenly lit up.

"Chu Chang, quick! Input a trace of your true essence! Be gentle, use the method of metal generating water, and help it break free from the constraints of its outer shell!" Zhou Linzi shouted urgently.

Chu Chang dared not be negligent.

He stepped forward, joined two fingers together, and a wisp of extremely weak yet highly refined metallic true essence swirled slightly in the air, transforming into a strange true essence that was highly penetrating yet did not harm life. It then flowed along the soil and silently entered the seed.

All things in the universe are mutually generative and mutually destructive.

At this moment, the extremely sharp metallic true essence has become the most perfect "wall-breaking device".

"Click..."

A faint, almost hallucinatory sound rang in their consciousness.

The incredibly hard, dark purple shell was precisely cleaved open by Chu Chang's true essence, leaving an extremely fine crack.

Followed by.

A tender green seedling, brimming with boundless vitality, like a nimble little green snake, tremblingly poked its head out of the soil.

"It's a success!"

Zhou Linzi jumped up excitedly and, disregarding the impropriety of a relationship, grabbed Chu Chang's arm.

But she quickly realized what she had done, her face flushed, and she awkwardly let go of his hand, coughing twice: "Um... there are two more left, keep going, keep going!"

Chu Chang smiled but didn't say anything more.

With the experience gained the first time, the next two seeds were planted very smoothly.

In the short time it takes for an incense stick to burn, three delicate seedlings of "blood stasis relieving and spirit nourishing grass" that emit a faint purple glow stand proudly in the entire black field.

They greedily inhaled the spiritual mist in the air, and on each leaf, a crystal-clear dewdrop containing the pure fluctuations of the divine soul condensed.

However, just as joy began to appear on their faces...

Sudden.

"boom!"

A muffled clap of thunder suddenly exploded in the sky without warning.

The once clear sky had somehow become covered by a thick, oppressive layer of black clouds.

This was no ordinary storm, but a small-scale "spiritual energy storm" caused by the simultaneous birth of three high-grade level two spiritual herbs, each containing pure vitality.

The wind howled.

Countless violent and chaotic spiritual energies transformed into wind blades, raging beneath the cliff, tearing apart the surrounding vines and strange rocks.

The three delicate seedlings swayed violently in the gale, as if they would be torn apart by the tyrannical force at any moment.

"Oh no! It's a spiritual storm!"

Zhou Linzi's face turned deathly pale, and she exclaimed in shock, "How could this be? I clearly checked, the ley lines here are extremely stable, it shouldn't trigger a spiritual storm!"

She tried to activate the "Wood Element Technique" to protect the seedlings, but her meager wood-attribute true essence was like a candle flame in a storm, instantly torn to shreds in the face of the raging power of nature.

"Don't panic!"

Chu Chang let out a loud shout.

In that instant, instead of backing down, he unleashed a fierce courage and pride hidden deep within his bones.

The life-or-death struggle in Black Wind Valley, the sharpness of the Tai Xuan Sword Intent, and the indomitable spirit in the face of the mighty power of heaven and earth were perfectly integrated in this instant.

"Charge!"

The Golden Geng Sword Technique was operating wildly within Chu Chang's body.

"Clang!"

The iron sword was drawn.

Chu Chang stepped forward, blocking the path of the three seedlings. At that moment, two golden flames faintly shone in his eyes.

"With my sword, I will control the winds of all laws!"

Chu Chang did not draw his sword to cut the storm.

Instead, he completely integrated his sword intent into the ground beneath his feet and into the surrounding air.

"Sword intent as firm as Mount Tai!"

This is a defensive sword intent that he deduced from the "Breaking Army" move.

The Golden Geng True Essence condensed in the air into illusory, enormous golden stone swords, forming an indestructible golden sword array around the half-acre spiritual land.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

Countless violent spiritual energy wind blades crashed fiercely against the golden stone sword, sparking dazzling sparks everywhere.

But those stone swords, like pillars supporting the sky, remained unmoved despite the wind and rain.

Under the protection of the sword formation, the originally raging wind was actually torn apart and tamed by the incomparably sharp sword energy after passing through the sword formation, turning into strands of the gentlest and purest spiritual energy, nourishing the seedlings below.

Zhou Linzi stared blankly at the boy who was blocking her way.

At this moment, Chu Chang exuded an unparalleled sharpness that made people want to bow down and worship him.

He was like a peerless sword capable of cleaving the heavens and the earth; no storm could withstand him.

"This...this is sword qi riding the wind? He...his sword intent has actually reached this level?!" Zhou Linzi's heart pounded violently.

A full half hour passed.

The dark clouds in the sky gradually dispersed, and the violent spiritual storm finally subsided.

"Thump."

Chu Chang sheathed his iron sword, plopped down on the soft soil, and gasped for breath.

After continuously releasing sword intent and true essence for half an hour, even with his terrifying physical body, he felt a trace of fatigue.

However, his eyes shone with an alarming light.

After this battle, his understanding of the "Tai Xuan Sword Intent" reached a new level.

Even the fragile cultivation within his body was completely solidified during this high-intensity collision.

"Chu Chang, are you...are you alright?"

Zhou Linzi rushed over, frantically rummaging through her storage bag for a large pile of healing and qi-replenishing pills, stuffing them into Chu Chang's arms, her voice even tinged with a sob:

"I'm sorry, it's all my fault. If I hadn't dragged you here..."