Don't farm, cultivate immortality!

But right next to it, where Zhuang Xing had buried the seed, tiny sprouts emerged.

Zhuang Xing and Yun Ling carefully dug away the soil, trying not to damage the seed's roots. After digging, they found that only one seed had sprouted, while the other remained completely still.

"Could this one be a dead seed?" Zhuang Xing pondered, stroking his chin.

Yunling reached out her hand, her fingers touching the seed covered in soil, and closed her eyes.

Zhuang Xing could sense the slight flow of her true qi. This was a small technique in the life-giving arts, which seemed to allow one to examine the internal condition of the seed, much like a doctor listening to a patient's heart.

After a long while, Yunling opened her eyes and said, "This seed still has a little bit of hope. I want to take it home and try to see if I can save it."

"Do you want to take this sprouted seed back with you? Or will you leave it here and let it grow naturally?" Zhuang Xing asked.

“I’ll take them all with me,” Yunling said. “If we can help them all grow, perhaps… we can get them to bear fruit again before summer.”

Zhuang Xing discovered another great potential in the Life Force Technique. It seemed that the White Lotus Hermit's family was very wealthy, so he never mentioned worrying about money in the Hermit's demon-slaying diary. For the Hermit, the Life Force Technique was just a technique.

But for Zhuang Xing and Yun Ling, two poor and powerless children, if they could cultivate the Life Force Technique to a high level, the ability to catalyze the growth of spiritual plants alone would be worth a fortune.

"Then it's up to you, Yunling!" Zhuang Xing patted Yunling on the shoulder, his eyes shining. "If you can stimulate the life force of the snake fruit seeds, maybe we can achieve snake fruit freedom!"

"I will try my best!" Yunling replied earnestly.

Come on, Yunling! Our future depends on you!

Zhuang Xing thought to himself that if Yunling became a major producer of spiritual plants in the future, he wouldn't mind living off her.

Rather, you should insist that he live off her.

Please, the doctor said I've had a bad stomach since I was a child and can only eat soft food!

Chapter 45 Snake Fruit Cultivation and Talisman Blade (Please continue reading)

"Success!"

Yunling showed the wooden bowl in her hand, which was filled with soil, from which two tiny green sprouts emerged.

This is the sprout of the snake fruit. A week has passed since Yunling brought the snake fruit home. In order not to add extra pressure to Yunling and affect her mentality, Zhuang Xing has not asked about it.

Yunling is very smart. Letting her use her own abilities is the best policy. If she doesn't encounter any difficulties and comes to Zhuang Xing for advice, Zhuang Xing won't offer suggestions from an outsider.

After all, it was Yunling who cultivated the life-giving magic, not him.

Zhuang Xing felt that he truly had a keen eye for talent. He had long foreseen that Yunling would achieve great things in the future, and sure enough, she suddenly gave him a pleasant surprise.

"Amazing!" Zhuang Xing clapped his hands, not holding back his praise.

People need encouragement and praise to grow. He had heard of various theories long ago, such as playing music for cows while milking them, which would improve their mood and increase milk production, or praising apple trees every day to make the apples bigger and sweeter.

Although he hadn't verified the truth of these theories, praising others wouldn't hurt him.

Moreover, judging from Yunling's performance, she thoroughly enjoyed Zhuang Xing's praise.

She giggled foolishly, looking quite happy.

“At first, I thought it was going to fail.” Yunling put the wooden bowl on the ground. “The seed’s vitality was too weak, so every night I would hold it in my arms and try to infuse it with true qi during my waking hours.”

“Even if I stayed up all night and kept providing it with vital energy, it still didn’t get any better. I had a headache for a long time, and then I suddenly thought of a solution.”

"I was thinking... if this seed can't germinate on its own, could I find it a companion? If I give it a partner, maybe it can persevere."

"Then I transplanted the seed that had already sprouted next to it. I used my true qi to connect the two together, creating a small bridge between them. In this way, although the growth of the sprouted seed will be much slower, it can share its life force with the seed that has not yet sprouted."

"After that, I nourished them every day, and finally they successfully sprouted and grew into what they are now!"

Yunling reached out and gently stroked the tips of the two snake fruit grass leaves.

I always felt that she had a maternal glow about her, as if those two blades of grass were her children.

However, if she hadn't cared for the apple seeds like children, they probably wouldn't have grown into the healthy plants they are today.

"Yunling really worked hard," Zhuang Xing exclaimed. "She's really amazing."

"I was able to succeed because the seed wanted to grow," Yunling said with a faint smile. "I only gave it a little push from behind; it was the seed itself that truly made it sprout."

"But now that they've sprouted, what are you going to do next?" Zhuang Xing asked. "Continue to keep them at home to nurture them?"

Yunling shook her head: "They don't seem to like the environment in my room. Today I'm planning to plant them back in that grove of trees. That land is more suitable for them."

"Then I'll help," Zhuang Xing said.

They transplanted the two snake fruits to the forest covered with decaying leaves. Every day thereafter, Yunling would go to the forest to check on them and nurture the snake fruits with her true qi.

Zhuang Xing wasn't idle either; he was studying the sword techniques left behind by the White Lotus Hermit.

However, rather than swordsmanship, it is more accurately described as a special method of utilizing true qi, known as "Talisman Blade".

The function of the "talisman blade" is to infuse true qi into the weapon to make it more durable and sharp. Depending on the individual's true qi, the characteristics that the weapon will exhibit after infusion will also vary.

In fact, among practitioners, "talisman blade" seems to be a fairly common skill. "Common" is not a derogatory term; on the contrary, it indicates that it is quite useful. Only things that are useful and easy to understand can spread widely.

However, the White Lotus Hermit's "Talisman Blade" is slightly different from the common version of the "Talisman Blade". Usually, for the "Talisman Blade" to be effective, there are special requirements for the weapon. From the casting materials to the forging techniques, and even the patterns engraved on the weapon, all of these will affect the effect of the "Talisman Blade".

It seems that the lay Buddhist, through his long-term study of plants, was inspired to develop a special method for the flow of true qi, which can cover living plants with true qi.

Simply put, it means turning readily available things like twigs and blades of grass into weapons.

Once this technique is mastered, one can break an iron sword with a tree branch, and even a casually picked blade of grass can be used as a hidden weapon, capable of slaying someone with a single leaf.

Zhuang Xing quickly discovered that the "Talisman Blade" technique had a unique advantage for him. His true qi naturally possessed a sharp cutting intent, so he only needed to cover the leaf with true qi and then throw it out, and it would naturally have a penetrating power.

At this moment, in the bamboo grove behind his yard, he held his breath and concentrated, circulating his true qi. He casually picked up a bamboo leaf, and the soft leaf underwent a subtle change in his hand. He aimed at a withered bamboo on the ground, pinched it between two fingers, and threw the bamboo leaf out like a dart.

With a crisp clang, half of the bamboo leaf pierced into the withered bamboo. The next second, his true qi erupted, and the bamboo leaf was instantly torn apart. The cutting intent pierced through the bamboo joint, and with a whoosh, the bamboo joint broke in the middle, already cut along the previous cut, creating a ring.

He leaned closer to look and couldn't help but swallow.

If this leaf were thrown at someone's neck... it would probably cut their head off...

However, although this move seems to have good destructive power, it takes a long time to prepare because he has to mobilize his innate Qi. If he only uses acquired Qi, the leaf can only barely penetrate the withered bamboo and will not have any additional effect.

But that's already quite impressive. Keep in mind, he's only five years old. I wonder how his current level compares to that of the layman who reached the divine realm at six.

He picked up the withered bamboo, went back into the house, and threw it next to the stove to use as firewood.

After lunch, he said goodbye to his mother and went out.

Today, he and Yunling agreed to meet in front of the White Mouse Hole, planning to catch some fish in the river to fill their stomachs.

When we arrived at the White Mouse Cave, it was the time when the sun was at its strongest.

Spring is almost over, and June is just around the corner. We can already hear the cicadas chirping.

He could see Yunling standing up and waving at him from afar. She seemed to have arrived quite early. Perhaps she had come earlier that morning. Sometimes, even if Zhuang Xing hadn't made an appointment with her, she would come to this area alone to take care of the snake fruit grass she was growing in the woods.

"The snake fruit grass has sprouted fruit!" Yunling happily grasped Zhuang Xing's hand.

Immediately, Zhuang Xing heard the good news.

He looked up at the azure sky and thought to himself, "This spring has been quite fruitful."

Chapter 46 Special River Fish Hot Pot

Zhuang Xing and Yun Ling arrived at the grove. Both snake fruit plants had successfully produced fruit, but they were currently just small green balls. It would take some time for them to grow into juicy and sweet fruits.

He buried his head and counted. If they all grew to maturity, he could harvest a total of thirteen snake fruits!

Just thinking about it made his mouth water. The spiritual fruit tasted completely different from ordinary fruit. The taste was secondary; what was most irresistible was the warm feeling all over his body, as if his whole body was full of power.

After that, every day, he would go with Yunling to the grove to take care of the snake fruit grass.

He eagerly awaited the day when the snake fruit would ripen. To prevent passing animals from trampling the snake fruit plants, he split bamboo strips and built a small, openwork house for the two snake fruit plants.

This time, he no longer considered the issue of catching snakes; the value of the thirteen ripe snake fruits far exceeded that of snake meat.

Finally, fourteen days later, the snake fruit ripened.

The bright red fruit was covered with glistening dewdrops, and its sweet aroma filled the air.

Zhuang Xing couldn't wait to pick the fruit with Yunling. The freshly picked fruit was the most delicious, and he and Yunling ate a few on the spot.

The smell of red apples can attract snakes, so these fruits cannot be kept for too long and are best eaten fresh.

The two of them ate half of the snake fruit on the spot, and they had already planned to use the rest to make river fish soup.

Zhuang Xing caught the river fish in advance and also caught four river crabs.

They arrived at the white rat hole and started a fire in the small stove.

Now their base has become a small kitchen, complete with pots, pans, cutting boards, knives, and everything a kitchen should have.

Apart from the bluestone pot and the kitchen knife, everything else was handmade by Zhuang Xing.

Using the cutting properties of his true qi, he crafted cutting boards, wooden bowls, and chopsticks from wood and bamboo. When not in use, these items were covered with a bluestone pot lid. To prevent the kitchen utensils from getting wet in the rain, Zhuang Xing conveniently used mud, stones, and lotus leaves to build a small rain shelter.

Yunling scooped the two large, fat fish out of the stone pot, skillfully gutted them with a cleaver, removed their internal organs, and scraped off their scales.

Zhuang Xing sat to the side, dealing with the four crabs he had just dug out from under the rocks.

He doesn't use a knife, but leaves. While processing crabs, he also practices his "talisman blade".

While Yunling was processing the fish, she would glance at Zhuangxing from time to time.

With a swift stroke, Zhuang Xing cut the domineering river crab in half. He removed the crab's gills and belly, then tore off the shell and removed the stomach. These were all inedible parts, but the shell could be thrown into a pot and boiled to bring out a delicious flavor.

Besides meat, Zhuang Xing also brought a piece of tofu from home today. He told his mother that he wanted to give it to Yunling, and his mother readily wrapped up a piece of tofu for him.

Put the chopped tofu cubes into a pot of cold water, followed by the sliced ​​fish, cut crab meat in half, and crab shells. When the stone pot is bubbling and steaming, add the pitted snake fruit and sprinkle with chopped green onions.

"Special Snake Fruit and River Delicacies Hot Pot! Done!" Zhuang Xing said, hands on his hips.

According to the procedure, at this point, he should have torn off the white cloth strip from his arm.

That's right, he is the legendary master chef.

"It smells so good." Yunling's nose twitched a few times.

It smelled really good. Zhuang Xing picked up a wooden spoon and scooped the river fish into a bowl.

He gave the first bowl to Yunling. As a good man, he should pay attention to details at all times.

After ladling out the second bowl, he sat down, picked up some meat, and drank the soup.

The first bite is of smooth, creamy fish, the tofu is soft and piping hot, the soup has a rich crab flavor, and when paired with slightly sweet snake fruit, it's so delicious that it's hard to find anywhere else in the world!