Chapter 363 - 361: Sword Dao Mantle

Chapter 363: Chapter 361: Sword Dao Mantle

’The Clan Leader of the Red Leaf Fang Family back then... I think I met him once. He must have passed away long ago. Every action has its cause. If the Fang Family had chosen to report this to the Sect, this matter might have become the opportunity for their rise.’

Bai Zichen took Ma Ruoxi with him, and a streak of Sword Light shot across the sky, flying toward Red Leaf Valley.

The Red Leaf Fang Family now had only a few dozen Cultivators left in the entire Clan. Critically, their few Late-Stage Qi Refining members were all over sixty years old, with not a single young one among them.

A Clan like this, now without the income from the Silver Needle Spirit Tea, would only weaken further.

"Master, that’s where the Silver Needle Tea Trees are..."

Experiencing the speed of a Tier Four Flying Sword for the first time, Ma Ruoxi was still a little dizzy and disoriented after she landed.

The Defense Array above Red Leaf Valley was like paper to Bai Zichen. The Sword Light pierced through it without even triggering an alarm.

It was unclear whether the speed was too great for it to react, or if the Array’s warning function had been disabled to conserve Spirit Stones.

Two ancient, vigorous tea trees grew side by side, their gnarled branches intertwined, their roots like coiled dragons.

’Such vibrant life force. The two tea trees aren’t competing for Spiritual Power. Instead, they complement each other, forming an extremely unique ecosystem.’

Bai Zichen reached out and placed a hand on one of the Silver Needle Tea Trees, immediately sensing the condition of them both.

Although he wasn’t a formal Spirit Plant Master, by relying on two great Spirit Plant Assistance Secret Techniques—the Wood God Skill and the Taiyi Cyan Spirit Techniques—he surpassed even High-Tier Spirit Plant Masters in certain aspects.

For instance, sensing the inner state of a Spirit Plant was an ability only Tier Four Spiritual Plant Masters possessed, yet he could achieve the same feat with the aid of the Taiyi Cyan Spirit Techniques.

They had only recently advanced, but the condition of these two Silver Needle Tea Trees indicated they could fully withstand the Taiyi Cyan Spirit Techniques for another attempt at advancement.

’Their growth has been restricted by the environment. If they were in a Tier Three Spirit Land, they would have become Tier Two Top-Grade Spirit Plants a century ago.’

Red Leaf Valley was merely an ordinary Tier Two Low-Grade Spiritual Vein, capable of supplying only a limited amount of Spiritual Qi.

Having grown for several hundred years, these two Silver Needle Tea Trees had finally adapted to this environment and accumulated profound reserves.

’Moving them to a Tier Three Spirit Vein now would destroy their unique ecosystem, and who knows how long it would take to re-establish... I’d rather take a gamble here in Red Leaf Valley. Once they become Tier Three Spirit Plants, their life force will increase dramatically, making them easier to transplant.’

Without much hesitation, Bai Zichen decided the fate of the two Silver Needle Tea Trees.

Only then did the Cultivators of the Fang Family belatedly arrive.

"Senior, those are my Fang Family’s ancestral tea trees! You can’t touch them!"

A trembling old man leaning on a cane threw himself to the ground, shouting himself hoarse.

The other members of the Fang Clan were no different, wailing and banging their heads on the ground.

They didn’t recognize the young man before the tea trees, but they had learned of Ma Ruoxi’s identity a few days prior. Not daring to offend her, they could only act weak and plead.

"Silence! You’re disturbing Master!"

A cold glint flashed in Ma Ruoxi’s eyes. She raised her hand, and several surging waves of water bound all the Fang Clan members and tossed them far to the side.

Their strongest member was an old and feeble cultivator at the Great Perfection of Qi Refining. The Fang Family’s meager strength was nothing before Ma Ruoxi, a Late-Stage Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

"Qinghua Changle, East Pole Wondrous Words..."

Bai Zichen focused his mind for a moment, then his ten fingers flew out, tapping each of the two tea trees at almost the exact same time.

Two points of rich, emerald light merged into the tea trees, instantly awakening all the energy accumulated within the Spirit Plants. An ancient aura began to rise from them.

The tea trees were completely enveloped in cyan light, their gnarled branches and leaves rustling. This lasted for about a quarter of an hour. Then, the trees shook violently and began to grow upward.

Their original leaves yellowed and fell, while new buds and tender branches sprouted. The main trunks grew to twice their original thickness.

The strange growth phenomenon only ended after a full half-hour.

’To think both trees advanced successfully. The force-growing power of the Taiyi Cyan Spirit Techniques is truly tyrannical... The previous failures must have been because the Sacred Sound Bamboo on Celestial Thunder Cliff hadn’t accumulated enough energy and had been planted for too short a time.’

Even Bai Zichen hadn’t expected both tea trees to succeed.

This served as perfect proof of what he had said earlier: the Red Leaf Fang Family had missed their chance to rise.

As a Yin and Yang pair, the value of two Tier Three Low-Grade Silver Needle Tea Trees was a qualitative leap compared to their Tier Two counterparts.

Tier Three Spirit Tea was a luxury for Foundation Establishment Cultivators. Only Core Formation True Men could afford to drink it on a daily basis.

The price of anything associated with High-Tier Cultivators could never be low.

As long as the Silver Needle Spirit Tea could help a Core Formation True Man restore their Divine Sense—regardless of the potency—fifty percent of the profits would have been enough for the Red Leaf Fang Family to rise again.

With Spirit Stones flowing in like water, it wouldn’t have been difficult to cultivate one or two Foundation Establishment Cultivators to sustain the Clan. They might even have had the chance to become one of the top-ranking Cultivation Families in Black Mountain.

But now, none of this had anything to do with the Fang Family.

Bai Zichen plucked a tender bud and placed it under his tongue. A startlingly bitter taste spread through his body, sending a jolt through him.

As his spirit was invigorated, his mind seemed to become much clearer and more alert. ℯ

’The effect of the Silver Needle Spirit Tea was enhanced after the advancement?’

This was a pleasant surprise. It couldn’t compare to the Enlightenment Spirit Tea, but long-term consumption could subtly improve one’s Comprehension.

For Foundation Establishment Cultivators, it would be a powerful aid when breaking through bottlenecks.

"Instruct the Spirit Plant Hall to take meticulous care of them. There can be no mistakes... After ten years, once the tea trees have stabilized, transplant them to a Tier Three Spirit Vein. If the Spirit Plant Hall can’t handle it, go to the Shennong Sect and invite a High-Tier Spirit Plant Master."

By moving the Tier Three Silver Needle Tea Trees to a suitable Spirit Vein, the annual yield of Spirit Tea could at least double, and the quality would be even better.

However, great care must be taken in selecting the Spirit Land. The soil, water quality, temperature, and even the attributes of the Spiritual Qi—all these held many subtleties. It wasn’t simply a case of the higher the tier of the Spirit Land, the better.

Moreover, transplanting them from the soil they had grown in for hundreds of years was a massive undertaking in itself.

A single misstep could not only leave the Spirit Plant Severely Injured, but could also cause it to wither and die outright.

Bai Zichen, fearing that the Spirit Plant Hall might overreach in an attempt to impress, specifically added that such matters were best left to dedicated professionals.

The Qingfeng Sect’s Spirit Plant Hall didn’t even have a single Tier Three Spiritual Plant Master. If they really managed to kill these two rare Yin Yang Silver Needle Tea Trees, it would be Master Bai’s personal supply of Spirit Tea that was affected.

"Yes, I will have the Spirit Plant Hall assign double the personnel to ensure nothing goes wrong."

Ma Ruoxi was now the Hall Elder of the Spirit Beast Hall. Even without any other status, the Spirit Plant Hall would not dare to disrespect her.

And with the added prestige of being Ancestor Bai’s Direct Disciple, she would instantly become a pivotal figure in the Sect.

The current Sect Leader was her senior martial brother, so he would certainly accommodate her.

Bai Zichen thought for a moment, then took out a set of Array Banners. With a wave of his hand, they landed around the Silver Needle Tea Trees.

"This is the core Array Plate for this set of Tier Two Array Banners. Hold onto it, lest some miscreants try to deliberately destroy them after we leave."

Bai Zichen wasn’t proficient in the Dao of Array Formation, but having Zhou Suqing was enough.

The last time he had asked for the Soul-Catching Banner, he had seen this type of simple, easy-to-deploy Array Banner and had conveniently gotten a set from Zhou Suqing.

The defensive power of such Array Banners was dubious; a few Foundation Establishment Cultivators could break through them.

But they had many advantages as well. For example, Array Formation didn’t require an Array Master to be present. It was fast, convenient, and the array formed instantly. Their Refining cost was low, at most only a third of a normal Array. Using them here was very appropriate.

After tossing the core Array Plate to Ma Ruoxi, Bai Zichen continued, "I will remain on Celestial Thunder Cliff for another ten days. If you have any difficulties or need guidance in your Cultivation, feel free to ask whatever you wish. I will answer it all."

"Thank you, Master!"

Ma Ruoxi was overjoyed. It was an incredibly rare opportunity to have a Core Formation True Man, one who was on the verge of breaking through to the Nascent Soul Stage, take ten or fifteen days to answer questions and provide guidance.

How much she would gain depended on her own talent and Comprehension.

From beginning to end, Bai Zichen never once glanced at the members of the Fang Clan.

When you do something wrong, you must bear the consequences.

According to the laws of the Qingfeng Sect, ownership of these two Silver Needle Tea Trees belonged entirely to the Sect for the next one hundred years, giving them the right to transplant them.

After a hundred years, if the Red Leaf Fang Family had any objections, they could request to have the tea trees moved back.

Alternatively, they could accept the current situation and obediently receive their fifty-percent share of the Spirit Tea’s annual yield. They wouldn’t be cheated out of that.

While teaching Ma Ruoxi, Bai Zichen discovered that besides her Water Stone Spiritual Body, the girl possessed astonishing Comprehension.

According to the imprints from the Nine Yang Divine Fire Mirror, she had grasped the basics of a Swordsmanship technique he taught her in just three days, and her every move and stance was already quite methodical.

This piqued Bai Zichen’s interest. He began to not just teach her Swordsmanship, but to deconstruct the Sword Dao Realm, laying it bare before her eyes.

Among his disciples, Tong Huan dearly loved the Sword Dao, but he had spent decades proving that diligence cannot always make up for a lack of natural aptitude.

Despite investing considerable energy into the Sword Dao, he just couldn’t seem to have a breakthrough.

It wasn’t until he later switched to the Heavenly Inquiry Sword Technique—which used conviction as the sword and didn’t focus on variations in stances—that he finally found his true path and achieved some small success.

His second disciple, Lii Guizhen, had also been drawn by tales of Sword Cultivators soaring through the Cyan Nether and controlling swords to slay enemies thousands of miles away, which was why he had traveled so far to Black Mountain to seek a master.

He came to his realization much faster than Tong Huan. After all, his talent for Thunder Skills was impossible to conceal; it was practically overflowing.

As for Huo Feiyan, her understanding of Flying Swords was still stuck at the level of simple Sword Control for straightforward attacks.

By this count, the renowned First Sword Cultivator of Liang Country had not a single disciple who could inherit the mantle of his Sword Dao.

Ma Ruoxi’s unexpectedly outstanding Sword Dao Talent was a delightful surprise, leaving him relieved that there was finally hope for his Sword Dao to be passed down.

"Entering the Dao through technique is too slow. I will demonstrate the full subtlety of the Sword Qi Thunder Sound. You must comprehend its True Intent for yourself."

For someone of Bai Zichen’s Sword Dao Realm to go back and teach a Beginner of Sword Dao was like using an ox cauldron to cook a chicken—complete overkill.

Sword Light churned and surged, accompanied by peals of thunder, tearing through the air.

Seeing Ma Ruoxi gaining some insight, he then imparted the Star Luo Swordsmanship to her.

This Swordsmanship was profoundly conceived. Once unleashed, its Sword Light was vast and unending, obscure and complex, capable of producing innumerable variations.

A Cultivator who was not naturally quick-witted and possessed of extraordinary Sword Dao Comprehension could not hope to practice it.

Just like Tong Huan. When he first began practicing the Star Luo Swordsmanship, he deconstructed and rote-memorized tens of thousands of variations, but this was still merely a drop in the ocean.

Bai Zichen didn’t care whether Ma Ruoxi could absorb it all in such a short time; he simply taught her everything in one go.