The sect, of course, already had established methods for cultivating Ice Spirit Flower seeds. The process was similar to what she had used before when growing the Xuanming Ice Lotus: first, soften the seed's outer shell, then apply the germination elixir. But it would still take about half a month.
"Only one month left until the next lecture, and now I need to shorten the seed's cultivation period this drastically? It sounds impossible just thinking about it."
"Still, I'll go ahead and sprout the seed. How far it manages to grow after that is out of my hands."
She didn't want to draw unnecessary attention to herself. A seed that usually took a year to mature had already been reduced by six months through her efforts—avoiding notice at this point was unrealistic.
"Let's soften and sprout it first."
After a moment of thought, she brought out the softening potion. She had made a trip to the Hall of Affairs just for this item. Her previous batch of softening potion had been used on the regenerative root elixir seed. It was long gone. And refining this potion was no easy task.
She didn't want to waste time making a new batch, so she opted for a ready-made one. Touching the Ice Spirit Flower seed's outer shell, she felt its smooth texture and faint woody fragrance. This time, she thoroughly examined the seed inside and out, and at last, found no trace of black specks within it.
After placing the seed into the softening potion, she held it in her hand and activated her mind, transporting herself into the spiritual plant space. The accelerated time flow within the space could help slightly speed up the softening process, saving her some valuable time.
She turned to check on the seed she had just immersed. Sure enough, the outer shell was already softened. These types of seeds had only a thin layer of shell, so soaking them in the potion for half a day was enough.
Next, she buried them into the already-prepared spiritual field within the space, doused them with the germination elixir, and finally watered them with cold spring water.
"Now all I have to do is wait for them to sprout and grow."
After watering the spiritual field with cold spring water again, Chen Jinshu returned to her bamboo hut to begin a period of cultivation.
Although the time flow in the spiritual plant space wasn't drastically faster, even a 50% increase offered her considerable benefits. Cultivation, after all, was about accumulating over time.
...
Ten days quickly passed.
Under Chen Jinshu's diligent care, the medicinal herbs from the regenerative root elixir had already grown a few inches tall. However, they would still need about a year to reach maturity.
Originally, these herbs would have taken two to three years to mature. Being able to shorten it to less than one year—she considered that quite an accomplishment. The fastest time the sect had managed was ten months. Hers was only a bit longer, all thanks to the spiritual plant space.
"The Ice Spirit Flower seed has sprouted too. This timing is not bad."
She looked at the flower shoot, planted alone in a separate pot—it had already reached half an inch tall, its entire form a tender green. Once the Ice Spirit Flower reached seven to eight inches, it would be in its late growth stage. At around nine inches, it would begin to flower.
A moment later, as Chen Jinshu emerged from the spiritual plant space, she sensed the formation array around Ink Plum Courtyard being triggered.
She quickly left her room and soon identified the visitor—Senior Sister Dai Yuzhu, the top disciple of the inner sect.
Chen Jinshu's eyes flicked to the Shadowpeak Finch flying beside her, and her expression changed slightly.
Although the spiritual fruit's effects within the sparrow had faded, it had still left behind a lasting impact—the dark feathers now shimmered faintly with a soft halo. The bird itself looked much more pleasing than before. Anyone observant enough would recognize this as the so-called "Auspicious Aura."
Although the sparrow could suppress its aura, if Dai Yuzhu discovered she had a spirit bird, it could raise questions about the lucky fruit.
"Quick, fly back to your nest! Don't let her see you." She hurriedly gestured to the sparrow.
Even though she hadn't found the fruit herself, she had benefited from it. And facing the original owner of the fruit left her feeling a little guilty. Still, she had helped this senior sister recover many lost items in the past. Perhaps that balanced the scales.
Once she saw the sparrow hide itself, she hurried to the front gate and opened it.
"Senior Sister, what brings you here?" she asked, pretending to be surprised.
"Didn't I promise to treat you to medicinal cuisine last time? I've come to make good on that," Dai Yuzhu said with a smile.
"I thought you were just joking. Medicinal cuisine is really expensive—I wouldn't dare let you spend so much on me."
"Don't reject me so quickly. My master is the creator of this particular medicinal cuisine recipe. I get a discount when I buy it. Are you really going to say no?" Dai Yuzhu narrowed her eyes with playful expectation.
"…Alright, then."
The rumors of the cuisine's powerful effects had always tempted her.
This kind of dish was unique to the Medicine Peak, offering a wide range of benefits. While beautification and anti-aging were popular among female cultivators, its true effect was to cleanse the meridians and marrow, making it highly effective at healing internal injuries.
On top of that, it was rich in spiritual energy—equivalent to two or three months of cultivation.
With someone else offering to pay and at a discount no less, how could she say no?
"And besides, she had helped this senior sister recover so many lost treasures—a single medicinal meal wasn't too much to accept in return."
"What were you doing just now? I called for so long and you didn't answer."
"I was bathing and must've dozed off."
...
Moments later, Chen Jinshu followed Dai Yuzhu to the Spirit Dining Hall on Medicine King Peak. This hall was where disciples of the peak took their meals. New disciples received one month of free meals, but after that, they had to pay using spirit stones or contribution points.
Chen Jinshu had long passed her free period, so she usually resolved meals herself at Ink Plum Courtyard and rarely visited. She wasn't alone in her frugal approach. Still, despite this, the Spirit Dining Hall was always bustling with people.
"Do you come here often?" Dai Yuzhu turned and asked.
"Not after the free trial ended."
"These spiritual dishes are far better than Bigu dan you all take. They contain hardly any pill toxins. Why don't more of you come?"
"Because it's really expensive. I just joined the Xuanming Sect and barely have enough assets to scrape by—I don't have spare spirit stones or contribution points."
"Alright then. My treat today. Eat well." Dai Yuzhu waved her off and guided her to a table before heading off to speak with a familiar attendant.
Moments later, she returned with two disciples carrying two large ceramic dishes, each the size of a person's head. As soon as the dishes were set down, Chen Jinshu's eyes were immediately drawn to the contents—chunks of spiritual beast meat surrounded by various precious herbs.
A faint turquoise glow shimmered from the surface of the broth.
A soothing aroma of greenwood wafted through the air.
That soft green light gave her a strange sense of familiarity.
"This medicinal cuisine is made with heart meat from the Azure Deer, infused with immense spiritual energy. Combined with the selected herbs, it enhances beauty, nourishes the body, and heals hidden injuries," Dai Yuzhu explained.
Chen Jinshu suddenly understood. The Azure Deer was a top-tier wood-element spiritual beast, and its heart meat was known for its healing properties. Its energy closely resembled the greenwood spiritual force in the Verdant Wood Rebirth Formula.
"Try it quickly! Azure Deer are only slaughtered on a set schedule. I heard a few were processed today, so I rushed to invite you."
Chen Jinshu picked up a spoon, scooped some broth with herbal remnants, and brought it to her mouth. The broth tasted sweet with a hint of richness. As it went down, a surge of spiritual power flowed into her belly. She could feel a warm current nourishing her meridians.
Her pupils widened with surprise and delight.
"Just one spoonful and the medicinal effect is already this strong!"