txolops Chapter 71 Golden Thunder Bamboo
Chapter 71 Golden Thunder Bamboo
Han Xiaoliu stood with his hands behind his back in the courtyard, his eyes fixed intently on the Thunder Bamboo.
Bubble tiptoed and carefully dripped a drop of crystal-clear green liquid onto the root.
In an instant, the world seemed to fall silent.
The once lush green bamboo suddenly glowed with a pale golden light, and fine arcs of electricity burst forth from between the bamboo joints, crackling loudly! At first, it was white lightning, then it turned blue, and finally it transformed into strands of pale golden divine lightning that warded off evil, like dragons coiling around it, exuding a subtle pressure that even made the air tremble.
The bamboo is over three feet tall, with sixteen sections, each full and round, shimmering with a metallic luster. Even more exciting is that twelve side branches have quietly sprouted from both sides of the bamboo, each one as if carved with gold thread, with a slightly curled tip, brimming with vitality.
"A single ancient golden thunder bamboo... twelve green bamboo bee cloud swords..."
Han Xiaoliu muttered to himself, but suddenly chuckled, "Ha, none of this matters."
His eyes gleamed sharply: "The important thing is—these side branches!"
He wasn't like Han Li, that simpleton who only knew how to refine the entire plant and leave only the new bamboo shoots to grow. Han Xiaoliu knew that bamboo side branches could also reproduce independently! Although the first generation was slightly slender, it was still a genuine ten-thousand-year-old Golden Thunder Bamboo seedling!
Just do it!
With a wave of his hand, twelve jade flowerpots were neatly arranged, filled with spiritual soil made from a mixture of spiritual spring water, moonlight soil, and century-old decaying leaves. He casually plucked twelve side branches and planted them into the pots with a "swish" like planting rice seedlings, then poured in diluted green spiritual water.
A miracle happened in the next instant!
The moment the spiritual water seeped into the soil, golden light suddenly shone from the roots of the side branches, and countless golden roots, as thin as hair, burst forth wildly, plunging into the depths of the spiritual soil like living creatures! In just a few breaths, they had taken firm root.
In less than a month, new shoots about an inch tall sprouted from all twelve pots, their bodies gleaming gold with flashes of lightning, clearly already young plants of the Thunder Bamboo!
"Give it to me!" Han Xiaoliu couldn't help but burst out laughing, his laughter sounding exactly like a wild boar that had just found a treasure.
He rubbed his hands together, his eyes gleaming with the cunning of a shrewd merchant: "This is Golden Thunder Bamboo! One of the three great divine trees of the human realm! A treasure of heaven and earth! Selling it to those guys as their territory's spiritual plant is perfectly reasonable!"
"A seedling priced at 100,000 merits, isn't that a bit much?"
"Too expensive? Hehe... installment payments are available! As for the interest... no problem, no problem!"
At this moment, his mind was filled with the notification sound of his accumulated merit, as if he could already see himself lying in a pile of spirit stones, counting money until his hands cramped.
Bubble rolled her eyes, too lazy to bother with this money-grubbing guy.
With a flick of its wrist, the magical artifact space of its tiger-head cloak flashed slightly, and the twelve pots of golden thunder bamboo seedlings were instantly taken away. The next moment, its figure vanished like smoke, stepping into the teleportation array in its home and disappearing from the spot.
The underground cultivation chamber, hidden from the sun, is filled with spiritual energy as dense as a spiritual vein's core—making it an ideal place to accelerate the growth of spiritual plants.
Han Xiaoliu remained standing there, a wide grin spreading across his face, muttering, "Just wait... it won't be long before I open a 'Golden Thunder Bamboo Chain Store'!"
Han Xiaoliu lazily sprawled on the bamboo couch in the courtyard, squinting in the warm afternoon sun, slowly munching on half a spirit fruit in his hand—a rare moment of leisure.
"Young Master! Young Master!"
Longkui, like a joyful little deer, skipped and hopped into the yard, her skirt fluttering, cheeks flushed, and eyes shining brightly. "We're amazing this month!"
She plopped down on the footstool by the couch, tilting her head back to boast, "The Mo Family Medical Clinic has drawn blood from over 100,000 mortals this month! Although we didn't encounter any rare physiques like Heavenly Spiritual Roots or Sword Bone Physique, just collecting blood samples from ordinary people is as efficient as casting a net to catch fish!"
Before the words were finished, Lady Yu and Shen Gongbao stepped into the courtyard one after the other.
With a gentle wave of her slender hand, Lady Yu summoned a soul-guiding banner shrouded in black mist. The banner's surface shimmered with a ghostly light, and faint whispers and sobs could be heard.
"Young Master, we've collected 2,376 wandering souls in total." Her tone was calm, yet tinged with uncertainty. "Can these... truly earn us good karma?"
"It's all included!" Han Xiaoliu sat up straight, bit off the fruit pit, and said confidently, "As long as it's a wandering, unclaimed soul, the Underworld System will accept it all—one soul, one bit of good karma, no deception!"
His gaze swept over the three men, his expression turning serious: "Next, each of you will choose a mortal settlement to continue opening a clinic and pharmacy. Ostensibly, you'll offer free spiritual root testing, but in reality, you'll be searching for individuals with special physical constitutions!"
As he spoke, he flicked his wrist, and three cards gleaming with a faint blue light flew out and landed steadily in their respective hands.
"This is the 'Underworld World Upgrade Quest Card - Sub-card'," he explained. "You've all seen it before! Its basic function is to collect the blood of living souls. The most crucial thing is that once it comes into contact with the blood of someone with a spiritual root or a special physique, the card will automatically flash the corresponding light: blue light indicates a wood spiritual root, red light indicates a fire spiritual body, and golden light indicates a rare thunder vein body... It's perfect as a testing medium, done without anyone noticing."
Upon hearing that they would have to split up, Longkui immediately pouted so much that an oil bottle could hang from her lips.
She grabbed Han Xiaoliu's arm, nuzzling her head against his shoulder and pleading, "No! I don't want to run so far by myself... Young Master and Lu Xueqi are clearly slacking off at home, why do I have to go out in the wind and sun? I want to stay home with Young Master!"
She blinked her big, watery eyes, her voice soft and sweet: "I can also massage your back, brew tea, and feed you spirit fruits..."
"Stop!" Han Xiaoliu pulled his arm back without hesitation, his face hardening. "We have absolutely no good karma right now! Next time we enter the Dreamlike Minor Realm, we'll be eating dirt! If you want to improve your cultivation quickly, do you expect me to conjure up mountains of gold and silver instead of working to earn money yourself?"
His tone softened, but remained firm: "Your cultivation levels are all quite high—Jade Lady is at the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment, Shen Gongbao is at the Half-Step Foundation Establishment stage, and Long Kui, you're about to break through. It's time to start cultivating your own team and building your own network of influence. The Underworld missions are just the beginning; in the future, you'll have to stand on your own."
The three looked at each other, and in the end dared not cause any more trouble.
After sending them away, Han Xiaoliu stretched, a sly smile flashing in his eyes.
He turned and called out, "Bubble, let's go!"
The next instant, the two figures flashed, passing through the home formation and heading straight for the Miaoyin Sect, a hundred miles away—there was still a wonderful world there!
Han Xiaoliu spent several days living a carefree life at Miaoyin Gate, indulging in nightly revelry and having a great time.
That night, just as Han Xiaoliu was about to take a nap, his friend Ka in his arms suddenly trembled, and a faint light flickered.
Han Xiaoliu remained expressionless, casually took out a card, scanned it with his divine sense, and a knowing smile appeared on his lips—it was a private message from Han Li.
The letter was concise and to the point:
"My cultivation has stabilized; I wish to proceed to Kui Xing Island."
Han Xiaoliu chuckled: "Heh, Er Lengzi finally remembered."
How could he not know what Han Li was planning?
When I asked him for the little green bottle before, he promised a lot of materials, including the Heavenly Fire Liquid, Snow Spirit Water and Dust-Reducing Pill needed for Core Formation!
Now that Han Li is about to form his core, he is preparing for the Demon Suppression Ceremony and the events on Kui Xing Island. It's time to fulfill his promise.
He gazed out the window at the horizon where the sea met the sky, his eyes narrowing slightly.
Judging by the timeline, in another three to five years, the Great War on Kui Xing Island will break out—the Extreme Yin Ancestor, Wu Chou, the Six Linked Palaces, the heroes of the Chaotic Star Sea... will all be drawn into this bloody storm.
For Han Xiaoliu, the most important person was Yuan Yao.
Thinking of this, a hint of anticipation flashed in Han Xiaoliu's eyes.
Yuan Yao possesses the Yin Body—a virgin born in a Yin year, Yin month, Yin day, and Yin hour. This constitution is of no benefit to ordinary human cultivation techniques, but it is the only vessel for the lost great divine power of the Changyuan Clan, the "Crossing Tribulation and Guiding Yin Technique."
What's even more amazing is that this body has an extremely strong natural affinity with spirits, ley lines, and summoning techniques. If one could obtain her essence blood, it might even be able to activate one or two spirits summoned from the underworld!
"It's time to set off." He put away the card, flicked his sleeve, and stood up. "To Kui Xing Island, to wait for Yuan Yao."
This journey is not merely to fulfill an old promise, but also to lay the groundwork for the chaotic star sea and pave the way for the future.
As for the warm and soft jade of Miaoyin Pavilion? It's nothing more than a leisurely pleasure on the path of cultivation.
come back next time!
Two years later
In the early morning light, more and more people are walking on the bluestone streets of Tiandu Street Market. The shouts of street vendors rise and fall, and the air is filled with the fragrance of herbs, sandalwood smoke, and spiritual materials.
Inside the Mo Family Medical Clinic, a girl of about fifteen or sixteen years old was idly fiddling with the medicinal herbs on the counter. She had her hair tied in a high ponytail, with a few wisps of hair swaying gently in front of her forehead as she moved. Her eyes were bright and lively, and there was a bit of angelica powder on her fingertips.
The account book lay open before her, the ink still wet, when she suddenly exclaimed "Oh dear!" as if she had remembered something important. She threw down her brush, not even bothering to close the account book, and rushed out of the clinic.
With a clang, the wooden door slammed shut, and she dashed like a gust of wind to the small shop next door—the one with the wooden plaque that read "Youjian General Store."
The plaque was old, yet faintly shimmered with spiritual patterns; a bronze bell hung above the door, and as she pushed the door open, it rang out with a clear, melodious sound, like a spring.
The shop was dimly lit, not because of gloom, but because of the faint spiritual light reflected from the layers of talismans, jade slips, elixir bottles and ritual implements.
The shelves stretched from the ground to the ceiling, filled with a dazzling array of items: yellow talismans weighed down cinnabar paperweights, elixirs in jade bottles gleamed faintly, and several rolls of bundled spirit wood were piled in the corner.
A small three-legged cauldron was bubbling on the counter, seemingly refining some strange substance.
The young girl skillfully walked around the potted plant in front of the curtain and called out, "Young Master!"