Chapter 176: Chapter 174: Two Pupils Share One Eye_l
Translator: 549690339
He packed up the ordinary second-grade defensive formation arranged around the courtyard, and took out the disc of Thousand Illusion Cloud Smoke Array from his storage bag.
On the array plate, the illusionary cloud and mist shimmered, giving birth to myriad illusions.
Lu Xuan found an appropriate position and guided the array plate with his spiritual power into the ground.
Soon after, a milky white cloud smoke surged up from all around the courtyard, churning with illusions that appeared and disappeared in an instant.
From outside, the courtyard exuded an alienating and unreal feeling. Anyone attempting to barge in would be ensnared in the maze of the Thousand Illusion Cloud Smoke Array, tortured by endless illusions.
Once the formation was laid down, Lu Xuan felt much more at ease. With this formation in place, even a Foundation Establishment Late-term Cultivator could be resisted for a long time.
Moreover, very few Foundation Establishment cultivators lingered in Sword Gate Town. Most of them were only in the Qi Training Realm, ample for protecting the several spiritual plants inside the courtyard.
“Swapping the second-grade defensive technique for a fourth-grade one is like trading a bird-gun for a cannon, thanks to the Thousand Illusion Cloud Smoke Array that came with the Phantom Smoke Luo Fruit.”
Lu Xuan secretly expressed gratitude to the Phantom Smoke Luo Fruit and, consequently, felt an even more urgent desire to plant high-grade spiritual plants.
Coming to the Spirit Field, he found an empty area, took out a Poison Shuttlewood Spirit Seed from his storage bag.
His spiritual power began to surge, effortlessly changing the structure of the Spirit Soil beneath the field with the fully realized Earth Pulling Technique, creating a crevice large enough to accommodate the spirit seed.
He placed the Poison Shuttlewood Spirit Seed into the crevice, instantly, a familiar thought flashed through his mind.
[ Poison Shuttlewood, a grade three spirit plant…]
“The spiritual energy environment in Sword Gate Town is much worse than inside the sect, but the murky spiritual energy is more suitable for the growth of Poison Shuttlewood. Furthermore, there are also Underworld Spiritual Plants like Ghost Faced Stone Mushrooms, complementing each other quite nicely.”
“Compared to them, the Poison Shuttlewood, which feeds on poisons, isn’t much to reckon with.”
After he planted the Poison Shuttlewood, he began to check the growth status of the spirit plants in the courtyard’s Spirit Field.
Each of the five Ghost Faced Stone Mushrooms grew exceptionally well due to the ample resentful will. The bizarre patterns on their surface were far more vivid compared to the beginning, and at first glance, they seemed to be smiling at Lu Xuan.
In the courtyard, less than ten resentful spirits roamed around. Their rudimentary spiritual intelligence seemed to sense the danger emanating from the area where the Ghost Faced Stone Mushrooms were, thereby keeping their distance.
Suddenly, the bizarre face above one Ghost Faced Stone Mushroom changed silently. A few resentful spirits not far away flocked towards it as if it was some exquisite delicacy, crowding around the Ghost Faced Stone Mushroom.
The rest continued to wander around, seemingly awaiting their chance to pounce.
About a quarter of an hour later, the facial pattern on the glutted Ghost Faced Stone Mushroom changed again. The array of resentful spirits surrounding it scattered, their spiritual bodies evidently becoming a few shades fainter.
“That’s the downfall of having a low spiritual intelligence and being unable to resist temptations. What they thought of as a good opportunity was nothing but a trap laid by their adversary.”
With a sigh, Lu Xuan took out the second-grade magical tool, the Resentful Soul Bell. After releasing it three times, the Resentful Soul Bell’s interior, once packed full of resentful spirits and Yin Souls, appeared quite empty, with less than one hundred left in total.
Lu Xuan controlled the Resentful Soul Bell with his spiritual sense and released fifty resentful spirits.
The sudden appearance of fifty more resentful spirits made the entire courtyard dips into much more gloominess, from time to time shrill moans are heard.
“Rather than staying inside the Resentful Soul Bell and becoming a tool at a cultivator’s disposal, you’re better off being released to nurture spiritual plants so you can transcend as soon as possible and enter reincarnation.”
Lu Xuan, looking at the many resentful spirits wandering aimlessly around the courtyard, uttered with a compassionate expression.
After sorting out the nourishment for the Ghost Faced Stone Mushroom, Lu Xuan moved in front of the Thorn Bone.
There were more slender white bones than last time he inspected it, dense pale bone spines rooted in the skeleton Lu Xuan left behind. The skeleton protruded, blooming like white bone buds.
The second-grade Demon Beast Purple Cloud Leopard skeleton left behind earlier was more than half absorbed by the Thorn Bone. With a light touch, shattered fragments of bone fell down, piling up on the ground.
Only the third-grade Barbarian Armored Bull skeleton could withstand being consumed, still retaining its complete form.
Lastly, Lu Xuan approached the fourth-grade Hundred Pupils’ Bizarre Tree.
On the dried branches resembling an old face, dozens of eyeballs were either tightly shut or half-opened, looking extremely eerie.
As Lu Xuan got closer, the eyes seemed to become aware, all their gazes converging on him.
The gaze of dozens of bizarre eyes made Lu Xuan feel a bit uncomfortable.
The third-grade pure jade on his chest suddenly produced a cold invisible current flowing into his mind, instantly dissipating the discomfort.
“This fourth-grade Hundred Pupils’ Bizarre Tree is indeed eerie. Even making eye contact with the eyeballs on its branches gives one an uncomfortable feeling.”
Lu Xuan remembered the tips he received when planting the Hundred Pupils’ Bizarre Tree, which cautioned not to stare at it too long, lest it cause cultivators to lose their minds.
The perfectly sober Lu Xuan came in front of the Hundred Pupils’ Bizarre Tree. The Purple Cloud Leopard Eyes he left behind last time had turned ash-gray, void of any signs of life. On lightly touching it, it disintegrated into dust and scattered on the ground. A pale, thin tentacle swiftly retreated into one of the eyeballs.
Lu Xuan took out over a dozen eyeballs from the Life Bag, which he received from finishing tasks. Due to the bag’s great ability to slow down the loss of vitality, these eyeballs were quite well preserved and vividly fresh.
As if sensing something, on the gnarled and desiccated branches of the tree, the eerie eyes simultaneously forced themselves open, firmly fixed on Lu Xuan, their gaze resentful and also begging.
“Is this fourth-grade spirit plant so wild? It can even sense the changes in emotions, or is it that, this Hundred Pupils’ Bizarre Tree in front of me is somewhat unique.”
With a sigh, Lu Xuan tossed dozens of Demon Beast eyeballs towards the eerie pupils on the branches.
Suddenly, countless tiny tentacles shot out from the pupils, firmly attaching themselves to the fresh Demon Beast eyeballs.
Among them, the second-grade Demon Beast eyeball was fought over by several tiny tentacles, finally being occupied by the two closest tentacles.
“Hmmm? Two girls serving one man, or in this case, two pupils sharing one eyeball?”
Lu Xuan thought to himself.
After satisfying the unique conditions of several underworld spiritual plants in the yard, Lu Xuan further utilized the Spirit Rain Technique and the Tree Life Spell. These basic techniques ensured their basic growth.
Later, he left the small courtyard and leisurely strolled around the stands at Qingshi Square. After purchasing some daily necessities, he returned to the Sect cave mansion without lingering.
As soon as he entered the house, the Wind Sparrow Fledgling hit his head, its pair of light green wings fluttering continuously, chirping from time to time. It seemed like a child who had been waiting at home for a long time, throwing a tantrum for candy and snacks to the parent who just returned home.
“You glutton, you’re already chubby yet all you think about is eating. Look at that little white bird from a few days ago how elegant and composed.”
While chiding it, Lu Xuan took out the specially purchased Spirit Fruit and Wind Attribute Beast Meat from his storage bag.
“And here’s yours.”
He came in front of the Cloud Leopard, its delicate footpads looking elegant but somewhat restless. He took out its favorite Demon Beast Meat, tore it into strips, and placed it in front of it.
The Cloud Leopard’s green pupils didn’t show any changes, only the fluff at the tip of its ears danced as if dancing..