The Immortal Herb Purveyor

Chapter 3: The Blue Pearl's Secret

Seeing this scene, Shi Yue's face lit up with joy. If he couldn't get out soon, he would starve to death before long.

Shi Yue wrapped the blue pearl in a piece of ragged cloth and secured it close to his body. Then, he skinned the carcass of the Vermilion-Scaled Python, retrieved its Snake Gallbladder, carefully storing both the python hide and the gallbladder in separate wooden boxes before striding swiftly out of the cave.

Emerging from the cave mouth, Shi Yue tapped the Storage Pouch at his waist. A vibrant green leaf shot out, hovering before him. He leaped onto the leaf, weaving a hand seal. Instantly, the leaf pulsed with emerald light, lifting him into the sky.

After the time it takes to eat a meal, Shi Yue arrived high above a sprawling range of emerald peaks. Lush, verdant trees carpeted the landscape, yet no structures were visible.

Shi Yue retrieved an azure-colored square token. Engraved on its face was the image of a green flame. Infusing it with a surge of Magical Power, the green flame flickered as if alive! A beam of azure light shot from the token, streaking down towards the mountains below.

Not long after, a ripple of azure energy pulsed across the mountain range. A vast, transparent dome of shimmering azure light became visible, stretching across hundreds of li, encompassing the entire vista.

Beneath the protective Azure Light Barrier, palaces, pavilions, and elegant buildings rose amidst the peaks. Some clung precariously to sheer cliff faces, others stood serenely on plains, and clusters formed distinctive courtyards nestled on the mountainsides. Adding to the ethereal scene, numerous cultivators clad in Ethereal Sect robes navigated the skies – some riding shimmering artifacts, others seated on fluffy white clouds, and a few astride pure white cranes. It was a scene straight from an Immortal's paradise.

Shi Yue formed another hand seal, directing the green leaf downward. He passed effortlessly through the barrier. The leaf carried him southeast, eventually descending near the base of a verdant peak several hundred zhangtall.

At the mountain's foot stood a humble courtyard. Its walls, haphazardly built from stacked bluestone, were thick with green moss. This was Shi Yue's dwelling – the smallest and least Spirit Energy-rich courtyard on Verdant Origin Peak.

Most residents of Verdant Origin Peak were Outer Sect Disciples of the Ethereal Sect. The higher one's residence on the mountain, the richer the ambient Spiritual Energy. Shi Yue longed for a spacious dwelling bathed in potent energy, but the harsh reality was his inability to pay the rent confined him to this dilapidated yard.

The Ethereal Sect decreed: Outer Sect Disciples must pay rent for their dwellings. Courtyards under one mucost five Spirit Stones per year (or equivalent goods). Those over one mucost ten Spirit Stones, plus five additional stones for each extra mu. Any fraction counted as a full mu. Crucially, Foundation Establishment disciples and Inner Sect Disciples enjoyed free residences, regardless of size, paying not a single stone.

This rule aimed to spur Qi Refining Stage disciples to focus relentlessly on cultivation, striving to become Inner Sect Disciples or achieve Foundation Establishment. While beneficial for the Sect's long-term strength, for the vast majority of Qi Refining disciples, it was a crushing weight on their chests, stifling their breath.

Most lacked influential backing; they'd earned their place through sheer effort. To scrape together Spirit Stones for cultivation, they took on any grueling, dirty task available. Some even gambled their lives, venturing deep into the mountains to hunt Spirit Beasts – often never returning.

In this harsh economy, the size of one's Spirit Field became paramount, especially for Outer Sect Disciples without family wealth. A larger field meant more Spirit Rice or medicinal herbs to plant and sell. A small field forced disciples to seek other work: patrolling the Sect gates, watering the fields of Foundation Establishment Elders, and the like. Toiling relentlessly, the average Qi Refining disciple barely earned enough Spirit Stones to sustain their meager cultivation progress. Few ever broke through to Foundation Establishment.

Shi Yue pulled out the square token again, aiming it at his courtyard. A flash of azure light shot out, sinking into the yard. Each courtyard had a small, non-lethal protective ward. While harmless, triggering it caused a loud commotion, deterring thieves.

With the ward deactivated, Shi Yue pushed open the gate and entered. To the left stood a crude stone hut, roughly five meters square – his place for meditation. The entire one-mucourtyard was dominated by a Spirit Field, save for the hut.

The field grew a unique Spirit Rice. Its stalks were thick as bowls, each bearing several fist-sized grains. The leaves were broad, flat, and strikingly crimson-purple, releasing a faint, pleasant fragrance. This hardy Spirit Rice required little care, maturing once a year. Its market price was one Spirit Stone per jin. Harvest was due in just two days.

Shi Yue closed the gate and began murmuring incantations. A dense aura of blue light coalesced around him. After a moment, he ceased the chant and pointed towards the field. The blue light surged upwards, coalescing into a massive white cloud that completely enveloped the Spirit Field.

"Descend," Shi Yue commanded, sending a pulse of energy into the cloud. The cloud churned, releasing a fine, cool drizzle that saturated the entire field.

A short while later, Shi Yue formed another hand seal. The cloud dispersed, and the rain ceased. Satisfied, he nodded and entered the stone hut.

Inside was starkly simple: a gray stone bed a zhanglong, topped by a thin cotton quilt; beside it, a stone table about a meter high held a small earthenware pot.

Gurgle... gurgle...Shi Yue's stomach protested loudly.

Frowning, he approached the table, lifted the pot's lid, and chanted again. Blue light gathered, forming a watermelon-sized sphere of water. Shi Yue ended the spell, and the water sphere dropped neatly into the pot.

From his Storage Pouch, he retrieved a fist-sized yellow Spirit Grain. Rubbing it gently between his hands, the brittle husk crumbled away, revealing translucent grains emitting a subtle fragrance. Shi Yue cut the large grain into chunks, dropped them into the pot, and replaced the lid.

Cradling the pot in his left hand, he formed a seal with his right and chanted once more.

Whoosh!A vibrant crimson flame erupted from his left palm, engulfing the pot in intense heat. Soon, a rich, mouth-watering aroma filled the hut.

Shi Yue focused, reducing the flame's intensity. Moments later, with a soft puff, the flame vanished. He swiftly placed the scalding pot on the table and lifted the lid.

Inside lay a layer of rice, white as fresh snow. Shi Yue scooped out a portion with a wooden spoon and took a bite. This common Spirit Rice smelled divine but tasted bland. Its main virtue was filling the belly; the Spiritual Energy it contained was pitifully scant. This single pot would sustain him for a day.

Qi Refining disciples could claim a free vial of Fasting Pills each month from the Mission Hall – ifthey completed their Routine Tasks or had reached at least Qi Refining Stage Ten. Trapped in the mysterious space for ten days, Shi Yue had missed his deadline. Without completing Steward Wang's assigned task, there would be no free pills.

After eating his fill, Shi Yue settled cross-legged on the stone bed and retrieved the blue pearl from his robes, studying it intently. Remembering his previous ordeal, he dared not channel Magical Power into it again, fearing another entrapment.

The Spiritual Energy inside the pearl's space is so much denser than the outside world,he mused. If only I could enter and leave freely... what a boon that would be!

A sudden memory surfaced: his late parents had mentioned that powerful artifacts required Blood Drip Acknowledgment. What if he performed the ritual on the pearl? Could that grant him control over entering the mysterious space?

The thought stirred excitement. After a moment's consideration, Shi Yue drew his Crimson Moon Sword. He made a light cut on his finger. A small wound opened, and a bead of Essence Blood welled up, dripping onto the blue pearl.

The blood bead vanished instantly, abspearled by the pearl. Yet, the artifact itself showed no visible change.

"Not enough Essence Blood?" Shi Yue murmured to himself. Hesitating only briefly, he squeezed the wound, forcing several more drops onto the pearl's surface. They, too, were swiftly abspearled without effect.

Frowning, Shi Yue tried once more, dripping additional blood. Still, the pearl remained inert.

"Was I mistaken?" Shi Yue puzzled, brows deeply furrowed, confusion clouding his eyes.

After pondering fruitlessly, he tucked the pearl securely back into his robes. Its secrets would have to wait. Now, days overdue, he hadto get to the Mission Hall and secure a new task. Otherwise, next month would bring not a single Spirit Stone.

With that urgent thought, Shi Yue left his courtyard, mounted his artifact, and soared back into the sky. The Mission Hall awaited.