Gou Zai Fei Men made up myths

Su Xiao gestured to Sun Xiaolan: "Xiaolan, you're very observant. See if you have any notes or travelogues about spiritual herbs, minerals, or local customs."

She walked to a tilted bookshelf, picked up a few books at random and flipped through them. Most of them were local chronicles, genealogies, and even a few vernacular novels. Just as the constable had said, they were not of much value.

Sun Xiaolan responded and carefully began rummaging through a pile of miscellaneous items. She had been interested in flowers and plants since childhood and had a talent for identifying spiritual plants.

As she rummaged through the box, she found several yellowed jade slips bound with special silk thread at the bottom of a damaged sandalwood box.

One of the jade slips, made of a warm, lustrous material, was a pale blue color, standing out starkly from the surrounding gray and dusty objects. It also appeared to have a few blurry ancient characters engraved on it.

"Senior Sister Su, look at this..." Sun Xiaolan picked up the light blue jade slip, blew off the dust, and handed it to Su Xiao.

Su Xiao took the jade slip; it felt slightly cool to the touch. She instinctively scanned it with her divine sense. Initially, she didn't have high hopes, assuming it was just another miscellaneous book or account book.

However, when her divine sense touched the inside of the jade slip, her body suddenly trembled! What was recorded in the jade slip was not text, but a series of lifelike dynamic images and a stream of obscure yet profound thoughts!

The video showcases an extremely sophisticated and unheard-of method for cultivating spiritual plants!

It's not simply about fertilizing and watering; it involves using one's own spiritual power to simulate the essence of the sun and moon at different times of day, guide the earth's energy, and even engage in some kind of superficial "communication" with the spiritual plants to stimulate their growth and optimize their medicinal properties!

Several of these methods were specifically targeted at several spiritual herbs that the Qingyun Sect's herb garden was currently trying to cultivate, but which were progressing slowly!

The descriptions of the methods for guiding the Moonlight Grass to absorb moonlight at night and the stimulation techniques for expanding the root system of the Earth Dragon Root are particularly detailed! It's as if this was tailor-made for the current predicament of the Qingyun Sect!

What shocked Su Xiao even more was that the concepts contained in this method subtly echoed some of the vague ideas she had when she studied the "Optimized Basic Breathing Method" bestowed upon her by her senior brother, the sect leader, but were more systematic and profound! This was definitely not a legacy that ordinary rogue cultivators or small families could possess!

She suppressed the turmoil in her heart, striving to maintain a calm expression, though her fingertips trembled slightly. She quickly put away the jade slip and whispered to Sun Xiaolan, "Xiaolan, this jade slip... seems to record some ancient agricultural methods. It's quite interesting. I'll take it back and take a look. Don't tell anyone about this."

Seeing that Su Xiao's expression was strange, but hearing that it was about "agricultural methods", Sun Xiaolan felt strange but didn't think much of it and obediently nodded: "Yes, I understand, Senior Sister Su".

Su Xiao casually picked up a few other unimportant jade slips and some miscellaneous books, and said to Shi Tie and the others who were still searching, "Alright, this place is messy and there's nothing to see. Let's go, don't keep the yamen runners waiting."

Shi Tie and the others were already bored, so upon hearing this, they immediately dusted themselves off and followed Su Xiao out of the small building.

On the way back to the inn, Su Xiao's heart was filled with turmoil, unable to calm down. The appearance of this jade slip was too coincidental! A coincidence so striking it was astonishing!

It perfectly solves the biggest problem facing the herb garden, and its concept even corroborates the optimization chapter of the sect leader! Is this really just luck?

She couldn't help but recall the meaningful look her senior brother, the sect leader, had given her before they descended the mountain, and his words of advice: "This journey may bring unexpected joy." Could it be... that her senior brother had already foreseen this?

Could this jade slip be a backup plan left by the founder? Or... was it guided to her by her senior brother, the sect leader, through some means she couldn't understand?

Once the thought took hold, it could no longer be suppressed. Recalling how his senior brother, the sect leader, could always produce exquisite techniques, set up wondrous formations, and even remotely immobilize the wolf spiders, Su Xiao increasingly felt that the Qingyun Sect's foundation was far more complex than it appeared on the surface!

This jade slip is probably not a coincidence, but something inevitable! It is blessed by the sect's destiny and protected by the patriarch in the dark!

Back in the courtyard, Su Xiao immediately locked herself in her room, set up a soundproof barrier, and took out the pale blue jade slip again to study it carefully. The more she read, the more shocked and overjoyed she became!

The spiritual plant cultivation technique recorded in this jade slip is called "Yi Wood Nourishing Essence Technique." Although it is incomplete and only a fragment, the profound principles it contains are enough to elevate the spiritual plant cultivation level of the Qingyun Sect by several levels! If one can master it, the output and quality of the herb garden will experience a qualitative leap!

Suppressing her excitement, she carefully put the jade slip away. That evening, she subtly reported the matter to Shen Mo, who was far away on Qingyun Mountain, through a communication jade talisman.

On the other end of the jade talisman, Shen Mo remained silent for a moment. The voice that came through was still calm, but carried a hint of barely perceptible relief:

"Yes, Junior Sister Xiao is very kind. Since this was obtained by chance, you should study it carefully. This technique may be beneficial to the herb garden. You can study it together with Xiaocao. The sect's inheritance emphasizes accumulation. This is an auspicious sign. There is no need to be overly surprised. Just let nature take its course."

The sect leader's reaction was surprisingly calm, as if he had known all along! This further solidified Su Xiao's suspicions!

Several days later, the five-person team from Qingyun Sect bid farewell to the various forces in Black Mountain City and returned home laden with spoils. Besides the obvious resources, more importantly, they possessed an ancient jade slip that, while seemingly insignificant, could potentially change the very foundation of their sect.

The five-person team from Qingyun Sect quietly left the city that had just experienced a turmoil, amidst the profuse thanks from City Lord Zhao Yuanming and the Zhao family, and the complex and unfathomable gazes of many independent cultivators.

What they took away was not only the generous gifts offered by the City Lord's Mansion and the Zhao family—a full five hundred low-grade spirit stones, a batch of high-quality refining materials, and healing pills—but also something intangible yet extremely important: the recognition of their status as a "friendly alliance" member of Black Mountain City, and a reputation forged with blood and fire.

The atmosphere on the return journey was completely different from that on the way there. The journey there was one of cautious exploration, while the return journey was one of calm composure mixed with an irrepressible excitement.

Although Shi Tie was injured and needed Su Xiao's support from time to time, he held his chest high and his dark face was full of undisguised pride. Occasionally, he would grimace from pulling at his wounds, but that didn't stop him from excitedly bragging to Wang Hu, Sun Xiaolan and Li Tiezhu about the details of the fierce battle last night.

"Hey! You didn't see that! That tarantula was bigger than this tree! When it opened its mouth, the venom rained down like rain! If I hadn't reacted quickly, dodged with a 'Flowing Cloud Step,' and then slammed it into its joint with a 'Mountain Shaking Strike,' how would Junior Sister Su have had a chance to deliver that powerful blow?"

Shi Tie spat and gestured wildly, as if the heavy iron rod was still in his hand.

Wang Hu and his two companions listened with rapt attention, feeling both lingering fear and deep admiration.

"Brother Shi is awesome!" Wang Hu praised sincerely.

"Senior Sister Su's final strike was the key!" Sun Xiaolan added softly, her eyes filled with admiration. "The timing was perfect!"

Su Xiao listened from the side, a faint, helpless smile on her lips, but she didn't interrupt Shi Tie's boasting. This life-or-death battle was a transformative baptism for Shi Tie, for herself, and for the entire team.

It was a good thing to make her companion so proud. She carefully handed Shi Tie a bottle of medicine to promote blood circulation and remove blood stasis, and said softly, "Senior Brother Shi, say less. It's more important to focus on healing. When we get back to the mountain, the sect leader will want to hear our detailed report."

Upon mentioning his senior brother, the sect leader, Shi Tie immediately became more reserved. He chuckled, took the medicine powder, and said no more, but the light in his eyes remained undiminished.