Journey to the West: A clone sacrifices to the heavens, possessing boundless magical power.

Although the book only records low-level techniques, it was like a key to Shen Feng, who possessed the rudiments of the Samadhi Divine Wind, unlocking many previously unimaginable paths.

He read and simultaneously deduced the meaning in his mind.

Although the original Samadhi Divine Wind had become smoother after being refined by the Qi of Yi Wood, its attack methods were still limited. Now, combined with the micro-management experience of these predecessors, many ingenious ideas came to mind.

"Wind blades don't have to be crescent-shaped; if they are condensed into needles, their penetrating power can increase threefold."

"There's no need to withstand the wind shield head-on. If it rotates at high speed to form a cyclone, it can deflect most of the force."

"And then there's the wind-borne pollination technique used for spiritual plants; if used in reverse, it becomes a withering wind that strips away life..."

Time flew by as I read and deduced.

Besides wind-based magic, Shen Feng also greedily absorbed knowledge about identifying spiritual herbs and processing basic refining materials.

He found a few words about the ginseng fruit tree in a book called "Tales of Strange Herbs":

"The ginseng fruit blooms once every three thousand years, bears fruit once every three thousand years, and takes another three thousand years to ripen. In the short term, only thirty fruits are produced every ten thousand years. If a person is fortunate enough to smell the fruit, they will live for three hundred and sixty years. If they eat one, they will live for forty-seven thousand years."

"This tree is the essence of Jia wood. Earth nourishes wood, so it enters when it encounters earth. Wood overcomes water, so it transforms when it encounters water. Metal overcomes wood, so it falls when it encounters metal. Fire drains wood, so it is scorched when it encounters fire."

Shen Feng already knew the harvesting method based on the five elements' mutual generation and restraint, but at this moment, his heart was still stirred.

The effects of this ginseng fruit are exactly as described in "Journey to the West"!

If the subsequent plans go smoothly, immortality will no longer be a distant legend. Thinking of this, his blood boiled and he could hardly contain himself.

"clang!"

A melodious bell rang out, echoing throughout the library.

The time has come.

Shen Feng suddenly woke up and glanced out the window; it was almost dusk.

"The Ancestor of Earthly Immortals, the Primordial Dao Fruit..."

He closed the last book on the basics of formations in his hand and let out a long sigh of relief.

Although I didn't learn any specific powerful spells, what I gained in this half-day far surpassed what I gained in half a month of arduous training.

Shen Feng returned the token to the disciple guarding the library and walked out of the library.

The setting sun, like blood, dyed the sea of ​​clouds on Longevity Hill a golden red.

He stood on the steps, looking back at the simple library, and then at the misty inner peak in the distance.

That is the true world of cultivation.

This place is merely the threshold between the mortal realm and the path to immortality.

Shen Feng withdrew his gaze, his expression returning to its usual calm.

He walked down the mountain path with steady steps.

By the time we returned to the thatched hut in the Earth Spirit Herb Garden, it was already completely dark.

Shen Feng was about to push the door open when he suddenly stopped.

His keen senses detected an extremely subtle fluctuation in the barrier in front of the house. Although the traces had been deliberately erased, it could not escape his perception of the flow of energy.

Someone has been here.

Moreover, this occurred during the time he was in the library.

Shen Feng made no sound and casually pushed open the door to enter.

The room was furnished as before, seemingly unchanged, but he walked to the bedside and reached under the pillow to feel around.

There was a booklet there that he used to record the growth data of the spiritual plants.

The booklet has been read!

"Zhao Yuan?"

Shen Feng's lips curled into a cold smile.

Aside from that extremely jealous scion of a powerful family, he couldn't think of anyone else who would be interested in a poor, lowly servant like himself.

"It seems some people are already getting impatient."

Shen Feng gently stroked the edge of the booklet with his fingers, a glint of blue light flashing in his eyes.

He did not linger in the house. He turned around, pushed open the door, and went straight to the Earth Spirit Herb Garden behind the house.

Since Zhao Yuan went to such lengths to infiltrate this place, it was certainly not just to look through an unimportant record book.

For cultivators, destroying someone's path to immortality is often more dreaded than killing someone to steal their treasures, and for a spiritual herb grower, the greatest vulnerability lies in the spiritual herbs in his small plot of land.

The Diling Herb Garden is filled with spiritual energy. Under the moonlight, hundreds of rare spiritual herbs stretch their branches and leaves, creating a seemingly peaceful scene.

However, the moment Shen Feng stepped onto the ridge of the field, his brows furrowed.

Not right.

The free-floating essence of Yi wood in the air is fluctuating at an abnormal frequency, as if something is stealing the life force from the earth's veins.

"The wind rises."

Shen Feng silently recited the mantra, and a tiny wisp of breeze slid from his palm, spreading along the ground.

His divine sense attached itself to the wind and instantly burrowed three feet into the soil.

The sacred land, which should have been full of spiritual energy, was now covered with countless tiny holes.

Near the roots of those precious medicinal herbs, lurking were tiny black ants, each the size of a fingernail.

These ants were jet black and shiny, with a dark gold stripe running down their backs. Their mouthparts were menacing, and they were silently gnawing at the most essential part of the spiritual herb's root.

"Spirit-Eating Ants".

Shen Feng's gaze sharpened as he recognized this infamous pest.

This insect is a descendant of a different species. Although it does not have high intelligence, it feeds exclusively on spiritual energy. Moreover, its shell is as hard as iron, impervious to water and fire, and it is adept at concealing its presence.

Once an ant plague breaks out, it can destroy a century's worth of medicinal garden's accumulation in an instant. The outer gate of Wuzhuang Temple is protected by a great formation, and ordinary demonic insects cannot penetrate it at all, unless... someone deliberately brought them in.

"Good tactic."

Shen Feng sneered. The Spirit-Eating Ants reproduce extremely quickly. If he hadn't noticed them tonight, by tomorrow morning, this Earth Spirit Herb Garden would probably only be a withered, yellow expanse.

At that time, he will lose his status as an outer sect spiritual plant grower, and may even lose his life.

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps and a whooshing sound came from afar.

Several streaks of light pierced the night sky, heading straight for the Earth Spirit Herb Garden.

The person in the lead was Tian, ​​the steward in charge of this area, and beside him, bowing and scraping as he led the way, was Zhao Yuan's follower, the handyman disciple nicknamed Skinny Monkey.

Zhao Yuan followed closely behind, looking anxious and concerned.

"Manager Tian, ​​it's just ahead! I was transporting spiritual materials when I passed by this place and vaguely sensed something strange about the earth's energy. It seemed like there were demonic insects causing trouble. Shen Feng has just taken over this place, so he might lack experience. If something goes wrong..."

Manager Tian's face turned ashen. After landing, he didn't say a word and immediately scanned the medicinal field with his divine sense.

Upon that glance, his face turned deathly pale.

"Spirit-eating ants! How can there be so many spirit-eating ants!"

Manager Tian roared, turning sharply to look at Shen Feng standing on the edge of the field, and shouted sternly, "Shen Feng! How have you been managing the herb garden? Such a large-scale ant infestation has been lurking for at least two hours, and you didn't notice a thing?"

Shen Feng remained calm and cupped his hands, saying, "Reporting to the steward, this disciple only just discovered it and was about to use magic to treat it."

"Just discovered it? By the time you treat it, it'll be too late!" Zhao Yuan stepped forward, pointing at the medicinal herb in the ground with a pained expression. "Shen Feng, you were so careless."

"These spirit-eating ants are a major pest of spiritual plants, feeding exclusively on roots and stems. Once they take root, they are extremely difficult to eradicate. This medicinal garden contains seedlings of Purple Dragon Ginseng. If they are damaged, can you afford to compensate for the loss?"