BXBX NOVEL Chapter 571: 570
“Ji Zhi said he has already seen everything once with his heavy pupils and didn’t need to come again,” Yu Yin replied.
“Tch, big deal he knows the path of time,” Jiang Li and Bai Hongtu scoffed simultaneously, expressing their disdain for Ji Zhi’s mastery over time.
Yu Yin looked at the two obstinate men, his heart gentle, and decided not to call them out on their bluster.
“The spiritual grains cultivated by the Spirit Plant Sect greatly benefit the continent of Jiuzhou. The yield has increased by sixty percent compared to several hundred years ago and it’s now more resistant to drought, cold, and lodging,” Yu Yin commented as they passed a wheat field.
The Spirit Plant Sect researched high-quality spiritual grains, with the three having made significant contributions behind the scenes.
Jiang Li suggested that the Spirit Plant Sect research spiritual grains, Bai Hongtu provided technical assistance, and Yu Yin purchased the spiritual grains and promoted them throughout the Tianyuan Emperor Dynasty, advertising for free.
Only then did the yield of the spiritual grains in Jiuzhou increase year by year, reaching heights previously unimaginable to cultivators.
The three passed by a saline pool which was hundreds of meters deep, with spiritual grains planted at the bottom of the pool.
“What’s this for?” Jiang Li asked a disciple who had just surfaced from the pool.
The disciple grimaced, “It’s a task assigned by the elders. The Dragon Palace entrusted us with a project, hoping we could develop spiritual grains that can be cultivated on the seafloor of the Four Seas, so they no longer need to purchase from the mainland. The elders passed the task to me.”
“Any results yet?”
“Yes, after three months of underwater experimentation, I learned to swim.”
“…”
“Anyway, besides that, I didn’t gain anything.”
“I have a fellow senior brother who is in the same predicament. The elders assigned him the task of researching spiritual grains that can also thrive in the extreme north.”
“What use is that?”
“It’s a commission from the monsters of the extreme north. They say there’s a shortage of supplies in the north, not enough food. If this continues, they might end up massacring each other and destroying themselves.”
“So how far along is this senior brother of yours in his research?”
“He’s already got the monsters of the extreme north working together to solve the food issue. For his next step, he plans on persuading them to leave the extreme north for wherever they wish.”
“…your senior brother has quite the idea,” Yu Yin commented, too tired to retort.
Jiang Li and Bai Hongtu looked at each other, finding nothing wrong with the idea.
Isn’t this the first thing people think of normally?
The disciple sighed, “Unfortunately, my senior brother’s method provides no insight. The Dragon Palace can’t possibly move to the land.”
“So how do you plan on tackling this project?” Jiang Li wasn’t very familiar with spirit plant cultivation.
“Advance my cultivation to surpass the elders and give the project back to them.” The disciple was full of fighting spirit; this was his motivation to cultivate.
“We’ll stop pestering you now; I need to claim a spot under the large banyan tree. If I come late, I’ll be left with a spot at the back. I want to sit closer to the front, to close the distance with Jiang, the Human Emperor.”
The disciple waved goodbye to Jiang Li and headed to the great banyan tree to find a spot closest to the Human Emperor.
“Watermelon Hybrid Experiment Field?”
In front of Jiang Li was a watermelon field filled with watermelons of all shapes and sizes.
“Venerable visitor, are you interested in this watermelon field?” The Old Farmer, who was sitting in the middle of the field, warmly welcomed Jiang Li and his party when he saw them.
Jiang Li recognized this person as a God-transformation stage cultivator, at the elder level within the Spirit Plant Sect.
“Never seen anything like it.”
“Then let me show you.”
The old farmer picked up a watermelon that was densely covered with seeds on its rind. When he cut it open, the inner flesh was red and completely devoid of seeds.
“This is the result of a hybridization between a watermelon and a strawberry. Compared to the original seedless watermelon, there’s no need to buy seeds separately, and the taste is much more layered.”
“There’s only one problem.”
“What is it?”
“People who have trypophobia may feel uncomfortable at the sight of the watermelon rind, such as this female cultivator.”
Yu Yin looked at the watermelon with a disgusted look and then turned her head away.
The farmer picked up another fruit that looked normal on the outside, but when he opened it, it was filled with watermelon seeds.
“This is a hybrid product of watermelon and dragon fruit. The seeds, when dried, can be eaten.”
“This is a hybrid of watermelon and coconut. It is full of watermelon juice and saves the process of juicing, but it also has a problem.”
“What is it?”
“The watermelon rind is too hard, not until the Foundation Establishment Stage, can it be broken open. So, many Qi Cultivation Stage youngsters come here to buy my watermelons and modify them into hammer-like weapons.”
“What annoys me the most is that Dao Sect’s Artifact Refinement Peak people came to poach me, saying that my talents are wasted in the Spirit Plant Sect!” The farmer was indignant. It wasn’t his fault that his painstakingly cultivated watermelons had become weapons.
It’s all thanks to the watermelons.
“You’re being modest. Your skill in artifact refining, compared to Jiang Li, is rare. It would be understandable for the Artifact Refinement Peak to approach you.” Bai Hongtu said.
The farmer shook his head and laughed, thinking this was impossible.
Jiang Li was wondering if Bai Hongtu could bear his punch that contained full power.
Before they left, the farmer gave them each a watermelon, and asked them to promote his fruits when they returned home.
The three of them agreed with a smile.
Next, the three of them saw a row of tree houses up ahead. A disciple of the Spirit Plant sect took out a seed, planted it in the ground, murmured something, and the seed absorbed the spiritual energy, quickly grew into a large tree, with the branches intertwined, forming a dense, windproof house that could shelter from the weather.
“If I remember correctly, this is the house tree the Spirit Plant Sect is planning to promote. However, the growth of these trees requires chanting the ‘Planting Trees Spell’, which is not easy to master. That’s why it hasn’t been successfully promoted yet.” Yu Yin seemed to have some impressions about these new Spirit plants.
The Spirit Plant Sect disciple was surprised, he didn’t expect that even outsiders knew about their house trees, “You have a quite broad knowledge, senior. This is our improved version of the House Tree, which no longer requires the user to chant the ‘Planting Trees Spell’.”
The Spirit Plant Sect disciple planted a seed, then took out a recorder, infused it with spiritual energy, and the recorder automatically recited the ‘Planting Trees Spell’. Under the influence, the seed grew into a house.
“This is a recorder developed in collaboration with Ming Zhong World. It can recite the weakened ‘Planting Trees Spell’. The house Tree growth speed is slower by half, but it’s not like we are in a battle, there is no need to chase speed.”
“We have developed both long-term and disposable household trees, suitable for home use and vacations respectively. They are absolutely environmentally friendly.”
“We are preliminarily considering getting intellectual property rights in Zhou Dynasty and then promoting it as a trial.”
“I heard from the officials in Zhou Dynasty, it’s quite troublesome.”
“How is it troublesome?”
“Zhou Dynasty is debating whether to tax it as a real estate or as regular goods. The officials are divided.”
This is a problem that the Zhou Dynasty often faces. Usually, when cultivators invent something new, they will try it out in Zhou. Once Zhou understands their invention, they’ll start selling it to other dynasties.
The other dynasties will directly use the results researched by Zhou. For instance, with the House Trees. If Zhou decides that it should be taxed as real estate, other dynasties will also tax it as real estate tax. If Zhou decides to tax it as common goods tax, other dynasties are likely to tax it as real estate tax anyway.
But it’s not excluded that some dynasties will tax it at the highest rate.
“You three seniors should be the guests invited by our Spirit Plant Sect. It’s late now, and if you don’t have a place to sleep, you can spend the night in my tree house.”
All three of them were interested in the House Tree, so following the hint of the Spirit Plant Sect disciple, they went into a Tree House and spent the night playing cards.
The next day, Jiang Li went to the base of the big banyan tree and started his lecture.
Yu Yin placed her wishful gourd on her lap and listened to Jiang Li’s lecture.
Bai Hongtu tore off the curse talisman and sat on it without a care.
He added a small line next to the sentence “Whoever sits here is a puppy” – “Exceptions are Bai Hongtu and dogs.”
Turning into a dog, impossible. I, Bai, am a very cautious person.