Chapter 54: Xiaohua is a Descendant of the Exotic Beast "Zhi

Chapter 54: Chapter 54: Xiaohua is a Descendant of the Exotic Beast "Zhi

"Different?" Dong Xing’s face was filled with skepticism. What could possibly be different about a Tusked Pig?

"Have you ever seen a Tusked Pig like Xiaohua?" Li Changsheng countered.

Dong Xing froze. It was true—judging by Xiaohua’s appearance and aura, it didn’t look like a farm-raised Tusked Pig at all. He wondered, "Could it really be different?"

Dong Xing stared intently at the piglet in the beast pen, his brows furrowed.

Li Changsheng pointed at Big Flower in the pen and continued, "Take a closer look at Big Flower. Does it look like a regular Tusked Pig to you?"

This time, Dong Xing observed very carefully, examining it from its hooves and bristles all the way to the top of its head. Upon closer inspection, he did notice some anomalies. First was its size—it was significantly larger than an average Tusked Pig. Furthermore, under the light, its bristles faintly exuded a metallic luster.

Uncertain of what to make of it, Dong Xing turned to Li Changsheng and urged, "Junior Brother, stop keeping me in suspense. Tell me what’s going on."

Li Changsheng’s gaze flickered. After a few seconds of contemplation, he said solemnly, "To be completely honest, Xiaohua is a descendant of a mutant Spirit Beast known as a ’Zhi’. Big Flower might not share that lineage, but it is still a Tier One Middle-grade Spirit Beast."

Dong Xing looked confused. "A mutant Spirit Beast? A Zhi?"

"Exactly!" Li Changsheng nodded earnestly. "According to ancient texts, Jin Yue Mountain is home to a strange beast called the Zhi. It resembles a pig, but with fangs like crescent moons and a body covered in black bristles. It possesses a strange ability to transform its bristles into an impenetrable armor that no mortal force can break!

"It’s completely normal that you haven’t heard of it, Senior Brother. I only read about this mutant beast in an ancient tome myself."

Dong Xing’s eyes lit up. "Where is this ancient tome?"

Li Changsheng spread his hands. "I read it back when I was a mortal, so I didn’t bring it with me."

"Then how do I know if it’s true or not?" Dong Xing frowned, feeling a bit suspicious.

"I can only tell you that it was definitely born from Xiaohua and Big Flower," Li Changsheng replied with a shrug.

"This..." Dong Xing leaned over to peer into the beast pen, his expression conflicted.

Glancing at the sky, Li Changsheng said, "Senior Brother, why don’t you go back and think it over carefully? I still have some matters to attend to..."

"Oh, alright. I’ll think about it some more..."

As Dong Xing left the courtyard, he kept looking back with every few steps, glancing between the majestic Xiaohua and the beast pen, his heart completely torn.

Once he was far enough away, Li Changsheng vaulted onto Xiaohua’s back with a mere thought.

BUZZ...

The swarm of insects took flight from the roof and darted over. Compared to before, they were much faster. Their overall size had shrunk slightly, but their outer carapaces looked noticeably thicker and sturdier. Their mandibles, in particular, had grown even sharper.

Li Changsheng reached out and summoned one of the Red-winged Blood Bamboos, fixing his gaze upon it.

[Target: Slave Insect]

[Species: Red-winged Blood Bamboo]

[Tier One Low-grade: 1%]

[Talents: Blood Devour, Blood Poison.]

[Status: Healthy.]

"It gained a new talent, Blood Poison..." Li Changsheng chuckled. He waved his hand to release the insect and patted Xiaohua’s back. "Let’s go, Xiaohua!"

OINK OINK...

Xiaohua grunted and sauntered out the gate.

Under the leadership of Big Bro and Little Bro, the insect swarm remained split in two: one group circled around Li Changsheng, while the other scattered into the surrounding grass to hunt down other bugs.

Previously, they would drag their prey back to share the meal. However, the newly evolved Red-winged Blood Bamboos were much more ruthless. They used their sharp legs to seize an insect, pierced it with their mandibles, and injected the Blood Poison. Once the prey’s flesh dissolved into a bloody slurry, they sucked it dry, leaving nothing but an empty husk behind.

Before long, Xiaohua carried Li Changsheng to the uppermost terrace of the Zone D Spirit Field. At this moment, Steward Ma, Elder Wang, and the other two had yet to arrive.

He thought, "Maybe I should use this time to see if anyone is growing Jade Grass or Blood Essence Grass..."

With a mental nudge, Li Changsheng steered Xiaohua toward the adjacent Spirit Fields. They passed several plots, all of which were filled with Yellow Seed Spirit Rice. Li Changsheng felt a tinge of disappointment. If no one was growing the herbs he needed in these fields, he would have to make the trek up to the Marketplace at the mountain peak.

Just as this thought crossed his mind, Xiaohua brought him to a Spirit Field planted with Golden Marrow Spirit Grass. Li Changsheng swept his gaze over it and was about to urge Xiaohua forward when a flash of vivid jade-green caught the corner of his eye.

"Huh?"

Li Changsheng let out a sound of surprise and quickly turned his head. Upon taking a closer look, a look of pleasant surprise washed over his face.

In the vegetable garden of a small courtyard beside the path, alongside the usual melons and fruits, grew three dense, lush rows of Jade Grass.

Li Changsheng quickly steered Xiaohua to the front door and called out into the yard, "Is Senior Brother home?"

A moment later, a pale-faced middle-aged Cultivator, appearing to be in his thirties, walked out of the house.

Seeing the man, Li Changsheng vaulted to the ground and cupped his hands in greeting. "Greetings, Senior Brother. I am Li Changsheng. I cultivate the Spirit Fields at the foot of the mountain."

He Qing frowned as he sized up Li Changsheng and Xiaohua. When he noticed the swarm of insects hovering in mid-air, his expression shifted slightly. "What... what do you want?" he asked cautiously.

Li Changsheng pointed at the Jade Grass in the vegetable garden and asked directly, "I was wondering if you’d be willing to sell some of your Jade Grass, Senior Brother?"

"Hmm?" He Qing was taken aback. He wanted to buy Jade Grass? Was he serious, or was this a front for something else?

"Senior Brother?" Li Changsheng called out softly.

"Oh, right..." He Qing snapped back to his senses and said, slightly flustered, "Yes, it’s for sale. One Spirit Stone for sixty stalks!"

Li Changsheng’s eyes lit up. After a moment of thought, he flipped his hand and produced five Spirit Stones. "Then please sell me three hundred stalks, Senior Brother."

"Alright." Staring at the five Spirit Stones, He Qing hesitated for a moment before walking stiffly to the gate and opening it.

Li Changsheng handed over the Spirit Stones with a smile. "Thank you, Senior Brother."

He Qing nodded and pocketed the Spirit Stones. "Dig them up yourself." With that, he turned and went straight back into the wooden cabin.

"Dig them up myself?" Li Changsheng muttered, shaking his head at the tightly shut wooden door. "What a weirdo..." He stepped into the vegetable garden, harvested three hundred stalks of Jade Grass, and walked out of the courtyard feeling thoroughly satisfied.

"He really was just buying Jade Grass..."

Behind the door, He Qing heaved a massive sigh of relief after Li Changsheng left. He then walked deeper into the cabin.

Inside the room was a pit, roughly a meter wide and long, covered by a faint, glowing barrier. Piled densely within the pit were roughly a thousand Spirit Stones.

In the center of the Spirit Stones stood a gray stone stele, beneath which lay a coiled insect as thick as a human arm. Its entire body was a dark, bloody red, and its tail bore a strange, bulging sac. As its body expanded and contracted in rhythm, wisps of Spiritual Qi seeped out from the surrounding Spirit Stones and surged into its body.

He Qing’s expression shifted wildly as he muttered, "Soon... it will be soon..."

After leaving the courtyard, Li Changsheng rode Xiaohua to browse the other Spirit Fields. This time, he didn’t just look at the fields; he kept a close eye on the adjacent courtyards as well.

As the morning sun climbed higher, casting its bright rays over the land, Li Changsheng rode Xiaohua back with a broad smile on his face. He had managed to find Blood Essence Grass as well, buying several pounds of the dried herb for just a few Spirit Stones. According to the Cultivator who sold it to him, Blood Essence Grass—being an herb entirely devoid of Spiritual Power—grew abundantly throughout the Wanzhong Mountains Range, often blanketing entire patches of land.

Just as he was lost in thought, a streak of azure light suddenly descended from the sky. When the light dissipated, it revealed Steward Ma, Elder Wang, and the others.

Li Changsheng quickly vaulted to the ground and cupped his hands. "Greetings, Steward."

Steward Ma nodded slightly and commanded, "Let’s begin the inspection."

"Yes, Sir," they replied respectfully in unison.

Under Steward Ma’s lead, the group went through the Spirit Fields one by one, exterminating the Black Blood Moths.

As time slowly crept by, Li Changsheng frowned as he observed Wu Yong’s increasingly bizarre behavior. He wondered, "What is wrong with him...?"