Plant VS Cultivation

Chapter 177: Molten Torch Stump

Seeing Liu Shulan nod, Gu Mo took out another Grade-3 top-tier Torch Stump and handed it to her, along with an explanation of how to use it. A Grade-3 top-tier Torch Stump, when planted inside Liu Shulan's alchemy room saturated with Grade-4 spiritual energy, could—by harnessing its short-term explosive potential—fully unleash the power of a Grade-4 item.

It was a pity that the spiritual grounds within Shennong Valley weren't tradable. Otherwise, Gu Mo would have given up both a cauldron and a spirit flame just for a piece of Grade-4 spiritual land.

As for simply piggybacking on a Nascent Soul cultivator's Grade-4 land, the sect didn't actually prohibit it. Many core disciples of Nascent Soul elders often used their master's Grade-4 cultivation cave to break through bottlenecks or tough stages.

But Gu Mo harbored too many secrets. Borrowing someone else's Grade-4 land was out of the question. If he wanted a plot of his own, he'd have to slowly accumulate sect contribution points to exchange for one.

Still, Gu Mo was full of confidence. This time, he had gained a cauldron at the level of a top-tier magic treasure and acquired a new type of spirit flame—both of which would greatly enhance his alchemy skills.

He even considered promoting the Torch Stump to other high-level alchemists and artifact refiners who possessed spirit flames.

But on second thought, he gave up the idea for now. He dared to trade with Liu Shulan because she was a sect elder—one of their own.

Even if Liu Shulan grew curious about the Torch Stump, sect laws and the support Gu Mo had from his powerful grandmaster were enough to deter her from any reckless ideas. But if it were other high-level cultivators, they might just try to rob him the moment they laid eyes on such a treasure.

"Pick any cauldron you like from here," Liu Shulan said, clearly fond of the stump she was fiddling with. Although the stump was far from attractive, it had instantly won her over. After all, no alchemist would ever turn down a treasure that could elevate their alchemy skills.

"Elder Liu, I'll take that one," Gu Mo said, pointing to the cauldron he had just used. He felt incredibly comfortable using it. Although it didn't have any flashy effects or enhancements, it was reliable and well-built.

Along with the top-tier cauldron, Gu Mo would also be taking possession of the Molten Torch Stump that held the Earthcore Flame.

With that, the deal between them was officially sealed.

Gu Mo then handed his sect disciple token to Liu Shulan for authentication. Without it, he wouldn't be able to take on alchemy assignments.

"Gu Mo? You're Gu Mo?"

Liu Shulan's eyes flickered with surprise as she took the token. As a sect elder, she had attended the recent high-level meetings and naturally heard about him.

The matter of Hou Chunyu trying to secure true disciple status for Gu Mo had come up, and Liu Shulan had read the jade slip Hou Chunyu had left behind. It detailed Gu Mo's extraordinary talent and aptitude, no less impressive than a true disciple, and even mentioned his exceptional skills as a spiritual planter. At the time, Liu Shulan had assumed that Hou Chunyu might've exaggerated a little—not that it mattered much.

It was only natural for Hou Chunyu to speak as favorably as possible when trying to elevate someone to true disciple status. He wouldn't have gone overboard, though—if things got exposed, he'd only embarrass himself.

But now, Liu Shulan felt that not only had Hou Chunyu not exaggerated—he had understated it. Being able to cultivate a Torch Stump capable of storing a spirit flame? That wasn't just "talent in spiritual planting"—that was monstrous.

And then there was Gu Mo's remarkable alchemy talent, which Hou Chunyu hadn't even mentioned. What, was his identity as an alchemist not even worth bringing up?

"I am, Elder," Gu Mo replied, slightly puzzled by her reaction. This was his first time meeting Liu Shulan—how did she already know who he was?

"Not bad. Your branch isn't known for alchemy. If you run into any problems in your practice, feel free to come to me." Liu Shulan stamped a Grade-3 Alchemist certification onto his disciple token and handed it back.

Now that she understood who Gu Mo was, she also realized that his appearance didn't signify some broader push from Hou Chunyu's lineage into the alchemy field. Gu Mo was likely an exception.

Hou Chunyu's branch was renowned for its strength in spiritual planting. While there were many sect branches focusing on cultivation of spiritual flora, Hou Chunyu's lineage had consistently ranked among the top few.

From what Liu Shulan knew of Hou Chunyu, he would never split his focus toward alchemy.

"Thank you, Elder!"

Gu Mo was delighted. Just as with cultivation, he had walked the path of alchemy alone—relying entirely on his own comprehension and the Grade-4 alchemist legacy he had obtained from He Shaogang's storage ring. With the help of the abundant spirit herbs in the sea region and the Torch Stump's assistance, he had climbed his way to become a Grade-3 alchemist.

Now, with a Grade-4 alchemist as a potential mentor, he could avoid many detours. It could be said that since joining Shennong Valley, he had finally found experts to consult for every path he was walking—cultivation, spiritual planting, and now alchemy.

But now wasn't the right time to ask questions. Gu Mo tucked away his token and took his leave.

"Go on, then."

Liu Shulan nodded. At the moment, she was eager to begin transferring the Earthcore Flame into the Torch Stump in her hand. The flame was consuming her spirit materials by the second.

Not to mention the stump itself—she fully intended to research it in depth. Gu Mo might be a Grade-3 spiritual planter, but so was she—and she was also a Nascent Soul cultivator. Liu Shulan was confident she could uncover the stump's secrets.

What intrigued Liu Shulan most was the Torch Stump's ability to contain a spirit flame. If she could unlock its secrets, it might allow her to elevate her own mastery over spirit flames to a whole new level.

"Junior Brother Gu, I've got some connections here in Shennong Valley. If you ever need something, feel free to come to me," said Qian Tao with a respectful clasp of his hands.

Having witnessed the mystical power of the Torch Stump firsthand, Qian Tao refrained from directly asking Gu Mo to sell him one. After all, his master had traded a top-tier magic treasure cauldron and a rare spirit flame seed just to obtain a single stump.

Qian Tao didn't have that kind of wealth. To ask would only be to humiliate himself. However, he did know the location of a certain secret realm. He planned to explore it when the time was right, hoping to obtain some treasures and use them to trade with Gu Mo later on.

As a Grade-3 alchemist, Qian Tao's combat strength was far from exceptional—but just as he'd said, he had solid connections.

And those connections weren't limited to Shennong Valley. Qian Tao had a respectable network even outside the sect. He intended to form a team and explore the secret realm together.

"Then I thank you, Senior Brother," Gu Mo replied, bowing in appreciation.

Naturally, Gu Mo could see right through Qian Tao's intentions. But the Torch Stump wasn't something he'd give away for free. He had given one to Liu Shulan because she had something he urgently needed.

If Qian Tao couldn't offer anything worthwhile in return, Gu Mo had no intention of parting with another stump.

After bidding Qian Tao farewell, Gu Mo made his way to the Mission Hall to start accepting alchemy assignments.

---

Leaf Courtyard

The ordinary Torch Stump, the Iceflame Stump, and the Molten Torch Stump were arranged in a triangular formation, with a top-grade cauldron standing tall in the center. This would be Gu Mo's setup for his upcoming alchemy sessions. Using two types of spirit flames to refine pills—this was a privilege even most Grade-4 alchemists could only dream of.

But Gu Mo had achieved it.

Taking out the spirit herbs included with the mission, Gu Mo began his preliminary refining process.

The pill he needed to refine this time was a Grade-1 Vein Expanding Pill, which helps Qi Condensation cultivators open their meridians and strengthen their cultivation foundation.

Despite being a Grade-1 pill, it was notoriously difficult to make. Furthermore, the commission Gu Mo had accepted required top-grade Vein Expanding Pills.

The higher the grade, the more powerful the effect. Talented young cultivators would settle for nothing less than top-grade pills, and they were willing to pay handsomely for them. That's why the payout for this assignment was above average—even compared to many Grade-3 alchemy missions.

But producing top-grade pills was incredibly demanding.

Just as most cultivators hit a bottleneck at mastering a spell, most alchemists hit their limit with high-grade pills. Top-grade pills required near-perfect control and synergy of all elements.

Because of that, this mission had been sitting unclaimed for a long time. Grade-3 alchemists could easily guarantee high-grade results—but top-grade? No promises.

If the mission had only called for one or two top-grade pills, some alchemists might have taken the chance. The ingredients for a Grade-1 pill weren't expensive, so a few failed attempts wouldn't break the bank.

However, this commission demanded nine top-grade Vein Expanding Pills—the maximum number a Qi Condensation cultivator could take. Naturally, quality mattered most.

That quantity alone had scared off every would-be taker.

But Gu Mo had accepted the mission without hesitation. With two different spirit flames at his disposal, and the precise flame control of the Torch Stumps, he was confident.

He also understood the massive demand for top-grade Vein Expanding Pills. Though useless for cultivators in Foundation Establishment or above, for those just stepping into the cultivation world, they could drastically increase a person's potential.

Whenever a batch of these pills hit the market, powerful sects and major clans scrambled to buy them for their most promising disciples—laying solid foundations for future advancement.

One batch of herbs after another was refined—some purified by the icy chill of the Iceflame, others tempered by the crushing weight of the Earthcore Flame. Gu Mo continued to weave alchemical hand seals, merging the purified essences together.

Roughly a quarter of an hour later, a dense medicinal fragrance filled the courtyard.

A smile appeared at Gu Mo's lips—he had succeeded.

This batch yielded only one pill, even though the amount of ingredients used would typically result in a dozen or more. But to guarantee a top-grade result, Gu Mo had compressed all the medicinal potency into a single pill.

And that one top-grade Vein Expanding Pill was worth far more than dozens—perhaps even hundreds—of ordinary ones.

He formed the pill-sealing hand seal, and a perfectly round pill appeared. It bore a single pill pattern, the unmistakable hallmark of a top-grade pill.

Gu Mo continued refining. Though there were a few failures, his overall success rate remained around 80%—and that was specifically for top-grade pills, not just any pills.

Once nine top-grade Vein Expanding Pills were complete, Gu Mo placed them into a specially-made jade bottle. The commission was done.

Total time elapsed: less than one day.

For reference, refining a Grade-3 pill—start to finish—could easily take several months. A single failure would double that time.

Gu Mo had chosen this Grade-1 assignment not just because he had confidence in his twin spirit flames, but also because lower-grade pills took much less time to make.

When trying to earn sect contribution points quickly, speed was critical. With the pills in hand, Gu Mo headed to the Mission Hall to submit his completed task.

---

A Certain Branch of the Ancient Tree

"Master, I've broken through to late-stage Qi Condensation!" a young girl excitedly ran to report her latest breakthrough.

"Well done!"

Her master, a late-stage Core Formation cultivator, was clearly delighted. Yet beneath his joy lurked a growing anxiety.

His disciple's cultivation speed was too fast—and the top-grade Vein Expanding Pills he had commissioned still hadn't arrived. These pills were only effective during the Qi Condensation stage. And with such an exceptional disciple, the master had ambitious goals.

He wanted to use the pills to lay a powerful foundation for her, preparing her to one day vie for the sect's coveted true disciple status.

He had posted the commission when she first began cultivating. Now that she was already late-stage Qi Condensation, and still no word of the pills, how could he not be anxious?

There were other ways to strengthen a disciple's foundation—such as mastering the Purification Technique to the perfect realm—but reaching that level was extremely difficult.

His disciple didn't seem particularly gifted in that technique either. Natural treasures could also help, but even he, a late-stage Core Formation cultivator, struggled to acquire such items.

After weighing all his options, top-grade Vein Expanding Pills remained the best choice.

"If it really comes to it, I'll swallow my pride and ask my master to petition Elder Liu."

It was his worst-case scenario—but if nothing else worked, he'd have no choice but to request Elder Liu Shulan of the alchemy division to step in.

Of course, doing so would cost his master a huge favor. A favor from a Nascent Soul cultivator was no small thing.

No one was willing to owe such a debt unless absolutely necessary.

"Master! Master!"

Just then, a young man came running in.

"What's with the panic?" the elder snapped, annoyed. His thoughts had been interrupted. This disciple of his never trained seriously, always running around aimlessly.

Seeing his master angry, the young man shrank back a little—but then quickly grew excited again. "Master, the commission you posted earlier—it's been fulfilled!"

The words had barely left his mouth when the Core Formation cultivator vanished on the spot.

"Tch. And he scolded me for panicking…" the youth muttered.

"What was that? Come on, you're coming with me!"

A hand grabbed him, making him jump. But before he could say another word, both master and disciple shot off into the sky.

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