Chapter 14: Chapter 14: Secrets of Growth and New Discoveries
Disguising himself carefully, Lu Fan ventured out to the Star Pavilion, where he discreetly sold his prized Holy Basil. The rare herb fetched a handsome price of 13 mid-grade spirit stones. Pleased with the sale, he then made his way to the main Lu family house to sell other, less valuable herbs, which earned him an additional 600 low-grade spirit stones.
While at the family estate, Lu Fan learned that the Sword Sect, a formidable Nascent Soul sect and the dominant power in the region, had recently undertaken a large hunt, amassing an impressive stockpile of beast blood. As a subsidiary to the Sword Sect, the Lu family had certain privileges, but the journey to reach the Sword Sect would take months. Lu Fan noted the opportunity but decided to focus first on expanding his formation experiments locally.
Building the Next Phase of Arrays
Using his earnings, Lu Fan spent 400 spirit stones on advanced formation materials and also purchased a Level 2 Blood Fig seed, a rare plant known for its properties in enhancing blood-based cultivation. Back at his mountain retreat, he employed his magnet experiment on the Blood Fig seedling and on the Night Jasmine seedling he had acquired earlier. The patterns produced by the two seedlings were complex and unique, revealing potential configurations for new types of arrays.
With these insights, Lu Fan expanded his network of three-dimensional arrays across other mountains, creating distinct herb gardens suited to different plant types. Each array was meticulously aligned with the elemental patterns of the plants, maximizing their growth potential. These arrays mimicked the energy fields of spiritual veins, offering his herbs a pseudo-spiritual environment that promoted accelerated growth.
Several months passed as Lu Fan monitored his herb gardens, and his efforts soon bore fruit. His fourth wife gave birth to a child with a remarkably strong fire spiritual root as well as a secondary earth root. This discovery validated Lu Fan's earlier hypothesis: the spiritual roots of a child could indeed be influenced by the mother's cultivation practice if they aligned with certain elements.
The specific pairing of martial arts and blood stones appeared to play a critical role, enhancing the child's affinity for elements matching those cultivated by the mother. This alignment increased the child's chances of inheriting high-grade spiritual roots for those elements, a breakthrough that had far-reaching implications for Lu Fan's plans.
Looking Ahead
As Lu Fan continued cultivating and strengthening his body, he contemplated the potential of expanding his secret cultivation resources. His disguised visit to the Sword Sect for beast blood was becoming more necessary. The sect's abundant resources could propel him to the Foundation Building realm if he played his cards right.
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