Chapter 375: Far Ahead
Lu Xuan's skill in manipulating multiple flames, known as the "Flame Manipulation Technique," was derived from the experience orbs that emerged after harvesting Flame Fruit. These orbs facilitated a more effortless control over flames. After absorbing several experience orbs, Lu Xuan had reached a minor level of mastery in this technique, rendering the attacks of the flame spirit plant before him as hardly a threat.
With a forceful pinch of his fingers, Lu Xuan crushed a dark red fireball into countless sparks. Using his spiritual power, he blew them away. He pretended to study the flame spirit plant intently, occasionally appearing deep in thought, and even conducted small tests with various types of spiritual power and basic farming techniques to investigate the plant's unique characteristics.
Half a day later, Lu Xuan covertly observed the others. They were still in the early stages of exploration, making slow progress. Realizing this, Lu Xuan relaxed and continued to tinker with the flame spirit plant in front of him. After several attacks, the brightness of the flames on the plant's trunk and leaves had noticeably dimmed, indicating significant depletion.
"Liu Su, how's it going?" Liu Su approached him at some point and asked.
In the world of cultivators, strength was respected. After learning that Lu Xuan had advanced to the middle stage of Foundation Establishment, she naturally transitioned from calling him junior brother to senior brother.
"This flame spirit plant is somewhat peculiar. I've been exploring it for a long time and have some clues, but I'm still not certain," Lu Xuan replied slowly.
"The same goes for the other senior brothers and sisters. Who knows what's the story behind that blessed land, giving rise to so many strange spirit plants," Liu Su sighed, returning to her own spirit plant and continued to stare at it with a worried expression.
"On the surface, I appear clueless, but in reality, I'm orchestrating everything, holding all the strings," Lu Xuan thought to himself, focusing his mind on the flame spirit plant.
He had already nurtured the flame spirit plant with spiritual power of various properties and techniques, and in an instant, he knew the detailed conditions of the spirit plant.
[Unknown spirit plant, transformed from the original third-grade Flowing Fire Wood after being affected by a powerful force of blood and flesh over a long period. The plant possesses rich fire elemental spiritual power, capable of unleashing flames equivalent to a third-grade technique.]
[Upon maturity, the plant condenses fire essence, which can aid in the cultivation of high-grade fire techniques.]
"Again, influenced by the power of blood and flesh, it seems that there indeed is something about that blessed land," Lu Xuan muttered to himself. He had seen records of Flowing Fire Wood in the botanical texts, a third-grade spirit plant, which upon maturity, could be used to refine high-grade fire talismans.
"As for the fire essence..."
Lu Xuan's eyes shimmered with a hazy substance as he stared at the mutated Flowing Fire Wood.
Inside the trunk, he found a small orb rich in fire spirit, slowly moving around. Wherever it passed, the plant's fire elemental spiritual power quickly recovered.
"Found you."
Lu Xuan smiled lightly, jotting down notes.
Shortly after, Ge Pu emerged from his cave dwelling to check on everyone's progress. When he approached Lu Xuan, Lu Xuan stepped forward and whispered:
"Brother Ge, I've observed this flame spirit plant for a long time. A sudden inspiration struck me, reminding me of a plant I read about in ancient texts long ago. After several experiments, I was finally able to confirm it."
"Oh?"
"Please, brother, enlighten me with the details," Ge Pu said, showing a hint of surprise on his face. He hadn't expected Lu Xuan to identify the plant's origin so quickly.
"The plant is known as Flowing Fire Wood, a common material used in refining fire talismans. Brother Ge, you can see the similarities here."
The flame spirit plant initially erupted like a volcano. After being toyed with by Lu Xuan for most of the day, it no longer possessed its initial vigor. The speed and strength of its fire emission had significantly weakened, allowing Lu Xuan to demonstrate its characteristics freely.
"While these parts of the spirit plant have undergone significant changes, one can still vaguely recognize the characteristics of Flowing Fire Wood."
He explained to Ge Pu the similarities and differences between the Flowing Fire Wood and the mutated spirit plant before them.
Ge Pu's eyes brightened as he listened, and several nearby spirit plant masters were drawn in by Lu Xuan's words, listening intently.
"Junior Brother Lu has indeed not disappointed me, managing to identify the origin of this flame spirit plant within a single day," Ge Pu nodded in approval.
"During my experiments, I made another unexpected discovery. This mutated Flowing Fire Wood has condensed a fire essence within, which can accelerate the cultivation of high-grade
fire techniques. It's extremely valuable."
"The fire essence is integrated with the mutated plant, making its aura difficult to distinguish, hence not easily detected."
Lu Xuan attributed his discovery of the fire essence to chance.
Upon hearing this, Ge Pu's eyes deepened, his gaze turning more profound as he looked at the mutated Flowing Fire Wood.
Suddenly, a barely visible black and white Taiji swirl appeared on the lower part of the tree trunk. The swirl of black and white spiritual energy expanded to the size of a bowl in an instant.
A fire essence, resembling a fiery red, crystalline diamond, slowly floated out from the opening, hovering in mid-air.
"Indeed, it's fire essence. Junior Brother Lu's discovery is a great contribution," Ge Pu said with a smile. The presence of fire essence within the Flowing Fire Wood greatly increased its value. The sect's cultivators in the blessed land could purposefully hunt these flame spirit plants to obtain a large number of rare fire essences.
He disappeared from the black and white mountain peak with the fire essence in tow.
After the fire essence inside the mutated Flowing Fire Wood was removed, its attack frequency and strength were much reduced, barely enough to challenge a mid to late-stage Qi cultivation practitioner.
"Junior Brother Lu is indeed the most reputable spirit plant master within the sect, to have understood this mutated spirit plant so thoroughly and quickly!"
"The progress is indeed frightening. While we are still exploring, Senior Brother Lu has already fully understood the ins and outs of the spirit plant."
"Far ahead!"
"Far ahead!"
The gathered spirit plant masters praised Lu Xuan, fully convinced of his profound knowledge in spirit plants.
"Senior Brother Lu, could you explain your method in detail? If there are any inconveniences, you can gloss over them," a young cultivator couldn't help asking out of curiosity.
"Certainly."
"The method is simple. Observe carefully, hypothesize boldly, and verify cautiously."
"These spirit plants are clearly mutated. Although their form and characteristics have changed considerably, they still retain some of the original spirit plant's features. If you observe closely, you can always find some clues."
"Then, based on your findings, boldly assume the direction of the plant's mutation, its possible uses, how to deal with it... and so on."
"The last step is to continuously experiment to prove your conjectures."
Lu Xuan spoke gently.
His process of understanding the spirit plant also followed these steps, but due to his ability to obtain information from nurturing, the order became result first, then cause.
By basing observations and verifications on the outcome, it was natural to be far ahead of other spirit plant masters.
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