You Cultivate, I Farm

The next day, Lu Xuan rose early, feeling refreshed. After sneaking away with a Ghost-Faced Stone Mushroom in the dead of night, he resumed his daytime activities.

Though he had learned to identify normal Dragonvine and knew that, under the alternating stimulation of ice and fire elemental techniques, the threads within the Dragonvine undergoing changes would become noticeably distinct, he couldn't reveal this knowledge. Lu Xuan didn't seek attention, so he blended in with the crowd, appearing busy and hardworking while secretly searching for more Ghost-Faced Stone Mushrooms.

In the end, including the one he took the previous night, he found a total of five Ghost-Faced Stone Mushrooms.

This unexpected joy made his day even brighter during his search.

Amidst the pile of Dragonvine, he squatted down, examining a dark red strand with intense focus. His thoughts drifted elsewhere as he periodically checked different parts of the Dragonvine.

Suddenly, amidst the densely woven Dragonvine resembling tentacles, a dark red strand shot out rapidly towards Lu Xuan.

Prepared, Lu Xuan summoned a first-grade sword talisman in his palm.

With swift activation of spiritual power, the talisman's pattern instantly changed, unleashing a sharp and icy sword energy that cleaved the mutating Dragonvine attacking him into two pieces.

"This mutated Dragonvine's attack strength is akin to a cultivator in the first or second Qi cultivation level. It's not a significant threat individually, but its unpredictability demands constant vigilance."

Lu Xuan thought to himself. With numerous Dragonvines around and uncertainty about which ones were mutated, he had to remain alert to avoid potential injury.

As he was about to inspect the Dragonvine before him, suddenly, six or seven dark red strands resembling tentacles shot out rapidly from the grass pile, akin to venomous snakes, targeting Lu Xuan.

Unfazed by the danger, Lu Xuan summoned three first-grade sword talismans between his palms, activating them simultaneously. Three sword energies formed a triangular formation, cutting the six or seven dark red strands into shattered pieces.

"Lu Daoist friend seems to have quite a few sword talismans!"

The commotion caused by Lu Xuan dispatching several mutated Dragonvines caught the attention of a nearby plant cultivator, who exclaimed.

Lu Xuan smiled.

"No choice. I'm not adept at combat, but I've heard that accidents are common in these secret realms. So, before setting out, I made sure to prepare plenty of talismans just in case."

For an ordinary plant cultivator fearing danger, it seemed reasonable to prepare extra talismans...

In his storage pouch, Lu Xuan gazed at the array of talismans piled together, feeling a sense of awe.

With his thorough preparation, Lu Xuan encountered minimal disturbances during these occasional attacks by the mutated Dragonvines.

A day passed, and fifteen plant cultivators managed to sift out dozens of Dragonvines using various methods.

Within the camp, Li Jianfeng sat atop a massive stone, eyes closed, motionless like a statue.

Suddenly, he opened his eyes, and Zhang Hong gracefully drifted towards him.

"How's the progress today?"

Li Jianfeng gestured towards a small pile of Dragonvines on the ground.

"The plant cultivators continuously employed cultivation techniques to nurture the plants. Eventually, they managed to harvest these Dragonvines. However, we can't guarantee that all of these are normal plants, nor can we be certain there are no anomalies mixed within."

"A bunch of overrated figures seeking fame and recognition!"

Internally, Zhang Hong couldn't help feeling a tinge of annoyance and impatience.

Originally, he thought inviting over a dozen renowned plant cultivators from the market would efficiently handle these Dragonvines, bringing substantial gains to the Wang family and benefiting himself as well.

However, things didn't unfold as he anticipated. While the process of identifying, segregating, and harvesting normal Dragonvines was slightly expedited, it proved quite uneconomical, given the substantial expenditure of spiritual stones.

"I might as well venture more into the secret realms and hunt some demonic beasts."

The refined scholar contemplated inwardly.

Three days passed, and Lu Xuan didn't discover any new Ghost-Faced Stone Mushrooms. During this time, utilizing the stealth ability of the Concealing Spirit Robe, he stealthily ventured out in the dead of night and took another dormant Ghost-Faced Stone Mushroom.

As for the Dragonvine harvesting, he maintained an unremarkable façade, providing two or three Dragonvines daily, mostly normal, occasionally mixing in a mutated one.

This evening, after a day of activity, he returned to the camp.

As he neared the camp, Lu Xuan suddenly felt a chill in his chest.

The chill intensified, nearly seeping into his bones within three steps of the camp.

Lu Xuan's expression grew serious. He wore a transparent jade talisman on his chest, a third-grade Purified Jade obtained from the Red Cloud Pine's perfect offspring.

The Purified Jade maintained a cultivator's mental clarity, resisted intrusion and contamination from evil forces, and slightly enhanced the cultivator's spiritual awareness when worn long-term.

He hadn't taken it off since receiving it and hadn't experienced any abnormalities until now when this chilling sensation emerged.

He slowed his pace, pretending to wander and casually diverted away from the camp's direction.

As he distanced himself from the camp, the intense coldness in his chest significantly reduced, replaced by a faint coolness.

"It's highly probable that there's an evil presence in the camp, but I'm unsure of its method of intrusion or its strength."

In Lu Xuan's dantian, the Thunder-Leaping Sword Core emitted fluctuating sword energy, erratic in its movement.

Having nurtured it daily with spiritual power, transmuting it into sword energy, the sword core now roared with black winds and crackling lightning arcs, making the sword energy even more sharp and domineering.

This reassured Lu Xuan somewhat. With this proficient Thunder-Leaping Sword Core, coupled with the Grandmaster-level Golden Sword Technique, numerous second-grade talismans, third-grade Concealing Spirit Robe, Purified Jade, second-grade Red Thread Needle, Crimson Scale Armor, Blood Ignition Arrow technique, even facing a treacherous-level evil presence, he felt fairly confident in preserving his life.

Staying outside the camp for an extended period wasn't feasible. Lu Xuan paused briefly, then slowly followed a late-working plant cultivator back to the camp.

Following his usual routine, he dined normally and, after the meal, visited several plant cultivators' homes, engaging in casual conversation and seeking plant cultivation knowledge.

"I can reasonably deduce that among the people from the Wang family at the camp, but I'm not sure if it's lurking within the premises or has already infiltrated a cultivator's body."

Lu Xuan pondered quietly in his room.

His recent movements were deliberate. He gauged the intensity of the cold sensation from the Purified Jade, adjusting his position continuously, narrowing down the area of suspicion, eventually pinpointing that the evil presence was likely among several individuals from the Wang family.

"While everything seems normal, I must swiftly uncover the trace of this evil presence."

After a moment of contemplation, Lu Xuan retrieved the Cloud-Stepping Lynx from his Life-Sustaining Bag.

The Lynx landed on the ground,

 its two tufts of gray-white fur on its ears trembling, emitting a soft sound.

"Ah~"

"Later, I'll take you somewhere. There's an evil presence hiding there. See if you can find it. If you do, give a quiet signal. When you reach it, let your ear fur droop down. Understand?"

The Lynx nodded lightly, indicating comprehension.

It leaped onto Lu Xuan's shoulder, and he entered the house where the Wang family resided.

"Ah~"

The Lynx, with its emerald green eyes, scanned the area, softly emitting a sound. Lu Xuan immediately understood that it had detected the traces of the evil presence.

He then approached, smiling, and greeted the Wang family cultivators he encountered.

Suddenly, he noticed the fur on the Lynx's ear drooping.

Looking up, Lu Xuan saw Wang Ru Hai smiling at him, while Li Jianfeng stood silently behind him.

The Lynx whimpered softly, its fur standing on end, crouching down with its emerald green eyes fixed on the smiling Wang Ru Hai.

"Friend Lu, is this a spirit beast you've tamed?"

"Indeed. It's still a juvenile. I didn't feel assured leaving it behind, so I brought it along in my Life-Sustaining Bag."

The Thunder-Leaping Sword Core in Lu Xuan's dantian spun continuously, brimming with sword intent, but he wore a gentle smile on his face.

"This Lynx has been kept indoors since it was young and is a bit shy. It's a little overwhelmed seeing you both, so I hope Wang friend and Li friend will forgive its reaction."

"I have some spirit fruits here, fragrant and sweet. Would you both care to taste?"

Lu Xuan took out over ten thumb-sized green spirit fruits and offered them to the two.

"Sure."

Wang Ru Hai smiled, accepting the green spirit fruits and passing a few to Li Jianfeng behind him.

Lu Xuan felt a peculiar sensation; Wang Ru Hai's smile seemed to fit the expression 'smiling with skin but not with flesh.'

As if his facial muscles moved rather than genuine emotions.

He smiled while watching Wang Ru Hai and Li Jianfeng eat the spirit fruits, harboring a sense of anticipation.

Earlier, after planting the Dragonvines and sensing their detailed status remotely, Lu Xuan wondered if the same applied to raising demonic beasts. Could they detect evil entities too?

After the two consumed the fruits, Lu Xuan focused his mind.

There were no abnormalities with Li Jianfeng.

But as he concentrated on Wang Ru Hai, a thought entered his mind.

【Evil entity dwelling in flesh, an evil presence of a different level. Its true form is a malevolent fleshly entity that invades and contaminates cultivators, maintaining most of its habits and favoring cultivator bodies.】

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