Chapter 373: Chapter 327: Alchemy Prodigy
Baiyu City Quiet Chamber.
Zheng Yi looked at the already depleted Black Jade King Cauldron before him, expressionless as he channeled his magical power, letting his own essence blood drip into it.
Inside the Black Jade King Cauldron, the Reincarnation Nine-child Fruit had already grown into a small tree over a person’s height, lush and green, resembling a jade tree, appearing very exquisite.
A delicate fragrance lingered beneath his nose, sweet and refreshing, invigorating his spirit.
One drop, two drops, three drops...
After a full day and night, Zheng Yi’s complexion turned somewhat pale.
Three thousand five hundred drops of essence blood were all dripped into the Black Jade King Cauldron to nourish the Reincarnation Nine-child Fruit.
And Zheng Yi’s lifespan was now only a little over a hundred years, which was sufficient.
After all, the new concubine candidate selection ceremony was about to begin, and a large number of concubine candidates were waiting for him.
"Phew..."
Taking a long breath, looking at the Black Jade King Cauldron before him, Zheng Yi murmured, "The Black Jade King Cauldron is not suitable for the survival of the Reincarnation Nine-child Fruit. It seems this time I must transplant this Reincarnation Nine-child Fruit to Celestial Longevity Mountain."
"Only Celestial Longevity Mountain is suitable for the growth of the Reincarnation Nine-child Fruit."
Zheng Yi had long planned to transplant the Reincarnation Nine-child Fruit into Celestial Longevity Mountain, but mundane matters had kept him busy.
Now that the Reincarnation Nine-child Fruit had grown into a sapling, the Black Jade King Cauldron was even less suitable for it, and it must be transplanted quickly.
"Three thousand five hundred drops of essence blood bring only one-third maturity for the Reincarnation Nine-child Fruit."
"It’s still a long way from full maturity."
"But a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step; as long as cultivation continues, the Reincarnation Nine-child Fruit will mature sooner or later!"
Zheng Yi’s eyes flashed, and with another flip of his hand, a snake egg as tall as half a person appeared in his hand.
"Spiritual Snake Egg..."
He squeezed out another drop of essence blood, both hands painting talismans in mid-air, a bloody talisman silently floated onto the snake egg and slowly merged into it.
Blood Sacrifice Snake Egg.
Seven days later.
With seven drops of essence blood falling, the initial blood sacrifice for this snake egg was completed.
The next step is the meticulous work of continuing the blood sacrifice until it hatches.
"Now there is still the military parade and concubine candidate selection. After these two events are concluded, I shall begin a long period of seclusion."
"This time in seclusion, the goal is Foundation Establishment!"
"Before that, there are still a few minor matters to resolve."
At Yuelong Palace, seven youths, both male and female, gathered together, occasionally looking toward the palace outside.
Among them, four boys and three girls, each separated.
The four boys had surprisingly split into two factions.
Xu Fengxiong naturally stood with Zheng Chengwen, while Tong Tao and Shi Xiaofeng, both with ordinary backgrounds, naturally grouped together.
The two were far inferior to Xu Fengxiong and Zheng Chengwen in both background and family status, and gathering together was merely an instinctive act.
"Brother Xu, what do you think is the purpose behind Your Majesty summoning us this time?"
In the great hall, Zheng Chengwen held a folding fan, gently shaking it, truly appearing elegant and charming.
He was originally a descendant of the royal family, his grandfather being Prince Xian, an innate powerhouse stationed at Black Mountain City, and his temperament had been similarly influenced by Prince Xian’s leisurely nature.
If he hadn’t been chosen for having a spirit root, he would have long been indulging in mountains, waters, and poetry.
Although Xu Fengxiong was a martial artist, he did not dislike a crown prince like Zheng Chengwen with a leisurely nature.
"I do not know either, perhaps it is to assess our cultivation progress."
"Cultivation progress..."
Zheng Chengwu’s expression changed immediately, glancing around, he whispered, "Brother Xu, among the seven of us, your cultivation progress is the fastest. You must put in a good word for me before Your Majesty later!"
Xu Fengxiong’s mouth twitched: "Crown Prince, you are a royal descendant, how would Your Majesty blame you?"
"But speaking of which, crown prince, your spirit root quality is quite good, but your nature is truly too lax. Two years and you’ve only barely reached middle-stage Qi Cultivation, this..."
Zheng Chengwen spread his hands, "I, the crown prince, do not enjoy cultivation. Heh heh heh, if not for the presence of three beautiful ladies here, you think I, the crown prince~"
He deliberately nudged Xu Fengxiong, indicating towards the direction of the three girls, Lu Qing’er and her companions, whispering, "Brother Xu, which of these three do you think is the most beautiful?"
Xu Fengxiong’s expression slightly changed: "Crown Prince, keep silent, they are all fellow cultivators, such frivolous words must not be uttered."
"Heh heh, aren’t we discussing this in private?"
Zheng Chengwen laughed, "In my opinion, Lu Qing’er, from the scholarly Fan Yang Lu Clan, has an elegant demeanor, with a rich scholarly aura, surely well-read in classics, a top-notch lady from a prestigious family."
"What a pity, she is the current Empress’s younger sister, according to seniority, I have to call her aunt, really unlucky!"
Xu Fengxiong rolled his eyes: "Would you dare say this in front of her?"
"Heh heh heh, of course not."
Zheng Chengwu chuckled, "Among the remaining two girls, Xia Houling, born from refugees, has been undernourished since childhood, though nurtured in Yuelong Palace for two years, she remains skinny."
"Her appearance could only be considered attractive, like a hyacinth among many flowers."
"Although the fragrance is enchanting, it lacks something."
Saying this, Zheng Chengwu sneakily glanced around, his voice lowered even more.
"In my opinion, among these three girls, the most interesting one is Dai Shu!"
"Oh? Why?"
Xu Fengxiong also became interested and asked in a low voice.
"Dai Shu, Dai Shu..."
Zheng Chengwu said, "Dai Shu was born into wealth, her father is a salt merchant and even collaborates with the government, being one of the appointed ’official merchants.’"
"After entering the palace, whether in family background or spirit root quality, she was overshadowed by Lu Qing’er."
