Chapter 286: Chapter 231: A Huge Harvest
"What!" Ling Xiao exclaimed. He couldn’t remain calm. Even in the Cultivation Realm, storage equipment that could preserve items in pristine condition for millennia was exceedingly rare!
A typical Cultivator’s Storage Bag could store plant-based Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures for three to five hundred years without issue. But any longer than that, and you would need a dedicated Spirit Gathering Array made of Crystal Stones to keep the treasures’ efficacy from fading before the crystals’ energy was depleted. And across the entire Cultivation Realm, there were probably very few Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures luxurious enough to warrant preservation with a Crystal Stone Spirit Gathering Array!
And yet this world’s development in the field of Storage Space had completely surpassed the Cultivation Realm... Ling Xiao was simply astonished!
’It seems that as long as one is willing to delve deep, any field can have people who will develop it to its absolute peak! In the Cultivation Realm, although Cultivators had nearly infinite lifespans, they spent every day pondering how to cultivate and how to attain Dao and become immortals! It was all too common for them to enter seclusion for decades, or even centuries, at a time!’
’Everyone has their own strengths... It seems that saying is true!’ Thinking this, Ling Xiao came to terms with it. At the same time, he silently paid his respects to the person who could create such a powerful Spatial Container.
A fascinated look appeared in Ling Su’s eyes. She gently caressed the surface of the storage cabinet and marveled, "Amazing. This master truly had ingenious craftsmanship, forging this Spatial Container to look like an ordinary cabinet. Only upon careful inspection does one realize this isn’t made of wood at all, but clearly a type of gray metal used for crafting Space Rings!"
Song Mingyue was also endlessly amazed. Looking at the row of storage cabinets, which was about ten meters long and over two meters high, he said, "This person’s work is on another level! A tiny piece of this gray metal is enough to craft a Space Ring, which would be priceless! To see it used like this here... it’s just... unbelievable!"
As the two of them marveled, a question was on Ling Xiao’s mind: ’How did they get something this big in here? And how can I get it out?’
He casually asked, "Could it be that the master of this place wasn’t just a Pharmacist, but also a Great Mage and an Alchemy Master?"
Ling Su and Song Mingyue both shook their heads. Song Mingyue smiled serenely and said, "Not necessarily. We just read this Master Alchemist’s writings, and there wasn’t a single word about Magic or the art of alchemy. I think perhaps this Spatial Container was forged by someone else and gifted to him! After all, even in the Ancient Era, a Master Alchemist was someone everyone would respect!"
Ling Su also nodded and said, "One of the most miraculous things about this type of Spatial Container is its ability to keep anything placed inside fresh. Of course, living things definitely can’t survive in it for long! And its second miraculous quality is that it can be shrunk... and taken away."
After she finished, Ling Su looked at Ling Xiao and said, "However, that part is up to you!"
Seeing the puzzled look on Ling Xiao’s face, Song Mingyue smiled and said, "Try it. Extend your Spiritual Power and see if you can envelop this entire row of storage cabinets. If you can, then congratulations, this Divine Artifact-level Storage Space is yours!"
Ling Xiao laughed to himself. ’Controlling Spiritual Power might seem extremely difficult to the Martial Artists of the Canglan Continent,’ he thought, ’but for me, it’s a piece of cake! Besides, what Ling Su just said put me at ease. The Spatial Containers of the Canglan Continent may be miraculous, but they can’t keep living things alive for long. A Storage Bag from the Cultivation Realm, on the other hand, can hold people of a lower level than you! At the very least, trapping them for a few decades is no problem!’
’Of course, that’s assuming you aren’t afraid of them taking all the magical treasures in your Storage Bag. If you’re not, then by all means, suck them in!’
Ling Xiao closed his eyes and focused his mind. His Spiritual Power flowed out like clouds and water, spreading over the storage cabinet before him without the slightest resistance. He enveloped it and tried to pull it into his ring... and suddenly, the space before him was empty!
Astonished expressions appeared on Ling Su’s and Song Mingyue’s faces. Immediately after, Ling Xiao released it again, then, as if playing, pulled it back in.
He repeated this cycle three to five times! Song Mingyue was left dumbfounded, and at the same time, he gave a wry smile. ’So Brother Ling has such a mischievous side,’ he thought. ’This kind of behavior actually fits his age.’ He spoke up to stop him, "Brother Ling, an object this large must consume an incredible amount of Spiritual Power. You should stop playing around."
In truth, Ling Xiao wasn’t playing at all. He was simply testing whether storing and releasing such an object had any effect on him! From his little experiment, Ling Xiao discovered that with his exceptionally precise Spiritual Power enveloping it, storing the Spatial Container was effortless! It barely consumed any Spiritual Power at all!
Ling Xiao smiled, then pointed to the cabinet he had just opened and said, "Brother Song, you’re in luck! This cabinet is full of Purple-Backed Sunflowers! If... we can find the other medicinal herbs, then restoring your esteemed father’s strength will be much easier!"
"Ah, really? Let me see!"
Song Mingyue said with surprise shining in his eyes, "I never would have thought... This is wonderful! This is just wonderful!"
Ling Xiao reached out and took one of the small, pale purple herbs from its compartment. It looked extremely ordinary, yet it gave off a sense of natural harmony, as if it were especially captivating!
"So this is a Purple-Backed Sunflower? If I hadn’t seen the real thing, I probably wouldn’t have even noticed it if I stepped on it!"
Song Mingyue said with a wry smile, "It seems the people my family sent out won’t have an easy time finding these medicinal herbs!"
Next, Ling Xiao opened the remaining cabinet doors one by one. In addition to the Purple-Backed Sunflower, Sweet Osmanthus, Acorus Fruit, Seven Scattering Grass, and Cold-land Snow Lotus all appeared before his eyes. Song Mingyue was already so overjoyed he didn’t know what to say. Finally, he bowed deeply to Ling Su, his eyes slightly red, and said, "If it weren’t for Sister Su, how could we have found these medicinal herbs so easily? Ming Yue thanks Sister Su and Brother Ling on behalf of my father!"
Ling Su extended a delicate wrist to help Song Mingyue up. With a radiant smile, she said, "Ming Yue, you’re being too polite. You knew Seven-colored City was a dangerous place, yet you still followed my younger brother here to rescue me. I have been very grateful for that! Finding something useful for your esteemed father here is a wonderful thing! We’re all happy for you!"
Ling Xiao stared intently at the open cabinet doors as a tempestuous wave surged through his heart!
’Right now... I wouldn’t dare say I’m the only one in this world who can refine Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures anymore.’ Whether or not the people of the Canglan Continent could refine Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures into Spirit Medicines, one thing was certain: the Alchemy Masters on the Canglan Continent ten thousand years ago could already identify them! Otherwise... where did all these Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures filling the cabinet come from, some of which even Ling Xiao had never seen before but could confirm were, in fact, Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures?
Recalling the words in the Alchemist’s diary, Ling Xiao couldn’t help but feel a renewed sense of sincere respect for this senior from the Ancient Era. Although they were still in an exploratory phase, it was obvious that if not for the divine war ten thousand years ago that Brother Song had mentioned, after ten millennia of development, the standard of alchemy on the Canglan Continent might have reached a whole new level!
Thinking further about Tiger’s rapid increase in strength and the cultivation speed of those from the major hidden families and sects, Ling Xiao finally understood completely. The Canglan Continent also possessed Alchemy Skills; otherwise, it would have been impossible for him to attract so much attention just by concocting a Beauty Pill.
’The various hidden families and sects must all be fumbling their way forward. The ones who can refine a few elixirs become major hidden families and sects, rising to become first-rate families, or even super-families!’
At this thought, a happy smile couldn’t help but touch Ling Xiao’s lips. Now that he understood this, he already had a preliminary plan for how to approach the hidden families and sects in the future. Without boasting, he could now consider himself the most powerful Pharmacist in the world!
’Judging from the fact that this ancient worthy stored such a large quantity of Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, his goal must have been to research them. Otherwise, he would have refined all these Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures into Elixirs. For one, it would have boosted his own strength. For another, Elixirs can be preserved for millennia even without a powerful Spatial Container like this one!’
’Now *this* is a real treasure trove!’
Ling Xiao marveled to himself. With so many Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, he could actually just hide here, go into seclusion for a few decades, and emerge with a cultivation level that would one hundred percent surpass that of his previous life! But Song Mingyue’s father was still waiting, so Ling Xiao could only abandon this tempting thought and store the cabinet in his ring.
Aside from these five types of Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, two types of animal blood were still needed: one was Thousand-Year Jiao Blood, and the other was Ice Crystal Celestial Silkworm Blood.
’Thousand-Year Jiao Blood will certainly be very difficult to obtain,’ Ling Xiao thought. ’But as for Ice Crystal Celestial Silkworm Blood...’ He recalled the Celestial Silkworm Silk Net that Clown had snatched from the Land of Extreme Cold. ’If I can’t find an Ice Crystal Celestial Silkworm, using the kind of celestial silkworm from the Land of Extreme Cold should also work! Although hunting it might be difficult, at least I have a lead!’
Ling Su looked at Ling Xiao and said, "Third Brother, these books... can we take them all with us?"
Ling Xiao smiled and said, "Of course. I believe that even if that ancient worthy knew, he would be very happy for us to take them. After all, we’re carrying on his legacy, not causing trouble. However, it’s best not to let these things appear before the public. Just use them for your own research!"
Ling Su nodded and said, "I know that, of course!"
Then she looked at the few closed Stone Gates, her autumn-water eyes shooting out beams of endless curiosity!
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