Cultivation Starting from Full Talent-Chapter 195 - 193 The News of the Boundary Battle

Chapter 195: Chapter 193 The News of the Boundary Battle

Several days later, Ning Daoran visited the Floating Duckweed Workshop again to discuss some real business.

“Fellow Daoist Chen.”

Inside the private room, after Ning Daoran set up several layers of prohibitions, he asked, “Does your workshop purchase Purple Jade Spirit Rice?”

“Purple Jade Spirit Rice?”

Chen Ping’er’s eyes lit up as she smiled and said, “Third-tier Spirit Rice is in short supply at all times and places. My Floating Duckweed Workshop is adjacent to the Divine Weapon Sect and has business with the sects in the counties to the west of Kuizhou. Naturally, Purple Jade Spirit Rice is in great demand.”

“Good.”

Ning Daoran said, “From now on, I will supply you with three thousand jin of Purple Jade Spirit Rice every month. I wonder if your workshop can handle such a quantity?”

“Three thousand jin?”

Chen Ping’er was startled, “Fellow Daoist, do you really have that much Purple Jade Spirit Rice?”

“Of course.”

Ning Daoran smiled and said, “As long as your workshop can handle it, these three thousand jin of Purple Jade Spirit Rice will be delivered on time at the beginning of every month, never short by a jin or a liang.”

“Good!”

Chen Ping’er nodded heavily, “May I know at what price Fellow Daoist Ning wishes to conduct this transaction?”

“At present, the market price for Purple Jade Spirit Rice is about two Spirit Stones per jin. Of course, I cannot let your workshop make no profit at all.”

Ning Daoran pondered for a moment and then said, “Let’s sell it at eighteen Spirit Stones for every ten jin. That way, three thousand jin of Purple Jade Spirit Rice would total five thousand four hundred Spirit Stones. I save the trouble of retailing, and your workshop can make a considerable profit. How does that sound for a deal?”

“That’s acceptable.”

Chen Ping’er smiled lightly, “Let’s do it as you suggested, Fellow Daoist.”

“Good. Here are this month’s three thousand jin of Spirit Rice.”

Ning Daoran took off a Storage Bag, extracting the hefty three thousand jin of Purple Jade Spirit Rice and placed it inside the private room.

“I’ll go get the Spirit Stones.”

Chen Ping’er turned and left, returning shortly with a Storage Bag containing five thousand four hundred Low Grade Spirit Stones.

Ning Daoran took out the Spirit Stones and returned the Storage Bag; with that, the transaction was completed.

Chen Ping’er was also tactful; she did not pry into how Ning Daoran could grow so much Purple Jade Spirit Rice or where he cultivated it.

In the Cultivation World, everyone has their secrets, especially Ning Daoran, who had emerged from the Chaotic Sect as a Great Cultivator.

Although Ning Daoran only showed the aura of an early-stage Foundation Establishment and excused it by saying his lifespan was running short and he didn’t want to spend his days confined within the Chaotic Sect until old age, preferring instead to venture out into the world,

Chen Ping’er was unable to detect even a hint of aging in Ning Daoran’s Qi-blood or Divine Soul. On the contrary, his demeanor was like a vibrant green pine, exuding a sense of being in the prime of life.

“Fellow Daoist Chen.”

Ning Daoran took out two thousand Spirit Stones and said, “I must trouble you again, Fellow Daoist. I need demon meat worth two thousand Spirit Stones. Could you possibly spare an extra ten to twenty jin?”

Chen Ping’er couldn’t help but smile gracefully, “How could I refuse to grant a little favor when Fellow Daoist Ning has made such a request?”

In just a moment, over a thousand jin of the valuable demon meat arrived and was placed into Ning Daoran’s Storage Bag.

The reason for buying the demon meat was mainly that the household was growing, and more mouths were needing to be fed.

It wasn’t just Big Stupid Deer; Little Blackie and the Green Water Turtle also had big appetites. To ensure these Spiritual Beasts grew and advanced rapidly, it was essential to feed them a large amount of demon meat containing an abundance of Essence Qi, something indispensable for raising Spiritual Beasts.

The method of obtaining Spirit fish meat by feeding them Purple Jade Spirit Rice was too slow; there was only so much space in the fish ponds within the Spirit Garden Cave Heaven, which limited the number of Spirit fish that could be raised.

Under these circumstances of not being self-sufficient, they naturally had to rely on imports.

“By the way,”

Ning Daoran tied the Storage Bag to his waist and said, “I’ve heard that the Floating Duckweed Workshop is well-informed, even engaging in the business of selling information about Spirit Grass, Demon Beasts, and Secret Realms. I have some matters I’d like to inquire about; do you offer this service, Fellow Daoist?”

“Oh?”

Chen Ping’er’s mouth curled into a smirk, “May I ask what you are looking to find out?”

“Boundary wars.”

Ning Daoran said, “The boundary wars between Xia Country and Sangyu Country have continued for many years. Although the Cultivation World is full of various minor channels of information, they’re impossible to distinguish between truth and falsehood.

I used to be with the Chaotic Sect and am extremely concerned about the situation of people like Jiang Yu and Gongyang Yan; if Fellow Daoist Chen can find out about the Chaotic Sect members’ situation in the boundary wars, I am willing to pay Spirit Stones.”

“I understand.”

Chen Ping’er said, “Please rest assured, Fellow Daoist. I will instruct the manager to pay extra attention to the boundary wars when sending out Cultivators to gather information. As soon as we have any news of the Chaotic Sect’s cultivators, we will inform you in advance.”

“Thank you.”

Ning Daoran took his leave and left.

…

Sword casting shop.

“Clang Clang Clang~~~”

Inside the Refining Workshop, Big Stupid Deer continued to wield the hammer, striking the metal block over and over, his gaze lucid and resolute.

Beside him, Elder Ou Yeping stood with both arms crossed, silent about Big Stupid Deer’s progress with the hammering technique.

“Elder.”

Ning Daoran returned, carrying three jin of Spiritual Wine and two roast chickens, peered inside, and asked, “Has Old Lu made any progress with his hammering technique?”

“There is some, but not much.”

Ou Yeping spoke indifferently, “Although my disciple is reasonably smart, his talent for hammering technique… hmph, it’s not extraordinary. He still needs more practice.”

He glanced at the roast chicken and Spiritual Wine, “Ning, you live in such idleness all day; well, why don’t you join me in the yard to play a game of chess?”

“Alright.”

Ning Daoran had experienced the elder’s prowess and said, “But let’s be clear first, no take-backs. Even though I’m a poor chess player, if we keep taking back moves, it ruins one’s character.”

“You talk too much, boy!”

“Ha ha ha ha~~~”

In the courtyard, beneath a towering date tree.

An old and a young man began their game, each with a roast chicken and a jar of Spiritual Wine.

With each sip of wine, they made a move.

“Ning Daoran.”

When the old master’s face had turned red from shouting, he had already lost three games of chess. He looked up deeply at his opponent and laughed, “Be honest with me, what realm are you actually in? Mid-Stage Foundation Establishment? Late-Stage Foundation Establishment? Or have you, perhaps, already taken that step?”

“Why do you ask?”

Ning Daoran reset the chessboard and chuckled, “You’re not going to tell me you can’t accept defeat, are you? Why talk about cultivation instead of the game? My realm… is always a bit stronger than yours, old master.”

“Hmph, I knew it!”

The old master narrowed his eyes and smiled, “Rest assured, I’ve come to the end of my lifespan, and my ambitions have long faded away. What’s there to fuss about? This White Deer… truly has great talent. I will teach it everything I know, so don’t worry.”

“Thank you, old master!”

With a light gesture, Ning Daoran offered a jade bottle as he spoke, “In return for teaching Old Lu the Wind and Thunder Hammer Technique, I will give you this bottle of Elixir Pills. These pills can extend one’s life and should allow you to live a few more years.”

“Oh?”

Ou Yeping pulled out the stopper of the bottle and took a sniff, then frowned, “Life Extension Pill?”

“Exactly, three First-tier Life Extension Pills.”

Ning Daoran smiled, “They can guarantee you at least twenty more years of life!”

Joy flashed in Ou Yeping’s eyes, “Ning, let’s play chess, play chess! Hahahaha~~~”

…

Nighttime.

Within the Spirit Garden Cave Heaven.

The Big Stupid Deer had set up a blacksmith’s anvil in front of the wooden house and began to work on his hammering technique through the night in the Spirit Garden Cave Heaven.

Meanwhile, Ning Daoran, along with Little Bai, strolled around the fish pond.

Now, the fish pond was home not only to Little Blackie but also the Green Water Turtle.

“Splosh~~~”

A huge ripple suddenly surged in the water.

“Little Blackie, get out here!”

Ning Daoran’s gaze hardened as he spoke sternly, “Don’t you dare use your higher realm to bully the Green Water Turtle, or you’ll have me to answer to!”

“Squeak~~”

Suddenly, a ferocious, gigantic head emerged from the water – it was the Ink Jiao Dragon. Clamped in its wide-open mouth was a Green Water Turtle, its head and limbs retracted into the shell, which creaked under the dragon’s sharp teeth.

The turtle’s defense was extraordinarily strong; even under such pressure, it remained completely undamaged, with only a slight crushing and congestion in the flesh inside the shell.

If the Green Water Turtle were also to advance to Second-stage Late-stage, it would probably be very difficult for Little Blackie to break its defense without using its Innate Divine Ability.

Ning Daoran had witnessed Little Blackie’s Innate Divine Ability; with an open mouth, it could suck the blood and Essence Qi from its enemies. The scene of it killing was quite horrific, and the turtle might not really be able to withstand that move.

“Swipe!”

Little Blackie flicked its head and tossed the Green Water Turtle away.

Immediately, the turtle slid across the water, performing a series of elegant dives.

‘Beautiful…’

Ning Daoran praised silently in his mind; Little Blackie indeed had some tricks up its sleeve.

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“Ssss~~”

Not far off, the Green Water Turtle performed a carp flip to right itself and nodded repeatedly towards Ning Daoran, its Divine Soul filled with gratitude.

Having spent quite some time together, Ning Daoran had gotten to know the Green Water Turtle’s nature quite well.

It was somewhat like the Big Stupid Deer, clear-eyed and simple-minded, with a good-natured and mild temperament, unlike Little Blackie who, at a glance, was clearly a fierce beast.

Therefore, Ning Daoran actually preferred Old Lu and the Green Water Turtle.

“Practice well.”

Ning Daoran took out a piece of Demon meat that weighed at least ten pounds and tossed it over to the Green Water Turtle.

“Ssss~~”

The Green Water Turtle paddled furiously, swiftly swam over, caught the Demon meat in its beak, and then happily sank back into the water to enjoy.

“Squeak~~”

Little Blackie tilted its head, looking up to its master for food.

Ning Daoran called upon his Bamboo Leaf Blade and swept it through the Storage Bag, and about twenty pounds of Jiao meat, originating from the Cold Pool Jiao Dragon of the Five Saints Sect, flew out.

Genuine Third-tier Demon Beast meat – this Jiao Dragon had dwelled in the Cold Pond for hundreds of years, devouring countless Human Clan Cultivators, so one could only imagine how rich in Essence Qi the meat was.

Feeding Little Blackie such fine Jiao Dragon Meat should make its advance quicker and more stable.

“With such fine food, when will you Breakthrough and form a Demon Core?” Ning Daoran asked.

“Squeak—”

Little Blackie’s pupils contracted sharply, and the Jiao meat in its mouth suddenly lost its appeal.

“I give you twenty years; if you can’t form a core, you’ll become food for the Green Water Turtle,” Ning Daoran said flatly.

Little Blackie’s face showed utter terror.

“There’s more.”

Ning Daoran turned back to look at it and added, “Don’t bully the Green Water Turtle and certainly don’t harm its life, or I swear I will slice you into sashimi and use your Divine Soul to make a wick, to light Old Lu’s way while he works the forge.”

“Squeak~~”

Little Blackie finally showed a well-behaved expression, nodding repeatedly, indicating it would do everything possible to strive for the Golden Core.

“Hmph!”

Ning Daoran strode away. In truth, he was unsure of when Little Blackie would advance to Tier Three, as its upbringing was simply that of raising a Spiritual Beast.

The White Deer was different; Old Lu cultivated the Spiritual Beast Secret and was legitimately progressing through Foundation Establishment and Core Formation, more akin to Human Clan Cultivators.

As to why this was the case, he couldn’t explain; it was just so.

…

Inside Fanshu City, life consisted of farming, raising fish, raising turtles, feeding insects, threatening Little Blackie, playing with Little Bai and Little Qing, spectating the Big Stupid Deer working the forge – all these made for a delightfully comfortable existence.

Until one year later, an attendant dressed in Floating Duckweed Workshop attire rushed into the sword-casting shop and said to Ning Daoran, who was playing chess with Ou Yeping, “Senior Ning, the workshop master has sent me to inform you that the matter you inquired about finally has some leads, as of just a short while ago!”