Deacon Liu stared intently at the green jade in the box, his breathing becoming somewhat rapid.

As a deacon of the Mission Hall, he naturally recognized this treasure.

He immediately closed the box, isolating that strange fragrance, and then looked at Chu Chang with an extremely complex expression.

"Chu Chang, this mission is no small matter. Are you certain that you killed Zhao Meng by yourself?" Deacon Liu lowered his voice, his tone tinged with a hint of inquiry.

Chu Chang maintained a calm demeanor and replied according to the story he had pre-arranged with Senior Sister Lin Ruoxue:

"Reporting to the deacon, when I was training in the Black Wind Valley, I happened to be near Senior Sister Lin Ruoxue of the Inner Sect. After learning of Zhao Meng's whereabouts, Senior Sister Lin and I joined forces and set an ambush in the Mist Forest. Zhao Meng was already seriously injured and was attacked by bandits from the Black Tiger Stronghold. We took advantage of their infighting to luckily kill him. This mission was completed jointly by Senior Sister Lin and myself, but Senior Sister Lin has already returned to the main peak to report to the Elder, leaving me to come and submit the mission."

Hearing the words "Senior Sister Lin Ruoxue," a look of realization appeared on Deacon Liu's face.

If it was the Inner Sect Prodigy Senior Sister Lin Ruoxue who acted, then it was completely explainable.

"Good, very good!"

Deacon Liu stroked his beard and praised loudly: "Heroes emerge from the youth since ancient times. You two have eliminated such a great scourge for the Sect and retrieved the secret treasure, establishing a meritorious service that will last for generations! I will register this for you right now and issue the rewards!"

Deacon Liu took out a specially made jade pen and swiped it rapidly across the array on the black jade counter.

"Heaven-rank Mission Number Zero Nine, completed! Participants: Outer Sect Disciple Chu Chang, Inner Sect Disciple Senior Sister Lin Ruoxue."

"Mission Reward: 50,000 Sect Contribution Points (to be split equally between the two, 25,000 points each); 5,000 Low-Grade Spirit Stones; two Marrow Cleansing Pills; additionally, you may exceptionally enter the third floor of the Scripture Pavilion to select any Profound Rank High Grade Cultivation Technique or Martial Skill!"

Listening to the rewards read out by Deacon Liu, the eyes of all the Outer Sect Disciples in the hall turned red instantly, their breathing heavy like bellows.

25,000 Contribution Points!

This was equivalent to the sum of three years of ordinary missions for a typical Outer Sect Disciple if they didn't eat or drink!

Not to mention the "Marrow Cleansing Pill" that could cleanse the Meridians and marrow, and the privilege to go to the Scripture Pavilion to select a Profound Rank High Grade Cultivation Technique!

"Many thanks, Deacon Liu."

Chu Chang received the identity medallion handed over with a calm face, the balance of contribution points inside already having skyrocketed. He put the Spirit Stones and Medicinal Pill into his Storage Pouch. As for the token to enter the Scripture Pavilion, he carefully kept it close to his body.

"Chu Chang, the Sect has always been generous to Disciples who render meritorious service. However…"

When Deacon Liu returned the medallion, he suddenly leaned in closer and said meaningfully in a voice that only the two of them could hear:

"After taking the reward, just focus on your closed-door cultivation. There is nothing to do in the near future, so do not interfere with anything related to Zhao Meng again. This mind-calming detoxification essence… is very hot to the touch."

Chu Chang's heart chilled, but on the surface, he only bowed respectfully: "This Disciple will remember the Deacon's teachings."

After speaking, he did not stay any longer. Under the gaze of countless envious, jealous, and even somewhat greedy eyes, he flicked his sleeves and strode out of the Mission Hall.

The sunlight outside the Mission Hall was a bit dazzling.

As soon as Chu Chang stepped over the tall threshold, he took a deep breath, casting all those malicious, sticky gazes behind him.

He touched the heavy jade medallion and Marrow Cleansing Pill in his sleeve, calculating in his heart whether to go to the Scripture Pavilion first to select a Cultivation Technique or to return directly to his stone room for closed-door cultivation and Breakthrough.

"Senior Brother Chu!"

A voice, crisp as a silver bell and tinged with a bit of excitement, came from the shade of a tree nearby without warning.

Chu Chang looked toward the sound.

He saw a young girl wearing the bright yellow uniform of an Outer Sect Disciple walking toward him, bouncing with her hands behind her back.

She was about sixteen or seventeen years old, with a round, cute, goose-egg face, and under two curved willow-leaf eyebrows were a pair of extremely lively apricot eyes that seemed to be able to speak.

Zhou Linzi.

"Junior Sister Zhou, where there is life, there is meeting." Chu Chang stopped and smiled gently.

"What kind of meeting, I was specifically waiting for you here!" Zhou Linzi rolled her eyes at him, her expression coquettish.

Then, she leaned in mysteriously, twitched her delicate little nose, circled around Chu Chang twice, and asked suspiciously: "I just heard people outside the Mission Hall saying that you and Senior Sister Lin Ruoxue killed that traitor Zhao Meng? And you got a huge reward?"

"Just good luck, it was a coincidence," Chu Chang said modestly, "Senior Sister Lin did most of the work."

"Forget it, others might not know you, but how could I not? You guy, you look mild on the surface, but in reality, you are full of bad ideas… ah no, full of ideas."

Zhou Linzi smiled slyly, then grabbed Chu Chang's sleeve, as if afraid he would run away, and whispered eagerly:

"Perfect! You have just finished the mission, you are free, right? Quick, help your Junior Sister with a big favor! I recently found an excellent tributary of a spirit spring in the back mountain and plan to open up a secret piece of spirit land to plant an extremely rare, extremely precious Blood-Stasis Nourishing Spirit Grass! That is a Level 2 High Grade Spirit Medicine!"

Chu Chang raised an eyebrow slightly.

The Level 2 High Grade Spirit Medicine "Blood-Stasis Nourishing Spirit Grass" could not only nourish the Divine Soul to a great extent but was also a holy medicine for treating hidden injuries in the Meridians, worth a thousand gold. If he could get one or two leaves, it would have immeasurable benefits for his future cultivation.

Moreover, he had just experienced a life-and-death battle in the Black Wind Valley. Although the True Qi in his body was condensed, the killing intent was too heavy, and he needed a peaceful period to reconcile Yin and Yang and settle his state of mind.

Planting Spirit Medicine and getting close to nature was one of the best ways for a cultivator to polish their state of mind.

"Since Junior Sister Zhou has asked, I am naturally duty-bound." Chu Chang smiled, "However, this Blood-Stasis Nourishing Spirit Grass is extremely difficult to serve; temperature, Spiritual Qi, and even the dryness and wetness of the soil have strict requirements. Are you sure, Junior Sister?"

"Hmph, who are you looking down on? This girl's Yi Wood Technique was not practiced in vain!" Zhou Linzi raised her little fist triumphantly, "Let's go, I have prepared the Materials, I just need you as the coolie!"

Without waiting for Chu Chang to say more, Zhou Linzi pulled his sleeve and ran toward a secluded path behind Tianxuan Peak in a hurry.

She had thought it over: dragging Chu Chang along was for planting on one hand, and for cultivating their relationship on the other.

The two passed through layers of dense green bamboo forests, and the terrain became increasingly rugged and steep.

After walking for about half an hour, Zhou Linzi brought Chu Chang to a hidden cliff.

The surroundings were covered by strange rocks and dense vines; if someone had not led the way, it would have been extremely difficult to find.

Below the cliff was an open space of about half an acre, sheltered from the wind and facing the sun, with a faint fragrance and moisture permeating the air.

The rarest thing was that at the deepest part of the open space, a wisp of spring water with a faint milky white halo was slowly dripping from the hard rock crevices into a natural stone pond below.

"How is it? This place is remote, has plenty of sunlight, and is nourished by a tributary of the spirit spring; it is absolutely a natural hotbed for planting Spirit Medicine." Zhou Linzi said proudly, claiming credit.

Chu Chang felt it carefully and nodded slightly: "It is indeed a rare blessed land. However, there are too many loose rocks here, and the soil quality is somewhat alkalized because it has been soaked by the spring water for years, which is not suitable for the growth of the Blood-Stasis Nourishing Spirit Grass."

"That is why I need you, the coolie!"

Zhou Linzi took out a small, exquisite shovel with a bronze luster from her Storage Pouch and handed it to Chu Chang: "Come, Senior Brother Chu, first use your metal-attribute True Qi to clear away all these messy rocks, and then plow the land again, deep plowing three feet!"

Chu Chang looked at the toy-like little shovel and gave a wry smile.

However, he did not refuse.

He took a deep breath, and the Golden Geng True Qi in his body flowed slowly.

He did not use brute force; instead, he condensed the sharp Golden Geng True Qi on his palm and the bronze shovel.

"Rise!"

Chu Chang's figure unfolded, sweeping into the open space like a gale.

Every time he swung the shovel, it cut precisely into the crevices of the rocks.

Under the cutting of the sharp True Qi, those hard basalts were easily cut into pieces and flicked away like tofu.

Moreover, when Chu Chang plowed the land, he controlled the vibration frequency of the True Qi extremely skillfully.

The True Qi spread down along the soil layer, shattering the compacted soil in the depths, and simultaneously removing the Impurities and toxins within one by one.

Zhou Linzi watched from the side, dumbfounded.

"Such precise control of True Qi! You guy, you would absolutely be a good hand at being a farmer!"

"Junior Sister is overpraising, it is just practice makes perfect." Chu Chang wiped the sweat that had slightly seeped from his forehead, but his heart stirred.

During the process of tilling the land just now, he had divided his True Essence into thousands of strands, penetrating deep into the ground like the roots of a tree; this was not only a drain on his physical strength but also an excellent exercise for his control over True Essence and his Mental Energy.

In just half an hour, the originally chaotic wasteland had been cultivated by Chu Chang into a patch of soft, level, black soil ridges that exuded the fragrance of earth.

"Next is drawing water and improving the soil quality."

Zhou Linzi clapped her hands and took several large jars out of her Storage Pouch.

"This is a special nutrient solution made from Spirit Bee honey, Clear Path Grass juice, and Hundred Flower Dew. Senior Brother Chu, in a moment, I will use the Yi Wood Technique to regulate the water content, and you must use your True Essence to spray these medicinal liquids evenly across the ridges; it must be completely uniform, not an inch too much, and not an inch too little!"

"Alright, I will follow Junior Sister's instructions."

The two worked with tacit understanding.

Zhou Linzi flicked her jade fingers, and streaks of cyan-green light fell into the stone pool. The cold Spiritual Spring Water instantly turned into a sky full of fine mist, forming a brilliant rainbow in the sky that slowly descended toward the ridges.

And at the moment the mist descended, Chu Chang shattered those clay jars with a single palm strike.

The True Essence within his body transformed into an invisible giant hand, completely shattering the viscous medicinal liquid into particles invisible to the naked eye, perfectly blending them with the Spiritual Spring Water mist falling from the sky.

"Fall!"

Chu Chang flicked his sleeve.

The "Spirit Rain," containing rich vitality and medicinal power, fell extremely evenly over the entire patch of ridges.

The soft black soil frantically absorbed the nutrients, its color instantly turning as deep as ink, emitting an extremely alluring fluctuation of Spiritual Qi.

"Phew… the first step is finally complete."

Zhou Linzi wiped the fragrant sweat from her forehead; her delicate face was slightly flushed, but her eyes were startlingly bright.

She carefully took out a box carved from cold ice jade from her bosom.

She opened the box.

Inside lay three seeds, each about the size of a thumb, dark purple in color, with surfaces covered in countless mysterious golden patterns.

"Seeds of the Stasis-Dispelling Spirit-Nurturing Grass!" Chu Chang's expression turned solemn.

These three seeds were extremely plump, and faint, heart-like pulsations could be felt coming from them, full of vitality.

"I spent my entire three years of savings just to trade for these from an Elder at the Myriad Treasures Pavilion. Whether or not we succeed today depends on this one attempt."

Zhou Linzi's expression became incredibly solemn.

Using a pair of special small tweezers made from thousand-year-old agarwood, she carefully picked up the first seed and placed it into a deep pit in the very center of the ridge.

Afterwards, she rapidly formed hand seals in front of her chest.

Streaks of mysterious, gentle cyan dharma seals flew from her fingertips, transforming into wisps of pure vitality that enveloped the seed.

"Yi Wood Longevity, All Things Sprout! Swift!"

Following Zhou Linzi's delicate shout, the seed beneath the soil seemed to feel the call of vitality, and its golden patterns suddenly lit up.

"Chu Chang, quickly! Input a sliver of your True Essence! Be gentle, use the path of Metal generating Water to help it break through the constraints of its shell!" Zhou Linzi shouted urgently.

Chu Chang did not dare to delay.

He stepped forward, pressed his two fingers together, and a sliver of extremely faint yet condensed-to-the-extreme metal-attribute True Essence swirled slightly in the air. It transformed into a strange, highly penetrating yet life-preserving True Essence that silently seeped through the soil and into the seed.

All things in existence have their cycles of generation and restriction.

At this moment, the extremely sharp metal-attribute True Essence became the perfect "wall-breaker."

"Click…"

A sound, subtle to the extreme and almost like an auditory hallucination, rang out in both their Divine Senses.

The incredibly hard dark purple shell was precisely sliced open by Chu Chang's True Essence, creating an extremely fine crack.

Immediately after.

A wisp of a tender green seedling, filled with infinite vitality, like a nimble little green snake, tremblingly poked its head out from the soil.

"It succeeded!"

Zhou Linzi was so excited that she jumped up, disregarding the impropriety between man and woman, and hugged Chu Chang's arm.

But she quickly reacted, her face flushing red, and she awkwardly let go, coughing twice: "Ahem… well, there are still two more, continue, continue!"

Chu Chang smiled without saying much.

With the experience from the first time, the next two seeds were planted exceptionally smoothly.

In just the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, three tender "Stasis-Dispelling Spirit-Nurturing Grass" seedlings, emitting a faint purple glow, stood proudly in the middle of the black ridge.

They greedily breathed in the spiritual mist in the air, and on every leaf, a drop of crystal-clear dew containing pure Divine Soul fluctuations condensed.

However, just as joy appeared on both of their faces.

Suddenly.

"Boom!"

A muffled thunderclap exploded in the sky without any warning.

The originally clear sky had, at some unknown point, gathered a thick, oppressive layer of black clouds.

This was not an ordinary storm, but a small-scale "Spiritual Power Storm" triggered by the simultaneous birth of three second-tier High Grade Spirit Medicines that contained pure vitality.

The gale howled.

Countless violent and chaotic Spiritual Powers turned into wind blades, raging beneath the cliff, leaving the surrounding vines and strange rocks scarred and devastated.

The three tender seedlings swayed violently in the gale, as if they would be torn apart by this tyrannical force at any moment.

"Not good! It's a Spiritual Power Storm!"

Zhou Linzi's face turned pale, and she exclaimed: "How could this be? I clearly checked that the earth veins here are extremely stable; it shouldn't have triggered a Spiritual Power Storm!"

She tried to activate the "Yi Wood Technique" to protect the seedlings, but her meager wood-attribute True Essence, in the face of the violent natural forces, was like a candle flame in a gale, instantly torn to shreds.

"Don't panic!"

Chu Chang let out a violent shout.

At this moment, he not only did not retreat, but instead ignited the fierce courage and pride hidden deep in his bones.

The life-and-death battles in Black Wind Valley, the sharpness of the Tai Xuan Sword Intent, and his unyielding defiance in the face of the power of heaven and earth perfectly fused together in this instant.

"Form the array!"

The "Golden Geng Sword Art" within Chu Chang's body operated frantically.

"Clang!"

The iron sword was unsheathed.

Chu Chang stepped forward, blocking directly in front of the three seedlings. At this moment, two clusters of golden flames faintly lit up in his eyes.

"With my sword, I command the winds of all laws!"

Chu Chang did not swing his sword to slash at the storm.

Instead, he completely merged his Sword Intent into the ground beneath his feet and into the surrounding air.

"Sword Intent guards like Mount Tai!"

This was a defensive Sword Intent technique he had reverse-engineered from the "Army Breaker" move.

The Golden Geng True Essence condensed in the air into giant, illusory golden stone swords, surrounding the half-mu of spiritual land to form an indestructible golden sword array.

"Clang! Clang! Clang!"

Countless violent Spiritual Power wind blades slammed fiercely against the golden stone swords, sparking a sky full of dazzling fireworks.

But those stone swords, like pillars supporting the heavens, remained unmoved regardless of the wind and rain.

Under the protection of the sword array, the originally raging gale, after passing through the sword array, was actually torn apart and tamed by the incredibly sharp Sword Qi, transforming into wisps of the most gentle and pure Spiritual Qi that nourished the seedlings below.

Zhou Linzi stared blankly at the youth blocking in front of her.

At this moment, Chu Chang exuded a peerless sharpness that made one want to prostrate in worship.

He was like a peerless sword capable of splitting the heavens and earth; any gale or storm could only submit before him.

"This… is this Sword Qi controlling the wind? His… his Sword Intent has actually reached this level?!" Zhou Linzi's heart beat violently.

A full half hour passed.

The dark clouds in the sky finally gradually dissipated, and the violent Spiritual Power storm finally subsided.

"Thump."

Chu Chang retracted his iron sword and sat down on the soft soil, panting heavily.

Having continuously released Sword Intent and True Essence for half an hour, even with his terrifying Physical Body, he felt a trace of exhaustion.

However, his eyes were frighteningly bright.

After this battle, his understanding of the "Tai Xuan Sword Intent" had reached a brand-new level.

Even his previously unstable cultivation base had been completely consolidated during this high-intensity collision.

"Chu Chang, you… you are okay?"

Zhou Linzi hurriedly ran over, flustered as she dug a pile of healing and Qi-replenishing Medicinal Pills out of her Storage Pouch, shoving them all into Chu Chang's arms, her voice even carrying a hint of a sob:

"I'm sorry, it's all my fault. If I hadn't dragged you here…"