Cultivation starts from devouring the Dao fruits

Zhao Yu spent several months setting up the Thousand Trees Formation Array at Little Dan Ridge and Stream Spring Ridge.

After several more months, two streaks of Escape Light flew from the distance and arrived at the edge of the Great Array at Little Dan Ridge, revealing their figures. One was a burly elder with a full head of white hair, and the other was a beautiful woman clad in black, with a graceful figure and bewitchingly charming appearance, standing upon the clouds.

Both of them were Foundation Establishment Cultivators.

The burly elder called out loudly, "Luo Weihao seeks an audience with Mountain Master Zhao!"

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A wisp of smoke moved about, guiding the two towards the interior of Zhao Yu's cave mansion.

Upon seeing Zhao Yu, the burly elder clasped his hands in greeting and said, "Luo Weihao pays his respects to Mountain Master Zhao!"

The enchanting beauty smiled slightly and said, "Yi Wanqing pays her respects to Mountain Master Zhao!"

Zhao Yu said, "Please, take a seat!"

Only then did the two sit down on the meditation cushions, after which Wei Xinlan and Cui Lihua served them Spiritual Tea and stood by Zhao Yu's side.

Zhao Yu asked, "What brings the two of you here today?"

Luo Weihao replied with a hearty laugh, "Mountain Master Zhao, please sell me White Peach Mountain."

Yi Wanqing smiled faintly and said, "I've taken a liking to Linshan Cave! I would ask Master Zhao to name his price!"

Zhao Yu said, "White Peach Mountain for three hundred thousand Spirit Stones, Linshan Cave for two hundred thousand Spirit Stones! The price is non-negotiable! The Spirit Stones must be paid in one go, no delays!"

Luo Weihao replied decisively, "Deal!"

White Peach Mountain was a second-order high-grade Spirit Vein. Originally, the Wang family, the number one Foundation Establishment family of Cang Country, occupied such Spiritual Land, and a mere three hundred thousand Spirit Stones were already very cheap. Zhao Yu would not have sold this land if he had not been short on manpower.

Yi Wanqing said with a smile, "The price is very fair!"

Suddenly, Luo Weihao chuckled and said, "However, three hundred thousand Spirit Stones is still too much. I don't have that many on hand! Could you give me a few years' credit?"

Zhao Yu replied indifferently, "No!"

"Then, may I use this item to substitute for the three hundred thousand Spirit Stones?"

With a light chuckle, Luo Weihao took out and opened a jade box, revealing a lump of soil the size of a fingernail, colored in black and white.

A solemn look flashed in Zhao Yu's eyes as he said, "Could this possibly be the Fourth-Order Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, Black and White Divine Mud?"

The Black and White Divine Mud was a Fourth Order Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures formed by chance over a hundred thousand years at the core of a Fourth-Order Spirit Vein's deep underground. Just a bit of this divine mud mixed into the refinement of an Earth Attribute magical treasure could enhance its power significantly.

If a magical treasure were entirely refined from the Black and White Divine Mud and other Fourth Order Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, it could potentially become a Spiritual Treasure, with power many times stronger than that of an ordinary magical treasure.

Luo Weihao laughed and said, "Indeed, it is the Black and White Divine Mud!"

Zhao Yu said, "Deal!"

Luo Weihao hastily added, "Hold on! The Black and White Divine Mud is an extremely precious treasure, as I'm sure Mountain Master Zhao is aware. Just White Peach Mountain is not enough, you must also add ten thousand Spirit Stones to me!"

After pondering for a moment, Zhao Yu said, "Alright!"

Although the Black and White Divine Mud, a Fourth Order Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasure, was exceedingly rare, Luo Weihao had only a fingernail-sized piece, which was not worth three hundred thousand Spirit Stones. However, such treasures could not be bought with Spirit Stones in the Northern Desolation, and Zhao Yu did not want to miss this rare opportunity.

Yi Wanqing handed over two hundred thousand Spirit Stones to Zhao Yu. In turn, Zhao Yu then handed one hundred thousand Spirit Stones to Luo Weihao and provided them both with the deeds to their respective lands before finally taking the jade box into his hands.

After completing the transaction, the three sat together and engaged in profound discussions about the Dao.

After the two had left, Zhao Yu returned to the Quiet Room and directly swallowed the black and white divine mud, activating the Dao Fruit of Devouring to slowly refine it.

One month later, inside the Quiet Room.

Zhao Yu slowly opened his eyes, a trace of regret flashing through them, "This black and white divine mud is indeed worth its reputation as a Fourth-Order Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasure, but alas, there was simply too little of it."

"Earth Spirit Root-level Earth Spirit Root (79876/100000)."

After refining the black and white divine mud, Zhao Yu distinctly felt his cultivation talent had improved significantly, yet he still had not reached the transformative threshold of the Heavenly Spirit Root.

"Success in cultivation should be celebrated!"

A thought flickered through Zhao Yu's mind as he walked out of the Quiet Room.

"My lord husband, these are the Immortal Seedling candidates from Little Dan Ridge, please review them!"

As Zhao Yu entered the study, Shangguan Lingxiu got up to greet him, her smile beaming as she handed him a document.

Tuoba Xue giggled and bowed, saying, "I have seen the master!"

Zhao Yu scanned over the document, frowning slightly as he spoke, "Two with mid-grade Spiritual Roots, twenty-three with low-grade Spiritual Roots. Why isn't there a single Immortal Seedling with high-grade Spiritual Roots?"

Shangguan Lingxiu responded, "My lord husband, cultivators with high-grade Spiritual Roots would be valued even if they joined any of the Four Great Sects and could easily become disciples of various Foundation Establishment Cultivators.

Therefore, such cultivators either cultivate within their own families to become the pillars of their households or they enter one of the Four Great Sects to cultivate."

Tuoba Xue stated, "Master, I do know that the Wei family has a young boy named Wei Guangfeng who possesses high-grade Spiritual Roots. He has not yet gone to the Dan Ling Sect to seek a mentor. If the master is interested, it's possible to ask the Wei family to offer him up."

Zhao Yu shook his head slightly and said, "Choosing a mentor-mentee relationship is about mutual consent. Forcibly taking a disciple and obstructing their path will only plant seeds of disaster! Let's speak no more of such matters in the future!"n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Tuoba Xue felt a shiver inside and replied, "Yes, master!"

Zhao Yu ordered, "Have these two come to see me! As for the rest, teach them the first three layers of the Primordial Technique and arrange for them to learn literacy, spirit plant techniques, talisman drawing, and alchemy."

Tuoba Xue acknowledged, "As you command, master!"

Before long, a youth clad in brocade robes with outstanding features, around eleven or twelve years old, and another youth dressed in simple hemp cloth, with an ordinary appearance and honest demeanor, entered the cave mansion.

The youth in brocade robes was named Xu Xiunian, hailing from a small cultivation family, the Xu Clan, while the youth in hemp cloth was named Fang Shitou, coming from an ordinary farming household.

Tuoba Xue cast a glance at the two youths and said, "This is Owner Zhao Yu, why do you not come forth and pay respects to the owner?"

Xu Xiunian prostrated on the ground in respect and said, "Xu Xiunian, pays his respects to the owner!"

Fang Shitou looked around uncertainly and, mimicking the other in some panic, also prostrated and said, "Fang Shitou, pays his respects to the owner!"

Zhao Yu looked down at the two youths and shook his head inwardly. He wanted serious disciples, naturally preferring those with Earth Spirit Roots, or even Heavenly Spirit Roots who were also of good character. However, such geniuses generally flocked to the Five Great Sects and were unlikely to follow a mere Foundation Establishment Cultivator.

Zhao Yu declared, "From this day forward, you two are my registered disciples. If in the future you manage to achieve Foundation Establishment, I will formally take you as my Direct Disciples. You may leave now!"

After standing up, Xu Xiunian bowed again and said, "Yes, owner!"

Fang Shitou followed suit, rising and bowing as well.

Once all affairs had been settled, Zhao Yu suddenly took hold of Tuoba Xue's delicate white hand and smiled gently.

A blush crept onto Tuoba Xue's cheeks as she nestled softly in Zhao Yu's arms, trailing a fragrant breeze.

A moment in the spring breeze was beyond words.