Chapter 152: The First Planting
I clenched my fists against my knees, the pounding in my chest a reminder of how audacious this was. Still, I couldn’t afford to back down now.
Feng Wu finally opened his mouth, but I raised a hand, cutting him off. “I know what you’re going to say,” I began, my voice firm but steady. “And I know that you won’t—and shouldn’t—do this for free.”
I glanced at Tianyi, who sat quietly in the corner. “The reason Narrow Stone Peak was so determined to take this village is because of the ambient qi here. It’s stronger than anywhere else in the region. Haven't you noticed it since you arrived?”
Feng Wu’s brow furrowed. “I did notice the abundance of qi. It’s unusual, to say the least.”
“It’s not natural,” I admitted. “It’s because of Tianyi. She has a skill called Qi Haven. It passively enhances the ambient qi in the area around her. She’s the reason cultivation has been easier here, for me and everyone else in the village.”
Tian Zhan’s posture shifted, his expression sharpening. “A passive skill with that much influence? That’s rare.”
“Rare enough to draw attention,” I agreed. “And I understand that alone might not be enough to justify your sect deploying a squad here. But there’s more.”
I stood and moved toward one of the shelves, scanning the neatly labeled vials until I found the one I was looking for. Holding it up to the faint light, the liquid shimmered like sunlight caught in a jar. Sage essence.
Turning back to face them, I took the ginseng-sage hybrid, one of my more successful experiments. Its leaves glistening, the result of its unique composition.