"Thank you for the reminder, fellow Daoist," replied Shopkeeper Song promptly.
"We have a total of ten Spirit Breath Grass plants. Accelerating one costs one tael of broken spirit, totaling ten taels of broken spirit."
Chu Ning heard this, feeling slightly puzzled.
"The price seems quite decent. Ten Spirit Breath Grass plants mean I only need to use the Accelerating Technique once to succeed, and instantly earn ten taels of broken spirit?
While ten taels of broken spirit are roughly not enough to exchange for one Lower Grade Spirit Stone, theoretically I've obtained one Lower Grade Spirit Stone.
Perhaps seeing Chu Ning's puzzlement, Shopkeeper Song explained:
"Fellow Daoist, these Spirit Breath Grass seeds have peculiar traits, they react very distinctly to magical power fluctuations.
Each must be planted individually, so these ten require you to cast the Accelerating Technique ten times separately.
Moreover, it must be instant cast; if the magical power is gathered slowly with a spell and not injected all at once, it's impossible to accelerate them."
Chu Ning heard this and suddenly realized.
Ah, it turns out it's not ten taels of broken spirit at once, but one tael each time. No wonder those disciples from Zone C are unwilling to take on the task.
One tael is just one tael; Chu Ning did not mind. His use of the Accelerating Technique consumes little magical power, so he can earn the spirit stones.
Therefore, he immediately said to Shopkeeper Song, "Alright, I'll accept it."
"Good, fellow Daoist, please wait a moment while I prepare!"
Shopkeeper Song said, then left first.
In a short while, he returned with Chu Ning beside him to an empty plot in the backyard.
At this moment, a transparent box was placed by the empty plot, and Chu Ning saw a black seed inside the box.
"Fellow Daoist, may we begin?" Shopkeeper Song asked.
Chu Ning nodded, and Shopkeeper Song immediately approached the box and opened the lid.
Chu Ning did not hesitate; the Accelerating Technique was instantly cast, a wave of magical power instantly striking the Spirit Breath Grass seed.
Shortly after, the seed sprouted and broke through the soil.
Shopkeeper Song, seeing this, swiftly closed the box and had it moved away.
Then, he brought out another transparent box from inside.
Chu Ning followed the same procedure, casting the Accelerating Technique repeatedly until completing it ten times.
Shopkeeper Song quickly took out a small cloth bag, "Fellow Daoist, here are ten taels of broken spirit, please keep them safe."
Chu Ning weighed it slightly in his hand then tucked it into his bosom.
He contemplated briefly, then asked Shopkeeper Song:
"Shopkeeper, do you have any other tasks involving spirit plants?"
The ten taels of broken spirit he just acquired were still too little.
In the market, it's hardly enough to buy anything substantial.
Shopkeeper Song shook his head, "Currently, I only have this one task."
After speaking, he hesitated for a moment and then looked at Chu Ning:
"I don't suppose fellow Daoist has cultivated the Cyan Wood Spring Blossom Skill? If so, I might introduce you to another task."
Chu Ning thought for a moment, then nodded, "I can give it a try."
It's not much of a secret that he possesses the Cyan Wood Spring Blossom Skill, after all, cultivating Ink Spirit Bamboo requires it.
Upon hearing this, Shopkeeper Song wasn't particularly surprised, and given Chu Ning's Third Layer of Qi Refining cultivation, being able to instantly cast the Accelerating Technique, it's not unusual to have learned the Cyan Wood Spring Blossom Skill.
He instructed an employee to guard the counter and directly led Chu Ning out of the backyard, walking to a small shop after a while.
"Old Man Sun, brought a client for you." Shopkeeper Song shouted as he stepped in, and a short, somewhat lean old man stood up from a recliner.
His gaze swept past Shopkeeper Song, then landed on Chu Ning.
"What does this guest require? The small old man here mainly handles wood element items."
The old man's voice was not loud, yet in Chu Ning's ears, it instantly made his eyes light up.
Wood element.
Due to the Yin Wood Spirit Body, Chu Ning has a fondness for wood element things.
Looking around, he indeed saw some magical artifacts and flying swords on the shelves, all wood element, intriguing Chu Ning greatly.
Meanwhile, Shopkeeper Song had already begun introducing:
"This guest just performed the Accelerating Technique at my place, and I heard he excelled in the Cyan Wood Spring Blossom Skill, so I specially brought him over."
"Oh, capable of performing the Cyan Wood Spring Blossom Skill?"
Old Man Sun glanced after hearing this yet showed little expression, seemingly not particularly caring.
This slightly puzzled Chu Ning.
Considering the tone in their conversation, Old Man Sun was clearly seeking someone capable of performing the Cyan Wood Spring Blossom Skill.
How come after hearing he possesses it, there's no reaction?
Though thinking this way, Chu Ning still nodded.
Old Man Sun witnessed this and said calmly, "Fellow Daoist, please follow me."
Shopkeeper Song did not follow but chose to bid farewell and leave; Old Man Sun paid him no mind and led Chu Ning towards the backyard.
In the yard, Old Man Sun habitually asked Chu Ning to perform the Cyan Wood Spring Blossom Skill once.
After waiting for a while and seeing the skill's effectiveness was indeed notable, Old Man Sun glanced at Chu Ning and asked:
"I wonder how many times in succession can you cast the Cyan Wood Spring Blossom Skill, fellow Daoist?"
"How many times in one go?" Chu Ning mused slightly hearing this, perhaps the other party requires extensive areas for planting with the Cyan Wood Spring Blossom Skill.
However, considering the yard's size, it doesn't seem capable of large-scale planting; if it's going to distant places, Chu Ning would not be willing.
Hence, Chu Ning asked in return, "How many times does the shopkeeper need?"
"10 times!" Old Man Sun raised his fingers.
"If you can't perform the Cyan Wood Spring Blossom Skill 10 times consecutively, you can't take on my task."
Old Man Sun's voice remained calm; Chu Ning heard this and responded mildly:
"Shopkeeper, explain your task first, then I'll consider accepting it."
"Can you perform the Cyan Wood Spring Blossom Skill 10 times consecutively?"
At this moment, Old Man Sun's tone finally showed a hint of change, to be exact, it carried a mix of wonder with a tinge of excitement.
Chu Ning remained silent, but this clearly answered the other's query.
Old Man Sun began pondering and eventually gritted his teeth, still choosing to speak:
"Not concealing from the guest, the small old man accidentally obtained a Seven-Star Spirit Fruit and transplanted it here.
Regrettably, the spiritual energy here is insufficient.
Though high-quality spiritual soil was specially prepared, and many methods were considered, it merely bore fruit, but going further proved impossible.
At this stage, only the Cyan Wood Spring Blossom Skill can promote its growth and enhance its quality."
Upon hearing this, Chu Ning became slightly interested.
At least it's not going far, and the Seven-Star Spirit Fruit sounds promising, he hasn't seen it before.
Recalling Old Man Sun's repeated questions, he asked curiously:
"Does the Seven-Star Spirit Fruit require multiple concurrent casts of the Cyan Wood Spring Blossom Skill?"
"Indeed." Old Man Sun nodded.
"The Seven-Star Spirit Fruit requires 10 consecutive casts of the Cyan Wood Spring Blossom Skill each time.
10 days continuously, totaling 100 times, to ensure the fruit's quality.
Due to this, I've never found the right person to help complete this task."
Upon hearing this, Chu Ning mused slightly; he certainly could perform 10 consecutive casts, and even more in one go.
However, doing it continuously for 10 days seemed a bit troublesome.
Old Man Sun watched Chu Ning's silence, his gaze flickered repeatedly.
He had previously sought several Early Stage of Qi Cultivation disciples, but many couldn't meet the requirement, so the business remained unresolved.
Of course, seeking higher-level cultivators would certainly get it done.
Yet, he wasn't keen on revealing his treasure to higher-level cultivators.
At this moment, he wasn't certain if Chu Ning genuinely could fulfill the task or was merely probing him for casual amusement.
Chu Ning gently nodded, then shook his head.
"Performing 10 consecutive casts of the Cyan Wood Spring Blossom Skill is doable, but this would deplete my magical power, and commuting daily is somewhat inconvenient."
Old Man Sun immediately responded, "That's easy. After each casting, I will provide a Replenishing Essence Pill to assist in restoring your magical power.
Additionally, each day you come to cast, I'll reward you with two Lower Grade Spirit Stones."
Upon hearing this, Chu Ning couldn't help but feel tempted.
He just earned 10 taels of broken spirit for 10 casts of the Accelerating Technique.
But now, for casting the Cyan Wood Spring Blossom Skill 10 times, he could obtain two Lower Grade Spirit Stones.
If he comes for 10 days, that totals 20 pieces.
With 20 Lower Grade Spirit Stones in hand, he should be able to purchase some fine items in the market.
"Alright, let's start today then."
Seeing Chu Ning agree, Old Man Sun immediately showed a joyful expression, leading Chu Ning to a spirit fruit tree that stood nearly half as tall as a person.
The tree's trunk was slender and straight, emitting an intoxicating fragrance.
Its leaves were small but had a rainbow of colors.
Beneath the rainbow leaves hung several green fruits, although not yet full and ripe, their spiritual energy was clearly perceived.