Chapter 226: No Rush, I Still Have a Flower Seed
Shen Mo surveyed the valley.
At the valley's entrance, a few cottages stood quietly, surrounded by white, delicate flowers.
The soft breeze caused the flowers to sway, as if they were little dancing spirits. However, their fragrance was faint, almost imperceptible.
"These must be the Moon Orchid Flowers," Shen Mo remarked.
"Unfortunately, most of these flowers only have one or two petals. Otherwise, we wouldn't have to waste time cultivating them from seeds."
His gaze shifted to a clearing nearby. There, five flowerbeds were lined up, each containing several seeds.
The seeds were unusually large, about the size of a thumb.
A senior from one of the cottages quickly approached, bowing respectfully to the Grand Elder. Behind him followed three Core Formation stage stewards.
Clearly, these four were the stationed guardians of Bloodvine Valley.
The leading elder greeted with a steady voice, "Greetings, Grand Elder."
The Grand Elder nodded slightly. "Zhang Feng, have you noticed anything unusual while guarding this area?"
Zhang Feng chuckled lightly. "Grand Elder, you must be joking. Bloodvine Valley isn't one of those other two forbidden zones. Ever since our Jade Cauldron Sect took full control of this place, it has been extraordinarily calm. There's never been any anomaly."
"The bloodvines in the valley are behaving as usual."
"No Bloodroot Dragons have been born."
"And I inspect the valley's surrounding formations every three days to ensure everything is in order."
The Grand Elder finally nodded in approval. "Well done."
Shen Mo, however, couldn't help but wear an odd expression.
If not for his ability to see personal panels, he might have believed Zhang Feng's words.
"Interesting," Shen Mo thought. "Zhang Feng is a spy?"
"And he's not working for the Supreme Purity Sect, the Danhe Sect, or even the Prefecture Lord of Yu Province. Instead, he's loyal to the Ten Thousand Demons Kingdom?"
Outwardly, Shen Mo betrayed nothing, but inwardly, he was surprised. He made a mental note of Zhang Feng's life panel.
The Grand Elder turned to the gathered elders. "You may each select your seeds. After a day of cultivation, you may enter Bloodvine Valley."
"I must return to handle matters in the Discipline Hall, so I won't stay here any longer."
He cupped his hands to the elders in farewell, his stern demeanor unchanged.
"Safe travels, Grand Elder," the elders responded, bowing in return.
Shen Mo strode purposefully to the flowerbeds, his gaze appearing to flit casually between them, as if undecided. In truth, his focus was on the third flowerbed, searching for the darkest seed.
Shen Mo grabbed three seeds from the third bed, including the darkest one.
According to the rules, each person could select up to three seeds.
Seeing Shen Mo's choice, He Tianchou chuckled, "Elder Shen, I'd advise you to pick one seed from each bed."
"Why not take all three from one?" Shen Mo asked with a curious smile.
He Tianchou grinned confidently. "While the stationed elder wouldn't intentionally neglect any flowerbed, minor variations in nutrition are inevitable."
"By spreading your choices across different beds, you minimize risks."
"If you take three from one bed, you might get either the best or the worst outcomes."
"By diversifying, it's like not putting all your eggs in one basket. At least the results will be stable."
Shen Mo nodded in understanding. "Hall Master He, your expertise is evident."
He Tianchou puffed his chest proudly. "Of course. I've been into Bloodvine Valley nine times already."
Shen Mo nodded again. "Still, I can't be bothered with splitting hairs. I'll take these three. If they're all poor quality, I'll just chalk it up to bad luck."
He Tianchou laughed. "Alright, if my Moon Orchid Flowers turn out well, I'll gift you one."
Shen Mo cupped his hands in thanks, then moved aside and began channeling spiritual energy into his three seeds.
The other elders soon finished selecting their seeds, leaving behind the smaller, misshapen ones in the flowerbeds.
These leftover seeds would only yield one- or two-petal Moon Orchid Flowers at best. Their sole purpose was to be planted at the entrance of Bloodvine Valley, using quantity to generate a qualitative deterrent against the valley's bloodvines.
Shen Mo did not immediately inject spiritual energy into the dark seed. Instead, he began with the other two seeds.
Before long, the first seed sprouted, breaking through its shell.
With the nourishment of spiritual energy, it quickly grew, producing petals in no time.
Around him, other elders were expressing various emotions—delight, frustration, or disappointment.
He Tianchou exclaimed excitedly, "Haha! A six-petal Moon Orchid! I do have some skill after all!"
The surrounding elders cast envious glances his way.
A six-petal Moon Orchid was a rare find.
With it in hand, He Tianchou would likely be safe from attacks by most of the bloodvines in Bloodvine Valley. Only the extraordinarily powerful bloodvines would dare challenge the flower's fragrance and attack him.
Nearby, Ye Yan also activated his first seed.
His luck was average—he obtained a three-petal Moon Orchid.
Dissatisfied, Ye Yan immediately turned to his second seed.
Meanwhile, Shen Mo began activating his second seed as well.
The result was worse than the first: only a single petal.
On He Tianchou's side, another burst of laughter erupted.
"The second seed is a four-petal Moon Orchid!"
"The third seed is a five-petal Moon Orchid!"
"Everyone, if you didn't get a good Moon Orchid, feel free to come to me and buy one! Hahaha!"
He Tianchou was beside himself with joy.
The other elders looked on with envy.
Some couldn't help but regret not following He Tianchou's method of choosing seeds from three different flowerbeds.
Suddenly, a startled cry broke the chatter. "A seven-petal Moon Orchid! No, it's eight petals! My heavens!"
The elders immediately turned their gazes.
In Ye Yan's palm was a tiny eight-petal flower.
A faint smile played on Ye Yan's lips.
As expected, his luck wasn't bad.
While it wasn't the ultimate nine-petal Moon Orchid, an eight-petal one was already remarkable. It would be enough to let him enter Bloodvine Valley ahead of the others!
He Tianchou and the others looked on with admiration.
It had been nearly fifty years since a Moon Orchid with more than seven petals had appeared.
Yet here was Ye Yan, summoning an eight-petal flower today!
He Tianchou cast a few envious glances but soon turned his attention elsewhere.
Looking around, he noticed Shen Mo's poor results and strode over with large steps.
He felt a twinge of sympathy.
Shen Mo was a young prodigy, with extraordinary expertise in the art of taming beasts.
Still, it seemed he had some shortcomings—like selecting seeds, where he clearly fell short compared to himself.
Of course, He Tianchou had the advantage of experience, having entered Bloodvine Valley nine times. That experience allowed him to cultivate three fairly excellent Moon Orchids today.
He Tianchou chuckled. "Elder Shen, I'll have to keep the six-petal flower, but I can give you this five-petal one. How about it?"
The surrounding elders were visibly surprised.
He Tianchou was known to be a rather stingy person.
Yet today, he was offering a five-petal Moon Orchid to Shen Mo for free?
However, the group quickly understood.
Shen Mo, a young prodigy with a bright future, was clearly worth befriending.
He Tianchou's gesture made perfect sense.
The elders couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy.
If only they had Shen Mo's talent, they too might have others offering them Moon Orchids.
Shen Mo simply smiled. "No rush. I still have one more seed."
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