A few days later.
Thunderfire Hall inner courtyard, the ancestral hall.
In the open clearing before the ancestral hall, three Red Jade Flat Peach Trees drooped their branches listlessly. Through their efforts over the past few days, Lu Ming and the others had successfully transplanted the trees. Given how exceedingly precious they were, they had been planted directly in the family's most critical location: right outside the ancestral hall.
However, the Red Jade Flat Peach Trees had already been in poor shape to begin with, and after undergoing such an upheaval, they looked to be on the verge of withering away completely.
“A-Ming, it's all up to you.”
Lu Qingyan patted Lu Ming on the shoulder, his face filled with nervous anticipation.
Even Lu Jin had extinguished the pipe in his hand, terrified that the smoke might hinder the Red Jade Flat Peach Trees' growth.
“You can do it, Brother!”
Lu Mengmeng's little face was full of curiosity. At the same time, her big eyes remained unblinkingly glued to the few sparse, shriveled peaches hanging from the trees, her nose twitching as the greedy glutton in her belly stirred.
She hoped Lu Ming could heal the peach trees so that in the future, she could feast on these peaches that looked both wondrous and delicious.
Lu Ming smiled and nodded. Under their tense gazes, he walked beneath the peach trees and held out his hand. The emerald-green Life's Flame rose from his palm, immediately pouring forth a vigorous vitality that made even the surrounding air feel refreshing and invigorating.
Whether it was an illusion or not, the withered branches of the three Red Jade Flat Peach Trees seemed to perk up slightly at that very moment.
Lu Ming pressed his hand, ablaze with Life's Flame, against the trunk of one of the peach trees. In an instant, the emerald flames surged forth, coalescing into a thin film of fire that enveloped the entire tree.
For a moment, it seemed as if the tree itself had caught fire.
Although they were well aware of the extraordinary qualities of Life's Flame, the sight before them still made the eyelids of Lu Jin, Lu Qingyan, and Lu Jinglei twitch involuntarily. Inexplicably, they broke into a cold sweat for the Red Jade Flat Peach Tree.
Fortunately, it was not reduced to ashes.
Life's Flame was as miraculous as ever.
Under the caress of the emerald flame, the shriveled, yellowed leaves of the Red Jade Flat Peach Tree gradually took on a hint of verdant green, slowly unfurling bit by bit.
Even the few shriveled Red Jade Flat Peaches sparsely hanging on the branches began to gleam with a faint, jade-like luster.
The Red Jade Flat Peach Tree, originally steeped in deathly stagnation, actually began to revive with renewed vitality beneath the burning of Life's Flame!
What was more, as its vitality returned, everyone present could feel the tree's roots actively extending deeper into the earth, drawing upon the vitality contained within the soil.
It was worth noting that Lu Ming had also warmed this soil with Life's Flame over the past few days, infusing it with a faint trace of vitality, though that vitality was currently slowly dissipating.
Yet the Red Jade Flat Peach Tree did not merely take without giving; as it absorbed the vitality from the ground, faint traces of pure primordial energy seeped out from its root system, gradually saturating the soil.
It was modifying the soil.
Over time, the pure primordial energy released by the Red Jade Flat Peach Tree would transform the earth into a specialized spiritual soil increasingly suited to its own growth.
Using the wonders of Life's Flame, Lu Ming rekindled the severed link between the Red Jade Flat Peach Tree and the soil, establishing a virtuous cycle of mutual nourishment and balance between them.
Lu Ming then spent more time igniting flames to replenish the vitality of the other two Red Jade Flat Peach Trees, completely expending the abundant primordial energy within his body.
By now, the number of Divine Ability Dharma Inscriptions engraved and condensed upon his Divine Ability Bone had reached seven. When he finished consuming the golden-eyed spirit fish earlier, his seventh Divine Ability Dharma Inscription had already mostly taken shape. Following consecutive bloody battles with the Peach Mountain Bandits and relentless cultivation over the past few days, that seventh Divine Ability Dharma Inscription had finally condensed to completion today.
With the foundation of seven Divine Ability Dharma Inscriptions, the duration and potency of his Life's Flame had improved considerably, allowing him to sustain the workload required to heal all three Red Jade Flat Peach Trees.
With this, all three Red Jade Flat Peach Trees began to recover their vigor, thriving outside the ancestral hall.
“From now on, I will replenish the vitality of the trees and soil at regular intervals. Once the environment stabilizes and the peach trees begin feeding back into the spiritual soil, this place will truly be able to sustain the Red Jade Flat Peach Trees on its own,” Lu Ming said, clapping his hands as he admired his handiwork with a look of satisfaction.
Hearing this, the trio of Lu Jin and his sons felt a tremendous weight lift from their shoulders, their faces unable to conceal their ecstatic joy.
“Tsk, tsk. Three mature Red Jade Flat Peach Trees... In the past, I wouldn't have dared dream our Lu family could possess such good fortune.” Lu Jinglei reached out and gingerly caressed the trunk of a peach tree, marveling in awe.
One had to realize that to create the minor blessed land known as the Spirit Fish Pool, the Li and Yan families had likely invested millions of heavenly gold sand in total to reach its current scale.
Yet as long as they guarded these three Red Jade Flat Peach Trees, the entire Lu family would reap immense benefits. Such scarce cultivation resources were so prized that offering just a sliver as a reward would have countless Grand Divine Ability Practitioners breaking down their doors to serve as instructors in Thunderfire Hall.
For now, however, they would not do so. The Red Jade Flat Peach Trees were simply too precious; only when Thunderfire Hall grew stronger—at the very least advancing to a Grade 4 Divine Ability Hall—could they make it known to the public without inviting covetous eyes.
“Grandfather, I also ripened these three Red Jade Flat Peaches over the past few days. How do you wish to deal with them?” Lu Ming brought over a sandalwood box from a nearby stone table and opened it. Inside lay three plump peaches that looked as though they were carved from red jade, resting quietly while giving off an enticing aroma.
These three Red Jade Flat Peaches were the very ones retrieved from the Peach Mountain Bandits' vault. Over the past few days, Lu Ming had not forgotten to replenish their vitality with Life's Flame, restoring them to their true splendor.
Nearby, the moment Lu Mengmeng smelled the peach fragrance, her stomach let out a loud rumble, drawing chuckles from everyone.
“Mengmeng, don't you dare sneak in to pick the peaches in this courtyard, or I'll spank you raw. Once they ripen in the future, you'll definitely get your share,” Lu Qingyan teased with a stern warning.
Lu Mengmeng gave a sullen, deflated “Oh.”
Lu Jin smiled and rubbed Lu Mengmeng's head before turning to Lu Ming. “Keep them for yourself. Consuming them strengthens the physical body and tempers primordial energy; they will be of immense benefit to you.”
Hearing this, Lu Ming shook his head. “Grandfather, one will be enough for me to try. I want to give the other two to Ward Master Zhou Xuan to see if he can help refine a high-grade pill to purify True Primordial Energy. You need this very much right now.”
Presently, Lu Jin had already condensed a strand of True Primordial Energy, yet he could not be considered a true True Primordial Energy Master just yet; this transition still required a period of accumulation.
Lu Jin was taken aback, then pondered for a moment. “There is no need for that. I have already crossed the most difficult hurdle. From here, I merely need to accumulate gradually, and I will eventually convert all my primordial energy into True Primordial Energy and step into the True Primordial Energy Realm.”
“But what we lack most right now is time,” Lu Ming said solemnly, shaking his head.
“Although we resolved the trouble of the Peach Mountain Bandits this time, Lin Changkong remains completely unharmed. Compared to Guo Kui, he is the venomous snake right at our doorstep, posing a threat far greater than Guo Kui ever could.”
“Our strike against the Peach Mountain Bandits also revealed Grandfather's strength. Given Lin Changkong's shrewdness, he is bound to be wary. When he makes his next move, I'm afraid he won't give us the slightest chance to turn the tables.”
“Perhaps...”
“Lin Changkong will no longer use another's hand.”
As Lu Ming spoke these words, Lu Jin and his two sons fell silent. The joy brought about by the Red Jade Flat Peach Trees dissipated, replaced by an acute sense of urgency welling up in their hearts.
A True Primordial Energy Master eyeing them like a predator was enough to cause restless days and sleepless nights.
“A-Ming's prudence truly takes after my own,” Lu Jin remarked after a moment, wearing an immensely gratified smile. Possessing such vigilance would allow Lu Ming to walk much farther along the Grand Dao of Divine Abilities.
“Your worries are justified. Lin Changkong has tested us multiple times without managing to crush Thunderfire Hall to claim credit from that noble lady of the Great Golden Crow Hall. His patience is likely wearing thin.”
“Since that is the case, we will do as you say.”
“However, requesting an Alchemy Master like Zhou Xuan to refine pills is no simple matter. How about this: take the one hundred thousand heavenly gold sand seized from the Peach Mountain Bandits and offer it as compensation to see if we can persuade him.”
Lu Jin was inherently decisive; having grasped the gravity of the situation, he did not hesitate in the slightest.
Lu Ming opened his mouth to say something, but Lu Jin waved his hand. “This heavenly gold sand might not catch Zhou Xuan's eye, but it shows our sincerity when asking for a favor. While your talent in the Dao of Alchemy has earned his favor, you must not squander favors on matters like this. Favors diminish with every use, so it is best saved for critical moments.”
“We still don't know what that Golden Sun Flame Banner you're cultivating will ultimately be used for. Preserving some goodwill now means that if something unexpected occurs in the future, he might give you an extra heads-up out of regard for that rapport.”
“All right, I'll listen to Grandfather.”
Lu Ming agreed with a smile. The elder's advice was born of weathered experience, and naturally deserved heed.
Thus, he put away the Red Jade Flat Peaches, took the heavenly gold sand, and set out straight toward the Ward Office.
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