Chapter 159: Open Water Mansion

After using the "Yimu Divine Thunder Talisman," Chen Mobai didn't hesitate. He immediately applied two "Divine Speed Talismans" and fled towards the water mansion.

Of course, before leaving, he didn't forget to retrieve the spirit stone pouch he had thrown.

These were hard-earned.

Fleeing all the way, terrified of being caught by the Nanshan bandits, Chen Mobai, filled with anxiety, finally managed to hide in the water mansion.

He grasped the formation flag for the Azure Water Array, and only then, relying on this second-tier formation, did he feel a little more at ease.

Feeling his dantian and qi sea nearly empty of spiritual power, Chen Mobai, disregarding the waste, immediately applied a first-grade top-tier "Revival Talisman" to himself.

He restored himself to full condition in the shortest possible time.

He also held his mobile phone, ready to return to the immortal sect immediately if the enemy showed any signs of breaking through the Azure Water Array.

He waited anxiously for half a day, only to find that no enemies came.

This allowed Chen Mobai to breathe a sigh of relief.

However, he still didn't dare to let his guard down. While maintaining the Azure Water Array at maximum power, he began preparing to dismantle the Renzhi Water Thunder Law restrictions in the remaining two side halls.

If the Nanshan bandits did attack later, he planned to grab the items from the side halls and teleport away immediately.

Chen Mobai had practiced the dismantling method recorded by Liu Jingpei to extreme proficiency during his six months at Danzhu Academy.

However, lacking practical experience, his first attempt at dismantling it failed.

This was mainly because Chen Mobai’s mind was unsettled, causing his hands to hesitate.

Before his second attempt, he meditated for fifteen minutes using the "Nourishing Mind and Forging Spirit Art." Only after feeling his mind and spiritual power calm down did he calmly apply the dismantling method.

"Click."

A crisp sound echoed in his ears.

Chen Mobai watched as the arc of lightning that had enveloped the side hall's main door dimmed and then completely vanished.

The vanishing restriction seemed to activate the door's mechanism, and under his expectant gaze, the large door slowly opened.

A wave of warmth washed over him.

Finally, he saw what lay within.

Inside was a cultivation area arranged according to a specific layout.

A circular trench had been dug around it, filled with clear, pure water whose source was unknown.

Within the trench lay a mound of soil, roughly five to six square meters in size.

This soil was unlike ordinary soil; it was reddish-brown. The warm current Chen Mobai felt from outside the doorway emanated from this very red soil.

Four bamboo stalks were planted in the red soil.

The bamboo stalks were like green jade, tall and straight, their leaves resembling swords, faintly glinting with gold and silver.

Chen Mobai observed them: one gold, three silver. These must be the Gold-Edged Jade Bamboo and Silver-Edged Jade Bamboo mentioned in Liu Jingpei's notes.

It was fortunate that this side hall provided an environment suitable for the growth of this jade bamboo; otherwise, they might all have withered and died over the decades.

Chen Mobai used a coin to test, and after confirming there were no other restrictions inside, he entered. While carefully examining the four jade bamboos, he also reached out and touched the sole Gold-Edged Jade Bamboo.

He noticed that this particular bamboo appeared to have absorbed most of the spiritual energy over the years, growing the best, with even a bamboo flower bud at its tip.

As his hand touched the stalk, Chen Mobai felt rich, pure spiritual energy swirling within each bamboo segment.

He bent down and poked through the reddish soil around the jade bamboo, and indeed found six or seven bamboo shoots.

This was Liu Jingpei's primary task in cultivating jade bamboo within this water mansion. These jade bamboo shoots, along with Azure Blood Carp, were favored spiritual food ingredients of a certain Golden Core ancestor of the Five Elements Sect.

However, Chen Mobai had already consumed the Azure Blood Carp. He wondered if these jade bamboo shoots also had the effect of increasing spiritual roots.

Chen Mobai didn't dare to delay. Using the method recorded in Liu Jingpei's notes, he dug out all the emerging jade bamboo shoots. He then sealed them with moistened red soil and placed them into a pre-prepared freshness bag.

After collecting the bamboo shoots, Chen Mobai also picked all the silver-edged and gold-edged bamboo leaves. He carefully folded them, leaf by leaf, and placed them into two separate boxes.

As soon as he learned that Liu Jingpei might be cultivating jade bamboo in the water mansion's side hall, he began researching the uses of this spiritual plant.

In Nanxi Market, there was a shop established by Green Bamboo Ridge, specializing in products related to jade bamboo.

Chen Mobai made a casual inquiry and obtained the information he desired.

Jade bamboo shoots are a delicacy.

The bamboo leaves can be used as talisman paper: silver-edged bamboo leaves serve as first-tier talisman paper, and gold-edged bamboo leaves as second-tier, perfect for crafting Scarlet Flame Sword Talismans.

Bamboo flowers are also a spiritual medicine. Furthermore, if the flowers mature into bamboo seeds, direct consumption, even without refinement, can sharpen vision, clear the mind, and enhance spiritual sense.

The remaining bamboo stalks, pith, and roots also have various uses, but extracting them would require felling the bamboo.

His upbringing in the immortal sect taught Chen Mobai not to indiscriminately fell plants, as they might be protected spiritual flora.

Although this was the Heavenly River Realm, Chen Mobai felt that felling these jade bamboos would be a terrible waste, as their primary use would likely be as raw materials for sale.

It would be better to preserve them as breeding stock, allowing for annual harvests of jade bamboo shoots, leaves, flowers, and seeds.

Of course, if the water mansion were on the verge of being breached, Chen Mobai would certainly be ruthless enough to cut them down.

But for now, sustainable harvesting was the priority.

He placed the silver-edged and gold-edged bamboo leaves into two separate boxes, then put them, along with the freshness bag of jade bamboo shoots, into his backpack. Afterwards, he left to open another side hall.

However, this particular side hall was empty, with only a meditation cushion in its center.

It appeared to be Liu Jingpei's cultivation chamber.

After entering and looking around, he confirmed there were no hidden compartments. Chen Mobai then exited, somewhat disappointed.

He teleported back to the Terrestrial Star, taking the jade bamboo shoots and bamboo leaves with him.

Then, eager to showcase his culinary skills, he cut one jade bamboo shoot in half, sliced it thinly, and stir-fried it with bacon from Qingshan Village.

A single bowl of stir-fried bamboo shoots with meat was enough for Chen Mobai to finish an entire pot of spiritual rice.

It was fragrant, tender, crisp, and delicious...

He had never tasted such a delicious dish before.

After finishing his meal with a satisfied burp, Chen Mobai remembered to take out his spiritual energy tester.

Spiritual Roots: Metal 23, Wood 28, Water 30, Fire 17, Earth 10.

As expected, his Wood spiritual root had increased by 1 point.

He just didn't know if it would later decrease, like with the Azure Blood Carp, or if there was an upper limit.

Even though he was already full, Chen Mobai, for comparison, sliced the remaining half of the jade bamboo shoot and ate it raw.

He wanted to see if stir-frying affected the jade bamboo shoot's efficacy.

After finishing, he used the spiritual energy tester again.

Wood 29.

No change.

Chen Mobai waited another night, and when he tested again the next morning, he found it had indeed dropped.

It had returned to Wood 28.

A slight disappointment flickered through him, but then a thought immediately came to mind.

Since his cultivation of the Pure Yang Dharma Body would damage his liver and gallbladder, perhaps these jade bamboo shoots could offer a preemptive supplement.

Could it be that...