Yanyo Hanying next brought me through the marketplace, and although there was some interesting things there. I didn't see any amazing draws that would lead to some major discovery or opportunity I could take/share with another person, sadly.
And after bringing me through the market place so I could spend a couple of my tiny spirit stones for some gold to be spent in buying some simple food for me to be able to take care of myself.
Yanyo Hanying then explained that she was bringing me back home to my apartment in a loop past the herb fields that were under still under the protection of the Treasure Tree Sea's canopy.
And the spirit herb fields were... Fucking massive to say the least. Which made sense as the herb fields were less of farming fields and instead hundreds if not thousands of tiny eco-systems all talied to properly host an endless number of plant-based herbs and treasures.
Because the Manifesting World Tree technique would also be colored by a person's natural elemental alignments beyond just the Wood element,t and it was also noted as a strong element as the World Tree it grew would grow often with fire and metal elemental protection,n which was the natural elemental enemy of the Wood element.
Either way as we were walking past the herb fields I asked curiously. "So what about the dead herbs, or herbs that need yin energy? What happens with those?"
And Yanyo Hanying smiled softly and said. "We have the Herb Graveyard at the end of the valley near the crease of those two smaller mountains which act to swallow up all the yin energy. Would you care to see it?"
There was something in her voice that made me a bit offput but I shrugged and said with a wry smile. "Yeah, I mean it's a needed part of the herb life cycle. If they aren't plucked to be used for alchemy, I imagine they will die and the herbs and treasures being used is good?"
Yanyo Hanying shook her head with a self-mocking smile crossing her face before she sighed.
"You are very correct Jake. But most disciples refuse to head there due to the thick yin mist that surrounds the Herb Graveyard. There is also only a dozen odd servant disciples who work there for the better pay. And only myself in an Inner-Disciple, who cares for the herbs within the Herb Graveyard."
Now the opportunity Yanyo Hanying had made more sense if she was the only Inner-Disciple working in the Herb Graveyard.
"There isn't an elder or something watching or helping work in there?" I asked with clear confusion.
And Yanyo Hanying's face turned into a wry smile before she said in amusement. "Yeah... The elder is a senior from the Water Mountain branch. Who spends much of her time in a cabin in seclusion at the center of the Herb Graveyard in the spot with the strongest yin energy. She refines the yin energy to make sure it doesn't get too strong and to also help her own cultivation."
I shook my head at that and I said. "Well, I will take a look at some point. I already have another wood cultivation manual and getting an idea of yin-plant based treasures will be good... Once I get a couple more Meridan's filled over the next couple days." I finished a bit sheepishly.
And Yanyo Hanying raised an eyebrow and looked up and down before she asked curiously. "Oh, you already located and managed to clear out a couple Meridan's? Thats impressive for someone of a common background."
With that Yanyo Hanying just led me back to my apartment and I sent off the senior sister with a smile before sighing and stretching. "Alright... Time to get to work. I need to fill up the Meridian's the Acupunction and Piercing the Heavens method cleared out."
So I started up a hot shower before removing the thick bandage over the leaking acupuncture hole that had thankfully stopped leaking its filthy impurities, and after washing up.
I started up the bath so I could let the impurities leak out of the next impacted meridian while I worked to fill out my second meridian.
'Hmm, it will likely take a week to empty out my sixth meridian. I have good talent, but little to no resources.' I mused to myself while wondering what would happen if I tried to refine the Blade Tree Birth technique with my impurities?
Would it just be garbage? Or would it make the blade poisonous... Imagine some poor bastard's reaction when he got cut with the sword and he realized I filled his body with impurities that would fuck over his cultivation.
But then again, I needed a herb to act as the core of the sword I would refine from the Blade Tree Birth technique... Maybe a good yin herb would be a good idea?
Though it was kinda a bad idea because I would need to keep the sword with me to feed it my blood normally anyway... And feeding my blood to a living sword that was born from my impurities sounded like it could go terribly wrong.
An hour later I took a deep breath as I could feel my second Meridian was completely filled with Qi and cycling itself with my Everburning Tree of Transcendence Technique.
Looking into myself, I could see my strengthened Wood Spirit Root, and the Fire Spirit Root were already feeding one another now as the fire from the Fire Root was gently burning the wood and leaves of my Wood Spirit root, and the ashes and such going to energize the Wood spirit root alongside the Qi.
"Gotta get a new tub of water," I grunted as I pulled the plug and quickly washed off the impurities before refilling it as I realized that being in water would also energize my Wood spirit root to allow me to cultivate a tiny bit faster.
But now I realized that filling up my third meridian was going to take several hours of meditation... And not wanting to take so much time. I took out half of the spirit stones I got from the initiation dungeon and mentally pulled the tiny bit of concentrated spirit energy from it.
Four hours later I groaned as I stood up from my bath with a slightly bloated feeling as I finished filling up my third Meridian... Which meant that I was officially a quarter of the way through the Meridian Clearing stage of cultivation!
"Oh fucking joy... It will likely take me a few weeks if not a couple months to get to Foundation Establishment. If I actually have spirit stones to help." I muttered with a groan escaping me as I covered up the small hole that was leaking the impurities of my seventh meridian.
As each meridian would take more and more qi to fill up so the tenth through twelfth levels of Meridian Cleansing would take the most effort. But with the help of those natural treasures I saw in Yanyo Hanying's opportunity, I wouldn't need to worry about actually clearing out my meridians.
"Hmm... She finds it later next week, so I need to get active in the area as an excuse, and then I need to use it to clear out the rest of my meridians and get to fill at least five of my meridians with qi.
But with those thoughts dealt with, I took out my simple map of the sect and began thinking some things through. 'Hmm, I should go get some books on alchemy, although my pocket farming realm acts as a cheat and tells me what herbs I gather, how to treat and multiple them. It doesn't help me with alchemy directly.'
So with that, I made a quick trip out of my apartment and headed straight to the Wood Mountain's library and I had to sign in with my identity token and with a couple of questions I quickly got pointed at the section for alchemy, herbs, and other things.
'I can't bring a dozen books back home with me due to how the library forbids it as a death sentence... Thankfully I can take notes even if I also can't spread the notes.' I mused as I smiled wryly at seeing the stack of alchemy books in front of myself.
And it was a very condensed stack of books... As I had skipped having to go through a literal mountain of books when it came to understanding natural treasures and herbs, as my cheat farm did that for me.
-
Three hours later I put down my second book with myself brushing a hand across my face as I mentally absorbed everything I had previously read and worked to internalize it. 'Alright... For me to become an Alchemist, I literally NEED three things.' I mentally muttered with a slight scowl.
The first thing I needed was obviously a damned cauldron, but thankfully from that shitty Golden Core demon I had killed with Zhu Yuan, I had a grade two cauldron stuffed into my storage ring which was more then good enough for now.
The second thing I needed was something I also had, which was the 'Fire Control' method to control the flames that would melt the treasures and herbs I would use to make the pills and elixer.
It was the last part that was a major issue. I needed a mind expansion/divine sense technique so I could properly control the internal situation within the cauldron and the books I read were very clear on how such techniques varied greatly in power, and use.
'Where the hell do I get a good Divine Sense refining technique?' I mused to myself before sighing as I looked through the rest of the ill-gotten goods from the demon and saw no such thing. As the rest of the manuals were demonic techniques and trash that Zhu Yuan destroyed.
I brushed a hand across my face and looked up from my table and I shrugged, deciding that asking if there were any such techniques publicly available was the least I could do.
Walking over to one of the older cultivators who were working here in the library to keep it in order, I respectfully asked if such techniques were here on the first or second floors, which I had access to.
The man, however, shook his head. "Sorry young man, only peak Meridian Refiners are given allotment to practise divine sense expansion techniques. It's more important for you to focus on cleaning and filling your Meridians."
I gave a wry smile and added. "I am trying to become an alchemist. Is there anything I can do to get one then? As I want to begin practising alchemy to get resources."
The man gave a shake of the head before he said very bluntly. "The sect itself won't give you one. It's better for you to work for your resources, doing chores for the Sect, for the resources you need. Then when you reach Foundation Establishment, you will then have the Qi for more concentrated practice in the side paths of cultivation."
My lips twitched as I thought. 'Yeah do chores for the sect my ass. They just want the best workers they can have for a couple of years.'
So I just nodded and after doing a bit of reading on herbs and looking around for opportunities and not seeing any such Halo's I decided it was time for me to strike while the iron was hot.
I went straight to the Herb Graveyard, as I wanted to get acquainted with it and find that important chance there.
As I entered the Herb Graveyard, first I realized something very pressing which was the damned overabundance of Yin energy that Yanyo Hanying warned me about that kept other disciples from helping or working in this her fields.
It was like a thick foggy cold that clung to the very bones, and not even a couple minutes into walking into the fog filled herb fields I was literally fucking shivering from the 'cold'
But in finding a small house with several burning lanterns, I went towards it knowing it was for disciples seeing as it wasn't the elder's abode that would be visibly locked down for the elder's privacy.
Coming into the small house, I realized it was set up like a saloon/bar, and the yin chill from outside was chased away as the door was lined with hot red stones that obviously had a bit of yang energy.
"Oh? A new disciple has decided to explore?" A deep voice spoke, and I looked over at the bar and saw a tall man with rather cold features, standing there calmly as he was drinking some steaming hot tea.
"Hello, I am here to work in the herb graveyard for some resources and to learn how to take care of herbs." I spoke respectfully.
Looking at the man, I realized he was wearing a set of Core Disciple's clothes which made it clear his status. But the man at my answer gave a slight hum before a flicker hit my eye's as he took out a jade information stick and it floated over to me.
"Here, this jade stick has a list of the zone's that need a disciple to care for regularly. It will explain how to take care of the herbs, how to recognize their growth cycle, how to mark them for picking, and anything else you need to know."
The Core Disciple took a drink of his tea and then he said. "Doing this daily run will result in you receiving half a spirit stone a day. Or fourteen spirit stones a month, which as you should know, is far more than the normal herb caretaker's without special skills get."
I nodded as Yanyo Hanying already explained how the normal herb caretakers in the Meridian Refining level only made like two spirit stones a month from their work in the much more comfortable fields.
The Herb Graveyard on the other hand was actively dangerous and would take time for me to leech out the yin energy normally... But I had the Everburning Tree of Transcendence Technique, which would allow me to burn away the yin energy much quicker without compromising my cultivation anyway.
"Alright, and I come to you for payment?" I asked for clarification and he simply nodded before I paused and asked curiously. "Senior, how does one get access to dungeons to get resources?"
The Core Disciple paused at my question, then he sighed. "Junior brother, you are being too anxious... You have no attachment to the sword at your hip and yet you want to charge into battle?"
He shook his head and said calmly. "The sect typically only allows later Meridian Refiner's go into one of the Sect's captured dungeons in a group of three at least. Once you fill your Seventh Meridian, you will be allowed to go to the Wood Mountains, Dungeon Master Elder, and speak to his underlings and they will give you a pass."
I bowed my head in acceptance and then I left the warm room after borrowing a large, heavy coat lined with fur from a fire spirit beast that would help keep me warm.
'Working the fields would normally be a complete waste of time... But I have my Farming Cheat after all! I can take the dead herbs in the Herb Graveyard, transfer them to my farming space to get new cuttings that are alive!' I mused to myself.
Sure, I surely couldn't just yoink all the herbs the Wood Mountain Sect was growing after all. But they wouldn't give a single damn about a few dead herbs leaving the mountain of dead herbs they had created to create the herbal yin energy the yin herb fields needed.