The Lord of Void and Real

Chapter 192: Chapter 190: Giving Spirit Grass

The two arrived at Shen Luo’s residence in no time. Despite being gone for over a year, the courtyard remained immaculately clean, clearly maintained by regular visitors.

“Big Brother Shen, where have you been for the past year? Why didn’t you send any word back to the village? I thought you’d been devoured by the Heaven Devouring Tiger,” Ying Luo grumbled slightly.

“I apologize, Daoist Ying. That day when chased by the Heaven Devouring Tiger, I accidentally stumbled into a hidden cave. The exit was sealed by a prohibition and I was trapped inside until recently when I managed to escape,” Shen Luo explained nonchalantly, his eyes flickering subtly.

He withheld information about the incident in the Oblique Moon and Three Stars Cave and didn’t tell it to Ying Luo.

This was because for people like Ying Luo, the immortal of Mount Fangcun was the sole beacon of hope in their hearts. This hope provided them the strength to persevere through the hardships in the village. If they were to learn that Mount Fangcun had been wiped out, they would undoubtedly fall into despair.

“So that’s how it was. But, Big Brother Shen, it seems like your cultivation has further improved?” Realizing what happened, Ying Luo looked Shen Luo up and down, her eyes flashing a hint of surprise.

Not being capable of sensing Divine Sense, she couldn’t perceive Shen Luo’s cultivation realm. However, his overall demeanor, especially the substantial change in his physical strength compared to before, caught her attention. Unfamiliar with body-refining techniques, she mistook these for improvements in Shen Luo’s cultivation, which was somewhat spot-on albeit inadvertent.

“Being trapped in a cave for years, diligent cultivation was my only hope of escape. Daoist Ying, your cultivation has also significantly improved, reaching the Late Stage of Qi Refining,” Shen Luo casually replied with a smile.

During their second trip up Mount Fangcun, Ying Luo had already advanced to the Mid-Stage of Qi Refining. Now, after just over a year, her cultivation had not only increased, but it seemed she had undergone other changes as well.

“My advancement pales in comparison to you,” Ying Luo shook her head as she chuckled.

Shen Luo didn’t continue the topic of cultivation levels, instead asking about the happenings in the village over the past year. From Ying Luo, he learned that the village had been fairly stable. Although they were occasionally attacked by demons, these demons weren’t particularly strong. Adding to that, Ying Luo’s advanced cultivation allowed her to handle these attacks quite efficiently.

After talking for a while, Ying Luo stood up to leave.

“Daoist Ying, please wait,” Shen Luo spoke, retrieving a Four Leaf Flower and another mature Spirit Grass from the Seven Star Pen.

“Four Leaf Flower! Cultivation Grass!” Ying Luo exclaimed, her delicate face surprised.

“It seems Daoist Ying has spent some time studying Spirit Grass. I discovered these in the cave. The Four Leaf Flower can be boiled into a nourishing soup for the children, and the Cultivation Grass can stabilize your foundation and possibly help with your breakthroughs,” said Shen Luo, as he handed over the two plants, laughing.

“I can accept the Four Leaf Flower on behalf of the children, but this Cultivation Grass appears to be over two hundred years old. It’s too valuable, I can’t accept it,” Ying Luo hesitated, returning the cultivation grass, keeping only the Four Leaf Flower.

“It’s just a single plant, Daoist Ying, don’t take it to heart. I had quite a haul from that cave,” replied Shen Luo, refusing to take the grass back, while patting his waist with a smile.

Ying Luo’s expression shifted with uncertainty.

“Daoist Ying, you have always been straight-forward. Why the hesitation now? If you still think of me as Big Brother Shen, accept it right away,” Shen Luo scowled, pretending to be irritated.

“Since Big Brother Shen has put it in that way, I will accept it reluctantly,” Ying Luo looked surprised by Shen Luo’s response, took a deep breath, and nodded.

“That’s more like it. Your rise in strength will also benefit the village,” Shen Luo said, finally cracking a smile.@@novelbin@@

During his trip to the mountain, he accidentally stumbled upon treasure in the Oblique Moon and Three Stars Cave. The bounty he found could be seen as a great favour from Mount Fangcun. If he couldn’t return some of it, he would feel restless.

However, from what he could infer, Mount Fangcun seemed to be eradicated. Even if he wanted to do something for them, he was powerless.

Fortunately, Longevity Village, which sat at the foot of the mountain was said to be the successors of Mount Fangcun. Helping Ying Luo improve her strength was his way of repaying the kindness.

However, one Cultivation Grass would hardly suffice. He planned to thoroughly examine his other findings and gradually extend more favors to Longevity Village.

After bidding Ying Luo goodbye, Shen Luo closed the courtyard door, walked back into the house, and sat down. Then he brought out the Seven Star Pen and emptied its contents.

While on the mountain, he rushed the exploration of Oblique Moon and Three Stars Cave because he wanted to finish as quickly as possible, hence he didn’t carefully examine many items. Now that he was back in the village, he finally had time to do so.

Thinking so, Shen Luo first picked up the White Jade Slip, released his Divine Sense, and started to investigate the five talismans on it again.

He had looked them over quickly before and hadn’t thoroughly understood the capabilities of these five talismans.

As time went by, a blend of joy and worry appeared on his face.

At first glance, the five talismans seemed ordinary, but each carried a unique and extraordinary effect upon closer inspection.

The Flying Talisman was simple in its description, but the ability to fly for a short period was a pleasant surprise.

The Binding Talisman could bypass the target’s physical defenses and seal their meridians and acupoints, proving effective against monks and monsters alike.

Previously, he had struggled to slay the Beauty Snake due to its tough scales, but with the Binding Talisman, it wouldn’t have been so difficult!

The Fractured Talisman, as the name implies, was magical and could be used to break the armor of enemies or penetrate the tough skin of a monster. Its benefits in battle were obvious.

The Amnesia Talisman might seem useless at first since it could only be used on those with a lower cultivation level. If the cultivation level of two parties were close or if the other party had powerful divine consciousness, it would hardly serve any purpose. However, with additional consideration, Shen Luo found it useful in battle. Even when competing with those of similar cultivation levels, it could cause combatants to lapse in focus momentarily.

In the rapidly changing battlefield, even the slightest mistake could determine the outcome, let alone a momentary loss of focus.

Finally, the Lightning Attribute Talisman, named the Thunderfall Talisman, was a purely offensive talisman.

Unlike the Small Thunder Talisman that used its own mana to create lightning, the Thunderfall Talisman sealed actual Heavenly Thunder into the talisman, which would then be unleashed to attack the enemy.

Actual thunder, being a power of Heaven and Earth, even when weakened upon sealing into a talisman, was much more potent than the Small Thunder Talisman.

However, the power of the Thunderfall Talisman was also significantly influenced by the cultivation level of the one who drew it. It seemed complicated to make and had to be created in a stormy weather.

Even so, this minor inconvenience was nothing compared to the power of the Thunderfall Talisman.