Chapter 85: Chapter 85: Cultivation Resources

"Not bad. Not bad at all."

Yan Sea looked at Yu Fei with satisfaction. His original hope was that Yu Fei could cultivate his Sword Intent to the minor accomplishment stage by the time he reached the Blood Gate. This would give him a chance to attempt the Tribulation Sword Dao Foundation. Although the success rate wasn’t very high, there was at least a glimmer of hope.

He never expected Yu Fei to have already achieved minor accomplishment in his Sword Intent without a word.

"Teacher, you praise me too much. If it weren’t for the Nourishing Spirit Incense you provided for my training, I would never have progressed so quickly."

"Nourishing Spirit Incense?"

Yan Sea then remembered giving Yu Fei ten sticks of Nourishing Spirit Incense when he first started practicing the Sword Nurturing Skill. He had thought those ten sticks would just be enough to get him through the initial training; whether he could even achieve initiation in Sword Intent was still uncertain.

This left him stunned once again.

"Are you saying you reached minor accomplishment in Sword Intent with just that little bit of Nourishing Spirit Incense?"

"Yes! The Nourishing Spirit Incense is incredibly effective. It restores my Spiritual Power very quickly!"

Yan Sea’s interest was suddenly piqued. He had later used his connections to acquire quite a few items that restore Spiritual Power, originally just as a precaution. Now, it seemed fortunate that he had prepared them in advance.

"Come, come with me!"

Yan Sea took out three sealed boxes of various sizes from a refrigerated cabinet.

"Take all of these with you after school. If you run out, let me know in advance."

He excitedly pulled Yu Fei over and began introducing the items one by one.

First, he opened a sandalwood box. It was slightly larger than the box that had held the Nourishing Spirit Incense before, with a simple design and no embellishments.

"There are twenty sticks of Nourishing Spirit Incense in here, more than I gave you last time. Don’t be frugal with them."

Next, he opened a second, silver-white metal case. Inside were six tubes of liquid glowing with a blue-green luminescence, arranged in a row. Yan Sea took one out to show Yu Fei.

"This is Bright Spirit Liquid. It’s even more effective than the Nourishing Spirit Incense. This stuff can increase your spiritual resilience in a short time. One vial’s effect lasts for a week. You can use it together with the Nourishing Spirit Incense, and the result will definitely be a case of one plus one being greater than two."

Finally, Yan Sea solemnly took out and opened one last metal box. Inside lay a shallow layer of something resembling tea leaves. They were a deep, dark green and had a fresh, elegant fragrance. Just smelling it seemed to invigorate the mind and clear the head.

Yan Sea immediately closed the lid and said to him with great solemnity.

"In ancient times, this was called Enlightenment Tea. It was extremely precious—something even Grandmasters would fight over. In the modern era, with advancements in science and technology, its pharmacological properties have been studied, and cultivation methods have improved. While Grandmasters might not be fighting over it anymore, it’s still incredibly valuable in the hands of an Inner Qi Martial Artist."

"What we have here is called Longquan No. 3 Enlightenment Tea, a variant of the original. If you encounter a bottleneck in your training, just take a pinch, chew it, and swallow. It can enhance your comprehension for a short period. This whole box provides about two hours of total effect. Use it as you see fit."

Yu Fei looked at the three extraordinary items Yan Sea had produced. Each was related to Spiritual Power: the Nourishing Spirit Incense to accelerate its recovery, the Bright Spirit Liquid to enhance spiritual resilience, and the even more precious Enlightenment Tea. Any one of them would likely fetch an exorbitant price on the market.

"Teacher, this is all too precious. I don’t feel I deserve it."

Yan Sea patted his shoulder and said slowly, "Yu Fei, I have few friends or relatives left in this world. My greatest wish is to see the Tribulation Sword lineage passed down. The Cyan Lotus Sword in your possession is the last of its kind. If you can successfully establish the Tribulation Sword Dao Foundation, that will be the greatest reward you could ever give me."

As he spoke, a distant look came over Yan Sea’s face. He then continued.

"If you succeed, and if you have the chance and the ability to pass on the Tribulation Sword lineage in the future... I could wake up laughing in the afterlife."

The topic grew heavy. Seeing Yan Sea overcome with sorrow, Yu Fei suspected he understood part of the truth and decided to change the subject.

"Don’t worry, Teacher. I’m an officially recognized prodigy Martial Artist now. I can definitely establish the Tribulation Sword Dao Foundation. Besides, have you forgotten about my talent?"

Yan Sea was taken aback. He had forgotten about that. This student of his possessed an exceptionally unique talent. He suspected it might be a growth-type talent, something never seen before. That meant Yu Fei not only had the potential to become a Martial Saint, but he might even have a chance to become the strongest of all.

"That’s true. But you must remember not to become arrogant or complacent. Until you’ve fully developed your strength, you must remain cautious."

"I understand, Teacher!"

"Good. Leave the items here for now. Come get them after school."

...

After martial arts class, Yu Fei found Du Mingxuan and pulled him aside.

Du Mingxuan had only recently reached the Flesh Gate in his training. He was ranked between tenth and fifteenth in the intensive training class, a position that had more or less stabilized. It entitled him to a monthly subsidy of one Vitality Elixir.

"Fei, what’s a busy man like you doing looking for me?"

As Yu Fei’s martial arts realm advanced, he had long since stopped participating in the class’s training sessions. Everyone understood, without needing to say it, that they were no longer in the same martial arts circle.

The social circles in a small county town were always small and rather closed off, so a lot of information was common knowledge.

Previously, First High had produced a student named Ye Feng. He had managed to break into the Blood Refining realm within a year, a genius the likes of which hadn’t been seen in over a decade. But this so-called genius was effortlessly defeated by Yu Fei in the ring. After that, Yu Fei’s name became known throughout the entire county.

He still remembered his father sighing with emotion after the match. ’Yu Fei’s rise is like a flood dragon taking flight. No one can stop him now.’

Yu Fei waved his hand. "What kind of nonsense is that? We’re brothers, man. Let me ask you, are your Vitality Elixirs enough?"

Du Mingxuan said urgently, "Fei, I’m just scraping by on the one the school gives out each month. It’s nowhere near enough!"

Yu Fei: "I have some. Want to buy them?"

Du Mingxuan froze. "Bro, you’re my real bro. I’ll buy them. I’ll buy as many as you have."

Yu Fei: "I only have two. The school just gave them to me."

A hesitant look appeared on Du Mingxuan’s face, but then he spoke with determination. "Fei, if you’re short on cash, I can spot you some to tide you over. But these are cultivation resources. They’re critical for your martial arts path. As your brother, I can’t take them."

Yu Fei was gratified. ’Du Mingxuan really is a good person.’

"Don’t worry about it. I don’t need Vitality Elixirs anymore. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be selling them."

Du Mingxuan was shocked. "You don’t need Vitality Elixirs anymore? Are you even human? You’re a beast!"

"Cut the crap. Do you want them or not?"

"Yes, of course I want them. But I’ll transfer you the money tonight after I get home. I need to talk to my old man about it. What price are you thinking, Fei?"

"A Vitality Elixir is five times more effective than Blood Storage Powder, so let’s say five times the price. That’s it."

Du Mingxuan fell silent for a moment. "Fei, that price won’t work. You can’t even find Vitality Elixirs on the market. That’s way too low."

Yu Fei chuckled. Of course, he knew the price was low. But Mr. Du had gotten him a VIP membership at the martial arts hall when he was at his lowest. He had benefited greatly from it, and you can’t forget those who helped you.

"No more arguments. We’ll go with my price. Take the Vitality Elixirs with you for now. That’s final."

He planned to sell two to Du Mingxuan to improve his own living situation a bit, and he intended to give the other one to Li Mengyao.

’Some connections are best left for the future, perhaps. Still, I really want to help the girl who’s been giving me yogurt for two years.’