The Rat Cultivator

Chapter 123: Earth Spirit Master

Wu Yuan remained blissfully ignorant of the chaos unfolding beyond the Azure Spirit Mountain Range. He had no idea that, once again, the Cat King was out there carrying his reputation on his small, furry back.

At this moment, the Rat King was safe inside his treehouse, engrossed in the Secret Explanation of Mountains and Rivers Hundred Veins Mysterious Chapter alongside Bibo.

The legacy of an Earth Spirit Master was a rare find indeed. Since Wu Yuan had plenty of downtime, he planned to delve into both this and the study of traditional Formations. He was well aware of the immense difficulty involved in mastering Formations, but he was mentally prepared. His strategy was to use the Earth Spirit Master inheritance to gain insights by analogy, bridging the gap between the two disciplines.

Moreover, he had the Azure Radiance Grotto-Heaven backing him. With the boost of Providence, surely learning would be smoother?

Furthermore, this path was exceptionally suitable for Bibo. Bibo’s previous renovations to the Bamboo Pool—modifying it to complement the bamboo forest and enhance its spiritual efficacy—already hinted at a natural aptitude for the Earth Spirit arts.

There were intricate connections between Earth Masters and Formation Masters, yet their methodologies were vastly different.

Earth Masters relied on leverage. They utilized the terrain and the natural flow of earth energy, skillfully altering the layout of heaven and earth to create unique, natural formations. However, this method had strict limitations. One had to account not only for the complexity of the physical terrain but also for the shifting, invisible tides of earth energy. A single miscalculation regarding the flow could render the entire formation inert.

In contrast, Formation Masters used flags and magical artifacts to impose order upon the world. It was undoubtedly more convenient and efficient, offering a wider variety of tactical options.

The Secret Explanation of Mountains and Rivers Hundred Veins Mysterious Chapter also covered the deep lore of earth veins. It elaborated on their classification and characteristics, describing them as the blood vessels of the world.

They were divided into Spirit Veins, Evil Veins, and various esoteric types. Spirit Veins were convergence points for Spiritual Qi, while Evil Veins represented the Yin aspect of the earth, filled with corrosive, malevolent energy.

Then there were the anomalies. Dragon Veins sat at the apex of this hierarchy. The jade slip detailed methods for judging the quality of these veins. By observing the growth of vegetation, the color and texture of the soil, and the behavior of local wildlife, one could estimate the density and tier of a Spirit Vein.

The text also introduced specific Feng Shui landforms—”patterns” formed by nature. One such pattern was the “Treasure Basin.”

Reading this, Wu Yuan suddenly looked up at Bibo. “Doesn’t our ore vein valley resemble the Treasure Basin pattern?”

“Surrounded by rock walls… with Spirit Copper ore beneath…” Bibo pondered for a moment. “The King makes a valid point! However, the surrounding rock walls are too low. The pattern isn’t fully enclosed.”

Wu Yuan’s eyes lit up. He immediately reached out mentally to the Azure Radiance Grotto-Heaven. “Hey, when you transfer Spiritual Qi next time, help me raise the surrounding mountains. I want to form a Treasure Basin pattern.”

The Azure Radiance Grotto-Heaven agreed, albeit with conditions for expansion.

In reality, Little Green Mountain possessed another powerful pattern: “Precious Pearl Reflecting the Sun,” centered on the large bluestone at the peak.

Wu Yuan murmured to himself, “So, I was able to rise to power back then because I was sitting on a ‘Precious Pearl’…”

Bibo’s eyes suddenly widened. “King! We can combine the ‘Precious Pearl Reflecting the Sun’ and the ‘Treasure Basin’ patterns! One is at the highest point, one at the lowest! One absorbs Spiritual Qi and Providence, the other stores it! It is a match made in heaven!”

Wu Yuan fell silent. He looked down at the Karma Pearl floating in his consciousness, feeling a sudden, profound sense that his entire journey had been orchestrated.

As if sensing his thoughts, the Karma Pearl trembled.

“Karma Pearl!” Wu Yuan cried out internally. “Feel free to arrange more destiny like this in the future! If you stop arranging things for me, I’ll actually get angry!”

The Karma Pearl paused in its rotation, swiveled around, and deliberately pointed its rear end at Wu Yuan.

Wu Yuan chuckled, happy to tease the artifact. How could he ever doubt his own cheat code?