My Portable Spirit Farm: Rise of the Humble Servant

Chapter 185: Five Treasures Gourd

“Soul Devouring Insects?”

A few low gasps of surprise rippled through the crowd.

Any specimen recorded on the Strange Insect Ranking, regardless of its placement, was extraordinary.

It was said that mature Soul Devouring Insects could devour a cultivator’s soul directly, launching formless, intangible attacks that were impossible to defend against. A single insect might have limited power, but once they formed a swarm, their terrifying might was enough to make even high-level cultivators pale at the mere mention.

The female cultivator continued, her voice earnest.

“These eggs have been carefully nurtured by my family for several years. Alas… perhaps the incubation period far exceeds the records, as there have been no signs of hatching to this day. My cultivation is low, and I cannot afford to wait endlessly. Thus, I wish to exchange them for pill resources that can aid my current cultivation.”

Her words were sincere, tinged with a hint of helplessness.

However, as soon as she finished, a disciple from the Tianling Sect sneered, speaking without a shred of courtesy.

“Junior Sister Han, that’s not quite honest of you. What do you mean ‘incubation period exceeds records’? Why don’t you let everyone use their Divine Sense to carefully inspect the life force of these eggs? I’m afraid they can’t even be called ‘dying’—they are simply dead! Passing off dead eggs as dormant Strange Insects is rather lacking in integrity.”

This disciple clearly knew the woman and mercilessly exposed her scheme.

A flush of embarrassment crossed the face of the woman addressed as Junior Sister Han, but she didn’t get angry. Instead, she responded frankly.

“Senior Brother exaggerates. It is true that the life force within the eggs is faint, but they are not completely devoid of vitality. The elders of my clan believe there is still a sliver of hope, but the conditions required to awaken them are too harsh for my clan to provide. If you do not believe me, Fellow Daoists, you are welcome to investigate them yourselves.”

She generously raised the jade box higher.

The crowd extended their Divine Sense one after another.

Chen Ping also sent out a wisp of Divine Sense to sweep over the box.

Indeed, the life force within the nine insect eggs was incredibly weak, like a candle flickering in a gale, ready to be extinguished at any moment.

In this state, the probability of successful hatching was infinitely close to zero.

In the eyes of the crowd, this woman was using the prestigious name of the “Strange Insect Ranking” to scam uninformed or overly optimistic cultivators.

“Hmph, they really are dead eggs!”

“The Han Clan of the Yunshui Sect… is this the best they can do?”

“What a waste of everyone’s time…”

Disdainful murmurs and sarcastic remarks filled the room.

Junior Sister Han’s face turned slightly red, but she maintained her composure, preparing to close the jade box and withdraw.

Just then, a calm voice spoke from the corner.

“Three High-grade True Essence Pills for the nine eggs. How about it?”

The crowd was stunned, their gazes swiveling in unison toward Chen Ping.

He wore a plain expression, acting as if he had just proposed a trivial transaction.

Han Jingying was also taken aback. Then, a flash of pleasant surprise lit up her eyes as she hurriedly replied, “Is Senior Brother serious? Three High-grade True Essence Pills—it’s a deal!”

Afraid Chen Ping might regret his offer, she agreed immediately.

Chen Ping didn’t waste words. He retrieved a jade vial from his Storage Bag, poured out three round, mist-shrouded High-grade True Essence Pills, and used his True Qi to float them over to her.

The female cultivator inspected them carefully. Finding no issues, she happily handed the jade box to Chen Ping and curtsied gracefully.

“Many thanks, Senior Brother! This little sister is Han Jingying of the Yunshui Sect. May I ask Senior Brother’s name?”

“Qingyun Sect, Chen Ping.”

Chen Ping took the jade box, swept it into his Storage Bag, and replied indifferently without further comment.

The surrounding gazes were filled with confusion, mockery, and the kind of pity reserved for fools.

Three High-grade True Essence Pills for nine practically dead insect eggs?

Had this Chen Ping from the Qingyun Sect damaged his brain from cultivation? Or did he have so many Spirit Stones he didn’t know how to spend them?

Chen Ping ignored the stares completely.

He had his own reasons for buying these “waste eggs.” The price was negligible—three High-grade True Essence Pills were a drop in the bucket for him. More importantly, the Black Earth within his Jade Pendant space had been called the “Cradle of Life” by the ancient tree, possessing a primal vitality.

He wanted to test if this miraculous soil could perform a miracle and awaken these dying eggs.

If successful, the Return would be a hundredfold, even a thousandfold!

If it failed, it was no great loss.

The trading session continued.

After a few more transactions, a male cultivator with a steady demeanor and shrewd eyes stepped forward.

The item he produced was even more peculiar: a section of withered vine about two feet long. The vine was grayish-brown and covered in scorched, black cracks, as if it had been roasted by fierce flames or struck by lightning.

Even stranger, one end of the withered vine stubbornly bore a fist-sized, green-skinned gourd. Like the vine, the gourd was shriveled and covered in scorched lightning patterns.

The man’s voice was low and heavy.

“This object is a family heirloom guarded for generations by my Han Clan—the remnant of the ‘Five Treasures Gourd Vine’!”

He looked around at the crowd and spoke slowly.

“This vine was originally a Tier 3 Top Grade Spirit Plant. It could nurture one ‘Five Treasures Gourd’ every sixty years. The gourd is naturally capable of absorbing and nurturing the Five Elements’ baleful Qi found between heaven and earth. With a bit of refinement, a Violet Palace cultivator could use it as the foundation for a Natal Dharma Treasure of boundless power! If one could invite a Master Refiner to work on it, it might even be fashioned into other mysterious treasures! My Han Clan ancestors relied on the gourds from this very vine to rise during difficult times and establish our foundation as a Violet Palace family!”

He paused, his tone turning sorrowful.

“However, the heavens are unpredictable. A few years ago, this vine had accumulated enough power to attempt Tribulation Transcendence and advance to a Tier 4 Spirit Plant. But the might of the heavens was vast, and the lightning tribulation was ferocious… In the end, it fell short, resulting in the state you see before you.”

Holding the lifeless, scarred vine and the equally shriveled gourd, his expression was one of desolation.

This time, no one immediately voiced doubts.

Tier 3 Top Grade Spirit Plants were rare to begin with, and the story of a failed advancement to Tier 4 was plausible. The scorched lightning patterns on the vine and the completely severed life force corroborated his story.

The remnant itself indeed contained a lingering spiritual rhyme that hinted at its past power, though it was now undeniably dead.

“Fellow Daoist Han, please accept our condolences,” Liu Mubai spoke up at the right moment to ease the atmosphere. “Might I ask what Fellow Daoist Han wishes to exchange this remnant vine for?”

The man took a deep breath, hope shining in his eyes.

“Although this vine is destroyed, it was once a Tier 3 Top Grade entity. The material itself might contain a trace of creation vitality. Perhaps… perhaps a master might find a secret method to make the withered wood flourish again? Even if not, using it to study the power of Lightning Tribulation, the characteristics of high-grade Spirit Plants, or as auxiliary material for special refining or pill concoction might not be entirely without value. I only seek to exchange it for some pills that can aid in Foundation Establishment cultivation. As for the quantity… I hope for a generous amount.”

His final words carried a trace of barely perceptible embarrassment. He appeared honest and simple, looking every bit the impoverished Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Chen Ping was momentarily speechless.

Relying on his powerful Divine Sense, he noticed that after the man finished his tragic tale, a glint of cunning flashed deep within his eyes—faint, but unmistakable.

This person was clearly pretending to be honest while harboring deceitful intent.

Naturally, Chen Ping raised his guard.