My Portable Spirit Farm: Rise of the Humble Servant

Chapter 195: Sword Intent Clash

Chen Ping first made his way to the plot where the Five Treasure Gourd Vine was planted.

The scene before him drew a sigh of relief from his lips.

The section of old vine, once covered in scorched, black lightning patterns, and the shriveled gourd attached to it had completely lost all vitality. They had crumbled into ashen, withered remains.

However, right beside the roots of this debris, a tender green sprout had broken through the soil!

The sprout was barely an inch tall. Two delicate leaves unfurled, radiating a faint but distinct pulse of life and Qi.

The powerful origin vitality of the Black Earth had ultimately allowed this dying spiritual plant to achieve rebirth. Although its form had completely changed, it was now a brand-new seedling.

What made Chen Ping click his tongue in wonder was the peculiar placement…

The seedling had grown precisely from the center of the old vine.

It had burst through the constraints of the withered husk, emerging as an entirely new lifeform!

While it meant starting everything from scratch, at least it left him with hope.

Chen Ping truly hoped this plant would be as Han Feiyu had described—capable of bearing gourds that could release Five Elements Evil Qi.

However, the probability was likely low.

The gourd vine was undoubtedly a treasure, but there seemed to be a significant discrepancy between reality and Han Feiyu’s description.

Chen Ping shifted his gaze to another small mound of earth nearby.

That was where the nine Soul Devouring Insect eggs were buried.

He carefully excavated them for inspection.

The situation remained bleak.

The patterns on the surface of the eggs were still a dull, lifeless gray. The aura of life they emitted was as faint as a candle flickering in the wind, showing no obvious improvement compared to when they were first buried.

The Black Earth seemed only capable of barely maintaining this sliver of vitality, preventing them from dying completely, but it could not provide enough nourishment to revive them.

“It seems the Black Earth has a significant effect on spiritual plants, but for these special insect eggs, the effect is limited… Or perhaps, it simply hasn’t been long enough?”

Disappointment rose in Chen Ping’s heart, though he did not give up completely.

He reburied the eggs with care.

“I’ll leave them be for now. Whether they live or die depends on their own fortune.”

He still held onto a shred of hope.

The current level of the Black Earth might not be sufficient to hatch the Soul Devouring Insect eggs… but in the future, once the Black Earth upgraded again, perhaps a possibility would emerge.

These eggs had been continuously absorbing the pale purple aura within the soil.

Chen Ping did not know the specific function of that purple aura.

But since the eggs were instinctively absorbing it to sustain their lives, it indicated that the purple aura held great significance for them.

Once the land upgraded and the purple aura became denser, hatching them might become a reality.

Exiting the Jade Pendant space, Chen Ping sat cross-legged and began circulating the Evergreen Art to regulate his breathing.

True Essence flowed slowly through his Meridians, bringing a grounding sense of solidity.

Recently, he had abstained from using the Whale Swallowing Technique for cultivation.

In truth, while the Whale Swallowing Technique was incredibly potent, it carried a very subtle drawback.

Whenever he operated the Whale Swallowing Technique for an extended period, a profound sense of loss—a feeling of emptiness—would wash over him.

He didn’t know why, but this strange sensation would Involuntarily arise in his heart.

Therefore, after every long session with the technique, Chen Ping would stop using it for a few days to let that hollow feeling fade.

As he meditated, his thoughts Involuntarily drifted toward the Bodhi Seed.

A Bodhi Seed, after absorbing Qi in a quiet environment for a period, could increase one’s cultivation by twenty years of hard labor.

But to Chen Ping, the seed itself wasn’t the end goal. What truly mattered was planting it to grow a Bodhi Tree!

Once a Bodhi Tree matured after a thousand years, it would produce a Bodhi Tree Heart.

The Tree Heart was a supreme treasure!

Used as a spiritual ingredient, it was the primary material for the fourth-grade Golden Core Formation Pill.

If consumed directly, the Tree Heart could extend one’s lifespan by half a Jiazi—30 years—with absolutely no side effects!

Although a person could only consume it once in their lifetime…

Gaining an extra 30 years of life could truly help a cultivator walk much further on The Immortal Path.

He, Chen Ping, was determined to obtain that Bodhi Seed.

To others, it was merely twenty years of cultivation. Its value was limited.

But to Chen Ping, its potential was infinite!

At some point in the future, he would possess a source of endless Bodhi Seeds and Bodhi Tree Hearts!

Just the thought made his blood boil with excitement.

The idea circled in his mind like a curse.

The immense temptation left Chen Ping’s heart restless. He forcibly suppressed the agitation, sinking his consciousness deep into cultivation. He cycled his energy through Circulation Cycles again and again, barely managing to tamp down that intense desire for possession.

Two days passed quietly, slipping away amidst cultivation and the turbulent rise and fall of his emotions.

The rest period ended, and the quarter-final battles of the Elite Tournament began.

The atmosphere in the martial arts arena was heavier than before.

Those who had made it this far were, without exception, the true elites of their respective sects.

The first to take the stage was Bai Yue.

Her opponent was none other than the strongest participant from the Tianling Sect: Gu Yunshen, a sword cultivator at the peak of the third layer of Foundation Establishment!

Gu Yunshen stood tall and straight, his expression cold and severe. He carried an ancient longsword on his back. Merely standing on the arena platform, he radiated an intangible, razor-sharp aura that made the spectators’ skin prickle.

Bai Yue took a deep breath, her gaze solemn to the extreme.

She knew clearly that this would be the most severe test she had faced since achieving Foundation Establishment.

Below the stage, Li Lingfeng offered a grave warning.

“Martial Niece Bai, do your best, but do not force it. If the situation becomes impossible, surrender immediately. Preserving yourself is paramount!”

Even the usually smiling Zhao Yuanqi looked serious, his eyes filled with concern.

Zhao Long clenched his fists tightly.

Chen Ping, however, watched quietly, his eyes calm and unrippled.

Today, he found himself intrigued.

He was curious to see… if Bai Yue suffered a crushing defeat here, how would it end for her?

Would she break down in tears…

Or would she hold fast to her sword heart and elevate her state of mind to a new level?

Bai Yue nodded to Li Lingfeng, gripped her Ice Soul Sword, and walked onto the platform with firm, steady steps.

Her spine was as straight as a spear, as if physically resisting the invisible pressure radiating from Gu Yunshen.

“Please,” Gu Yunshen said, his voice flat and devoid of emotion.

“Please!” Bai Yue replied, her voice carrying a trace of tension.

The moment the referee’s voice fell, Bai Yue moved!

She knew that against an opponent like Gu Yunshen, she could not hold back in the slightest.

Her opening move was an all-out attack!

The second-grade Top Grade Ice Soul Sword sang as it left its sheath, a bone-chilling cold instantly sweeping across half the arena.

“Mystical Ice Sword Intent!”

Bai Yue shouted sharply. With her as the center, the temperature within a radius of several zhang plummeted. Fine ice crystals condensed in the air, and a thin layer of frost coated the ground.

This was the full might of her Mystical Ice Sword Intent pushed to its absolute limit!

Any opponent caught within this field would find their movements and True Essence circulation sluggish and hindered.

Simultaneously, she transformed into a fierce, peerless streak of icy-blue sword light, carrying a resolve to freeze everything in its path as she thrust straight for Gu Yunshen’s heart!

It was her strongest offensive technique, a desperate bid to seize the initiative.

Facing this earth-shattering strike, Gu Yunshen’s eyes showed not a ripple of fluctuation.

He drew his sword.

Facing the incoming icy-blue rainbow, he simply slashed once at the void.

“Sever.”