Interstellar Farming: I Make Potions and Climb to the Top

Ning Xuan sat cross-legged, meditating to refine the pure energy that wasn’t her own. Lin Mo watched from the side, frantic with worry. He didn’t know what condition Ning Xuan was in, but his own cultivation level was being severely suppressed, and the Guardian Barrier was on the verge of collapse.

’I have no idea when the turbulent Energy Field outside will calm down. Once the barrier disappears, we’ll be exposed to it. I’m tough and durable, so it won’t be a problem for me, but Ning Xuan is a woman. How could she possibly withstand it?’

Just as Lin Mo was consumed by dread, spiderweb-like cracks suddenly spread across the barrier’s surface. The turbulent Energy Field outside coalesced into a vortex against the barrier, letting out a piercing shriek that made one’s eardrums ache.

Lin Mo chugged another Energy Supplement Potion, marshaling all the energy in his body and pouring it into the barrier. However, his strength was too severely suppressed by the Secret Realm. Despite trying everything he could, the barrier still couldn’t be maintained.

As the Guardian Barrier shattered with a resounding CRASH, the man who had nearly been devoured by the Devouring Spirit Flower earlier suddenly appeared before them. He enveloped Ning Xuan in a transparent dome, protecting her.

Lin Mo was buffeted by the turbulent Energy Field, feeling as if he were caught in an interstellar storm. Although his cultivation level was suppressed, his formidable physique was unaffected. Amidst the intense tearing sensation, he could feel the Energy Field’s turbulence gradually subsiding. At the same time, the energy surrounding Ning Xuan also began to stabilize.

Ning Xuan opened her eyes. She felt a warm, soft seat beneath her and looked down to see the same White Tiger she had seen in Lin Mo’s Spiritual Sea. The White Tiger was gazing at her with its amber eyes, a hint of worry deep within its pupils. Ning Xuan looked up. Lin Mo stood five meters away, covered in blood. Across from him stood the stranger who had nearly been devoured by the Devouring Spirit Flower.

By now, the Energy Field’s turbulence had completely subsided. The Ghost-faced Red Mist that had been swirling in the earth’s fissures shrank back into a single black seed and returned to Ning Xuan’s palm. She could sense that after devouring a massive amount of energy from the Devouring Spirit Flower Cores, the Ghost-faced Red Vine had entered a state of dormancy. ’I’m afraid it won’t be able to fight on the front lines for me for a while,’ she thought.

"Miss, thank you for saving my life just now. My name is Leng Yue. I paid for a spot to come treasure hunting in this Secret Realm. Since you saved me, I am willing to stay by your side to repay your kindness." Seeing that Ning Xuan was awake, Leng Yue stepped forward and bowed with his hands clasped.

Lin Mo watched him with extreme wariness. In his heart, he felt this man harbored ill intentions, but the fact that he had just used an incredibly precious Energy Shield to protect Ning Xuan made Lin Mo hesitate and doubt his own intuition.

Ning Xuan surveyed the ravaged valley. ’The crystallized plants have been infused with the energy from the Devouring Spirit Flower Cores,’ she mused, ’giving them the same medicinal properties as the Devouring Spirit Flower. This is an opportunity I can’t miss.’

"If you want to repay me for saving your life, then help me collect all the crystallized plants in this valley. That will be enough." After speaking, Ning Xuan took the lead and walked toward the translucent, crystalline plants.

With the help of Lin Mo and Leng Yue, Ning Xuan quickly gathered all the crystallized plants into her Space Button. ’This trip wasn’t a waste,’ she thought. ’Not only did I get a substitute for the Devouring Spirit Flower, but the Ghost-faced Red Vine also had a huge stroke of fortune.’

After Ning Xuan and the others had cleaned out the valley where the Devouring Spirit Flower Vine had been, they left the area.

"Your life-saving debt has been repaid. You can leave now," Ning Xuan said, glancing at Leng Yue, who was trailing behind them.

Leng Yue, whose chiseled features gave him a very noble air, chuckled at Ning Xuan’s words. "Miss Ning, how could a small task like that possibly repay the debt of saving my life? Rest assured, my intentions are sincere. I truly want to repay you and have absolutely no ulterior motives. This Secret Realm is fraught with danger, and it’s far too risky for me to go it alone. I feel much safer with you all."

"If you knew this Secret Realm was so dangerous, why did you come in alone?" Ning Xuan couldn’t quite grasp his intentions, yet her intuition told her he bore no malice.

"I guess I was just overconfident, you know? My original strength is actually decent, but the damn rules of this Lingxiao Secret Realm suppress cultivation levels way too much." Speaking of this, Leng Yue felt truly frustrated. He had been to the Lingxiao Secret Realm before. While it did suppress one’s spiritual power to B-rank, it was possible to temporarily break through that limit if you were willing to pay a certain price. This time, however, no price was high enough; nothing worked. Moreover, it seemed the stronger one’s original power, the more severe the suppression.

Lin Mo silently nodded in agreement from the side. He had also visited the Lingxiao Secret Realm three years ago as a reward for military merit. That trip had been nothing like this one. His spiritual power had been suppressed back then too, but with some effort, it was still possible to break through the restrictions. This time, however, under the Secret Realm’s rules, he felt as if his strength was genuinely only at B-rank. ’In fact,’ he thought, ’I feel like I was much stronger back when I was actually a B-rank than I am now.’

"So, how can I be sure you don’t have ulterior motives? Why should I take the risk of bringing you along?" Ning Xuan asked, scrutinizing Leng Yue.

"I—I can do lots of things! For instance, I can scout for you, fight for you, do chores for you... Basically, I can do any kind of work, except for sleeping with you," Leng Yue said, raising one hand as if making a solemn vow.

A cold glint flashed in Lin Mo’s eyes. He clenched his fist and lunged to punch him, but Leng Yue leaped aside, dodging the attack. "What are you doing? I know you’re this Miss’s Contractor. I already said I wouldn’t sleep with her, so why are you getting so worked up?"

Lin Mo’s eyes burned with rage. ’That bastard dares to spew such nonsense!’ he fumed. ’He’s twisting it to sound like my Contractor is making a move on him, and he’s the one turning her down!’

Ning Xuan watched the two chase each other and fight for a bit, which gave her a better sense of Leng Yue’s combat prowess. ’If Leng Yue is really determined to follow us,’ she concluded, ’it seems we won’t be able to shake him.’

The group hurried along a moss-covered path. After traveling for several miles and passing through three deep gorges, a hidden valley cradled by mountains suddenly appeared before them. The terrain here was treacherous, with verdant vines hanging from the four surrounding cliffs. A shroud of white mist lingered at the entrance all day long, marking it as a clear natural shelter.

Hearing the commotion, Chen Nan came out to greet them. He bowed respectfully to Ning Xuan, but she quickly stopped him and asked with a smile, "Is the cave dwelling ready?"

"Contractor, the cave dwelling is more or less ready. Please, come and see." Chen Nan took Ning Xuan’s arm. As they walked past a stone wall, faint Defense Array Patterns could be seen subtly carved into its surface.

A clear spring trickled down from the eastern cliff at the bottom of the valley, gathering in front of the cave dwelling to form a thirty-foot-wide, jade-green pool. The water’s surface reflected a cascade of purple wisteria hanging from the stone cliff face.

The once-gloomy cave dwelling had been completely transformed. Two white lamps at the entrance cast a warm, yellow halo, and the luminous pearls embedded in the stone walls made the interior even brighter.