Interstellar Farming: I Make Potions and Climb to the Top

Ning Xuan guided Chen Nan into the cave dwelling. When Leng Yue tried to follow, Lin Mo barred the entrance with his sword.

The Defense Array Patterns on the stone wall outside the cave dwelling were etched by Ning Xuan. Once activated, they could also conceal the entrance. It took her three attempts to finally succeed.

Though the entrance was narrow, the cave dwelling opened up inside, becoming a winding labyrinth of interconnected chambers. Following Ning Xuan’s instructions, Chen Nan had focused on decorating the three largest chambers, leaving the others with just a basic cleaning, sterilization, and disinfection.

The main chamber was about three meters high and forty to fifty square meters in area. All the weeds, moss, and other plants that once grew there had been cleared away. The stone walls were embedded with glowing Fluorite, bathing the room in light as bright as day.

A four-paneled Warm Jade Screen stood in the center of the chamber, enclosing a large bed. Against the west wall rested a stone table carved from jade. Atop it sat a Three-legged Bronze Tripod, from which wisps of green smoke curled, releasing a faint, tranquil fragrance. Freshly picked wildflowers flanked the table, adding a touch of the countryside.

Ning Xuan smiled as she took in the room’s decor. She had picked all these furnishings and decorations from the list of gifts Ying Yaoshi had sent, bringing them into the Secret Realm with her. Stored in her Space Button, they were easy to transport. ’Since I have all these nice things,’ she thought, ’there’s no reason to rough it.’

「Three days prior.」The Alchemists in the unrestricted group who had passed the initial screening were all transported into the Lingxiao Secret Realm via Teleportation Tokens. Lin Mo and Chen Nan had accompanied Ning Xuan, and since they all used the same token, they arrived at the same location.

They had to stay in the Lingxiao Secret Realm for an entire month. Ning Xuan’s first thought upon arrival was to find a place to use as a base. Her Spirit Plant, the Ghost-faced Red Vine, could now produce 32 separate vines. She sent them all out, and just as she’d hoped, the Red Vine’s tendrils found her this ideal shelter.

Half of the cave dwelling was natural, while the other half had been excavated by a pangolin-like Exotic Beast skilled at burrowing. Ning Xuan recalled the moment they first found it. Clutching their Poison Avoidance Pearls, they had stepped through the entrance, only to be assaulted by a putrid stench mixed with the smell of damp mold. Their presence startled several bat-like flying Exotic Beasts. The creatures crashed against the walls, dislodging pieces of phosphorescent moss that fluttered down like dust. Chen Nan tossed out a Lighting Ball, its glow revealing a floor littered with shattered Beast Bones and deep claw marks, some a foot deep, gouged into the bare rock.

But despite the filth, the cave dwelling was large and well-hidden. There were no signs of powerful Exotic Beasts in the vicinity. With a little cleaning, it would make for a relatively safe base.

To ensure a comfortable living environment even in the wild, Ning Xuan had prepared thoroughly. She brought potent insect-repellent orbs, desiccants for the humidity, insect-repellent powder, fumigators, incendiary bombs, and even cleaning robots. She directed the robots to perform an initial sweep, and the once dark, damp cavern was immediately transformed into a dry, tidy dwelling. After being left to air out for a full day and night, it was completely refreshed.

Early this morning, Ning Xuan and Lin Mo had conducted a thorough sweep of the surroundings for any potential threats, leaving Chen Nan behind to organize the interior. The three of them worked in tandem to complete the final preparations for their new safe house.

Everything was going according to plan. Leng Yue’s appearance, however, was an unwelcome surprise.

As the sky outside gradually darkened, Ning Xuan let Lin Mo into the cave, activated the Defense Array Patterns, and left Leng Yue outside.

"Whatever your goal is, I advise you to stop right here," Ning Xuan said, glancing at him coldly.

Seeing her serious expression, Leng Yue cleared his throat. "Miss Ning, I really..."

Ning Xuan didn’t wait for his explanation. She took Lin Mo’s arm and turned back into the cave. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

Leng Yue watched helplessly as a dense fog rose, swallowing the already inconspicuous entrance. It gradually blended with the natural mist until not a single trace remained.

"COO-COO, COO, COO-COO." A rhythmic birdcall sounded from nearby. It was an old signal from the S-Class Pioneer Corps.

Leng Yue leaped into the air and darted toward the sound. A dozen or so minutes later, he met up with Yan Fuzhen.

Yan Fuzhen was accompanied by two subordinates—familiar faces, both of them powerful former special forces soldiers.

"So, Cold Deputy, how does it feel to nearly capsize in a calm harbor?" Yan Fuzhen sneered at Leng Yue.

"Just peachy," Leng Yue retorted. "I sent a distress signal. Why didn’t you show up? Housekeeper Yan, are you using your position to settle a personal score?"

"You sent a signal, yes, but Miss Ning was right there. How was I supposed to show myself?" Yan Fuzhen shot back. "You’re the one who stirred up the Devouring Spirit Flower Vine and then dropped the ball at the critical moment, putting her in danger. It’s only because Miss Ning’s Plant Pet happened to be its perfect counter. Otherwise, even if we had shown up, we might not have been able to save you. And if you had gotten Miss Ning hurt... well, you’d be signing your own death warrant."

"I’ll be reporting today’s events to the Marshal. You’d better think long and hard about what you’re going to tell him," Yan Fuzhen said, his tone cold and stern.

Color rose in Leng Yue’s handsome, fair face. "I didn’t expect the rules of this Secret Realm to be so strange. The sudden suppression was much stronger than I anticipated."

In truth, he had realized his mistake long ago.

"The Marshal gave me no special instructions regarding you," Yan Fuzhen stated. "I will proceed with my own plan to protect Miss Ning from the shadows. You don’t need to report your actions to me. Unless it’s a true emergency, do not make contact." With that, Yan Fuzhen departed with his men.

Ning Xuan couldn’t care less where Leng Yue went. Her cave was hollowed out from the base of the mountain, encased on all sides—top, bottom, and walls—by thick, solid rock. Inside, she had placed sonic monitors on the floor, ceiling, and every wall. As long as the monitors remained silent and the Defense Array at the entrance was not triggered, they could rest easy.

Ning Xuan, Lin Mo, and Chen Nan were examining two maps. The one in Lin Mo’s hands was a copy he had purchased during a trip to the Lingxiao Secret Realm three years ago. The one Ning Xuan held was supposedly the latest version, which Yan Fuzhen had acquired through his own channels just two days prior.

Placing the two maps side-by-side, it was clear that the landmarks within the Lingxiao Secret Realm had changed drastically in just three years.

The first step of Ning Xuan’s plan was to find the Spirit Medicine Valley. According to the newest map, the Spirit Medicine Valley should be in the southeastern corner of the Lingxiao Secret Realm, just like the Fog Hidden Gorge where they were now.

Over the past two days, however, they had scoured the surrounding area and found no trace of the Spirit Medicine Valley. All they had found was the Fog Hidden Gorge, and within it, this shelter.