Interstellar Farming: I Make Potions and Climb to the Top

After climbing out of the cold and damp underground river, Ning Xuan shuddered as a wave of Spiritual Energy rushed over her.

She grabbed the jagged rock face beside her and forcefully vaulted up.

"Th-these are..." Lin Mo’s voice trembled as they followed Ning Xuan up, staring at the sight before them in disbelief.

Along the shores of the central lake, every exposed rock face in the valley was glowing. Lights of all colors converged into a dazzling palette, bathing the valley in an ethereal glow that made it look like a fairyland.

"Lan Green Ore, Purple Marrow Star Pattern Ore, sand gold ore." Yun Han calmly recited the names of each ore he saw.

But while his voice was calm, his slightly trembling hand betrayed his inner shock.

As far as the eye could see, the entire valley was studded with these exposed natural ores, their twinkling lights creating a vista that resembled a river of stars.

Daylight poured down like a waterfall, and an emerald-green lake rested peacefully in the valley, a thin mist rising from its surface.

On the shore, the roots of the trees were gnarled like dragons, and their trunks bore naturally formed patterns.

A tall flowering crabapple tree grew on the shore, its blooming pink blossoms hanging down in clusters. Each petal shimmered with a rainbow-hued halo, and crystalline dewdrops gathered in their centers. Besides the crabapple, many other flowering trees filled the air. A sweet floral fragrance mingled with a certain crisp, refreshing scent, and everyone felt their minds clear. Soothed by the aroma, the physical and mental stamina they had exhausted while mining in the underground river began to recover on its own.

"Look in the water! There are Bluefin Silverfish and Red Line Swordfish! These are all precious species that went extinct long ago!" Wang Yue, who was at the back of the group, suddenly exclaimed.

According to legend, Bluefin Silverfish had extremely high standards for water quality and could only survive in the most pristine environments.

Sure enough, schools of small, translucent silver fish glinting with specks of blue light swam merrily in the lake, the swish of their tails creating tiny whirlpools. Nearby, several slender, arrow-like red fish darted through the water.

Deeper down, coral-like crystal clusters were faintly visible, their pulsing spiritual light illuminating the heart of the lake as if it were bathed in moonlight.

Staring at the beautiful scenery, Ning Xuan couldn’t help but exclaim, "What kind of blessed paradise is this?"

"The energy here is incredibly dense. It’s perfect for Cultivation."

"Yeah! No wonder they say the New Star Body is rich in resources. This is beyond rich, isn’t it?" Tang Xue said excitedly.

"Compared to the Lan Green Ore we were just mining in the underground strata, the Lan Green Ore in this valley is purer and of much higher quality," Di Youlin said. He had already broken off a piece of Lan Green Stone from a nearby rock face and brought it to Ning Xuan.

"Not only is the quality better, but these ores are exposed on the surface, making them very easy to excavate. It’s much less trouble than dealing with underground veins," Yun Han added.

"So, should we get back to mining?" Tang Xue asked, rubbing her palms together in anticipation.

"No rush," Ning Xuan suggested. "Everyone’s been exhausted for two days. This can wait. Let’s have a proper meal first. Those fish in the lake look delicious. We’ll grill some and make fish soup."

"I’ll go catch the fish!" Nine-tailed cheered, heading toward the lake.

The lake water was crystal clear, and a quick glance revealed no dangerous creatures.

While Nine-tailed went to catch fish, Di Youlin, Lin Mo, and Lan Xin went to scout the perimeter for any dangers. The rest of the group searched the nearby area for edible Spirit Grass or Spirit Fruit.

Di Youlin returned with a grave expression on his face. His brows were tightly furrowed as he twirled a red, lotus-shaped, cloud-like object between his fingertips.

"What is it? What’s that you’re holding?" Ning Xuan asked as she walked over to him.

"This thing seems to be a spiral nebula. Before I plucked it, it looked identical to the pictures of spiral nebulas released by the Military Department. It just changed its form after I picked it," Di Youlin said, handing the red, cloud-like object to Ning Xuan.

As Ning Xuan took it, she subconsciously channeled her Flame Energy. BANG! Scorched by her flames, the object exploded, shattering into wisps of purple smoke.

Ning Xuan sat cross-legged and began circulating her Cultivation Technique to absorb the surrounding Spiritual Energy. As she did, a portion of the purple smoke seeped into her body through her skin.

Ning Xuan inspected herself internally and saw purple motes of light appearing in her blood. These motes gradually merged into her bloodstream, causing it to grow brighter. A pleasant warmth spread through her body, and she felt both her Flame Energy and the nascent energy beginning to rise.

"This substance can merge with one’s bloodline. As for whether it will improve my genes, I’ll have to cultivate for a while longer to find out," Ning Xuan said, opening her eyes to the others who had gathered around her.

"Contractor, that was too reckless," Yun Han said disapprovingly. "You didn’t even know if that thing was harmful, yet you dared to use it. What if it had been? It would have been a disaster."

"I already checked it. If it were harmful, why would I have brought it back?" Di Youlin retorted, shooting Yun Han a displeased glance.

"Alright, alright. Let’s hear the results of your perimeter reconnaissance," Ning Xuan said, quickly intervening before the two could start arguing again.

Di Youlin was the first to speak. "I flew out for about five or six miles, right to the edge of the Oasis. I didn’t encounter any dangerous creatures on the way. Outside, there’s nothing but endless yellow sand, and I saw a massive storm. The storm was clearly heading this way, but just as it was about to arrive, it veered off in another direction."

"I found that strange, so I tried to go out and take a look, but I couldn’t get out at all. It seems we’re enclosed by a transparent barrier. The storm can’t get in, and we can’t get out," Di Youlin said.

"That’s right," Lan Xin chimed in. "I headed east for about two or three miles and also reached the edge of the Oasis. It’s just desert outside. I tried to leave, too, and couldn’t. I even tried attacking the barrier, but it didn’t budge an inch."

Just then, Nine-tailed returned carrying three forearm-length, wonderfully plump Bluefin Silverfish. Their tails were still thrashing about. "Master, these fish are so fat! They’re going to be delicious grilled."

Nine-tailed’s words broke the tense atmosphere. Ning Xuan clapped her hands. "Alright, let’s eat first. We can discuss the situation outside after our meal."

Ning Xuan took a grill, two Green Jade Basins, and a complete set of dinnerware from her Ring Space. Wang Yue came over to set up the grill and light the charcoal.

Nine-tailed slammed the still-flapping Bluefin Silverfish onto the ground, finally stilling it. They tossed the fish into a Green Jade Basin, took out a scaling knife, and with a flick of the wrist, sent the fish arcing through the air. Its scales rained down, catching the light of the setting sun like tiny, glittering jewels.

"Contractor, this isn’t enough. I’ll go catch a few more," Chen Nan said to Ning Xuan.

"Min Wu and Zhang Nan are over there catching fish now. If you’re going, you should take a bigger bucket," Nine-tailed said. They had come back first to start preparations so everyone could eat sooner.