Interstellar Farming: I Make Potions and Climb to the Top

To think that an Oasis, ten kilometers in diameter and covered by a barrier, could exist in this boundless desert. Di Youlin had tested the barrier and found it to be remarkably stable.

Di Youlin asked Ning Xuan for permission to attack it with full force and see if it could be broken, but Ning Xuan refused. If the barrier were truly destroyed, the storm outside would likely rush in, ruining this beautiful scenery.

The environment within was like a paradise. The energy was dense, and a vast spiral nebula hung overhead, making it an ideal place for Cultivation.

Ning Xuan speculated that if they hadn’t entered this place through the underground river, they might not have been able to get in at all.

One had to admit, it was a magical twist of fate.

With two Space Artifacts in their possession, Ning Xuan’s group had brought plenty of supplies for eating and daily use. Furthermore, the desert Exotic Beasts hunted by the Little Fox on their journey were still in storage, so they didn’t have to worry about a lack of food.

The water in the lake at the center of the Oasis was clear and non-toxic. It even contained energy, making it excellent drinking water.

「On the tenth day in the Oasis.」

Nine-tailed and Qinghe were supervising four simple mechanical robots as they mined.

"Brother, you can retract all your scales now, can’t you? Congratulations!" Nine-tailed said to Qinghe, beaming.

"Thank you. The spiral nebula truly is miraculous. It’s only because of the Master’s kindness that I’m allowed to Cultivate by her side. Nine-tailed, I truly envy you. You’ve been with her ever since you left the camp, unlike me..." As he said this, Qinghe’s expression darkened.

"Brother, that’s all in the past. You’re by the Master’s side now, aren’t you? Everything will be better from now on." Knowing he was thinking about his past again, Nine-tailed quickly comforted him.

"It’s not the same. I have a past. It’s impossible for me to earn the Master’s... You’re different. You’re untainted, young, and handsome. You have a real chance to win the Master’s favor. You just have to be ambitious and try to get closer to her." Qinghe’s personality had opened up considerably compared to when he first arrived, especially since he usually interacted with Nine-tailed and Lan Xin. The three of them lived together and spoke with each other often.

"I had some notions about that when I first got here, but now... I don’t even dare to dream of it. I just hope the Master will let me stay by her side. I can cook for her, or sing and dance. As long as I can stay, that’s enough for me," Nine-tailed said with a bitter laugh.

When Nine-tailed and Lan Xin first arrived at Ning Xuan’s side, she only had two Contractors: Chen Nan and Lin Mo. At the time, they had thought about trying to seduce Ning Xuan, to compete for her affection and such, but they had never succeeded.

Later, Di Youlin and Yun Han arrived at Ning Xuan’s side. Both men were incredibly powerful and strikingly handsome. Di Youlin was also particularly shameless; relying on his formidable strength, he was constantly stuck to Ning Xuan’s side, leaving him and Lan Xin with even less of an opportunity.

"Don’t you worry. No matter how favored they are now, there comes a time when one grows weary. You and Lan Xin are still young. As long as you don’t make any mistakes and stay by the Master’s side long enough, she’ll come to favor you sooner or later," said Qinghe.

As the two were talking, Min Wu came running from the valley like a gust of wind, with Tang Xue chasing him from behind.

"Little Five, stop right there! If you keep running, if you dare run one more step, I’m gonna beat you!" Tang Xue yelled threateningly from behind, unable to catch up.

Seeing that there were other people around, Min Wu reluctantly stopped and waited for her to catch up. The moment she did, Tang Xue leaped onto his back for a piggyback ride.

"Hey, Qinghe, Nine-tailed, how’s it going? Mining today?" Tang Xue greeted them.

"Hello, Miss Tang," Nine-tailed said, nodding in greeting.

He felt a pang of envy every time he saw Tang Xue and Min Wu playing around. ’I heard Miss Tang and Min Wu grew up together,’ he thought. ’But even so, it’s rare for a Controller like her to favor only one person so exclusively.’

’Min Wu is so lucky.’

Tang Xue and Min Wu shared a tent over in the eastern valley.

The valley was large enough that none of their residences were close to each other.

Just as Nine-tailed was sighing with emotion, a blaze of fire suddenly erupted from Ning Xuan’s Cultivation area. A massive, fiery red bird shot toward the heavens, its clear cry echoing through the valley as blue motes of light scattered down in a spectacular display.

"Huh? That’s not the Master’s aura," Nine-tailed murmured, looking toward the phenomenon in confusion.

"That’s Di Youlin. His Fire Phoenix can manifest on its own now," Qinghe said, his voice trembling.

"What do you mean?" Nine-tailed asked, unable to comprehend.

"We Half-beastmen don’t have Companion Spirits. The bloodline of the Exotic Beast is expressed directly in our bodies. This means we live in constant agony from the conflict within our veins. The stronger the Mutant Beast Gene, the greater the pain," Qinghe explained in a low voice.

"Right, I know that. So that firebird just now..." Nine-tailed pressed on.

"Di Youlin’s Mutant Beast Gene is that of a Fire Phoenix, and that’s what you just saw. He has spent the most time Cultivating by the Master’s side and absorbed more of the spiral nebula’s energy than anyone else. A few days ago, he managed to fully retract his wings into his body. Judging by that display just now, he must have had another breakthrough," Qinghe said, his gaze fixed in that direction, his expression complex.

"What kind of breakthrough? Does this mean he can now completely transform between his human and beast forms?" Nine-tailed asked excitedly.

"I doubt it. What we saw was just a phantom image. A full transformation isn’t so easily achieved." Qinghe shook his head.

"Come on, they’ll be back in a bit. I’m going to go make food." Nine-tailed piled the excavated ore to one side. The robots, no longer under their control, had already ceased their work.

The ore was left piled up here, and Yun Han would come to collect it when he was free.

Nine-tailed and Qinghe walked together to the tent by the lake, which served as their dining hall. Outside, a row of stoves had been set up. Unlike the crude arrangement they started with, this new setup was neat and well-made, capable of cooking multiple dishes at once.

Nine-tailed washed the ingredients he had prepared earlier, one by one, and rinsed the seasoning off the marinated meat. Qinghe assisted him, but he was clearly distracted, his gaze constantly drifting toward the distance.

’Di Youlin just managed to release a phantom of his Fire Phoenix,’ Qinghe thought. ’Does that mean his next step will be to manifest a physical form?’

’Very few Half-beastmen ever reach the point of full transformation between their human and beast forms. Each one who did had a unique opportunity, so much so that there’s no recognizable pattern to follow.’

Nine-tailed enjoyed cooking. He cheerfully tossed the washed tri-color mushrooms into the boiling pot, and a fragrant steam instantly billowed out.

The ocher caps of the tri-color mushrooms unfurled, revealing intricate patterns. As they simmered over a low flame, their intense aroma was sealed into the savory broth. Nine-tailed gazed at the deepening amber liquid in the earthenware pot, then picked up a few red salt crystals and dropped them in. The mushrooms bobbed in the boiling soup, which took on a crystalline, translucent sheen.