Master of Strange Dao

Chapter 1561 - 417: Chain Reaction, Red Soil Blending

"There are quite a few similar things here."Upon hearing this, the Great Cultivator Jia felt a chill in his heart. No wonder he thought he was well-prepared, but along the way, he did not recognize most of the Spirit Plants.

No wonder they recruit people here, with the minimum requirement being a Great Cultivator of the Yang God Realm...

Below the Yang God Realm, they cannot recruit at all; in a place where even a minor slip can lead to death, are they recruiting just to collect corpses?

But Jia Jinfeng speculated that the Dean Nong probably set the limit not because he was afraid of death but perhaps because watering the Spirit Plants with blood would contaminate them, affecting research results...

Just thinking about it, the apprentices started guiding people on a tour, telling them which places not to go to, as rashly intruding and getting involved in the research of any Dean could result in an unfortunate death.

While speaking, the apprentice seemed to relax more and more, chatting about issues like staff shortages.

As they talked, the conditions became too high, the restrictions too numerous, and they asked the three if there were enough suitable people when they came.

Come to Jia Jinfeng, he thought of the hurried Dean Nong, who upon arrival, first explained a bunch of rules. Coupled with his extensive reading in the Langya Institute, he had worked particularly hard, so he shared what he thought.

The apprentice looked at Jia Jinfeng with some surprise but said nothing.

After the tour, when they returned to settle down, the apprentice went to see the Dean Nong.

While mixing soil, Dean Nong casually asked,

"How was it?"

"That Jia Jinfeng is not bad, he understands the ultimate purpose of all the rules is for research. He also has a decent foundation, showing that he has worked hard. I've heard that he only advanced to the Yang God Realm in the past couple of years, enduring quite a lot of hardships."

"Then keep him. Once he memorizes those Jade Scrolls, give him two Storage Bags."

A month or so later, Jia Jinfeng saw the Dean Nong again, who was still mixing soil.

"Do you recognize these?" Without turning around, Dean Nong pointed to dozens of wooden barrels around, each containing a different soil, all looking somewhat distinct.

Dean Nong was using various soils to create a mix that would allow a certain Spirit Plant to explode with the strongest Life Force.

"I recognize thirty-three types, not quite sure about the other twenty or so. I've only seen them in the Classics, never in person," Jia Jinfeng honestly replied.

"In actual planting, these soil mixtures aren't very useful; they are only useful in research, forcing the Spirit Plants to change."

Jia Jinfeng quietly listened, and after a while, when he saw the Dean Nong take out three kinds of red-colored soil, his mind involuntarily recalled the stele rubbings that mentioned the Yuan Lord he'd seen before.

A segment of the record started aligning with what he had been learning recently.

"Brick Red Soil 379, Red Soil 268, Blood Wet Soil 139, Colorless Crystal 3, brown broken soil 6..."

Jia Jinfeng hesitated for a moment and mentioned the stele rubbings he found in the Langya Bookstore.

Dean Nong didn't think much of it at first, at most assuming Jia Jinfeng was referring to the person named.

But towards the end, Dean Nong's hand paused.

When Jia Jinfeng finished, Dean Nong immediately asked,

"And what about after?"

"There was no more after that; the stone tablet was quite damaged, and there was no number marked after Earth Lang. I also don't know what it is used for."

Dean Nong said nothing. Lost in thought, he stood up and began scooping up soil from the barrels, muttering to himself.

"Brick Red Soil should correspond to the current Red Soil in ancient times.

This Colorless Crystal hasn't changed its name; it should be this.

Earth Lang... what was Earth Lang again?

Oh, I remember now, it was a material popularly used for making tombstones in ancient times.

Now it's apparently called Black and Green Hundred Layered Stone, which I don't have here."

Dean Nong summoned an apprentice, instructing them to get materials from other Deans.

He continued mixing the soil according to those ratios, seemingly bewitched.

Without sleeping or resting, ignoring everyone, he continued for three days. After creating hundreds of mixtures, he stood there contemplating for a long time, adjusting the total amount according to those ratios.

Until reaching a total of eight hundred and seventeen, the newly mixed soil turned a dark red color.

When Dean Nong looked at it, he saw that some components, initially colorless, had also begun to turn dark red, and after a strange aura flowed through, they became completely unified.

Dean Nong grabbed a handful of dark red soil, brought it to his face, examining it closely for a long time, with a deep sigh.

"It really is so, the legend is true, it's indeed Red Soil, identical to what was recorded."

Dean Nong flicked his fingers, sending out several signals, and shortly after, more than a dozen Deans arrived.

"What happened?"

"Please, hold on. I'm afraid I'll forget, so I invited you all to witness," Dean Nong said, immediately beginning to mix again.

He mixed while reciting the ratios, allowing all heads of the Institutes to hear.

After re-mixing, the composite soil again changed autonomously, without anyone urging, as a peculiar aura flashed through it; Dean Nong exhaled deeply.

"This is the Red Soil from the Five-Colored Soil.

My teacher once told me that Five-Colored Soil is extremely rare, and its emergence differs from place to place.