Chapter Seventeen: The Puppy's Baptism

  Lin Sen walked back, carrying three small dogs: "Wait for me here, I'll take them to wash their fur." He walked alone towards the Water Spirit Pool. Lin Sen carried the dogs and put them into the pool. The water was crystal clear, with a thin layer of mist floating above the surface. As the dogs entered the pool, they floated in the spiritual water, feeling very comfortable. The mist above the pool slowly gathered around them, and soon completely enveloped them, forming three misty spheres. From afar, it looked like three large cotton candies were floating on the water.

  After a while, the air mass slowly rises, leaves the water surface and stays in the air.

  Lin Sen walked back and said: "Let's go, it will take a day and night, come again tomorrow."

  Zhang Pa worried about the little dog, and asked Lin Sen: "Can we wait here?" Lin Sen glanced at him, nodded and said: "Alright, I'll go to Huo Ling Chi to refine some elixirs, you must not wander around." Zhang Pa agreed.

  To the right of Shui Ling Chi is Huo Ling Chi. Lin Sen returned to the Ni Tian Dong, fetched some spiritual grass, and then walked to the front of Huo Ling Chi, sat down cross-legged, and conjured up a cauldron the size of a fist. The cauldron left his hand and slowly drifted forward, stopping at the edge of Huo Ling Chi. Below, hot flames flowed, and the fire tongue roasted the cauldron. Under the intense heat, the cauldron slowly grew in size until it reached the size of a table top before stopping its growth. Lin Sen pinched his fingers to form a hand seal, and with his divine sense controlling it, the lid flew open. He threw in over a dozen types of herbs, then closed the lid again, and after pinching a few more hand seals onto the cauldron, he ignored it. Next, using the same method, he conjured up six more cauldrons, also throwing some herbs into them, and placed them at the edge of the fire pool to roast. He stood up and walked back to the platform.

  Zhang Pa had never seen alchemy before and was very curious, asking: "Is that it?" Lin Sen smiled and said: "What's there to manage? It's not a magic tool, the cauldron has an array inside, which can automatically adjust the fire temperature."

  A pool of liquid fire, flowing like water, can actually smelt objects, it's truly amazing.

  Lin Sen said, "How about a drink? Just waiting is boring, let's have some fun." Zhang Pa said, "I've never had a drink before." Lin Sen burst out laughing: "Then you must try it! Wine is a good thing, the only thing that can dispel worries under heaven and on earth. I'll go get some."

  Lin Sen left again, and Zhang Pa went to pay attention to the three air masses. With a thought in his heart for the little dog, he walked a few steps to the edge of the platform and watched carefully. He felt that the air mass was slightly weaker and thinner than before.

  Just then, Lin Sen had already returned, holding a low table in his hand. The tabletop was very wide and had seven sets of white jade wine pots and cups on it, as well as several small dishes to cleanse the palate. He put down the low table, took out two tatami mats from the storage bag and threw them onto the ground, inviting Zhang Pa to sit down.

  Just as Zhang Pa sat down, Lin Sen eagerly filled the two cups with wine and handed one to him: "Taste it, I don't dare say anything else, but this wine is only found in this place." Zhang Pa took the cup and examined it carefully. The wine had a spiritual aura swirling within, clear and pure, blending seamlessly with the white jade cup. He raised the cup and took a small sip, feeling the liquid enter his mouth like pearls, with a subtle grainy sensation dancing on his tongue. The flavor was sweet and pleasant, sliding down his throat like fruit juice rather than wine. Until the wine entered his abdomen, it suddenly transformed, like a ball of fire burning within him. However, just as the intense energy began to rise, it dissipated, spreading through his meridians to his limbs, leaving him feeling refreshed and invigorated.

  Zhang was afraid of not being able to drink wine, but he also knew that this wine was not ordinary. After entering his mouth, it underwent three changes, each with a mysterious and ingenious transformation. He couldn't help but exclaim: "Good wine."

  Lin Sen's face had a proud expression: "Of course, this wine is made from the juice of the thousand-year-old flowerless fruit, brewed with spiritual spring water and added with over a dozen spiritual medicines, including the thousand-year-old ginseng. How could it not be good to drink? This wine not only tastes good but can also cure illnesses. For ordinary internal injuries, one sip is guaranteed to heal."

  "Wanting to use ginseng to brew wine? That's too extravagant." Zhang said with a tongue-in-cheek tone.

  "The Wannianling flower is rarely seen outside, but there are many here. You're not unaware of that." Lin Sen said with a dismissive expression, taking a sip of wine and continuing: "Try the dishes, try them! I'm telling you, these dishes are exceptional - we have Sanqingcao, Chenjianlu, and Sanguagua, all for you to taste!" Lin Sen seemed very excited.

  "What's all this? I haven't heard of a single one."

  Lin Sen continued with a pleased smile: "They are all rare and precious herbs, used for medicine and alchemy, with endless wonderful uses. However, my Three Qing Grass and Morning Dew Gourd are different; these things are terrible to eat when made into pills. I brought back some green vegetables, fruits, and gourds, cultivated them together, and unexpectedly cultivated new varieties. Then, I collected the seeds, used Lingquan water to cultivate them, planted them in a place with abundant spiritual energy, mixed the Water Spirit Essence and Wood Spirit Essence in an alchemy furnace, diluted it, and irrigated them. After they matured, I harvested them at their freshest and most delicious time, stored them in preservation bottles to keep them fresh and edible. Only the first harvest is collected, not the old and withered ones. It's not just boasting, but truly, only this place has such delicacies."

  Zhang was shocked, delighted and angry at the same time. The precious elixir, water and essence that were hard to come by, were actually being wasted by him to grow vegetables. He bitterly smiled and said: "It's a bit too extravagant."

  Lin Sen also knew that his approach was a bit excessive, and he self-deprecatingly said: "You know, in this broken place I've lived for at least 700,000 years. I'm a spiritual cultivator, not a human being. After achieving immortality, I don't have to worry about running out of lifespan. What do you think all that time should be used for? Of course, it's to thoroughly enjoy myself."

  Lin Sen said so, Zhang Pa was a bit overwhelmed and changed the subject to ask: "What is Lingquan water? Is it the spirit of the wood or the spirit in the pool?"

  Lin Sen took another sip of wine and explained, "The largest garden outside is Wuling Garden, then there's Nitian Cave, and this place is called Wuling Cave. The Five Elements Pool has spiritual energy because the spiritual energy is too strong, it condenses into a physical body. The spring water in Wuling Garden is called Spiritual Spring Water, that water can be drunk, but not this one." Lin Sen pointed to the Shuiling Pool.

  "The Lingquan water can not only be drunk, but also raise fish. Just now I was in a hurry to drink with my little brother, and casually made some vegetarian dishes. Next time, let you taste the fish raised by the spiritual water and the pigs and cattle fed by the spiritual medicine."

  Zhang couldn't bear to listen: "Aren't pigs and cows under your care? You still eat them?"

  Lin Sen gave him a deep, meaningful glance: "Most cultivators are selfish and self-serving, doing whatever it takes to advance their cultivation. You don't seem like a cultivator at all." Lin Sen said while drinking: "This meat, not only do I eat it, but also those pigs and sheep that have cultivated into demonic beasts eat it too. They just won't eat their own kind, otherwise what's the point of raising them? Isn't it just for eating?"

  Zhang was busy raising his cup: "Disciple spoke wrongly, apologizing to senior."

  "Once you call me Old Lin, it's settled", Lin Sen said somewhat displeased: "In a place where the five spirits gather and fortune accumulates, no matter what is planted or raised, everything grows quickly. Just take the fish in the water, here there is water, naturally there will be fish. At first, I didn't eat them, after all, I am a spirit who can survive with just water and soil. But as the fish multiplied and became more numerous, the water remained the same, for the sake of survival they began to kill each other. I thought, they're going to die anyway, so I might as well be the villain, killing them would allow me to eat meat too. What do you say?"

  Lin Sen said, Zhang Pa was embarrassed again, and he raised his cup to apologize: "Uncle Lin, ignorance is no sin, I'll punish myself with a cup of wine." He said, tilting his head back and finishing the drink.

  Lin Sen watched him drink and was delighted, even more so than when he himself drank: "Good, refreshing! Come, try this wine again." He exchanged another jade jug for Zhang Pa to fill.

  This wine is as clear and sweet as the previous cup, full of spirit, but strangely, it doesn't taste like wine, somewhat like jade or ice. He raised his head to ask: "What kind of wine is this?"

  "This cup of wine is called San Wei Gan, and this one is called Ruan Yu. It's made by steaming with ice and fire, and then sealed in a kiln with Wannian Xuanbing for a thousand years before it can be drunk." Lin Sen was indeed an expert in this field.

  Zhang Pa listened to many new terms and didn't want to ask anymore, the more he asked, the more heartbroken he became. Tian Bao's good materials were actually used for brewing wine and growing vegetables. Lin Sen started talking excitedly, pulling Zhang Pa into the conversation: "Luckily you came, you don't know, this ghost cave, except for the mute beasts, there are only a dozen or so babies. Don't even mention the beasts, feeding them wine is no different from pouring it away? The babies are still building their foundation, they can't eat meat or fish, and wine is even more out of the question. I'm all alone here, creating so many good things, but there's no one to appreciate them... that feeling, how can I describe it? It's like having a full bladder and being unable to pee, it's that uncomfortable..."

  Zhang was afraid of hearing something interesting and asked Lin Sen: "Does Ling Cans also pee?"

  "This, this, let's not talk about that for now, drink and taste the soft jade." Lin Sen refused to answer such a silly question.