Chapter 398: Making Progress
Of course, the powerful flower of life which could clone a new living being was very useful for Zhang Tie. With the genes of huge deep-sea monster, the moment he realized that he could have such an "assistant" in the sea, Zhang Tie was very excited.
Certainly, the flower of life’s ability was limited. In order to clone a living being, the flower of life could only clone one time with one gene although it required an astronomical amount of basic energy storage, aura values and merit values. Being similar to most plants, it would not produce 2 flowers that were the exact same. The creature produced by the flower of life was also unique.
Therefore, with the gene of the deep-sea monster, Zhang Tie could only clone one huge deep-sea monster. If he wanted more, he had to obtain the genes of other huge deep-sea monsters.
However, Zhang Tie was already very satisfied with this.
...
"To produce a seed of the flower of life, you need 53000 aura values, 1358000 basic energy storage and 90000 merit values. Do you agree to produce the seed of the flower of life on Manjusaka Karma Fruit Tree or not?"
"——Yes or No"
After seeing the familiar words once again, Zhang Tie instantly chose "Yes". The moment he touched the button, Zhang Tie felt that the small tree started to radiate a faint but colorful light that covered its leaves. Meanwhile, the small tree’s leaves slightly shook and uttered the sound of "Ring ring ring...", which was pleasing to Zhang Tie’s ears.
Zhang Tie felt that the small tree was very happy at this moment.
Zhang Tie knew that plants had emotional responses. It was said that the human race gained inspiration from plants’ emotional responses while studying lie detectors. It was really out of his imagination that this small tree’s emotional response could be that intense.
Feeling that the small tree was happy, Zhang Tie also became happy himself. In the past year, Zhang Tie had picked off so many fruits from it, yet, he didn’t give anything to the small tree at all. Realizing that the small tree was very pleased with his choice, Zhang Tie was secretly overjoyed.
Although Zhang Tie input the largest amount of basic energy storage, merit values and aura values in producing the seed of flower of life he had ever saved up in the past year, he felt it worthwhile.
Perhaps in others’ eyes, this was just a marvelous tree, however, for Zhang Tie, the small tree was his best friend and close partner as it had accompanied him throughout his growth.
"How long will it take the small tree to create the seed of flower of life?" Zhang Tie asked Heller.
Enjoying the sound of the small tree, Heller closed his eyes until he heard Zhang Tie’s question. "It would take the Manjusaka Karma Fruit Tree 1 hour and 40 minutes to breed a seed of flower of life. It’s a seed, a fruit and the first subordinate of Manjusaka Karma Fruit Tree."
"Oh, what’s the name of that strange plant species that the flower of life belongs to?"
"You are familiar with it as you even registered your exclusive label with it." Heller looked serious.
"You mean that strange plant species is called Manjusaka?" Zhang Tie widened his eyes.
Heller then nodded, "You got it. It is!"
"But isn’t it a strange flower of legend?"
"The Manjusaka flower truly exists. As it is also a member of the strange plant species known as Manjusaka Karma. Just like the flower of life, the Manjusaka flower is born to enable people to seal their memories or memorize what happened. It could enable you to forget your sadness and comfort you."
If Zhang Tie was told this by others, he probably wouldn’t believe them. But since it was told by Heller, Zhang Tie believed it deeply.
Before the small tree bred its fruit, Zhang Tie checked his accumulated resources in the Castle of Black Iron by touching the basic attributes panel.
——Castle of Black Iron
——Length: 1 Kruso
——Width: 1 Kruso
——Aura Values: 111598
——Merit Values: 45127
——Basic Energy Storage: 1529100
——Special Output: Basic Reiki Yeast.
Only a few aura values were left while only 1/3 of merit values were left. What made Zhang Tie a bit reassured was the basic energy storage. After consuming 1358000 values of basic energy storage, there were still more than a half left in the Castle of Black Iron. This indicated Zhang Tie’s fruitful achievement when he traveled in the sea for consecutive 3 days.
During the 3 days, Zhang Tie’s basic energy storage surged 3 times. This also indicated indirectly that all the payment was valuable.
After checking these items, Zhang Tie checked the logs of merit values. He found that the merit values during this period mainly came from those sand scale fish that he employed people on Hidden Dragon Island to set free.
Nowadays, the slave responsible for setting free sandscale fish on Hidden Dragon Island was Paul, the alternate muling of the Sun Dynasty whom Zhang Tie bought from Stars Viewing City.
Without explanation, Zhang Tie just told Paul to buy some sandscale fish from the fish market on the wharf of Hidden Dragon Island before pouring them into the sea. Although Zhang Tie left Hidden Dragon Island, he didn’t arrange anyone to supervise Paul’s work every day. However, Zhang Tie could see Paul’s work every day in the Castle of Black Iron.
If Paul set free sandscale fish, Zhang Tie’s merit values would increase on the same day. As it was Zhang Tie who spent money and employed people to set free the sandscale fish, the merit values all belonged to Zhang Tie like how he arranged people to set free earthworms in Blapei.
By the way, Zhang Tie would like to test whether that person is reliable in an unconstrained environment. If that person could finish this job very meticulously even in such a scenario, it indicated that he was valuable. As was appointed between Zhang Tie and him, if that person could show his value to Zhang Tie, he will get Zhang Tie’s support for his revenge plan.
The latest 2000 merit values came from Glomof whom Zhang Tie had just saved from the terrifying tentacle of that huge deep-sea monster. As an old Chinese saying went, "To save a person is better than building a 7-story pagoda[1]"
The small tree was still gleaming while playing a nice score of music with its shaking leaves. Zhang Tie then left the house together with Heller and walked towards the small tree.
It would take some time for the seed of flower of life to come into being. Zhang Tie then planned to eat fruits during this period. Before eating fruits, Zhang Tie walked around the small tree. When he caught sight of the trouble-reappearance fruit, Zhang Tie threw his glance at Heller.
Of course, Heller knew what Zhang Tie wanted to know.
"Right, this trouble-reappearance fruit contains the scene where Castle Lord fought that huge deep-sea monster. The very living being that could be activated inside is the huge deep-sea monster. You’ve had good fortune today. Closely after Star and Moon Sword Sage opened its head, your bolt directly penetrated through that wound on the monster’s head and gave it a fatal strike. Without your strike, that huge deep-sea monster could still stand for 2 minutes before dying.
"Ha...ha..." Zhang Tie became excited as he burst out laughing. What a fortune! He only thought about sealing the huge deep-sea monster in the trouble-reappearance fruit at that time. He hadn’t imagined that he was that lucky and had really made it.
Zhang Tie could not obtain such a precious chance to fight a huge deep-sea monster at sea anymore no matter how much he spent. Although Zhang Tie knew that he had rare chance to fight the huge deep-sea monster with his current ability, he still wanted to strengthen his swimming and fighting skills through fighting such an unrivaled opponent.
Additionally, after killing that huge deep-sea monster, he saw a huge passenger liner in the trouble-reappearance scene. With this super great toy, Zhang Tie could really enjoy himself.
Zhang Tie was thinking about removing the huge deep-sea monster and replacing it with some sea serpents.
Zhang Tie felt that it was his lucky day as so many achievements were waiting to place themselves before him.
...
He then constantly digested 4 fruits under the small tree.
Being affected by the 2 leakless fruits, the 16th surging point gradually turned from red to blue. With 2 barriers left, it would be ignited.
After eating the new trouble-reappearance fruit, Zhang Tie gained a new scene and an unrivaled opponent.
After eating that fruit of redemption——gratitude from sandscale fish, Zhang Tie’s sensitivity to cold and water flows rose by 8.7% respectively, which was over 12 times greater than that of commoners respectively.
This made Zhang Tie more curious. After setting free earthworms, he gained the preliminary recovery body. Zhang Tie really wanted to discover how his body had evolved after setting free so many sandscale fish.
After eating 4 fruits, Zhang Tie went off the stages from that high platform where the small tree was while Heller was waiting for him to the side.
The fruit of flower of life was still hanging over the small tree. It seemed to be growing fast while the small tree was still gleaming with swaying leaves.
"How long has it been?"
"It only took Castle Lord 1 hour and 20 minutes to digest the 4 fruits. 20 minutes are left before the fruit of the flower of life grows ripe." Heller watched that latest fruit with an eager look.
Zhang Tie then recalled a question that he had considered outside the Castle of Black Iron just now.
"Do we have a place to store food in here?"
"Yes, we have. But it’s almost fully loaded. I’m thinking about having Agan to build another warhouse to store food these days. The daily grains supply in Castle of Black Iron could support the daily demands of one hundred. We need to solve the problem of lack of laborers and arable land."
"That huge deep-sea monster is still floating at sea. What a huge piece of flesh! Its body weighed at least thousands of tons. I was told that its flesh was a top food material. It would be a great waste to leave it floating at sea in this way. Do you have any method to deal with it?"
Zhang Tie asked this purely out of his sense of crisis. Zhang Tie knew that when the holy war broke out in the future, food would be in urgent demand. Since the event in Heavens Cold City, the prices of grains across Waii Sub-Continent had been surging rapidly. Everybody had a sense of urgency as they increased their stockpiles. Now that Zhang Tie knew that food would be very scarce in the future, he would feel uncomfortable by just leaving it flowing away at sea based on his personality. Given Zhang Tie’s family background in Blackhot City, he would definitely treat it as a great waste if he just watched such a big piece of flesh floated away.
"You want to bring the flesh of huge deep-sea monster inside?" Heller narrowed his eyes. From his look, Heller seemed to be interested in Zhang Tie’s thought.
"Right. If it was on land, I might not able to bring it inside; but, as it is at sea, I could bring it in. However, the problem is how to store them?" Zhang Tie scratched his head, "If we just put it in Castle of Black Iron, it would go bad in only a couple of days!"
"I don’t think it would definitely go bad in Castle of Black Iron. Have you forgotten about the space and topographical transformation function?"
Being reminded, Zhang Tie instantly thought up something as he looked at Heller in surprise. "You mean..."
"We can enlarge the northern area of Castle of Black Iron. Why not directly create a huge ice cave underground to store those flesh? Additionally, reproduction and growth of microbes and bacteria which can cause food go bad will be restrained in the icy cave. In this way, we can store the flesh underground as long as possible..."
Hearing this, Zhang Tie directly jumped up from the ground.
"You will be responsible for building an underground ice cave and breeding the flower of life. For the ice cave, the larger, the better. I have to go out to get the flesh back now!"
After saying that, Zhang Tie left the Castle of Black Iron immediately...
[1] Pagoda is a kind of Buddhism tower.