“Haha, you want to learn from me?”
Jiren laughed, amused by Aksai’s request.
“Boy, Spirit fish farming and Spirit gardening are not some profound arts. At least not at your and my level anyway. You can easily find various types of books on them in Purple River Gate. It shouldn’t cost you more than a few spirit stones,” Jiren explained.
Aksai shook his head before responding.
“The problem with buying books on these fields is that there are too many books based on various schools of thought. I don’t consider myself wise enough to choose the right path for myself without making many errors in the process.
There’s a difference between the theoretical knowledge found in the books and the actual situation after all. But unlike what’s written in the book, I can already see what you’ve done to the place.
I only want to mimic your results at my own place someday. If I follow in your footsteps, I might be able to save many years of my time. So this is why I ask for your personal lessons and observations that I won’t be able to find in any book,” Aksai replied patiently.
Jiren looked at Aksai with newfound curiosity when he heard the latter’s explanation. To him, Aksai seemed wise for his age. He pondered for a moment before proposing a deal. “40 spirit stones for my personal notes on Spirit fish farming and Spirit gardening. The offer stands for two days. If you can bring—”
Jiren was about to complete his sentence, but Aksai removed a sack containing 40 spirit stones from his storage ring and sent it floating towards Jiren. As frugal as he was, he didn’t try to haggle for a discounted price with a Foundation Building Expert.
Jiren smiled and received the spirit stones. He wanted to give Aksai some time to gather the spirit stones considering the fact that the latter was only a late-stage Spirit Refiner. However, it seemed that it wasn’t necessary.
Sharing knowledge related to the field was seen as a sacred practice among Spirit cultivators. However, what Aksai had asked for were only the basics of some well-known fields. These fields and the practices related to them were not exactly secret arts that could only be passed down from a master to a disciple.
Aksai lost nothing if Jiren said no, and Jiren didn’t gain anything from keeping the knowledge to himself.
In fact, Jiren could have given the knowledge to Aksai for free if the latter had really requested him to do so. However, there was the concept of equivalent exchange observed among the Spirit cultivators. Even if Jiren wanted to help Aksai, he could only ask for valid compensation in return to make the other side feel at ease. Usually, a Spirit cultivator would start doubting the things he received for free. Especially when the transaction was done between two unknown entities who had no previous relations.
“Here, take these scrolls,” Jiren produced a bunch of scrolls from thin air and sent them towards Aksai.
“They contain my personal notes as well as some of my daily routines in tending to the Spirit fish and Spirit flowers. You are right in saying that there are many schools of thought in these fields.
What I have chosen to focus on is creating a synergetic ecosystem in my garden where cultivating one resource helps me cultivate the other and so on. It reduces my overall yield to a certain extent but helps me keep the maintenance and investment values to their minimum.
I think you’d find my insights quite helpful. Though, I want to ask. How are you going to start practicing in these fields? Have you found a place in Purple River Gate to settle in?”
“I’m in the process of looking for a place to settle in.”
Aksai chose to speak the half-truth.
He was indeed looking for a place to plant his feet and settle, but the reason he had asked for Jiren’s knowledge and experience was for his Everwood farm.
The Spirit farmer felt that the isolated dimension he had access to was not being properly utilized. There were many things he could do with it. Spirit fish farming was only the start. He was also interested in demon beast rearing, horticulture, and other aspects of farming that he had little to no knowledge of.
Aksai had started buying manuals and books related to beast rearing and Spirit horticulture from various vendors available in Purple River Gate. However, they only covered the basics and didn’t provide the insights he needed to start off with these fields right away.
Most importantly, he needed time and sufficient investments. The field of Spirit fish farming was relatively easy to start in, and with Jiren’s personal notes, he had the right background and knowledge needed to make profits in the near future while avoiding a lot of beginner’s mistakes.
The field of demon beast rearing was very complex, divided into various orders according to the levels of the demon beasts one wanted to rear in the fields. One could obtain meat and precious cultivation resources from this field. It was divided into various subsections like demon beast husbandry, dairy farming, and bee farming. The art of Spirit fish farming was only a small portion of this field.
Spirit horticulture, on the other hand, was the art of growing mysterious fruits, vegetables, flowers, and any other cultivar. It also included plant conservation, landscape restoration, soil management, landscape and garden design, construction, and maintenance, and arboriculture.
Spirit horticulture had its own uses. For example, one could produce Spirit-essence-rich berries from using the art of Spirit horticulture, which could then be used to make Spirit wines.
Certain herbs cultivated through Spirit horticulture possessed powerful healing properties. They could be utilized in herbal remedies, spiritual rituals, meditation practices, and energy cleansing ceremonies. In short, this field was the foundation one needed to practice the art of alchemy using their own resources.
Spirit horticulture techniques also promoted the growth of crops that were resilient to adverse environmental conditions, pests, and diseases. These resilient crops ensured a consistent and reliable food supply, even in challenging circumstances.
For example, some of the techniques mentioned in the art of Spirit horticulture could be used to make Spirit plants grow in an environment unsuited for them.
This was especially useful for Aksai in the Everwood farm because the place was stuck in a permanent twilight zone.
A significant number of Spirit plants needed ample sunlight exposure every day.
Using the techniques available in the field, Aksai could get over the sunlight exposure limitations.