Lin Sheng understood the pros and cons of the Shamei Realm's horizontal development.
If this technique could be successfully cultivated to its peak, it would indeed bring a significant increase in strength, but it also had flaws. If the strength gap was too large, this technique would be meaningless.
Moreover, the difficulty of cultivating the Shamei Realm was not low, otherwise, it wouldn't have been something he hadn't even heard of before. Clearly, only a minority chose to cultivate Shamei.
Anyone whose potential was not yet exhausted and could continue to advance to higher Realms would not spend too much energy on this.
However, Lin Sheng had his own views on this Shamei Realm.
This was a very practical technique, and he was willing to spend some time cultivating it to test its effects.
Furthermore, unlike others, he could absorb Spirit Beasts to enhance his physical qualities in various aspects, so the effects of the Shamei Realm were clearly more valuable to him than to others.
"Alright, Junior Brother Lin, let's go quickly. I've booked a table at Tianxiang Restaurant. Tianxiang Restaurant recently got some good stuff, and I, your Senior Brother, must take you to see the world."
At Zhao Kongfang's urging, the two quickened their pace and headed down the mountain.
Wanhua City, Tianxiang Restaurant.
As one of the top restaurants in the city, business was naturally booming every day. At this time, in a private room on the third floor of Tianxiang Restaurant.
Lin Sheng picked up a translucent blue, boneless, star-shaped object with his chopsticks and put it into his mouth. As soon as it entered his mouth, it immediately turned into a stream of sweet liquid, flowing down his throat into his stomach.
He only felt a cool sensation in his abdomen, which quickly spread throughout his body, finally rising with his blood, clearing his mind.
This situation surprised him, and he looked at Zhao Kongfang opposite him, who was watching him with a smile.
"Senior Brother Zhao, this is..."
"How is it? Isn't it very refreshing?"
Seeing Lin Sheng's reaction, a smile appeared on Zhao Kongfang's face, and he said eagerly.
"This is the Star Insect that I paid a high price to have Tianxiang Restaurant procure. You can't buy this kind of thing in our Linjiang Prefecture, and this Star Insect is also quite troublesome to process, but after processing, the taste is excellent, and it also has a certain effect of nourishing the mind and calming the spirit..."
As he spoke, a hint of boastfulness appeared on his face, as if he was waiting for the other party's praise and exclamation.
"The taste is indeed very good, and this feeling is unique."
Lin Sheng naturally knew the temperament of this Second Senior Brother and responded with a smile.
"But what is this Star Insect? Is it an insect?"
"No, no, although this thing has the word 'insect' in its name, it is a plant called Star Dew Grass, and this Star Insect is the fruit that grows on it. It is a specialty of Tiannan Prefecture. I tasted it once three years ago, and the taste is truly unforgettable, so I often pay a high price to have someone procure some."
"Star Dew Grass?"
Lin Sheng memorized the name in his heart, while his chopsticks kept moving, putting one crystal-clear Star Insect after another into his mouth.
"Hey... Junior Brother Lin, slow down and leave two pieces for me!!"
Zhao Kongfang originally wanted to say something more, but seeing that the Star Insects in the plate were rapidly decreasing, he quickly picked up his chopsticks and started to compete for them.
There were only 12 pieces of Star Insect in a plate, and 10 of them went into Lin Sheng's mouth.
Looking at the empty plate, Zhao Kongfang smacked his lips, glanced at Lin Sheng, and immediately patted his chest, saying with considerable generosity.
"Junior Brother Lin seems to like this Star Insect very much. As expected of someone I value, don't worry, I ordered a lot this time, and today I will definitely let Junior Brother Lin eat your fill."
He immediately called out and asked the waiter to bring up two more plates.
"Come on, Junior Brother Lin, there are three ways to prepare this Star Insect. Let's change the taste this time."
Zhao Kongfang said with a smile.
The price of Star Insect was indeed not low, but this thing could not be eaten too much, as excessive consumption would have side effects, so he was not worried about how much Lin Sheng could actually eat.
"Senior Brother Zhao is generous!"
Lin Sheng gave a thumbs-up and started using his chopsticks again.
The reason he was very interested in this Star Insect was, firstly, its taste was indeed good, and secondly, its effect of nourishing the mind and calming the spirit greatly eased his mental fatigue.
In the past few days, he had naturally tried to activate his Heart Monkey Talent again, and the result was still the same as last time, leaving the small mountain in ruins.
And the mental impact had not completely recovered yet.
Now that the Star Insect was in his stomach, he felt that a lot of his mental fatigue had dissipated.
That's why he didn't hesitate to use his chopsticks.
Zhao Kongfang didn't use his chopsticks this time, but watched Lin Sheng. He also wanted to see how much Lin Sheng could eat. In his opinion, with his Junior Brother Lin's Realm and cultivation, he should reach his limit after eating at most two plates of Star Insect.
Soon, the two plates on the table were empty.
Seeing this scene, Zhao Kongfang glanced at Lin Sheng opposite him, whose expression was normal and showed no abnormalities. He was greatly surprised and couldn't help but ask.
"Junior Brother Lin, how do you feel?"
"Very good. This way of preparing the Star Insect is also very good, with a unique flavor."
Lin Sheng said with a smile.
"Uh... do you feel cold all over?"
"Cold? No." Lin Sheng was a little confused, but still replied. "What's wrong, Senior Brother Zhao?"
"Nothing... I'll get two more plates for Junior Brother Lin."
Zhao Kongfang waved his hand, then clapped his hands, and asked someone to bring up two more plates.
Lin Sheng was not polite either. It was rare to meet such a generous Senior Brother, so he immediately put the Star Insects into his mouth one by one again.
Soon, the two plates were empty again.
"Junior Brother Lin, how do you feel?"
"The taste is very good."
"..."
Just like that, Zhao Kongfang had someone bring up two more plates, and after two plates, another two plates.
Just like this, a total of 12 empty plates were placed on the table before Lin Sheng finally stopped.
"Alright, Senior Brother, that's enough. You should try some too, don't just watch me eat."
He picked up the silk cloth that had been prepared long ago and wiped his mouth.
At this moment, he felt an indescribable feeling of clarity and refreshment all over his body. The fatigue that had lingered in his heart had completely dissipated.
In fact, after the fifth plate, he had stopped paying attention to the taste of the Star Insects and was more focused on their effect on his spirit.
"What a good thing..."
He sighed in his heart.
"Senior Brother Zhao? What's wrong!?"
At this moment, he suddenly noticed Zhao Kongfang opposite him, staring at him with wide eyes.
"Cough cough... Nothing, nothing."
Zhao Kongfang reacted, waved his hand, and said repeatedly, but soon he couldn't help but reach out and touch Lin Sheng's forehead uneasily.
After feeling that the person opposite him still had a normal body temperature, he took a deep breath and forced a smile that was somewhat strained.
"Junior Brother Lin is indeed exceptionally talented."
At this time, Lin Sheng also noticed the unusual expression on the other party's face, but since the other party didn't say anything, he didn't intend to ask further. After confirming that he was fine, he just nodded slightly.
"Senior Brother is joking."
At this time, the atmosphere in the room was a bit silent. Lin Sheng was focused on experiencing the effects of the Star Insect, while Zhao Kongfang kept examining Lin Sheng from head to toe, occasionally showing a confused expression.
"Senior Brother Zhao? How was the fight between Ouyang Lengshui and Liu Tianci last time?"
Lin Sheng suddenly thought of something and called out.
Originally, he had planned to go to Qingniao Yard in the morning to pay his respects and then go back to catch up on sleep and rest to recover his energy.
Unable to resist Zhao Kongfang's warm invitation, since they were both in Wanhua City, he came to accept the invitation and did not intend to stay long. He only planned to go back to rest after eating, but he unexpectedly encountered this Star Insect with good effects, which completely restored his energy, so he was not in a hurry to go back.
"Liu Tianci, Ouyang Lengshui?"
Hearing Lin Sheng's words, Zhao Kongfang finally withdrew his gaze.
"You mean those two freaks? What else could happen? In the end, it was a draw. Both of them are extremely strong. Without taking out some trump cards, it's not easy to determine a winner."
"However, I heard that many of those who went to watch were injured or killed. After all, both of them have strong backgrounds, and there won't be any trouble venting their anger on these busybodies."
"Just like the senior Disciple of the Three Stone Martial Arts School in Wanhua City, a master who has entered the Late Stage of Blood Transportation. Because he was too close to the battlefield of the two, Ouyang Lengshui's Flying Sword directly pierced his head, and he died on the spot. The Three Stone Martial Arts School didn't even dare to fart. They only dared to go up and collect the body after the two had left."
"Blood Transportation Great Completion killed in one blow?"
Lin Sheng's heart trembled slightly, and his evaluation of these two people couldn't help but rise another level.
Anyone who could cultivate and enter the Great Completion of Blood Transportation was a Genius. Unfortunately, when they encountered such monsters, they couldn't even withstand a single blow.
After they chatted for a while longer, Lin Sheng bid farewell and left.
Watching the other party's figure disappear into the distance, Zhao Kongfang rubbed his chin and mumbled to himself.
"Why is he fine? It shouldn't be like this. Could it be that this Star Insect..."
He immediately called the waiter to bring him a plate of Star Insect and tasted it carefully.
"No problem, it's this taste. Then why is he acting like nothing happened?"
Zhao Kongfang's face showed a look of confusion, but he quickly shook his head again.
"Perhaps Junior Brother Lin's Bloodline is special."
Thinking of this, a bitter expression appeared on his face again.
"I didn't expect Junior Brother Lin to have such a good appetite. This time I'm going to bleed a lot..."
On the other side.
Wanhua City, East District, Yulan Street.
Star Dew Grass is abundant in Lingxin Lake in Tiannan Prefecture. It is cold in nature and has the effect of nourishing the spirit and calming the mind, but it contains cold poison and cannot be consumed directly. The toxicity of its fruit is greatly reduced, and it can be used directly after processing. It also has some effect of nourishing the spirit, but it should not be eaten too much, otherwise, the cold poison will enter the body and damage the mind.
"No wonder Senior Brother Zhao was so generous. It turns out this Star Insect has such a drawback. It's a pity this drawback has no effect on me."
As if he understood Zhao Kongfang's unusual behavior at Tianxiang Restaurant, Lin Sheng smiled wryly.
With a flip of his wrist, a small red porcelain bottle appeared.
This was what Zhao Kongfang had asked him to take when he left Tianxiang Restaurant, saying that if he felt uncomfortable, he should take one.
He opened the bottle cap and sniffed, and immediately felt a hot and spicy aura, which was clearly a detoxification pill that could remove cold poison.
In fact, after eating a large amount of Star Insect, he did feel a little cold, but the Three Corpse Soul Severing Palm in his body automatically circulated, directly removing the cold poison attached to it. Coupled with the fact that his attention was basically on the effects brought by the Star Insect, he didn't notice this point.
As for the so-called damage to the mind, he didn't feel it either. Instead, he was pleasantly surprised to find that it had a good effect on the mental exhaustion after activating the Heart Monkey Talent.
"Star Dew Grass, Star Insect."
Lin Sheng chewed on these two names.
This unexpected discovery made him consider purchasing a batch of Star Insects. He still valued the Heart Monkey Talent quite a bit and wanted to master it as soon as possible. To do so, he needed to frequently train to adapt to the pain of activation, so purchasing Star Insects and Star Dew Grass was very necessary.
"It's just the price and the channels..."
He tapped his fingers lightly on the desk.
"Senior Brother Zhao procured it through the channels of Tianxiang Restaurant. I can start from this aspect, or I can directly ask Senior Brother Zhao. As for the price, I can just ask Senior Brother Zhao."
He closed the blue book in his hand and walked to the counter of the general store.
"I'll take these few books."
Lin Sheng took out a silver ingot and placed it down.
Without waiting for the pale-faced, sickly young man behind the counter to give him change, he turned and left the general store.
This general store was one of the general stores that Zhao Kongfang had mentioned to him before.
He also found the ancient book about Azure Winged Birds and several other ancient books in it.
As for the old shopkeeper he mentioned, he did not see him, presumably he was indeed no longer there.
Returning to his residence, Lin Sheng first summarized the gains from his fight with Bai Qing, and then explored the cultivation of Shamei, but unfortunately, he did not gain anything.
He did not waste time on it. After eating two pieces of Spirit Beast jerky, he quickly immersed himself in the cultivation of Ape Embryo Skill again.
Time flowed like water.
Soon, half a month passed.
During the 15 days, Lin Sheng spent most of his time cultivating. The situation on Yunshui Mountain had now completely spread. The news of the 50,000-year beast mine was no longer a secret in Wanhua City.
Wealth moves people's hearts. With the appearance of a beast mine of such value, many forces in the city took action. Although Lin Sheng spent most of his time cultivating, he also paid attention to outside news from time to time.
He knew that several major forces in Wanhua City had had a lot of friction during this period, and there had even been several battles between them, but they were only small-scale battles, and the ones who took action were all Disciples of the sects, so no real chaos occurred.
Lin Sheng learned more through Zhao Kongfang's channels.
Among the major forces, White Dragon Gang and Fang Family were the most aggressive, with the most conflicts occurring between them.
Crimson Whale Hall was slightly better. After all, they had already occupied a place and were not as eager as the other two.
Among the major forces, the most low-key was undoubtedly Seven Forms Sect.
Apart from Da Cui Peak, which they had already occupied, they had no intention of expanding at all. Although there was some friction with the other three, it was just trivial skirmishes and there were no signs of escalating conflict.
Lin Sheng agreed quite a bit with this step taken by Seven Forms Sect.
Seven Forms Sect was not the only player at the table. Having already secured enough benefits, the rest was about preserving strength and developing quietly.
Regardless of what happened with the beast mine this time, Seven Forms Sect would gain considerable benefits.
This was also what he hoped for.
After all, he hadn't joined Seven Forms Sect for long, and he didn't want to fall into chaos as soon as he entered the sect, disturbing his cultivation.
All he wanted was a stable cultivation environment and suitable Cultivation Techniques.