"This Serenitea Pot is so barren."
Greater Lord Rukkhadevata looked at the desolate scene inside, where there was nothing but emptiness.
"Where did you pick this up?"
"Pick it up? I made it myself."
"You can make this?"
"Of course. When Xiangling went out, Granny Ping made one for her. Out of curiosity, I studied it for a while and figured out the principle. Then I found some materials and made a new one."
"How long is 'a while'?"
"A few minutes."
"…Am I the God of Wisdom, or are you?"
Xia Zhi thought seriously and replied with a straight face, "I think it's me."
Greater Lord Rukkhadevata glanced at him, took out a handful of flower seeds she had bought tonight, and scattered them over the barren land. Then, she channeled Dendro energy, and the land instantly burst into a colorful and beautiful scene.
"Now it looks much better."
Xia Zhi purchased a batch of spores from the [Shop], including [Cream Mushrooms], [Shark Fin Mushrooms], [Drumstick Mushrooms], and [Bliss Rice], which were all ingredients everyone loved, and handed them to Greater Lord Rukkhadevata.
"Can you cultivate these?"
She held them in her hand and sensed them. "Yes."
She scattered them into the soil and channeled Dendro energy. Seedlings began to sprout, though their growth rate was much slower compared to the ordinary flowers and plants earlier.
"But they require a lot of nutrients."
"After all, they're extraordinary items."
"I'm tired."
"Can you handle it?"
"! Am I the Dendro Archon, or are you?"
"You are, you are. Keep it up."
"If only my power wasn't still recovering… No, thinking about how I'll have to work so hard every day from now on, I deserve a reward!"
"Got it, I'll give you a raise."
"You're making such a great and noble goddess grow vegetables for you, and all you're offering is a bit of Mora?"
"Enough already. I'm a god who gives you massages every day, and I've never charged you for it."
"That's different."
"How is it different?"
"Massages aren't tiring."
"Nonsense! They're exhausting!"
"Really? Girls' bodies are soft. It must feel really nice to touch them, right?"
"When I give massages, I'm completely focused. I don't have any such thoughts… Forget it. Since you're working so hard, I'll give you a special reward."
"What is it?"
"I'll give you the privilege of ordering one dish per day."
"Three!"
"One."
"Three!"
"Fine, forget it."
"Then two!"
"Alright."
As they spoke, the mushrooms in the soil had already grown.
Xia Zhi bent down and picked a [Cream Mushroom] from the ground.
The plump cap emitted a fresh, sweet aroma.
He tore off a small piece with his fingers and tasted it.
Even though it was raw, he could still taste a flavor that surpassed ordinary mushrooms.
"The quality is excellent."
"Right?"
"I thought it would taste bad, like vegetables pumped with hormones."
"Do you even understand the value of the Dendro Archon?"
"You're pretty impressive."
"Let me try some too."
Xia Zhi tore off another small piece of the cap and handed it to her.
Greater Lord Rukkhadevata opened her mouth and bit into it. She could feel the rich oil inside, but it wasn't greasy. Instead, it had a wonderful, creamy texture.
Although there were many mushrooms in the forests of Sumeru, none could compare to this in taste.
"This would taste amazing fried."
"Yeah, I've fried it before. It's really good."
"Let's fry it again tomorrow!"
"Does that count as one of your dish orders?"
"Yes."
"Alright."
Xia Zhi put away the half-eaten mushroom and thought for a moment. Then, he spent 300 points in the [Shop] to buy a beautiful, colorful fruit.
[Rainbow Fruit]
Quality: Gold
Type: Consumable
Trait: Concentrated
Effect: Its aroma forms a seven-colored rainbow in the air, and its flavor changes in seven dreamlike ways depending on the surrounding temperature and humidity. The flesh contains immense vitality, and a single drop of its juice can turn the water in a 25-meter swimming pool into a rich, aromatic juice.
Hidden Effect: After consumption, it can slowly heal emotional wounds.
The colorful fruit in Xia Zhi's hand was the complete version of the [Rainbow Juice] sold in the shop. Its price was a hundred times that of the juice.
It was about the size of a cantaloupe. If all the juice were extracted, it would definitely yield more than a hundred drops. Moreover, the flesh and seeds left after juicing were also valuable. In terms of cost-effectiveness, buying the whole fruit was actually a better deal.
Xia Zhi handed the [Rainbow Fruit] to Greater Lord Rukkhadevata and asked, "Can you grow this?"
She held it in her hand and could clearly feel that this fruit was different from the spore seeds earlier. "It should be possible, but the growth might be slow."
"That's fine. Slow is okay as long as it can grow."
Greater Lord Rukkhadevata cut open the fruit, revealing seven seeds.
She scattered them at intervals into the soil and channeled Dendro energy into them.
The soil showed no reaction.
She increased the infusion of Dendro energy.
After a while, tender sprouts finally emerged from the soil.
"Is this the value of the Dendro Archon?"
"I told you! The growth might be a bit slow!"
"Too slow! Who knows if it'll bear fruit by next year?"
"It's fine! This thing requires too many nutrients! With just Dendro energy, this is the best I can do. Unless I use divine power to cultivate it."
"Forget it then."
Greater Lord Rukkhadevata's faith was in decline, and her previously depleted power hadn't recovered. That pitiful bit of divine power wasn't worth it.
Wait, the [Essence of Sun and Moon] in the small bottle has a nourishing effect on all things.
But the seedlings might not be able to handle it directly. It needs to be diluted first.
Xia Zhi thought for a moment, took out the essential oil bottle he had used during her massage earlier, and poured some onto the Rainbow seedlings.
Under Greater Lord Rukkhadevata's strange gaze, the tender sprouts began to grow vigorously. In a moment, they had doubled in height.
Hmph, what Dendro Archon? My little bottle is more useful.
Greater Lord Rukkhadevata fell into silence.
Xia Zhi turned to her with a serious expression. "I think it's better if I handle the cultivation from now on. As for the dish orders, let's just forget…"
"No! We agreed!"
"I'm just worried you'll be too tired, cousin."
"I'm not tired! I love farming!"
"…Alright."
After coming out of the [Serenitea Pot], Greater Lord Rukkhadevata immediately put the pot away.
"I'm going to take a bath."
"Go ahead."
She ran halfway, then turned back.
"Remember to make fried mushrooms tomorrow."
"I'll remember. Pick some mushrooms from the pot tomorrow morning."
"Okay."
"Can you ask if anyone else wants a massage?"
"Sure."
After a while, Shenhe, wrapped in a towel, entered the back hall.
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