Back to the core area.
Zhang Wei threw all the nameless noble lords into the right annex, and in the state of time stop, Zhang Wei didn't have to worry about anything.
The space in the Treasure Hall was almost infinite, and there was no concern about it being filled.
Arriving in front of the gourd vine, Zhang Wei removed the giant crystal wall.
[Found storable ingredient: Immortal Gourd (Young)]
[Capture Level: 70]
[Habitat: Places with thin oxygen and strong sunlight, such as cliffs and precipices.]
[Edible Effect: Prolonged use has a certain probability of causing cell mutation, generating high sensitivity to space.]
[Description: The Immortal Gourd Vine is a perennial herbaceous plant that takes centuries to mature and bear fruit. It produces 3-5 fruits, without a pollination period. After the fruit is picked, new fruits will be bred.
Young gourds can be eaten within 2-5 months; beyond this period, their nutritional value drops significantly. Mature fruits take 3-6 years to develop, and mature fruits possess various wondrous abilities.]
[Extended Content]
[Wine Gourd: Stores fruits, vegetables, and grains, ferments them rapidly, and can be used to brew fine wine.]
[Purple Gold Red Gourd: Contains yin and yang energies, and can turn animals into pus within minutes. The pus is a high-quality fertilizer.]
[White Skin Gourd: Possesses suction and discharge capabilities, with the largest internal space among its kind. It is the most common type of gourd, used for transportation and storage.]
[Mutton Fat Jade Gourd: Contains a miniature ecosystem, allowing organisms to reproduce within it. It is the rarest, with less than one in a hundred succeeding!]
[Blazing Feather Fire Gourd: Can absorb flammable materials such as wood, grass, carbon, and oil, storing flames within it for instant use.]
[Gourd Sprout: A dead-heart gourd, with a certain probability of conception, containing floating willow-catkin-like seeds for reproduction.]
[Emerald Gourd: Ingredients stored within it will rot rapidly, cultivating large amounts of paste-like microorganisms with strong toxicity and infectivity... Moss, mushrooms, etc., all highly toxic ingredients, may be born within the gourd.]
[Azure Blue Small Gourd: …………]
…………
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Zhang Wei's eyes widened! The capture level of the Immortal Gourd Vine was as high as 70!
This was the highest-level ingredient Zhang Wei had encountered so far! It was very practical for both eating and using!
"High sensitivity to space... Wine Gourd... Mutton Fat Jade Gourd... Good stuff!"
"Unfortunately, the edible value of the Immortal Gourd Vine is too low, and the Treasure Hall didn't react at all. There's only a small gourd, which must be a fruit that just grew recently."
According to the description, the gourd takes 3-6 years to mature, and the period for consumption is only between 2-5 months.
Zhang Wei rubbed his chin, "If I put the Immortal Gourd Vine in the left annex and apply the time flow rate of 35 times, wouldn't that be faster than any fertilizer?"
"This way, I can collect a young gourd every three days, and the gourd will mature in a month and a half."
"But I heard that this Immortal Gourd Vine cannot be transplanted. What is the reason for that?"
Unable to find answers by mere speculation, Zhang Wei began to wander around the core area.
The buildings in the core area were not large, covering an area of only about two thousand square meters. Besides the wash area, there were a few resting places for the nobles.
The wood used for the walls and floor was very sturdy, likely of a high-grade variety.
There were not many pieces of furniture. The largest items were an office desk and a bookshelf, which held a large number of documents and books.
Zhang Wei soon found the information he needed.
"The Immortal Gourd Vine was discovered 45 years ago, with its roots deeply embedded in the floating algae..."
"Forcible transplantation will damage the roots, and it is estimated that it will take over 20 years of natural growth to self-repair... During this period, insufficient nutrients may lead to the vine not bearing fruit..."
"Furthermore, the Immortal Gourd Vine has adapted to the floating algae and requires a large amount of symbiotic live algae. It cannot be guaranteed that the delicate algae will survive..."
...
"So it can be transplanted, but the recovery period is unbearable, and it also requires symbiotic live floating algae..."
The floating algae that Zhang Wei had collected earlier were not only huge but also delicious and healthy. Zhang Wei could afford to wait. Twenty years, converted to the Treasure Hall's time, was less than seven months.
Although it was a bit long, it was better than leaving it here.
"Need to be careful of the delicate roots..."
"Let's try!"
Zhang Wei first took out some cotton rope to secure the vine, gently blew away the sand from its roots, revealing the moist soil underneath.
"The soil is sticky, and it clings to the roots, increasing their weight, making them prone to breaking."
"Starting from the soil, it requires surgical precision!"
Using the softest brush, controlling the precision to the extreme, and using slightly warm air to quickly dry the soil, cleaning became more convenient.
Phew~
Zhang Wei let out a long sigh. Looking back, he had already cleared half a meter deep.
"According to the book, the roots are at least seven meters long, covering an area of tens of square meters... This is a conservative estimate even considering the foundation's thickness."
"And the Immortal Gourd Vine cannot be out of the soil for too long. The transplantation must be completed within five hours!"
Zhang Wei took a deep breath, clearing all distractions!
His palms moved like phantoms. With each wave, although only a few grains of fine sand were removed, the progress was not affected.
The flourishing roots gradually appeared in Zhang Wei's eyes, "intertwined" was an understatement; "countless threads" was more fitting.
Time slowly passed, and sweat beaded on Zhang Wei's forehead. Prolonged, intense concentration was extremely draining on the mind!
"No, the estimated size of the roots is wrong!"
"Its roots are far larger than described in the book!"
Glancing at the time, two hours had already passed!
Five hours was not a strict deadline; the earlier it was completed, the less damage there would be. However, exceeding this time limit could lead to the Immortal Gourd Vine drying out and dying! Da Feng Novel Network
"No, at this pace, there's simply not enough time!"
"It's really difficult!"
"No wonder the Kingdom of Clouds didn't want to transplant it..."
Zhang Wei wiped the sweat from his brow. The delicacy required to handle this was far beyond any ingredient he had encountered so far.
Even Zhang Wei found it extremely challenging, even feeling a sense of powerlessness.
"This is excessive consumption, a warning from my body. Heh, I'm actually being pushed to this extent by a vine."
With a wave of his hand, hundreds of kilometers of Rainbow Fruit were summoned. In his other hand was a 55-level Overlord Ham.
The chewy flesh of the fruit was crushed in his mouth, and the sweet juice nourished Zhang Wei's body.
Zhang Wei's primary consumption was from his brain, and the fruit pulp and juice were rich in vitamins and fructose, effectively replenishing the brain's expenditure.
After all, the brain's only source of energy was glucose!
The Overlord Ham, before being air-dried, weighed hundreds of pounds. After air-drying, all the nutrients were concentrated. Even a single bite could sustain one for half a month without hunger.
With his body replenished, a golden light emanated from Zhang Wei!
"My other self, it's been a while!"
"Yes, it has been a long time... a long time since I've encountered a situation where I needed you."
"Then, let's begin!"
Gourmet Cells boiled!
Zhang Wei gradually became ethereal, transforming into a chef's uniform with a black background, gold patterns, and a brocade sash.
Beneath the empty chef's uniform, an unseen dark entity seemed to support it, far more bizarre than its appearance in the manga.
This was Zhang Wei's Food Demon, the National Chef!
Seven cleavers danced around him, and Zhang Wei chose the two smallest ones!
"New Chinese Seven Blades - Soft Blade!"
"New Chinese Seven Blades - Dexterous Blade!"
The Soft Blade was patient, planning meticulously for precision!
The Dexterous Blade innovated, relying on ingenious skill!
His hands swirled, at times as gentle as water, at other times as fast as afterimages...
Under the enhancement of this inexplicable state, Zhang Wei even felt his swordsmanship rapidly improving.
It wasn't the Food Demon teaching him, but memories sealed in his mind surfacing!
Every swing of the blade, every taste, clearly appeared before him, being summarized and analyzed...
Blade retracted!
The golden light shield dissipated, and the Food Demon departed from his body. Zhang Wei weakly collapsed onto the ground.
"Although I'm a bit exhausted, I've finally managed to extract the Immortal Vine!"
"Next, it's time for transplantation..."