Chapter 39: Brewing Spirit Wine
Wang Hong surveyed every corner of Space. Over a hundred thousand Spirit Stones he had scattered earlier had been partially absorbed by the land. Finally, the area of Space exceeded an acre.
Carrying a large bag of Spirit Rice, he exited Space. He soaked the Spirit Rice in Spirit Spring Water, steamed it until cooked, and then let it cool to room temperature before mixing in Spirit Wine yeast, stirring it evenly.
After mixing, he placed it into a large vat, positioned it in a place rich with Spirit Qi, and let it ferment for three days. Wang Hong put it back into Space, keeping track of time.
Wang Hong estimated that it had been a little over two days in Space, and he entered it.
As he approached the wine vat, a sweet aroma filled the air, indicating that the fermentation had matured.
Taking the vat out of Space, he scooped some of the lees to eat. Sweet, soft, with a hint of the wine aroma.
Wang Hong was puzzled; the time shouldn't have passed yet. How did it ferment so quickly?
He poured Spirit Spring Water into the vat, stirred it effortlessly, sealed the vat, and placed it back into Space. Another six months were needed for Spirit Qi fermentation.
He brought two hourglasses, started them simultaneously, one in Space and one outside.
After repeated tests, Wang Hong finally confirmed that time in Space passed at thirty-one times the rate of the outside world. In other words, one day outside equaled thirty-one days inside Space.Wang Hong speculated that the absorption of Spirit Stones and the expansion of land in Space might have accelerated the passage of time.
But this was just speculation; he could only confirm it with Spirit Stones next time.
Six days later, Wang Hong brought the vat out of Space and filtered out the lees.
The vat now contained a milky-white liquid. Wang Hong performed dozens of spirit techniques on the vat, and white mist emerged.
This was a purification Magical Art used by winemakers to remove excess water and impurities from the wine. After the mist dissipated, only two-thirds of the original liquid remained.
The remaining liquid was sealed in small jars. Then came the aging process. Generally, after Spirit Wine was brewed, it needed to be placed in a location rich with Spirit Qi for at least ten years to mature. The higher the quality, the longer the aging required.
Wang Hong instructed Zhang Chunfeng to use the Spirit Stones earned from the market stalls and small shops during this period to buy Spirit Rice for brewing Spirit Wine. They only needed to ferment it once before handing it over to Wang Hong.
One day, Wang Hong sat in a secret chamber, holding a small green peach in his hand. The peach was not large, smaller than an adult fist, entirely green with fine fuzz on the surface. Wang Hong felt that the peach was not yet ripe.
He took a bite, and it was crispy, slightly sweet with a hint of tartness. After a few chews, it even had a bit of bitterness. Without savoring it further, he finished the peach in three or four bites.
A few moments later, Wang Hong felt a surge of Spiritual Energy in his body. He quickly activated his cultivation technique, guiding the Spiritual Energy. Waves of Spiritual Energy flowed through his organs, limbs, and bones, as if his entire body had been massaged by Spiritual Energy, strengthening everything.
The Spiritual Energy circulating in his meridians continued to grow, eventually breaking through a limit and entering the fifth layer of Qi Cultivation.
As the Spiritual Energy gradually calmed, it slowly entered the dantian, merging into the vortex of Spiritual Energy.
Wang Hong looked at the remaining peach pit in his hand, feeling that the twelve thousand Spirit Stones spent were well worth it. Not only did his cultivation level increase, but he also obtained an Azure Spirit Peach Tree.
Others might not be able to grow a tree even if they got a peach pit. Even if they did, they might not live long enough to see it blossom and bear fruit.
However, he was different. He could casually throw a tree branch on Space's land, and it would root and sprout, growing into a small tree. As for the lengthy growth time, it was not a problem for him.
Wang Hong entered Space and specifically marked out a small area to plant the peach pit.
At this point, Space had expanded to two acres, with one acre already planted with Spiritual Medicine required for Condensing Qi Pills.
Condensing Qi Pills were considered a high-demand item among Qi Cultivation cultivators. In the bustling Azure Void City, hundreds of thousands of cultivators needed them, ensuring steady sales.
Wang Hong planned to wait for the Medicinal Herbs to mature, refine them all into Condensing Qi Pills, and then sell them. As a low-tier Elixir, Condensing Qi Pills had a high circulation, and even with large quantities sold, it wouldn't attract much attention.
Months later, on a bustling street, a shop named "Immortal Spirits Wine Pavilion" officially opened for business.
The entrance was adorned with flowers, Thunder Resonance Talismans producing continuous rumbles.
A massive sign at the entrance announced an 80% discount for the first three days.
By now, a long line had formed outside.
Skinny Monkey, dressed in a luxurious robe, with a radiant face, stood at the entrance welcoming guests. Despite his poor innate talent, with the assistance of a large number of Elixirs, he had reached the peak of the third layer of Qi Cultivation.
Over the years, Wang Hong had earned a considerable number of Spirit Stones, and he had never mistreated his subordinates. Without the aid of the Elixirs, Skinny Monkey would probably still be struggling at the first layer of Qi Cultivation.
Wang Hong entrusted the management of this new store to Skinny Monkey. It would focus exclusively on the Spirit Wine business.
The original small shop still operated, but its location was unfavorable, with a monthly income of only a few hundred Spirit Stones. Nevertheless, the rent was cheap, and it was convenient for accommodation.
The rent for the new store was a thousand Spirit Stones per month.
Wang Hong actually wanted to buy a whole building himself, but the cost was too high, at least several hundred thousand Spirit Stones, which he couldn't afford right now.
Even if he could barely gather enough Spirit Stones, he didn't plan to buy it now. Having those Spirit Stones would be better spent letting Space absorb them to increase its land.
Over the years in Azure Void City, Wang Hong and his group had naturally made some acquaintances among the cultivators, and today, many came to congratulate them.
Gao Yue walked over with a grin, teasing Skinny Monkey, "As the saying goes, clothes make the man, and a saddle makes the horse. Brother Skinny Monkey, now that you're a big shopkeeper, things have really changed."
"Brother Gao, you could have just sent the congratulations gift, why bother coming in person?" Skinny Monkey replied.
Gao Yue grinned, "I missed you guys, that's all."
"I don't have any special love for you."
The two bantered for a while before heading to the back hall with their arms around each other.
In the back hall, there were over twenty square tables, each adorned with a large plate of fist-sized raspberries, shiny and full, quite attractive.
There was also a plate of Three Yang Melon Seeds, the size of a finger and an inch long. These seeds were somewhat similar to conventional sunflower seeds but larger, rich in Spirit Qi, and took three years to mature. Hence the name Three Yang Melon Seeds.
These were also products from Wang Hong's Space. He had planted several of them recently, and the plants were over ten feet tall, with flower disks even larger than grinding wheels.
Each table also had a bottle of Spirit Wine. The three items on each table were worth dozens of Spirit Stones. If a cultivator unfamiliar with the situation saw it, they might think it was a banquet hosted by a Foundation Building senior.
By now, several guests had already arrived in the back hall, and Zhang Chunfeng was attending to them.
As soon as the two entered the back hall, Hemp Pole waved at them. Skinny Monkey led Gao Yue to a table behind Hemp Pole. The three of them seemed to get along quite well over the past few years.
After settling Gao Yue, Skinny Monkey went back to the entrance to welcome more guests.
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