Eternal Cultivation Of Alchemy

The third spot was a massive waterfall where the water from all over the continent fell down at this very spot. The waterfall itself was small, no more than a couple dozen meters high. However, the sheer size of it was something that Alex couldn’t deny as being impressive.

It had a crescent shape to it and extended for multiple kilometers from end to end, thus making it an incredible waterfall. This place alone was considered a chokepoint for all the water in the continent, as every lake and river joined together until they mixed right here.

While the waterfall itself wasn’t that tall, the crater it had created over the course of tens of thousands of years made it clear that it didn’t need height to destroy anything along the way.

Alex stood by the edge, along with a decently large group that had all come here for the sole purpose of watching this waterfall. While the Sacred Jade Lotuses were off-limits to everyone without the Wine God and Beast God’s permission, not every place on the continent was that way.

There were plenty of places that one could visit, and this was just one of them.

Alex chatted with Ambersage for some time, coming to understand how the waterfall had formed and where this water went. At first, he was merely making conversation for the sake of it. However, as they kept on talking, Alex came to learn something that fascinated him.

“If all the water in the lakes and rivers where the lotuses grow flows right through here, is there a chance that the flowers sometimes flow down here as well?” he asked.

“Not a chance. We carefully watch the flowers so that they are never swept away even in heavy rainfall,” the beast said.

“Not even the old ones?”

“We harvest them before they wither and wilt away. They are good alchemy ingredients after all,” the beast explained.

Alex scratched his chin. “Okay, maybe not the flowers. But what about their seeds?” he asked.

“We catch those too,” the beast said. “Well, we try to. We harvest the ones that we can, but it’s hard to keep track of the seeds all the time. Some get swept away.”

Alex turned toward him. “Is it a crime to take those seeds?”

“It isn’t, but it is a crime to grow them,” the beast said. “If you are found growing your own lotuses, you have to face judgment before the Beast God and the Wine God.”

Alex narrowed his eyes. “You make it sound like it’s allowed so long as they don’t find out.”

The beast chuckled. “Isn’t that the case for every crime?” he asked.

Alex couldn’t help but smile as well. “Can I buy the seeds from the gods?” he asked.

“I don’t think Mother will be willing to sell them to you,” the beast said. “It’s nothing personal against you, but it’s a promise that was made to the late senior Sacredlotus, which she intends to keep.”

Alex couldn’t say anything to that. “What about the seeds I chance upon here?”

“Very few will make it this far. The good ones are heavy, so they sink far before they arrive here. The bad ones float and are thus able to come this far. If you think there is a chance, you can try for it.”

Alex looked at the beast for a moment before smiling. “Alright, I’ll take up your offer.”

Without hesitation, he leaped off the cliff and plunged into the cold basin below the waterfall. There may be repercussions for doing this, but if he could get his hands on any of the seeds, then it would be worth it.

The basin was far deeper than one could expect from just seeing it from above, but with Alex’s spiritual sense, he could reach every corner in seconds. The falling water itself could only push so far deep before it lost all momentum, so the water down below was quite calm.

’The bad seeds will float atop and be swept away long ago,’ Alex thought. ’The good ones sink deep.’

With that thought, he swam deeper toward the riverbed. The seeds were a little difficult to recognize underwater, especially since they were fully black and rock-hard. However, once he recognized them, it became easy.

Alex began going through the seeds, but most of them had been there for so long that they had already gone bad. Some had rotted underneath the waterfall, while some had been broken apart, completely ruined.

Finding a single seed that wasn’t damaged in any way was more difficult than Alex had initially believed it would be.

He searched through one area before moving onto the next. Thankfully, no one came to bring him up, so he could search around for as long as he needed to.

After nearly 20 minutes of constantly searching, Alex chanced upon a single black seed no larger than an olive. He picked it up and examined it, quickly realizing there was no flaw with the seed.

It was relatively new, having matured no more than 2 decades ago. It had also not been tossed around, so it was perfectly kept.

After looking through it multiple times, Alex could firmly accept that it was a usable seed. He put the seed aside and searched around for a bit longer, but this time, finding another seed took much longer than he thought.

In the next hour and a half, Alex found 3 more seeds, making a total of 4. Each seed was healthy and undamaged, but it was difficult to tell just yet if they could germinate. That was another hurdle he would have to pass later on.

Alex wasted no more time down there and flew out of the basin beneath the waterfall, landing back on the edge underneath the gazes of all those around him.

The blond-haired man held a slight grimace and slowly shook his head. “Please don’t do that,” he said.

Alex shrugged. “I don’t plan to.”