Chapter 114: The Third Floor
🕑 Added 2024-06-01 16:06:53 +0000 UTC"So why did you come to Korin Tower? Don’t tell me it’s to visit an old friend. I don’t think you’re that type of person!" Korin, leaning on his staff, took a couple of steps closer, scrutinizing Xavier. Every time Xavier came to him, it seemed his intentions were never pure!
"You can't say that!"
Xavier gave an awkward smile, feeling as if his motives had been uncovered. His expression stiffened for a moment before he waved his hand through the air. A dimensional portal appeared in the void, and out fell basket after basket of fresh seafood, all neatly packaged.
The unique smell of seafood quickly filled Korin Tower.
"Korin, look, these seafood are gifts I brought for you," Xavier said, pointing at the seafood covering the ground.
Korin dropped his staff and approached the seafood, his nose twitching as he sniffed the air, repeatedly praising, "Hahaha, it's been so long since I smelled fresh fish."
Having not left Korin Tower for hundreds of years, Korin had almost forgotten the taste of fish. Seeing the various kinds of seafood, weighing thousands of pounds, he felt immensely excited.
Clearing his throat, Korin spoke in a solemn tone, "Ahem, very well. Your sincerity is evident. It’s rare for someone to think of this old cat..."
"So, Korin, could you let me see the Senzu Beans you’ve been cultivating? Of course, I’m not here to take them, just to have a look."
Korin glanced at Xavier. Having received so much fresh fish, he couldn't very well refuse. After all, the cultivation of Senzu Beans wasn’t exactly a secret. Nodding, he said, "Come with me!"
Korin led the way, heading to the second floor of Korin Tower. They walked through a winding staircase suspended outside the tower, and Xavier followed him to the second floor of the flat spherical building of Korin Tower.
This was where Korin lived and trained martial artists, so it was larger than the first floor. In the center, there was a finely crafted water bottle placed on a stone pedestal.
"This is where Korin trained Goku in the original story," Xavier quickly realized.
The second floor of Korin Tower was much more spacious than the first. Based on its flat spherical shape, Xavier suspected that there might be a hidden third floor.
At that moment, Xavier noticed three large water tanks lined up in a corner. He had seen them a few years ago during his first visit to Korin Tower.
His thoughts drifted as he remembered the water tanks that Korin used to observe the lower world. Could these be the ones? Legend had it that they could show scenes from the past, present, and future.
"What are those three water tanks for?" Xavier asked.
"Oh, the ones on the left and right just hold ordinary drinking water. The one in the middle is what I use to observe the lower world," Korin replied casually, stroking his whiskers and taking a few bites of a fish.
So they didn't have the ability to see the past and future after all!
Nodding in understanding, Xavier realized that predicting the future was far too mysterious to be so easily accessible. With this thought, Xavier's bright eyes turned to Korin, asking about the location where the Senzu Beans were being cultivated.
At this moment, Korin nimbly leapt up, his staff hooking onto the golden-hued stone pillars surrounding the tower. With a quick flip, his staff lightly touched the ceiling, and a one-meter-square passageway suddenly opened on the smooth rooftop.
So there is a hidden secret! Xavier's eyes flashed with a gleam, but he followed Korin without a word.
"Follow me up; the Senzu Beans are planted up there!"
Korin's bulky body moved into the third floor of Korin Tower, with Xavier close behind, entering the unknown third level.
Upon entering, Xavier found this third floor to be more spacious than he had imagined. Bright sunlight streamed down from the translucent ceiling, illuminating a sacred green stalactite at the center. Crystal-clear liquid dripped from the stalactite into a glass jar below.
"That jar contains Ultra Divine Water. The condensation of Ultra Divine Water isn't easy; it only yields a small jarful each year, which is why the Senzu Beans' production remains low," Korin explained.
That small jar contains Ultra Divine Water? Hearing this, Xavier couldn't help but feel curious. He approached to take a closer look. The Ultra Divine Water was clear with a faint purple hue. When he sniffed it, it smelled no different from ordinary water.
However, this Ultra Divine Water was formed from the divine essence over many years and had the potential to unlock latent abilities. Yet, for ordinary people, it was highly toxic.
Senzu Beans are irrigated with Ultra Divine Water, which explains their miraculous properties. Thus, cultivating Senzu Beans is indeed an intricate process. Transforming the toxic Ultra Divine Water into a healing elixir is no simple task.
"Be careful; this Ultra Divine Water is toxic. Mortals should not touch it lightly," Korin cautioned, glancing at Xavier with a kind reminder.
At this, Xavier placed the Ultra Divine Water back and began looking for where the Senzu Beans were planted. However, he could not find any sign of the beans.
"So, Korin, where are your Senzu Beans planted?"
"Follow me; they’re planted in the sunniest spot."
Korin led Xavier to a screen. Behind it, Xavier saw a small plot of cultivated land, just one or two square meters in size. Around it were several pots with Senzu Beans planted in them.
The Senzu Bean stalks were much shorter than ordinary bean plants. The emerald green leaves, glistening with dew, seemed almost alive, reflecting a fresh, green glow in the sunlight. Some of the branches bore purple flowers, while others had already formed pods.
However, there weren’t many.
"The yield of Senzu Beans is very low. In addition to being watered with Ultra Divine Water, they also require constant hydration with regular water. The cultivation process is very tedious, and the annual yield is only about a hundred beans."
Every time Korin thought of the over seventy thousand Senzu Beans Xavier took, he couldn't help but feel a bit of regret. Those were his accumulations over more than eight hundred years, all taken by Xavier at once. Now, he only had a few hundred beans harvested in recent years.
Yet, these were gifts he had given away himself, and regretting it now was futile. Sensing the resignation in Korin’s tone, Xavier flashed a bright smile. He had indeed profited greatly by obtaining so many Senzu Beans, and there was no way he would return such benefits now.
"Over a hundred beans a year is quite substantial. If you keep cultivating for a few more years, the yield will accumulate quickly," Xavier said with a reassuring smile.
"Easy for you to say!" Korin replied, not entirely pleased.
Xavier gave an awkward smile and said, "Recently, there's a popular item in the human world called Hoi-Poi Capsules. They’re great for preserving food. I could bring you some next time."
"Hmm, I've heard of those. When you come next time, make sure to fill them with fish," Korin’s eyes lit up, and he quickly added. Realizing he might have seemed too eager, he clamped his mouth shut, trying to regain his composed demeanor.
It didn’t matter whether it was Korin or any other cat; they all seemed to love fish. Xavier chuckled inwardly but didn’t dwell on it. He understood that Korin had not left Korin Tower in centuries, and his longing for fish was naturally intense.
