Chapter 33: The Immortal Seed Examination

"Swish! Swish!"

With the refined iron sickle in hand, the Blood Marrow Rice, despite its tough stalks and leaves, had no choice but to be harvested obediently.

Nearby, Huang Yue of the Spirit Plant Hall was already recording the progress.

The Seedling Disciples who had chosen the Path of Spirit Planting generally completed their harvests during this period.

The yield and quality of the spirit grains were the primary assessment standards for the Spirit Plant Hall.

Unlike Lin Donglai, who had already been pre-selected as a disciple of the Seedling Hall due to Senior Sister Jiang Biling's recommendation and his possession of the Lower-grade Jia Wood Spirit Body, the other Seedling Disciples had to pass the Spirit Plant Hall's assessment to become disciples of the Seedling Hall.

After the harvest came the threshing. When the large basket full of Blood Marrow Rice was weighed, Lin Donglai couldn't help but flash a smile like an old farmer.

"From two mu of spirit fields, I grew eighty-eight catties. After threshing and removing the husks, I expect there will be over seventy catties of rice."

"A yield of three hundred catties per mu is considered passing. Junior Brother Lin, although your plot is less than a mu, if converted, it would be about four hundred catties per mu. That is fully qualified."

"It's all because the soil in this Spirit Grain Valley is good; the previous batches of Seedlings invested resources here," Lin Donglai said with a smile. "If I plant another season next year, the fertility and spiritual energy here won't be sufficient; I'll have to buy fertilizer."

"You are being too modest." Huang Yue gave him an 'Upper-B' rating.

"That patch over there—you planted Kidney Essence Grass, didn't you?" Huang Yue pointed to another two mu of spirit fields. Out of two hundred Kidney Essence Grass seeds, over one hundred and eighty seedlings had sprouted. Some had died along the way, leaving about one hundred and fifty, but they were all healthy and robust.

"A Senior Brother from the Alchemy Hall asked me to grow them. He provided the seeds; I'm just practicing my skills."

Huang Yue nodded, but continued, "You have already successfully grown first-grade low-grade spirit rice. Theoretically, you could try planting first-grade low-grade spirit herbs directly. Using these low-tier herbs for practice is a good idea."

"But you cannot let your cultivation slip," Huang Yue added. "It has been over four months since you entered the Hall. Why hasn't your cultivation reached the second level of Qi Refinement? Once you reach the second level, you can learn spirit planting spells. With the help of spells, tending to one or two mu of land is no problem at all. Unlike now, where your insufficient cultivation limits your energy, forcing you to only manage these few mu."

"These seventy catties of spirit rice, if eaten at two catties a day, will only last about a month. Even if sold for spirit stones, it would only fetch seven stones. After deducting two stones for the seeds, you've worked for half a year only to earn five stones. You'd earn more doing manual labor tasks at the Merit Hall."

Lin Donglai smiled. "Learning a skill makes all these investments worthwhile. My spiritual root aptitude is poor; rather than exerting effort in early cultivation where the results are negligible due to a lack of resources, it is better to hone my skills."

"When I am able to grow resources like spirit rice and spirit fruits, I can use those resources to assist my cultivation. That will actually be faster and won't be a waste of time."

"With such tenacity, Junior Brother, you will surely go far on this path of spirit planting."

Huang Yue had already heard that since this junior brother began tending the spirit fields, he had not left for a single day, regardless of wind, rain, summer, or winter, having built a small shed here for bitter cultivation.

Only on the third day of every month, during the Spirit Plant Hall's grand lectures, and on the first and fifteenth of every month, when the Lecture Hall explained cultivation techniques, would he entrust others to look after the fields for a short while.

After classes, he would only come to the Spirit Plant Hall to borrow books, embodying the spirit of a scholar-farmer.

"Then I thank Senior Sister for her kind words."

"By the way, there are eight months left until the end of the Seedling Period. You should try to break through to the second level of Qi Refinement as soon as possible."

"After this batch of Seedlings finishes their term, there will be a grand examination. Those with the highest cultivation levels will receive rewards: the first place receives a high-grade magical tool; second and third place receive mid-grade magical tools; and the top ten receive a bottle of Yellow Bud Pills."

"Senior Sister, someone like me certainly won't be able to win even if I break through to the second level of Qi Refinement, right?"

"That's correct. Among this batch of Seedlings, there are several true geniuses who have already been pre-selected as disciples by Inner Sect Elders. There are others who, while not pre-selected, have cultivation levels that are quite high due to the backing of cultivation clans."

"You might barely reach the second level of Qi Refinement after two years of cultivation, but they may have already broken through to the fourth or fifth level."

"However, aside from competing in cultivation, there are other skill assessments. For example, in our Spirit Plant Hall, we evaluate the mastery of spirit planting spells and the depth of knowledge regarding spirit fields and plants."

However, these skill assessments did not have second or third place prizes; only the first place received a reward.

"The first place in the Spirit Plant Hall can obtain a Green Essence Fruit."

"A Green Essence Fruit is...?" Lin Donglai was curious. Such a thing could be used as a reward for being first in spirit planting skills.

"The Green Essence Fruit is a treasure of our Spirit Plant Hall. It is a second-grade low-grade spirit fruit from the Green Essence Wood Spirit Treasure Tree."

"This fruit has only one effect: it purifies the Wood Spiritual Root and increases affinity with flora."

"This fruit is only effective for Qi Refinement cultivators; it is the dream treasure of all spirit planters."

"Junior Brother Lin, you possess the Lower-grade Jia Wood Body. If you were to obtain a Green Essence Fruit, it might help stimulate the potential of your spirit body, allowing you to cultivate faster. At the very least, you wouldn't be stuck in the early stages of Qi Refinement like those with ordinary five-element low-grade aptitude, unable to make any progress."

"According to what you said, you have the chance to break through to the late stage of Qi Refinement in the future. At the late stage, one can reach the second-grade low-grade level in spirit planting skills."

"Even if you cannot break through to Foundation Establishment, you could become an Elder of our Spirit Plant Hall and be respected by others."

Upon hearing this, although Lin Donglai desperately wanted the Green Essence Fruit, he did not force the issue, as he had not yet broken through to the second level of Qi Refinement.

Although he had repeatedly studied and meditated on the Sprouting and Gestation Technique, he had not yet formally practiced it. To compete for first place...

"Senior Sister, are all the spirit planting disciples of this batch in this Spirit Grain Valley?"

If they were all of this caliber, Lin Donglai felt he might have a chance.

"These are just those without backgrounds. Our Spirit Plant Hall also has Outer Sect Elders who can take disciples themselves. Their disciples, whether from clans or those with talent, will also come to learn the craft."

"However, most who study the Path of Spirit Planting have ordinary aptitude. In terms of cultivation, as long as you reach the second level of Qi Refinement, you will be in the upper-middle tier."

"What matters most is your mastery of spirit planting spells and your knowledge of spirit fields and plants."

"You still have a chance to compete. Perhaps an Elder of our Spirit Plant Hall will take a liking to you and take you as a disciple."

Lin Donglai had little interest in becoming a disciple, but achieving first place in this spirit planting assessment could serve as a credential for his future abilities.

After all, the Heaven-Reaching Jianmu was the King of all Trees, known as the Azure Emperor. When he eventually opened his "Field of Blessings," he would certainly plant rare and precious spirit plants.

Those resources would require a reasonable explanation.

Having a Lower-grade Jia Wood Spirit Body, having consumed a Green Essence Fruit, and possessing great talent in spirit planting—that would be just enough.

Even if he broke through to realms impossible for someone with low-grade five-element aptitude, he could claim it was the result of years of accumulating resources like spirit grains, herbs, and fruits.