Spirit Plant Entry: Immortality Begins with Farming

Chen Yuan stepped out of the cave; the sun was already high in the sky.

He slowly walked back to his residence, two voices arguing in his head.

One said: Entering the alchemy room is safe and secure, you have a powerful backer, and you'll never lack spirit stones. No matter how wide the path for a spirit plant master is, you still have to survive first.

Another said: Staying with Su Wanqing is a difficult path, but you can see the true "Tao". The alchemist is the craftsman, and the plant master is the creator.

As Chen Yuan passed through the public area of ​​Medicine Valley, he saw several outer disciples gathered in front of the notice board discussing something. Chen Yuan didn't want to join in the fun, but he heard his name mentioned.

"...Is that the one with four spiritual roots? The one that grows mutated Firefly Grass?"

"Yes, I heard that even Elder Liu from the alchemy room was alarmed."

"What's the use? Senior Brother Wang Mo is about to deal with him. Privately cultivating high-level spiritual plants, illegal trading—which of these isn't enough to get him into serious trouble?"

"That's true, geniuses without connections die the fastest."

Chen Yuan walked quickly with his head down, his hands clenched tightly in his sleeves.

He returned to his humble abode in the Medicine Valley—a stone house, about ten paces square. He took out the remaining fifteen mid-grade spirit stones from his storage bag and neatly arranged them on the table.

Then he took out the VIP jade token given to him by Manager Liao, as well as the voucher for the three thousand spirit stones he earned from selling goods yesterday.

Finally, there was the book "Basic Spiritual Plant Record" that Su Wanqing gave me.

The three items represent three paths.

The VIP jade pendant represents Manager Liao's business strategy—to make money steadily and accumulate wealth gradually, but with a limited upper limit.

The apprenticeship in the alchemy workshop represents Master Liu's path as a craftsman—specializing in one area, receiving protection, but losing freedom.

Su Wanqing's Medicine Valley Road... is a single-plank bridge with a cliff below, but on the other side of the bridge, there may be scenery that no one has ever seen before.

Chen Yuan sat for a full hour.

Then he got up, packed all his things, and left the stone house.

He was going to Su Wanqing's cave to give his answer.

But after walking only a hundred meters, three figures blocked the way.

The leader was the square-faced youth he had seen outside Su Wanqing's cave that morning, a seventh-level Qi Refining cultivator, whose "Deacon" token gleamed at his waist. Behind him were two disciples dressed similarly, their expressions unfriendly.

"Chen Yuan," the square-faced youth spoke, "Senior Brother Wang Mo requests your presence. Please come with us."

Chen Yuan stopped in his tracks: "Senior brother, I was just about to go and report back to Senior Sister Su."

"We'll explain to Senior Sister Su," the square-faced youth said with a forced smile. "Now, it's the deacon's turn to question you. Are you leaving on your own, or will we 'invite' you out?"

Seeing the three people surrounding him in a triangular formation, Chen Yuan knew he couldn't escape.

"I'll go with you."

---

Side hall of the deacon's office.

Wang Mo sat in the main seat, appearing to be in his early thirties, with a Qi Refining level nine cultivation. His face was dignified, yet his eyes were sharp. He was brewing tea, his movements elegant, as if this were not a question, but a tea ceremony.

"Sit down." He gestured to the chair opposite him.

Chen Yuan sat down.

"Chen Yuan, Qi Refining Level 5, Four Spiritual Roots, one month since entering the sect." Wang Mo pushed a cup of tea towards him. "I've looked at your file. It's very interesting."

Chen Yuan did not touch the teacup.

"I heard you sold a mutated Firefly Grass at Baicaotang for eight spirit stones." Wang Mo took a sip of tea. "I also heard you have eight acres of private land in the shantytown, and you recently harvested some and sold it for nearly three thousand spirit stones."

He raised his eyes: "A disciple who was a spirit farmer before entering the sect, where did he get the capital to rent eight acres of land? Where did he get the ability to grow mutated spirit plants? And where did he get the audacity... to conduct such a large-scale private transaction?"

Chen Yuan paused for a moment: "The land was allocated by the sect for reclamation work. I served five years of service and have the right to use it. The spiritual plants were cultivated by myself through trial and error. The transaction involved selling my own produce, which is not prohibited by the sect rules."

"The sect rules prohibit 'privately cultivating high-level spiritual plants'," Wang Mo said, putting down his teacup. "Is the mutated Firefly Grass considered high-level?"

"Edelweiss is a first-grade low-level spiritual plant. Even after mutation, it remains a first-grade plant and is not considered a high-grade plant."

"Who made the decision?" Wang Mo laughed. "You? Or Manager Liao from Baicaotang? Chen Yuan, the right to interpret the rules rests with the Hall of Affairs."

Chen Yuan's heart sank.

"However," Wang Mo changed the subject, "I'm not an unreasonable person. Your ability to cultivate mutated spiritual plants is a talent. The sect needs talent."

He leaned forward: "Elder Liu of the Alchemy Room has taken a liking to you and wants to take you in. But I think... it's a waste for you to go to the Alchemy Room. The Hall of Affairs is currently short of a disciple to manage the herb fields, and someone at the fifth level of Qi Refining is just qualified. If you're willing to come over, I can help you cover up your previous violations."

Chen Yuan understood.

Wang Mo wasn't trying to deal with him, he was trying to take him under his wing—or rather, he was trying to control him before the alchemy room could.

"I am grateful for your kindness, Senior Brother," Chen Yuan said slowly. "But I have already agreed to stay in Medicine Valley as well as Senior Sister Su."

The smile on Wang Mo's face faded.

"What can Su Wanqing offer you?" His voice turned cold. "A nominal disciple status? A dilapidated medicinal herb field? Chen Yuan, a wise man submits to circumstances. The Hall of Affairs manages all the miscellaneous affairs of the outer sect—resources, contributions, promotions… I call the shots."

The hall was so quiet you could hear your own heartbeat.

Chen Yuan looked at Wang Mo, then at the cup of tea on the table that was getting colder.

Then he stood up and bowed.

"I have already promised Master Su, and I dare not go back on my word."

Wang Mo stared at him for a long time.

"Alright." He nodded. "Well said, 'I dare not break my promise.' Then go back and follow Master Su closely."

His tone was calm, but Chen Yuan sensed a chill in his voice.

"Step down."

Chen Yuan turned and left the side hall, his back soaked with cold sweat.

He knew he had chosen the most difficult path.

This also completely offended Wang Mo.

---

It was already evening when they returned to Medicine Valley.

Chen Yuan walked straight to Su Wanqing's cave and stopped outside the door: "Disciple Chen Yuan requests an audience with Master Su."

The door opened.

Su Wanqing stood inside the door, seemingly knowing he would come.

"Have you made your choice?"

"Yes." Chen Yuan looked up. "This disciple has chosen the Valley of Herbs and the path of a Spirit Plant Master."

Even if it offends Wang Mo?

"Yes."

Su Wanqing looked at him for a moment, then stepped aside and said, "Come in."

Chen Yuan entered the room and saw two cups of tea on the table, still warm.

"What did Wang Mo say to you?" Su Wanqing asked.

Chen Yuan reported the facts truthfully.

After listening, Su Wanqing sneered: "The Hall of Deacons manages the medicinal fields? He really dares to say that. The Medicine Valley is independent of the outer sect system and is directly responsible to the Elders' Hall. Wang Mo's hands can't even reach in there."

She looked at Chen Yuan: "But you have indeed offended him. For the next three months, your sect mission quota will be increased to the maximum, your contribution points will be reduced, and you may even face trouble from others."

Chen Yuan nodded: "This disciple understands."

"You understand, so why choose?"

"Because I don't want to be someone's servant for the rest of my life," Chen Yuan said. "The alchemy room is for alchemists' servants, and the steward's hall is for managers' servants. Only the spirit plant master... is his own master."

A look of surprise flashed in Su Wanqing's eyes, followed by genuine appreciation.

"I said the same thing ten years ago," she said softly. "Unfortunately, back then, nobody believed that someone with four spiritual roots could become a spirit plant master."

She took out a blue jade slip from her sleeve and handed it to Chen Yuan.

"This is the 'Basic Outline for Spirit Plant Masters,' my notes from when I first started learning. It includes basic array formations, an introduction to pharmacology, a brief analysis of ley lines, and... nine common methods for inducing mutations in spirit plants that I summarized."

Chen Yuan accepted the jade slip with both hands; it felt warm and smooth to the touch.

"Three months," Su Wanqing said. "I'll give you three months to learn this outline and successfully induce a stable mutated spirit plant—any species, but the mutation must be controllable and repeatable. If you do, I will officially accept you as a disciple of Medicine Valley and teach you the way of a spirit plant master."

She paused for a moment: "If you can't do it, then leave Medicine Valley. I don't care where you go, but don't ever say you were taught by me, Su Wanqing."

Chen Yuan gripped the jade slip tightly.

"Your disciple will not fail in his mission."

When they left the cave, it was already completely dark.

Chen Yuan did not return to his residence, but instead walked to a wasteland on the edge of the Medicine Valley—this would be the new experimental field that Su Wanqing had assigned to him, half an acre in size, with barren soil and overgrown weeds.

He squatted down and grabbed a handful of soil.

The spiritual energy probed in, sensing the barrenness, compaction, and thinness of the soil.

Then he laughed.

That's it.

Only by starting from scratch can you see the footprints of each step.

He placed the jade slip on his forehead and immersed his divine sense into it.

The first page contains only one line of text:

"The first lesson for a spiritual plant practitioner: to make flowers bloom in land where it seems impossible to grow."

Chen Yuan put away the jade slip and took out three Firefly Grass seeds from his storage bag.

These are the three best-quality pieces I kept from yesterday's sales.

He dug three small holes in the wasteland with his hands and buried the seeds.

There was no fertilization, no strategic planning, just the most basic sowing.

Then he sat cross-legged by the field and activated the Long Breath Technique, slowly injecting strands of pure spiritual energy into the soil through the earth vein markings.

Very slow, very subtle.

Like spring rain nourishing all things, silently and without a trace.

Late at night.

In a pavilion somewhere in Medicine Valley, Wang Mo put down the communication jade talisman in his hand.

"Three months..." he murmured, "Su Wanqing, are you really that confident he can make it work?"

He got up and walked to the window, looking towards the direction of the Medicine Valley wasteland.

"Chen Yuan, I'm giving you a chance. If you truly become a Spirit Plant Master in three months, I'll respect you. If not..."

He squinted.

"Then don't blame me for uprooting you, this seedling."

Outside the window, the moonlight was cold and clear.

On the wasteland, one of the three Edelweiss seeds, nourished by spiritual energy, quietly cracked open with its first fissure.

Tender white buds peeked out.