Spirit Plant Entry: Immortality Begins with Farming

As the morning light seeped into the thatched hut, Chen Yuan opened his eyes.

He remained seated cross-legged, his right palm still hovering above the earthen pot, his entire arm numb and tingling.

But the pale golden halo beneath his palm was clearer than it had been the night before.

No longer the size of a grain of rice, but a clump the size of a soybean, pulsating gently, like a heart just awakening from a deep sleep.

The scope of the entry quietly unfolds:

【Qingyuan Vine (Revival of Residual Roots - Faint Hope)】

[Status: Nourished by the laws, root system slowly repairing]

【Characteristics: A degenerate ancient spiritual plant, possessing a weak potential for "spiritual energy feedback" (not yet activated)】

[Tip: Continuously infusing it with the "Life Nourishment" principle can gradually awaken its original vitality. Current progress: 0.7%]

0.7%.

Chen Yuan slowly withdrew his hand, his fingertips trembling slightly from holding the same position for so long. He moved his stiff shoulders, his knuckles making a soft clicking sound.

A night of sitting still yielded only 0.6% progress.

Slow. So slow it's agonizing.

"I'm alive..." he murmured to himself, his voice hoarse.

This means that the "life nourishment" principle in the Five-Colored Stars can not only revive the ancient remnant species, Qingyuan Vine, but theoretically, it can also be applied to other spiritual plants.

A thought suddenly popped into his mind.

Golden thread grass.

The most ordinary first-grade mutated spiritual plant that he first discovered in the spiritual fields of the shantytown, bearing the entry for "weak spiritual energy".

What if... what if the "Life Nourishment" principle wasn't used to revive dying roots, but instead to "catalyze" a large amount of healthy Golden Thread Grass? Not to mutate them, not to pursue grade improvement, but simply to make them grow faster and stronger, so that the "weak spiritual energy" attribute could be produced more stably?

He suddenly stood up, and because the movement was so fast, his vision went black for a moment. He steadied himself by holding onto the earthen wall, but his heart was beating faster and faster.

Eight mu of land.

The eight mu of spiritual fields that Widow Li guarded had been deeply plowed, cleared, and had been fully fertilized.

When he first cultivated those four acres of good land, he used the term "minor yield increase," and the soil was much thicker than that of other people. Later, the so-called "medicinal residue" that he scattered over the fields (actually the remains of spiritual plants whose spiritual energy dissipated after the extraction of the term in the experiment) also improved the soil quality without him even realizing it.

What that land lacks now is not fertility, but time and rapid, large-scale production.

The growth cycle of the golden thread grass is already short, and if it is accelerated by the "life nourishment" principle...

More importantly, while the "weak spiritual energy" attribute of the Golden Thread Grass may be insignificant to cultivators, what about ordinary people who have never been exposed to spiritual energy?

Chen Yuan's mind conjured images of the emaciated children in the shantytown, and the ordinary people with clouded eyes, toiling away all day. They couldn't afford elixirs, couldn't access cultivation techniques, and were trapped in a cycle of stagnant energy their entire lives. A wisp of "weak spiritual energy" couldn't change their fate, but perhaps... it could dispel the lingering effects of a cold? Could it lighten their weary bodies a little? Could it allow children like Ping An, with their potential spiritual roots, to sense things more clearly?

No, we can't sell grass directly.

Grass will wither, and spiritual energy will dissipate.

His gaze fell on a discarded loop of thick hemp rope on the windowsill, the one he used to tie firewood. A rough, but more concrete, idea quickly took shape.

Weaving rings.

The mature golden thread grass, rich in "faint spiritual energy," is woven into tight bracelets, anklets, and even neck rings, just like braiding hemp rope.

As the grass blades are woven and compressed, the subtle spiritual energy contained within the sap is locked in, dissipating more slowly and lasting longer. A grass ring can perhaps be worn for one or two months, until the grass blades completely dry and lose their potency.

The material cost is almost zero, and Widow Li can make it by hand.

The price... doesn't need to be spirit stones; ordinary copper coins, silver coins, or broken spirit stones will suffice. Even if they only sell for a few coins each, the small profit margin and high volume will create a vast market with hundreds or thousands of ordinary people in the shantytowns, a market so vast that no one pays attention to it.

The large-scale production of golden thread grass on eight acres of land is enough to support this small "industry".

This business is beneath cultivators' notice, and the strong disdain to compete for.

Chen Yuan took a deep breath to suppress the turmoil in his heart.

He quickly washed up and changed into a worn gray robe. Before leaving, he squatted down by the earthen pot again, gazing at the faint golden light.

"Live well," he whispered, his fingertips lightly touching the rim of the bowl. "Wait for me to return. You are far more useful than that edelweiss."

---

Before noon, Chen Yuan returned to the shantytown.

He didn't go directly to Yuancaotang, but instead went around to the eight acres of empty fields at the east end.

The land was indeed turned over and prepared extremely well.

The soil was dark brown, loose and even, and all the weed roots and stems had been cleared away, even the larger clods of soil had been broken up.

The field ridges have been redrawn, straight and neat, ready for planting.

Widow Li was with Ping An, picking up pebbles one last time along the edge of the field. When she saw Chen Yuan, she straightened up and wiped the sweat from her brow.

"Brother Chen, you're back so soon? The land is all ready as you said, just waiting for your seeds and fertilizer." Her tone was expectant, but also a little tense—after all, eight acres of land were all empty, which was quite a lot of pressure.

Ping An called out "Uncle Chen," ran over, and looked up at him, asking, "Mom said we're going to plant something special on our land, is that true?"

Chen Yuan rubbed his head and looked at Widow Li: "We do need to plant some things, but not the precious medicinal herbs we originally thought of."

Widow Li was taken aback: "That is...?"

"Golden Thread Grass," Chen Yuan said calmly.

"Golden...golden thread grass?" Widow Li thought she had misheard. "The kind of golden thread grass that grows wild outside the market and is so coarse that even livestock find it too tough to feed?"

"Yes." Chen Yuan squatted down, grabbed a handful of soil, and rubbed it between his fingers. "Plant this. Plant it on all eight acres."

Widow Li's expectation vanished instantly, replaced by confusion and anxiety: "Brother Chen, this...this golden thread grass is worthless! It's true it grows fast, but even after cutting and drying, a whole bundle won't sell for a single spirit stone! We've left our eight acres of good land barren for so long, just to plant this? This...this won't even cover our costs!"

Ping An looked at her mother, then at Chen Yuan, and whispered, "Golden Thread Grass... doesn't taste good."

Chen Yuan released his grip, dirt slipping through his fingers. He looked up, his gaze calm as he looked at Widow Li: "Sister Li, let me ask you, in the shantytown, are there more cultivators or ordinary people?"

"Well... of course, there are more mortals. Out of a hundred, it would be good if one or two had spiritual roots."

"Cultivators need spirit stones to buy pills and magical artifacts. What about mortals? What do they need most?"

Widow Li was stumped by the question. She frowned and thought for a moment: "I need... enough to eat, enough to wear, to stay healthy, and some spare money to send my child to learn to read..." She spoke hesitantly. These were things she longed for day and night, yet felt were unattainable.

"Golden thread grass can't fill an empty stomach," Chen Yuan said slowly. "But what if I could imbue this grass with just a tiny bit of 'divine energy'? Just a wisp, enough for mortals to wear and slightly dispel dampness and cold, relieve fatigue, and prevent minor illnesses—do you think anyone would buy such a grass ring?"

Widow Li's eyes slowly widened.

"Fairy aura...grass ring..." she murmured repeatedly, her gaze unconsciously drifting to her rough wrists, then to Ping An, "Like...like the amulets you get at temples? But those are all lies..."

"It's not a talisman, it actually has a tiny bit of use," Chen Yuan said confidently. "I have a special method that can imbue the golden thread grass I grow with a tiny bit of spiritual energy. Not much, but it should be somewhat beneficial to a mortal's body. We don't sell the grass itself, we sell woven grass rings. The cost of a grass ring is almost zero, and we sell it for three or five coins, or a spirit stone. Do you think the residents of the shantytown are willing to pay that much?"

Three coins, the price of a whole grain cake.

Widow Li's heart began to race. She knew all too well what life was like in the shantytowns. A single cold could bankrupt a family, and the constant aches and pains from a day's toil were a constant companion. If only there were something cheap, even just a tiny bit useful…

"But... but can they be trusted?" She still had reservations.

"They don't need to believe it from the start." Chen Yuan had already planned ahead. "The first batch will be given away for free. Give them to familiar, frail elderly people and children. Whether it works or not, they can feel it for themselves. As long as one out of ten people feels 'it seems more comfortable to wear,' the word will spread."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "Besides, we won't boast that it can cure diseases. We'll just say it's 'connected to the earth and calming.' Whether it works or not, whether it's worth a few coins or not, let them decide for themselves."

Widow Li fell silent.

She looked down at the turned soil, her fingers unconsciously clutching the hem of her clothes. This idea was too bold, too outlandish, unlike anything she had ever known before. Yet Chen Yuan's eyes held a calm strength she couldn't question. And, his previous "dregs" had indeed made the crops grow exceptionally well…

"Planting, harvesting, weaving rings—I can do all of these things, and Ping An can help too." She finally raised her head, the confusion in her eyes replaced by a determined resolve. "But... Brother Chen, can you really give the grass that 'magical aura'? These eight acres are counting on this. What if it doesn't work..."

"If it doesn't work out," Chen Yuan continued, "the loss will be time and some seeds. The fertility of these eight acres is still there, and we can replant something else at any time. But if it does succeed—" He looked at Widow Li, and then at Ping An, whose little face was turned up, "the money Ping An earned from testing his spiritual root will be a source of hope for you all as you move out of the shantytown. And it will be a long-term hope."

A long-term hope.

These five words struck a chord deep within Widow Li's heart. She nodded vigorously, her voice slightly choked: "Okay! Brother Chen, I trust you! Whatever you say, I'll do! From today onward, these eight acres of land will only grow *Golden Thread Grass*!"

"I'll handle the seeds and the first batch of germination. I'll bring the processed seeds over by the day after tomorrow at the latest," Chen Yuan instructed. "In the next few days, go find some quick-witted and discreet older women and give them a heads-up. Tell them we want to weave some straw mats and straw rings to try selling. The wages will be paid per piece, half a penny per mat. Find three or five reliable ones to start with."

"Yes, I've got it!" Widow Li nodded repeatedly, already considering her options.

"Also," Chen Yuan added, "the method for weaving rings should be as simple and uniform as possible. Try it yourself in the next couple of days, using ordinary dry grass, and weave a few sturdy and pleasing patterns."

"I can do that!" Widow Li finally smiled. "My family used to weave straw mats to sell. When Ping An's father was alive, I would also weave some small things to supplement the family income."

Ping An got excited too: "Mom, I want to learn too! I'll help you!"

With the matter settled, Chen Yuan's vision became even clearer.

He didn't linger any longer, turned around and left the field ridge, heading towards the market.

He needed to purchase a large quantity of the most common golden thread grass seeds, and also needed a quiet place to test the specific effects and consumption of the "life nourishment" principle on seed germination and large-scale application.

My pace quickened unconsciously.

Beneath his palm, the pale golden star representing "life nourishment" was faintly heating up in his sea of ​​consciousness.

The five colors rotate, and perhaps the power of "life" is the card he can currently control most and is best suited to play in the game.