Cultivation begins with harvest.

"Senior brother, did you see something?" Dongfang Lieming was nervous, but even more excited.

Even the Qingheng Sect values ​​spiritual plants of exceptional quality, so she should have some understanding of them even within a rogue cultivator family. With two cultivator parents, her knowledge of the cultivation world is more comprehensive than Chen Guang's, though not in-depth. This is evident from the fact that Chen Guang previously lacked a precise understanding of the value of spiritual plants of exceptional quality.

Chen Guang stood up and said, "Exceptional quality spiritual plants are rarely born that way. Even if a plant has accumulated various qualities of exceptional quality, it takes time from the sprouting stage to maturity. A spiritual plant that is still in the sprouting stage is exceptional quality and is very rare."

"Either this spiritual plant is extraordinary, but it's just a Jade Heart Grass. Then there's only one other possibility: some external object has influenced it. In fact, such examples can be replicated. For instance, this Xi Xu Soil is very suspicious. Xi Xu Soil is a second-tier spiritual soil, and like Purple Spirit Soil, it's a rare soil. It wouldn't remain distinct after being placed together for more than a month. This Xi Xu Soil should be yours, right?"

Chen Guang stared intently at Dongfang Lieming, who indeed showed some panic. Although he quickly tried to cover it up, his overly naive performance revealed numerous flaws.

"Yes, I just thought that the handful of soil was special and thought it could be used to plant spiritual plants. Because you said that Xi Tu is very inclusive, and some simple spiritual objects can be buried and digested by Xi Tu to restore some of the soil's fertility, so I just casually scattered it in the spiritual field. I didn't know it would turn out like this."

Surprisingly, Dongfang Lieming was quite honest.

Chen Guang slowly said, "Although Xi Tu has this characteristic, Jade Heart Grass needs to be carefully cared for. This method is not suitable for use in the spiritual field of Jade Heart Grass. Now let's get down to business. There is a special Yang aura in Xi Xu Tu. That is the key to Jade Heart Grass achieving its outstanding quality. Pure Xi Xu Tu cannot achieve this."

He withdrew his gaze from Dongfang Lieming slightly, paused for a moment, and then said, "You can also ask the stewards of the branch buildings to investigate. I think their judgment will be more accurate."

Dongfang Lieming could no longer hide his extremely conflicted expression.

"Senior brother, is it only the Xixu Earth, which possesses the purest Yang energy, that allows the Jade Heart Grass to achieve this?"

"I cannot be certain; an isolated case is difficult to prove."

"Senior brother, you've been with the Qingheng Sect for longer. What do you think the sect would do if there were a treasure that could make the Jade Heart Grass a superior quality item?"

"Good question. I'd like to know too. Even within a certain boundary, can one still maintain moral integrity within the sect?"

If the cultivation of the superior Jade Heart Grass could be promoted on a large scale, it would be an opportunity for a sect. Jade Heart Grass is not just any spiritual herb; it can be used to refine Qi Nourishing Pills and is an "energy source" for the cultivation world. However, rationally speaking, it is unlikely that the discovery by Dongfang Lieming and his sister would be widely adopted.

Chen Guang considered his words carefully and said, "That depends on the replicability and cost of such a method. If it is difficult to replicate and mass-produce, or if the cost far exceeds the conventional methods of obtaining superior spiritual plants, and it is almost impossible to improve, then the sect will just laugh it off. There are many such methods; I know of at least seven, but most of them can only be considered usable when those almost unobtainable spiritual objects fall from the sky. They cannot be used for conventional cultivation."

Dongfang Lieming breathed a sigh of relief, followed by disappointment.

"If the sect doesn't ask, we hope you can keep this a secret for us."

Chen Guang sighed inwardly. Unless Dongfang Lieming was a very good actor, this series of changes in expression showed that this handful of Xixu soil had come unexpectedly, and that the Dongfang siblings were not getting it easily.

"If you are truly sincere, senior brother, perhaps we will have another chance to obtain such Xixu soil together in the future," Dongfang Lieming quickly added, fearing that Chen Guang might not be able to keep the secret.

Chen Guang glanced at Dongfang Lieming's expression out of the corner of his eye and knew that this was just empty talk, at least for the time being.

Whether someone is lying or telling the truth cannot necessarily be determined from their eyes or facial expressions. However, by combining a person's words, expressions, and body language, one can get a sense of their demeanor to some extent. Unless one is a seasoned veteran or someone like Yan Ling who is skilled in this area, Chen Guang was 90% certain that Dongfang Lieming was behaving this way.

"You should take good care of this Jade Heart Grass first. It's rare to find one of exceptional quality, but Jade Heart Grass is delicate. While it's unlikely to die from its exceptional quality, its quality could still decline." Chen Guang took out a thousand coins. "This thousand coins is a loan from me. Go buy a spirit energy array and take good care of it."

"Senior brother, can I give you this Jade Heart Grass?" Dongfang Lieming asked hurriedly.

Chen Guang shook his head: "Do you want to think back to the building allocation reporting system? Whether a Jade Heart Grass is dead or something, there should be a general destination. Yes, it's still early now. You can give me this Jade Heart Grass and replant it with seeds. There are many reasons to get by, but you can't always run away. If you're afraid that this Jade Heart Grass will expose some of your secrets, then delete it."

Dongfang Lieming was extremely conflicted.

Chen Guang ignored her, gave her a few words of advice on taking care of Yu Xin Cao, and then left.

A single Jade Heart Grass of exceptional quality was not enough to sway Chen Guang, nor did it make him think that he would do anything to get his hands on it. After refusing it, he felt secretly pleased, thinking that his momentary refusal was a sign of a master.

Those with great ambitions should act in this way.

But he quickly dismissed the idea, because what he cared about was the greater benefit—the cultivation method of the Jade Heart Grass's exceptional quality and the spiritual land connected by the Dongfang siblings' serendipitous encounter, and it wasn't necessarily that kind of lofty ambition.

Instead of returning directly to his residence, he headed towards the branch building and found Wan Longjing without any trouble. The disciples of the branch building often rode spirit cranes to take people to the market or do other work. Chen Guang only had a one-in-three chance of meeting Wan Longjing directly.

"The adventure of the Dongfang siblings?" Wan Longjing recalled while tidying up the saddle on the spirit crane. "It's not really a big secret. It was an adventure of the Dongfang clan a few years ago. They obtained some maps of the 'Firebeard Cave.' The Firebeard Cave was the cave dwelling of the Firebeard Immortal ten thousand years ago. Many of the treasures in it have long been taken away, and even the Firebeard Cave itself is in ruins."

"Firebeard Cave is a scorching hot land hidden in the endless wilderness, within a volcano with countless branching paths. It has incredible heat and also possesses a spiritual vein of considerable quality. However, after the passing of the Firebeard Master, it was violently explored by later generations, causing it to collapse in large part. The spiritual vein was also drained away, leaving it increasingly desolate. Perhaps in some dilapidated corner, there are still some remnants? Or perhaps there is still a corner of the spiritual land with some spiritual energy, which has evolved into spiritual creatures over the years? All of these are possible."

"It's actually the ruins of a Golden Core cultivator's residence," Chen Guang realized.

There are some unspoken rules in the cultivation world. For example, cultivators at different realms have general titles. It is considered disrespectful for someone of a lower realm to address them by their name and realm directly. In the absence of any grudges or conflicts, it is a basic rule to respect the sages and powerful predecessors.

There is no special title for Qi Refining cultivators. Foundation Establishment cultivators can be referred to as "Daoist", Golden Core cultivators as "Superior Person", and Nascent Soul cultivators as "True Person".

Of course, this doesn't mean it's foolproof. Some cultivators, whose names include something like "Taoist Master," simply think the name is nice and are willing to keep it even after reaching the Nascent Soul stage. People naturally comply and often add other honorifics before it to distinguish them.

"Firebeard Cave is, after all, a rare treasure land. To be valued by a Golden Core senior is naturally extraordinary. Over the years, it's not uncommon for lucky individuals to occasionally find some routes through ruins that haven't completely collapsed. With good luck, some might even obtain some second-tier resources, but the dangers are much greater. If you want to go, Junior Brother, the Scripture Pavilion has a fairly complete map of Firebeard Cave. Perhaps you can stumble upon some still stable areas and obtain an opportunity? Eighteen hundred years ago, a lucky individual from my Purple Spirit Peak obtained a top-tier second-tier rare fire, the [Eight Scenes of Cloud-Sweeping Flame], from there. He became famous for a time and was the number one fire-wielding Daoist of Purple Spirit Peak at that time," Wan Longjing said with a smile.

"If such a time comes, I might have to ask my senior brother for protection." Having understood the source of Dongfang Lieming's opportunity, Chen Guang was relieved. As for whether the map was obtained by the Dongfang family or by Dongfang Lieming's parents, Chen Guang did not intend to delve into the intricacies.

After exchanging cultivation insights with Wan Longjing for a while, Chen Guangcai took his leave.