Cultivation begins with harvest.

"Yes, Senior Brother Wan, as you can see, I picked this pumpkin thinking of having it as an extra dish, but when I cut it open, it was brimming with spiritual energy, it turned out to be spiritual liquid, so I immediately invited you to come and see it." Chen Guang invited Wan Longjing to the courtyard, where he saw the Linquan pumpkin that had been split in two with a single stroke, and some areas of the ground in the courtyard were still damp.

It was obvious that some of the spiritual liquid had been spilled and wasted. The fact that Chen Guang and Wan Longjing were still damp after walking nearly ten miles in the sweltering summer afternoon was proof of this.

Wan Longjing carefully examined the Linquan pumpkin, marveling at it, and asked, "Junior Brother Chen, do you have any clues?"

Chen Guang had obviously thought about it before. When Wan Longjing asked, he said with some uncertainty, "I saw it in the Scripture Pavilion. There is a kind of Linquan Pumpkin that contains spiritual liquid after it matures, but it does not produce seeds. I was very curious at the time about how it reproduces without seeds, so I remembered it. I think this might be it."

"It's the Linquan Pumpkin. 'The pumpkin is green with white veins, and has twenty-one vertical lines, more or less, but no more than five.' Junior Brother Chen is quite lucky. This spiritual liquid must be preserved quickly. It's called Linquan, and it has the wonderful effect of healing injuries and restoring magical power. It's also a characteristic of the Linquan Pumpkin that it easily dissipates and easily spoils and rots." Wan Longjing nodded and described the various aspects of the Linquan Pumpkin in detail.

Chen Guang's face lit up with joy: "I've already put some of this spiritual water away in a jar, deliberately leaving some so that Senior Brother can identify it. Since that's the case, I'll put this portion away as well."

Wan Longjing nodded and asked, "Junior Brother, how did you obtain this Linquan Pumpkin? It's a top-grade first-tier spiritual plant. Even a small pumpkin like this can sell for at least sixty catties of spiritual rice. It can heal injuries and restore mana. If you encounter a suitable Qi Hall disciple, the price can be even higher. Ordinary pumpkins only cost one-tenth of this price, right?"

Chen Guang knew that Wan Longjing had some doubts, which was why Chen Guang invited Wan Longjing over.

The yield of Linquan pumpkins is low. Currently, including this one, there are only eighteen pumpkins, two of which are newly grown. This is far less than the yield of ordinary spirit plant pumpkins, at least twice as much, but the price difference is at least ten times.

Hiding it would eventually lead to discovery, and although it wouldn't be a big deal once discovered, it was easier to expose it proactively. Chen Guang also wanted to lay the groundwork for his ability to know everything with a touch of magic. This way, he wouldn't lack rare spiritual plants in the future, and his fields wouldn't be lacking in unique ones. So, Chen Guang said with a grin, "Senior brother, you don't know this, but last time I broke through, I went to the Xingfeng Market to buy some vegetable seeds to change things up. The prices were good, and I thought I could make a small profit, so I bought some. Who knew they'd be Linquan pumpkins! I still remember that stall. Looks like I'll have to keep an eye out next time. If I can get another serving of Linquan pumpkins, wouldn't that be a huge profit?"

Wan Longjing chuckled: "According to the records, the seeds of Linquan Pumpkin and ordinary pumpkin are not much different. They are both spiritually restrained, and their appearance and vines are almost identical after they grow. That's why you managed to get one by chance. You have to be careful. Such good things don't happen often. Of course, I think you are a very lucky person, Junior Brother. I'm afraid there will be other top-grade spiritual plants in the future. After all, you already have two kinds of top-grade spiritual plants in your spiritual field."

"Then I'll accept your kind words, Senior Brother." Chen Guang said with a smile.

The two chatted happily, and Wan Longjing calmly explained some of the uses and effects of Linquan. Chen Guang listened attentively, leaving a comfortable impression on each other.

With the help of He Shou Wu (a type of medicinal herb), Lin Quan Pumpkin, and a friend from Qi Tang, Chen Guang has both luck and connections. His status in Wan Long Jing's eyes has risen to the point that even Chen Guang can observe it.

After seeing Wan Longjing off and putting away the remaining Linquan, Chen Guang finally lay back comfortably on the bed.

"The pumpkins from Linquan still have some flesh, just not much. But enough to make a bowl of pumpkin porridge. In the future, we need to use the Thousand Water Gourd to reserve some of the Linquan pumpkins for soaking the spirit rice seeds. We can sell some of the rest as appropriate. After all, each seed contains sixty catties of spirit rice, and with the money I can exchange it for some better seeds, I can't rely on just picking up the scraps."

This is a top-grade first-tier plant. If cultivated well, it can earn at least several hundred catties of spirit rice per mu. The same applies to He Shou Wu. One tael of qualified tuber is worth more than fifty catties of spirit rice. Under normal circumstances, the tuber of one vine of He Shou Wu can yield three to five taels. If taken good care of, both the vine and the fruit can be sold at a good price, which together is about fifty catties of spirit rice.

It's normal that it's not as good as Linquan Pumpkin. Qingheng Sect has relatively few body-refining techniques, and not many cultivators follow this path. The Liyuan Sect in the north is the main base for body-refining cultivators. In that area, Blood He Shou Wu has a different price.

Demand is always a part of the market.

Even so, it is still clear that, for the same acre, the output value of a top-grade first-tier plant far surpasses that of a common first-tier spiritual plant.

Chen Guang was secretly making plans in his heart, filled with anticipation for each day to come.

Starting today, the pumpkins from Linquan are ripening one after another; the blood-shouwu (Polygonum multiflorum) has reached its limit and can be harvested; the flowers of the other red peonies have already bloomed and faded; the flower spikes of the swallowtail grass have also begun to branch; the Lingmi rice has officially stopped receiving water and can be harvested in about ten days; and the Yuxin grass is almost three feet tall.

This is Lingon!

After two hard seasons, the happy troubles begin as autumn approaches. No matter how much hardship and sweat there is, it all turns into joy and laughter when the harvest comes.

……

Three days later, Chen Guang was delighted to see a full, milky-white ball of light reappear in the field of Linquan pumpkins. Just as he was about to go and harvest them, a middle-aged man with a square face walked over from the other side of the spiritual field. Despite having received silk as a reward from the sect, he was wearing a coarse cloth short shirt with his chest open, and he walked quickly toward Chen Guang.

"Brother Chen, busy?" A square-faced man walked over, carrying a bundle wrapped in brocade in his left hand and a box of spiritual tools in his right. A stiff, somewhat ingratiating smile appeared on his face, which looked rather awkward because he didn't often make such an expression.

"It's Brother Lu," Chen Guang recognized the man as Lu Daxian. He had arrived at the Qingheng Sect before him. The couple, both of whom were of the lowest rank, managed three acres of spirit fields each. They had both broken through to the next level last summer and were pregnant with a son who was born in late spring. Now, the couple managed ten acres of spirit fields and had a baby. They were already preparing for the baby's arrival. They also had a younger brother who was a rogue cultivator and was cultivating elsewhere, so they often needed to provide him with cultivation resources. The pressure was getting heavier and heavier. Therefore, Chen Guang guessed part of the reason for the visit. "No, every year around this time, the weeds grow slower. Once I become a cultivator, I can finish two extra acres of land in half a day. I see that these melons are ripe, so I'm going to pick them. I'll go to the market first thing tomorrow morning to sell them and exchange them for some spirit rice. To be honest, once I become a cultivator, my appetite has grown. Last year's stored grain is almost gone."

"Yes, yes, it's my pleasure, it's my pleasure," Lu Daxian, clearly not good with words, simply got straight to the point, "This is the Linquan pumpkin? It looks really good! I heard that you bought it from a stall, thinking it was pumpkin seeds, Brother Chen?"

Fearing that Chen Guang might refuse, she quickly raised the package in her hand: "This is a small token of our appreciation. Inside are some fresh monster entrails that my brother hunted. They were just delivered, along with some fruits and vegetables. We just want to know which stall it's from. We hope Brother Chen will grant our request."

"Sigh, it's tough being the head of the household, I understand. Brother Lu, there's no need for this. If you have time, come with me to the market tomorrow morning. I'll take you there myself. But don't get your hopes up. These kinds of things only happen to one or two lucky people a year. I've only had this one stroke of good luck. That stall only sells ordinary seeds. I can't accept these kinds of things," Chen Guang said.

"How could that be? I was the one who asked Brother Chen for help, how could I possibly..." Lu Da took several steps forward abruptly, his voice rising, clearly in a hurry.

"Well then, consider these things as me buying them for you. You'll lose out a little. I'll trade you a Linquan pumpkin. Just bring me some vegetables later. I don't have much experience, and there's not much good food in the fields. I've been drinking porridge for years, and I really want to change things up." Chen Guang patted the smallest Linquan pumpkin in front of him and said.

"If you don't agree, then forget it. Since we're going to be the bad guy anyway, we might as well do it sooner rather than later." Chen Guang's expression changed, and he appeared impatient.

"How could that be? I'm already grateful for your help, brother. Even if I get nothing in return, it's only natural. I won't blame you at all... Alright, I'll bring you some more vegetables later." Seeing that Chen Guang was getting more and more impatient, she finally agreed.

"That's more like it." Chen Guang smiled and cut off the smallest Linquan pumpkin for Lu Daxian. He then took all the things Lu Daxian had brought back to the courtyard. Of course, the box containing the fresh monster entrails was a spiritual tool, and Chen Guang had to return it.

After seeing off Lu Daxian, who felt a warm glow in his heart, Chen Guangcai went to the field and cut down two more ripe Linquan pumpkins. He then harvested all the blood he shou wu in the field. They had grown to their limit and would no longer absorb the blood of the demon beasts, so naturally he had to take them with him.

Lu Da was grateful, feeling that Chen Guang was being righteous.

"But little did I know, my benefits weren't just from the produce in this field, but also from extra rewards. They're all neighbors, and their reputation for being righteous is also helpful to me. Since the deal is done, even if Lu Da gets nothing first, no one can blame me. Although it would be best if I could just quietly farm alone..."

Chen Guang happily carried the Linquan pumpkin and the blood he shou wu back home.

Three Linquan pumpkins and seven Blood Polygonum multiflorums were given as a reward. Although one was given to Lu Daxian, he couldn't see it, so the reward was still ten orbs of light.

"I'm cooking, and luckily we have some fresh monster offal today. I'm not having porridge today, I want white rice!"

Chen Guang was filled with emotion.