The Immortal Clan begins with deductive intelligence.

Xu Changqing returned to his study, closed the doors and windows, and set up a simple soundproof barrier inside the room.

Only then did he take out the bronze box from his pocket.

Uncover the talisman and open the box.

The seed that was originally shriveled and dull, looking no different from a dead walnut, has now changed dramatically.

The outer layer of dead skin had completely peeled off, revealing the vibrant purple hard shell inside.

Golden lines, like blood vessels, coiled around the seed shell, faintly emitting a halo of light.

A rich sense of vitality swept over them, even stimulating the spiritual energy within Xu Changqing's body to become more active.

"It's done."

A hint of joy flashed in Xu Changqing's eyes.

He extended his finger, and a drop of pure cyan spiritual liquid condensed at his fingertip, which he gently placed on the top of the seed.

"Pop".

A very faint, crisp sound.

A crack appeared at the top of the hard seed shell.

A tender green bud tremblingly peeked out.

These young shoots are no bigger than a grain of rice, yet they are crystal clear, with a faint purplish-gold ring around the edges of their leaves, making them look extraordinary.

Xu Changqing dared not delay.

This spiritual plant is delicate. Once it has sprouted, it must be planted in the soil immediately. Otherwise, once its vitality is lost, all the effort of the previous few days will be wasted.

But where should we plant it?

Planting it outside is definitely not a good idea; there are too many people around, and if someone sees it and spreads the word, it will bring disaster.

Plant it indoors?

No, that won't work either. Spirit plants need the earth's energy to grow, and even more so, they need an environment rich in spiritual energy. Although this study also has a spirit-gathering array, it's for human use and lacks the earth's energy.

Xu Changqing mentally went through every corner of the Xu family's residence.

Finally, his gaze fell on the wall behind the bookshelf.

Behind that is the backyard of the Xu family's ancestral hall.

There is an old well there that has been dry for many years. Although it no longer produces water, the wellhead is a node connected to the underground spiritual vein of Cangwu Island.

That place is usually gloomy and deserted; no one goes there except for festivals and ancestral worship.

Xu Changqing put away the copper box, pushed open the door, and went around to the backyard of the ancestral hall.

There was no one around, so it was quite quiet.

Xu Changqing took a shovel from his storage bag and dug a pit about a foot deep.

He then took out two low-grade spirit stones from his pocket and buried them on the left and right sides next to the seed, as a kind of "base fertilizer" for this treasure.

This is to prevent the purple-veined golden peach from absorbing too much spiritual energy during its growth, which would disturb others.

After doing all this, he gently placed the sprouted seed into the hole and covered it with fine soil.

"Behave yourself, don't go astray."

Xu Changqing patted the soil, placed his palm on the ground, and channeled the last wisp of wood-elemental spiritual energy.

After doing all this, he stood up and patted the dirt off his hands.

According to ancient records, after the purple-striped golden peach sprouts, the tree takes three years to mature, three years to blossom, and three years to bear fruit, making the whole process nine years.

Nine years.

too long.

The Xu family is now in dire need of money. The opening ceremony in two months will cost money, as will maintaining the formation on a daily basis, and even feeding the youngsters meat for their training will require money.

Xu Changqing frowned slightly as he looked at the unremarkable piece of land.

Since this Heavenly Mirror can deduce the method of revival, is there any way to make it grow faster?

Force-ripening?

Xu Changqing's heart stirred, and he turned and went back to his study.

He sat cross-legged on the futon, his mind sinking into the sea of ​​consciousness.

The ancient Tongtianjian (a type of mirror) hung in the mist.

"Using this location as a base, how can we quickly ripen this purple-striped golden peach tree and get it to flower and bear fruit?"

The mist churned, and golden light flickered.

A moment later, the fog gradually dissipated, and several lines of golden characters slowly emerged.

[Deduction begins]

[Deduction: A method for rapidly ripening purple-veined golden peaches.]

[Time required: Three days.]

"Three days."

Xu Changqing slowly opened his eyes.

Fortunately, it wasn't too long.

Three days is just a blink of an eye. I took advantage of these days to keep an eye on those kids practicing the "Forest Walk" and "Mountain Crash Force".

As long as there's a method, even if it requires some effort, as long as the peach tree can bear fruit within a year or two, it's all worthwhile.

Xu Changqing got up, preparing to go out and stretch his muscles.

It was midday, and Xu Sanshun and Xu Tiezhu had just returned from their shift and were huddled in the gatehouse drinking tea.

Xu Changqing happened to be passing by and quietly walked into the gatehouse.

Upon seeing the clan chief arrive, the two quickly put down their teacups and stood up with trepidation.

"Chieftain."

Xu Changqing's expression was solemn as his gaze swept across the two men's faces, making them feel uneasy.

"How's the situation at the fishpond?"

Xu Sanshun swallowed hard, quickly put on a worried expression, and lowered his voice to say, "Reporting to the clan chief, they are still the same as before, looking lively, but when I was feeding them just now, I noticed that a few fish were swimming slowly. I'm afraid... I'm afraid the effects of the medicine are wearing off."

"Um."

Xu Changqing nodded, a look of deep sorrow on his face, as if to say, "Just as I thought."

"It seems we can't hide it anymore."

He sighed and paced back and forth in the gatehouse, his hands behind his back.

"Since we can't save the fish, we have to think of another way to raise some travel expenses for those children."

Xu Changqing stopped and looked at Xu Sanshun.

"Uncle Sanshun, you used to be an experienced farmer who tended the crops in the fields, right?"

Xu Sanshun was taken aback, wondering why the clan leader would suddenly ask this, but he still nodded honestly: "Yes, I planted spirit grains at the old house for a few years when I was young."

"That's good."

Xu Changqing took out a slip of paper from his sleeve and handed it to Xu Sanshun.

"Go to the market and buy these items; I need them urgently."

Xu Sanshun took the order and looked at it.

The label reads "Rotten Bone Mud," "Monster Blood Powder," and "Earth Dragon Turning Over Soil"...

These are all uncommon ingredients used to prepare ripening fertilizer, and the quantities are...

"Chieftain, what are you doing...?"

Xu Sanshun had some doubts.

Why buy so much fertilizer? Does the clan leader intend to switch to farming?

Xu Changqing glanced at him, his eyes deep and unfathomable.

"I can't count on fish anymore. I plan to clear a few acres of wasteland on the back mountain and plant some fast-growing medicinal herbs. I'll try to earn as much as I can."

"This needs to be done quickly, and no one else can know about it."

Xu Sanshun was overjoyed.

Farming?

Planting crops at this critical juncture?

This clan chief has probably been driven mad and is resorting to desperate measures.

In this freezing weather, what can grow?

Isn't this just pointless tinkering?

Good, the more they stir things up, the faster the Xu family will fall!

"Don't worry, Chief! I'll go right away! I guarantee I'll handle it perfectly!"

Xu Sanshun stuffed the list into his pocket, grabbed Xu Tiezhu, and ran outside. His legs were so nimble that he was completely different from the man who had just been complaining of being tired.

Xu Changqing withdrew his gaze and turned to walk towards the training ground.

We can't just sit around waiting for these three days.

The seeds of the purple-veined golden peach have been planted, but those few youngsters who have just sensed the power still need to practice their skills.

……

A cold wind howled across the training ground.

The snow on the ground was cleared to create an open space, revealing the dark brown frozen soil underneath.

Xu Xining was grinning and grimacing as he performed a shamanistic ritual.

He stood with his feet apart, knees slightly bent, and his feet moved in an extremely awkward gait, twisting to the left and then sliding to the right after every two steps.

This is "Walking Through the Forest".

This footwork doesn't aim for aesthetic appeal; it only seeks to avoid obstacles and attacks to the greatest extent possible.

"Ouch!"

Xu Xining tripped and stepped on his own foot with his left, falling face-first to the ground with a mouthful of mud.

Xu Xiwen and Xu Xiyue, who were practicing the power exertion posture of "Crushing Mountain Force" next to them, wanted to laugh but dared not, their little faces turning red from holding it in.