367: Chapter 368 Second-Tier Spirit Plant Master!

"If you are not in a rush to return to the Sect, you might as well stay at Longmai Mountain for a few days to rest."

"In some time, there will happen to be an opportunity to return to the Sect. You can travel back with Senior Sister Xia Qingyue then; it will be good to have company on the road."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Xiaoguang was stunned for a moment, then undisguised astonishment appeared in his eyes: "Brother-in-law, are you talking about... Senior Sister Xia Qingyue from the Lingxiao Sect?"

Ye Changge smiled and nodded.

Zhao Xiaoguang gasped, subconsciously straightening his posture, his voice rising a few notches: "Brother-in-law, are you talking about that... Ice Spiritual Root Prodigy, Senior Sister Xia?!"

"She is a Personal Disciple of a Core Formation True Person, and one of the top figures in the Sect... Brother-in-law, you... are you well-acquainted with her?"

Not to mention Zhao Xiaoguang, even Xiao Qingxue on the side raised her eyebrows slightly.

The name of Xia Qingyue was renowned among the younger generation of the major Sects in the Zhao State.

With a Grade Four Ice Spiritual Root and a Taiyin Spiritual Body, she was hailed as a once-in-a-century Genius of the Lingxiao Sect. It was said that she had already received the Sect's true teachings before even reaching Core Formation and was highly regarded.

Such a figure was hard to even catch a glimpse of on ordinary days, yet Ye Changge said he could let her travel with Xiaoguang?

Ye Changge smiled without explaining too much, only saying lightly: "We have some acquaintance."

"Just follow her when the time comes, and listen to her arrangements on the road."

Zhao Xiaoguang was stunned for a moment, then nodded vigorously, his face full of excitement and anticipation.

Although he did not understand what kind of connection his brother-in-law had with that Senior Sister Xia, since his brother-in-law had said so, it must be true.

Thinking of traveling with such a figure, an indescribable excitement surged in his heart.

Ye Changge looked at Xiao Qingxue again and said in a relaxed tone: "Fellow Daoist Xiao, if you are not in a rush to leave, why not stay as well?"

"Although Longmai Mountain is not as vast as the Spiritual Vein of the Qingyun Sect, it excels in its tranquility. You can keep Wan'er company and talk to her, so she won't be so bored."

Xiao Qingxue nodded slightly and replied politely: "Many thanks for your hospitality, Fellow Daoist Ye."

She had come specifically to visit Wan'er, and there were no urgent matters at the Sect, so staying for a few days was fine.

Wan'er, who was on the side, rolled her eyes, smiled, and interjected: "Husband, my Senior Sister is no ordinary Cultivator!"

As she spoke, she proudly held Xiao Qingxue's arm and said as if presenting a treasure: "Senior Sister is now a Second-Grade Spirit Planter!"

"Half of the hundred-acre Spirit Herb Garden in the Sect is managed by her."

"I heard from you earlier, Husband, that our Ye Family is currently lacking talent in the field of spirit planting, and the planning for the medicine fields hasn't even been decided yet—isn't an expert right here in front of us?"

Xiao Qingxue was slightly taken aback by these words, then looked at Wan'er with some helplessness, knowing that this girl was soliciting work for her.

She gave a light cough and said: "Wan'er, I am just..."

Ye Changge's eyes lit up, and his gaze towards Xiao Qingxue immediately gained a bit more solemnity and eagerness.

He stood up, bowed to Xiao Qingxue, and said in a sincere tone: "So Fellow Daoist Xiao is a Second-Grade Spirit Planter, my apologies for the disrespect!"

"To tell you the truth, our Ye Family is indeed expanding our spirit fields and building a Spirit Herb Garden recently. Although there are a few spirit farmers in the Family who understand the basics, we have always lacked guidance from an expert proficient in the Dao of spirit planting."

"If it is not too much trouble for Fellow Daoist Xiao, would you mind accompanying me to Mu Ling Cliff to take a look? It would be great if you could offer some advice to a layman like me."

Xiao Qingxue was naturally an easygoing person. Seeing Ye Changge's earnest words and that he did not slight her because of her status, her favorable impression of him increased a bit more.

She pondered slightly, then nodded and replied: "Fellow Daoist Ye is too polite. Since I am already here, it is no trouble to take a look."

"It is just that my knowledge is shallow. It would be best if I can help; if I cannot, I hope you will not laugh at me."

Ye Changge waved his hand with a smile: "Fellow Daoist Xiao, you are joking. Then it is settled—shall we all take a walk together?"

"Okay, okay!" Wan'er was the first to jump up, her face full of joy.

Zhao Qingli also smiled gently and nodded in agreement.

Zhao Xiaoguang was even more enthusiastic. Although he did not understand spirit planting, being able to walk around with his brother-in-law and see the scenery of Longmai Mountain was a rare relaxation for him.

The group walked out of the guest hall while chatting and laughing, slowly proceeding along the bluestone path in the mountains.

Ye Changge led the way in front, occasionally turning back to talk with them, introducing the mountain topography and the distribution of Spiritual Qi along the way.

Although Longmai Mountain could not compare to the blessed lands of those large Sects, it had its own quiet charm. The mountain forests were lush, streams murmured, and there were places where Spiritual Qi swirled, making people feel relaxed and happy.

Before long, the group arrived at a cliff with flat terrain.

The vegetation on the cliff was lush, and the Spiritual Qi was dense. It had been cultivated into neat patches of spirit fields and medicine gardens.

Between the ridges, several plainly dressed spirit farmers of other surnames were bending over to work. Seeing Ye Changge arrive, they all set down their work and bowed respectfully.

"Mountain Master!" "Greetings, Mountain Master!"

Ye Changge waved his hand, signaling them not to stand on ceremony, and said: "I am bringing guests around to take a look; you all continue with your work."

The spirit farmers responded and returned to the ridges to continue their work.

Ye Changge led the group along the ridge, pointing to the surrounding fields and introducing: "This is Mu Ling Cliff."

"I plan to use this area with flat terrain and abundant Spiritual Qi to expand into spirit fields, planting spirit grains and Spiritual Plants suitable for the climate and soil quality here."

"That area over there, with slightly higher terrain and denser Spiritual Qi, is planned to be a Spirit Herb Garden for planting higher-grade Spirit Medicine."

He paused, looked at Xiao Qingxue, and smiled: "Fellow Daoist Xiao is an expert. Please take a look and see if there is anything improper about my preliminary plan?"

Xiao Qingxue did not rush to speak, but walked a circle along the ridge.

She bent down, picked up a pinch of soil, rubbed it between her fingertips, and then looked up at the surrounding mountain terrain and the direction of the Spiritual Vein. Her brows furrowed slightly, then relaxed.

She walked back to Ye Changge's side, pondered for a moment, and then said: "The general direction of Fellow Daoist Ye's plan is fine. However—"

She pointed to the area planned for spirit fields, her tone becoming a bit more serious: "Although this area is flat, I see that the soil is mixed with quite a bit of fine gravel, and the surface soil is slightly compacted, lacking breathability."

"If you plant spirit grains directly, I am afraid the roots will struggle to penetrate deeply, and the yield will be greatly reduced."

"You might as well plow it once first, mix in some decomposed Spiritual Plant ash and mica sand to improve the soil quality, then let it rest for a season, and sow after the soil fertility has recovered."

"In addition—" She pointed to the high ground planned for the Spirit Herb Garden, saying: "The Spiritual Qi on that high ground is indeed denser, but the terrain is slightly steep. If there is a rainstorm, the loss of topsoil will be quite serious."

"I suggest planting a circle of slope-protecting vine-type Spiritual Plants around the perimeter of the Spirit Herb Garden, which can both stabilize the soil and absorb excess moisture, killing two birds with one stone."