63: Chapter 63 Seeking the Spirit Tea Seedling

Li Xiaocao was the last one to take the stage.

The opponent she drew was the weakest, only having just entered Qi Refining Level 3.

But she had never fought before, and her face turned pale with nervousness as she stepped onto the stage.

Li Changsheng stood below the stage, clenching his fists.

Ten breaths, twenty breaths, twenty-five breaths.

The opponent's attacks grew increasingly fierce; Li Xiaocao was struggling to cope, and it looked like she was about to be hit.

Just then, she suddenly remembered what Li Changsheng had said:

“If you can't win, run; if you can't run, hide. It's only thirty breaths; just hold on until it's over.”

She took a deep breath and stopped trying to counterattack, instead focusing all her effort on dodging.

Twenty-eight breaths, twenty-nine breaths, thirty breaths.

“Time's up!”

Li Xiaocao plopped down on the ground, panting heavily, but with a smile of survival on her face.

“Pass.”

Li Changsheng stood below the stage, looking at that small figure, a trace of a smile appearing at the corner of his mouth.

As the sun set in the west, the crowd on the Martial Arts Field gradually dispersed.

Li Changsheng led the three of them toward the direction of the Hundred Herb Garden.

On the way, Li Xiaocao chattered about the thrills during the assessment, Shi Tiezhu laughed foolishly, and Li Changqing occasionally interjected a few words.

When they reached the entrance of the Hundred Herb Garden, Li Changsheng stopped.

“Changqing, Tiezhu,”

He turned around and looked at them.

“Starting tomorrow, you will be formal Disciples.”

“The road ahead will depend on yourselves.”

Li Changqing looked at him and said seriously,

“Brother Changsheng, don't worry. We won't let you down.”

Shi Tiezhu nodded vigorously.

“Right! Brother Changsheng, once I've practiced my Spells well, if anyone bullies you again, I'll help you beat them up!”

Li Changsheng smiled and said nothing.

He watched the three of them enter the Hundred Herb Garden, watching that small figure skipping away until she disappeared at the end of the path among the spiritual fields.

The setting sun stretched his shadow very long.

He turned and looked toward the distant, mist-shrouded Heavenly Sword Peak.

In three months, the Outer Sect Competition would take place.

At that time, he would be standing there.

Li Changsheng invited Li Changqing, Shi Tiezhu, and Li Xiaocao to have a small gathering in the spiritual medicine garden he cultivated.

This was the first time they had gathered since leaving Qinghe Town.

Everyone enjoyed wine and conversation, filled with many emotions.

Unknowingly, a year had already passed since they left Qinghe Town, and they didn't know what the situation was like there now.

Whether the Family's development was smooth, and whether there was still activity from the Demonic Path.

The few of them couldn't handle much alcohol.

As they chatted, they actually cried and then laughed again.

Unknowingly, they all became drunk.

Three days after the assessment ended.

The assignment results for Li Changqing, Shi Tiezhu, and Li Xiaocao came out.

Because of her outstanding performance in the assessment, Li Changqing was officially recruited by the Sword Guard Hall of Heavenly Sword Peak. She was no longer a Registered Sword Attendant, but an "Outer Sect Sword Guard" qualified to receive a complete Cultivation Technique and participate in formal training.

The one who assigned her was that female Foundation Establishment cultivator who had once guided her. Her surname was Jiang, and she was known as "Uncle Master Jiang"; it was said she was quite prestigious on Heavenly Sword Peak.

“Uncle Master Jiang said that although my Gold Spiritual Root is only Low Grade, its advantage lies in its purity. Walking the path of a Sword Cultivator might not necessarily mean I can't stand out.”

When Li Changqing came to the Hundred Herb Garden to say goodbye, her eyes held a rare excitement.

“She also passed me an introductory chapter of the Golden Edge Sword Manual, saying that if I can master it, I can try my hand at the competition in three months.”

Li Changsheng nodded and took out a small cloth bag from his bosom.

“In here are two bottles of clear heart liquid and a bottle of Spirit Nourishing Grass powder; they will be useful during Cultivation.”

Li Changqing did not decline. She took the cloth bag and said solemnly,

“Brother Changsheng, great kindness needs no words of thanks. If there's ever a place where you need me, just speak up.”

Shi Tiezhu went to the Hundred Crafts Academy on Houtu Peak. He was still doing manual labor, but his status was different.

Formal Disciples could receive better Cultivation Techniques. He chose a technique called Thick Earth Body Refining Art, which specialized in refining the Physical Body and, combined with earth-element Spells, offered both offense and defense.

When he left, he smiled foolishly. “Brother Changsheng, when I've finished practicing, I'll help you build an Immortal Cave!”

Li Xiaocao was the most surprising.

Manager Qin personally stepped forward to transfer her to the "Rare Spirit Herb Garden" of the Hundred Herb Garden, specifically to look after several hundred-year-old Spirit Medicines.

This was an Opportunity that many people could only dream of, yet it fell upon a nine-year-old little girl.

“Manager Qin said that I am naturally close to plants and am a good seedling.”

When Li Xiaocao said this, her small face was full of seriousness.

“Brother Changsheng, I will learn well.”

Li Changsheng rubbed her head and didn't say much.

“Brother Changsheng,”

Li Xiaocao took out a small bag of seeds, her eyes shining brightly.

“These seeds are ones I saved before. There's clear heart grass, Tranquilizing Flowers, and... and two Jade Dew Ginseng seeds!”

Li Changsheng took the bag of seeds. Looking at this increasingly confident little girl before him, a wave of warmth welled up in his heart.

“Plant them well.”

He crouched down to look her in the eye.

“When they grow, I'll help you extract the spiritual liquid.”

“Mm!”

Li Xiaocao nodded vigorously.

“Whatever seeds your spiritual field needs in the future, I'll help you save them!”

The three went their separate ways, and Section C Field No. 7 of the Hundred Herb Garden was once again left with only Li Changsheng.

But he was not lonely.

The Spiritual Plants in the field were growing well.

The Spirit Nourishing Grass had already been harvested for the fourth time, the clear heart grass had also been picked for two rounds, and the Tranquilizing Flowers had bloomed and withered, producing quite a few seeds.

That Jade Dew Ginseng he had left behind had now grown to six inches tall; its leaves were becoming increasingly thick, and its roots were quietly extending beneath the soil.

Since that time Liu Qingchen helped guard the Jade Dew Ginseng, the Hundred Herb Garden had become much safer, and the number of people coveting the Spirit Medicine had dropped sharply.

Manager Qin also knew of the matter and had already put out the word that anyone caught stealing or snatching Spirit Medicine could be killed on the spot.

All sorts of ill-intentioned Disciples also quietly tucked away their thoughts.

Li Changsheng sat on the ridge of the field, looking at this spiritual field he had opened up with his own hands, and suddenly remembered something from the simulated world.

In the back mountain of the Lingtai Sect, Uncle-Master Fang had taken him to plant a Spirit Tea Tree.

That was his first contact with Spiritual Plants, and also the first time he felt that subtle connection with vegetation.

Tea trees grew slowly, taking three to five years before they could be harvested, but once they survived, they could be harvested year after year.

Drinking water infused with tea tree leaves had the effect of calming the mind and gently increasing spiritual power.

Though not as rapid as a Medicinal Pill, its advantage was having no side effects and being sustainable.

“If I could plant a Spirit Tea Tree...”

He murmured to himself.

The mountain range where the Qinglan Sword Sect was located had Spiritual Qi a hundred times denser than Qinghe Town; there should be wild tea tree seeds.

If he could find a seedling, transplant it to the edge of the field, and care for it diligently, he could harvest tea in three to five years.

He stood up and looked toward the distant, mist-shrouded back mountain.

No sooner said than done.

The next morning, Li Changsheng brought the essential items.

A hoe, several cloth bags, two bottles of clear heart liquid, and a Low Grade iron sword he had bought from the market.

He walked toward the depths of the back mountain.

The back mountain of the Hundred Herb Garden was a continuous stretch of primeval forest; the deeper one went, the denser the trees and the richer the Spiritual Qi.

According to Manager Qin, Low Grade Yao Beasts often appeared in the mountains, and it was best for Qi Refining Stage Disciples not to go deep alone.

But Li Changsheng was not afraid.

He had a foundation in martial arts, the enhancement of spiritual power, and the keen perception of plant auras from the Evergreen Plant Truth Scripture.

If he encountered a Yao Beast and couldn't win, he could still run.

He traveled through the mountain forest for most of the day and found several wild tea trees, but they were all mature trees with roots too deep; transplanting them to survive was almost impossible.

What he needed were seedlings, preferably the kind that had just sprouted for a year or two and had shallow roots.