161: Chapter 161 Maintenance Task

Su Cheng thought of a place: the Hundred Herbs Garden.

The Hundred Herbs Garden was the administrative body for all spiritual fields and gardens within the Sect, where various spiritual plant maintenance tasks were posted year-round.

If he took on a task related to high-tier Spirit Medicine maintenance and inadvertently displayed an extraordinary talent for spiritual plant affinity during the process...

The news wouldn't take long to spread throughout the Sect.

As long as it reached the ears of True Man Lü Yuan, given that Immortal Master's obsession with the quality of huayuan pills, would he take the initiative to seek him out?

Even if he didn't come looking, it would at least give Su Cheng the confidence to recommend himself.

As for Senior Brother Chen Yuan, if Su Cheng could rely on his own abilities to squeeze into the assistant list and secure an observation opportunity for his Senior Brother in the process, that favor would be considered fully repaid.

Su Cheng took out a blank Jade Slip, noted down the key points of this plan one by one, and added them to his to-do list.

Then he left and went to Chen Yuan's Immortal Cave, calling out toward the entrance, "Senior Brother!"

Soon, Chen Yuan poked his head out from inside.

"What is it?"

"Are there any tasks related to high-tier Spirit Medicine maintenance at the Hundred Herbs Garden lately?"

Chen Yuan walked out, his gloom not yet fully dissipated, but upon hearing this, his professional instinct kicked in: "Yes, the Hundred Herbs Garden is always short-handed. Daily maintenance tasks for third-tier spirit medicines are always posted, but they're time-consuming and low-paying, so few are willing to take them. Why, do you want to go?"

"Just asking," Su Cheng smiled. "Get some rest early, Senior Brother. See you tomorrow."

He turned back to his Immortal Cave and closed the door.

The moment the door closed, Su Cheng's smile did not fade.

What to do next was clear: first, go to the Hundred Herbs Garden to take on a third-tier spirit medicine maintenance task, do a stellar job, and let his talent for spiritual plant affinity cause a stir in the Sect.

Then, wait for the fish to take the bait.

Su Cheng sat on a prayer mat, his mind beginning to deduce how to play this next move.

Night deepened.

The wind outside the pine forest howled, occasionally mixed with the faint rustling of Spiritual Plants stretching their leaves in the spiritual fields.

Su Cheng leaned against the cave wall, staring blankly at the Jade Slip on the table that recorded his to-do list.

Things were piling up.

But by taking them one by one, everything could be sorted out.

Early the next morning, Su Cheng arrived at Contribution Peak.

The task wall at Contribution Peak occupied an entire stone cliff, densely hung with Jade Slips.

Alchemy tasks were on the left, spiritual plant maintenance on the right, and miscellaneous items in the middle.

Most Cultivators' gazes were concentrated on the left; the rows of spiritual plant maintenance tasks on the right were desolate and covered in dust.

Su Cheng walked straight to the right, scanning them one by one from top to bottom.

Replanting first-tier spiritual plants—no.

Pest control for second-tier spiritual gardens—no.

Fertilizing second-tier spiritual herbs—also no.

His gaze stopped at the third row from the bottom.

"Daily maintenance of the third-tier spirit medicine 'green lotus mother-child grass' at Wanhua Peak. Requires one Wood-attribute Foundation Establishment Disciple, two hours daily for a duration of one month. Reward: fifteen contribution points per day."

Wanhua Peak, the mountain of True Man Lü Yuan.

green lotus mother-child grass, a third-tier spirit medicine.

Su Cheng had seen this name while browsing the huayuan pill refinement texts in the Dharma Transmission Pavilion; it was one of the six main and auxiliary ingredients for the huayuan pill.

It wasn't the core yuanling grass, but without it, the quality of the huayuan pill would drop by at least one grade.

This task had been hanging on the wall for at least half a month, and no one had taken it.

The reason was simple: the maintenance of third-tier spirit medicines required extremely high purity of a Cultivator's Wood-attribute spiritual power.

If an ordinary Wood-attribute Foundation Establishment Cultivator went, and injected ten parts of spiritual power, it would be good if the Spirit Medicine absorbed three; the remaining seven would be entirely wasted.

After working for two hours, they would have to rest for most of the day to recover their spiritual power, meaning they could basically do nothing else that month besides maintaining the Spiritual Plants.

For fifteen contribution points a day, who would endure such hardship?

Su Cheng reached out and took down the Jade Slip.

The registering deacon glanced at Su Cheng's jade plaque, then at the task Jade Slip, and asked as a matter of routine: "Are you sure you want to take it? If this task is returned unfinished, half of your contribution points will be deducted."

"I'm sure."

The deacon made a note in the ledger and handed over an entry token.

Su Cheng stowed the token, left Contribution Peak, and flew toward Wanhua Peak on his sword.

Wanhua Peak was significantly higher than Qingmu Peak, with steep terrain, and its summit was perpetually shrouded in a thin layer of medicinal mist.

The higher he flew, the stronger the mixed medicinal fragrance in the air became. There were many varieties, all blending together, making one's head throb from the scent.

Su Cheng landed at the reception area halfway up the mountain and showed his entry token.

A Utility Disciple responsible for reception verified it and led him toward the southern side of the mountainside.

As they passed a spacious stone platform, Su Cheng's pace slowed slightly.

Several Pill Furnaces were set up on the platform, with five people sitting around them, discussing something.

Wei Tian sat in the center, flipping through a Jade Slip and looking up occasionally to speak with those around him.

Lin Xuewei was beside him, her eyes closed as she regulated her breathing.

Su Cheng hadn't met the other three, but judging by their cultivation auras—two in the Foundation Establishment Mid-stage and one in the Late Foundation Establishment Stage—they were likely the Disciples of Elder Lu from the Alchemy Hall and True Man Lü Yuan's Personal Disciple, Han Jing.

When Wei Tian looked up, his gaze happened to meet Su Cheng's.

His brow twitched slightly, feeling somewhat surprised.

What was a Qingmu Peak Disciple doing at Wanhua Peak? Seeing the entry token in Su Cheng's hand and the reception disciple following him, Wei Tian quickly realized he was there for a task.

The spiritual plant maintenance tasks posted by Wanhua Peak were no secret; Wei Tian had some recollection of them.

His gaze lingered on Su Cheng for two breaths before shifting back to the Jade Slip, saying nothing more.

However, the Late Foundation Establishment Stage Disciple beside him—True Man Lü Yuan's Personal Disciple, Han Jing—glanced at Su Cheng and asked, "What are you here for?"

The reception disciple answered first, "Senior Brother, he is here for the green lotus mother-child grass maintenance task."

Han Jing gave a grunt of acknowledgment and didn't press further.

Su Cheng continued following the reception disciple. As he passed the stone platform, he caught a glimpse of Wei Tian whispering something to the person next to him; he spoke very quickly, and the words were indistinct.

It didn't matter.

The reception disciple brought Su Cheng to a spiritual garden on the southern side of the mountainside.

The garden wasn't large, surrounded by a Spirit Gathering Formation, with seven or eight different types of Spirit Medicines planted inside.

In the innermost corner, three green herbaceous plants about half a person's height stood quietly. Their leaves were thick, their stems intertwined, and their roots emitted a faint green glow.

green lotus mother-child grass.

Su Cheng crouched down and observed them for a long while.

The quality of these three was decent. Although their spirituality was abundant, the spiritual power circulation in some parts of the roots was not very smooth, and the efficiency of absorbing external Spiritual Qi was low.

To put it simply, they weren't "eating" enough, their "digestion" couldn't keep up, and they grew slowly.

Normally, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator would inject Wood-attribute spiritual power to help clear its meridians and promote growth. Two hours a day for a month would probably raise it from "decent" to "good."

But if the Qi of Creation were to enter... Su Cheng had a plan in mind.

"How do I turn the garden's Formation on and off?" he asked the reception disciple.

The other party explained the operation method in detail and reminded him of several precautions: don't touch other Spirit Medicines, don't change the Formation parameters without authorization, and report any abnormalities immediately during maintenance.

Having said that, the reception disciple left, leaving Su Cheng alone in the spiritual garden.