49: Caught stealing elixirs? No, I'm using this to enrich my fields!

Half a month later, at the Hundred Herb Garden.

A roar shattered the morning tranquility, startling countless spirit birds.

"Who?! Which damn bastard stole my 'Red Flame Vermilion Fruit'?!"

The Elder of the Herb Garden (Golden Core Stage, Middle Stage, with a fiery temper) stood before a bare spirit tree, trembling with rage, his beard bristling.

He had meticulously cultivated this Third-Grade Low Grade Red Flame Vermilion Fruit for fifty years. Just yesterday, three fruits were hanging perfectly fine, and he had planned to harvest them today for Alchemy. Yet, upon waking up, only two remained?

Moreover, the thief was extremely arrogant, even spitting the fruit pit out at the base of the tree!

"Assemble! All Utility Disciples, assemble immediately!"

At the Elder's command, the entire Hundred Herb Garden was thrown into chaos.

Dozens of Utility Disciples lined up trembling, heads bowed, not daring to let out a breath.

Gu Yang mingled with the crowd, adjusted the flat-lens glasses on the bridge of his nose, and held a folding fan, wearing an expression that said, "I am very frail, I am very innocent."

But inside, his heart was drumming:

"Oh no, I couldn't resist last night; that Vermilion Fruit was too fragrant... I should have swallowed the pit too. How careless of me."

The Elder's gaze was like lightning, his powerful Divine Sense sweeping over everyone's bodies again and again.

Ordinary Utility Disciples naturally showed nothing, but when his Divine Sense swept over Gu Yang, the Elder's brow furrowed sharply.

This kid... although there was no Spiritual Qi fluctuation, why was his blood and Qi so vigorous? And it faintly exuded a lingering, fiery medicinal power!

That was the unique aura of the Red Flame Vermilion Fruit!

"Gu Weak Chicken! It's you!"

The Elder took a step forward and instantly appeared before Gu Yang, the pressure of his Golden Core Stage bearing down like a mountain.

"How dare you! A mere Mortal Utility Disciple, and you dare to steal and eat immortal Spirit Medicine? Are you not afraid of exploding to death?!"

The surrounding Utility Disciples retreated in fear, looking at Gu Yang with the eyes of someone watching a dead man.

Stealing and eating Third-Grade Spirit Medicine? This was a capital offense!

Gu Yang was enveloped by the pressure. Although this bit of pressure felt like a gentle breeze to him, he still very cooperatively let his knees go weak, falling to the ground with a "thud" (taking the opportunity to shatter the bluestone slab beneath his knees with internal energy, pretending he had fallen heavily).

"Elder, I've been wronged! This student has been wronged!"

Gu Yang wept bitterly, pulling a handkerchief from his bosom to wipe away non-existent tears.

"How could this student steal and eat it? Even if I had ten times the courage, I wouldn't dare!"

"Still trying to quibble? What is this medicinal power in your body?" the Elder shouted sternly.

"That is... that is because this student was 'tasting the hundred herbs'!"

Gu Yang looked righteous and awe-inspiring, "Although this student has no Spiritual Root, I still wish to contribute to the Sect. Yesterday, while patrolling the herb garden, I discovered that the Vermilion Fruit had been pecked by a spirit bird and had fallen to the ground."

"This student thought, this is the Elder's hard work; how could it be wasted? So, I recalled the method of 'transforming into mud to protect the flower' recorded in ancient texts!"

"This student ate it, intending to use my own body as a furnace to transform the medicinal power into the purest fertilizer, so as to nourish this herb garden!"

"..."

The whole place fell into dead silence.

The Elder was so angry he laughed: "Use your body as fertilizer? Nourish the herb garden? Do you think I'm a three-year-old child? What utter nonsense!"

"Someone! Drag him away! Beat him to death!"

"Wait!"

Gu Yang suddenly shouted, a flash of determination in his eyes.

"If the Elder does not believe me, this student is willing to verify it on the spot!"

He struggled to crawl up and walked over to a precious Spirit Medicine that was about to wither due to the depletion of Spiritual Qi—the "Wither-Bloom Grass."

This grass was a chronic problem in the herb garden; the Elder had spent much effort trying to save it but failed, and was just about to pull it out.

"This student will now prove that my body is the best fertilizer!"

Gu Yang bit his fingertip (it actually took a great deal of effort to break through that layer of skin, which was tougher than a Magic Treasure) and forced out a drop of golden-red essence blood.

In this drop of blood, not only was the medicinal power of the Red Flame Vermilion Fruit contained, but it was also fused with Gu Yang's immense vitality and the essence of various wood-type Spirit Plants he had eaten before.

Drip.

The blood droplet fell onto the roots of the Wither-Bloom Grass.

The next second, a miracle occurred.

Hum—

The originally withered and drooping Wither-Bloom Grass, after absorbing that drop of blood, was as if it had been injected with adrenaline, instantly straightening its stalk!

The withered yellow leaves turned green at a speed visible to the naked eye, and it even sprouted a new shoot, radiating rich vitality!

The Spirit Medicine, which had been lifeless, had come back to life!

"This... how is this possible?!"

The Elder's eyes widened as he rushed over to carefully examine the Wither-Bloom Grass.

"Full of vitality! The medicinal power is pure! This is simply more effective than thousand-year spirit milk!"

He turned his head sharply to look at Gu Yang, his eyes shifting from anger to shock, and then to wild joy.

"Your blood... actually has such miraculous effects? Could it be that you are the legendary... 'Ten Thousand Wood Evergreen Body'? (In reality, it was just from eating too many supplements)"

Gu Yang's face was pale at this moment (pretending), swaying unsteadily, and he weakly held his forehead:

"Elder, to save this plant, this student has consumed ten years of my Lifespan... but for the sake of the Sect, it was worth it!"

As he spoke, he also coughed up two mouthfuls of blood at the right moment (which he had saved after biting his tongue earlier).

"A talent! A peerless farming talent!"

The Elder was moved to tears and grabbed Gu Yang to steady him.

"Gu... Nephew Gu! It was this old man who misunderstood you!"

"Not only are you innocent, but you have also performed a great service! This Wither-Bloom Grass is priceless!"

"From today on, you don't have to carry manure anymore! I am promoting you to 'Chief Spirit Planter'! You will be specifically responsible for taking care of those rare Spirit Medicines!"

Gu Yang leaned weakly against the Elder, a glimmer of cunning flashing behind his glasses.

"Many thanks, Elder... Then, may this student go and take a look at the Inner Sect herb garden? I hear the Spirit Medicines there are more delicate and require this student to go and 'donate blood'..."

"Granted! Of course granted!" The Elder waved his hand grandly, "I will give you the token for the Inner Sect herb garden right now! From now on, the Spirit Medicines there will all be under your care!"

The corners of Gu Yang's mouth curled up slightly, revealing a smile of "plan successful."

The Inner Sect herb garden?

The Spirit Medicines there have quite a few that are at the Wood-type Origin level.

"It seems that my Five Elements Golden Body will soon reach Perfection."