Frost Pool Herb Garden, southeastern three-mu spiritual field.
After planting the last batch of seeds across the entire three mu of spiritual field, Chen Jinshu finally felt herself heating up. Sweat had even started to bead along her forehead. The soil here was already frozen stiff by icy sand. Even with the aid of a spiritual hoe, it was still physically demanding work.
"Would casting Spiritual Rain Technique freeze everything solid?"
She stared at the freshly planted field, an idea suddenly striking her. Since the environment here was so cold, if she cast the spell, would it turn into snow instead of rain?
Turning this over in her mind, she decided to try it. Raising both hands, they lit up with green spiritual energy. She softly chanted the incantation.
"Rain, fall."
In an instant, a small dark cloud formed above the three mu plot, perfectly blanketing the area. But the moment the cloud gathered, something felt… off.
It was too dark.
Moments later, under her watchful gaze, a flurry of snow began to fall—thick and heavy. The sky quickly filled with white, a curtain of snowflakes descending and blanketing the field in white.
"Haha! Junior Sister! Are you calling down spiritual rain or starting a snowstorm?"
Startled, Chen Jinshu turned her head to find a senior brother in a similarly dark cyan robe laughing as he watched from the adjacent field.
"Senior Brother, without spiritual rain, how else can the spiritual field replenish its aura and moisture?"
She patted the snow off her robe, asking quietly.
"The Frost Pool Herb Garden is far too frigid—spiritual rain spells don't work here. They always turn into spiritual snow. Typically, spirit farmers in this area use cold spring water directly from the pond in the eastern center. That water's been nurtured by the spirit veins for years—its spiritual content is no less than spiritual rain."
"Thank you, Senior Brother," Chen Jinshu replied with realization. She hadn't expected the Frost Pool Herb Garden to have such limitations.
"Anything else I should know about the herb garden?" she asked.
"Nope. The rest of the process is the same as in other fields. Yours is probably the last of the three mu patches left, right?" He raised a brow, smiling with a touch of self-mockery.
"Junior Sister Chen Jinshu. May I ask Senior Brother's name?"
"Lin Yi. Been in Xuanming Sect for five years now."
"Pleased to meet you, Senior Brother Lin," Chen Jinshu answered politely, now aware not to underestimate him.
Five years in the sect—he must have reached a level she could hardly imagine.
"No need to be so formal. I've got four spiritual roots—only broke through to outer sect two years ago. I'm the same as you now—Fourth Layer of Qi Training."
"I see."
"The Frost Pond is just three zhang north of your field."
"Thank you for the heads-up!"
Chen Jinshu cupped her fists in gratitude, glancing around for a moment. Soon enough, she spotted a vivid blue pond to the north. Several disciples were already there, drawing water.
She made her way over.
A short while later, she stood before the pool's vast surface. Calling it a "pond" was generous—it was broader than most lakes, its depths unknowable. She observed the nearby disciples. Each used a small jade bottle, dipping it into the water and letting it fill on its own after a short wait.
"Senior Sister, do you happen to have a spare jade bottle? I'm new here and only just learned we need to water the fields with Frost Pond water."
She hesitated a moment before asking one of the more approachable-looking women.
"I've only got a small bottle—it's enough for about three waterings."
"Three's plenty. How many spirit stones would you like for it?"
"They're not expensive—just two or three spirit stones at the Hall of Affairs will buy you a fine one. This little one? I'll give it to you for one."
"Thank you, Senior Sister!" Chen Jinshu beamed and exchanged a spirit stone for a small jade bottle of ice-blue hue. It resembled a medicine bottle, just a bit more delicate and compact. She immediately activated the storage bottle. With a few soft gurgles, it filled with Frost Pond water.
It rested weightlessly in her hand, almost like a storage bag—quite miraculous.
By the time she returned to her field, the snow she had summoned had melted under the salt mixture she had spread. However, upon sensing the spiritual energy within the soil, she frowned. Very little had increased. Almost no change at all.
"Why? Even if the rain turned to snow, the spiritual energy inside should be the same. Why hasn't the aura density improved?"
Perplexed, she couldn't make sense of it.
"Let's try watering it with Frost Pond water."
She activated the jade bottle. A blue glow pulsed as a misty spray erupted from the bottle, drenching the field.
"It can automatically water the field too?!"
In that moment, Chen Jinshu felt like a clueless country girl stumbling into town—there was far too much she still didn't know. After a while, once the field was fully saturated in spiritual mist, she began inspecting the seeds.
She found them thriving from the Frost Pond water. Many were swollen and cracking open, full of life. The freezing she had feared hadn't happened.
"I wonder… could this water work inside my planting space too?"
She had barely begun to feel satisfied when she noticed something odd—the spiritual energy in the field was rapidly fading.
Soon it had dropped all the way back to the level it was after the snow had melted.
"What now?" she muttered, frowning.
Soon enough, she noticed something strange near the rocky wall at the edge of the field—a tattered vine of vibrant green.
From a distance, she could see it still absorbing spiritual energy from the soil. Faint green light pulsed from within it. But the moment she approached, the vine retracted into the ground, leaving behind only a thread-thin tendril draped limply across the dirt like a dead thing.
"What a curious vine… it has intelligence."
Normal vines wouldn't know to hide. But this one—this one was different. It fled when she drew close. Chen Jinshu's lips curled faintly. She crouched down and extended a hand, conjuring a flame into her palm.
The vine shrank back, clearly afraid.
"Come out. Or I'll burn you."
She grinned, her smile gleaming with threat as she inched the fire closer. The vine slowly gave in, extending a slender length—about half a zhang long. It looked sickly, either undernourished or injured. Its surface was patchy, gnawed away in chunks. The root was partially rotten.
Then it… begged.
It curled toward her in a gesture of surrender.
"You want to absorb spiritual energy to recover? Just say so. But you're not allowed to steal from the field again."
Though her tone was stern, a trace of sympathy softened her gaze. It must've been starving. The field had been frozen solid before, and only after the snow melted had the aura begun to release.
No wonder the poor thing was so hungry.
Seeing the vine give a small nod, she didn't hesitate to pour some Frost Pond water over the decayed part of its roots. Only after nearly using up the amount meant for all three mu did the vine finally seem satisfied, swaying gently, as if in joy.
It even twined affectionately around her finger in thanks.
Chen Jinshu blinked, faint surprise flickering in her eyes.
A vine with this level of intelligence couldn't possibly be ordinary.
But why was it here, hidden away, and no one knew of it?
She figured she should seriously investigate the history of this three mu plot in the Frost Pool Herb Garden.