Chen Jinshu's heart tensed upon hearing those words. She had thought the spirit seed was merely a reward—she hadn't expected it to be a test for the next sermon.
"Many thanks, Zhēnrén! This disciple will not fail your expectations!" Chen Jinshu bowed slightly and left the Hall of the Medicine King under Gu Zhēnrén guidance.
"Just cultivating a spirit seed, right? With this Spiritual Botany Manual, my plant-cultivating techniques will surely rise to a new level," she muttered, her gaze steadying with a hint of resolve.
Without delay, she activated her Rainbow Step and swiftly made her way toward Ink Plum Courtyard. Moments later, Gu Zhēnrén also emerged from the hall.
Di Junhao stepped forward and cupped his hands in curiosity. "Master, are you considering taking that junior sister as your disciple?"
"Hmph. She is indeed a good seedling for a spiritual planter. But her cultivation level is still too low. Let's see how she grows and observe her temperament over time."
The Xuanming Ice Lotus that Chen Jinshu cultivated had impressed him. The accelerating potion she used seemed to be a simplified version of the sect's standard formula. The fact that she had recreated it on her own was proof enough of her talent in alchemy. Thus, the spirit seed was both a test and a way to further evaluate her abilities.
"By the way—what did you do with the female cultivator who made the false accusation?"
"Senior Brother took those involved to the Steward's hall. He asked me to remain here with you."
"Go to the hall as well. That woman harbors ill intent. If left alone, she will spread chaos across Medicine King Peak. For defying an elder and slandering her peers, she is to be expelled from the Xuanming Sect and forbidden from ever returning." Gu Zhēnrén eyes flashed coldly as he gave the command.
"Yes, Zhēnrén!"
Ink Plum Courtyard
After returning from the Hall of the Medicine King, Chen Jinshu stayed in the courtyard and didn't step outside. Xiao Yin still hadn't fully withdrawn its luck aura. A faint white glow still shimmered around it, and she worried it might pick up another senior's lost belongings—so she decided not to leave.
On her way back, a few seniors had even tried to befriend her.
They must've seen her performance at the Medicine King Hall and wanted to build a connection. But she politely declined. She had no interest in forming ties with unfamiliar cultivators—some of them might have personalities like Gui Xinxin.
"I didn't expect this Rotten Root Regeneration Elixir to be this difficult to make," she muttered.
Upon returning, she flipped through the Spiritual Botany Manual that Gu Zhēnrén had rewarded her. It didn't just include methods to cultivate spirit seeds mentioned in his sermon—it also covered techniques for repairing damaged roots, accelerating plant growth, and more. All of it was neatly compressed into a single booklet.
But the moment she read about the Rotten Root Regeneration technique, she was stunned by the list of rare herbs required. Rotten roots are essentially lifeless—repairing them is nearly impossible. Regrowth is the only viable option. However, the herbs needed for that regrowth are notoriously hard to cultivate.
Because of this, the potion is rarely produced and is only a small part of the required Tier-2 ingredients for cultivating Xuanming Ice Lotus.
"I'll go to the market tomorrow morning and buy the spirit seed to cultivate it myself. Spending too much on one is a bit of a waste."
She was only curious about this spirit vine right now—restoring it was already a big effort. She wasn't about to pour her savings into its growth unless it proved valuable.
The Next Day, Chen Hour (7–9 AM).
After getting ready, Chen Jinshu made her way to Pingwu Market. Pingwu Market was just outside the sect, quite close, nestled against the mountainside. The round trip took her about half an hour. Mainly because the sect grounds were vast—it took time just to cross them.
She purchased a spirit seed and several herbs needed for the simplified growth potion. With her Tier-1 Low-Grade Alchemist Certificate, she received a 20% discount at Shuiyue Pavilion, and her pills sold at 10% above normal price.
Prices were comparable to the Medicine King Peak's supply hall. However, the supply hall didn't carry as many spirit seed varieties as the market. So if she wanted everything in one trip, the market was the better option. Otherwise, she'd have to run two trips to the supply hall—too time-consuming.
Half an hour later, she returned to Ink Plum Courtyard and planted the spirit herb seeds for the Rotten Root Elixir inside her spirit plant space, watering them with the simplified growth potion.
"I'm out again. I'll brew a few more bottles, then go check on the herb garden."
On the way back, she had felt uneasy, as if something was about to happen. She was fine at the courtyard—it must be something related to the herb garden. Lately, she'd been hearing about various herb gardens encountering problems—causing spiritual farmers to lose everything, which led to reduced tax yields and halved monthly stipends.
Outer disciples of Medicine King Peak were each responsible for cultivating several acres of spiritual farmland as part of their sect duties. It was relatively easy work. If even this couldn't be done properly, reduced stipends were to be expected. An hour passed quickly, during which she brewed five bottles of the simplified potion.
"Green-blue in color! My skill has improved!"
Previously, her potions were mostly light green or jade. Now the color was deeper, meaning the medicinal potency had improved.
"Time to check the fields."
Two Quarters Later (~30 mins).
Chen Jinshu arrived at the Frost Pool Herb Garden. She was greeted by chaos. Even several Foundation Establishment-level uncles were present. The disciples wore expressions of panic and sorrow. Sensing something was wrong, she went to the gatekeeper to ask what had happened.
"The Frost Pool Herb Garden has been invaded by demonic qi. A third of the spirit fields are already affected. You'd better check your plot—be mentally prepared!"
A deep worry welled up in her heart. So that uneasy feeling from earlier—this was it.
She immediately turned and rushed into the herb garden, the gatekeeper's anxious warning following behind her.
"Don't forget to apply a Demon-Repelling Talisman! Don't let the demonic qi touch you!"
Ever since herb gardens began suffering demonic qi invasions, the sect had included repelling talismans with monthly stipends. They could drive away the demonic qi and prevent contamination.
If demonic qi clung to a cultivator and wasn't removed in time, it could infect the dantian, potentially giving rise to inner demons or even turning one into a demonic cultivator.
As she walked further in, she saw cultivators enveloped in golden protective shields, tending their fields. She had already activated her repelling talisman, sticking it to herself. Its effect was similar to a Golden Shield Spell, but specifically blocked demonic qi.
Just as she reached her field, she heard a bitter voice from her neighboring senior, Lin Yi:
"My three acres are all tainted with demonic qi! How am I supposed to meet the tax quota?!"
Chen Jinshu's heart sank. Looking over, she saw the faint black mist curling above the formation protecting Lin Yi's three-acre field—undeniably demonic qi. Once spiritual herbs were tainted, they were basically ruined and had to be burned immediately.
"I'll have to use the herbs grown in my plant space to cover the loss," she sighed, quickly using a repelling talisman to cleanse the nearby demonic qi around her array.
She had already braced herself for the worst.
But the moment she activated her array and stepped inside—
She froze.
Before her lay lush, thriving spirit herbs, glowing faintly with white light—completely untouched by demonic qi.