[Vitality] Boost: Plant and Thrive
Li Ye paid no attention whatsoever to the attention Yao, Gu and the others were giving him.
He devoted himself entirely to the Blood Li Rice he was planting for the first time, pouring all his enthusiasm into it.
Until...
[You used an exquisite technique to plant a first-tier Spirit Plant, Blood Li Rice, successfully bringing it to life and stimulating its Vitality to the fullest. Experience +0.2...]
A new message appeared before his eyes, followed by more identical notifications, and the smile at the corners of Li Ye's mouth gradually widened.
With such immediate feedback, who could say farming wasn't addictive?
Hardly pausing, Li Ye continued planting the next patch of seedlings.
The stench of blood assaulted his nose, and the mud mixed with blood was sticky and slimy, but neither seemed to hinder him in the slightest.
His transplanting techniques and the various Law Techniques he used to tend the plants alternated, forming a faint, distinctive rhythm.
All the exertion seemed not to exist for Li Ye, either. The smile on his face not only remained, but grew wider.
"Hiss... what's Li Ye smiling about?"
Gu Daojin straightened up and used Law Power to fling the bloody mud from his hands. He glanced over without thinking and froze.
Even a skilled Spirit Plant farmer with his experience couldn't help finding it difficult to endure spending too long in the conditions required to cultivate Blood Li Rice.
Yet not only were Li Ye's movements completely unhampered, he could even smile...
It was as though this wasn't exhausting torment, but something he was enjoying!
Wasn't that a little ridiculous?!
On his other side, Yao Shaohui vaguely heard his words. He infused his eyes with Law Power and glanced over at Li Ye.
That look left him somewhat stunned as well.
Yao and Gu exchanged a glance. Both felt that everything about Li Ye was strange, and why did his seedlings look a little better than theirs at first glance?
Was it an illusion?
There were only four of them on the back mountain, so Yao and Gu's actions didn't escape Xiong Yinxiu's notice.
She glanced at Li Ye and his spirit field, her brow furrowing slightly as she thought to herself,
Putting on a mysterious act. When it's time to tend the Blazing Sun Flowers, I'll show you what I'm capable of!
"Let's stop here for today..."
Li Ye straightened up, walked onto the field ridge, and used the Cleaning Technique to sweep the bloody mud from his hands, feet, and clothes.
He stretched his stiff, aching neck, waist, and back a few times, then let out a long breath.
He looked at the spirit field before him. Half of the paddy, its mud a uniform dark red, was now covered with pale red seedlings.
At a glance, they stood in neat rows, bursting with vitality. Every last one had taken root and survived on the first try!
The effect of the [Vitality] trait really exceeded my expectations!
Combined with careful techniques, I can clearly feel the hidden Vitality in the seedlings being stimulated somewhat. Almost every seedling I planted took root on the spot...
Li Ye murmured to himself, somewhat excited.
That was practically the same as saying there were no Spirit Plants of the first tier or below that he, Li Ye, couldn't grow!
To be honest, he even suspected that if he casually tossed out a seed or a sapling, it might receive the same boost.
If he hadn't used the unusually abundant Spiritual Qi here to restore his stamina and Law Power several times, and found it difficult to keep going after enduring four hours of work to plant half a mu of field...
With such immediate feedback and a steady stream of experience, Li Ye really couldn't bear to stop.
This ability might not be quite so extreme with second-tier Spirit Plants, but it should still have some effect...
Blazing Sun Flower... I can't wait to see how much experience you can give me!
"Ahem... Junior Brother Li, are you getting ready to rest?"
Gu Daojin and Yao Shaohui came over, wearing somewhat awkward smiles.
Their gazes swept over Li Ye's spirit field, and their expressions shifted slightly.
From a distance, they hadn't been able to see so clearly, but now that they were closer, they realized the Blood Li Rice seedlings the kid had only just planted looked as though they'd been growing for days!
What technique had he used to achieve such an extraordinary effect?!
They had secretly breathed a sigh of relief when they saw Li Ye finally stop working after planting half a mu in one stretch.
After all, no matter how much they wanted to distinguish themselves before the elder, if their stamina and Law Power were running low, forcing themselves to continue would inevitably affect how well they tended the seedlings, leaving the later ones in poorer condition and creating an obvious disparity.
Wouldn't that do more harm than good?
If Li Ye hadn't kept going for so long, the two of them would probably have stopped ages ago!
But now that they saw this, their persistence seemed pointless... what use was planting a little more or less? There was simply no comparison!
"Senior Brothers, what did you need me for?"
Li Ye spoke at just the right moment, pulling them out of their turbulent thoughts.
The two looked at each other. In the end, Yao Shaohui, the more eloquent of the pair, spoke.
"Actually, the two of us came to apologize... I misunderstood you earlier, Junior Brother, and spoke without thinking. I nearly caused a disaster..."
"Senior Brother Yao, you're mistaken!"
Li Ye interrupted him and, as his expression changed, said with a smile,
"The one who really spoke without thinking and nearly got us into trouble was clearly someone else... There was nothing wrong with what you said earlier, Senior Brother, and I didn't take it to heart. What do the two of you have to apologize for?"
Hearing this, Yao and Gu were both taken aback and somewhat moved.
"We admire your magnanimity, Junior Brother!"
Yao Shaohui was particularly indignant. "You're right, Junior Brother. Someone clearly couldn't control her mouth and dared to shout abuse at you in public, causing the elder to misunderstand. If it weren't for her..."
He didn't finish, but the meaning in his eyes couldn't have been clearer.
Earlier, he had approached Xiong Yinxiu with smiles and kind words, hoping to make her acquaintance. It would have been one thing if that shrew had merely refused to give him a pleasant look, but she had actually dared to curse him outright!
After what happened afterward, Yao Shaohui had come to loathe Xiong Yinxiu!
Gu Daojin nodded inwardly and chimed in, "Junior Brother Li never meant us the slightest harm. If anything, we're the ones who owe him..."
"If I don't succeed, then whichever of you two junior brothers wins this opportunity, I, Old Gu, will offer my heartfelt congratulations!"
Li Ye and Yao Shaohui exchanged a glance. "The same goes for me!"
The three exchanged smiles, reaching an unspoken understanding, and the atmosphere immediately eased.
Xiong Yinxiu watched coldly as the three chatted happily. Her expression grew even darker, and she left without another word.
On the first day, everyone planted only half a mu before taking their leave of the elder.
On the second day, they had more time, and everyone came prepared.
That day, they not only finished the remaining half mu, but also had ample stamina and Law Power left for the greater challenge ahead.
"Mm, their Vitality hasn't diminished. They're gradually absorbing beast blood and building up their reserves..."
Elder Ji looked down at the four spirit fields. A sweep of his Divine Sense was enough for him to know every detail of each one.
"Especially the field Li Ye is responsible for. The seedlings have only just been planted, yet they're already growing quite well. His skills truly are extraordinary!"
He offered the praise casually, then turned to the four people waiting beside him.
"You've done well to finish planting the Blood Li Rice in two days..."
"In that case, starting today, each of you will assist me in planting and tending a patch of Blazing Sun Flowers!"