Effort Is Sweeter Than Laziness

Yan Song piloted the General Affairs Hall's public flying Magic Treasure, a massive楼船 (lóu chuán - a type of large ship, often used metaphorically for large vessels), transporting a group of examiners and candidates to a Medicine Field within the sect.

This was the venue for the practical examination.

The practical examination consisted of three stages: planting, nurturing, and harvesting.

The first stage was planting.

Li Xiuchang and the others each received ten First-grade Spirit Plant seeds. Seven of these were common Spirit Plant seeds, but two of them belonged to First-grade Spirit Plants that were known for their complex planting procedures and higher difficulty.

The remaining three seeds were ones Li Xiuchang had never seen or heard of. They were said to be Spirit Plant varieties from South of Immortal Shade.

The Immortal Dust Sect was located North of Immortal Shade, and the climate there was significantly different from the south. Many Spirit Plants could not adapt to the northern climate conditions and only grew in the south.

These southern Spirit Plant varieties were encountered for the first time by Li Xiuchang and the other three candidates.

The four of them couldn't even name these three types of Spirit Plants, let alone plant them.

For a moment, they all felt a bit uneasy, sensing the pressure mounting.

Out of the ten seeds, they needed to successfully plant seven to pass. Excluding the three unfamiliar seeds, they had to ensure a 100% survival rate for the remaining seven.

However, at this moment, the chief examiner spoke, "You don't need to panic. I will teach you the planting methods for these three unique Spirit Plant seeds from South of Immortal Shade later."

The other three candidates didn't feel much relieved upon hearing this. Even with the planting methods, the chances of success on their first attempt were slim.

Only Li Xiuchang felt confident. When he practiced in his courtyard, he had succeeded in planting every type of First-grade Spirit Plant on his first try. He believed this time would be no different.

Just as the chief examiner finished speaking, Senior Brother Yan stepped forward to add, "The sect offers additional rewards to disciples who perform exceptionally well in the assessment. If anyone can successfully plant all ten seeds, they will receive a Seed Pack of First-grade Spirit Plants, containing over five thousand varieties of First-grade Spirit Plant seeds."

The candidates, including Li Xiuchang, felt their hearts race.

Over five thousand varieties of First-grade Spirit Plant seeds! This encompassed more than half of all First-grade Spirit Plant varieties found North of Immortal Shade!

Although the seeds of First-grade Spirit Plants were generally not very valuable individually, the cumulative value of over five thousand seeds was not insignificant.

Furthermore, some rare varieties couldn't be bought even with Spirit Stones.

This Seed Pack was specifically offered by the Immortal Dust Sect as a reward for outstanding disciples, highlighting the benefits of being a disciple of a major sect like the Immortal Dust Sect.

Similar rewards were available for assessments in other skills.

Of course, obtaining such rewards was extremely difficult for ordinary disciples; they were essentially exclusive to prodigies.

And Li Xiuchang happened to be that kind of prodigy, at least when it came to farming.

While the other three candidates cautiously began with the simplest seeds, Li Xiuchang deliberately chose the most challenging task, starting immediately with the three southern Spirit Plants.

His actions naturally drew the attention of most of the examiners.

Yan Song frowned slightly, also observing Li Xiuchang's movements.

Under the watchful eyes of the examiners, Li Xiuchang moved with fluid grace, successfully planting the three southern Spirit Plants one after another, following the methods just taught by the examiner.

The three seeds all sprouted tender new shoots, appearing vibrant and full of life.

Seeing this, Yan Song's frown finally relaxed.

The chief examiner, even more surprised, asked, "Have you planted these three Spirit Plants before?"

"This is my first time encountering these three southern Spirit Plants, disciple," Li Xiuchang replied truthfully.

"Then how..." The chief examiner stopped himself mid-sentence. If the exam was designed to test them, wasn't it permissible for someone to achieve a perfect score?

Don't ask, just assume it's talent... Li Xiuchang felt the gazes of shock and envy from those around him, experiencing the thrill of being a top student.

He felt like he had transformed into the classmate in his childhood who claimed to never study but always came in first.

First place earned through hard work felt good, but not that good.

First place achieved effortlessly through talent? That felt truly amazing!

The other three candidates, who were proceeding steadily, felt immense pressure from Li Xiuchang's performance, and their rhythm became somewhat disrupted.

An exam never just tested knowledge and skills; it also tested one's mental fortitude.

Li Xiuchang's mindset was exceptionally stable. Despite being watched by so many people, he remained unhurried. His planting exam wasn't over yet; he still had seven seeds to plant.

But now that the most difficult part was over, planting the remaining seven seeds was child's play for Li Xiuchang.

Soon, ten different First-grade Spirit Plant seedlings were neatly arranged in the Medicine Field, all planted and successfully sprouted by Li Xiuchang.

The First-grade Seed Pack was his!

The chief examiner praised, "The Immortal Dust Sect has produced another promising talent in the way of Spirit Plants. Truly enviable."

While he said this, everyone was only mildly surprised. These examiners had seen many geniuses, especially in the Immortal Dust Sect, which was a place where geniuses gathered like clouds.

Prodigies like Li Xiuchang, who could receive extra rewards from the sect, appeared in the Immortal Dust Sect roughly every decade or so.

Li Xiuchang's current performance was merely that of one among many geniuses.

After finishing the planting portion of his exam, Li Xiuchang had to wait for the other three candidates.

Those three were sweating, each movement meticulous, their efficiency significantly lower than Li Xiuchang's.

In the end, only two of the three candidates barely passed, while one only managed to plant six seeds and was eliminated early.

The eliminated candidate looked dejected, but his fear seemed to outweigh his disappointment, and he seemed hesitant to look at Senior Brother Yan standing nearby.

It's not the end of the world if you don't pass this time; you can always try again. However, the strict Senior Brother Yan usually punishes those who fail.

Yan Song said coldly, "Wu Fuhai, reflect on your actions after you go back. You are not allowed to take the test again for six months."

Wu Fuhai, who had been eliminated, actually let out a sigh of relief. Phew, it was only a six-month ban from re-registering for the test.

Yan Song said to the three people beside him who had passed the planting exam, "You three, keep up the good work. If any of you can pass all the assessments with a perfect score, the sect will additionally reward you with the right to use a Medicine Field for one hundred years."

As he said this, his gaze fixed directly on Li Xiuchang. These words were meant for Li Xiuchang.

Only Li Xiuchang had the potential to pass with a perfect score.

Having already obtained a First-grade Spirit Plant Seed Pack, Li Xiuchang was already considered a once-in-a-decade genius in the Outer Sect.

If he could pass all the assessments with a perfect score, he would be a genius among geniuses, a once-in-a-century figure even within the Immortal Dust Sect's Outer Sect, which was full of talented individuals.

Yan Song didn't need to say more. Just hearing about the reward for a perfect score had Li Xiuchang eager to try.

He had just acquired over five thousand seeds, and he knew the small courtyard at number eighteen in the Eastern Geng District wouldn't be enough to plant them all.

Li Xiuchang had been envious when he saw the Medicine Field that Mo Tu and Zhang Wanzhi were renting together.

He desperately needed a Medicine Field of his own.